The association will make a donation of $5,200 to the Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee for the purchase of 24 spar buoys, eight replacement lights, 1000 feet of chain, and several sub-surface floats. After purchasing these items, remaining funds will go toward maintenance and replacement of any damaged equipment.

"In January, the board budgeted this amount for several new buoys and solar powered replacement lights," said OCCA executive director Teresa Winchester. "However, the WQCC, through foot work from the biological field station, was able to purchase some used buoys at a reduced price. Later, they decided that spar buoys, which can be left in the lake over the winter, should be installed this coming spring. In the interest of speedier implementation of the watershed management plan, we were happy to modify the original line item designation in our budget."

The Plan for the Management of the Otsego Lake Watershed, approved by lake municipalities in 1998, specifically calls for the creation of a 200-foot no-wake zone, with buoys and or signage to protect sensitive areas and reduce turbidity in the lake. OCCA was mentioned as a possible source of funding in the plan.

"When all is said and done, OCCA seems to be the organization that comes through with the funds to make major progress on the lake. I'm thinking specifically of its $30,000 funding for the septic system management program and its most recent provision of $5200 for the no-wake zone buoy fund," said Otsego Lake Watershed Coordinator Win McIntyre.

Other organizations have contributed a combined total of $2450 to the no-wake zone buoy program. They include: The Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce ($100); Otsego Sailing Club ($450); Cooperstown Country Club ($900); and the Otsego Lake Association ($1000).

"I think its great that the OCCA is providing these funds. Everyone seems to agree that the no-wake-zone buoys are important to maintain, though it's been tough getting the money to keep the project going. Now, we can purchase the equipment to do things right, which will make the work much quicker, easier and safer," said Matt Albright of the biological field station, which for the last two years has provided the services of a volunteer dive team to place the buoys in the lake.