Site Description

Otsego Lake’s watershed is the headwaters of the Susquehanna River Basin. It is located in the glaciated Appalachian Plateau physiographic province and ecoregion. The proposed test bed extends along the main stem of the Susquehanna to its junction with Schenevus Creek; it encompasses the Otsego Lake watershed, and the Oaks Creek and Cherry Valley watersheds. (Figure 1). The test bed is approximately 915 km 2 (353 mi 2), located in Otsego (89%) and Herkimer (11%) counties. Cooperstown, located at the outlet of Otsego Lake, has approximately 2,000 residents and hosts over 300,000 tourists each year. Smaller towns are located along the main stem of the river, with rural residences distributed through the watershed. Total population in the test bed is estimated to be 15,000.

Figure 1. The Chemung and Upper Susquehanna River Basins (shown in green and blue, respectively). The proposed test bed is highlighted in orange. (adapted from Susquehanna River Basin Commission, 2002).

top

Geology

The Susquehanna’s headwaters are located in the glaciated Appalachian Plateau. Elevation varies from 332 m to 703 m above msl, and averages approximately 506 m. Bedrock age and type varies within the basin. Early Devonian limestones (Helderberg Group) occur at and above Otsego Lake. The limestones provide buffering capacity for the lake against acid rain. Down stream from the lake, bedrock is interbedded Middle Devonian shales, siltstones and sandstones (Hamilton Group). To the southeast, red shales and sandstone (Genesee Group) predominate (Rickard, 1981). Wisconsinan age glacial deposits mantle the bedrock. Post-glacial alluvium occurs in and adjacent to modern channels.

Hydrology
Annual rainfall averages 0.97 - 1.14 m/yr, varying with elevation. Evapotranspiration loss is estimated to be 0.75 - 0.89 m/yr. Mean annual temperature is 7.5°C. Surface drainage forms a trellis-shaped pattern (Figure 2). The main branch of the Susquehanna is in a broad, flat valley, while headwater streams tend to be more steeply sloped and incised. Karst to the northeast of Otsego lake influences surface drainage in this portion of the testbed. Aquifers include the limestones in NE, sandstones to the SE, and sand and gravel deposits of glacial origin filling the valleys, limestone. Groundwater flow does occur in the joint sets in the shale bedrock, but the low permeability of the formation limits its use.

Land Use
Land use is 60.2 % forest, 32.8% agriculture, and 5.9 % open water or wetlands (Figure 2). Agricultural lands are concentrated to the northeast (up-gradient) of Lake, as well as on the flatter lands along the main stem of the river. Agricultural land use in this basin is gradually undergoing a transition back to forest as family farms become increasingly unviable economically. Cooperstown, a small population center, has a municipal waste water system. Private septic systems rather than municipal treatment of wastewater prevail elsewhere in the testbed, including for the water-side homes on Otsego Lake.

top

Major Issues
At Otsego Lake, nutrient pollution has been an issue. One major source is the septic systems of homes along the Lake’s shores. Agricultural land use and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen also contribute to non point source pollution in the watershed. Nutrient inputs to the Lake have been changing as agricultural land upstream reverts to forest. This creates an opportunity to explore the impacts of the changing landscape on hydrology and ecosystem dynamics. Invasive species (primarily zebra mussels) are a concern for the Lake.

Regionally, the primary water quality issues are non-point source nutrient pollution and sediment transport. All states within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are participating in a voluntary partnership to correct nutrient and sediment problems in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries sufficiently to allow it to be removed by 2010 from the nation’s list of impaired water bodies under the Clean Water Act. The EPA, as a result of a lawsuit, will require Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay in 2011 if these voluntary reductions are not successful. New York State’s goals are for the reduction of phosphorus and nitrogen loads delivered to the Bay from NY by 39 % and 34 %, respectively, by 2010. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has the lead role in developing an action plan to address this issue and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC) is helping the process by facilitating stakeholder understanding and action through its outreach efforts.

Figure 2. Susquehanna headwaters stream network and land use.

top

Recent and Current Monitoring
The Biological Field Station at Cooperstown is a facility of the State University of NY’s College at Oneonta.  Researchers at the Field Station have collected approximately 30 years of data on Otsego Lake and its watershed, and have conducted studies in the adjacent Oak Creek watershed, also a part of the proposed Upper Susquehanna testbed. Their research is ongoing.

