A state judge has ruled in favor of Auburn and Owasco in their legal battle to enforce stricter watershed rules on farmland near Owasco Lake, according to The Citizen.
Judge Keri Savona rejected the state health department’s claim that it lacked authority to regulate nutrient runoff from farms. She called the state’s stance “arbitrary and capricious” and said voluntary farm programs are not enough to address a known water quality crisis.
The ruling revives a 2020 proposal to ban fertilizer use on large farms near the lake and limit livestock access to streams. Officials hope the decision will push the state to finally adopt updated protections for over 45,000 residents’ drinking water.
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