JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Even though ice still covers much of Chautauqua Lake, county leaders and community groups are already focused on what's going on underneath the water's surface.
Efforts are now underway to get community stakeholders on the same page about how to deal with aquatic weed growth.
The dense underwater vegetation in some areas of the lake is considered a nuisance by residents and boaters that are members of the Chautauqua Lake Partnership. They have been pushing for more herbicide treatments to cut down on the growth, claiming that weed harvesting hasn't been enough and that cutting the vegetation can lead to other problems on the lake.
On the other side of the debate, the Chautauqua Lake Association and the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.
Their concern is how the chemicals could affect fish spawning, wildlife, and those people who use and consume water from the lake.
Considering all sides of this debate, Chautauqua County Executive, George Borello plans to present a lake management strategy Wednesday morning, with the hopes that it's something all can agree on.
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