| Project Number | HWS-E-0006 |
| Funding Start Date | 2023-07-01 |
| Funding End Date | 2024-06-30 |
| Award Amount | $16,036.00 |
Project Description
Lake Mohegan is a small 102-acre lake located in Westchester County. The lake has experienced several changes, including invasive plant introductions and cultural eutrophication that has resulted in harmful algal blooms. In response, Lake Mohegan implemented an aeration program composed of 43 lake bottom diffusers and 2 shoreline compressors as a mitigation mechanism for remediation of HABs. This project looked at the effect these diffusers had on the thermal structure of the lake, the dissolved oxygen profiles from the surface to the lake bottom, and the development of harmful algal blooms and toxicity observed in the lake. Objectives included:
(1) Conduct a historical analysis of the bloom events in Lake Mohegan.
(2) Evaluate the effect of aeration on water column stratification and oxygen levels in the lake.
(3) Measure the effects of aeration on the presence of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the lake.
(4) Update the 2018 Lake Management Plan as needed summarizing these changes.
Principal Investigators
Gregory Boyer, SUNY ESF
External Partners
Mohegan Lake Improvement District
Presentations
Researchers will be presenting at the NYS Federation of Lake Associations (FOLA) Annual Conference in Lake George, NY in April, 2024.
Figure 1. The temperature profile in Lake Mohegan at site 2 through August 16th.
Figure 2. The dissolved oxygen profile in Lake Mohegan at site 2 through August 16th.