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Onondaga Lake

Onondaga Lake is located in Central New York, immediately northwest of and adjacent to Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums.

Although it is near the Finger Lakes region, it is not traditionally counted as one of the Finger Lakes. Onondaga Lake is a dimictic lake, meaning that the lake water completely mixes from top to bottom twice a year. The lake is 4.6 mi long and 1 mi wide making a surface area of 4.6 sqmi. The maximum depth of the lake is 63 ft with an average depth of 35 ft. Its drainage basin has a surface area of 642 km2, encompassing Syracuse, Onondaga County except the eastern and northern edges, the southeastern corner of Cayuga County and the Onondaga Nation Territory, and supports approximately 450,000 people.

Onondaga Lake has two natural tributaries that contribute approximately 70% of the total water flow to the lake. These tributaries are Ninemile Creek and Onondaga Creek. The Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (METRO) contributes 20% of the annual flow. No other lake in the United States receives as much of its inflow as treated wastewater. The other tributaries, which include Ley Creek, Seneca River, Harbor Brook, Sawmill Creek, Tributary 5A, and East Flume, contribute the remaining 10% of water flow into the lake. The tributaries flush the lake out about four times a year. Onondaga Lake is flushed much more rapidly than most other lakes. The lake flows to the northwest and discharges into the Seneca River which combines with the Oneida River to form the Oswego River, and ultimately ends up in Lake Ontario.

The lake is sacred to the Onondaga Nation. The Onondaga people had control of the lake taken from them by New York State following the American Revolutionary War. During the late 19th century, European-Americans built many resorts along the lake's shoreline, as it was a destination of great beauty. The Onondaga Nation continues to have a religious and cultural presence on the shores of the lake, today.

With the industrialization of the region, much of the lake's shoreline was developed; domestic and industrial waste, due to industry and urbanization, led to the severe degradation of the lake. Unsafe levels of pollution led to the banning of ice harvesting as early as 1901. In 1940, swimming was banned, and in 1970 fishing was banned due to mercury contamination. Mercury pollution is still a problem for the lake today. Despite the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1973 and the closing of the major industrial polluter in 1986, Onondaga Lake remained one of the most polluted lakes in the United States until several initiatives, including a 15-year multi-stage program completed in late 2017, allowed the lake to reach criteria required by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This includes implementing a long-term operation, maintenance, and monitoring program to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy.

The lake is included in an ongoing land rights action filed by the Onondaga Nation, which seeks the return of its ancestral homelands to promote environmental protection in conjunction with affirming Haudenosaunee sovereignty: “Onondaga Lake is the birthplace of Haudenosaunee democracy. Subsequently and consequently, the lake is the founding site of democracy for the U.S. people and, as such, should be protected as a national treasure instead of the chemical cesspool it has become.”

Haudenosaunee history and land tenure
Onondaga Lake is the birthplace of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a Confederacy of Indigenous Nations made up of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca, and after 1772, the Tuscarora. The names of the Nations are directly connected to their ancestral homelands in current northwest New York State. Mohawk translates to people of the flint, Onondaga to people of the hills, Oneida to people of the standing stone, Cayuga to people of the marshy area, and Seneca to people of the great hills. According to Grand River Mohawk scholar Susan M. Hill, “Among the Haudenosaunee, the names that the nations call themselves (and each other) denote key geographical features of their home territories… The recognition of geographic identity demonstrates the relationship to the land the people came from, the land they belonged to.”

According to Joyce Tekahnawiiaks King, a Mohawk Turtle Clan member who served as a political administrator, Federal Justice of the Peace, director of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force, and advisor to the New York State Department of Conservation Environmental Justice Committee throughout her career, the Haudenosaunee have responsibilities to the land and water they came from: “We speak in terms of responsibilities with respect to water, not in terms of water rights… From time immemorial, we have held the view that the ‘law of the land' is not man-made law, but a greater natural law, the Great Law of Peace. This law, in our view, is divine. The Haudenosaunee have a deep respect for the waters of the Earth.” For the Haudenosaunee, law is made in cooperation with land and water.

