Central New York community members enjoyed enhanced wetland areas and wildlife as they explored Nine Mile Creek and near-shore areas of Onondaga Lake in canoes and kayaks on Saturday, August 11. Nine Mile Creek is a thriving ecosystem and part of a green corridor connecting Onondaga Lake to upland areas as a result of Honeywell’s remediation and restoration work.

Left: Participants paddle from the public Nine Mile Creek canoe and kayak launch off of Pumphouse Road in Geddes to Onondaga Lake.
Right: Taylor (front) and Pamela Jones, of Baldwinsville, paddle down Nine Mile Creek.

The event was hosted by the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. During the paddle, participants became citizen scientists as they learned about the enhanced wetlands at Nine Mile Creek and Onondaga Lake and how they are supporting the Onondaga Lake watershed and its value as an Important Bird Area. Habitat experts from Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, and Honeywell shared their expertise and discussed the enhancements made to Nine Mile Creek.

“The paddle was an amazing opportunity to see how much work has been done and learn why specific species were planted,” said participant John Scott, pictured above. “Seeing the habitat growth in the restored areas and the wildlife that has returned was incredible.”

The restoration of Nine Mile Creek included restoring forested wetlands, enhancing stream conditions for fish spawning and migration, and improving habitat along the creek. Thirty acres have been transformed into diverse new habitat, a healthier creek, and improved access for recreation. Nine Mile Creek is now home to more than 145 fish and wildlife species, including beaver, muskrat, white-tailed deer, bald eagle, and northern pike. The area is playing a significant role in creating a healthy Onondaga Lake watershed and a sustainable ecosystem.

The creek is open to the public for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.

Watch a video to learn about the restored Nine Mile Creek.

Left: Along the course, participants identified 26 bird species, including great blue heron (pictured above), osprey, indigo bunting, green heron, belted kingfisher, and common yellowthroat.
Right: Jill and Marena Russo, of Baldwinsville, paddle in kayaks.

“As Onondaga Lake’s recovery continues, the community is enthusiastic about opportunities to use the lake,” said Honeywell Syracuse Program Director John McAuliffe. “The restoration work completed at Nine Mile Creek and along the shores of Onondaga Lake is providing increased recreational opportunities and lake access for the Central New York community.”

Nine Mile Creek is one of the primary tributaries of Onondaga Lake, flowing north and east through Camillus and entering Onondaga Lake as it passes under the Onondaga County West Shore Trail extension. The remediation of Nine Mile Creek was performed under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell has improved nearly 90 acres of wetlands, and is planting about 1.1 million plants, trees, and shrubs.

View a Nine Mile Creek wetlands plant list.

The Corps was founded in 2012 by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon Society. Additional Corps supporters include Anchor QEA, Audubon New York, Bond Schoeneck & King, Habitat Gardening in Central New York, OBG, Parsons, and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Since the formation of the Corps, 21 events have brought together more than 800 volunteers who have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was awarded a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, visit http://ny.audubon.org/OLCC, www.facebook.com/onondagalakecc, or www.youtube.com/onondagalakecc.

View more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.

Watch a video to learn about habitat restored as a part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup.

Onondaga Lake is well on its way to becoming a sustainable ecosystem for generations to come. Through thoughtful planning and input from local scientists, wetland ecologists, and the community, as well as government oversight, dynamic and diverse wetlands are becoming the cornerstone of a renewed watershed.

Access more information about the habitat enhancements.

Today, the water quality in Onondaga Lake is the best it’s been in more than 100 years. A green corridor now extends from the restored areas to the lake, providing a diverse home for wildlife.  More than 250 wildlife species, some that have not been seen in decades, are now calling these areas home, and more than 120 unique bird species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake, a priority Audubon Important Bird Area. Bird species on New York State’s threatened list, including pied-billed grebe, northern harrier, and bald eagle, have returned to the re-established wetlands.

Monitoring and maintenance will continue for years to come to ensure vegetation is established and returning wildlife is documented. Monitoring also helps identify invasive species so they can be removed.

In addition to the cleanup, in April 2017, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a plan for 20 new projects to restore and protect wildlife habitat and water quality, and increase recreational opportunities.

The Onondaga Lake Cleanup Plan was issued in 2005 by DEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The cleanup, which was completed in 2016, included dredging 2.2 million cubic yards of lake material and capping 475 acres of lake bottom. The cap, which consists of natural materials, provides a new, clean lake bottom and a new habitat layer to promote underwater vegetation growth and fish spawning.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

View photographs of the Onondaga Lake cleanup.

Click here for a pdf of the Habitat Report.

A restored Nine Mile Creek was the setting for Central New Yorkers as they explored the beauty of the waterway in canoes and kayaks on Saturday, August 19. Nine Mile Creek, which is open to the public for recreation, is a thriving ecosystem and part of a green corridor connecting Onondaga Lake to upland areas as a result of Honeywell’s remediation and restoration work.

