Skaneateles Lake Watershed Nine Element Plan for Phosphorus
The Skaneateles Lake Watershed Nine Element Plan for Phosphorus (9E Plan) is a community-led water quality plan that assesses current conditions in the lake and watershed, looks forward to future conditions, and provides a suite of recommendations to maintain the lake’s already exceptional water quality. This 9E Plan was prepared with funding provided by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.
Why a Nine Element Plan for Skaneateles?
In 2017, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) were documented in Skaneateles Lake by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) HABs Program for the first time. HABs can be triggered by a range of factors, but nutrient levels – specifically levels of phosphorus, believed to be a contributor to the development of HABs – are a critical factor that can be controlled by direct action in the watershed. As a result, the focus of the plan is on measuring existing total phosphorus (TP) inputs and evaluating expected lake conditions based on estimated TP levels under various future scenarios and implementation of best management practices (BMPs). The plan also describes the watershed holistically, identifying BMPs to improve watershed health along a number of metrics, in addition to phosphorus levels.
What are the nine elements?
The 9E Plan structure was developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. A 9E Plan includes many of the components of a traditional watershed plan, but includes additional analytical components that allow it to be approved as a 9E Plan. NYSDEC provides guidance on the 9E process and reviewed and approved the final document. NYS DOS also provided guidance and approval. The analytical elements relate primarily to the means of quantifying pollutant levels and pollutant sources in the watershed, identifying a water quality target, and identifying the best management practices (BMPs) that will help to achieve the pollutant reductions needed to meet the water quality target. The nine minimum elements in a 9E Plan are intended to ensure that the contributing causes and sources of nonpoint source pollution are identified, that key stakeholders are involved in the planning process, and that restoration and protection strategies are identified that will address the water quality concerns.
The Nine Elements:
Element A: Identify and quantify sources of pollution in the watershed
Element B: Identify water quality target or goal and pollutant reductions needed to achieve this goal
Element C: Identify the best management practices (BMPs) that will help to achieve the reductions needed to meet water quality goal/target
Element D: Describe the financial and technical assistance needed to implement the BMPs identified in Element C
Element E: Describe the outreach to stakeholders and how their input was incorporated and the role of stakeholders in implementing the plan
Element F: Estimate a schedule to implement the BMPs identified in plan
Element G: Describe the milestones and estimated time frames for the implementation
Element H: Identify the criteria that will be used to assess water quality improvement as the plan is implemented
Element I: Describe the monitoring plan that will collect water quality data needed to measure water quality improvement (the criteria identified in Element H)
What are the water quality targets for Skaneateles Lake?
The current three-year average level of TP in Skaneateles Lake is 4.5 micrograms per liter (μg/L), based on sampling data from the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) data. The 9E Plan’s target is to maintain a TP level of 4.5 μg/L based on a three-year rolling average of CSLAP measurements, taken during the summer months (June 1st to September 30th).
Additionally, measuring and tracking chlorophyll-a levels provides an indicator of a water body’s overall biological productivity. Chlorophyll-a levels in Skaneateles Lake for the period from 2017 to 2022 were at or slightly above 1.0 μg/L. This plan’s goal is to ensure that these levels do not increase, given the effects of climate change, including increased temperatures and more intense rainfall events. The target level for chlorophyll-a is to maintain a summertime average of 1.0 μg/L.
Now that the plan is approved, what happens next?
Watershed stakeholders will continue to work together to implement projects, policies, and programs to reduce the amount and rate of stormwater runoff to the lake. In addition to the modeled BMPs, the 9E Plan includes a range of recommendations that can be implemented by homeowners, municipalities, farmers, nonprofits, and other watershed stakeholders. These recommendations extend beyond nutrient loading, and into areas such as public education and invasive species management. The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) will regularly convene an Implementation Team that will be comprised of members of the existing Watershed Advisory Committee, as well as other organizations, such as academic institutions, that can support project implementation in the watershed. Quarterly meetings of this group will ensure that watershed stakeholders are able to collaborate on project ideas and remain aware of ongoing activities in and around Skaneateles Lake.