Our Mission
The mission of the Otsego Lake Association is to educate, advocate, and actively participate in protecting the health, beauty, and well being of Otsego Lake by facilitating the implementation of the Otsego Lake Watershed Management Plan.
Watershed Management Plan (update 2007)
Our Membership
Membership in the Otsego Lake Association is open to any individual concerned with the health of Otsego Lake. Our membership consists of year-round residents, seasonal residents and local businesses.
History
Otsego Lake is an 8-mile long, mesotrophic glacial lake in Otsego County, encompassed by the Village of Cooperstown and Towns of Middlefield, Otsego, and Springfield. Otsego Lake Association (OLA) is the only conservation organization whose sole mission is protection and preservation of Otsego Lake. OLA is a volunteer organization funded by private donations, primarily through membership campaigns, and collaborates effectively with other local organizations. Its activities include outreach (website and SNS, NYSFOLA award-winning newsletters, winter updates, educational publications and signages, production of OLA goods, welcome letters distributed to real estate agents and new property owners, 4th of July boat parade and August gathering that is open to the public), lake protection (lake clean-up day, invasive species monitoring and eradication, buffer strip maintenance, no-wake-zone buoy management, support for the PRISM boat steward program and the boat wash station) and scientific support (operation and maintenance of continuous lake monitoring buoy and other research projects). OLA has been successful in acquiring grants: a demonstration buffer strip was originally funded by NYSFOLA, and the boat wash station was funded by NYSDEC and OLA. In 2022, OLA donated three sets of lake-themed children’s books, based on the Libraries Love Books program, and expertly curated by a dedicated volunteer, to three local libraries. Recurrent cyanobacterial blooms in mid-summer prompted OLA to create an online portal for information from state agencies and other reliable sources. OLA is currently working with the Otsego Lake Watershed Supervisory Committee and NYSDEC for potential Nine Element Plan development.
We are primarily concerned with educating the public and the municipalities surrounding the lake about the various issues that affect Otsego Lake. These issues include sediment and nutrient loadings (mud, road salt, phosphorous, wastewater, etc.) being discharged into the lake, non-native invasive plant and animal species (hydrilla, zebra mussels, milfoil, water chestnut, etc.), no-wake zones (boat speeds less than 5 miles per hour within 200 feet of the shoreline), buffer strips along the shoreline (to reduce erosion), and “hydrofracking” for natural gas.
Board of Directors
We are made up of 100% volunteers.
Jim Howarth & David Sanford, Co-Presidents.
Vacant, Vice President.
Martin Tillaupaugh & Gary Kuch, Director for the Village of Cooperstown.
Doug Willies & Peter Regan, Director for the Town of Middlefield.
Mickie Richtsmeier & Robert Nelson, Director for the Town of Springfield.
Paul Lord & Tom Chase, Director for the Town of Otsego.
Wayne Bunn & Debbie Creedon, Director at large.
Other Positions
Stephen Roots, Student Director.
Wayne Bunn, Secretary.
Betty VanHeusen, Treasurer.
Susan O’Handley, Newsletter Editor.
Vacant, Winter Update
Kiyoko Yokota, Technical Advisor.
Martin Tillaupaugh, Legal Advisor.
Tom Chase, Merchandise Manager.
Lou LIpnickey, Timothy Pokorny, Webmaster.
By-Laws
By-Laws (PDF)Become a Member
The Otsego Lake Association is an all-volunteer, 501c3, non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, advocate, and actively participate in protecting the health, beauty, and well-being of Otsego Lake.
OLA members and volunteers work towards this mission by:
- Training boat wash stewards who protect the lake from invasive species;
- Maintaining no-wake buoys;
- Financially supporting the SUNY-Oneonta Biological Field Station with water sample transportation;
- Organizing and conducting the annual Lake Clean-Up Day;
- Providing books on lake science to local libraries and schools;
- Helping maintain the buffer strip at the end of Pioneer Street;
- Taking and transporting water samples, as part of New York’s CSLAP – Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program;
- Supporting the SUNY-Oneonta BFS Volunteer Dive Team;
- Educating the public regarding threats to the lake;
- Publishing real-time scientific data on our website – Otsegolakeassociation.org;
- Running fun events – such as our Annual July 4th Boat Parade;
- Publishing the award-winning Our Glimmerglass Journal;
Importantly for OLA, recent threats to our lake, including Hazardous Algal Blooms (HABs) have increased our work in cooperating with New York State and civic environmental organizations to develop a Comprehensive Lake Management Plan. OLA is playing a leading role in that effort.
Please, join and donate. Our strength is in our membership.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Jim Howarth
President
October 9th, 2024
Membership in the Otsego Lake Association is open to any individual concerned with the health of Otsego Lake.
Donate
The association has received an ruling from the IRS giving us 501 c 3 status. The associations exempt from paying federal taxes. Contributions and membership dues are tax deductible. Donation checks can be mailed to Otsego Lake Association Box 13 Springfield Center, NY 13468.
Volunteer
Serve on a Committee.
Participate in OLA community Events.
Serve on the Board of Directors.
Work with the Volunteer Dive Team.