A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and its ... - CNY RPDB Home

Recommendation: Develop a hydrologic model of the Oneida Lake watershed to estimate the
response of precipitation and snowmelt on Oneida Lake based on the variable discharge capacity
of the Oneida River. 3
Potential Responsible Organizations: US ACOE, NWS, NYSCC, NYS DEC, USGS,
OLWAC, CNY RPDB
• PROBLEM: There is a lack of stream and stage gages in the Oswego River Basin. The
absence of funding has led to the discontinuation of several gages throughout the watershed
and the lack of historical data poses a limitation to using models for predicting future
flooding patterns.
Recommendation: Encourage local, state, and/or federal governmental units in cooperation with
the USGS to fund the repair of existing stream and stage gages on Fish Creek, Limestone Creek,
Chittenango Creek, and at Sylvan Beach, and to consider the potential for adding additional
gages in other areas. These stage gages, coupled with stream gages, are needed to meet the
requirements outlined in A1. 4
Potential Responsible Organizations: USGS, OLWAC, CNY RPDB
C. Control Structures and Operations
• PROBLEM: There is a lack of understanding among stakeholders regarding water level
management control structures and the potential impact of technical reports compiled by
groups such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Recommendation: Solicit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restudy current Oneida Lake
flooding characteristics in terms of alternative water level control options and anticipated cost
benefit analyses.
Potential Responsible Organizations: US ACOE and local municipalities
• PROBLEM: The NYS Canal Corporation regulates water levels during the navigation
season, as required by law, and is responsible for the conditions of the canal navigation
channel, not the depths of the entire width of the Canal or Oneida Lake. The majority of
2 As per W. Kappel of the USGS (12/15/03 e-mail correspondence), the development of a real-time data network
provides not only the pulse of the watershed to its residents, but can provide the critical data needed to develop a
hydrologic and hydraulic model of the watershed. Hydrologic in this sense is a watershed model 'tuned' to the
natural conditions (stream and land slopes, stream cross-sections, soils, land-use, etc.) within the watershed. This
model needs to be coupled to a hydraulic model (i.e., the plumbing of the system) as water levels and flows are
controlled by man-made structures within and downstream of the watershed.
3 According to W. Kappel of the USGS (12/15/03 e-mail correspondence), funding has been cut both by USGS
funding cooperators and by the Federal government. USGS does not choose where gages are situated on streams,
rivers, and lakes. A funding agency (usually a local, state, or federal governmental unit) determines where USGS
establishes its stations and pays USGS for this service. USGS assists in these costs through a cooperative funding
program, but cuts in funding at all governmental levels has caused a diminishment in the number of gaging stations
across the United States.
Chapter 3: Priority Areas page 47