Song Lake

Song Lake is a small lake situated on the western edge of the Finger Lakes Region. Song Lake is one of a number of kettle lakes that were formed at the same time as the finger lakes. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the area was formed by the advancing and retreating of glacial ice during the last glacial period in North America. Kettle lakes are smaller holes that formed when huge chunks of ice broke off the glacier. When these ice chunks melted, the depressions remained.

Song Lake has no outlet or inlet, but is fed by precipitation, surface water runoff and groundwater. This small lake is an oval of approximately 110 acres. Most of the lake is fairly shallow, with depths from five to thirty feet. There are wetlands to the northeast, but the lake is densely populated along the west and north shores, Camp Hoover (The Girl Scouts of America) resides on the east and the smaller south shore is lined by agricultural land.

Song Lake Watershed Committee Project List-2014

• We will begin a new round of CSLAP Testing this year.
  The Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) is a volunteer lake monitoring program run by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the NYS Federation of Lake Associations, Inc. 
  Tony George and Carl Grillo  managed the biweekly sampling.  Water quality data and samples from June through October with parameters for water temperature, transparency, conductivity, pH, color, phosphorus, nitrogen, Chlorophyll a and calcium.
  These tests enable us to better  understand the important issues our lake is facing.
  We had completed six years of CSLAP water testing from 2006 – 20012
  These reports are available on the Resources Page
• Newsletters
  The newsletters are all available on the  Watershed Newletters Page
• Algae 
  Working with the NYS DEC, to address this and other issues on the lake. To read our concerns on the cyanobacteria in the lake,click here.
• Website
  www. Songlakewatershed.org
• Lake Water Budget 
  Thanks to Pat Reidy,  Cortland County Soil and Water Dept. for this analysis. Click on the link to download the complete file.
• C-OFOKLA
  Leadership in Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lake Associations, Inc. a twww.Cofokla.org
• Quality Assurance Project Plan
  Working with Cortland County Soil and Water and EPA to provide 
  eight, in-lake and two groundwater “hot spot” testing sites. To read the draft proposal, click here. 
• Carp Remediation
  Grass carp were stocked in Song Lake to control weeds. The impacts of this are now being seen with decreased weeds, and increased algae, including cyanobacteria. To view a diagram that explains this phenomenon, click here.
• Phosphate Campaign
  Read “What’s all the Fuss about Phosphorus?” 
• Survey Compilation
  Graphs are available on the Resources Page

The Song Lake Property Owners Association was incorporated July 13th, 1956. It consists of approximately 90 homeowners around the lake. The objectives of the association are to safeguard the the quality of the lake and watershed area, to enhance the recreational use of the lake for activities such as swimming, fishing and boating and to promote a sense of community and common responsibility among the residents. The association is also a member of the Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lake Associations, Inc. www.cofokla.org