Protecting clean water in Seneca Lake is essential to the region’s economic future, not a barrier to development, according to the new director of the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association.
Ben Klein, who recently took over leadership of the nonprofit, said access to clean, reliable water supports nearly every sector of the local economy.
“You can’t have a successful business, you can’t have rising property values, you can’t have good jobs, and you can’t have a tourism industry without clean water,” Klein said. “Everything flows from clean water.”
The lake supplies drinking water to roughly 100,000 people in the Seneca Lake watershed, Klein said, making water quality a foundational issue for the region’s stability and growth. He said concerns such as harmful algal blooms can directly impact tourism and discourage people from visiting, relocating or investing in the area.
The Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association relies heavily on volunteers to monitor water quality and identify potential issues affecting the lake. Klein said the organization works with more than 170 trained volunteers who assist with data collection and lake monitoring, forming the backbone of its environmental protection efforts.
That monitoring, Klein said, helps identify where problems originate and how they can be addressed through best practices for those living and working near the lake.
Klein rejected the idea that environmental protection and economic growth are at odds, calling it a common misconception surrounding clean water advocacy.
“Guaranteeing that we have clean water ensures that the economy in the region can remain strong and continue to build on itself,” he said. “Nothing that people want for their community is possible if we don’t have clean water.”
Seneca Lake is the largest of the Finger Lakes and holds more than half of the region’s total water supply. Klein said its health plays a large role not only in the economy of the region, but also in preserving what makes upstate New York attractive to residents, visitors and businesses alike.
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