This is the abstract volume of the 11th Mohawk Watershed Symposium. Over the years this Symposium has taken on an important role in unifying and galvanizing stakeholders in the Basin. A coalition of concerned and invested stakeholders allows us as a group to tackle important issues that affect water quality, recreation opportunities, flood mitigation, and other basin-wide issues. This was a big year in the watershed with a number of important developments that centered on floods, dams, water quality, and stewardship.
With another ice jam on the lower Mohawk River this winter, we were again reminded of the susceptibility of low-lying communities to flooding. A new initiative from the State seeks to get to the root cause of how, why, and where ice jams form, and perhaps what can be done about this hazard. Meanwhile the City of Schenectady has embarked on an ambitious plan to mitigate flooding in Stockade, the first historic district in the State of New York.
A key to watershed management is our water infrastructure. The primary components of concern are dams and sewage systems and to a lesser extent transportation networks. Dams in the Watershed are used mainly for drinking water, canal supply, and hydropower. The Watershed has nearly 100 NYS Class C and Class B (high-hazard and intermediate-hazard ) dams, and hundreds of smaller Class C and D dams. We have a number of dams that are critical for drinking water, and the Gilboa Dam on the upper Schoharie Creek is a wonderful example: the recent major rehabilitation of the Gilboa dam resulted not only in dam strengthening and hazard reduction, but also provided changes that include a low-level outlet that can be used for conservation releases to sustain the downstream ecosystem in the summer.
For dams that generate hydropower, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues licenses based on power generation, energy conservation, protection of fish and wildlife, preservation of recreational uses, and general environmental quality. As a result, the FERC review process can force significant environmental review of the ways in which dams integrate into the local ecosystem. Thus when dams come up for review, stakeholders have an important responsibility to get involved and have their voices heard. FERC reviews of the Blenheim-Gilboa Dam (on the Schoharie Creek) and the West Canada Creek Hydroelectric Project (on the West Canada Creek) have recently generated intense interest by local stakeholders. Some of the focus has been on not only how the dams are integrated into the ecosystem, but also how they are integrated into the fabric of local communities.
Some dams have outlived their utility, and these dams should be removed both for the benefit of the local ecosystem and for the safety of those living downstream. Given the industrial heritage in the Mohawk Valley, it is not surprising that there are a number of abandoned dams that no longer serve their original functions. We know that dam removal can have tremendous positive impact on fish passage and the local ecology, but we also know that removal can be an expensive and involved process. Facilitation of fish passage is a primary driver in dam removal, although we have learned that it inevitably results in passage both by species that belong in this watershed and by invasive species, illustrating the point that some barriers are useful.
Water quality remains a central issue in the Watershed. For a healthy and vibrant ecosystem we need clean water. We know that locally our waterways are impaired, and the indicators include pathogens and plastics. We now understand the health of our waters from hundreds of measurements taken across the watershed by students, educators, and dedicated professionals from SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY IT Polytechnic in Utica, Union, Cornell, Schoharie River Center, Riverkeeper, DEC, USGS, and others who have been addressing water quality through research. These critical measurements include quantifying the distribution, source, and fate of environmental contaminants including fecal bacterial, microplastics, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other compounds that affect water quality.
Stewardship and education are a critical piece of effective watershed management. Stakeholder meetings like the Mohawk Watershed Symposium, and local water advocates (including West Canada Creek Alliance, Riverkeeper, and Dam Concerned Citizens) play a key role in identifying problems, educating the public, and effecting change where it is most needed. Youth education programs centered on water quality and ecosystem health, such as the Environmental Study Teams at both the Schoharie River Center and Fort Plain High School, insure that all our waterways pass into the hands of the next generation of active, engaged, and knowledgeable stewards.
The Mohawk River Basin has a new Action Agenda and Watershed management plan. In 2009 the first plan was developed by NYS DEC and partners, and the new five-year plan (2018-2022) was completed at the end of last year (2018) and will be released here at the Symposium. The overall goal is consistent with the whole-Hudson approach of a swimmable, fishable, resilient watershed. There are four main goals of the plan: 1) Improve water quality; 2) improve fisheries and wildlife habitat; 3) reduce flood risk and build resilient communities; and 4) create and foster stewardship opportunities. This is our new plan, and you, as a stakeholder, should be part of making it successful.
Our keynote speaker is Hon. Rep. Antonio Delgado, a native of Schenectady, who represents the 19th Congressional District. The 19th District is one of the largest in New York State, and it includes a wide swath of the Catskills, including the Schoharie Creek, part of the Mohawk, and a large section of the Hudson from the Capital District south to Poughkeepsie. In the short time he has been in Congress Rep. Delgado has demonstrated a commitment to our water infrastructure. He is founding member of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, and he is a co-sponsor of the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability Act (WATER Act) of 2019. He serves on the House Agriculture Committee, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Small business Committee.