Onondaga Lake is central to The Great Law of Peace, or Kayaneren’kowa. According to Haudenosaunee histories, the five Nations had fallen away from the Original Instructions of Skyholder, or the Creator, who mandated that humans cultivate the land and live alongside “all things that grow" and game animals. Included in the Original Instructions was the Thanksgiving Address, or Ohenton Kariwatehkwen.

Water, including Onondaga Lake, is central to the Thanksgiving Address: “We give thanks to all the Waters of the world. We are grateful that the waters are still here and doing their duty of sustaining life on Mother Earth. Water is life, quenching our thirst and providing us with strength, making the plants grow and sustaining us all. Let us gather our minds together and with one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Waters.”

The Nations, who had “lost sight of the harmony and balance provided for in the Original Instructions” split into warring factions. The Peacemaker brought the Nations together on the shores of Onondaga Lake, where he united them under the Great Law of Peace and formed the Haudenosaunee Confederacy

The Haudenosaunee, or people of the longhouse, was founded as a conscious league based on principles of mutual respect and peaceful communication. The Onondaga Nation website describes this event as the formation of “the first representative democracy in the West.”

The event was recorded with the creation of the Hiawatha Belt, a wampum whose design would later be used as the Flag of the Iroquois Confederacy. This belt conveys the guiding principles of the Haudenosaunee, the story of the Great Peacemaker, and the founding of the league at Onondaga Lake.

Onondaga Lake remains a sacred site for the Haudenosaunee, which King directly connects to Haudenosaunee environmental protection and sovereignty: “The value of water and the meaning of water law for the Native American called the Haudenosaunee cannot be separated from a yet-more foundational discussion on Haudenosaunee sovereignty and the right to protect land and Creation must be understood… Views on sovereignty are dependent upon the level of regard one has for the land itself (water, of course, included).”

Early European settlement

Europeans began to learn about salt springs in the area in 1654, when the Onondagas revealed their presence to French explorers. Jesuit missionaries visiting the Syracuse region in the same time period were the first to report on salty brine springs around the southern end of what they called "Salt Lake," known today as Onondaga Lake. The brine springs were reported to have extended around much of the lake for a distance of nearly 9 miles. They extended from the present-day towns of Salina through Geddes and from Liverpool to near the mouth of Ninemile Creek. European settlers, mostly trappers and traders, followed the Jesuit missionaries and French explorers into the Syracuse area during the 17th and 18th centuries. After the French and Indian War, British traders replaced the French, but encounters were limited. British-American colonists began salt production in the area in the late 18th century. Following the victory of the United States in the American Revolutionary War, it made the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1788 with supposed Haudenosaunee negotiators who were unauthorized by the Nations.

Among its provisions was the transfer of the lands around the lake from the Onondaga Nation to local salt producers on the condition that the salt would be produced for the common use of everyone. By 1822, due to a high incidence of malaria, the lake's water level was lowered after its outlet to the Seneca River was dredged. The low-lying swampy area, located in what is now the northern end of downtown Syracuse, was drained. The completion of the Erie Canal through New York State in the mid-1820s and the commercial production of salt brought an increase in settlement of the area. The lake's western shore became increasingly industrialized as the nineteenth century progressed.

Onondaga Lake also became a popular resort area. By the late 19th century, its shoreline was dotted with hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks. The area was so popular that people traveled by railroad from as far as New York City to visit the lake. Fish from the lake were harvested and served in restaurants across the state.

Industry
Salt brine and limestone were the key raw materials for the production of soda ash, used to make the industrial products of glass, chemicals, detergent, and paper. The abundance of salt brine and limestone in Onondaga Lake's watershed area attributed greatly for the industrialization along the lake's shoreline. Beginning in 1838, New York State authorized the drilling of deep wells at several locations around the lake. The wells were intended to locate the source of the brine, but no source was located.

