DEC and The Nature Conservancy have announced the acquisition of 161 acres in the town of Sempronius in the Owasco Lake watershed. The acquisition of the Ward property will help protect public water supplies and safeguard riparian buffers and wetlands.
This acquisition is the second of several parcels the Conservancy is purchasing with funding from a $1.1 million Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant from DEC that specifically targets the protection of source waters.
Using the grant funds, the Conservancy has been identifying and protecting areas in the Owasco Lake watershed that have the most impact on the lake’s water quality. The Ward property ranked in the top 10 in this assessment. The land will not be developed, allowing its natural features to help protect public water supplies by reducing sediment and nutrient loading, helping to reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms (HABs).
Photo of Owasco Lake courtesy DEC.
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