(NATURE SOUNDS) I LIKE TO THINK OF THE WATERSHED AS A BOWL.

AND THE LIP OF THE BOWL ARE THE HILLS AND WATER RUNS DOWNHILL.

AND WHEN IT RINSE RAINS, YOU ONT GET THE WATER IN YOUR BOWL IN YOUR WATERSHED.

IT WAS AN EPIPHANY.

I LOVE THIS, FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF A WATERSHED.

PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE CLOUDS ENDED OR HOW MUCH WATER THEY HAD TO WORK WITH AND IT WAS DONE WITH POLITICAL BOUNDARIES.

ONCE WE KNEW THERE WAS A WATERSHED, IT DEFINED WHO YOUR NEIGHBORS WERE.

THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAD TO WORK TOGETHER.

NOT BASED IN POLITICS.

IT'S WHO IS IN THE BOWL THAT HAS TO SHARE THE WATER WITH YOU.

DATE LITTLE BACK TO THE CONCEPT OF WATERSHED, IT DOESN'T JUST DETERMINE THE QUANTITY OF WATER HAVE YOU TO WORK WITH.

IT DETERMINES THE QUALITY.

BECAUSE WHEN IT'S FALLING FROM THE SKY, IT'S PRETTY MUCH PURE H20 BUT AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE WATERSHED, THE LANDSCAPE PICKS STUFF UP.

SOME OF IT IS NATURAL, LIKE DISSOLVED LIMESTONE BUT IT PICKS UP THINGS THAT HUMANS HAVE ADDED IN THE LANDSCAPE.

IN THE CASE OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS OR FERTILIZERS FOR YOUR LAWN AND MANURE AND PESTICIDES THROUGH ALL THAT LANDSCAPE, THE WATER, AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE WATERSHED PICKING UP ALL THESE THINGS THAT MAKES THE WATER UNHEALTHY FOR HUMANS OR FISH AND ORGANISMS THAT LIVE THERE.

WE GOT RID OF THE TREES AND VEGETATION IN MANY PLACES.

THE SOIL IS NOT NICE AND ORGANIC WITH LEAVES.

IT'S VERY MINERAL SO THERE IS NOT THAT SPONGE TO ABSORB THE WATER.

>> TO REDUCE THE WATER COMING IN, REDUCE THE SPEED, NOT THE QUANTITY.

BUT THE SPEED.

BUT YOU WANT TO SLOW IT DOWN OVER TIME AND LET IT SOAK IN SO IT GETS THE BENEFIT OF THE NATURAL FILTRATION.

WE CAN TAKE REALLY STRONG MANAGEMENT EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE NUTRIENTS THAT ARE FLOWING IN AND THE DISRUPTION THAT THEY CAUSE FOR OUR REGULAR DAILY LIVES.

>> IF THE WATER IS CARRYING NUTRIENTS OFF YOUR FARM, IT'S NOT DOING YOUR CROPS ANY GOOD.

TWIN BIRCH DAIRY AND WE ARE PRIMARILY A DAIRY FARM.

WE GROW THE CROPS TO FEED THE DAIRY AND WE PRODUCE ABOUT 44 MILLION POUNDS OF MILK A YEAR WE WOULD RATHER HARVEST THE NUTRIENTS THROUGH OUR CROPS AND PUT IT BACK THROUGH THE COWS.

NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE BARE GROUND.

BUT WE'VE GOT THE WHEAT AS A COVER CROP PLANTED AND THE HOOTS, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE ROOTS REALLY GOT HOLD OF THE GROUND PT THAT HELPS HOLD IT AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE WATER, OUT OF THE LAKE.

PROVIDING THERE IS A LOT MORE ROOT SYSTEM THAN YOU SEE ON TOP.

OTHERWISE THE SOIL WOULD BE LOOSE.

IF IT WAS BARE LIKE THIS, IT WOULD JUST BE LOOSE AND COULD RUN AWAY WHEN THE SNOW MELTS OFF OR WHEN IT RAINS HARD.

>> SOIL HEALTH IS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THE WATERSHED.

SOIL HEALTH IS SOUR SOIL'S ABILITY TO HAVE ORGANIC MATTER AND MICROORGANISMS TO BE BETTER SPONGE TO ABSORB THE STORM EVENTS WE GET ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS.

>> IF IT IS RUNNING SOIL OFF OUR FARMS, THAT IS VALUABLE RESOURCE.

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT IT.

>> THE KEY PIECE WHERE THESE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT, THE ROADSIDE DITCH, THE DEPRESSION THAT RUNS ON BOTH SIDES OF EVERY ROAD.

THESE ROADSIDE DITCHES HAVE BEEN CAPTURING RUNOFF.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DON'T JUST CAPTURE RUNOFF FROM THE ROAD.

IN MANY CASES WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE IS A HILL ADJACENT TO THE ROADSIDE DITCH LIKE THIS ONE.

WHEN WATER RUNS OFF OF THAT LAND, IT GOES INTO THE DITCH.

WHEN THAT RAIN OCCURS, THAT WATER COMES DOWN THIS HILL, IT'S INTERCEPTED BY THE DITCH AND SHOVES IT RAPIDLY DOWN SLOPE.

THE MAJORITY OF THESE DITCHES CAPTURE ABOUT A QEART OF THE RUNOFF OF THE STUDIES WE'VE DONE IN NEW YORK STATE.

WE WORRY ABOUT NUTRIENTS COMING OFF THE WATERSHED, GOING INTO THE LAKES AND MAYBE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS.

NOT ALL THE REASONS ARE CLEAR WHY WE ARE GETTING HABS WHERE WE DIDN'T BEFORE.

BUT NUTRIENTS SEEM TO BE A PART.

>> I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO AVOID THE TEND INCY TO POINT AND BLAME ONE ENTITY.

IT'S A COLLECTIVE SOCIETAL ISSUE AND IT REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE AND SOPHISTICATED SOCIETAL RESPONSE.

AND WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.

IT'S DOABLE.

WE JUST HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN AND ADAPT TO THE NEW METABOLISM OF OUR FINGER LAKES.