Agricultural runoff is a source of water pollution and scan be remediated using Best Management Practices (BMP).

Environmental Science and Biology student from the College at Brockport doing trophic status research on Sandy Creek.

Dr. David Long, sampling sediment from Lake Huron. The Brockport Environmental Science class spent a week aboard this vessel.

The ultimate goal is good clean drinking water.

Taken in 2010, a bulldozer attempting to remove cladophora benthic algae that washed up on shore, forcing the closure of the beach.

Aboard the Buffalo State research vessel RV Seneca on Lake Ontario

Warm water fisheries assessments using standard gangs of gill nets were conducted in Irondequoit Bay in September of 2005, 2010, and 2015. In addition, a nighttime electrofishing survey was conducted in June 2009. The surveys were conducted to 1) assess the fish community; 2) determine the contribution of stocked fingerlings to the walleye (Sander vitreus) population; 3) estimate population characteristics of walleye, northern pike (Esox lucius), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), 4) compare fish community structure to statewide surveys; and 5) guide the development of appropriate management recommendations. From 2005 to 2015 overall gill net catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased and species dominance shifted from yellow perch to white perch (Morone americana). Walleye CPUE doubled, but the portion of legal sized fish declined during this time period. The walleye population is mainly sustained by stocked fingerlings, despite migratory spawning runs in Irondequoit Creek that could be producing fry that potentially recruit to adults. Survival and recruitment of the stocked fingerlings is good, but may be declining. Mean total lengths (TL) are above New York State (NYS) averages at all ages, and growth rates show an increasing trend. Mean TL of all walleyes declined from 2005 to 2015 because younger, smaller individuals, absent from the 2005 sample, were sampled in 2015. Walleye condition is near established standards. Even with declining survival, the fishing quality for Irondequoit Bay walleyes should be very good for several years. Northern pike relative abundance declined from 2005 to 2015. Most northern pike sampled during the period were legal size. Adult pike, while fast growing, are in below average condition in Irondequoit Bay. Yellow perch relative abundance in Irondequoit Bay remained nearly constant from 2005 to 2015. Survival of the 2004 to 2009 yellow perch year classes is generally very good. Growth and condition of yellow perch is good to fair, but showing a stable to slightly increasing trend. Competition with other species, namely very abundant white perch, may be a factor that explains fair yellow perch growth and condition in Irondequoit Bay. Yellow perch fishing in Irondequoit Bay has been outstanding in recent years. Relative abundance of white perch increased fourfold, while mean total length and relative weight declined from 2005 to 2015. This suggests that intraspecific competition due to high white perch abundance and interspecific competition with abundant yellow perch may hamper growth of both species. Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) relative abundance in Irondequoit Bay appears to have been consistent, but low, from 2005 to 2015. Irondequoit Bay rock bass and bluegill exhibit good growth and are in good condition, which might be expected given the low abundance of these species. Largemouth bass relative abundance in Irondequoit Bay is average when compared to other New York State waters. The size quality is good, while growth and condition of largemouth bass is excellent in Irondequoit Bay. It is recommended that all current management actions be continued, walleye pond fingerlings be stocked every other year, the success of stocked walleye fingerlings be evaluated, and a fisheries management plan be developed for Irondequoit Bay.

Only two mink were caught during 4,157 trap-days of effort in the BR AOC during the fall of 2014. This result led to changing the focus of the study to determining mink habitat suitability and analysis of BUI chemicals of concern in mink prey. According to the USFWS Habitat Suitability Index Model, habitat in the BR AOC is poorly suited for mink. On a scale of 0 to 1, the HSI for mink is 0.38. No amphibians were observed in riparian habitats along the Buffalo River in the AOC during ~300 h of searching for them in August, October & November 2014 and April & July 2015. During 35 minnow trap-days in mid-November 2015 and ~6 h of snorkeling to overturn rocks in June and November 2015 combined, far too few crayfish to create three 70 g samples for chemical analyses were caught in the BR AOC. Lower trophic level (bluegill, pumpkin seed and yellow perch) and upper trophic level (large mouth bass) fish samples were composited and analyzed for total mercury, total PCB and total TEQ (sum of PAH REP, PCB TEQ and CDD/CDF TEQ). Among the six composited prey samples analyzed (three each of lower and upper trophic level fish) for BUI chemicals of concern, only three of the 24 analyses (4 chemicals * 6 samples) exceeded dietary LOAELs for mink: two upper trophic level fish samples for total PCB (by 8.4 and 20.1%) and one upper trophic level fish sample for PCB TEQ (by 1.4%). Mink are one of the most sensitive mammals to the chemicals analyzed, especially to TEQ concentrations of CDD/CDF and co-planar PCB congeners which have similar toxic effects. If mink living in the BR AOC ate only large mouth bass from the Buffalo River (the upper trophic level fish analyzed in this study), on average they would exceed the dietary LOAEL for total PCB by 3.6% and not exceed the dietary LOAELs for any of total mercury, PAH REP and TEQ for CDD/CDF and PCB. Since mink eat prey from multiple trophic levels, many at lower levels than large mouth bass, it is very unlikely that mink and other predatory wildlife and birds in the BR AOC are adversely affected by any of the BUI chemicals of concern. We estimated the potential dietary exposures of BR AOC mink to BUI chemicals of concern for both “worst-case” (trophic level 3.7 diet) and “typical-case” (trophic level 2.4 diet) dietary scenarios. Neither diet exceeded any of the dietary LOAELS for BUI contaminants in mink. The trophic levels of mink trapped in our previous RE AOC study, and the two mink trapped in this study, suggest that mink in the BR AOC are consuming diets with trophic levels well below that of our estimated “worst-case” diet, putting them at no increased risk for either deformities or reproductive problems. For the “Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems” BUI, it would be reasonable to consider the delisting criteria relating to mink to be unimpaired in BR AOC because using a worst case diet scenario for mink and the analytically determined mean concentrations of BUI contaminants in potential prey a hazard assessment showed that the dietary LOAELs for the contaminants of concern would not be exceeded for mink. Because mink are highly sensitive to mercury and CDD/CDF/PCB TEQ, it is unlikely that other piscivorous wildlife and birds in the BR AOC would be adversely affected by consuming a worst-case mink diet.

Because Little Sandy Creek was the largest source of phosphorus to Sandy Pond, a recommendation of the Makarewicz et al. report (2002) was to initiate water quality studies in the Little Sandy Creek watershed to identify sources of phosphorus. To accomplish this task, the Soil and Water Conservation District of Oswego County contracted with the Water Quality Laboratory at SUNY Brockport to systematically identify, during baseline and hydrometeorological events, the sources of nutrients, soils and salts within the Little Sandy Creek. Point and non-point sources were identified through a process called stressed stream analysis or segment analysis (Makarewicz 1999). With this report, we provide evidence suggesting the location and the intensity of pollution sources to Sandy Pond within the Little Sandy Creek watershed.