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Geneseo Town Board, Conesus Lake residents discuss lake

GENESEO — The Geneseo Town Board, representatives from the Conesus Lake Watershed, representatives from the Conesus Lake Association and Conesus Lake residents gathered at the Long Point Park pavilion for tonight’s Town Board meeting.

Conesus Lake Watershed manager Miranda Reid spoke in front of the board on behalf of the Livingston County Planning Department about various efforts being made in regard to the lake.

She first talked about the work being put into the Streambank Remediation project currently underway. She said the Watershed management program received two grants a few years ago for remediating some of the reaches of streams flowing into Conesus Lake. They plan to work on seven streams flowing into the lake, including Geneseo’s Long Point Creek.

They recently chose an engineer to complete the design work and are now re-contacting landowners to receive permission for the engineer to take measurements and study the land. Reid said she hopes this will take place late spring or early fall of this year and that construction will take place late spring or early summer of 2013 and again in 2014.

Reid also mentioned ongoing efforts to prevent the invasive species hydrilla from entering the lake. Conesus Lake is at risk for a hydrilla infestation since it was discovered in Cayuga Lake last August. Several boaters use their boats on both Cayuga and Conesus lakes without properly cleaning them from lake to lake.

If allowed to grow in the lake, the rapidly growing hydrilla can take over the lake, making it unboatable and killing other plants and fish in the lake.

Conesus Lake Watershed created a pamphlet explaining how to properly clean a boat. They are currently working with Parks and Recreation, which runs the Conesus Lake boat launch, as well as with the State Park Department to help educate people about the importance of cleaning their watercrafts. They also hope to set up a cleaning station at the launch.

According to the pamphlet, boaters should:
• Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment.
• Eliminate water from equipment before transporting.
• Clean and dry anything that comes in contact with water.
• Dispose of mud and plant matter in trashcans or well above the waterline.
• Never release plants, animals, or fish into a body of water, unless they came from that body of water.
• Never dump aquariums into or near a body of water or storm drain.
• Never release unused bait obtained at a store or from another body of water into the waters you are fishing in.

Reid said they are also working on an invasive species management plan to effectively eradicate hydrilla if it does get into the lake before it takes over.

“Once it gets past a certain point,” said Reid, “You can’t remove it from the lake.”

Reid said they’ve been working with Conesus Lake residents and teaching them how to identify the weed so that if the problem arises, it can be taken care of quickly.