Detailed Description
This volume contains the schedule and extended abstracts for 33 talks and posters for the 2016 Mohawk Watershed Symposium (NY). This year marks the 8th annual Mohawk Watershed symposium since inception in 2009, and the meeting has taken on an important role in unifying and galvanizing stakeholders in the Basin. Building and sustaining a coalition of concerned and invested stakeholders allows us to strengthen connections and be informed about issues that affect water quality availability, recreation opportunities, and other demands on water use (e.g., aquatic ecology, stream restoration). Water quality and healthy ecosystems are a key theme at this year's Mohawk Watershed Symposium. Given the crises in Flint Michigan, and Hoosick Falls New York, we are reminded of the importance of clean drinking water and the fragility of our water infrastructure. On 29 February 2016, Representative Tonko (NY-20) co-introduced the AQUA Act to Congress, which updates the Safe Drinking Water Act to significantly increase funding authorization levels for local communities with water infrastructure deficiencies. In Congressman Tonko's plenary address he will review some aspects of the AQUA Act and most importantly remind us that although water quality and threats to our water security may be something that is 'out of site', it cannot be 'out of our minds'. We are pleased to welcome Professor Karin Limburg as the keynote speaker this year, an ecologist at SUNY ESF and longtime supporter and participant of the Mohawk Watershed Symposium series. Dr. Limburg's research focuses on fisheries, watersheds, and aquatic ecosystems. Much of her work has been with fisheries in New York State watersheds, including the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. Her research has focused on understanding ecosystems on a regional scale and how marine and freshwater systems are interconnected, and for this we turn to the ear bones (otolith) from river Herring to quantify changes in environmental conditions and fish migration. In addition to Dr. Limburg's work in aquatic ecology and geochemistry, her work is embedded in stakeholder involvement and investment. These qualities make her an ideal keynote speaker at this year's Symposium. We are indebted to our sponsors NYS DEC for their continued support, which helps to make each Symposium a success. The changes we have been witness to at our annual symposium and within the watershed, changes that go beyond the history of the Mohawk Watershed Symposium, are astounding. The accomplishments should be celebrated and the hard work continued. This year we have nine invited talks that cover a variety of issues in the basin and 24 volunteered talks and posters. We are seeing an important increase in the number of colleges and universities participating in the Symposium. This is a welcome addition and it fits well with the new grants program at the NYSDEC that is aimed at fostering the five items on the Mohawk Basin Action agenda. This year also has one of the highest number of student involved presentations with at least 13 presentations having student co-authors. By the end of the day the MWS symposium series will have been the forum for 242 talks, posters, and special presentations since inception.
Union College Schaffer Library Digital Projects
Geosciences Department, Union College: https://minerva.union.edu/garverj/mws/2024/symposium.html