A Tribute: Paul W. Swanson

A Tribute: Paul W. Swanson

Reflecting Back on More Than 33 Years of Dedicated Service to Chautauqua Lake Paul W. Swanson, who passed away on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, was a dedicated colleague and friend to many in the Chautauqua Lake community. He was an avid boater and enriched the lives of many with his deep knowledge of the Lake.  For more 33 years, Paul served in a number of roles at the Chautauqua Lake Association including mechanic and General Manager, where he worked with great diligence to keep the lake safe for all to enjoy.  Around the shop, Paul was considered "the best boss…
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A Love of Chautauqua Lake

A Love of Chautauqua Lake

On November 11, 2021, Mueller, set off on a Veteran's Day kayaking tour of Chautauqua Lake's south end to observe the shoreline and scout out what more needs to be done. While much of this journey was completed in the water, some was done by land. CLA President Rudy Mueller, shown here near the shores of Fluvanna, crossed to Celoron Hotel and paddled through Burtis Bay before heading back to the shop. It was a beautiful morning for a paddle around Chautauqua Lake's south basin. Paddling through Smith Boys in Ashville. When asked why Mueller volunteers as Board President, he…
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The Final Report for the 2021 Lake Maintenance Program

The Final Report for the 2021 Lake Maintenance Program

In the 2021 season, CLA crews were actively in the water for 21 weeks and removed just under 7,000 tons of aquatic vegetation this summer. There were also three large debris clean-ups during those 21 weeks and 79 largetruckloads of woody debris was removed from Chautauqua Lake. The heat map above shows activity of all CLA crews. The greater the intensity, the more time CLA spent in that area. The line maps below show areas visited by CLA crews for harvesting and shoreline work throughout the 2021 season. 2021 SHORELINE MAP2021 HARVESTING MAP READ FULL REPORT
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Camp Cleanup

Camp Cleanup

CLA Makes Shores Swimmable For Campers Lakewood, NY — The Chautauqua Lake Association recently cleaned up the shores of Camp Onyahsa, located in the northeastern part of the lake. “The crews and cutters did a great job,” Jon O’Brian, Camp Onyahsa Director said. “Children have been heavily impacted by the COVID crisis over the past fifteen months, and really need the outdoor, active social experiences that camps provide.” Onyahsa has a gently sloping, shallow bottom bay into which water from the watershed flows from Dewittville Creek. “We believe there is a nutrient infiltration into the lake, perhaps from the creek,…
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CLA Collaborates on Outlet Cleanup

CLA Collaborates on Outlet Cleanup

CLA Assists with Trash Pickup from Chautauqua Lake to McCrea Point (LAKEWOOD, NY) — CLA Executive Director Douglas Conroe reports that on May 19 and 20, lake association staff removed trash that had accumulated in the outlet between Chautauqua Lake and McCrea Point.  Two barrels, multiple plastic items and a wide array of items including furniture and construction debris were collected.  Conroe commented that “We are glad that we could collaborate with the Conewango Creek Watershed Association and the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium in this important community service project. The outlet offers such a great natural environmental setting. Its care is important to us.” …
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