Here’s how we got started.
In the late summer of 2019, a grassroots group of scientists, teachers, fishermen, environmentalists, and writers began meeting regularly to discuss shared concerns about Chautauqua Lake – both the lake’s health and the quality of its water. Shortly after our meetings began, our small group (still unnamed at the time) was asked to contribute to The Allegheny Voice, a blog focused on environmental issues affecting the Allegheny River Watershed in western Pennsylvania and western New York.
Developing content for that platform helped us to better appreciate our position as part of a larger watershed. And we began to explore ways to connect with others in both western New York and western Pennsylvania who shared our passion for protecting the water quality of our lakes, rivers, creeks, and streams. This led to our group beginning a relationship with the Conewango Creek Watershed Association. (https://www.conewangocreek.org/ )
At the same time, members of our group became aware of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. It is the largest nonprofit solely focused on clean water, with more than 300 branches on six continents. Their mission is to protect everyone’s right to drinkable, swimmable, and fishable water (https://waterkeeper.org/ ) In November, 2019, we submitted a proposal to become a Waterkeeper affiliate with a focus on the larger Chautauqua-Conewango watershed, a stance that would extend our reach and build a larger constituency for clean water. On April 1, 2020 we were officially named the “Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate.”
Read about our Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) logo
