Friday, November 10, 2017

Beartrap Creek


Izaak Walton CNY Chapter Releases Final Report
on G.L.R.I. Habitat Restoration Projects
(January, 2017)

            In 2010, the Central New York Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America partnered with the national IWLA to receive an $118,000 grant from the USEPA under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (G.L.R.I.) grant program.   Titled “Restoring Degraded Tributaries of Onondaga Lake”, the project was aimed at undertaking restoration measures in several habitat degraded tributaries of Onondaga Lake – namely Beartrap Creek in the Town of Salina, Baltimore Brook in Marcellus, and Ley Creek in the Town of DeWitt.

            Habitat restoration work in Beartrap Creek and Baltimore Brook was undertaken in the years 2011 to 2014, while the most recent project on the South Branch of Ley Creek was completed this past October.   Our principal partners in the overall G.L.R.I. grant elements were the Izaak Walton League’s national office in Gaithersburg, MD, and in Central New York, the CNY Chapter’s Project Watershed Program, the Onondaga Environmental Institute, the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Nine Mile Creek Conservation Council, and our consulting engineer firm of Natural Systems Engineering. 

            The Central New York Chapter received substantial volunteer help with stream water quality data collection, with placement of stone cobbles in several locations along Beartrap Creek, the stocking of brown trout, and with staff and volunteer help from the Baltimore Woods Nature Center.  A final report on the G.L.R.I. project, covering the habitat restoration initiatives completed between 2010 to 2016, was sent to the Izaak Walton League and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in late December.

            The final report includes the principal reports prepared for each of the three Onondaga Lake tributaries, arranged by date and year of completion.  The reports include maps and photographs of the three project sites, descriptions of the identified habitat issues, information on the habitat work undertaken, and the water quality and fisheries data relevant to each of the project sites. 

To Review a Powerpoint of the Project click here  Beartrap powerpoint 

Monday, June 12, 2017

road salt

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4278575-miller-creek-still-too-warm-trout

Friday, June 9, 2017

Nature Conservancy and Water

The Nature Conservancy summer 2017 has a report how people are adapting and managing their water supplies.  From the magazine:

Nature Conservancy scientists are helping people and nature thrive together in river systems that have been hit harder than almost any other ecosystem on Earth. Also in this issue: water markets in Australia, cities invest in conservation upstream and an insightful article by Giulio Boccaletti.

Read more 


Saturday, April 22, 2017

Project Watershed 2017 Stream Monitoring Schedule.

Project Watershed (CNY IWLA) - Proposed Stream Monitoring Schedule 

This is a preliminary schedule, subject to modification.  Listed for each stream survey date is a first target date and a second backup date in case of high waters or inclement weather.

Listed below are the proposed times for monitoring each of the identified stream sites (open to change):  Beartrap Creek, Butternut Creek, Nine Mile Creek and Onondaga Creek … at 3:00 PM Carpenter’s Brook and Skaneateles Creek … at 5:45 PM

*NOTE:         Our former Ley Creek adult team will be working on Beartrap Creek as continuation of a Great Lakes  Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant project sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency.


Onondaga Creek Apr 26, 2017
Onondaga Creek Apr 28, 2017 rain date

Beartrap Creek May 1, 2017
Beartrap Creek May 4, 2017 rain date

Carpenter’s Brook May 9, 2017
Carpenter’s Brook May 11, 2017 rain date

Skaneateles Creek May 25, 2017
Skaneateles Creek May 29, 2017 rain date

Nine Mile Creek May 31, 2017
Nine Mile Creek Jun 2, 2017 rain date

Beartrap Creek Jun 5, 2017
Beartrap Creek Jun 7, 2017 rain date

Butternut Creek Jun 13, 2017
Butternut Creek Jun 15, 2017 rain date

Carpenter’s Brook Jun 20, 2017
Carpenter’s Brook Jun 22, 2017 rain date

Onondaga Creek Jun 28, 2017
Onondaga Creek Jun 30, 2017 rain date

Skaneateles Creek Jul 6, 2017
Skaneateles Creek Jul 8, 2017 rain date

Butternut Creek Jul 11, 2017 rain date
Butternut Creek Jul 14, 2017

Nine Mile Creek Jul 26, 2017
Nine Mile Creek Jul 28, 2017 rain date

Carpenter’s Brook Aug 1, 2017
Carpenter’s Brook Aug 3, 2017 rain date

Nine Mile Creek Aug 9, 2017
Nine Mile Creek Aug 11, 2017 rain date

Onondaga Creek Aug 16, 2017
Onondaga Creek Aug 18, 2017 rain date

Butternut Creek Sep 5, 2017
Butternut Creek Sep 7, 2017 rain date

Beartrap Creek Sep 11, 2017
Beartrap Creek Sep 13, 2017 rain date

Skaneateles Creek Sep 21, 17
Skaneateles Creek Sep 25, 17 rain date

Beartrap Creek Oct 2, 2017
Beartrap Creek Oct 4, 2017 rain date

Onondaga Creek Oct 4, 2017
Onondaga Creek Oct 6, 2017 rain date

Nine Mile Creek Oct 11, 2017
Nine Mile Creek Oct 13, 2017 rain date

Weekend Events April 22

Saturday - CNY IWLA and Manlius Library - Young Naturalist Fossil Walk at Clark Reservation - 12:30.



Friday - Project Watershed, CNY IWLA, and the Cazenovia College Environmental Club Sponsored a stream monitoring event.  Chemical and Macro Invertebrates were measured. Excellent chemistry and many many Sensitive Macros found - excellent water Quality.




Monday, January 9, 2017

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Grant Opportunity


  • Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program
    The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program seeks to develop nation-wide-community stewardship of local natural resources, preserving these resources for future generations and enhancing habitat for local wildlife. Projects seek to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development.
    The program focuses on the stewardship and restoration of coastal, wetland and riparian ecosystems across the country. Its goal is to meet the conservation needs of important species and habitats, providing measurable and meaningful conservation and educational outcomes. The program requires the establishment and/or enhancement of diverse partnerships and an education/outreach component that will help shape and sustain behavior to achieve conservation goals.
    Funding priorities for this program include:
    • On-the-ground wetland, riparian, in-stream and/or coastal habitat restoration
    • Meaningful education and training activities, either through community outreach, participation and/or integration with K-12 environmental curriculum
    • Measurable ecological, educational and community benefits
    • Partnerships: Five Star projects should engage a diverse group of community partners to achieve ecological and educational outcomes.

see http://www.nfwf.org/fivestar/Pages/home.aspx

G.L.R.I. Project

Final Report on G.L.R.I. Habitat Restoration Projects