Senators Call For Funding To Cleanup Chautauqua Lake

WASHINGTON – Officials are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the cleanup of Chautauqua Lake.

Both Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand this week called on the federal agency to take additional steps to protect body of water from harmful algal blooms.

Specifically, the Senators say by including the Chautauqua Lake Feasibility Study in their 2020 fiscal plan, the Army Corps could evaluate the excessive phosphorus runoff that causes blooms.

The group could also study flood risk management measures, assess ecosystem restoration efforts and address the accelerated erosion along the lake’s tributary streambanks.

The Senators say erosion along the lake’s tributary streams have resulted in excessive sediment deposition, harming the lake’s water quality.