Paul Szmal: Welcome back to FLX Morning on Finger Lakes News Radio. It is 8.15 and we're under sunny skies at 56. I'm happy to be joined at this time by Bill Rogge, who is the president of the Seneca Lake Pier Waters Association. Bill, good to have you back on. How are you, sir?
Bill Rogie: I'm doing great and really pleased to be here with you this morning. I want to jump right into the first topic on the agenda here, which is harmful algal blooms. It doesn't seem like we had the hot, humid weather and the abundance that we would normally have during the course of a summer here in the Finger Lakes. Now having said that, summer is not over yet. Does that have an effect on harmful algal blooms?
Paul Szmal: Well, it seems to. Last year, if you remember, we had blooms from like mid-August almost continuously every day through September. And this year, we're hardly seeing anything at all. So we're thinking that the winds are actually keeping the habs from being able to form. And then one of the things we were just looking at yesterday at the lake level is getting very low. So we're going to put an article out today in our weekly newsletter about how low it is. And then we compared it to 2020 and the dry year like that year, and the lake level tracks almost exactly the same in 2020 was a year that we hardly had any habs either. So maybe that weather pattern will continue here through the rest of the month.
Bill Rogie: That's interesting. Weather patterns and a combination of a low lake level would decrease the amount of harmful algal blooms that would be permeating throughout the lake region.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. I think maybe it's the dryness, the lack of rain, that maybe nutrients aren't being refreshed into the middle of the water. But it's so complicated that we always get surprised. That's the amazing thing.
Bill Rogie: Yeah. It seems like it's a continuous learning process.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. And every time we think we know, then something different happens.
Bill Rogie: Yeah. Very true. Very, very true. You had a very successful membership campaign here just recently.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. It still hasn't technically closed, but the main part was June and July into August. And yeah, it was almost like 75% more than what we've typically taken in over the years. And we attribute that, I think, to getting our message out better. We really focused on fundraising. We've had a consultant come in to help us out. And our team is really working hard, but it's really satisfying to see people are stepping up to the plate and supporting us as we try to expand. We put in a new program this year to combat the hemlock woody adelgid, which kills hemlock trees, which are really critical to steep slopes. And that's a very pricey project, but we're able to take on these new things because we're successfully increasing the amount that we're bringing in.
Bill Rogie: Yeah. Mike, correct in saying that this year you raised the most that you've had in any of the previous campaigns?
Paul Szmal: Yeah. We usually run two campaigns. And typically before last winter, we'd get about $40,000. And this year we've raised over $70,000 in this summer membership campaign. And we did $60,000 last winter after the consultant helped us out. So that's a pretty significant increase. We still need to keep pressing because there's so much to do. And we'd like to, again, continue to grow the organization and expand our capabilities.
Bill Rogie: And speaking of expanding that, there is a matching campaign for sediment nutrient and pollution reduction program projects.
Paul Szmal: Right. So one of our other big program that's been ongoing for about four years is sediment nutrient pollution reduction. We call it SNPR. And we provide local matching money to the soil and water conservation districts to help increase the number of projects that they do each year that help prevent all the sediments and everything from coming in. And we've had a really generous donor provide funds to run this matching campaign. So it's going on for another week until our annual meeting. So far we're up to about $12,000. Our goal is $20,000. So if people are listening and, you know, this is the kind of thing that they're interested in and actually doing something and making a difference, going to our website and participating in this campaign would be great.
Bill Rogie: And we're talking with Bill Rogge, who is the president of the Seneca Lake Pier Waters Association. And at this point, maybe for people that are unfamiliar with the organization and its purpose, what is the value of obtaining a membership to the Seneca Lake Pier Waters Association?
Paul Szmal: Well, the main thing is you're plugged in. So one of our biggest values is the education that we provide. So you'll get newsletters and information and our reports and those type of things to understand more about the lake and what's happening and so that you can make sure that you're, particularly if you're around the lake, if you're a recreational person or you live on the lake, there's various things that you need to know in order to stay safe and increase your enjoyment.
Bill Rogie: The annual meeting is coming up here in just a little less than a week's time.
Paul Szmal: Right. Next Thursday. This year we're going to have it over on the east side of the lake at the Oasis Pavilion at Hazlett Vineyards and it starts at five and then our formal meeting starts at six. And this is, we do part of it as the business that we have to do as an organization. We elect our board and talk about our finances and what we're doing and that sort of thing. But then the other part, we'd like to make sure that we give something value added. So we're going to talk about this Hemlock Woody Adelgid program. We've also got a new program where we're measuring the stream flow of 10 streams coming into the lake. So this is something brand new and unusual for most lakes to have. And that helps us better understand where nutrients are coming from. And then we're also, we have another project to try to understand how the nutrients vary near shore versus offshore and whether that has something to do with the HABs or the, that big globby type of algae, Cladophora. We're looking at that a lot more this year too. So a bunch of different things to learn about. We hope people come in person, but we've been able to figure out how to stream it. So on our website, we'll be having information on how you can join us that way too. So either way, but it's definitely a highlight. People really appreciate coming when we get feedback.
Bill Rogie: The way to, the whole concept of eliminating nutrients from entering into the, into the lake water, is that one of the primary concerns right now for the organization?
Paul Szmal: Yeah. I mean, it's certainly where a lot of our financial resources go and it's what we can try to affect, you know, climate change is a big driver, the invasive species, the mussels are a big driver, but what we can control is humans and society and is the nutrients coming in. So that's, that's a lot of our focus is, is what we can control.
Bill Rogie: And you're also in the market to hire a new association director.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. Our previous director lives in Canandaigua and so she had the opportunity to go to their lake association. So we wish her well there, but yes, we're still in the process of looking for receiving applications to be our association director. You know, we've had good luck before. We've had high quality and highly motivated people come in. I think our mission is very compelling and we have a really active board and I think people have been pretty happy here. But we're still, still looking and if anybody knows people that might be interested, just go to our website and the information's there and I'd welcome, you know, an application.
Bill Rogie: And by the way, that website as well is full of tons of other information. It's SenecaLake.org, SenecaLake.org. If you put a slash in the word volunteer on that, you can find out about volunteer opportunities and Bill, you're always looking for volunteers.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. That's the lifeblood of the organization. We have almost 200 volunteers that are doing various things for the organization. So that gives you a sense. It's a pretty lively place and plenty of opportunities, different ways of helping.
Bill Rogie: And by the way, if you want to keep up with the latest news and information, that newsletter that Bill mentioned at the top of the conversation is available by going to SenecaLake.org slash Lake Watch. That's SenecaLake.org slash Lake Watch and that way you can be in the know and get the information. That's put out monthly, is it Bill?
Paul Szmal: Well, we have various versions. So we've got a quarterly, a monthly and then the emails are monthly. But the quarterly is the formal Lake Watch that's a bit longer. During the summer, we actually do a weekly email if people are members and in our contact list where we talk about water quality. So that's kind of a, you know, in the summer when everybody's, you know, enjoying the lake, it's a weekly kind of heartbeat of the lake, what's going on.
Bill Rogie: Bill, we always appreciate the conversation. Thank you for joining us here this morning and we'll talk to you soon, sir.
Paul Szmal: It's a pleasure and we'll talk to you later. It is 826 on FLX Morning.
