DOCSLIB.ORG

Sediment Dynamics of the Oneida Creek Delta, Oneida Lake, New York

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sediment Dynamics of the Oneida Creek Delta, Oneida Lake, New York SEDIMENT DYNAMICS OF THE ONEIDA CREEK DELTA, ONEIDA LAKE, NEW YORK Eugene W. Domack, Dept. of Geology, Hamilton College, Clinton New York 13323 [email protected] Scott Ingmire, Madison County Planning Office, Katie Arnold, Dept. of Geology, Hamilton College, Clinton New York 13323 9/22/04 (draft) 1 Cover Illustration: Air photo of the Eastern End of Oneida Lake taken in 1985 with features discussed in report and outline of study area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was supported through a grant from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board and the New York State Department of Environment and Conservation to Hamilton College. A matching award from Hamilton College also provided equipment support for the project. We would like to thank Cap'n Lee Webster for his enthusiastic and professional support of our work on Oneida Lake, Andrew Friedman, and Mitch Ward for help with lake surveys. The advice and guidance of Anne Saltman, Stephanie Harrington, and JoAnne Falukner were appreciated. We also wish to thank Mr. Edward Beickert. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A study of the sediment dynamics and morphology of the Oneida Creek delta, Oneida Lake New York provides the following conclusions: • The delta at the mouth of Oneida Creek is a wave dominated sand system that extends 1800 ft into Oneida Lake and is incised by a deep channel of Oneida Creek. • The Oneida Creek delta covers an area of lake floor of from 3.53 x 105 to 3.65 x 105 ft2 (~3.20 x 105 m2). It contains an estimate of 1.42 x 107 to 1.73 x 107 ft3 (~3.96 x 105 m3) of sediment and pore fluid, comprising an estimate of 7.72 x 108 kg of solids (sand). • Observed suspended loads and discharge characteristics of Oneida Creek are insufficient to have provided all of the sand within the delta within a reasonable length of time. • Significant sediment sources for the delta must include material resuspended from the eastern shore of the lake, particularly that area from the Fish Creek jetty at Verona Beach to and along Verona Beach State Park. • Exacerbated erosion of the shoreface region of the eastern end of Oneida Lake must be attributed to artificial lowering of the lake level, which extends the normal wave base, in conjunction with diminishment of sand supply from Fish Creek. • Dredging of the Oneida Creek delta to remediate the sedimentation problem will only temporarily alleviate the situation as the system will likely readjust to the new accommodation space provided by dredging. • Suspended loads from Oneida Creek are contributing excess mud (silt and clay) to Oneida Lake but are not considered the major source of sand that currently is deposited across the delta. PROJECT OBJECTIVES One of the main issues of concern outlined in the draft Oneida Lake and Watershed Management Plan is sedimentation from tributary streams. Initial tributary monitoring data from the Oneida Lake Watershed identifies Oneida Creek as the third largest contributor of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) with an average 4,365 g/ha/day during storm events (Figure 1). Using data from a USGS flow monitoring station, daily estimates of TSS ranged from 18,295 kg/day up to 75,282 kg/day. Historic bathymetric maps of the area show that the general depth around the shoreline and creek mouth was about 3-4 feet. A recent bathymetric survey of the area shows that today, much of the area is 3 feet deep or less, with some areas only 1.5 feet deep. This growing deposystem (classified as a wave dominated delta) has caused navigation and aesthetic problems and numerous potential effects on aquatic life in and around the mouth of Oneida Creek. 3 Figure 1: Drainage basin map of Oneida Creek and its tributaries. Although it is believed that anthropogenic influences have greatly increased the rates of natural erosion in Oneida Creek and subsequent deposition in South Bay, this has never been quantified or examined in detail. In addition, the effects of winter draw- down in lake level and subsequent expansion of wave induced sediment transport have 4 never been examined in this area. Both of these factors may play an important role in the sediment dynamics of South Bay and, indeed the entire shoreline of Oneida Lake. Our primary objective for this project was to determine the source of the sediment clogging the area around the mouth of Oneida Creek (OC) and the greater South Bay area. By mapping the wave dominated delta we were able to show in great detail the current morphology of this area and the volume (mass) of sediment contained within the delta. Our sampling and particle size analysis of suspended sediment loads in OC and bottom sediments across the delta have also allowed us to understand sediment delivery to and redistribution with the delta system. Further, sediment cores have allowed us to examine the temporal changes in sediment process over the last 50 years. BACKGROUND Today the Oneida Lake Basin is a highly perturbed