Seneca Lakes Limnological Health

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Seneca Lakes Limnological Health TrendsAn
Interpretation of 15 Years of Monitoring Data

• John D HalfmanEnvironmental Studies
  ProgramDepartment of GeoscienceFinger Lakes
  Institute

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Finger Lakes InstituteMission

• Environmental Research Education
• Finger Lakes Institute is dedicated to the
  promotion of environmental research and education
  about the Finger Lakes and surrounding
  environments.
• Environmentally-Sound Development
• In collaboration with regional environmental
  partners and state and local government offices,
  the Institute fosters "environmentally-sound"
  development practices throughout the region and
  disseminates the accumulated knowledge to the
  general public.
• Research, Dissemination, Community Outreach,
  K-12 Education Regional Planning
• Web site http//FLI.hws.edu/

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Background Information

• Finger Lakes Importance
• Tourism
• Agriculture
• Wineries
• Class AA Drinking Water
• Seneca Lake
• 100,000 Residents
• Skaneateles Otisco
• Syracuse
• Hemlock Canadice
• Rochester

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My Research FocusWatershed ?? Lake
InteractionsImpact of Land Use Bedrock Geology
Bedrock
Land Use
Limestone vs. Shales SandstonesSedimentary
Rocks
Forested vs. AgriculturalLandscapes
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Water Quality Concerns

• Runoff
• Human Wastes
• Municipal Wastewater
• On-Site Septic Systems
• Animal Agriculture CAFO Operations
• Steroids Antibiotics
• Animal Waste
• Plant Agriculture
• Fertilizers, Pesticides
• Soil Erosion

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Seneca Lake The Largest Finger Lake
Data from Mullins et al., 1996
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Seneca Lake WatershedLand Use, Subwatersheds
Bedrock Geology
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Watershed/Runoff Connection Atrazine Runoff
Source(s)?
Seneca Lake Watershed
Cory McSweeney (WS99) Environmental FirmSandy
Baldwin (WS02), Wood Hole Oceanographic
Support US EPA
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Stream Segment AnalysisHog Farming Big Stream
NY Times
Lindsey Bowser (WS02), U Virginia PhD
ProgramSupport Tripp Foundation
Enger and Smith, 2006
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Source Segment Analysis
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Nutrient LoadingSeneca Watershed
Hog Farms
Wastewater Effluent
119197145
Agriculture
Agriculture
Annual Average Dissolved Phosphate (SRP)
Concentrations
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Limnological Health?Nutrient Cycle
Streams, Rain
Plankton
Dissolved Nutrients
Outlet
Fish (Lake Trout) Other Organisms
Bacterial Decomposition
Dead Organics
Sediments
Bottom Up Approach
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Human ImpactNutrient Cycle
Agricultural FertilizersAnimal
FeedlotsWastewater NutrientsOn-Site Systems
Algae ScumWeeds
Plankton
Streams, Rain
Dissolved Nutrients
Outlet
EutrophicationAnoxia?
Fish (Lake Trout) Other Organisms
Bacterial Decomposition
Bottom Up Approach
Dead Organics
Organic Matter
Sediments
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Changes Lakes Do Change Spring Summer Fall
Seasons
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Change on Longer Time ScalesSeneca Lake Secchi
Disk Data
Box Whiskers Plot Box 25, 50 and 75
percentiles
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Exotics Zebra Quagga Mussels

• Zebra Quagga Mussels
• Dreissena polymorpha
• First Invader
• Dreissena bugensis
• Bigger - Better - Deeper
• Invaded North America
• Suitable Habitat
• -2 to 40?C Water
• Origins
• Eastern Europe
• Migrated through Western Europe (1830)
• Parallel Increase Commerce

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Zebra Quagga MusselsImpact on Nutrient Cycle
Plankton
Dissolved Nutrients
Zebra Quaggas
Fish (Lake Trout) Other Organisms
Bacterial Decomposition
Dead Organics
Pre-Zebras
Chlorophyll Nutrient Data
Post Zebras
Death 1st Wave
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Nutrient Loading?
Zebra Introduced
Zebra Die Off
Zebra Quagga Rebound
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Nutrient Loading?Eurasian Milfoil?
Zebra Introduced
Zebra Die Off
Zebra Quagga Rebound
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Are Zebra Quagga Mussels A Good Thing?
Invasive zooplanktonTop Down Impact
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Finger LakeComparisons
JB Snow Foundation
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Algae (TSS, Secchi)
Algae (Chlorophyll-a)Bacteria (Total Coliform
E. coli)Nutrients (Phosphates,
Nitrates)Suspended Sediments (TSS)Water Clarity
(Secchi disk)
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PhosphatesTotal Suspended Sediments
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Water Quality Its Protection
Algae (Chlorophyll-a) Bacteria (Total Coliform
E. coli)Nutrients (Phosphates,
Nitrates)Suspended Sediments (TSS)Water Clarity
(Secchi disk)
Worst ?
? Best
Worst ?
? Best
Bush, 2006, Honors Thesis
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Additional ChangesChloride Sodium Ions
Sukeforth, 2006
Jolly, 2005, 2006
Road Salt
Road Salt and ??
Road Salt
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Thanks - Questions? John Halfman, HWS email
halfman_at_hws.edu