How urgent are Seneca Lake water concerns?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 By Peg Thompson MONTOUR FALLS – “Water quality needs to be preserved for generations. There are wars over oil now. The next will be over water.” Citing water shortages in Arizona, Dr. John Halfman of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva spoke about the struggles to provide fresh water to the southwest and the quality of the water in Seneca and other Finger Lakes at a presentation at the Rural Urban Center in Montour Falls on Nov. 17. Halfman has been involved in a project studying water quality in the lakes for 10 years. In regard to water quality, he emphasized, “Nowhere on this planet is there pure water.” Halfman noted the nearby Great Lakes contain 25 percent of all the fresh water in the world. Closer to home, Seneca Lake contains 50 percent of all water in the Finger Lakes and supplies drinking water to 100,000 people. He said, “Nutrient loading is having its impact. It makes me nervous. In 100 years it will be polluted if we keep putting nutri