system that is not in equilibrium with the natural processes which contributed to its development over the last 11,000 years. Sediment build up along the eastern shore is apparent from the natural history of shoreline progradation, since the basin became an isolated extension of Glacial Lake Iroquois some 11,000 years ago (cover figure). Approximately 1 mile of shoreline advance has taken place in the last 11,000 years with evidence that the rates have not been constant over time (Fadem, 2001; Hickock, 2000). The shorelines are marked by a prominent set of beach ridges and spits that run sub-parallel to the modern shoreline (cover figure). Such periods of episodic shoreline accretion may correspond to natural cycles in lake level fluctuation (climatically driven, Kirby, et al., 2001) or excessive sediment supply from rivers (decadal increases in storminess, also climatically driven). Sediment progradation (build out) is a natural process of the lake basin, especially along the eastern shoreline. However, the pattern and localization of sediment accretion at the mouth of Oneida Creek in tandem with erosion along the shoreline to the north is not an obvious natural pattern. Hence, the eastern shoreline is a good example of how human activity can disrupt a coastal system. The factors contributing and effecting sediment distribution along the eastern shoreline include: • wave processes • fluvial (river) processes • lake ice processes Of the above, wave processes are the most important as Oneida Lake has a long fetch due to its orientation parallel to the prevailing westerly winds and shallow depth. The waves influence the direction of nearshore drift and transport of shoreline sediment parallel to the shore and the resuspension and sorting of bottom sediment during periods of extended wave base, as during storms and during periods of lake level drawdown. Since 1952 periods of lake level drawdown have extended the wave base to greater areas of the bottom than under natural conditions. This leads to resuspension of the fine fraction (fine-grained sand and mud) especially after periods of ice cover that retard wave activity and allow settling of fines during the winter. Fish Creek and Oneida Creek represent the major river inputs at the eastern end of the lake (cover figure). Fish Creek is the much larger and more dynamic of the two systems and is primarily a bedload (sand) dominated system while Oneida Creek is a 5 suspended load (mud) dominated system. Since the excavation of the NY State Barge Canal delivery of the bedload (sand) to the eastern shoreline of the lake has been interrupted and today base level for Fish Creek begins at its juncture with the canal. This results in excessive sedimentation at the confluence which is remediated by the bi- annual dredging of sand from this site. As a result the normal load of sand to the wave dominated system on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake is no longer in place and the shoreline communities of Sylvan Beach and the Verona Beach State Park have had to resort to beach nourishment in the past decade to counter shoreline erosion. Erosion of the shoreline is exacerbated by continued subsidence (compaction) of the coastal plain that is not balanced by natural sediment delivery by Fish Creek. Oneida Creek is also a perturbed system as its drainage basin (Figure 1) has undergone rapid development over the last half century. Such changes in land use, paved versus vegetated or agricultural landscape influence runoff and sediment yields. Such land use changes combined with the high degree of susceptibility of the soils/bedrock within the drainage result in a system that contributes to the sediment loading problems within Oneida Lake. The toxicity of the sediment supplied by Oneida Creek is also a concern because of the industrial and intense agricultural nature of some of the drainage area. The questions we attempt to place into perspective in this report deal with the relative influence of river, storm, and coastal (wave dominated) processes on the submerged delta off of Oneida Creek. It is apparent from our investigations that the excessive build up of sediment at the mouth of Oneida Creek is the result of a combination of the processes discussed above. Restoring open access to the mouth of Oneida Creek and preventing further sediment accretion at the site is a goal to be considered. However, such a solution to the problem will be realistic only if all the components to the equation are considered, including: • altered wave base due to lake level lowering • beach nourishment and erosion at Verona Beach State Park and longshore transport of sediment toward and across the delta • sediment supply from Oneida Creek • subsidence of coastal plain in vicinity of the mouth of Oneida Creek To address these issues we conducted several lines of research and observation that are outlined and discussed in the text of this report.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Discovery Report Oneida Lake Watershed HUC 04140202 Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties, New York*
