Water Quality Monitoring on Cratsley Gully and Honeoye Inlet, Part of the Honeoye Lake Watershed

Abstract

The presence of soluble, sedimentary rocks in the watershed of the Finger Lakes determines the chemical regimes comprising the lakes (Schaffner and Oglesby 1978). As the rest of the Finger Lakes, Honeoye Lake has an abundance of calcium and bicarbonate ions (Schaffner and Oglesby 1978). Nitrate + nitrite values for Honeoye Lake in 1993 (mean = 0.02 mg/L) were significantly lower (P< 0.02) than levels from 1973 (mean = 0.07 mg/L) (Crego 1994). In 1973, Honeoye Lake had the highest total phosphorus (TP) concentration of the eight Finger Lakes examined (21.7 ?g/L, August) (Schaffner and Oglesby 1978). However, there were no significant differences in total phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations from 1973 to 1993 (Crego 1984). During the summer, Honeoye Lake’s deepest waters are not completely oxygenated and 5 experience algal blooms that impair water quality (NYSDEC Region 8). Eelgrass, pondweed, Eurasian milfoil, and water stargrass are the predominant rooted aquatic plant species that are found in near shore areas out to a depth of approximately 15 feet (~5m) (NYSDEC Region 8). The large macrophyte community (weeds) and the reoccurring blooms of algae on the lake are in part the driving force of this study. Excess nutrients, especially phosphorus, can be a major cause of an over abundance of macrophytes and algae. One source of nutrients to a lake is losses from watershed. The goal of this study was to document the level of nutrient and soil loss from the watershed into Honeoye Lake.