Chautauqua County Community Source 10-28-22

Stakeholders Take First Steps To Manage Invasive Starry Stonewort

Invasive species early detec tion and rapid response are key parts of the coordinated lake workplan that is implemented by Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance Member organizations each year. These programs seek to identify and address new threats to our local waterways, and were led this year by the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC), Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA), Audubon Community Nature Center, and the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District. In the summer of 2022, stakeholders encountered a new challenge fol lowing detections of the invasive species starry stonewort in Chau tauqua Lake. If left unaddressed, this invasive has the potential to spread to new areas of the lake, impede recreation, crowd out na tive plants and animals, and neg atively impact game fish species.

In addition, a recent study from nearby Ontario indicates that extensive growth of starry stone wort may have a profound impact on oxygen and phosphorus levels to the degree that it can promote harmful algal blooms in certain situations. By taking action early, stakeholders are hoping to learn more about these new populations and assess management options.

Although it is technically a macro algae, starry stonewort can easily be mistaken for an aquatic plant at first glance. Native to Eu rope and Asia, starry stonewort first made its way to North Amer ica in 1974 via the St. Lawrence River. Since then it has spread to lakes across the Northeast, due to its ability to regenerate from small fragments that hitchhike on watercraft and waterfowl.

The algae is identified by its thin grass-like branches, which grow in whorls around a central stem.

Starry stonewort can appear green or brown in color, may be crunchy to the touch, and can be mistaken for native lookalikes like muskgrass. A few key fea tures make this invasive a con cern. Starry stonewort can form dense stands in late-summer/ early-fall, and can be difficult to detect before this growing sea son. The algae also reproduces via bulbils—small, white star-shaped structures that are produced on the branches and drop off onto the sediment just before most of the algae dies back over the winter.

Between the bulbils, which form a seed bank in the sediment, and the fact that even a small algal fragment can grow into a new colony, this species can rapidly colonize a waterbody and survive during winter.

Like other invasive species such as water chestnut, a number of different programs are in place to address this algae. Watercraft stewards were stationed on public launches in 2022 thanks to a local program led by the CLA. These stewards check boats entering and leaving the lake for any sign of invasives, and work with boat ers to ensure that proper proce dures are followed to prevent new infestations. Surveys of the lake’s plant communities are also per formed by different stakeholders each year, in order to help moni tor changes in existing and new populations. The CWC’s Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection

Volunteer Taskforce also per forms targeted surveys to detect new populations of invasives and responds to new detections. This program, organized by CWC’s Director of Conservation Twan Leenders, identified two signifi cant populations of starry stone wort in 2022, along Ashville Bay and Prendergast Point.

Starry stonewort had been de tected in relatively small amounts during lakewide plant surveys dating back to around 2009, but the populations identified by Leenders in 2022 are much larger, covering a combined area exceed ing seven acres. These two areas are now almost complete mono cultures of starry stonewort, with little to no native plants re maining in the affected areas. A primary concern is the fact that these stands are located near a public boat launch at Prender gast Point and two marinas. Boat

traffic can fragment starry stone wort, increasing the likelihood of spread. After assessing these two populations, Leenders began to discuss management options with experts from Buffalo State Uni versity, the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), and local organizations.

Because starry stonewort has become a relatively recent chal lenge for stakeholders across the Northeast, best management practices are still being developed and tested. Chemical, mechan ical, and manual management options exist. Each is expected to have its own set of regulatory and feasibility related considerations that can vary on a case-by-case basis. Because starry stonewort is an algae rather than a plant, chemical management can utilize different compounds than those used to treat invasives like Eur asian watermilfoil or curly-leaf pondweed. Common methods of manual removal include tech niques like diver-assisted suction harvesting, or DASH.

Considering these different options and the early stages of

starry stonewort growth in the lake, Leenders organized a pilot effort to assess the feasibility of a variety of removal methods in Ashville Bay on September 30. Representatives from CWC, CLA, the Alliance, Soil and Wa ter, the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, and Audubon were joined by volunteers at the site. These efforts began by perform ing visual assessments of the in festation and then hand pulling the species from the water. Cold temperatures, a high lake level, and low water clarity offered some challenges to those in atten dance. Volunteer Vince Liuzzo provided a barge, which was used as a platform to remove and store starry stonewort in dewatering bags. The group performed man ual removal with a variety of tools including rakes, screens, and baskets, which were deployed to help evaluate available options for removal. After around four hours of work, the manual removal team had gathered approximately 12 large bags of starry stonewort (approximately 750 pounds of ma terial to be disposed of).