The Solvay Process Company, incorporated in 1881, began drilling deep test holes in the area south of Syracuse in 1883. The company's main product was soda ash, integral to several industries. Eventually Solvay found halite deposits at a depth of 1,216 ft below land surface in the southern end of Tully Valley. From 1890 to 1986, more than 120 wells were drilled into four halite beds on the east and west flanks of the valley. Soda ash production began in 1884. The company was producing about 20 tons of soda ash per day, dumping most of its waste material directly into Onondaga Lake. Eventually wastebeds were built along the southwest perimeter of the lake to contain the by-products of soda ash production. In 1907, the New York State Attorney General threatened the Solvay Process Company with legal action over the direct discharge of Solvay waste material into the lake. As Syracuse's population began to grow in the 20th century, a surplus of pollution hit the lake hard. This lake was so close to the city that the effects of people's sewage, exhaust fumes, and dumping of unnecessary products all caused the lake to decline in popularity, fishing, and even swimming.

In 1920, the Solvay Process Company merged with four other chemical companies, forming Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation. In 1950 it began the production of chlorine by mercury cell in 1950. Mercury-contaminated waste was also dumped directly into Onondaga Lake. Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation became Allied Chemical Corporation in 1958. Its continued practice of allowing mercury into the lake led to the federal and state governments banning fishing in 1970, due to mercury contamination of the fish. The US Attorney General sued Allied Chemical to halt the dumping of mercury into the lake. It is estimated that Allied Chemical was dumping approximately 25 lb of mercury into Onondaga Lake per day. In 1981 Allied Chemical Corporation become Allied Corporation; in 1985 it changed its name to Allied-Signal, Inc. when it merged with the Signal companies. The company announced that it would close its operations in Syracuse because of changes in environmental laws, and in 1986 began dismantling its facility.

In 1989, New York State filed a lawsuit against Allied-Signal, Inc. for its part in contamination of Onondaga Lake. New York State and Allied-Signal, Inc. signed an interim Consent Decree detailing the elements of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study to be undertaken of the lake. In compliance with the Consent Decree, the study was conducted by Allied-Signal, Inc. which became Honeywell, Inc. in 1999.

Non-salt-producing companies also became established along the Onondaga Creek valley from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Many of these companies drilled wells into the underlying sand to obtain water for cooling purposes. They were protecting dairy products and beer, storing perishable goods, and regulating temperature in office and storage buildings by such water use. Once used, the water was disposed of in nearby streams that drained to Onondaga Lake. This practice increased the salinity of the surface-water system.

Long Branch Park
Long Branch Park is a public park in Onondaga County, New York, located in the town of Liverpool at 3813 Long Branch Road near NYS Route 370 and John Glenn Boulevard. The park is located on the northern shore of Onondaga Lake near Onondaga Lake Park, but it has no formal relation to it and is operate separately.

Onondaga Lake Park
Onondaga Lake Park is another county park. It hugs the eastern shore of the lake and has its offices at 6790 Onondaga Lake Trail in Liverpool. The park offers seven miles of shoreline, with a variety of areas for family picnics, including developed areas in Willow Bay and Cold Springs.

Onondaga Lake Park Marina
The Onondaga Lake Park Marina is located on Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool.

Wegmans Good Dog Park

The Wegmans Good Dog Park was the first of its kind in Central New York and is located in the Cold Springs Mud Lock section of Onondaga Lake Park. It is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week year round.

Dogs are allowed to exercise without leashes in a 40,000 sqft fenced-in area which includes an exercise area with tunnels, jumps and bridges complete with red fire hydrants.

Entrance to the park is located at 49 Cold Springs Trail in Liverpooloff NYS Route 370. Suggested donation of $1 per person at the main gate. The park is maintained with private donations.

