Steuben County Water

“Water is the Driving Force of All Nature…” Leonardo da Vinci

Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committee

Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committee

c/o Steuben County Soil & Water Conservation District

415 W. Morris Street, Bath, NY 14810

Water Quality Coordinating Committee

The Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC) was established in 1992 to protect and enhance the quality of surface and groundwater resources in Steuben County. Committee activities include:

  • Educate the public about water quality issues
  • Identify and prioritize water quality problems
  • Establish water quality goals
  • Develop an action plan
  • Implement programs to enhance water quality
  • Seek funding for water quality programs

Members

The Water Quality Coordinating Committee is comprised of a diverse group of people with technical expertise and knowledge who are committed to promoting improved water quality in Steuben County. Member organizations range from local, regional, state, and federal agencies to lake associations and sportsmen’s organizations.

You can participate.

All Water Quality Coordinating Committee meetings are open to the public and input from citizens is encouraged. The Committee usually meets quarterly in Bath, NY. 

Committee Publications

Water Quality in Steuben County

Brochure (2012)
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Water Quality Strategy for Steuben County (2021)

Documents water quality concerns and presents a strategy for addressing the threats and problems
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Water Quality Strategy for Highway Operations, Steuben County

Promotes road maintenance practices that save money while protecting the county’s lakes and streams (2007)
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Water Quality News 2018

Newsletter of the Steuben County Water Quality Coordinating Committee focuses on aquatic invasive and problem species
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Water Quality News 2017

Committee newsletter presents member activities, from oiling goose eggs to septic inspections and more
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2011 Annual Report

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2010 Annual Report

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Watershed Information and Plans

Chemung River Watershed

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program

NYS DEC webpage
Go to Website

Stories in Water Data: What the Sediment and Nutrient Assessment Program in the Susquehanna River Is Saying

Story map by Susquehanna River Basin Commission
Go to Website

Chemung River Subbasin Year-1 Survey: A Water Quality and Biological Assessment, June-July 2012

Susquehanna River Basin Commission
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Susquehanna-Chemung Action Plan (2012)

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Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Lake Salubria (2009)

Remediation plan providing a framework for voluntary measures to improve water quality; recommends extending sanitary sewers to developed areas near the lake. (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
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Flood Smart Action Plan – Cohocton River (2019)

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Meads Creek Watershed Strategic Action Plan (2007)

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Smith Pond Lake Plan (2010)

Smith Pond Sportsmen’s Club
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Oswego River / Finger Lakes Watershed

Seneca-Keuka Watershed Nine Element Plan (2022)

Seneca Watershed Intermunicipal Organization
Go to Website

2018 Finger Lakes Water Quality Report

Summary of historic Finger Lakes data (NYS DEC)
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Sustainable Keuka Lake Watershed Master Plan (2015)

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Keuka Lake Waterfront Revitalization and Scenic Viewshed Protection Plan (2014)

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Keuka Lake Watershed Farmland and Agricultural Protection Plan (2014)

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Keuka Lake Looking Ahead (1996)

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Genesee River Watershed

Lake Information

Steuben County Lake Monitoring Reports

Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) reports based on volunteer sampling by lake associations (NYS DEC webpage).

Go to Website

Lamoka-Waneta Lakes Water Data Visualization

CSLAP Data – 2022 updates
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Lamoka-Waneta Lakes Water Data Visualization

2020 & 2021 monitoring data
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Lake-Friendly Living for Homeowners

Keuka Lake Association
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Small Lakes Mapping

A series of maps showing watershed boundaries, contours, and areas with steep slopes for small lakes in the region. These include Lake Demmon, Loon Lake, Lake Salubria, Smith Pond, Tanglewood Lake, and Lamoka-Waneta Lakes in Steuben County.
STC Documents

Invasive Species Alert!

Invasive aquatic species threaten the health of Steuben County’s lakes by crowding out native plants and changing the food web. In addition, pests that kill vegetation (such as ash and hemlock trees) and terrestrial invasive species can alter plant cover in ways that result in more pollutants washing into waterbodies. The Finger Lakes PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) works to reduce the introduction, spread, and impact of invasive species throughout our region.

Hydrilla is an aggressive aquatic weed that has been described as “one of the world’s worst aquatic invasive plants.” It was detected in the Cayuga Lake Inlet in Ithaca in 2011. The risk of hydrilla spreading to other waterbodies in the region is considered to be substantial.

In recent years harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become increasingly common. Although most algae are harmless, some species of algae produce toxins that can make people and animals sick.

Hydrilla

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Eurasian Watermilfoil

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Starry Stonewort

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Water Chestnut

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Zebra Mussel

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Quagga Mussel

Finger Lakes PRISM
Go to Website

Harmful Algal Blooms

NYS DEC
Go to Website

Asian Jumping Worm

Cornell University handout

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Lake and River Organizations

Keuka Lake Association

Friends of the Chemung River Watershed

Lamoka-Waneta Lakes' Association

Upper Susquehanna Coalition

Loon Lake Association

Upper Susquehanna Conservation Alliance

Loon Lake Watershed Improvement Alliance

Finger Lakes - Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FLLOWPA)

New York State Federation of Lake Associations

Seneca Watershed Intermunicipal Organization

Additional Resources

Before Buying or Building: Flood Risk Identification in Steuben County

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Guidelines for Managing Debris in Streams and Rivers

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Flooding Problems? Small Solutions with Large Results

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Reporting Polluting Discharges in Steuben County

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Regional Water Quality

STC Webpage

Stormwater Runoff

STC Webpage

Live in Harmony with Streams

STC Webpage

Flood Resilience

STC Webpage

Online mapping resources:

Steuben County Mapping Apps

Go to Website

STC Planning in Water's Way Map Information

STC Webpage