Onondaga Creek needs help and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is answering the call.

The creek, previously used as a runoff for floodwater, is now being used for sewage and storm rain runoff. When Syracuse’s sewage system floods with rain water, the overflow of water carries some sewage into the creek.

‘People didn’t pay attention to the creek. They treated it as a waste receptacle,’ said Richard Smardon, chair and professor of environmental science at ESF.

Smardon is heading the Onondaga Creek Working Group. The group is made up of area volunteers who analyze scientific information and public opinion to come up with solutions for the creek’s current pollution problems.

The creek supplies 35 percent of the water that goes to Onondaga Lake. Efforts to clean up the creek will also help the ongoing lake cleanup, Smardon said.

The group helped create the Onondaga Creek Conceptual Revitalization Plan three years ago, when ESF hosted a conference to discuss what to do about the condition of the creek. It was decided that the project had to engage the community if it had any chance of working, said Sam Gordon, a project scientist at the Onondaga Environmental Institute.

‘It’s a revitalization plan. We aren’t trying to restore it, we are going to enhance it,’ Smardon said.

The project is funded through federal, state and local grants, as well as private contributors, Gordon said.

The Onondaga Environmental Institute oversaw the group’s planning process. The institute has partnered with ESF, the city of Syracuse, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County, Canopy ? a group of environmental activists, and the Atlantic States Legal Foundation, to form and carry out the revitalization plan.

The plan is made up of 11 pilot programs that aim to revitalize the creek. The plan says that sections of the creek will be returned to as natural a condition as possible, while still serving as a runoff outlet to prevent flooding in the surrounding communities.

The creek was previously straightened to allow water to run directly into Onondaga Lake without meandering, which led to overflows at the creek’s bends.

The group realizes that the current straight state of the creek provides flood protection to the surrounding communities. The group took this into account while writing up the plan, ensuring that the revitalization will not have negative effects on the creek’s use in storm water management or flood control, Smardon said.

Vegetation and soil will be incorporated into the landscape to most efficiently ease the storm water runoff. A basin will be installed to retain storm water, which will reduce the level of pollution, improving the water quality of the creek.

As part of the plan, the chain-link fence currently surrounding the creek will be replaced with a natural barrier of shrubs and trees.

There will be many ways for students to get involved, Gordon said. A litter prevention program will be presented to local students and residents to reduce the amount of trash along the creek. Several city schools could update curriculums to get kids involved and ESF students will continue to take part in the annual creek cleanup.

ESF helped to organize the process by reaching out to stakeholders and getting them involved in the project through meetings outlining the problems with the creek and possible solutions. The stakeholder group is made up of Syracuse residents and the surrounding towns, teachers and businesses that live in areas where the creek runs.

To help landowners understand what the finished product will look like, a conservation site example will be available. ESF also found successful creek revitalization projects across the country that they are using for models.

‘ESF helped people to visualize what the creek looks like now and what it could look like in the future,’ Gordon said.

The project may take 10 to 20 years to complete, Gordon said.

‘The idea is to continue momentum from the planning process into action. This can’t just be a plan. There needs to be action,’ Gordon said. ‘We need to demonstrate to the community the potential to revitalize the creek.’

jlsiart@syr.edu

Published on October 16, 2009 at 12:00 pm