This year’s meeting features 30 presentations that cover a wide range of topics. We hope that the selection of talks and posters will shape the discussion and continue the conversation about issues within the basin. By the end of the day, the Mohawk Watershed Symposium series will have been the forum for 340 talks, posters, and special presentations since its inception in 2009. Thank you to all who have participated.
New York City water supply and infrastructure upgrades at Schoharie Reservoir
A. Bosch p. 1
The New York State Mesonet: Providing real-time, high-quality environmental information across the Mohawk watershed
J. Brotzge, C. Thorncraft, J. Wang p. 3
Toward improved community resiliency: Developing and assessing ice jam and flood mitigation measures along the Mohawk River
M. Carabetta, J. MacBroom, J. Gouin, R. Schiff, B. Cote p.5
Characterization of disinfection by-product formation potential in Mohawk River source waters to support TMDL implementation
A. Conine, M. Schnore, Z. Smith, G. Lemly, C. Stoll, A.J. Smith p. 6
The Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2019-2023: A Five-Year Plan for a Swimmable, Fishable Mohawk
K. Czajkowski p. 7
Hogansburg Dam decommission and removal: Removal of first impassible barrier restores connection between St. Regis and St. Lawrence Watersheds
A. David p. 9
Fort Plain Waterways: Stories of then and now in an Erie Canal town
L. Elliott, C. Herron, G. Hoffman, W. MaGinnis, S. Paradiso, S. Rogers 10
The 2019 mid-winter ice jam event on the lower Mohawk River, New York
J.I. Garver p. 11
Expansion of Invasive Round Goby in the Mohawk River-Barge Canal System
S. D. George, B.P. Baldigo, C.B. Rees, M.L. Bartron p. 17
Nature-induced and human-instigated water deprivation sparks conflict in the Middle East
A. Ghaly p. 18
Oroville Dam's main and emergency spillways: two near-miss disasters
A. Ghaly p. 19
Identification of a point source for plastic pollution in upstate New York: a case study of Mayfield Lake
K.N. Hemsley, L.G. English, C Cherizard, D.J. Carlson, J. McKeeby, S. Hadam, E. McHale p. 20
Stockade Resilience: Feasibility analysis of flood mitigation alternatives and design of mitigation measures to protect Schenectady’s Stockade Neighborhood
M. Irwin p. 27
A four-year series of snap-shots: Data and observations from a Mohawk River water quality project as it enters Year Five of a longitudinal study
N.A. Law, B.L. Brabetz, L.M. Wanits, L. Cao, S. Rogers, C. Rodak, J. Epstein, J. Lipscomb, D. Shapley p. 33
Aquatic invasive species in the Mohawk River Watershed: the devil is in the details
C. McGlynn p. 34
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary: Recreational Boating Safety in the Mohawk Watershed
D. Miller p. 35
The impact of alternative preservation methods and storage times on the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water
M. Miller, L. Piccirillo, A. Verheyden, D. Gillian p 36
The importance of the West Canada Creek and FERC re-licensing for the WCC hydroelectric projects
B. Nador p. 37
Overview of the Schoharie Creek Watershed flood mitigation study
P. Nichols p. 41
Observations on dissolved and total metal concentrations in the Mohawk River in Utica and Rome, NY
C. Rodak and N. Diers p. 42
Phosphorus monitoring prioritization in Mohawk River basin sub-watersheds using LENS
M. Schnore, A.J. Smith, B. Duffy, K. Stainbrook, C. Stoll, Z. Smith p. 43
What's up with the Mohawk Delta? Insights from community water quality monitoring at the mouth of the river
D. Shapley, J. Lipscomb, J. Epstein, S. Pillitteri, B. Brabetz, N.A. Law, A. Juhl, C. Knudson, G. O’Mullan, C. Rodak p. 45
Confirming the presence of microplastics in Capital Region fish using a novel no-kill abdomen massage
A. Shimkus, J.A. Smith p. 48
Extreme rainfall, high water, and elevated microplastic concentration in the Hans Groot Kill: implications for the Mohawk River
J.A. Smith, E. Caruso, N. Wright p. 53
Reconnecting waters for eels and river herring: towards resilience building approaches for dam removal action in the Hudson River watershed
K. Smith, A.M. Feldpausch-Parker, K.E. Limburg p 59
Innovative approach to deliver a $300 million treatment plant upgrade for Oneida County, New York
J. Story, R. Ganley, S Devan p. 60
Characterization of carbon export in Upstate New York: initial geochemical characterization of six rivers
J. Wassik, J. Gehring, C. Horan, M. Stahl p. 65
Baseline monitoring of physical parameters and Enterococci levels in the Hans Groot Kill, Schenectady, NY
E. Willard-Bauer, J.A. Smith, J.I. Garver p. 69
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