Welcome

The Board of Directors welcomes the opportunity to share the vision of the Foundation with friends and visitors.  This site describes a bit about the lake and the development of the TLPF.  It also outlines the Foundation's modus operandi- what's going on now and what lies ahead.   The Foundation solicits financial and volunteer support from all who want to preserve the intrinsic value of DeRuyter Lake.  We work with biologists, engineers, and government agencies to keep our lake clean, healthy, safe, and beautiful for present and future generations. 

DESCRIPTION OF TIOUGHNIOGA LAKE, ALSO KNOWN AS DERUYTER RESERVOIR

In the mid 1800s, during the heyday of the New York Canal system, our lake was formed when a dam was built across the north end of the valley containing a branch of the Tioughnioga River that flows north from the Susquehanna watershed through Cortland County. The purpose of the dam was to provide a reservoir of water that could be let out to flow north to Limestone Creek, and ultimately the Erie Canal, to maintain water levels needed for consistent boat travel. The resulting lake is 1.8 miles in length and approximately a half- mile wide, and covers 575 acres with a maximum depth of about 55 feet closest to the dam. It is fed by the Tioughnioga River, artesian springs, and natural runoff from the steep hills lining its east and west shores. Vegetation is more abundant at the shallower southern end and the lake is host to walleye, chain pickerel, bass, bluegill, sunfish and bullhead making it a popular fishing spot.

HISTORY OF THE TIOUGHNIOGA LAKE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

Conservation and lake health have been a concern of the TLA (Tioughnioga Lake Association) and lake residents for many years.  In the 1990s, DeRuyter lake was rated a lake at risk due to poor water quality from agricultural runoff and faulty septic systems which resulted  in excessive phosphorus levels.  The Lake Association coordinated with the DEC and Madison County Soil and Water District to control agricultural runoff and upgrade many of the septic systems that were polluting the lake.  After 10 years, things had improved enough to lift the poor rating. 

In the subsequent decade, zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil, two very invasive species, created their own set of concerns for lake quality.  It became apparent that a Preservation Foundation was needed to raise funds to research solutions to invasive species and runoff issues and provide a financial means to correct them.  The Lake Association, as a homeowner membership organization, could not qualify to be a tax-exempt corporation for this purpose, and a group of forward-looking lake residents formed the Tioughnioga Lake Preservation Foundation in 2012.

Weed harvesting efforts to control the milfoil initially focused on weed harvesting, and TLPF's collaboration with Professor  Paul Lord of  the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field station resulted in a comprehensive study of the biology of DeRuyter Lake.  For several years, to support his research findings, walleye fingerlings were stocked to control the smaller fish that consume the bugs that feed on milfoil.  While we had some encouraging data, the walleye struggled to breed in our lake and as walleye fry became unavailable it was decided to focus on other avenues to control weeds in the lake. 

The TLPF funded a large watershed management study by Leah Gorman, a graduate student at SUNY Oneonta, which indicated some other areas of concern, especially nutrient loading from runoff from the many inputs to the lake which encourages weed growth and algae blooms. The TLPF is using this information to pursue control of phosphorus levels through runoff as well as control of invasive species as we move forward.  See Lake Issues section of this website.