Pictured from left are Brian Cole and Mitch Cole, Inland Lake Harvesters; Doug Conroe, Chautauqua Lake Association executive director; County Executive PJ Wendel; John Ford, CLA president; James Cappelino, CLA chief mechanic; and Heather Nolan-Caskey, CLA administrative and community services manager; and Natalie King, CLA administrative assistant.
Chautauqua County has helped fund a new weed harvester for the Chautauqua Lake Association.
Staff from Inland Lake Harvesters made the trip east on Aug. 8 from Wisconsin to hand over an ILH-1000, their largest available plant harvester and the “flagship of the ILH fleet.” The addition is one of several recent equipment purchases that have been made by local stakeholders to help support management and research activities on Chautauqua Lake.
Following delivery, County Executive PJ Wendel joined John Ford, CLA president; Doug Conroe, CLA executive director, Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) President John Ford, Executive Director Doug Conroe, Administrative & Community Services Manager Heather Nolan-Caskey, and staff from ILH for a demonstration of the equipment.
“We are just thrilled with the equipment that we have gotten,” Ford said. “We have a lot of equipment that is aging, and this really gives us a shot in the arm operationally.”
The new machine will serve the same role as existing CLA harvesters, and features some design differences and modern updates. The ILH-1000 uses a 10-foot cutting head to remove excess plant growth, storing up to 15,000 pounds of material on its deck for offloading.
Like current CLA harvesters, it is driven by side-mounted paddle wheels and powered by a diesel engine. It features a stainless-steel hull, with remaining surfaces finished in heavy marine-grade topcoat.
“Having this new harvester will increase our operating capability along with protecting us from operating problems that are being associated from time to time with our 50-year-old harvesters,” Conroe said of the addition. “We are thankful for this collaboration with Chautauqua County that will enable lake maintenance to be better served.”
While there is a need to fund in-lake maintenance operations on an annual basis, capital equipment purchases such as this represent significant long-term investments necessary to continue the work. The county legislature voted in early 2023 to approve the purchase of the new harvester, as well as a transport vessel, a Mobitrac support vessel, and a research boat. These purchases were funded with dollars from the federal American Rescue Plan Act in order to support the future health and usability of the lake.
“Thanks to the county’s ARPA funding, we are acquiring this vessel as part of a three-vessel initiative for the CLA,” Wendel said. “With strong leadership and a unified effort, my administration remains dedicated to investing in our magnificent lake, ensuring its natural beauty and economic vitality are preserved for the future generations to come.”
The county’s new research vessel, named the “Unity”, was delivered late last year and is under the operation of Chautauqua Institution. It was recently used by the Jefferson Project to deploy vertical profilers to the north and south basins of the lake. Inland Lake Harvesters will also be providing the County with its new transport and Mobitrac support vessel.
On hand for the harvester delivery was another key piece of new equipment, a JCB all-weather forklift that was delivered to CLA on July 19, 2024, by Jamestown Industrial Trucks of Frewsburg. The new forklift replaces an existing 1958 forklift that has been in use since the 1970s. Funding for the purchase came from CLA’s endowment which was augmented by a grant from the County Occupancy Tax Program via the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance.
New lake equipment has been funded by a diverse range of sources recently, highlighting collaboration on a common goal. The county’s Occupancy Tax Program was also used to purchase a new shoreline conveyor operated by the town of Chautauqua, which was first used in 2023 as part of a pilot program to remove invasive starry stonewort from Ashville Bay.
Private contributions continue to play an important role in this funding picture as well. Last year a Mobitrac cleanup vessel was purchased with assistance from the Chautauqua Lake Partnership for use at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron to help keep that area clear of debris and plant material.