Joining the group mid-morn

ing were a skimmer and harvester that were kindly deployed to the area by the CLA. These machines ran passes along the large 2-acre stand of starry stonewort in order to determine the feasibility of me chanically harvesting these new infestations. While starry stone wort does not have true roots, it does grow close to the lake bot tom and attaches itself there via thread-like filaments. This may present challenges for removal by harvesters, which are often used to cut and remove above-ground plant material closer to the wa ter’s surface.

“Starry stonewort is clearly not just another nuisance in the lake. It is an invasive that has been implicated in bringing about ecosystem-level changes in other lakes where this algae was able to spread” says Leenders. “It is so new to our region that nobody has a ready-made management solution available. We have a lot to learn still and not a lot of time to do so. Based on how fast starry stonewort has spread in the two areas I monitored this summer and knowing that it is already present in low densities in other parts of Chautauqua Lake, I would say that preventing starry stonewort from becoming sys temic should be a top priority for the lake. Prevention, early detec tion, and rapid action are key el ements of a successful integrated invasive species management pro gram. I am so glad that we found these outbreaks in their early stages. And I am very appreciative of our partners who recognized the importance of our discovery and made it a priority to share their experiences and help exper iment with possible management actions to benefit the health of Chautauqua Lake.”

Following the pilot removal, stakeholders are continuing to as sess their findings, consult with outside experts, and collaborate to determine the best path for ward to manage starry stonewort in the lake. These local programs have been made possible thanks to generous funding through the Alliance provided by The Lenna Foundation, the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. For more information please con tact Leenders at Twan@chautau quawatershed.org.

Vince Liuzzo is pictured removing large clusters of the invasive algae with laundry baskets.

DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Help Protect Bats During 'Bat Week'

observance of the internationally recog nized Bat Week held Oct. 24-31 each year to raise awareness about the crit ical role of bats in our environment, New York State Department of En vironmental Conser vation (DEC) Commis sioner Basil Seggos today encouraged outdoor en thusiasts to refrain from visiting caves and mines during the fall and win ter months. Bats spend the winter hibernating in these underground cavities where relatively constant, warm temper atures protect them from harsh outside winter tem peratures above ground. Human visitation in the winter to these "hiber nacula" disturbs the bats, and is especially harmful since the arrival of whitenose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hiber nation sites in the state.

"Bats play an important role in our environment, helping control insect populations," Commis sioner Seggos said. "With Halloween on people's minds, DEC is urging outdoor adventurers to protect New York's bats by avoiding caves and mines altogether. Even the quiet est cave visits will disturb bats hunkering down for the winter."

If bats are disturbed during hibernation, they

raise their body tempera ture, depleting crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of en ergy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring and insects be come readily available. The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the long winter months underground without eating. DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. If ex plorers do venture out and discover bats hibernating in a cave, DEC urges them to leave quickly and qui etly to minimize distur bance.

Bat Week (leaves DEC website) is observed each year through Oct. 31, and is organized by represent atives from conservation groups and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

In recent years, sci entists have found some evidence of recovery of the once-common little brown bat throughout New York State. While this seeming stabiliza tion provides a hopeful outlook after more than a decade of devastating population declines, sim ilar evidence of stabiliza tion has not been seen for other severely affected bat species.

Two species of bats are

currently protected un der federal and State en dangered species law. The Indiana bat, which is sparsely distributed across New York, is a fed erally endangered bat listed before white-nose syndrome later began af fecting bat populations.

The northern long-eared bat, currently listed as a threatened species un der federal and New York State endangered species law, was proposed to be listed as endangered. The current population for this formerly common bat is approximately one

percent of its previous size, making this species the most severely affected by white-nose syndrome.

Still, northern long-eared bats are widely distrib uted in New York and their presence has been documented in most of the state's approximately 100 caves and mines serv ing as bat hibernation sites.

