Dec. 2 -- The Otsego County Conservation Association has announced the expansion of its community science programs following a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The project, titled Expanding Community Science in Otsego County to Advance Inter-Watershed Collaboration, Assessments and Future Restoration, aims to "involve community members in vital water quality monitoring of local streams and lakes, as well as evaluations of stream-road crossings," according to an OCCA news release.
The project will engage members of the public in collecting data about streams, lakes and stream crossings. The data collected through the initiative will provide essential insights into local watershed conditions and establish groundwork for future restoration projects aimed at enhancing aquatic habitats. Additionally, OCCA will offer technical assistance to strengthen several local, volunteer-only environmental organizations, enabling them to achieve their conservation goals more effectively.
"We are very excited to be building our Community Science teams here at OCCA. Connecting people to interactive ways to get outside and collect data for future environmental improvement projects benefits both the environment and the local community," said Amy Wyant, executive director of OCCA.
The focus of the project will primarily be on the Butternut Creek, Canadarago Lake and Otsego Lake watersheds, which contribute to the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. OCCA will enhance its existing volunteer Stream Team Water Quality Monitoring program by including additional monitoring sites on Butternut Creek and various new locations near Canadarago Lake. Alongside this team, OCCA will establish volunteer culvert assessment teams to examine stream-road crossings within the watersheds and a lake monitoring team dedicated to reinforcing ongoing monitoring efforts led by the Canadarago Lake Improvement Association and Otsego Lake Association.
"In addition to building our community science teams, we will be collaborating with three volunteer-only organizations to enhance their capacities in protecting the Butternut Valley, Canadarago and Otsego watersheds," Wyant added.
The success of the programs will hinge on volunteer participation. Stream team volunteers will gather water samples once each month from designated sites throughout the year. Lake monitoring volunteers will commit one or two days per month from June through September while establishing schedules based on project needs for culvert assessments.