Mission of Sainte Marie
The Old French Fort at the Mission of Sainte Marie was the site of an early attempt by French Jesuits and colonists to establish a base in Central New York. In the 1930s, the remains of the original fort were replaced with what was claimed to be a "replica" or reconstruction of the site. Subsequent research has revealed that it was a poor imitation.

In the 1980s, a decision was made to replace the structure with a historically accurate reconstruction. In addition, a visitor's center was built. This is used for the display of archeological artifacts recovered from the area, in a more accurate and "hands on" living museum.

As of January 1, 2013, the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) took over management of the Onondaga County facility known as "Sainte Marie among the Iroquois" located on the eastern shore of Onondaga Lake. The site is currently planning to repurpose the facility into a Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Heritage Center named Skä•noñh Center – Great Law of Peace Center. Skä•noñh, is an Onondaga welcoming greeting meaning Peace and Wellness.

Salt Museum
The Salt Museum was built around a still-standing boiling block chimney. It opened in 1933 during the Great Depression.

Events

 * Syracuse Hydrofest - The North American championship of hydroplane racing - annual event in the Willow Bay area of Onondaga Lake Park in mid-June.
 * Lights on the Lake - Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool from late November to early January.

Sewage wastewater
One major source of pollution for Onondaga Lake is municipal sewage. For years, Syracuse dumped human waste into the lake with little or no treatment. Before European settlement and the growth of a large population in the area, the lake was oligo-mesothropic, meaning that it contained low levels of aquatic plant blooms.

The high levels of ammonia and phosphates due to the dumping of sewage wastewater have led to excessive algae growth in the lake. When these excessive algae growths die, bacteria decompose the dead algae using large quantities of oxygen, which causes eutrophic and low-oxygen conditions. The low oxygen levels lead to the choking out of fish and plants, especially in the deeper areas of the lake. Eventually anoxic (oxygen-free) conditions set in parts of the lake and anaerobic decomposition takes place which emits harmful and foul-smelling gases like hydrogen sulfide.

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) also contributes pollution. In some areas of Syracuse, sewers carry both sanitary sewage and stormwater. During dry weather, these sewers carry all the sanitary sewage to Metro for treatment; however, during times of heavy rain or melting snow, the amount of water is greater than the capacity of the sewers. They overflow and discharge a combination of runoff and sanitary sewage into Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook. Through these tributaries, the CSO eventually reaches Onondaga Lake. CSO has been generating concerns about bacteria. In the 1960s, Syracuse had ninety points where CSO could reach Onondaga Creek, Harbor Brook, or Ley Creek.

Chemical pollution

The Allied Chemical Corporation contributed greatly to the chemical pollution of Onondaga Lake. The surface water was found to be contaminated with mercury whereas the sediments are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, creosotes, heavy metals (lead, cobalt, and mercury), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated benzenes, and BTEX compounds (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene). In Onondaga Lake the chlorinated benzenes are located in the southwest portion, in the form of a dense oily liquid that has settled into the sediments. These chemicals were intentionally dumped into the lake or unintentionally seeped in from upland toxic waste sites or from the Solvay wastebeds located at the southwest end of Onondaga Lake. Approximately 6 e6lb of salty wastes made up of chloride, sodium, and calcium were dumped into the lake before Allied Chemical closed in 1986.

Mercury contamination has been a major pollution issue. Between 1946 and 1970, 165,000 lb of mercury was discharged into Onondaga Lake by Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation. In 2002, the findings from the remedial investigation conducted by successor Honeywell, Inc., with the supervision of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), reported that mercury contamination was found throughout the lake: the most elevated concentrations were in the sediments of the Ninemile Creek delta and of the southwestern portion of the lake. A fishing ban was imposed in 1970 due to mercury contamination.

