New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced $350,000 in grant awards to help partners in the Finger Lakes watershed restore and protect water quality. The eight projects funded though DEC’s Finger Lakes Watershed Grants Program complement federal, private, and DEC grant programs, as well as achieve the goals outlined in the Great Lakes Action Agenda and aid the implementation of clean water plans in the Finger Lakes. This is the first round of grants awarded through the program.

“The Finger Lakes region is an environmental, recreational, and economic treasure and investing in sustainable watershed practices in the Finger Lakes and across the state is essential for safeguarding water quality, restoring ecosystem health, and bolstering community resilience,” said Commissioner Seggos. “The $350,000 grants awarded today will help advance key projects in the Finger Lakes watershed to improve water quality, promote thriving fish and wildlife habitats, and implement sustainable watershed practices benefiting the region’s communities and economy vitality.”  

The grants awarded today will help municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, colleges and universities, and not-for-profit organizations fund projects designed to preserve and protect the Finger Lakes watershed. DEC’s Finger Lakes Watershed Hub administers the grants as part of its work to promote enhanced collaboration and coordination by bringing stakeholders together to share scientific expertise and find solutions necessary to better understand, protect, and address the water quality issues confronting the Finger Lakes.  

Central and western New York’s Finger Lakes watershed is the combined area of the 11 glacially formed Finger Lakes and their watersheds, consisting of approximately 4,600 square miles in all or parts of 13 counties, and includes three of the 10 largest lakes within New York State. The Finger Lakes watershed is contained in the Seneca-Oneida-Oswego and Genesee River drainage watersheds, which ultimately flow north to Lake Ontario.  

Funding will be used to implement projects to restore and protect water quality by: monitoring and supporting research to better understand and address the issues and vulnerabilities facing the Finger Lakes; planning and implementing best management practices; and supporting education and outreach programs to increase public understanding of Finger Lakes natural resources, build community involvement, and encourage future stewardship. Awarded projects are: 

Water Quality Monitoring and Research 

• Hobart and William Smith Colleges: Research and monitoring supporting the Seneca-Keuka Watershed Nine Element Plan assessment and implementation, $50,000: A project in the Seneca-Keuka watershed will enhance the understanding of nutrient concentrations and sources leading to better practices to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen loadings to Seneca and Keuka lakes.

Planning and Implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs)  

• Schuyler County Soil and Water Conservation District: Seneca Lake sediment/nutrient reduction, $50,000: A project in the Seneca Lake watershed to stabilize an eroded and destabilized stream through best practices to reduce sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loadings into Seneca Lake. 
• Town of Canandaigua: Hydroseeder purchase for Canandaigua Lake watershed road ditch stabilization and watershed resiliency projects, $50,000: A project in the Canandaigua watershed to support the purchase of equipment to stabilize road ditch erosion to reduce substantial sediment and nutrient loadings into Canandaigua streams and lake.
• Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District: Castle Creek Water Management Project, $50,000: A project in the Seneca Lake watershed to design and construct water and sediment control basins for stormwater management and flood reduction as well as engage the community in resiliency practices.
• Seneca County Soil and Water Conservation District: Burroughs Creek Stabilization Project, $50,000: A project in the Cayuga Lake watershed to stabilize and restore an eroded stream bed and flood bench to minimize further bank erosion and degradation of the surrounding land.
• Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District: Finger Lakes Watershed Special Projects 2023, $30,000: A project in the Cayuga and Skaneateles lakes watershed to establish forest riparian buffers and vernal pools to slow runoff, mitigate flooding, and filter sediment and nutrients.

Environmental Education, Stewardship, and Community Engagement  

• Ontario County: Honeoye Lake boat wash station and aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention project, $39,985: A project that engages the public in the prevention of aquatic invasive species through the installation of a self-service boat wash facility at the Honeoye Lake State Marine Boat Launch.
• Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association: Canandaigua Lake Watershed Education Program: Engaging Students and the Community in Lake Stewardship, $27,622: A project that expands science-driven educational programs for both elementary and secondary students within the three school districts in the Canandaigua Lake watershed.

The small grants announced today are supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF is a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. Among the many environmental victories in the 2023-24 State Budget, Governor Hochul maintained EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history. 

These grants augment funding recently supplied to other Finger Lakes projects. To date, New York State has awarded more than $371 million in grants to reduce the frequency of harmful algal blooms by targeting phosphorus and nitrogen pollution. Of these projects, 55 were in DEC Regions 7 and 8 (which include the Finger Lakes region), totaling $47 million through Water Quality Improvement Project and Nonpoint Source Planning grants, and an additional $14 million in land acquisition projects to protect more than 2,000 acres. To date, more than $14 million has been invested in HABs research and development, pilot projects to mitigate HABs, and advanced monitoring. In addition, since 2017, 19 implementation project grants totaling more than $10 million have been awarded to the Owasco Lake watershed through various New York State grants for critical water quality protection and improvement practices. These include projects that cover nutrient management planning, Owasco Flats restoration, cover crops, streambank stabilization, and land acquisition.  

For more information on the Finger Lakes Watershed Hub, the geographic focus of the Finger Lakes Watershed Grants Program, and more, visit DEC’s website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/watersheds/oswego-river-finger-lakes