Oakdale Lake Water Quality Improvement & Community Education Program

Great Ecology was contracted by the Columbia Land Conservancy and the Friends of Oakdale Lake to develop a water quality improvement plan for the 5-acre Oakdale Lake in Hudson, NY. Great Ecology managed extensive water quality assessments and developed a Citizen Scientist led water sampling program to understand existing conditions, track water quality changes on an annual basis, and collect other important data points such as mapping previously unknown stormwater outfalls in the watershed.

Data collected by volunteers was merged with additional sediment and benthic invertebrate sampling completed by Great Ecology to understand existing conditions and potential sources of water impairments. These studies revealed that Oakdale Lake contained excess nutrient loads as a result of runoff from the surrounding watershed, resulting in significant algae blooms leading to die-off of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and depletion of oxygen. To address these issues, Great Ecology developed, and continues to support the implementation of, a multiple-year water quality management plan utilizing various methods such as barley straw application, SAV harvesting, and air diffuser usage.

As part of this project, Great Ecology has had the fantastic opportunity to connect with the Hudson community through educational sessions, town halls, and interactive field trips for local schools. This includes developing informational signage regarding lake conditions and management actions. Additionally, we have helped the Friends of Oakdale Lake coordinate with local public and private stakeholders to improve and maintain water quality, and identify future project opportunities for projects that may be eligible for public and private grant support.