Watch a video to learn about the newly restored Nine Mile Creek.

Forty-one Central New Yorkers participated in a Nine Mile Creek paddle.

“The work at Nine Mile Creek is providing the Central New York paddling community with an opportunity I used to dream about 25 years ago,” said Fred Miller, founder and president of the Nine Mile Creek Conservation Council. “Today, you can paddle a water trail that begins in the Village of Camillus, travel through a restored Nine Mile Creek, and continue on to Onondaga Lake – it’s exquisite.”

The restoration of Nine Mile Creek included restoring forested wetlands, enhancing stream conditions for fish spawning and migration, and improving habitat along the creek. Thirty acres have been transformed into diverse new habitat, a healthier creek, and improved recreational access. Nine Mile Creek is now home to more than 145 fish and wildlife species, including beaver, muskrat, bald eagle, and northern pike. The area is playing a significant role in creating a healthy Onondaga Lake watershed and a sustainable ecosystem.

“Habitat provides the food, shelter, and space for fish, birds, mammals, and other organisms to survive and flourish,” said Anchor QEA Principal Scientist Ryan Davis, Ph.D. “Habitat re-establishment is an integral component of the Onondaga Lake cleanup.”

Left: Participants paddled approximately 2 miles from the Nine Mile Creek canoe and kayak launch off of Airport Road in Camillus to the canoe and kayak launch off of Pumphouse Road in Geddes. Right: Michelle Woogen, of Syracuse, paddles down Nine Mile Creek.

The event was hosted by the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps and the Nine Mile Creek Conservation Council. During the paddle, participants became citizen scientists as they learned about the enhanced wetlands at Nine Mile Creek, Geddes Brook, and Onondaga Lake and how they are supporting the Onondaga Lake watershed and its value as an Important Bird Area. Habitat experts from Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, Anchor QEA, and Honeywell shared their expertise and discussed enhancements made to Nine Mile Creek.

Left: Along the course, participants identified 31 bird species, including Baltimore Oriole, Caspian Tern and Belted Kingfisher, which are listed as Birds of Conservation Concern by Audubon New York. Right: Katherine (left) and 8-year-old Grant Clift, of Baldwinsville, paddle in kayaks.

“Habitat restoration is key to a healthy Onondaga Lake,” said Honeywell Syracuse Program Director John McAuliffe. “Honeywell has created sustainable habitat for wildlife and is bringing to life the community’s vision for increased recreational activities in and around the lake.”

Nine Mile Creek is one of the primary tributaries of Onondaga Lake, flowing north and east through Camillus and entering Onondaga Lake as it passes under the Onondaga County West Shore Trail extension. The remediation of Nine Mile Creek was performed under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell has improved 87 acres of wetlands and is planting about 1.1 million native plants, shrubs, and trees. To date, nearly 750,000 shrubs and trees have been planted.

View a Nine Mile Creek wetlands plant list.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.

Members of the Garden Center Association of Central New York at the tree planting event.

“The Garden Center Association of Central New York is excited to leave another permanent legacy for the community,” said Garden Center Association Co-President Eunice Tompkins. “Eighty-two years ago a group of civic-minded gardeners met to organize the Garden Center Association with the purpose of promoting horticultural activities to beautify the areas in and around Syracuse. As the Garden Center Association’s work draws to a close, we couldn’t think of a better location to commemorate all of the association’s accomplishments.”

The American sycamore is a large native tree well-suited for stream banks and wetlands because its root system helps prevent erosion. The tree will provide a nesting site for squirrels and birds, as well as shade and shelter for other animals. Sycamore trees typically grow 75 to 90 feet high, reach maturity at around 25 years and their full height at 30 to 50 years, depending on growing conditions. Sycamore trees are successfully growing in the Onondaga Lake watershed, enhancing the native plant community and contributing to a more biodiverse ecology in the restored wetlands.

Get Involved

Community members who are interested in preserving and protecting the Onondaga Lake watershed are invited to become members of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. The Corps seeks to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

Since its formation in 2012, more than 600 community members have participated in Corps events.

Left: Corps volunteers Ross and Grace Getman, of Syracuse, remove water chestnut at an event in August 2015.

Right: Corps volunteers display a bird box at a Corps event in May 2015. The bird boxes were built and installed at the event to create shelter for birds and other wildlife.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org or call 315-365-3588. Like the Corps on Facebook or visit YouTube to learn more.

The community also is invited to attend free open house sessions at the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center to learn more about the Onondaga Lake cleanup. The Visitors Center, designed and built by Honeywell, provides public access to the significant work taking place by hundreds of scientists, engineers, and skilled craft laborers from the region. Public open houses are held Fridays 12-4:30 p.m., from mid-April through mid-November. For more information on scheduling a tour, please call 315-552-9751 or visit www.lakecleanup.com.

