While it will be a lengthy process, initial steps have been taken to finally clean up Fulton’s Lake Neatahwanta.

According to Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward Sr., the city has sent out permits to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Army Corps of Engineers to begin the process of selective dredging in the lake. “We are trying to do what we can to eliminate any further nutrients from entering,” Woodward said.

Katy Green, of Cornell Cooperative Extension, is chairperson of the Lake Neatahwanta Reclamation Committee. She explained that the lake is highly enriched with nutrients such as phosphorus. “Having too much phosphorus impedes the recreational use of the lake,” she said.

The Lake Neatahwanta Reclamation Committee meets every other month with the shared goal to clean up the lake. Oswego County Legislator Louella LeClair, D-Fulton, has been serving as a liaison between the committee and the legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee, keeping the group up to date on the progress at the lake.

“I grew up here in Fulton, and when the initial reports came into our committee, I was interested in the project and I wanted to get involved,” LeClair said. “Things are in the works and all (who are) on the committee are very happy to finally see some progress. The lake can definitely be a great source of economic development for the city of Fulton and Oswego County.”

 To get the project going, the committee acquired a grant to specifically address the lake’s nutrient issue. “Our main job is to work with the land owners throughout the water shed,” Green said.  The committee has been approved for the installation of 55 Best Management Practices (BMP), which impedes the runoff from entering the lake, by the end of 2008.

“Several measures have already been taken, and the results that have been coming back have taken a turn for the positive,” Woodward stated. “There has been progress made in slowing the runoff into the lake through working with area farmers. The lake is physically cleaning out the deposits of over 200 years.”

LeClair noted that at the last Reclamation Committee meeting she was told that according to recent water test results, the lake had not deteriorated any further since testing measures had been started. This news is very promising considering that in previous testing the lake’s condition continually worsened. “This shows that the steps that have been taken so far are preventing things from getting worse,” she said.

Explaining the lake’s gradual cleaning out, Woodward said, “most of what is being pulled out is the nutrients that lead to further growth of the bad algae which takes away from the oxygen level. Basically anything we are pulling out is improving the condition.”

Along with agricultural and community awareness of the problem, Green felt it was important that residents are educated on how their actions affect the lake. According to Woodward, stencilled warnings have been placed near drains to discourage residents from dumping into the lake.

It is expected that the city will receive word back from the DEC regarding the selective dredging project within the next few weeks. Even if approved, the process could not begin until after July 15 because of the lake’s classification as a warm-water fishery.

Regardless of the length of time the cleaning process will take, Woodward, Green and LeClair share an optimistic outlook that someday the lake can be transformed into a clean, healthy body of water.

“I really think it can be restored,” Woodward said. “I don’t think it is something we will see this year or even in the next few years because we have to be careful and are limited as to how fast we move on this due to the aquatic life in the lake ... but I think it can be saved.”

LeClair agreed, adding “The studies have been done, and now it is time to act upon them ... someday I truly believe we will see people enjoying the lake once again.”

While the final product is still years away, Green said that the lake’s transformation depends upon two things: proper care and a lot of money. “How fast it could be restored really all depends on  how soon the money comes in and how often the funding is received,” she said.