Greta Jimenez
Conesus Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes in New York State, known for its warmwater fishery and recreational activities. With a maximum depth of 66 feet and a surface area of 3,240 acres, it is a popular destination for swimming, fishing, and boating. However, in recent years, concerns have been raised about the lake's water quality and the potential impact of pollution on the lake's ecosystem and human health. The presence of excessive nutrients, harmful algal blooms, and polluted runoff has led to Conesus Lake being designated as an impaired waterbody, which may affect its recreational uses. Various initiatives, such as the Storm Drain Labeling Project and educational programs, aim to address these issues and improve the lake's water quality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Livingston County, New York |
| Size | 3,240 acres or 3,420 acres; 8 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point |
| Depth | Maximum depth of 66 feet; average depth of 38 feet |
| Volume | 43 billion gallons or 48 billion gallons |
| Population | Supplies water to 15,000 residents of Avon and Geneseo |
| Pollution | Excessive nutrients (phosphorus), harmful algal blooms, non-point source pollution, trash pollution, microplastics |
| Fishery | Northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, bluegills, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, rainbow trout, crappie, spotted bass, tiger muskies |
| Designation | "Impaired waterbody" due to pollution; one of the minor Finger Lakes |
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What You'll Learn
- Conesus Lake is designated as an impaired waterbody due to excessive nutrients and harmful algal blooms
- The lake is a source of drinking water for Avon and Geneseo residents
- The lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes, with shallow depths, making it ideal for swimming and fishing
- The species composition of rooted aquatic plants in the lake has changed over the years, with native plants being displaced
- The Conesus Lake Association is working to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the lake's residents and address pollution concerns
Conesus Lake is designated as an impaired waterbody due to excessive nutrients and harmful algal blooms
Conesus Lake, the most westward of New York's Finger Lakes, has been designated as an impaired waterbody due to excessive nutrients and harmful algal blooms. The lake, which covers 3,240 acres and has a maximum depth of 66 feet, is a popular spot for swimming and fishing. However, water quality monitoring over the last two decades has revealed the presence of blue-green algae blooms and excessive nutrients, particularly phosphorus, which could impact recreational activities.
The high levels of phosphorus in the lake indicate a high potential for algae growth, and the waterbody is also highly alkaline with extremely hard water. Conesus Lake's 18 streams drain into the lake from numerous sub-watersheds, and polluted runoff from urban areas and other human activities can cause harm to the lake. The Conesus Lake Association, a non-profit organization, has been working to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the lake's residents and address water quality issues.
To improve water quality and reduce algal blooms, individual stewardship activities are recommended, such as maintaining septic systems, reducing fertilizer use, and growing native plants along the shoreline. Community education about invasive species and routine monitoring of algae and harmful algal blooms (HABs) are also important. Conesus Lake is one of twelve lakes chosen as part of New York State's HAB initiative to develop action plans to reduce the sources of pollution and improve water quality.
The Clean Water Act requires states to develop TMDLs (regulatory clean water plans) for impaired waterbodies to reduce the amount of pollutants and meet water quality standards. TMDL plans can also be developed proactively to protect waterbodies from becoming impaired, such as by safeguarding public drinking water supplies. Conesus Lake's designation as an impaired waterbody highlights the importance of ongoing efforts to address pollution and restore the lake's health.
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The lake is a source of drinking water for Avon and Geneseo residents
Conesus Lake, one of the minor Finger Lakes, is a source of drinking water for the residents of Avon and Geneseo, with a total population of about 15,000. The lake is eight miles long and one mile wide at its widest point, with a maximum depth of 65-66 feet and a volume of roughly 43-48 billion gallons of water. The lake is known for its warmwater sportfish and panfish, including northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and walleye. However, in recent years, the lake has faced issues with pollution and impaired water quality.
Conesus Lake was designated as an "impaired waterbody" due to excessive nutrients, specifically phosphorus, and harmful algal blooms. These issues can impact recreational activities and the lake's suitability as a source of drinking water. The high levels of phosphorus in the lake indicate a potential for increased algae growth, which can have negative consequences for water quality and ecological balance.
The Conesus Lake Association, a non-profit organization, has been working to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the residents who rely on the lake. They have endorsed projects like the Storm Drain Labeling Project to raise awareness about the impact of pollution on the lake. This project aims to educate the community about the consequences of allowing pollution from streets and sidewalks to enter the lake through storm drains, as this water does not receive treatment before entering the lake.
To address the issues of impaired water quality, the New York State's Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) initiative has developed action plans for vulnerable lakes, including Conesus Lake. These plans focus on reducing pollution sources that spark algal blooms and identifying contributing factors. Individual stewardship activities are also recommended, such as maintaining septic systems, reducing fertilizer use, and growing native plants to buffer the lake shore. Additionally, community education about invasive species and routine monitoring are crucial to preventing their spread and maintaining the lake's ecological health.
Overall, while Conesus Lake serves as a vital source of drinking water for Avon and Geneseo residents, efforts are being made to address the challenges posed by pollution and impaired water quality. The work of organizations like the Conesus Lake Association and initiatives like the HAB Action Plans aim to protect and restore the lake's ecological health, ensuring its sustainability for the communities that depend on it.
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The lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes, with shallow depths, making it ideal for swimming and fishing
Conesus Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes in New York, with shallow depths that make it ideal for swimming and fishing. It is located in Livingston County, 2 miles west of Livonia and 25 miles south of Rochester, and is the most westward of the 11 Finger Lakes. The lake covers a surface area of 3,240 acres, is approximately eight miles long, and has a maximum width of one mile and a maximum depth of 66 feet.