A third New York spe cies, the tri-colored bat, was proposed for endan gered species protec tion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept. 13, 2022. Although wide spread in distribution, tri-colored bats were rare in New York even before they experienced a 98-per cent population decline due to white-nose disease.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation

period for bats, may be subject to prosecution. Details about the protec tion of the northern longeared bat can be found on DEC's website.

There is currently no treatment for bats suffer ing from white-nose syn drome. Along with the New York State Depart ment of Health, DEC is partnering with research ers from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at universi ties across the country to better understand the dis ease and develop a treat ment. This collaborative effort helped identify that reducing disturbances at hibernation sites dur ing the winter can help the remaining animals survive. For more in formation about whitenose syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website.

Photos Submitted

Hibernating Bat

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Have you ever wondered where your

Are you looking to reduce the steps between the farm

freezer, but aren’t sure how?

Do you want the opportunity to meet local livestock farmers who sell the meat they raise? Would you like to participate in a FREE tasting of dishes pre pared to feature locally produced meats? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this event is for you!

The public is invited to join us for two “Meet Your Farmer” events this November. The first will be held on Saturday, November 5th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm at Cornell Coopera tive Extension of Cattaraugus County (28 Parkside Drive) in Ellicottville, NY. The second will be held on Wednesday, November 9th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the Fluvanna Vol unteer Fire Department (3536 Fluvanna Ave) in Jamestown, NY. All are welcome to come to one or both events to taste lo cally produced beef, pork, lamb, goat, and chicken, and visit with area farmers to learn more about their farm businesses, ask questions, and learn more about purchasing meat directly from a farmer. Farmers will have booths at the event with individ ual cuts and bulk meat available for purchase.

In addition to the pop-up farmer’s market and meat tast ing, will have an official pro gram where farmers and ex tension specialists will share information about bulk order ing meat, how to fill out meat cut sheets, how to utilize the website

Meat Suite to find local farms, and trends in the meat industry. A panel of farmers will be avail able as part of this discussion, so bring your questions!

This year, we are hosting a raffle for a series of gift certif icates donated by the events’ participating farms. Every at tendee will receive one ticket, with additional tickets available for purchase. You will need to be present to win, and the drawing will be held following the short educational session on bulk meat purchasing described above.

This event is co-hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County and the Cornell Cooperative Extension SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program. We thank our generous sponsors, the Cor nell Meat Suite Program, the

New York Beef Council, and the New York Pork Producers Asso ciation for their support to make this event free to you!

Reservations are appreciated, but not required. Please make a reservation with the number planning to attend by contacting the following:

For the Ellicottville event, please contact Amy Barkley with the CCE SWNY Dairy, Live stock, and Field Crops Program at 716-640-0844 or amb544@ cornell.edu.

For the Jamestown event, please contact Lisa Kempisty at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County at 716664-9502, Ext 203 or by e-mail at ljk4@cornell.edu.

Reservations are requested within a week of the event to ac curately plan for the amount of

meat to prepare for tasting. We hope that you’ll join us!

SWNYDLFC is a partnership between Cornell University and the CCE Associations of Alle gany, Cattaraugus, Chautau qua, Erie, and Steuben counties. Their team includes Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management (716-640-0522); Camila Lage, Dairy Manage ment (607-422-6788); and Amy Barkley, Livestock Management (716-640-0844). CCE is an em ployer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment op portunities.

Know?

over time and reap the benefits in spring. UMass suggests getting an accurate soil test to see what is needed in the garden. Samples should be taken from various ar eas. Avoid doing so when the soil is very wet. At-home kits can test for nitrogen, potassium and phos phorous and determine the soil's pH. Gardeners should till the soil and add compost or manure, which will counteract many nutritional deficiencies. Worm castings also are good to add, par ticularly for summer vegetable gardens. The gardening company Park Seed says that worm castings are high in minerals and effective at holding water - so much so that they even can be used alone in place of potting soil. Crushed egg shells, coffee grounds and banana peels also can be added in the fall, even if they are not part of a com post pile. The nutrients will break down throughout the fall and winter, and be available just in time for summer plantings.