State of the New York Lake Ontario Basin Project
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The State of the New York Lake Ontario Basin: AA ReportReport onon WaterWater ResourcesResources andand LocalLocal WatershedWatershed ManagementManagement ProgramsPrograms Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance 309 Lake Street, Penn Yan, New York 315-536-7488 ©2000 Correspondence on this report may be forwarded to: Water Resources Board 309 Lake Street Penn Yan, New York 14527 315-536-7488 e-mail: [email protected] — ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — Funding for this project was provided by New York State through an appropriation in the Environmental Protection Fund for the Finger Lakes – Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FL-LOWPA). The 25 counties of FL-LOWPA express their gratitude to Governor George Pataki and the New York State Legislature for support of the FL-LOWPA program. The principal investigators for this project were Elizabeth Moran, Ph.D. and John Roebig, Ph.D. of EcoLogic, LLC in Cazenovia, New York. Several individuals affiliat- ed with FL-LOWPA contributed substantially to the project, including county rep- resentatives Jim Balyszak (Yates County), Warren Hart (Ontario County), Charlie Knauf (Monroe County), Russ Nemecek (Onondaga County), Karen Noyes (Oswego County) and staff members Betsy Landre and Marion Balyszak (Water Resources Board)/. Mercury Print Productions in Rochester, New York designed the layout and printed the report. An endeavor to characterize water quality status and programming at the local level across a region as vast as the New York Lake Ontario Basin depends upon infor- mation from many sources. Dozens of water resources professionals at the federal, state, regional, county and local levels and water quality coordinating committees in the Basin provided valuable information that made this project possible. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Water is acknowledged for contribution of state-level water quality data and information, as is Mike Stoogenke for mapping assistance. — TABLE OF CONTENTS — ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER ONE: THE STATE OF THE LAKE ONTARIO BASIN: PROJECT OVERVIEW . .1 Purpose of the Report . .1 FL-LOWPA’s Role in Resource Management . .1 FL-LOWPA Funding and Resource Allocation . .2 Study Area . .3 Information Sources . .3 Defining Watershed Terms in the Report . .4 Report Organization . .4 CHAPTER TWO THE LAKE ONTARIO BASIN: THE RESOURCE AND ITS MANAGEMENT . .5 Overview of Natural Resources . .5 Watershed Management Agencies and Responsibilities . .17 CHAPTER THREE RIVER BASIN AND DIRECT DRAINAGE AREAS PERSPECTIVES . .21 Introduction, Framework, and Methods SECTION A: . .24 SENECA-ONEIDA-OSWEGO RIVERS BASIN PERSPECTIVE Description of the River Basin . .24 Water Quality Status . .29 Local Priorities . .32 Gap Analysis: Congruence between Impairments and Local Priorities . .33 SECTION B: . .35 GENESEE RIVER BASIN PERSPECTIVE Description of the River Basin . .35 Water Quality Status . .38 Local Priorities . .42 Gap Analysis: Congruence between Impairments and Local Priorities . .42 SECTION C: . .45 BLACK RIVER BASIN PERSPECTIVE Description of the River Basin . .45 Water Quality Status . .48 Local Priorities . .51 Gap Analysis: Congruence between Impairments and Local Priorities . .52 SECTION D: . .54 LAKE ONTARIO DIRECT DRAINAGE AREAS PERSPECTIVE Description of the River Basin . .54 Water Quality Status . .56 Local Priorities . .60 Gap Analysis: Congruence between Impairments and Local Priorities . .60 CHAPTER FOUR CONCEPTS OF WATERSHED PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT . .62 The Watershed Approach in the Local Context . .62 Elements of Watershed Planning and Management . .62 Barriers to Effective Watershed Planning . .66 The Importance of Local Context . .67 CHAPTER FIVE COMMUNITY-BASED WATERSHED PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT ACROSS THE NEW YORK LAKE ONTARIO BASIN . .69 Introduction . .69 Comprehensive Watershed Management Planning Projects . .69 Watershed Restoration Projects . .69 Case Studies and Project Descriptions . .70 Planning: Canandaigua Lake . .70 Cayuga Lake . .73 Cazenovia Lake . .74 Conesus Lake . .74 Honeoye Lake . .76 Keuka Lake . .77 Oneida Lake . .78 Otisco Lake . .79 Owasco Lake . .80 Sandy and South Sandy Creeks . .80 Seneca Lake . .81 Silver Lake . .82 Skaneateles Lake . .82 Canadice and Hemlock Lakes . .84 Irondequoit Creek . .84 North Chili Tributary of Black Creek . .85 Northrup Creek/Long Pond . .85 Oatka Creek . .85 Wayne County Watersheds . .85 Creek Committees . .85 Restoration: Irondequoit Bay . .86 Onondaga Lake . .87 Beaver Lake . .89 Chittenango Creek . .89 Kendig Creek . .90 Johnson Creek . .91 Lake LeRoy Reservoir . .90 Eighteenmile Creek Remedial Action Plan . .90 Lake Neatahwanta . ..