Onondaga Lake
Upstate Freshwater Institute has a long history of research on Onondaga Lake, dating back to the 1970s when our founder conducted his doctoral work on the lake. Since then, we have remained deeply involved in studying its water quality, ecosystem changes, and ongoing recovery. As part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup efforts, UFI has played a key role in monitoring and assessing lake conditions. Today we continue this work by maintaining a real-time monitoring buoy that provides valuable data on lake dynamics, and through our pro bono "Onondaga Lake Guardian" monitoring program to ensure long-term tracking of water quality.
Onondaga Lake Buoy
Funding and Support
Since 2000, the Onondaga Lake profiling buoy has received funding from various organizations and agencies! The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) provided initial funding under multiple grants (R827966, X-982574, and X-83232501). Since 2009, this program has been primarily supported by the Honeywell Corporation and Parsons. Additional funding throughout the years for Onondaga Lake projects related to the buoy include:
New York STAR Grant Program and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy System
Onondaga Nation and through the Onondaga Environmental Institute (OEI)
Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP)
Onondaga Lake Guardian Monitoring Program
UFI's "Onondaga Lake Guardian" monitoring program is a pro bono effort launched in 2022 when government-sponsored monitoring ceased. Once considered one of the most polluted lakes in the United States, Onondaga Lake has undergone significant remediation efforts over the past few decades. While the lake is showing signs of recovery, ongoing monitoring is essential to track improvements and assess the long-term impact of these efforts.
UFI collects and analyzes surface and deep water samples from Onondaga Lake to keep a regular record of summer water quality for future research and public use. Below, you'll find graphs displaying the most recent water quality samples. Additionally, a table compares key summer average trophic values from the previous sampling season to those from 1984/1985, offering historical context on the lake's recovery.
This program is entirely unfunded, and donations help support our ability to continue collecting and sharing this important data.
If you'd like to contribute to our work, please visit our Support page.
Use the arrows to progress faster through the graphs or click on the image to make it full screen!
If using these data, please provide appropriate credit to UFI and refer to our policy for usage guidelines.Comparison of Key Trophic State Indicators:
Summer Averages from the previous sampling season and 1984/1985.
