Professor: Heavy rain causes ‘huge’ impact

GENEVA—The heavy rains from May 2014 along with the snow melt from the past winter has created a “huge” impact for many of the Finger Lakes.
That is the conclusion of Hobart and William Smith Professor John Halfman. Halfman is a professor with the Department of Geoscience and Environmental Studies at the colleges.
Halfman said, Keuka, Seneca, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Cayuga, Owasco and Otisco have more, or significantly more, turbidity (suspended sentiment) and as a result reduced light penetration into the water column during the May 2014 survey compared to any profile the previous year (a reasonably wet year). Halfman said, “The turbidity was much smaller in Seneca Lake during earlier and subsequent (research) cruises. It suggests that the May increase reflects the mid-May rains. In many cases the Finger Lakes also revealed increased (or significantly increased) algae concentrations.” The professor added, “The evidence suggests that the huge rains and the associated runoff delivered huge quantities of soil to the lakes.”
The only exception for area lakes was Skaneateles Lake. Halfman says significant time, energy and money are being used to reduce the impact of runoff for that lake’s ecosystem.
Halfman’s research points out the runoff into the lakes also contributed larger phosphate concentrations in the lakes. The excess phosphates, the limiting nutrient in all but Honeoye, most likely stimulated the observed extra huge algal blooms.
Halfman said, “I predict that most of the Finger Lakes will feel the impact of this huge event for the remainder of this summer and perhaps into the years ahead as the input of extra phosphates is incorporated into the (lake) nutrient cycle. Once extra nutrients enter an aquatic ecosystem, they typically stay for years, as aquatic nutrient cycles are very efficient at recycling.”
Halfman said all of the Finger Lakes should follow Skaneateles’ lead and take significant steps to reduce nutrient rich runoff from entering the lakes to retard future and additional degradation of the water quality.