Conesus Lake is a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts, with a variety of fish species such as walleye, white bass, rainbow trout, crappie, and spotted bass. The lake is known for its excellent largemouth bass fishing, with some fish weighing up to 12 pounds. The lake has traditionally been a productive fishery for warm-water sportfish and panfish. Northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and walleye are among the sportfishery, while yellow perch, bluegills, pumpkinseed, and brown bullhead are the principal panfish.
The shallow depths of Conesus Lake also make it suitable for swimming, especially during the summer months. The lake provides water to the residents of Avon and Geneseo, with a total population of about 15,000 people. The northern end of the lake is mostly residential, and the lake is surrounded by a Conesus watershed of 70 square miles.
However, Conesus Lake has faced issues with pollution and water quality. The lake has been designated as an "impaired waterbody" due to excessive nutrients, specifically phosphorus, and harmful algal blooms. Pollution from runoff and non-point sources, such as waste and impervious surfaces, has been identified as a concern. Efforts to improve water quality and reduce pollution include public education campaigns and the implementation of the Storm Drain Labeling Project, sponsored by the Village of Livonia and the Conesus Lake Association.
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The species composition of rooted aquatic plants in the lake has changed over the years, with native plants being displaced
Conesus Lake, the most westward of New York's Finger Lakes, is known for its abundant aquatic plants in the shallows and out to a depth of about 15 feet, especially at the north and south ends. The species composition of these rooted plants has changed over the years, with many native plants being displaced by dense stands of invasive Eurasian milfoil.
Conesus Lake is a popular destination for swimming and fishing during the summer and ice fishing, skating, and snowmobiling in the winter. The lake is home to a variety of sportfish and panfish species, including northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and walleye. However, the species balance has shifted over time. For example, the lake was once known for its yellow perch ice fishing, but this fishery declined in the 1980s due to competition from newly arrived alewives.
The lake's water quality has been a concern, and it has been designated as an "impaired waterbody" due to excessive nutrients (phosphorus) and harmful algal blooms. These blooms can impact recreational activities in the lake and may be related to high levels of soluble phosphorus in the water. Non-point source pollution, such as polluted runoff and waste entering the lake through storm drains, also contributes to the lake's impairment.
To address these issues, various initiatives have been undertaken, including the Storm Drain Labeling Project sponsored by the Village of Livonia and the Conesus Lake Association. This project aims to educate the community about the impact of human activities on the lake's health and reduce the entry of pollutants into the lake. Additionally, Conesus Lake is one of twelve lakes chosen as part of New York State's HAB initiative, which aims to reduce the sources of pollution that spark algal blooms.
The changing species composition of rooted aquatic plants in Conesus Lake, with native plants being displaced by invasive species, is just one aspect of the lake's complex ecology and ongoing efforts to preserve its health and recreational value.
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The Conesus Lake Association is working to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the lake's residents and address pollution concerns
The Conesus Lake Association is a not-for-profit organisation that has been working to promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Conesus Lake in Livingston County, New York, since 1932. The lake is one of the 11 "major and minor" Finger Lakes, formed over 10,000 years ago and located 25 miles south of Rochester. It is eight miles long, one mile wide at its widest point, and has a maximum depth of 65–66 feet. The lake is known for its warm-water fishery and aquatic plants, and it supplies water to the residents of Avon and Geneseo, a total population of about 15,000.
The CLA has over 1,000 members and provides a common voice for the concerns, needs and challenges facing the lake and its watershed. The association has co-sponsored a Storm Drain Labelling Project with the Village of Livonia to address polluted runoff, which causes harm to the lake and affects those who fish, swim, and drink the water. The project involves placing labels on storm drains to educate residents about the impact of human activities on the lake's health.
The CLA also organises educational events at the Watershed Education Center, such as talks by professors and experts on topics like deep-sea habitats and biodiversity, microplastics, and sustainable food systems. These events aim to raise awareness about the dangers of human activities, including trash pollution and climate change, and microplastics, and to discuss strategies to address these issues.
Additionally, the CLA provides timely information to its members through its News and Alert system, helping them stay informed about issues that may affect their quality of life at the lake. This includes comprehensive weather data from two weather stations on the Conesus Lake shoreline, as well as updates on water quality and other relevant topics.
Through its various initiatives and efforts, the Conesus Lake Association actively works to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the lake's residents while also addressing pollution concerns affecting the lake and its surrounding ecosystem.
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Frequently asked questions
Conesus Lake has been designated an \"impaired waterbody\" due to excessive nutrients (phosphorus) and harmful algal blooms. The lake is also affected by polluted runoff and non-point source pollution, which refers to pollution from a wide range of activities that are difficult to measure and where the original source cannot be identified.
The Conesus Lake Association, a non-profit organisation that promotes the health, safety, and welfare of the lake's residents, has endorsed a Storm Drain Labeling Project to educate the community about the impact of pollution on the lake. Individual stewardship activities such as maintaining septic systems, reducing fertilizer use, and growing native plants can also help improve water quality.
The excessive nutrients and algal blooms in Conesus Lake can impact recreational uses such as swimming and fishing. The lake is a source of drinking water for the residents of Avon and Geneseo, so pollution can also affect water quality for these communities.
