Environment DEC
From the August 2006 issue
DEC Acquires Chautauqua Lake Waterfront Property
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced that the state has acquired 23.7 acres of shoreline property along western New York's Chautauqua Lake in the Town of Ellery, Chautauqua County. Acquisition of the remaining parcels of the former Cheney property provides the state with an additional 2,246 feet of undeveloped lake frontage.
Significant Habitat
"New York State's acquisition of this beautiful shoreline property will help protect water quality and the ecological health of Chautauqua Lake," Commissioner Sheehan said. "DEC will continue working with our partners on the state and local levels to fulfill Governor Pataki's commitment to open space preservation, so that significant fish and wildlife habitat, public recreational opportunities, and tourism can continue to be protected and fostered across New York."
Pictured left to right: John Cheney, Del and Donna Stage, Bob and Edith Johnson, Hobart and Annabel Weise, Commissioner Denise Sheehan. Not present: Rhea Cheney.
The first of four parcels of the lakeside portion of the former Cheney property was acquired by the state in 1998 from Mr. John Cheney. That purchase protected 10.3 acres of land with 1,200 feet of lake frontage. The current acquisition from Cheney's siblings-Anabel Weise, Donna Stage, Edith Johnson and Rhea Cheney-was purchased using the state's Environmental Protection Fund and brings DEC's holdings to a total of 34 acres with 3,446 feet of undeveloped lake frontage.
Protects Spawning Areas
This 23.7-acre shoreline property will protect spawning and nursery areas for important fish species, such as muskellunge, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie and panfish. DEC will manage the Cheney lakefront parcels as a low-intensity access site offering shoreline fishing. A small parking area will be developed to allow parking for day use of the site.
Centrally located in Chautauqua County, the 13,000-acre Chautauqua Lake provides anglers with tremendous fishing opportunities. The Lake is annually stocked by DEC with 13,000 muskellunge fingerlings from the state's Chautauqua Prendergast Hatchery, along with 200,000 walleye fingerlings from the Prendergast and Oneida hatcheries.
Important Priorities
The former Cheney properties were identified as important priorities for conservation in the state's Open Space Conservation Plan. The Regional Open Space Advisory Committee nominated these parcels under the, "Chautauqua Lake Access, Shore Lands and Vistas," category and recommended their purchase. This acquisition is especially important since less than 12 percent of the lake's shoreline remains undeveloped.
