Paleolimnology of Onondaga Lake: the History of Anthropogenic Impacts on Water Quality

Rowell, H. Chandler

doi:10.1080/07438149609353995

Cited by 65 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The lake flushes about four times per year on average, and thus responds rapidly to changes in material loading [15]. While the lake was oligomesotrophic in the late 19 th century [16], subsequent inputs of industrial and domestic wastes caused severe degradation [17]. By the late 1980s Onondaga Lake was described as the most polluted lake in the United States [18].…”

Section: Onondaga Lakementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Offshore Wastewater Outfall and Diffuser for Onondaga Lake, NY

Owens¹,

Effler²,

Matthews³

et al. 2013

JWARP

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Outfall alternatives are evaluated for a municipal wastewater treatment facility that discharges effluent at the shoreline of an urban lake. Occurrence of plumes of poorly diluted effluent in adjoining portions of the lake is described. Alternatives considered include outfalls over a range of depth and various diffuser designs. Benefits and impacts on lake stratification and dissolved oxygen are evaluated for an array of design alternatives with a model which links a far field hydrothermal and transport submodel with a near field buoyant plume submodel. Outfall design features are described that: 1) reduce shoreline discharge of bypass flow of partially treated wastewater during major runoff events; 2) eliminate plumes of poorly diluted effluent; and 3) reduce loading of the effluent to the upper waters. A deep (10 to 14 m) outfall with a multiport diffuser would reduce the loading of the facility's effluent to the upper waters by approximately 40%, without noteworthy impact on stratification or dissolved oxygen.

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Section: Onondaga Lakementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Offshore Wastewater Outfall and Diffuser for Onondaga Lake, NY

Owens¹,

Effler²,

Matthews³

et al. 2013

JWARP

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“…Before European settlement in the late 1700s, Onondaga Lake was oligo-mesotrophic (Rowell 1996). The lake has been severely degraded because of inputs of domestic and industrial wastes that accompanied development and urbanization in the watershed .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term changes in the areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit (AHOD) of Onondaga Lake: Evidence of sediment feedback

Matthews

Effler

2006

Limnology & Oceanography

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Long-term trends in the rate of depletion of hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen (DO) are documented for ionically enriched hypereutrophic Onondaga Lake, New York, for the 1978-2002 interval. Depletion rates, represented as areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficits (AHOD, g m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1), are calculated on the basis of weekly DO profiles of 1-m resolution and estimates of coincident inputs of DO from overlying layers driven by vertical mixing. Vertical mixing inputs of DO are important in this system, representing from 15% to 37% (mean 25%) of AHOD. Interannual variations in hypolimnetic temperatures have comparatively minor (Ϯ6%) effects on AHOD. AHOD decreased 49%, from an average of 2.12 g m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1 for the 1978-1986 interval, to an average of 1.08 g m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1 for the 1997-2002 interval. This decrease was driven by an abrupt decrease in the deposition of particulate organic carbon into the hypolimnion starting in 1987. The magnitude of the decrease in AHOD closes reasonably well with decreases in both primary production in the trophogenic zone and organic carbon deposition to the tropholytic zone. The time course of the decrease in AHOD is consistent with localization of oxygen-demanding processes within the lake sediments, reflecting the progression of sediment diagenesis.

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“…Diatom stratigraphy indicates that Onondaga Lake was oligo-mesotrophic prior to European settlement in the late 1700s (Rowell 1996). The lake supported a coldwater fishery through the late 1800s (Atlantic salmon and whitefish; Tango and Ringler 1996).…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%