AUBURN -- The Owasco Watershed Lake Association wants to take its message of stewardship to the children while adults try to agree on terms to hire a lake inspector.

OWLA President Al Kozlowski asked the Auburn Enlarged City School board to take a more active role in protecting the lake Tuesday. He explained how high phosphorous levels are feeding algae that harm the water supply.

"This isn't just weeds at the end of your dock," Kozlowski said. "This issue is giving us more and more reason to pause."

An important part of lake preservation will be involvement from the younger set, he said. Kozlowski urged the board to look into ways teachers can integrate the lake into their lessons in a number of subject areas.

"The bottom line is we have some systems available," he said. "All we need is enough public pressure to get the funds to get these things in place."

The board took no official action on the matter, but made some receptive comments to suggestions.

"There are some likely connections we could make with our high school and maybe some of our middle school teachers," school Superintendent John Plume said.

Board member David Lansford noted the lake's fate is beyond the control of the district and more directly tied to entities like the city, Cayuga County and surrounding towns that have long been working on an agreement to hire a full-time lake steward.

"But we could stand on the side of cleaning the lake and have our students get involved," he said.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Citizen.