TO ACCESS THE VISITORS CENTER: From Points West: Take I-690 East to Exit 7, turn left onto State Fair Boulevard, take the first left passing under I-690, drive straight toward the lake and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center. From Points East: Take I-690 West to Exit 7, turn right at the off ramp and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.

Dear Community Member,

Recovery of Onondaga Lake is well on its way. With dredging completed, a year ahead of schedule, we are continuing with the capping and the habitat restoration through 2016. More than 110 species of fish, birds, and mammals have already returned to restored wetlands, and nearby areas.

The community’s pride and passion have helped fuel this progress and are being rewarded as the lake will be a healthy, sustainable asset for generations to come. Over 500 volunteers have participated in hands-on, experience-based Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps programs that help restore and sustain the lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

As recovery continues, the community is enthusiastic about all of the opportunities to use the lake now and in the future. We hope you all will get or stay involved, and learn more about the cleanup by coming to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center or by becoming a member of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. The Corps is a partnership among Audubon New York, Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, O’Brien & Gere, and Honeywell.

We are proud of the progress we have achieved and hope you share our excitement as you read our seventh annual update. You can learn more by visiting our website at www.lakecleanup.com.

Sincerely,

John P. McAuliffe
Syracuse Program Director

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Syracuse Section, recognized Honeywell on March 23 with the 2015 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award for the remediation and restoration of Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek.

Honeywell and its contractor Parsons transformed the 44 acres of the Onondaga Lake watershed into a diverse new habitat for wildlife.  The area, part of a green corridor connecting habitat from Onondaga Lake to upland sites, is home to hundreds of plant, fish, and wildlife species, including pied-billed grebes, bald eagles, wood ducks, bullfrogs, and mink.

Left: Nearly 250 native plant species were planted and 104 fish and wildlife species have been documented at the sites. Right: A section of Nine Mile Creek after restoration in August 2013.

The ASCE award honors “the project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. Honoring an overall project rather than an individual, the award recognizes the contributions of many engineers.”

“The Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek remediation project includes innovation and originality, resourcefulness in planning and solving design challenges, sustainability, project planning and delivery, and contributions to the well-being of people and communities,” said Shaun Gannon, ASCE Syracuse Section president. “This balance of community and engineering is why the project has been selected as the ASCE Syracuse Section 2015 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award.”

Honeywell’s Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek teams, led by Parsons, seamlessly integrated remediation and restoration, creating innovative and sustainable habitat improvements. Through extensive investigations and planning, the team gained a thorough understanding of the site and wetland ecology, which was necessary for success. Real-time global positioning system measurements were taken to survey underwater construction, improving both efficiency and accuracy. Natural features, such as newly planted shrubs and trees, along with channels on the wetland perimeters, help limit the reemergence of invasive plants. Careful selection of native vegetation, reuse of timber and tree roots, and use of locally sourced materials improve the project’s sustainability.

Click to watch a video on habitat enhancements at Geddes Brook.

Left: Geddes Brook wetlands during construction. Right: Geddes Brook wetlands after restoration.

“Thanks to the team’s thoughtful and creative planning, and hard work, Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek, once dominated by invasive plants, have been transformed into a diverse and flourishing wetland and stream habitat,” said John McAuliffe, Honeywell Syracuse program director. “We are proud to be recognized by ASCE for our contributions to civil engineering progress and society.”

Left: Nine Mile Creek during construction. Right: Nine Mile Creek after restoration.

“This award recognizes our local team’s expertise for the design and construction of a well-planned project,” said Paul Blue, Parsons Engineering project manager. “The team successfully restored critical habitat by integrating sound engineering principles and incorporating input from local habitat experts in an efficient and safe manner. The results have been exciting to see, and will have lasting benefits for the environment, ecosystem, and community long term.”

Left: Members of the Nine Mile Creek construction team. Right: John McAuliffe, Honeywell Syracuse program director (left) accepts the award on behalf of Honeywell. He is pictured with Craig Butler, ASCE Syracuse Section awards committee chairman and past section president.

Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek provided an opportunity for hundreds of community members to get involved in habitat improvements, becoming environmental stewards of Onondaga Lake through the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. Corps members have planted native plants and conducted citizen science monitoring. Left: Community volunteers plant a speckled alder at the Geddes Brook wetlands in October 2014. Right: Community volunteers participate in a planting event at Nine Mile Creek in October 2013.

