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The State of the Great

The are one of our most precious national treasures. With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, they provide drinking water to 28 million U.S. residents. But threats to the are making our waters less fishable, closing our beaches to swimming and affecting our drinking water.

The Great Lakes are a vital resource, but they are in danger of being destroyed by toxic pollutants and sewage overflows, destruction of fish and wildlife , and an increasing number of dangerous . Of the 42 Areas of Concern (AOC) or toxic hot spots on the Great Lakes, identified by the International Joint Commission (IJC), six are in New York state. There are also 93 sites that are on the National Priority List (Superfund), identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). is the most polluted in the Great Lakes system due to a long history of chemical industries and waste dumps along the River and lakefront. And as one of the more populous Great Lakes states, New York battles with constant sewage overflows in its waters as a result of an outdated sewer system.

New York is a significant member of the with more than 570 of shoreline along and —the third longest shoreline of the Great Lakes states. One-third of the state of New York is in the Great Lakes watershed, and more than 3.4 million New York residents live in the basin.

Prominent New York waterways, including the , the , and several wild and scenic Adirondack rivers are tributaries to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, the critical channel that connects the Great Lakes to the . New York also has a rich history of Native Americans living in the Great Lakes basin, including the (“Haudenosaunee”) nations, who provide the region with historical ecological knowledge.

In order to restore and protect the New York shoreline, more funding is needed. In July 2003, Congress introduced bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration legislation calling for $4 to $6 billion in funding to protect drinking water, reduce and rehabilitate coastal habitat for fish and wildlife. Only through a coordinated, federally funded effort will New York and the Great Lakes region receive the resources needed to begin restoration of damage done by years of neglect and pollution.

Toxic Hot Spots

The The Niagara River – Photo courtesy of Niagara Recreation Guide Long one of the nation's notorious toxic waterways, the Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and is part of the international between and the U.S. The river is approximately 35 miles long and includes the . Municipal and disposal sites have been a source of contaminants to the Niagara River and Lake Ontario for over 50 years. The famous Love , linking the upper and lower parts of the Niagara River, was a known site for hazardous chemicals, and residents in the area were forced to evacuate due to health hazards in the early 1980s. Due to high levels of poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),

pesticides and other toxic chemicals, the IJC named the Niagara River, extending from Smokes Creek near the southern end of the Buffalo Harbor and north to the mouth of the river at Lake Ontario, an Area of Concern (AOC). The Niagara River accounts for 83 percent of the water flowing into Lake Ontario, significantly influencing Lake Ontario's and fish productivity.

In 1987, four environmental agencies in the U.S. and Canada—U.S. EPA, Environment Canada (EC), New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Ontario Ministry of Environment & Energy (MOEE)—agreed to the Niagara River Toxics Management Plan (NRTMP), pledging cooperation to reduce toxic chemical pollutants in the Niagara River. Under the NRTMP, 18 persistent toxic chemicals leaking into the river were targeted. Some of the waste sites had been leaking more than 50 pounds of waste into the river every day.

In 2002, a status assessment of the river’s cleanup showed the amount of hazardous waste leaking into the Niagara had fallen by about 90 percent since 1989, and the water in the Niagara River is nearly 60 percent cleaner. However, fish contamination is still a problem and more funding is needed to complete restoration efforts.

The

The Oswego River basin in state contains a diverse system of streams, lakes and . The watershed includes the Finger

Lakes, industries, municipalities and extensive areas of farmland and that cover more than 5,000 square miles. The Oswego Harbor has multiple uses including navigation, hydroelectric power generation, , recreation and waste disposal. Over 1.2 million people live in the basin. Because of industrial, agricultural and urban development in the watershed, Oswego Harbor sediments are contaminated by a variety of pollutants, particularly mirex, an insecticide and PCBs. The upstream pollutants led to a decrease in water quality, ruining fish and wildlife populations. In 1987, the IJC named the Oswego River and Harbor an

Area of Concern (AOC). Oswego River Canal – Photo courtesy of Oswego County

Remedial strategies continue to focus on upstream watershed activities such as federal review of the river’s power licenses and the provisions with which dam owners must comply. This effort and other ongoing work will help to provide fish protection, restore natural , improve inactive hazardous waste sites and support fish studies in Lake Ontario and the Oswego River. Although progress has been made, more funds are needed to complete restoration projects and ensure the healthiness of the river for future activities.

Destruction of Fish, Wildlife & Natural Habitat The St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River and Seaway is the only connection between the Great Lakes system and the Atlantic Ocean, making it a critical tributary that allows the Great Lakes shipping industry to thrive. Approximately 800 miles long, the St. Lawrence River can be divided into three broad sections: the freshwater river, which extends from Lake Ontario to just outside of City; the St. Lawrence estuary, which extends from Quebec to Anticosti Island; and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean.

To allow to pass through the river and in and out of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, a massive American- Canadian navigational project, was begun in 1954 and completed in 1959. The Seaway created the final link in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River through a complex system of lakes, rivers, deepened channels, locks and canals. However, the waters and river bottom have been impacted by industrial pollution from upstream sources including Lake Ontario, municipal treatment facilities and development. , PCBs and other chemicals have been found in the water, sediments and fish. The heavy traffic in the river has also resulted in the invasion of non-native aquatic species such as the

and , causing serious damage to the river’s native fish and habitat. Since the 1800s, at least 160 invasive species have invaded the Great Lakes basin. More than one-third of the species have been introduced in the past 30 years.

