Honnedaga Lake Watershed Liming Project Dan Josephson, Cliff Kraft - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Honnedaga Lake Watershed Liming Project Dan Josephson, Cliff Kraft – Cornell University Greg Lawrence, Barry Baldigo, Jay Siemion – US Geological Survey Randy Fuller – Colgate University

Honnedaga Lake Surface Area : 312 ha (770 acres) Max Depth : 56 m (183 feet) Elevation : 701 m (2300 feet)

Honnedaga Lake Summer Surface Water : 1959 to 2010 80 SO-4 (umol/L) 60 40 20 0 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012 6.5 6.0 pH 5.5 5.0 4.5 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012 14 12 Al im (umol/L) 10 8 6 4 2 0 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012

Honnedaga Lake Summer Surface Water : 1980 to 2010 140 DOC 120 DOC (umol/L) 100 80 60 40 20 0 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009 1.0 0.8 Chla (ug/L) Chla 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009 30 Secchi Depth Secchi Depth (m) 25 20 15 10 5 0 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009

Fall Trapnet Surveys

Fall Trapnet CPUE of Brook Trout 140 30 120 25 CPUE (n/night) 20 100 15 CPUE (n/night) 10 80 5 0 60 1970s 2000s 40 20 0 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 No Trap Net Surveys

pH in Honnedaga Lake Tributaries Mean pH < 5.0 Mean pH > 5.0

Stream Electro-Fishing Surveys

Young-of-Year Brook Trout and Al im in Tributaries Presence / Absence Density YOY Brook Trout Presence (Y/N) Y P < 0.05 2 R = 0.65 0.7 0.7 2 ) 2 ) YOY Brook Trout CPUE (number / m YOY Brook Trout CPUE (number / m 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 N 0.4 0.4 0 50 100 150 200 250 24 24 Inorganic Monomeric Aluminum (microgra 0.3 0.3 22 22 Temperature Temperature 20 20 0.2 0.2 18 18 0.1 0.1 16 16 14 14 0.0 0.0 0 0 50 50 100 100 150 150 12 12 200 200 250 250 A A l l ( ( m m i i c c r r o o g g r r a a m m s s i i m m / / L L ) )

Leaf Breakdown Assessment 3 g Leaf Packs Composed of Acer rubrum (Red Maple) Leaves

Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic

Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic

Current Status of the Honnedaga Lake Ecosystem Since 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act Modest chemical and brook trout population recovery within Honnedaga Lake – reflective of an acid impaired ecosystem Chronic acidification of numerous groundwater influenced tributaries / catchments within the watershed The acid impaired state of tributaries likely limits young-of-year and consequently adult brook trout abundance – as well as invertebrate community diversity Honnedaga Lake remains an acid impaired ecosystem with low probability of recovery in chronically acidified tributaries / catchments

Tributary Watershed Liming Design and Rationale Selective in-stream and watershed lime applications to restore habitat for spawning and young-of-year brook trout, macroinvertebrates and forests

Honnedaga Lake Tributaries Proposed design for the Honnedaga Lake tributary and watershed liming project: Chronically Acidified Tributaries •T24 (control – no lime) •T15 (instream liming) •T16 (watershed liming) Episodically Acidified Tributaries •T9 (control – no lime) •T6 (instream liming) •T8 (watershed liming)

- Episodically Acidified/ Near Chronic - Chronically Acidified Tributaries I I Episodically Acidified Tributaries 7 J ./ / _k _,_ r.'

Chronically Acidified Tributaries Tributary 16 6.0 5.5 pH 5.0 4.5 4.0 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010 40.0 20.0 ANC 0.0 (ueq/L) -20.0 -40.0 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010 15.0 10.0 Al im (umol/L) 5.0 0.0 3/3/2010 3/23/2010 4/12/2010 5/2/2010 5/22/2010 6/11/2010 7/1/2010 7/21/2010 8/10/2010

Episodically Acidified Tributaries Tributary 8 6.5 6.0 pH 5.5 5.0 4.5 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010 140 120 100 80 ANC 60 (ueq/L) 40 20 0 -20 -40 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010 5.0 4.0 Al im 3.0 2.0 (umol/L) 1.0 0.0 3/3/2010 3/23/2010 4/12/2010 5/2/2010 5/22/2010 6/11/2010 7/1/2010 7/21/2010 8/10/2010

Chronically Acidified Tributaries • T24 (control – no lime) • T15 (in-stream liming) • T16 (watershed liming) Episodically Acidified Tributaries • T9 (control – no lime) • T6 (in-stream liming) • T8 (watershed liming)

Proposed Liming Schedule In-Stream Lime Applications Annual applications in June (2012, 2013, 2014) West Virginia and Clayton Formulas High calcium sand limestone T6 (11 tons/yr), T15 (0.5 tons/yr) Watershed Lime Application One time application (tentative 2012) Aerial application of pelletized lime Amount to be determined for T16 and T8

Tributary Monitoring Program: Pre-Lime and Post-Lime Application • Tributary Chemistry and Flow (stream gages, automated water samplers) • Brook Trout Populations (back pack electro- fishing, redd surveys) • Macroinvertebrate Populations • Leaf Litter Decomposition • Forest and Soils

Tributary Chemistry and Flow (Stream Gages, Automated Water Samplers)

Anticipated Outcomes from Lime Applications In-Stream Lime Applications Improved stream chemistry ( pH, ANC, Al im ) Increased presence and density of YOY brook trout Increased presence / diversity of macro-invertebrates Increased leaf litter decomposition rates Watershed Lime Application Improved stream chemistry ( pH, ANC, Al im ) Increased presence and density of YOY brook trout Increased presence / diversity of macro-invertebrates Increased leaf litter decomposition rates Improved soil chemistry and forest “health”