    Discovery Report Oneida Lake Watershed HUC 04140202 Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties, New York* *These counties span more than one watershed; please see the following page for a list of communities fully or partially located in the watershed. This report covers only the Oneida Lake Watershed in the State of New York. September 14, 2016 Federal Emergency Management Agency Department of Homeland Security 26 Federal Plaza New York, NY Project Area Community List This list includes all communities located fully or partially within the Oneida Lake Watershed. While all communities may be under consideration for a revised Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), not all communities will receive new/updated FEMA FISs or FIRMs as a result of this watershed Discovery project. Lewis County Oneida County (continued) Lewis, Town of * Vienna, Town of Martinsburg, Town of * Westmoreland, Town of * Montague, Town of * Western, Town of ** Osceola, Town of * Onondaga County West Turin, Town of * Cicero, Town of * Turin, Town of ** Clay, Town of * Madison County Dewitt, Town of * Canastota, Village of East Syracuse, Village of * Cazenovia, Town of * Fabius, Town of * Cazenovia, Village of Fayetteville, Village of Chittenango, Village of Lafayette, Town of * De Ruyter, Town of * Manlius, Town of * Eaton, Town of * Manlius, Village of Fenner, Town of Minoa, Village of Lenox, Town of North Syracuse, Village of * Lincoln, Town of Pompey, Town of * Munnsville, Village of Salina,
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Use and Movement of Re
    Updated Fall 2018 By Thomas E. Brooking, Cornell University Biological Field Station Richard Colesante, Oneida Lake Association Lake Sturgeon were once very abundant in the Great Lakes region and its tributaries. Historical accounts indicate commercial fishermen used to stack them like cordwood up on the bank, because they tore up their fishing nets. Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River near Albany were referred to as “Albany beef”, being loaded onto ice in railroad cars and shipped to New York City. The eggs of the sturgeon became prized as caviar, and the smoked flesh considered a delicacy. It was this popularity that soon led to their demise. These magnificent fish whose ancestors have been around for more than 200 million years were reduced to remnant populations by humans in a matter of 70 years. Why did they disappear? People overharvested sturgeon for caviar and for meat. Sturgeon are long-lived creatures, sometimes living up to 150 years old. Being long-lived, female sturgeon do not begin to spawn until they are about 17 years old, and were often harvested before they could even spawn once. People would catch a 5 foot long sturgeon and think it’s a huge fish, but that fish has not even spawned once yet. During the Industrial Revolution, construction of dams on rivers was a major contributing factor to spawning failures, and many of those dams remain in place today. Not only did dams block their spawning streams, but fish stacking up behind the dams became easy targets for overfishing. Pollution and water quality problems likely affected sturgeon in some waters, and illegal poaching for the lucrative caviar trade may have contributed as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Tug Hill Invasive Species Prevention Zone (ISPZ) SLELO-PRISM Early Detection Surveillance
    St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management 2016 Field Survey Tug Hill Invasive Species Prevention Zone (ISPZ) SLELO-PRISM Early Detection Surveillance August 9th, 10th, 11th, and 15th, 2016 Report prepared by Ashley Gingeleski and Ben Hansknecht on August 26th, 2016 Figure 1. Picture of Tug Hill ISPZ at Site 085. Photo by Ashley Gingeleski. Introduction and Background1 New York State's Tug Hill Region is a 2,100 square mile area situated between Eastern Lake Ontario and the Black River Valley, and includes lands in Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties. The largely undeveloped area includes important wetland and forested habitats, as well as an abundance of ponds and lakes. Numerous streams and rivers have their headwaters located within the Tug Hill, and Tug Hill's watersheds are important sources of clean water for Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario in addition to themselves providing high-quality aquatic and riparian habitats (Figure 1). Within the larger Tug Hill region lies the Tug Hill Core Forest, comprised of nearly 150,000 acres of nearly contiguous forested lands. This large forested tract provides a variety of recreational opportunities, and managed forestry operations on both public and privately held lands, provides employment and helps support the area's rural economy. The core forest also provides valuable habitat for a variety of game species, as well as 29 rare animals and 70 rare plant species. The Tug Hill Core Forest remains an area dominated by native species with relatively little impacts from many invasive species. Because of this, an Invasive Species Prevention Zone (ISPZ) was established to monitor and prevent the establishment of high-priority invasive species within the Tug Hill Core Forest (Figure 2).
