| Doc. # 2007-20
Issue/Agenda Committee
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
March 27, 2007 Minutes
Shaw Law Office, Ithaca NY
Present:Roxy Johnston, John Mawdsley, Doug Haith
Apologies: Sharon Anderson, Ruth Richardson
Modeling of watershed
Progress on modeling
Doug presented some results from the modeling of nutrients and
sediment into the lake using his GWLF model . Students are working
their way through 46 sub-watersheds in Cayuga Lake watershed. They
are making impressive progress. Results were presented for one unnamed
watershed to show the input data and the type of results that the
model yields. The watershed was unnamed as Doug has not yet been
able to check the results.
The input data uses GIS information on land use acreages that has
been developed for the whole of the watershed as part of this study.
The crop areas reflect the position in 2003 but as the model requires
only the total area of a crop and not the location, the areas do
not change much from year to year. Rainfall data is taken from a
model that generates daily rainfalls that preserve the statistical
properties of real rainfall but are artificial.
The model was run for 100 years of daily rainfall. The outputs were
summarized as monthly mean values of – rainfall, evapotranspiration
and streamflow separated into surface runoff and groundwater runoff,
dissolved and total nitrogen and phosphorous, sediment and erosion.
The contributions to these totals from the different land uses are
also output. The model includes diffuse sources and point sources
of pollutants.
For the small watershed presented the largest contribution of phosphorous,
for example, from diffuse sources came from corn but this was much
smaller than the point source. This will not be the case in many
watersheds.
The modeling of the watersheds is likely to be finished in the fall
and then checking of the results will take some months more. Results
are likely to be available for the whole watershed in early 2008.
Presentation of Results
There are two main data that will result from the modeling –
the GIS data, available now and the loadings of nutrients into the
lake. The GIS data is valuable for many uses and should be made
available to other organizations. It will be held by Network but
there is concern that we do not hold any permanent expertise to
use the data in the longer term. It should be stored elsewhere also
so that wider community can use it. NY State GIS was suggested as
one possible location. Network needs to consider liability issues
with data.
The phosphorous loadings for each watershed that will become available
are likely to be controversial and so care needs to be taken in
how the Network uses the results.
The model has been used widely for predicting river loadings notably
for the protection of the Catskill watersheds that supply NYC with
water. It is likely that DEC, EPA and local government will be interested
in the nutrient results as well as members of the public.
A program of smaller presentations of the results may be appropriate
to selected, invited groups before public presentations. The Issues
committee will develop these ideas and present to the full Board.
It is suggested that Doug present similar results to the Board at
one of the next few meetings. He is presenting similar results to
the Tompkins County WQCC in May.
Lake Friendly Farms for 2007
The application date for submissions has been extended to 25 April
2007 because of uncertainties over sponsorship. There may still
be time to reach out to non-dairy farms. Unfortunately neither Keith
nor Brian was able to attend the meeting and no progress was possible.
According to an email from Brian, wineries are likely to have to
acquire an industrial SPDES permit in the future, which in his opinion
would require AEM. This permit will be "new" to most wineries
but it could be the basis for inclusion of wineries in the LFF award.
We need to explore this further.
Progress on 2007 Projects
No reports available on the other projects.
Learning Opportunities for the Issues Committee
Deferred to next meeting. We need to identify some more opportunities
for our learning and have better attendance to benefit.
Any Other Business
Oswego River Basin Commission.
Bill Shaw left reports of a proposal for an Oswego River Basin Commission
being prepared by State Senator John DeFrancisco. It is aimed primarily
at managing better the flood risks in the basin by getting improved
cooperation between the seven governments agencies and four hydropower
operators of the lakes, according to the report. Secondary benefits
are to tourism and economic development. The proposal originated
with a Canal Corp task force proposal to Gov Pataki in 2005. Support
is being sought from concerned or affected organizations. The Network
is potentially one such organization and we may need to take a position
on it. Doug pointed out that most RBCs were inter-state organizations
and had extensive powers covering much wider issues than just flooding.
Deferred to next meeting.
Gas Drilling in Dryden Area.
John reported that as a landowner in the upper reaches of 6 Mile
Creek he had been approached by a drilling company looking to drill
for gas in the area. They are actively trying to get landowners
to agree to drilling by forming parcels of 320 acres. He wondered
whether the Network has taken a position in the past.
Roxy reported that objections to drilling in the Finger Lakes National
Forest were based largely on preserving natural or wild areas in
the area.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be Tuesday the 1 May at 3.45pm at Shaw’s
Law Offices, Ithaca.
Submitted by,
John Mawdsley
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