Agencies and Cooperators

Biological Field Station at Cooperstown is a facility of the State University of NY’s College at Oneonta.  The main laboratory is located on Otsego Lake. The lab conducts research in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.  It houses collections of local flora and fauna acquired during research activities. The facilities include a large aquarium room, a unique multipurpose laboratory, three analytical laboratories and a library.  The Field Station has over 10 boats ranging from 14-foot aluminum "john boats" to the specially fitted 45-foot research vessel, Anodontoides.” (http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/biofld/).

There is much public concern over the protection of Otsego Lake and the upper Susquehanna River. The citizens have formed a large and well respected watershed group in Cooperstown called the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA). Community outreach is central to the Biological Field Station’s mission. They offer seminars, workshops, and field trips for the general public as well as advanced training for science teachers and programs for school children.

top

Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC), established in 1992, is a network of county natural resource professionals who develop strategies, partnerships, and programs to protect the headwaters of the Susquehanna River. Comprised of representatives from 11 counties in New York and 3 in Pennsylvania, the USC has partnered with local, regional, state, federal, academic and non-governmental organizations to conduct projects on varying watershed scales. It has no regulatory functions. USC has a strong outreach program and community contacts. Its main office is in Owego, NY. Web site: http://www.u-s-c.org.

The following organizations have partnered with the USC on projects in the Upper Susquehanna:

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Biological Field Station at Cooperstown affiliated with SUNY Oneonta

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Chesapeake Bay Program

Ducks Unlimited

Environmental Resources Research Institute at Penn State University

New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee

New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University

Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board

Susquehanna River Basin Commission

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

In May 2003, the EPA announced the recipients of the EPA Watershed Initiative grants. The Upper Susquehanna Coalition was one of 20 watershed groups selected from the field of 176 proposals to receive this $700K, two-year grant to support its work in the basin.

top

Binghamton University’s Center for Integrated Watershed Studies (CIWS) was established in 2003 to foster interdisciplinary, watershed-based research (http://ciws.binghamton.edu/). CIWS addresses the biological, geological, geographic, economic and societal components of watersheds, at all scales of integration - local, regional, and international. Activities range from field data collection for scholarly research to policy analysis and education. CIWS has a very active partnership with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition on projects in the Upper Susquehanna Basin, adding education and research components to their projects. With NSF support, Binghamton has established the campus’ watershed, Fuller Hollow Creek, as an instrumented research watershed. The watershed, a small tributary of the Susquehanna River, includes campus, a 182 acre nature preserve owned by the university (including a 20 acre wetland), and suburban residential communities, providing opportunities for contrasting impacts of land use on hydrology. Monitoring of groundwater, stream water, wet and dry deposition, and snow pack has been ongoing since 2000. Web site: http://ciws.binghamton.edu/

Logistics

Cooperstown, located at Otsego Lake at the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, is located approximately 39 km (24 mi) from Oneonta, 122 km (76 mi) from Albany, 132 km (82 mi) from Binghamton, and 151 km (94 mi) from Syracuse, NY. Driving time and distance from University Park, PA are approximately 5 hours and 462 km (287 mi). Conference facilities are available at the State University of New York at Oneonta, as well as at hotels in Cooperstown and Oneonta.

top

References:

Coates, D. (1981) Geomorphology of South-Central New York. New York State Geological Association, 53 rd Annual Meeting: Guidebook for Field Trips in South-Central NY. State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY.

Curatolo, J. (2003b) EPA Watershed Initiative: Susquehanna River Headwaters in NY and PA. Upper Susquehanna Coalition proposal to the EPA.

Rickard, L. V. (1981) The Devonian System of New York State. In: Devonian Biostratigraphy of New York, W. A. Oliver and G. Klapper, Eds. International Union of Geological Sciences, Sub-commission on Devonian Stratigraphy.

Susquehanna River Basin Commission (2004) http://www.srbc.net.

Biological Field Station at Cooperstown (2004) http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/biofld/.

top