In June of 2023, a scientific article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's (JAMA) Open Network Journal, which explored the association between arsenic levels and cardiovascular disease in children who lived near the lake. The article, "Exposure to Arsenic and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in 9- to 11-Year-Old Children, Syracuse, New York," explores the relationship between urinary arsenic, a heavy metal, and cardiovascular disease risk factors including blood vessel, and heart ventricle thickness. The study, done with 9-11 year old children, demonstrated a correlation between cardiovascular disease and high arsenic levels, as well as a correlation between high arsenic levels and children who lived in the southern and eastern areas near the bottom of Onondaga Lake.

Mudboils
Approximately 18 mi south of Syracuse, the Tully Valley has unique hydro-geological features called mudboils. These mudboils are the cause of the excessive sedimentation of Onondaga Lake. The sediment enters Onondaga Creek, which flows north into the lake. Sediment loading is a problem because it degrades water quality, decreases water clarity, and reduces habitat for aquatic insects, fish spawning, and plants.

Sewage pollution cleanup
The first steps taken to control sewage pollution occurred in 1907 with the creation of the Syracuse Interceptor Sewage Board. It served to address sewage-related problems in Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook. In 1960, Onondaga County established a sewer district and built the Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant ("Metro") on the south shore of the lake.

In 1987, Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF), a Syracuse-based organization providing legal and technical assistance to citizens and organizations dealing with environmental problems, filed a lawsuit against Onondaga County alleging that Metro and the combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges were violating federal water pollution standards established under the Clean Water Act of 1972. The state of New York joined as a plaintiff with allegations that Onondaga County had also violated the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. In 1988, ASLF, the state of New York, and Onondaga County reached a settlement outlined in a Consent Judgement which required the county to pay Upstate Freshwater Institute to create water quality models for the lake. These models would then form the basis for discharge limits imposed on the county's Metro facility. In 1990, the U.S. Congress created the Onondaga Lake Management Conference (Public Law 101-596, section 401). It ordered the group to develop a comprehensive revitalization, conservation, and management plan for Onondaga Lake that recommends priority corrective actions and compliance schedules for its cleanup. The Conference also called for coordination of implementing the plan. The largest responsibility of the Onondaga Lake Management Conference was the completion of the Onondaga Lake Management Plan.

In 1997, New York State, Onondaga County, and ASLF reached an agreement, the Onondaga Lake Amended Consent Judgement (ACJ), on municipal wastewater collection and treatment improvements. The ACJ called for a schedule to attain compliance with the Clean Water Act. The ACJ is a multi-year program designed to improve the water quality of Onondaga Lake while achieving full compliance with state and federal water quality regulations by December 1, 2002. ACJ projects are divided into three main categories: wastewater treatment, collection system, and lake and tributary monitoring. In January 1998, a federal judge approved the ACJ and in September 1999, the Onondaga Lake Management Conference approved and endorsed the Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ). It incorporated the ACJ into its 1993 Onondaga Lake Management Plan entitled, A Plan of Action.

The final stage for ammonia discharge improvements occurred in 2004. The biological aerated filter (BAF) system allows for year-round nitrification of wastewater. In 2004, Metro's annual ammonia discharge was reduced to 152 metric tons and by 2005, the annual discharge fell to 21 metric tons. The ACJ also led to the creation of an ambient monitoring program (AMP) to track the effectiveness of the improvements made to the wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure. The AMP is designed to identify sources of materials to the lake, evaluate in-lake water quality conditions, and examine the interactions between Onondaga Lake and Seneca River. Since 2007, Onondaga Lake has been in full compliance with the ambient water quality standards for ammonia. It was officially de-listed for that particular parameter in the State's 2008 list of impaired bodies of water.

The ACJ achieved other successes. Between 1993 and 2006, the phosphorus discharges from Metro were decreased by 86%. Regarding contamination via CSOs, the ACJ required that by 2010 the county eliminate or capture for treatment 95% of the CSO volume generated during heavy rain and snow melt.

