BENZING, James ('00) (Advisor: Bruce Selleck)
The Woodman Pond watershed near Hamilton, New York has been impacted by the construction of the early 19th century Chenango Canal system, which increased the size and depth of the lake. The modern feeder canal continues to bring naturally south-flowing waters north into the lake system. The increased size and depth of the pond have resulted in no obvious change in water quality, although the lake appears to be producing less CaCO3 sediment than in the pre-canal era. Isotopic and water quality analyses of Woodman Pond and surrounding surface and groundwaters indicate that evaporation of water was significant during the summer of 1999. Elevated nitrate levels in some wells southwest of the pond may indicate a localized shallow-water aquifer system. A WMS watershed model was developed to summarize the lake basin hydrology. This model may be useful in predicting future impacts due to changes in watershed hydrology.
