Watershed FactsONEIDA LAKE AND ITS WATERSHED

LAKE CHARACTERISTICS

Oneida Lake is a remnant of Lake Iroquois that was impounded by a glacier approximately 12,000 years ago.
The first major development occurred in the early 1800s. Industrial initiatives included the logging business, sand business, basket making, salt industry, summer resorts, and the glass industry.

The watershed includes portions of 69 municipalities and a total of 872,722 acres of which:
- 34% is in Oneida County
- 25% is in Madison County
- 16% is in Onondaga County
- 14% is in Oswego County
- 10% is in Lewis County
- <1% is in Cortland County
Surface water and groundwater from this area drains into Oneida Lake.
Approximately 29% of the total land area in the watershed is classified as agricultural and is primarily located in Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties
The diverse land use, geology, and soil types influence water quality. Approximately 67% of the Lake surface water volume is from the region north of the lake. Most of sediment and nutrients originate from the southern region.
There are 850 miles of trout streams in the Oneida Lake watershed, including 141 miles of stocked streams.
The net economic value of Oneida Lake's freshwater fishery was estimated in 1996 to be more than $9.4 million, ranking it first among New York's inland waters.

There are approximately 262,164 people living in the Oneida Lake watershed.
Population trends (1970 to 2000) show an overall increase in the populations of Lewis, Madison and Oswego Counties, and a decline in Oneida and Onondaga Counties.
Population densities ranged from 588 persons / sq. mile in Onondaga County to 21 persons / sq. mile in Lewis County in 2000.
In 1900, 476 dwellings dotted the Oneida Lake shoreline; that number increased to 4298 by 1960. Shoreline populations continue to increase as dwellings along Oneida Lake are converted from seasonal camps to permanent residences.

There are portions of six counties and 69 municipalities in the watershed.
Oneida Lake is a remnant of Lake Iroquois that was impounded by a glacier approximately 12,000 years ago
The first major development occurred in the early 1800s. Industrial initiatives included the logging business, sand business, basket making, salt industry, summer resorts, and the glass industry.
Shale and limestone are found in the southern region; erosion-resistant sandstone is found in the north.
The diverse land use, geology, and soil types influence water quality. Approximately 67% of the Lake surface water volume is from the region north of the lake (Fish and Scriba Creeks). Most of sediment and nutrients originate from the southern region.

There are approximately 262,164 people living in the Oneida Lake watershed.
Population trends (1970 to 2000) show an overall increase in the populations of Lewis, Madison and Oswego Counties, and a decline in Oneida and Onondaga Counties.
Population densities ranged from 588 persons / sq. mile in Onondaga County to 21 persons / sq. mile in Lewis County in 2000.
In 1900, 476 dwellings dotted the Oneida Lake shoreline; that number increased to 4298 by 1960. Shoreline populations continue to increase as dwellings along Oneida Lake are converted from seasonal camps to permanent residences.
The average per capita personal income in the watershed ranged from $16,922 to $26,325 in 1998.
Land use in the watershed is dominated by forest (47.5%) and agriculture (33.5%).
Oneida Lake provides anglers with more fish per acre than any other lake in the northeastern United States.
The net economic value of Oneida Lake's freshwater fishery was estimated in 1996 to be more than $9.4 million, ranking it first among New York's inland waters.

* Indicates municipalities that have less than a one-half square mile (0.5 mi2) of land located within
the watershed boundary

From data prepared by the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency, April 2001.

For more information on the Oneida Lake Watershed Management Plan activities e-mail the Central New York Regional Planning Board.