Chemical pollution cleanup
In 1989, the State of New York filed a lawsuit against Allied-Signal, Inc. The lawsuit sought to compel the company to clean up the hazardous wastes that it and its predecessors had dumped into and around the lake. In 2005, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Record of Decision that outlined the remediation plans of Onondaga Lake. The Federal Court approved a Consent Decree in 2007, obliging Honeywell International, Inc. to implement the NYSDEC/EPA cleanup plan for the contaminated sediments in the bottom of the lake. Honeywell signed the Consent Decree that same year and began the Remedial Design and Remedial Action for the Onondaga Lake Bottom Site.

The cleanup plan called for the dredging of up to 2.65 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments to a depth that will allow for a cap to be built without losing any lake surface area. The plan also called for the installation of a barrier wall made of steel on the southwest corner of the lake to prevent contamination from the wastebeds from getting into the lake. In 2011, Honeywell completed second-phase construction on this barrier wall. The estimated cost of the cleanup plan was $451 million; an estimated $414 million in order to construct the remedy, followed by an annual maintenance cost of $3 million.

Dredging began in July 2012. The sediments were hydraulically dredged from the bottom of the lake and piped to a sediment consolidation area in Camillus, New York. The dredging was completed in November 2014, a year ahead of schedule, having removed approximately 2.2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment.

The plan called for a cap covering 580 acre of lake-bottom. Capping began in August 2014, and was completed in 2016. Habitat restoration was completed in November 2017.

In 2015, the EPA's first five-year review found that the addition of diluted calcium nitrate solution was effective in containing methylmercury (MeHg) in deep areas of the lake, which helped reduce MeHG concentrations throughout the lake and in zooplankton. At depths of 10-19 m, the amount of MeHg has decreased by 97% since 2006.

Audubon New York honored Honeywell with the 2015 Thomas W. Keesee Jr. Conservation Award for its role in “one of the most ambitious environmental reclamation projects in the United States.”

As part of the scope of the cleanup project, Honeywell has funded and operates the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center, which opened in 2012. The center, located on land owned by the New York State Department of Transportation adjacent to Honeywell's cleanup headquarters on the southwestern shore, presents information about the ongoing cleanup.

The Onondaga Nation is not content with the Remedial Action plan for the Onondaga Lake Bottom Site. Their website states that the dredging plan will not include the additional 8 million cubic yards that the NYSDEC found to be contaminated. They do not believe that isolation caps are a permanent, reliable form of containment. The caps will not cover the entirety of the lake-bottom and they will eventually fail. The Onondaga Nation has said that New York State goals do not include making the lake swimmable or fishable, which are criteria included in the Clean Water Act. The total estimated plan, according to Onondaga Nation, of a thorough cleanup would cost $2.16 billion.

In addition, the Onondaga Nation seeks biocultural restoration beyond improving water quality. According to Citizen Potawatomi plant biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, who lives in the vicinity of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse,"In the Indigenous worldview, a healthy landscape is understood to be whole and generous enough to be able to sustain its partners. It engages land not as a machine but as a community of respected non-human persons to whom we humans have a responsibility. Restoration requires renewing the capacity not only for “ecosystem services” but for “cultural services” as well. Renewal of relationships includes water that you can swim in and not be afraid to touch. Restoring relationship means that when the eagles return, it will be safe for them to eat the fish. People want that for themselves, too. Biocultural restoration raises the bar for environmental quality of the reference ecosystem, so that as we care for the land, it can once again care for us."In 2022, the lake was declared to be at its cleanest in 100 years.

Sedimentation control
Since 1992, the Onondaga Lake Partnership has supported the efforts of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in the following remedial activities: the diversion of surface water away from the mudboils, the installation of a dam on the stream that flows from the mudboils area, and the drilling of wells to reduce the pressure around the mudboils (21). The installation of several depressurization wells has led to dramatic decreases in sediment loading; an average of 30 tons per day was reduced to 1 ton per day.

