Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie counties working together to protect the New York State portion of the Lake Erie Watershed!
Lake Erie is the southernmost, smallest by volume, and shallowest of the five Great Lakes. This makes it the warmest and most biologically active of the Great Lakes and has allowed for a booming commercial fishing industry, as well as many other industries and recreational opportunities. Because it is part of the largest surface freshwater resource in the world, Lake Erie's watershed (drainage area) is densely populated, extensively farmed, and highly industrialized. With drainage from Ontario, Canada and the states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, Lake Erie is impacted by the activities of approximately 12 million residents and provides drinking water to approximately 11 million residents.
The Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed in New York State has more than 1.1 million people living in it. It is critical that the land draining to Lake Erie and the Niagara River is managed effectively to protect water quality! That's where the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance (LEWPA) comes in.
A watershed is an area of land where all of the water that drains on the land (stormwater and surface water) or below the land (groundwater) empties to a particular body of water. Watersheds can be large or small and smaller areas are often called sub-watersheds or sub-basins. Check out this 20-minute video that explains watersheds and how our actions impact the water quality around us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNI8o_Ow6fY
How did LEWPA form?
A major flood event in August of 2009 initiated the response of municipal officials in three counties around Cattaraugus Creek to lead a grassroots effort to proactively manage their local watersheds, all of which drain to Lake Erie. The storm event highlighted localized flooding problems, excessive debris accumulation in area streams, and overall non-point source pollution issues (such as sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, auto fluids, bacteria, nutrients, etc.) affecting their respective communities and ultimately Lake Erie. LEWPA was formalized in 2012 with an intermunicipal agreement between Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie counties as a membership of stakeholders to address water quality issues affecting the New York portion of the Lake Erie watershed and its shoreline.
What are some of the water quality issues?
Point-source pollution comes from pipes. These are often state or federally regulated discharge points from industry and wastewater treatment. Many of our everyday activities can negatively impact water quality as well though through non-point source pollution. These actions, such as applying chemicals to the lawn, not picking up pet waste, or not maintaining your septic system, can cause pollutants to wash into our waterways. These are referred to as non-point source pollution because this pollution is generally spread across the land as opposed to coming from a pipe. It adds up to be a major concern to water quality. You can help be a part of the solution though! Check out the Watershed Steward webpage for tips and outreach materials.
What does LEWPA do?
The mission of the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance is to foster collaboration and partnerships within the watershed to address regional water quality and quantity concerns and in doing so, protect and enhance our Lake Erie resource. The mission will be furthered through the implementation of the following objectives:
- Support existing federal and state Lake Erie restoration initiatives or recommendations
- Implement a watershed management approach to protecting water quality
- Leverage community assets and other support
- Reduce point source and non-point source water pollution
- Protect and enhance swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities
- Reduce the impacts and costs of flooding
- Conserve, protect, and restore natural habitat
- Identify, prioritize, and quantify specific problems and their solutions in support of the mission
- Build community stewardship through education and outreach to improve community awareness of the value and importance of Lake Erie and to increase community involvement in preserving the lake as a resource
- Address failing and outdated municipal infrastructure needs
LEWPA has a line item in the NYS Environmental Protection Fund to implement water quality improvement projects locally. You can see information about the projects on the Current LEWPA Activities webpage.
LEWPA completed the first Lake Erie Watershed Municipal Survey in 2013. To find out more, visit our web page on the Lake Erie Watershed Municipal Survey Report. You can also learn more about our history in the LEWPA Newsletter.
LEWPA meeting agendas and minutes can be found on our meeting webpage.