Onondaga Lake Remedial Design Elements Remedial Design ...

AGENCYREPRESENTATIVESNYSDECTEAMKey benefits that result from this conceptual design include:ooooooooDRAFTintegrating a diverse habitat design with considerations for publicaccess;providing deep water nearshore for improved fishing access;increasing the size, diversity and function of shoreline wetlandsand connectivity with the lake;creating conditions suitable for a variety of native and culturallysignificant species;discouraging the establishment of invasive species;promoting pike spawning in adjacent wetland areas;providing suitable conditions for transient cold water fish (e.g.brown trout) and other game fish (e.g. bass); andestablishing habitats that are currently lacking in the lake (e.g.floating aquatic plants).The Habitat Plan was developed by Honeywell with extensive input frommembers of the Habitat Technical Work Group (TWG) with input frommultiple organizations that use the lake on a regular basis. This groupwas comprised of representatives from the New York State Departmentof Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Bureau of Remediation;NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources; United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency (USEPA); United States Fish andWildlife Service (USFWS); and Honeywell and its team from the StateUniversity of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry(SUNY ESF), Mississippi State University, Terrestrial EnvironmentalSpecialists (TES), AnchorQEA, O’Brien & Gere, and Parsons. Thisextensive team of local and national experts encompasses experiencein the areas of wetland ecology, limnology, biology, restoration ecology,fisheries biology and sediment remediation. Input was also provided bythe Onondaga Nation and local interest groups during the preparation ofthis plan.The TWG reviewed information on the historical and current conditionsof Onondaga Lake to identify habitat types and species for whichspecific restoration objectives could be developed to meet the goals.Specifically, the habitats and species identified, such as the northernpike, existed historically within the lake, but are currently lacking, orthose that currently exist within the lake, but are degraded (such aswetlands dominated by Phragmites).To address the overarching goals and more specific objectives of theHabitat Plan, the TWG identified representative species from groups offish, plants, benthic macroinvertebrates (organisms in the sediment),mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds whose habitat requirementscould be used to guide the development of the restoration designs.Local and national expertsprepared this Draft HabitatPlan. Community input willcontinue to be sought fromthe Onondaga Nation andlocal interest groups.PARSONS | Remedial Design Elements for Habitat Restoration 9