OLPA, and under its umbrella the Save Otisco initiative, are now structured as a true Membership organization. The By-Laws now reflect that Members join, nominate people, vote in elections, and have a legit voice in the lake representation and the preservation business for Otisco Lake.

Membership means:

•Nominating and voting rights for the Board positions

•Attendance at the annual business meeting

•Representation of the population of people caring and connected to Otisco Lake

•Collectively, through membership, be recognized as a greater force by Onondaga County, DEC and all other organizations who award Grants and funding, determine work projects, and evaluate the number of people affected in the Lake watershed.

•Being informed of lake initiatives through our website, Facebook, email, and periodic newsletters.

•Access to educational programs and events.

•And more benefits to be defined soon

In 2024, OLPA hired two companies to harvest on the lake, CNY Harvesting and Otisco Lake Weed Harvesting. Both harvesters were on the lake throughout the summer focusing on areas that were considered “weed intensive”. Members of OLPA/Save Otisco identified areas of concern by reviewing historical map data and conducting visual (on-the-lake) evaluations to determine the areas that needed harvesting the most. Otisco Lake Weed Harvesting focused in the Narrows, an area with dense weeds. This particular boat was limited to the depth it could harvest so it was a good fit for the shallow water in the Narrows. Once the weeds were harvested, a conveyer was used to move the weeds from the boat to the dumpsters. The conveyer was very effective in streamlining the removal of the weeds from the boat to the dumpsters.

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The other harvester was able to focus in other critical areas. However, vendor availability limited the reach in deeper waters. The group hopes to find alternative solutions for next season.

SOL task force is reviewing data from this season, comparing successful programs on other lakes and creating a long-term weed management plan to present to government and agencies who can assist us in every capacty, equipment, maintenance harvest disposal and funding.

The Mat Program was a great success. As a benefit to members, mats (previously used by lake residents and retrieved and stored as part of an OLPA lake initiative), became available to members for free. Each mat was approximately 12’ by 20’ and were installed on over 70 shorelines. That equated to 1/3 of an acre where weeds were killed. Members were free to pick up the mats at a designated time and place. All members were responsible for installing and removing the mat at the end of the season. Members were appreciative of the program and found the installation process seamless.

In 2023, the Otisco Lake Preservation Association purchased a 24' pontoon boat and trailer previously used to remove seaweed from Otisco Lake. The purchase was motivated by the poor state of the lake relative to seaweed infestation, and the vision of a number of people dedicated to saving the lake. The refurbishing of the barge has taken a good part of the summer but is now operational and will be used for weed suctioning, weed pick up and other initiatives on the lake. Many local residents were instrumental in this endeavor to bring the barge back to a functional state!

Using previous map data and on-the-water investigation, the OLPA/Save Otisco group developed a map outlining weed intensive areas on the lake. This map will be used for harvesting initiatives, focusing on dense areas of weed growth

A committee was formed to identify and describe existing harvesting programs throughout the Finger Lakes and other lakes similar to Otisco Lake. This information will be useful to better understand the actions taken by other Finger Lakes to minimize the weed growth on Otisco Lake. This, combined with the efforts and initiatives of the Otisco Lake/Save Otisco group will provide a solid platform for future endeavors to eradicate the invasive weed growth on the lake.