    [Show full text]
  • East Branch of Fish Creek Conservation Easement
    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands & Forests East Branch of Fish Creek Conservation Easement RECREATION MANAGEMENT PLAN Including State Conservation Easement Lands held by; Corrigan, TLP LLC and The Nature Conservancy, Inc East Branch of Fish Creek State Forest and East Osceola State Forest Detached Forest Preserve Parcels Lewis-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, and15 County of Lewis Towns of Lewis, Martinsburg, Montague, Osceola, and West Turin May 31, 2013 Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor Joe Martens, Commissioner Robert K. Davies, State Forester For further information contact: Keith Rivers, Supervising Forester NYSDEC Division of Lands and Forests 7327 State Route 812 Lowville, NY 13367 3 4 LOCATION MAP 5 6 “Friend Bill.— I am here in this country at work with my spade, And I think it is the last place that God ever made. There is nothing in sight but hills and the trees, And the swamps where you sink in mud to your knees; ...” Taken from an untitled poem, Osceola, Lewis County, New York; June 5th 1914. 7 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... 13 PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................ 15 I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 19 A. Planning Area Overview ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Fish Creek East Branch
    wild and scenic river study november 1982 FISH CREEK EAST BRANCH NEW YORK WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY East Branch of Fish Creek New York Denver Service Center North Atlantic Region National Park Service United States Department of the Interior CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCULSIONS 1 PURPOSES OF THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT AND THE STUDY 4 STUDY BACKGROUND 5 Past Studies of the East Branch 5 Authorization of the Fish Creek Study 5 CONDUCT OF THE STUDY/PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 7 DESCRIPTION OF FISH CREEK STUDY AREA 9 Regional Setting 9 Socioeconimic Overview 9 Landownership and Use 10 Natural and Cultural Attributes 11 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 16 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility 16 Suitability for Designation 20 Trends and Potential Changes Along the East Branch 21 Conservation Through State and Local Efforts 24 APPENDIXES 35 A: Classification Criteria for Wild, Scenic, and Recreational River Areas 37 B: Additional Information on Local and State Programs and Legal Authorities 39 C: General Background Information on Resource Management and Land Use Control Techniques 55 D: Public and Agency Comments on the Study 57 REFERENCES CITED 80 STUDY PARTICIPANTS 81 iii MAPS East Branch of Fish Creek Study Area 3 Past Study Recommendations for Eligibility / Classification 6 River Segment Eligibility and Potential Classification 17 TABLES 1. Study Area Town Population 10 2. East Branch of Fish Creek - Segment Length , Eligibility, Values, and Potential Classification 18 3. Major Land Use Control Provisions for Martinsburg, West Turin, and Osceola 26 4. Major Land Use Control Provisions for Lewis and Lee 28 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The National Park Service appreciates assistance received from the staffs of the Tug Hill Commission and the Tug Hill Cooperative Planning Board during this study effort.
    [Show full text]
  • Oneida Lake Association Bulletin
    The Oneida Lake Bulletin Spring 2019 www.oneidalakeassociation.org Oneida Lake’s Sedimentation Issue and the Need for Action By: OLA Directors, Scott Shupe and Ed Mills When it rains, IT POURS! This weather scenario has become all too common in recent years resulting in negative impacts to our favorite lake, Oneida. When it rains, we see not only clouds, but cloudy water. Lake impacts include flooding, dangers from floating debris, unsightly muddy waters, loss of recreation time for lake users, loss of valuable soils from the watershed, and loss of habitat for fish, among others. Your Oneida Lake (OLA) Board of Directors is concerned about Oneida Lake’s health associated with the sedimentation issue and its impacts on the lake. We are now sounding alarm bells to stimulate action. Historically, the issue of sediments flowing into Oneida Lake has not received the attention it deserves from policy makers. After all, Oneida Lake is the largest inland lake in New York State and is a hub of recre- ational and tourist activity for all of Central New York. Regional and local land use planning is a relatively recent practice. Many towns did Eroded stream banks of Butternut Creek, choked with not have, until the 1960s, zoning and building codes. On the interna- fallen trees. tional level, the United States and Canada passed the Great Lakes Water Quality Act in 1972 to improve water quality of the Great Lakes through such as storm water and overland runoff. Since then the phosphorus reductions. Since Oneida Lake is in the Great Lakes basin, loss of precious soils from the Oneida Lake watershed sewage treatment plants in the Oneida Lake watershed were upgraded, has not received the attention it deserves despite the fact leading to improved water quality.
    [Show full text]
  • New York's 2018 Lake Ontario Fisheries Program Highlights (PDF)
    Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Fisheries Unit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/27068.html New York’s 2018 Lake Ontario Fisheries Program Highlights The following information summary is preliminary and selective. Comprehensive, final results will be reported in the “2018 Annual Report of the Bureau of Fisheries Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee,” which will be posted at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/27068.html in spring 2019. Results reported below were generated through collaborative fisheries and ecosystem monitoring and research programs conducted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), US Geological Survey (USGS), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and academic partners. For more information, contact: NYSDEC Lake Ontario Unit P.O. Box 292 Cape Vincent, NY 13618 (315) 654-2147 or [email protected] Sport fishery Assessments Open Lake Fishing Boat Survey Overall fishing quality for trout and salmon was good to excellent in 2018. The four most sought-after species are Chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, and coho salmon, and regulations allow a daily harvest limit of “3 in any combination” of these four species. In 2018, charter boat fishing quality (catch rate = number of fish caught per hour of angling) for these four species combined increased 25% from 2017 to the highest level on record (Figure 1), mostly due to record high Chinook catch rates and good brown trout fishing. Chinook salmon fishing quality among charter boats has been excellent from 2003-2018.
