OWLA Presents the 2025 Bob Brower Memorial Scientific Symposium (In Plain English)

There is an environmental alteration happening before our eyes, that should concern us all: Climate change, increasing water temperatures, HABs, closed public beaches, invasive species, and threats to the safety of our drinking water source. What is happening in Owasco Lake? Is Owasco Lake at Its Tipping Point?

Find out what the scientists and professionals are reporting at the upcoming Bob Brower Scientific Symposium in Plain English: Is Owasco Lake at its Tipping Point? Join us on Saturday, March 8, 2025, 9am to noon. Register for this symposium at www.owla.org. This annual event is free and open to the public thanks to the support and generosity of the Brower family. The symposium will be held at the Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange Street., Auburn, NY. When you register, please indicate if you will be attending in person or attending remotely.

The Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) has campaigned for decades to educate the public to care for our watershed. Our annual symposium will present the latest scientific findings, explaining them for everyone to understand. Find out what the scientists and professionals are studying, learning and focusing on.

We are pleased to present five prestigious speakers:

Tony Prestigiacomo joined the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in 2017. He is a Research Scientist Level 3, and supervisor of the DEC Finger Lakes Watershed Hub in the Bureau of Water Resource Management. Tony focuses on watershed and water quality issues specific to the Finger Lakes region in Central and Western NY. He also works with the DEC Division of Water programs state-wide. He will speak on assessing Owasco Lake water quality and its watershed nutrient loading and resulting harmful algal blooms. He will provide updates on grant funding, on projects implementation, and on progress tracking.

Kimberly Schulz is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Integrated Research and Teaching in Aquatic Science at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, a National Science Foundation-funded aquatic science experiment facility.  She has more than two decades of experience with field sampling and laboratory and modeling investigations of lower food web dynamics in lakes. Kim will give a summary of the known and likely effects of dreissenid mussels on HABs in lakes. This will include how mussel presence and other HAB promoting factors, such as nutrient loading and climate, interact and impact the Owasco Lake food web.

Ben Kelley and Lisa Cleckner of the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will share their insights into lake dynamics as measured by their multi-year Owasco Lake Buoy Program. This talk will highlight the interpretation of a decade of temperature data collected by the Owasco Lake profiling buoy. It will focus on inter- and intra-seasonal trends in the lake's thermal dynamics, implications for the ecosystem, and how these patterns inform future management efforts. Kelley oversees data collection and analysis for research and monitoring programs including the Owasco Lake buoy. Kelley is proficient in software programing and has developed tools for data analysis and visualization including via the Owasco Lake data portal.

Dr. Lisa Cleckner, director of the Finger Lakes Institute, is returning as a presenter for this year’s Bob Brower symposium. She continues initiatives addressing invasive species, harmful algal blooms, mercury in fish, and watershed management across the Finger Lakes. Her leadership concentrates on collaborative efforts that engage different constituencies that include faculty, research scientists, federal agencies, community organizations, and outreach groups.

We will next hear about the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council’s (OLWMC) important, two prong role with its Inspection Division services, and implementation projects that help maintain the health of our watershed and lake. Dr. Adam Effler is the Executive Director of OLWMC. His two-part presentation will provide insights into the Owasco Lake Watershed Inspection and Protection Division’s public benefit services, as well as highlights of the 9 Element Coordination Committee initiatives targeted at meeting the objectives of the Owasco Lake Plan for Phosphorus Reduction.

Save the date of March 8th. Gain the latest news on watershed and lake activities that protect and improve water quality in Owasco lake.

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