Lake Neatahwanta is an approximately 700 acre lake located twenty-five miles northwest of the City of Syracuse, thirteen miles southwest of the Port of Oswego, and less than one mile west of the Oswego River. The City of Fulton and the Town of Granby, Oswego County, share the lake and its 11,000-acre watershed. Three major tributaries feed the lake: Sheldon Creek, Ware (Ley) Creek and Pine Hill Creek. Water flows out of the lake via Tannery Creek, located on the northeastern shore, to the Oswego River and ultimately into Lake Ontario.

Nutrient concentrations are extremely high in Lake Neatahwanta and algae are abundant. Phosphorus is the limiting nutrient for algal growth in the lake meaning that given favorable light and temperature conditions, algal growth will continue until the supply of phosphorus is depleted. Phosphorus attaches to soil sediment that erodes from the watershed and is deposited in the lake. The sediment itself is a significant water quality concern as excessive levels of suspended sediments can be harmful to aquatic life and heighten the toxic effects of other pollutants. Suspended sediment increases water temperature, reduces water clarity, and ultimately reduces water depth. Lake Neatahwanta is listed on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Priority Waterbodies List (PWL). The PWL states that many uses of the lake are impaired including swimming, fishing, fish propagation and survival, aesthetics, and boating. Lake Neatahwanta is also designated the number one local priority in Oswego County's Water Quality Strategy report.

The objective of the Lake Neatahwanta Reclamation Project is to reduce nutrient, sediment and/or other pollutant loadings to Lake Neatahwanta stemming from the widely diverse land uses existing in the watershed. This is being accomplished through community education and the implementation of resource conservation practices in the watershed. These reclamation efforts are addressing a portion of a comprehensive restoration and management strategy.

The Lake Neatahwanta Reclamation Committee has been the primary force driving restoration efforts. In order to accomplish the goals of this project they are working with the City of Fulton and Town of Granby as well as establishing partnerships with the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County. Funding for this project is being provided from a grant secured by Congressman John M. McHugh through the United States Environmental Protection Agency.