    [Show full text]
  • Archaeological Sites of Saratoga Lake, Fish Creek, and Vicinity
    Place of the Swift Waters: A History of the First People of the Saratoga Lake Watershed Jenna Gersie ’10 and Claire Malone Matson ’10 ES375: Case Studies in Environmental Sustainability Professors Karen Kellogg and Josh Ness May 7, 2010 1 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………2 Preface…..............................................................................................................................2 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………....7 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..9 Food Resources…………………………………………………………………………..21 Trade, Travel, and Warfare.……………………………………………………………...31 The Springs………………………………………………………………………………38 Spirituality and Culture…………………………………………………………………..46 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...……..53 Afterword………………………………………………………………………………...55 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………...58 2 Abstract We examined a history of the native people of the Saratoga Lake Watershed, beginning with archaeological evidence from 12,000 years ago and focusing on the time surrounding early European contact. Though many New England tribes such as the Mahican used the lands in this area, we explored the ways that the Mohawk people in particular related to water in terms of food resources, including fishing, hunting, and agriculture; travel, trade, and warfare along the area's waterways; the medicinal springs of Saratoga; spirituality and culture; and current water-use issues. Preface Joseph Bruchac, a Native American local of the Saratoga region, introduces a book of Native American stories by describing the relationships native peoples of North America have with the Earth. “The Earth is not something to be bought and sold, something to be used and mistreated,” he writes. “It is, quite simply, the source of our lives—our Mother” (Caduto and Bruchac 1991). He continues to explain the role of native people on the Earth as entrusted with a mission to maintain the natural balance of the Earth. In Native American philosophy, life is seen as a great circle in which each person is related to everyone and everything.
    [Show full text]
  • Section 4. Tributaries. II-70
    Section 4. Tributaries 4.1 Subwatershed Descriptions The Oneida Lake watershed is composed of seven primary subwatersheds that drain groundwater and surface water from a six county region directly to the Lake (Map 2.4.1 – Subwatersheds). A general description of the following subwatersheds is presented in this chapter: the Oneida Creek subwatershed (extending throughout portions of Madison and Oneida Counties), the Cowaselon Creek subwatershed (located entirely within Madison County), the Chittenango Creek subwatershed (a portion of which borders Onondaga and Madison Counties), the Limestone/Butternut Creeks subwatershed (that flows through Onondaga County), the Wood Creek subwatershed (presented here in two sections – Wood Creek North and Wood Creek South) that flows through Oneida County, and the Fish Creek subwatershed (divided into the East Branch, West Branch, and Lower Fish Creek), spanning portions of Oneida, Lewis, and Oswego Counties. The section describing the Oneida Lake North Shore subwatershed refers to an area in Oneida and Oswego Counties along the north shore that drains directly into Oneida Lake. Each of the subwatershed sections contains information about geography, land use, and soils. Additional information is presented on existing programs and, when available, additional sources of information. This information was compiled to help the reader understand the natural features and local issues that influence water quality in Oneida Lake and its tributaries. 4.1.1 Chittenango Creek Subwatershed The Chittenango Creek subwatershed can be further divided into the following hydrologic units: -- Upper Chittenango Creek -- Lower Chittenango Creek Geography The headwaters of Chittenango Creek are located in the Madison County Town of Nelson at the Erieville Reservoir (also known as Tuscarora Lake).