Fishing improvements
Dating back to the 1600s, Onondaga Lake has always shown reports of a cold-water system supporting certain types of fish. Around the late 1800s, degradation occurred and the fish that once thrived in the lake such as the American eel, Atlantic Salmon and Whitefish declined. The decrease in population resulted from the increase in temperatures because of severe pollution and human activities taking place. Even though the species are starting to gain numbers in this lake once again, the evidence shows that pollution had a direct impact on the fish that once inhabited this environment.

A survey in 1928 showed the lake was habitat for only ten remaining species. After clean-up and restoration efforts, researchers found a total of 54 species of fish captured in the lake between 1990 and 1999. The quality of sport fishing for large and small-mouth bass has gained national acclaim.

In 2011, Brown Trout were listed among Onondaga Lake's Common Species, and Lake Sturgeon, stocked in nearby Oneida Lake, had returned. In addition, in recent years, areas around the lake have become an overwintering spot for bald eagles, a demonstration that the fishing is good.

According to Kimmerer, these improvements are both the work of restoration efforts and the water itself:"Engineers, scientists, and activists have all applied the gift of human ingenuity on behalf of the water. The water, too, has done its part. With lessened inputs, the lakes and streams seem to be cleaning themselves as the water moves through. In some places, plants are starting to inhabit the bottom. Trout were found once again in the lake and when water quality took an upward turn it was front-page news. A pair of eagles have been spotted on the north shore. The waters have not forgotten their responsibility. The waters are reminding the people that they can use their healing gifts when we will use ours."In 1999, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) lifted the advisory on eating bass, white perch, and catfish from Onondaga Lake. The advisory against eating walleye remained in effect; and women of childbearing age, infants, and children under the age of 15 were advised against eating any of the fish from the lake. In 2007, the NYSDOH updated its advisory, prohibiting the consumption of largemouth and smallmouth bass over 15-inches-long. No walleye, carp, channel catfish, and white perch of any size should be consumed. The Department of Health advises not more than four meals per month of brown bullhead and pumpkinseed, and not more than one meal per month of any species not listed.

Onondaga sovereignty and environmental justice

The lake is also subject of a land right action filed on March 11, 2005, by the Onondaga Nation. The Onondaga Nation has been seeking the return of its land for over 200 years because its land was unlawfully ceded by “unauthorized Onondaga negotiators” in 1788. The Onondaga did not want monetary reparations for the land, but the rights to the land. A newspaper article published in the New York Times on March 31, 2005, states, “What they want is influence in major policy discussions affecting the ecosystem in their ancestral lands. They also hope to use a favorable judgment to buy land to increase agricultural and housing opportunities, protect ancestors’ gravesites and safeguard the environment.” The Onondaga Nation sought the protection and conservation of the natural resources within and affecting the Nation's land, and the security of Onondaga rights to hunt, fish, and gather resources for subsistence and cultural needs. According to Sid Hill, the Tadodaho of the Haudenosaunee, the Onondaga people want the water, land, and air returned to its condition prior to being illegally taken by New York State in the 18th and 19th centuries. Hill considers the degraded state of Onondaga Lake as evidence that neither New York State nor federal authorities can adequately care for the land and water resources.

According to Kimmerer, “The Onondaga land rights action sought legal recognition of title to their home, not to remove their neighbors and not for development of casinos, which they view as destructive to community life. Their intention was to gain the legal standing necessary to move restoration of the land forward. Only with the title can they ensure that mines are reclaimed and that Onondaga Lake is cleaned up.”

The land rights action was dismissed by a federal judge on September 22, 2010. The judge claimed that the suit “came too late and would be disruptive to people settled on the land.” The Onondaga Nation then took the suit to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2014, and the commission allowed the Nation to pursue two of its claims in May 2023.

