Sound decisions are based on good information. Many of the municipalities in the watershed have gone as far as instituting moratoriums on planning. T he watershed is drained by approximately 130 year round tributaries which along with the groundwater flow accounts for most of the point and nonpoint source pollutants into Seneca Lake. The tributaries account for a heavy sediment load into the lake, which among other things tend to put stress on fisheries. The lake is also the source of drinking water for 62,000 people who will need to have good information so that they can ultimately retro-fit most systems for treatment and filtering.
Flooding is a major problem on Seneca Lake.
It effects large portions of the shoreline on an annual basis. T he lake is the focal point for much of the recreational and tourism activities in the watershed including fishing and boating. Therefore, the economic viability of the watershed is directly dependant on the water quality of the lake. This includes the tourism industry itself as well as the value of lakeshore property. The economic viability, however, must be balanced with the health of the lake.