    [Show full text]
  • Freshwater Fishing Regulation Guide
    NEW YORK STATE FRESHWATER FISHING REGULATIONS GUIDE Regulations in efect April 1, 2021 Department of Environmental Conservation New York State has about 300 Complaints are forwarded to an ECO Environmental Conservation Ofcers for investigation. The more detailed (ECOs) and Investigators (ECIs) who work information you provide, the more likely throughout the state, including New the violator will be apprehended. Try to York City. ECOs spend most of their time remember the “who, what, where, when, patrolling within their assigned county. and how" of the event. The assistance of the public is essential • Keep a distance from the violator. Do to the efective enforcement of state not approach or attempt to confront environmental laws and regulations. If you suspects. They may be dangerous, observe someone violating Environmental destroy evidence, or simply evade Conservation Law or see the results of ofcers if forewarned. a violation, REPORT IT! Poachers and • Who did it? Provide names, ages, sex, polluters are thieves, stealing from you, height, weight, clothing or vehicle our fellow anglers, and future generations. descriptions, and other details. Those who pollute our air or water, destroy • What occurred? What exactly do you our environment, or ignore fsh and wildlife think is the nature of the violation? laws are criminals. Examples — taking over limit of fsh, Contact an Environmental snagging, illegal netting, fshing out of season, trespassing. Conservation Police Ofcer • When did it occur? Provide dates and (ECO) times. Is it still in progress, ongoing, or For general questions, call 1-877-457-5680. something yet to happen? Examples— You will speak with a dispatcher who will happening right now, happens every Fri assist you or connect you to an ECO.
    [Show full text]
  • Lake Sturgeon Recovery Plan 2018-2024
    LAKE STURGEON RECOVERY PLAN 2018-2024 January 31, 2018 www.dec.ny.gov New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Basil Seggos, Commissioner Kathy Moser, Deputy Commissioner for Natural Resources Tony Wilkinson, Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife Doug Stang, Assistant Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife Steve Hurst, Chief, Bureau of Fisheries Mission of the Bureau of Fisheries Conserve and enhance New York State’s abundant and diverse population of freshwater fishes while providing the public with quality recreational angling opportunities. i Acknowledgements This plan was prepared by Lisa Holst, Rare Fish Unit Leader, NYSDEC, Albany, and Emily Zollweg-Horan, Aquatic Biologist, NYSDEC Bureau of Fisheries, Cortland. This plan could not have been written without extensive input and support from the New York State Lake Sturgeon Working Group: Doug Carlson, Region 6 Fisheries Biologist, NYSDEC, Watertown Rodger Klindt, Region 6 Fisheries Biologist, NYSDEC, Watertown Frank Flack, Region 6 Fisheries Manager, NYSDEC, Watertown Web Pearsall, Region 8 Fisheries Manager, NYSDEC, Avon Michael Clancy, Region 9 Fisheries Manager, NYSDEC, Allegheny Don Einhouse, Lake Erie Fisheries Unit Leader, NYSDEC, Dunkirk Chris LeGard, Lake Ontario Fisheries Unit Leader, NYSDEC, Cape Vincent Bill Evans, Manager, Oneida Fish Hatchery, NYSDEC, Constantia Phil Hulbert, Chief, Bureau of Fisheries, Retired Randy Jackson, Research Scientist, Cornell University, Cornell Biological Field Station Tom Brooking, Cornell University, Cornell Biological
    [Show full text]
  • The History of the Atlantic Salmon in Lake Ontario John R
    The history of the Atlantic Salmon in Lake Ontario John R. Dymond,1 Hugh H. MacKay,2 Mary E. Burridge,3* Erling Holm,3 and Phillip W. Bird4 1Royal Ontario Museum (died 1965); 2Ontario Department of Lands & Forests (retired 1963); 3Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto Ontario M5S 2C6; 4Credit Valley Conservation, 1255 Old Derry Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 6R4 Ã Corresponding author: [email protected] The history of the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), also referred to as Salmon below, in Lake Ontario is an accumulation of authentic published accounts, which were almost completed by J. R. Dymond before his death. H. H. MacKay completed the work on Dymond’s behalf (Dymond and MacKay, unpublished, 1966), but it remained largely unknown. The present authors (MEB, EH, PWB) have sought to present an updated subset of Dymond and MacKay’s work as the history of Lake Ontario Salmon is a crucial story in the history of the Great Lakes and its fisheries. The information provided should add materially to the knowledge of the causes that led to the decline and ultimate extirpation of a fascinating and valuable fish, notwithstanding all the efforts that were made to restore it by artificial means. Keywords: fisheries, life history, over-fishing, mill dams, deforestation, Alewife How freshwater evidence that Lake Ontario was confluent with the Champlain Sea, but isostatic rebound and eastward populations originate forcing of freshwater, facilitated by glacial melt- water input to Lake Ontario, likely prevented salt- The Atlantic Salmon did not arise in Lake water invasion. Hladyniuk and Longstaffe (2016) Ontario because it was prevented from going to found no evidence that the western end of Lake sea; it was not a landlocked population until the Ontario was at any time marine.
    [Show full text]