We petition the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to make the following modifications to the General Permit for CAFO operations, currently under review. 

Prohibit the application of liquid manure:

• On frozen and/or snow-covered soils,
• When soils are saturated from rainfall or snowmelt, or
• When a check of the 48-hour weather forecast predicts snowmelt or runoff conditions.

The Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) is deeply concerned about the water quality of Owasco Lake.  Manure runoff from farms, particularly large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which generate enormous amounts of waste, is resulting in the pollution of both surface and ground waters. 

During the winter and spring of 2014, liquid manure from a large dairy farm was applied on frozen and snow-covered ground prior to precipitation events and snowmelt.  Large quantities of this manure ran off the fields, entered storm ditches and ultimately flowed into Owasco Lake, introducing large amounts of phosphorus into the lake.  Excessive levels of phosphorus are now causing the degradation of the lake, increasing turbidity, weed growth, and algae blooms.  Some of these algae blooms show evidence of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, a percentage of which is toxic and capable of killing a dog swimming in it and ingesting it.  Not only does this diminish our ability to use the lake for swimming and recreation and for promotion of tourism, it also threatens the public drinking water supply for the City of Auburn and many of the surrounding towns, serving more than 40,000 people.    

The degradation of the waters of Owasco Lake jeopardizes our future.  It has the potential to collapse the shoreline real property tax base of the communities that surround the lake, and negatively affects the quality of our lives.

We call on all elected and appointed policy makers and public officials to join the members of the Owasco Watershed Lake Association and other concerned citizens in demanding the prohibition of practices that, if continued, will lead to the premature death of the precious natural resource that is Owasco Lake.  We ask the DEC to fulfill its responsibility by promulgating and enforcing the regulations necessary to protect the natural resources and the people of New York State.

Photo by Nancy Faist Hart, Owasco Lake, March 2014.