In 1987, the IJC named the St. Lawrence River, beginning above the at the Massena Village water intake and following the river downstream to Canada, an AOC. A proposed expansion to the Seaway may pose a serious threat to the already weakened ecosystem. The

widening and deepening of the waterway could introduce more invasive species and continue to damage water, further destroying natural habitats.

Plans for restoration of the St. Lawrence River focus on rehabilitating the waterfront and creating nursery habitats to restore fish communities such as the , northern pike and . Over $50,000 has been pledged by Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in 2004. However, more funds are needed to fully restore decades of damage to this central waterway that has huge geographic and St. Lawrence River – Photo courtesy of Henning Umland economic significance to the Great Lakes.

The One of America's most wild and scenic waterways, the Buffalo River is located in the City of Buffalo in state. The river flows from the east into Lake Erie near the head of the Niagara River. The Buffalo River is an important wildlife habitat and a significant recreational site; it is known as a paradise for viewing fish underwater. The brightest and most colorful fish in the mid- can be found in the river. Forestry, cattle ranching and farming are the mainstay of the region's economy, but these same activities are a major source of pollution and water quality degradation. Other disturbances to the area have been past industrial and municipal discharges and disposal of waste. Fishing, survival of aquatic life and wildlife habitat within the river has been impaired by toxic chemicals, dredging and other alterations to the shoreline. In 1989, the Buffalo River was designated an Area of Concern by the IJC.

In recent years, Erie County; in cooperation with the City of Buffalo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; has worked to improve the conditions of the river. Restoration efforts are focused in six major problem areas: stream water quality, river bottom sediments, inactive hazardous waste sites, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, overflows, and fish and wildlife habitat. Other projects include providing public access to the waterway for community enjoyment. A statewide watershed improvement program earmarked about $118,000 for the Buffalo River in 2002.

Local Treasures Adirondack State Park

One of the last remaining great expanses of open space, the Adirondack State Park is a New York—and national—treasure.

At nearly 6 million acres, it is the largest park in the contiguous

U.S.—the size of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand , and Great Smokey Mountains National Parks combined. A Adirondack State Park –Photo courtesy of GORP protected area the size of , it includes 3,000 lakes and 30,000 miles of rivers and is half private land, half public. The Adirondack region is a diverse space with gentle landscapes of hills, lakes, , ponds and streams in the west and south and high peaks in the northeast. Well over a third of the park drains into the Great Lakes system.

The Adirondack State Park is significant because it sets a precedent for watershed and open space protection. The New York State Constitution has protected 45 percent of the Park’s publicly owned forest preserve as "Forever Wild" since 1894. The historic use of the New York waterways for industrial purposes led the state to think about protecting water for residents, especially as continued to grow at an amazing rate. The first and only wild land preserve in the United States to gain constitutional protection, the Adirondack State Park was set aside as a water source for the people of New York.

In 2004, New York announced it will provide permanent protection for an additional quarter million acres in the park. With more funding for the Great Lakes, other precious areas and water sources in the region can be preserved and protected as the Adirondacks have been.

Niagara Reservation State Park and Niagara Falls Niagara Reservation State Park, which surrounds mighty Niagara Falls, is the oldest state park in the United States. The park is made up of numerous islands, as well as the famous Prospect Point area and the magnificent Great Lakes Gardens. One of the great natural wonders of the world, Niagara Falls lies between New York state and Canada. from the Upper Great Lakes—, Huron, Superior and Erie—empties into the Niagara River and eventually cascades over the Falls. Over one million gallons of water per second pour over a 180-feet-high cliff that is nearly 0.6 miles wide. The pounding water forms a spray that blankets the in a perpetual mist that is sometimes decorated with shining rainbows. It Niagara Falls – Photo courtesy of William C. Gladish is a spectacular sight and funds are needed to ensure this and other local treasures are forever preserved.

Zoar Valley One of the last unspoiled wilderness areas in western New York, is an irreplaceable ecosystem with endangered plant and animal life in need of continued protection. Zoar Valley offers awe-inspiring scenic beauty and a true wilderness escape in a series of rugged gorges with cliffs towering over 400 feet above the river below, 20 waterfalls cascading up to 140 feet above the canyon floors, and bald eagles soaring over ancient . The gorge system on the extends from Springville to Gowanda, and includes 2,927 acres of preserved public land. The area is also culturally significant, rich in archaeological evidence of Native Americans spanning a 12,000 year period, including burial mounds, villages, fortresses, artifacts and cave use. Zoar Valley is yet another example of the rich treasures in the Great Lakes region.

For More Information

David Higby Reg Gilbert Environmental Advocates of New York Great Lakes United 353 Hamilton Street BSC, Cassety Hall Albany, NY 12210 1300 Elmwood Avenue 518-462-5526 ext. 239 Buffalo, NY 14222 716-886-0142

© 2004 by The Joyce Foundation. www.joycefdn.org