If you live on the west side of Chautauqua Lake, you know that the season at Chautauqua Institution has arrived because the traffic on Route 394 has doubled.

It is not just people traveling to Chautauqua for its programs, it is people from Chautauqua heading for Lakewood to shop and buy groceries.

You just have to get used to the traffic. It is best to slow down when you get on the road, and to expect that it may take you a minute or two longer to get to your destination. This is especially the case as there are now stoplight restrictions related to construction work on the new sewer extension.

There have been complaints from the Sherman’s Bay area around Lakewood that the weeds there are bad this year. This, despite the fact that the area was treated with herbicide. It seems the wind and rain this year must have combined to push weeds into the bay.

Weeds are nothing new on Chautauqua Lake. It has been and always will be a eutrophic, shallow lake where weeds like to grow. Also, the southern basin of lake is shallower and so weeds tend to be more of a problem there. The weather and mother nature will continue to be the determining factor in much of what we experience on the lake.

But human efforts to improve the lake are substantial. The Chautauqua Lake Association continues to harvest and dispose of weeds, the Chautauqua Lake Partnership continues its efforts at herbicide treatment, and the Chautauqua Lake Property Owner’s Association continues to spearhead efforts to challenge the new wetland regulations which could impede property ownership rights on the lake.

In addition, the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Conservancy continues its focus on preserving undeveloped portions of the lake, and there is an ongoing research program called the Jefferson Project conducting scientific research on the lake.

To help bring it all together, there is a county-sponsored coordinating organization, the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance, which works to assist and help finance various lake-related organizations. The common interest of all of these groups is the health and maintenance of this beautiful body of water which dominates the center of Chautauqua County.

Finally, there is now a new, significant “player” involved in lake issues–the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They have just begun a multi-year study on how algae growth is affecting our lake, trying to understand it better, and, ultimately, finding ways to combat it. The Army Corps has more experience and more money in dealing with the inland lakes and rivers in this country than any other organization–so it is a plus that they are now involved.

In short, there are a lot “moving parts” when it comes to Chautauqua Lake. This also means that a lot people are involved. There are hundreds of citizens out there who are interested in the future of this lake…and that is a good thing!

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.