Applied Water Research in New York State Seminar: Great Lakes Aquatic Connectivity

Every year, the New York State Water Resources Institute (NYSWRI) at Cornell supports applied research that address critical water resource problems in the New York State and the nation. This seminar series brings together researchers who work with NYSWRI and state agency partners to support and improve water management in the state. Speakers will present on a broad range of water related topics including water engineering and infrastructure, climate and flood resilience, water quality monitoring and assessment and aquatic ecosystems. The seminar will focus on ways in which robust science can support and influence on-ground management and policy outcomes, and center collaborative and interdisciplinary work between academics, water resource scientists, educators, managers, and policymakers in New York State.

Applied Water Research in New York State Spring 2026 Seminar Series will be held every Thursday at 2:30PM ET from January 22 - March 5, 2026. 

Speakers: Tracy Brown and Kyle Glenn (Trout Unlimited) w/introduction by Jared Popoli (NYSWRI)

Within New York's Great Lakes watershed, identification of flood risks, and assistance to municipalities to right-size and enhance culverts within priority areas is needed to support project implementation and enable decision makers to leverage federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Environmental Bond Act funding with state and local resources.

Trout Unlimited provided targeted outreach, stream monitoring, technical assistance, and funding application assistance to municipalities that have severe barriers within the Black River and Genesee River watersheds, as identified through previous assessments and outreach within the Aquatic Connectivity and Stream Resiliency in the Genesee and Black River Phase I project. The work with municipalities in these targeted sub-watersheds will promote projects that address improperly designed or undersized culverts as identified by North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) assessments and prioritized in consideration of flood risks, trout habitat, and water quality.

Phase II included developing a monitoring strategy to assess current stream conditions and track climate change impacts in priority areas like Wiscoy Creek and South Moose River, assisting at least two municipalities in developing conceptual designs and grant applications for right-sizing culverts to reduce flood risk and improve aquatic connectivity, as well as communicating project outcomes to stakeholders to advance the use of NAACC resources and modeling for culvert enhancement projects.