Owasco Watershed Rules and Regulations

Project Update

The Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations (“WSRR”) Update Project is an important water quality initiative being undertaken by the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council on behalf of the City of Auburn and the Town of Owasco, the two water purveyors sourcing and distributing public water supply from Owasco Lake.

The project goal is to update and revise the 1984 Owasco Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations, through a thoughtful and engaged public participation process resulting in effective and equitable watershed regulations that will help to improve, protect and preserve water quality within Owasco Lake and it’s 205-square mile watershed for the benefit of current and future generations.

The Project, initiated in the spring of 2017 and following numerous public and stakeholder meetings and including an approximate three-month public comment period in 2019, reached an important milestone – presentation of the Final Draft Watershed Rules & Regulations to the Auburn City Council and Owasco Town Board was on October 29, 2020.  The joint meeting was scheduled to allow the respective boards to consider support for the adoption of updated Watershed Rules and Regulations for Owasco Lake and its nearly 205-square mile watershed.  Both the Auburn City Council and Owasco Town Board supported the adoption of the final draft WSRR.

Transmittal of the draft Watershed Rules and Regulations document, information regarding the process and letters of support to the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Public Water Supply Protection, began after the October 29, 2020 joint meeting, initiating the required state review process.

The following are the letter and the transmittal of the draft Watershed Rules and Regulations document, information regarding the process and letters of support that were sent to the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Public Water Supply Protection.  

Steering Committee Meeting Minutes

View minutes

Helpful Documents

  1. Existing Watershed Rules and Regulations Owasco and Auburn (PDF)
  2. Laws in New York Establishing Watershed Rules and Regulations (PDF)
  3. Procedure for Adopting Watershed Rules and Regulations (PDF)
  4. Skaneateles Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations (PDF)
  5. Watershed Maps (PDF)
  1. WSRR Presentation to Auburn and Owasco March 28 2019
  2. Project Update Sheet January 24, 2018 (PDF)
  3. Owasco Lake Watershed Project Public Meeting Presentation June 2017(PDF)
  4. Rules and Regulations Process Outline 2017 (PDF)