Two conservation projects in the Finger Lakes are helping protect clean drinking water for thousands of residents, thanks to the Finger Lakes Land Trust and New York’s Water Quality Improvement Project program.
The Land Trust announced this week that it secured more than 140 acres across the Skaneateles and Cayuga Lake watersheds through conservation easements—an effort to protect stream corridors and wetlands that feed into local water supplies.
“These projects help protect wild streams that serve as public drinking water supplies,” said Finger Lakes Land Trust President Andrew Zepp. “They also build upon earlier projects completed through partnerships with New York State. This program is really making a difference in the Finger Lakes.”
Focus on Bear Swamp Creek and Fall Creek
In the town of Niles, the Land Trust protected over 115 acres in the Skaneateles Lake watershed, preserving a portion of Bear Swamp Creek. Another 26-acre parcel was secured in the town of Summerhill, part of the Cayuga Lake watershed, to safeguard more than 3,000 feet of Fall Creek and nearby wetlands.
Both watersheds are key sources of drinking water for Finger Lakes communities. Conserving surrounding land helps prevent harmful runoff and pollution that can degrade water quality.
“These streamside properties help filter stormwater and reduce erosion,” Zepp said. “The health of our streams and lakes depends on the health of the adjacent land.”
State investment backs conservation goals
The projects were made possible by funding through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program. In total, the state awarded more than $7.4 million in WQIP grants to five land trust partners across New York, helping to permanently protect more than 1,200 acres statewide.
In addition to the Finger Lakes Land Trust, groups like the Nature Conservancy and the Western New York Land Conservancy carried out acquisitions in Owasco Lake, Black Creek, and the Niagara River watershed.
The initiative also supports New York’s broader “30×30” goal: conserving 30 percent of the state’s lands and waters by 2030.
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