Working at CLA – Chautauqua Lake Association

27Sep 2021 by CLA

2021 Summer Lake Cleanup Totals

Employment, Harvest Reports, Lake Maintenance, News, Science & Testing, Work Summary, Working at CLA

Chautauqua Lake Association Reports on Lake Maintenance Achievements and Challenges for the Summer 2021 Season Lakewood, NY —The Chautauqua Lake Association has removed an estimated 12.14 million pounds of vegetation and debris from Chautauqua Lake in 2021. Of that total, 2.34 million pounds was contributed by Town of Chautauqua’s mobi-trac skimmers. Harvesting and shore cleanup will continue at a limited capacity through September as the fleet makes the return trip to the association’s Lakewood facility. This year, the CLA’s lake cleanup initiative kicked off in May with debris cleanup followed by an early June Curly leaf pondweed harvesting operation. Regular season crews started on June 14 and worked through the beginning of September. On average, the CLA employs 30-40 of laborers annually for the summer season. This year,…

07Jun 2021 by CLA

Meet the Stewards

Employment, News, Watercraft Steward, Working at CLA

In honor of New York’s 8th Annual Invasive Species Awareness Week please join us in welcoming our 2021 Watercraft Stewards. These individuals help keep our waterways clean as part of the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program. This state-wide program provides information and education to boaters while data is gathered for state usage information. MAX PINGITORE Max is a senior at Cassadaga High School. This is his second year as a CLA boat steward in Dunkirk and Cassadaga. After high school, Max plans on attending JCC and studying criminal justice. “I started working at CLA so I could get comfortable talking with people I don’t know,” Max said. He became a steward when he ran into his substitute teacher on a field trip, who was a steward at the Cassadaga launch.…

25Jan 2021 by CLA

The Chautauqua Lake Association is a Year-Round Operation

Lake Maintenance, News, Shop Work, Working at CLA

Lakewood, NY — Throughout the summer, the presence of the Chautauqua Lake Association is highly visible around the Lake. From the brightly colored vessels on the water to the dump trucks running on the road, the CLA crews and the work they do is well known among lake residents. But what happens in the off-season? Chautauqua Lake management is a year-round operation and the work is never done. Late September through mid-May is shop time, according to Douglas Conroe, CLA executive director. It is during this time that every piece of equipment is overhauled, seasonal data is reviewed, and preparations for the next year begin. In the Shop At the end of each summer, the full-time maintenance crew is tasked with pulling the machines from the water and preparing them…

09Oct 2020 by CLA

Summer Sunshine and Muck

Lake Maintenance, News, Working at CLA

The Youth Working at the CLA Share Their Thoughts on the Summer Lakewood, NY — Every summer, the Chautauqua Lake Association employs a number of seasonal laborers of varied age to clean the shoreline and surface of the Lake. At the close of the season, crews were asked to complete a short survey of their experience. When asked why they chose to work at the CLA this summer, the running theme was true— spending the summer outside, on the lake. “The best part of the job had to be working outside and on the lake,” said Alex, a sophomore at Denison University with aspirations of attending medical school. “Not many jobs around the area allow you to enjoy Chautauqua Lake.” As stewards of Chautauqua Lake since 1954, the Chautauqua Lake…