Water Resources

Cooperative Extension offers tours, workshops, conferences and demonstration projects on topics that help prevent pollution of local lakes, rivers, streams and drinking water supplies. Examples include care and maintenance of septic systems, well protection, stormwater management, and landscaping for water quality. The Skaneateles Lake Watershed remains one of the priority areas for municipal and resident education, since it is the drinking water supply for the City of Syracuse and other Onondaga County municipalities.

Central New York is rich in water resources- The following links provide information for citizens on topics ranging from drinking water treatment to zebra mussels. For a listing of upcoming programs and workshops, visit the calendar of events.

Listing of Events
Links to CNY Waterways
Water Quality Volunteer Opportunities
Water Publications

Protecting Water around Your Community

Septic Systems

Drinking Water and Well Maintenance

Landscaping for Water Quality

Protecting Local Streams

Erosion Control and Stormwater

Aquatic Plants

Zebra Mussels

Central New York Waterways Recreation Opportunities

Highlights

New Gardens Demonstrate How Catching the Rain Can Benefit Local Waterways

This past summer, three rain gardens were planted to demonstrate how homeowners can make a beautiful contribution to cleaner water by keeping stormwater out of local stormdrains and ditches. The gardens capture rain water directed from the roof through a gutter extension. Rain gardens can be distinguished from a traditional garden because they are planted in a pie-pan shaped depression, which fills with a few inches of water during a rainstorm. Capturing water in the garden and allowing it to soak into the soil not only helps nourishes the plants, but also prevents the water from washing pollutants like fertilizers, pet waste and road salt into stormdrains and adjacent waterways.

The locations of the 2007 rain gardens include:

• The City of Syracuse Water Department, West Genesee Street, Skaneateles


• Creekside Books and Coffee, Fennel Street, Skaneateles


• Site of the 2007 Parade of Homes, Onondaga Hill

Click here to learn more about planning and planting a rain garden.

Other pages of this category ordered by modification date:

• Drinking Water and Well Maintenance
• Water Publications
• Aquatic Plants
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Landscaping for Water Quality
• Streams
• Erosion Control and Stormwater
• Septic Systems