The grant comes in the form of $4.7 million from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and will sustain scientific research and related infrastructure investments in Chautauqua Lake through May 2027.

John Shedd, vice president of campus planning and operations, said the institution was awarded the grant through speaking with Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, adding that she is very supportive of the work being done on Chautauqua Lake, and they were granted the money in her budget. The work that will be done through the grant will continue the research work that has already been being done on Chautauqua Lake, and work towards a potential pilot project.

“The grant will allow us to continue to work on creating a smart lake through vertical profilers and our tributary stations,” Shedd said. “A potential pilot project may come from the research by the end of next year to address the problems in the lake we have found through our research such as the Harmful Algae Blooms and macrophytes.”

Additionally, the research being done will continue with the institute’s partners that they have been working with and they will continue to read and interpret their research which will then allow them to know what action to take. Shedd said it is believed that there are too many nutrients coming into the lake from both the shore and the bottom, which then leads to the problems with the algae and macrophytes. While the research that is being done will be funded through the grant, Shedd said the potential pilot project itself will not be at this time and that will come at a later phase.

Members of the Jefferson Project work on placing vertical profilers in the lake. Submitted photo

Most importantly, Shedd said the money is being used to develop this action plan and is not being used to do research just to do research.

“I know the community around the lake is tired of research and reports and is looking for action,” Shedd said. “I want to make it clear that this research will lead to action to mitigate the problems we are finding from the research. This includes the research that has been being done for years and years, not just what is funded under the grant. We will use that as part of developing this project, as well as the current research, so previous studies will not go to waste.”

Grants such as this for water quality research are important, Shedd said, specifically for economic development and the ecology for the area around Chautauqua Lake. He added that Chautauqua Lake is a big tourism driver for the region, including at Chautauqua Institution, and keeping the lake healthy is a driver for that. An unhealthy lake will have a direct impact on the institution as an increase in harmful algae blooms and weed growth will not attract people to come see it.

Something else that is equally important with the lake’s health, Shedd said, is that Chautauqua Lake is a Class A drinking water lake and provides water to much of the area around it, including Chautauqua Institution. Overall this grant will help get usage from research being done by Chautauqua Institution — which has already invested a lot of money into the lake, according to Shedd, for projects such as a rainwater garden and projects to reduce stormwater runoff and other ways to reduce silt in the lake — and its partners in the Chautauqua Watershed Management Alliance, and Shedd said that not only will the institution benefit from the grant and research, but so will the overall region.

“We want to keep Chautauqua Lake a Class A drinking water lake and make sure it helps to attract people to the area,” Shedd said. “A very clean, attractive lake will support both the area’s ecology and environment. People are part of that environment, and they should get to enjoy the lake as well.”