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)

4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012

pH

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012

Alim (umol/L)

20 40 60 80 10/3/1954 12/20/1962 3/8/1971 5/25/1979 8/11/1987 10/28/1995 1/14/2004 4/1/2012

SO-4 (umol/L)

Honnedaga Lake Summer Surface Water : 1959 to 2010

Honnedaga Lake Summer Surface Water : 1980 to 2010

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009

DOC (umol/L)

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009

Chla (ug/L)

5 10 15 20 25 30 8/28/1976 2/18/1982 8/11/1987 1/31/1993 7/24/1998 1/14/2004 7/6/2009

Secchi Depth (m)

DOC Secchi Depth Chla

Fall Trapnet Surveys

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

CPUE (n/night)

Fall Trapnet CPUE of Brook Trout

No Trap Net Surveys

5 10 15 20 25 30

1970s 2000s

CPUE (n/night)

Mean pH < 5.0 Mean pH > 5.0

pH in Honnedaga Lake Tributaries

Stream Electro-Fishing Surveys

50 100 150 200 250 Inorganic Monomeric Aluminum (microgra YOY Brook Trout Presence (Y/N) N Y P < 0.05 R

2

= 0.65

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 50 100 150 200 250

YOY Brook Trout CPUE (number / m

2)

Temperature A l

i m

( m i c r

• g

r a m s / L )

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 50 100 150 200 250

YOY Brook Trout CPUE (number / m

2)

Temperature A l

i m

( m i c r

• g

r a m s / L )

Presence / Absence Density

Young-of-Year Brook Trout and Alim in Tributaries

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

Leaf Breakdown Assessment

Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic

Chronically Acidic Episodically Acidic

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

Current Status of the Honnedaga Lake Ecosystem

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.'

4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 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

0.0 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 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 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

pH ANC (ueq/L) Alim (umol/L)

Tributary 16

Chronically Acidified Tributaries

4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010

• 40
• 20

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 1/22/2010 3/13/2010 5/2/2010 6/21/2010 8/10/2010 9/29/2010 11/18/2010 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 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

pH ANC (ueq/L) Alim (umol/L)

Episodically Acidified Tributaries

Tributary 8

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, Alim) 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, Alim) 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”