The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was established in 2012. Founding partners of the Corps include Audubon New York, Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, O’Brien & Gere, and Honeywell. To participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org or call 315-365-3588. Like the Corps on Facebook or visit YouTube to learn more.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

Dear Community Member,

Onondaga Lake is a story of growth and renewal. Wildlife is returning to restored wetlands and Honeywell finished dredging in 2014. Capping and habitat enhancements will be completed in 2016.

The early completion was the result of focused execution of a carefully designed project plan by hundreds of scientists, engineers, and skilled craft laborers. Nearly 90 percent of the workers live in Central New York and about 80 percent of project materials were supplied by New York State businesses.

The hard work of creative, knowledgeable, and dedicated professionals and members of the Central New York academic community has been critical to the success of this project.

Thousands of Central New Yorkers have learned about the cleanup by touring the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center along the southwest shoreline. In addition, hundreds of volunteers have joined the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, a partnership among Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, O’Brien & Gere, and Honeywell, and become environmental stewards protecting the Onondaga Lake watershed. We invite you to join us.

We are proud of the historical milestones we have achieved and hope you share our excitement as you read our sixth annual update. You can learn more by visiting our website at www.lakecleanup.com.

Sincerely,
John P. McAuliffe
Syracuse Program Director

“Water quality is the best in 100 years and more than 110 species of fish, birds, and mammals have returned to restored wetlands. Hundreds of Central New Yorkers are working on the project, and nearly 500 more have become environmental stewards helping to restore the watershed,” said John McAuliffe, Honeywell Syracuse program director. “The completion of dredging is a significant milestone in the restoration of one of Central New York’s most valuable resources. The community’s pride and passion has helped fuel this progress and is being rewarded as the lake will be a healthy, sustainable asset for generations to come.”

Capping and habitat restoration will continue through 2015 and be completed in 2016.

Early Completion of Dredging Result of Focused Execution
of Carefully Designed Project Plan

The completion of dredging a year ahead of schedule is the result of:

• seven years of design, piloting, and engineering
• investments in team building, health & safety and emergency response planning, community engagement, and contractor dialogue
• strong design team of national and local experts, the best in the field, who were motivated to work as a team
• talent, creativity, and dedication of local universities, engineers, suppliers, and craft labor
• on-site regulatory presence supporting timely decision-making
• commitment to continual improvement
• dedicated EPA / DEC oversight personnel

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Audubon
to Provide Input on Grass / Native Vegetation for Consolidation Area

Honeywell is working in cooperation with local environmental and wildlife stakeholders to explore innovative ways to enhance the traditional vegetated landfill cover for the consolidation area where the lake material will be permanently stored in geotextile tubes. Experts at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Audubon are providing critical input on selection of native grasses and vegetation as well as best management practices to foster sustainability.

Rendering of grass and native vegetation at consolidation area.

To view a fact sheet, click here.

Individuals interested in more information should contact Honeywell at 315-552-9784. For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

To view a video from the event, click here.

Nine Mile Creek is now a thriving ecosystem and part of a green corridor connecting Onondaga Lake to upland areas as a result of Honeywell’s improvement work. Thirty acres of enhanced wildlife habitat are now home to 30 fish and wildlife species. Nine Mile Creek will be accessible to the public in fall 2015.

Left: Work at Nine Mile Creek was completed in mid-October; this section, near Geddes Brook, was realigned and graded to create floodplains and wetlands. Right: A great blue heron in Nine Mile Creek.

About 41,000 native plants, trees, and shrubs are now supporting a thriving ecosystem. Left: Nine Mile Creek before remediation. Right: Nine Mile Creek after restoration.

Left: Nine Mile Creek during construction. Right: Nine Mile Creek after restoration.

Several fish and wildlife species have already returned to Nine Mile Creek and nearby areas, including the common bluetail damselfly (left) and green heron (right).

The wetlands and creek were enhanced with trees, including oak, maple, and sycamore; shrubs, including hazelnut, chokecherry, and spicebush; and plants, including ferns, sedges, and bulrushes. Nine Mile Creek is now home to 30 fish and wildlife species, including beaver, muskrat, white-tailed deer, bald eagle, mallard, northern pike, largemouth bass, sunfish, red-tailed hawk, and green frog.

Left: During construction, crews remove material from both banks. Right: Workers plant red maples and oak trees, both native to the local forest wetland ecosystem.

Capping work in Onondaga Lake continues. While the work is in progress, the lower portion of Nine Mile Creek will be used for construction activities. Additional plantings will be completed in 2015.

Members of the Nine Mile Creek construction team.

Nine Mile Creek is one of the primary tributaries of Onondaga Lake, flowing north and east from Camillus and entering Onondaga Lake as it passes under the Onondaga County West Shore Trail extension.

For the full Nine Mile Creek wetlands plant list, click here.

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell is improving a total of 50 acres of wetlands and planting about 1.1 million plants, shrubs, and trees.

The remediation was performed under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.