Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium

Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium The Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium serves as the voice of protection for the Conewango watershed and all life that depend on our regional water.

Chautauqua, Bear, and Cassadaga Lakes are part of the Conewango watershed. Here’s how we got started. In the late summer of 2019, a grassroots group of scientists, teachers, fishermen, environmentalists, and writers began meeting regularly to discuss shared concerns about Chautauqua Lake – both the lake’s health and the quality of its water. Shortly after our meetings began, our small group (still

unnamed at the time) was asked to contribute to The Allegheny Voice, a blog focused on environmental issues affecting the Allegheny River Watershed in western Pennsylvania and western New York. (https://alleghenyvoice.com/). Developing content for that platform helped us to better appreciate our position as part of a larger watershed. And we began to explore ways to connect with others in both western New York and western Pennsylvania who shared our passion for protecting the water quality of our lakes, rivers, creeks, and streams. This led to our group beginning a relationship with the Conewango Creek Watershed Association. (https://www.conewangocreek.org/ )

At the same time, members of our group became aware of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. It is the largest nonprofit solely focused on clean water, with more than 300 branches on six continents. Their mission is to protect everyone’s right to drinkable, swimmable, and fishable water (https://waterkeeper.org/ ) In November, 2019, we submitted a proposal to become a Waterkeeper affiliate with a focus on the larger Chautauqua-Conewango watershed, a stance that would extend our reach and build a larger constituency for clean water. On April 1, 2020 we were officially named the “Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate.”

About Our Logo
The turtle featured in our logo is the Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera). These turtles owe their name to the unusual, leathery shell that covers their body. They are a species of Special Concern in New York State and are rarely seen – except in the greater Jamestown area, where they inhabit the Chadakoin River and Chautauqua Lake. In early summer, dozens of these large, bizarre turtles be seen as they sunbathe on the banks of the river, or float near the water surface with only their snorkel-like snout visible. Softshell turtles are excellent indicators of clean water and inform us about the health of our rivers and lakes. We thought these critters would make a relevant and charismatic mascot.

A very early season algal bloom in the South Basin of Chautauqua Lake. Image obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite on M...
05/30/2026

A very early season algal bloom in the South Basin of Chautauqua Lake. Image obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite on May 27, 2026.

A new study out of the University of Michigan shows that Lake Erie produces a range of potentially toxic toxins that var...
05/28/2026

A new study out of the University of Michigan shows that Lake Erie produces a range of potentially toxic toxins that varies with the season. Yikes!

Municipalities and federal agencies monitor U.S. waters for microcystins, a toxin produced by harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, but a University of Michigan study shows that the blooms produce a greater range of potentially toxic compounds than previously known.

No amount of lead in drinking water is safe, and replacing lead water pipes is one of the best ways to reduce the presen...
05/27/2026

No amount of lead in drinking water is safe, and replacing lead water pipes is one of the best ways to reduce the presence of lead.

The Lead Pipe Replacement Act in New York will ensure that all homes, regardless of income, can afford to have their lead pipes replaced.

Send a message below to your state legislators and ask them to ensure this bill gets a vote before the session ends on June 4, 2026 and to co-sponsor and support this bill!

New Yorkers can now report harmful algal blooms (HABs) online.
05/27/2026

New Yorkers can now report harmful algal blooms (HABs) online.

Earliest HABs on record confirmed on Cayuga Lake in April 2026.

The herbicide Clearcast was applied to Bemus Bay around the Casino and several smaller areas south of the bridge on the...
05/27/2026

The herbicide Clearcast was applied to Bemus Bay around the Casino and several smaller areas south of the bridge on the Ellery side of the lake on May 5 according to the DEC. Permits have been signed to apply the copper-based herbicides to navigational lanes in Chautauqua Lake. The permits for ProcellaCOR are still pending. The Consortium has strong concerns that the herbicides are not reducing plant growth but are feeding algal blooms.

Chautauqua Lake is not the only lake where the herbicide ProcellaCOR is applied and not the only lake where concerns are...
05/25/2026

Chautauqua Lake is not the only lake where the herbicide ProcellaCOR is applied and not the only lake where concerns are raised about its use. Read this article about the herbicide by products and breakdown products remaining in the soil at the bottom of lakes in the Adirondacks five months after applied.

Adirondack Park Agency approves herbicide treatments while raising concerns about future testing and oversight.

Jane Conroe packed the room and was a smash hit with standing room only at the New York State Federation of Lakes Confe...
05/16/2026

Jane Conroe packed the room and was a smash hit with standing room only at the New York State Federation of Lakes Conference at Lake George. The Consortium’s message was “lead with science” as some negative changes to Chautauqua Lake might be attached to herbicide use in the last nine years.

Here's our newest newsletter: Ten Years Later... Are Herbicides in Chautauqua Lake Working? River Otters Here???
05/05/2026

Here's our newest newsletter: Ten Years Later... Are Herbicides in Chautauqua Lake Working? River Otters Here???

Welcome to the Spring issue of the Spiny E-News! This issue features stories about aquatic vegetation, animals living in our watershed, and our lake from space. Use the links in the newsletter to access more information.

How much water do data centers use? No one knows. All we know is it's a lot. That's a problem.
04/17/2026

How much water do data centers use? No one knows. All we know is it's a lot. That's a problem.

As data centers rapidly expand across the Mountain West, researchers say a key question is getting harder to answer: how much water are they actually using?

03/16/2026

News from our sister Waterkeeper, the Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper: Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (New York, U.S.) will receive a $2 million state grant to build a living shoreline along Gill Creek in Niagara Falls, with construction set to begin in 2027. This funding, part of New York’s Water Quality Improvement Program, supports an initiative for healthier waterways. Gill Creek runs through Hyde Park, which sits in a New York State-designated disadvantaged community and potential environmental justice area. Executive Director and Waterkeeper Jill Jedlicka explained that the project will improve water quality, reduce erosion and flood risk, and create healthier, more accessible green space for the neighborhood.

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4000 Conewango Avenue
Warren, PA
16365

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