Onondaga Lake history

Quick reference
— Recreation and tourism
— Water quality improvements

The history and use of Onondaga Lake mirror economic and social changes in Americans' relationship with the natural environment. Before the American Revolution, the hills surrounding Onondaga Lake were the center of the Iroquois Confederacy. During the late 17th and early 18th century, European settlers, mostly trappers and traders, followed Jesuit missionaries and French explorers to the area. The Lake, its creeks, and rivers served as transportation routes.

Onondaga Lake history

The Erie Canal was built in the early 1800s and opened the interior of New York State to new settlement. Many people were attracted to Syracuse by its developing salt industry. In the early 19th century, Onondaga Lake's water level was lowered by dredging its outlet to drain a swampy area that is now the northern end of downtown Syracuse. Eliminating the swamp effectively eliminated malaria in the growing city.

Recreation and tourism

By 1900, the shoreline of Onondaga Lake was dotted with major tourist attractions including hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks. Onondaga Lake fish were served at restaurants around New York. One large amusement area was the Iron Pier resort sited near present-day Carousel Center-DestiNY USA. The resort's 600-ft pavilion offered steamboat service to other resorts on the lake. Pollution of the lake from the growing city and diverse expanding industries reduced its use as a resort, although Syracuse created an Interceptor Sewer Board as far back as 1907 to address sewage problems in Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook, By 1940, the lake was declared unsafe for swimming. By the 1970s, fishing was banned.

Because of mercury contamination, the lake's bottom was listed as a Superfund site in 1994. Additional contaminated areas were identified around the lake's shore. New York State and the federal government continue to pursue remediation of these sites through the responsible parties. The State initiated a national resources damages claim in 1989.

Water quality improvements

Onondaga Lake history

Environmental regulations have brought about improvements in the lake. Upgrades to wastewater treatment at the Syracuse Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant have reduced pollution to the lake. Onondaga County's ban on high phosphorous detergents in 1972 and its industrial pre-treatment program in 1982 have also benefited the lake.

Improved municipal treatment

Today, Onondaga County is taking many steps to improve water quality in partnership with New York State and the federal government under a 1998 Amended Consent Judgment. The County has implemented extensive improvements to the treatment plant and is substantially reducing the remaining effects of combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
Learn about the projects Onondaga County is implementing.

The water quality and the overall health of Onondaga Lake is improving. Ammonia levels have decreased dramatically because of improvements made at Onondaga County's Metropolitan Syracuse Sewage Treatment Plant (Metro) which contributes 90% of the lakes's ammonia. Slightly more than half of the phosphorus entering the lake comes from Metro, and the other half is contributed by runoff from urban and agricultural areas. Phosphorus levels in the lake are declining as well.

Dissolved oxygen levels and water clarity in Onondaga Lake are improving, in part due to the reduction in phosphorus levels in the lake. Bacteria levels in the lake are still unacceptable for water contact recreation. Thus, continuous improvements in reducing the number of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are needed.

The concentration of chloride, the most important component of salinity to Onondaga Lake has decreased from 1600 milligrams per liter to less than 400 milligrams per liter since the closure of he Allied soda ash facility.

Industrial remediation

The Lake's entire bottom sediments and related upland sites are on the federal Superfund list and the New York State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and USEPA selected a plan to clean up the lake bottom in July 2005.
See that plan on NYSDEC's website.