The Onondaga Nation sees the environmental protection of Onondaga Lake as inextricably tied to fights for Haudenosaunee sovereignty and justice for nonhuman actors: “The Onondaga people still live by the precepts of the Great Law and still believe that, in return for the gifts of Mother Earth, human people have responsibility for caring for the nonhuman people, for stewardship of the land. Without title to their ancestral lands, however, their hands were tied to protect it.”

According to Kimmerer and researchers at the Onondaga Environmental Institute, the Onondaga land rights action is both a fight for Haudenosaunee sovereignty and environmental justice. Tom Perreault, a geography professor at Syracuse University, collaborated with Sarah Wraight and Meredith Perreault at the Onondaga Environmental Institute, a non-profit focused on “environmental research, education, planning and restoration in Central New York” on “Environmental Injustice in the Onondaga Lake Waterscape, New York State, USA,” in which they say, “Onondaga leaders argue that infringement of their nation’s traditional resource use rights and desecration of its aboriginal territory, especially places like Onondaga [L]ake that are central to its culture, have harmed their people’s cultural, economic, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.” Further, Kimmerer quotes Clan Mother Audrey Shenandoah: “In this action, we seek justice. Justice for the waters. Justice for the four-leggeds and the wingeds, whose habitats have been taken. We seek justice, not just for ourselves, but justice for the whole of Creation.”

Onondaga Nation is also seeking avenues for cooperation via the precepts of the Kaswentha, or Two-Row Wampum. The Kaswentha is a treaty belt that represents a 17th-century agreement between early Dutch settlers and the Haudenosaunee based on mutual respect. The wampum depicts two ships: one, a Dutch sailing ship, the other a Haudenosaunee birch bark canoe.

Kimmerer argues that the precedent of the Kaswentha demonstrates the Onondaga Nation’s negotiating skills: “The Onondaga Nation, perhaps the oldest continuing democracy on the planet, protected much of its land and lifeways from the European settlers’ encroachment through skillful negotiations, beginning with the [Kaswentha] and continuing through subsequent treaties based on the same principles of sovereignty and mutual respect.

Former chief of the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe and first director of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force James Ransom and anthropologist Kreg Ettenger argue for a system of environmental cooperation based on the principles of the Kaswentha and Haudenosaunee teachings: “As in the past, when our two societies would come together to face a common enemy or scourge, the key to success in forming partnerships lies in focusing on the river that we travel, not on the vessels and their differences. With respect to contemporary environmental problems, the Kaswentha provides a useful and powerful image for partnerships based on protection of the natural world.” This system of environmental cooperation would include valuing both indigenous knowledge and western knowledge systems to enter into collaborative partnerships. These partnerships would necessitate the recognition and protection of the “sovereignty and autonomy of each society (the ship and canoe) while allowing for the sharing of information and ideas and the creation of mutually acceptable solutions."

Ultimately, the Onondaga Nation seeks to restore Onondaga Lake to a state that supports and honors both human and non-human life, even if full restoration may no longer be possible: “Restoration is imperative for healing the earth, but reciprocity is imperative for long-lasting, successful restoration. Like other mindful practices, ecological restoration can be viewed as an act of reciprocity in which humans exercise their caregiving responsibility for the ecosystems that sustain them.”

title: Onondaga Lake


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Star of County Down

This page is an archive of the discussion surrounding the proposed deletion of the page entitled Star of County Down.

This page is kept as an historic record.

The debate was cut short by a speedy deletion.

Some Irish song that has ~900 hits on google --Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 02:30, 2004 May 14 (UTC)
 * Delete. WP not lyric repository. Orphan. Niteowlneils 02:51, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * If someone wants to make an article about the song, at the correct title (I assume actually Star of the County Down, keep (16,000 hits). If so, make 'oops' title a redir to it. Niteowlneils 18:25, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Comment - low google hits because it should be 'Star of The County Down'. Average Earthman 11:20, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Seconding Earthman's comment. It's a classic, classic Irish ballad that's been covered by everyone and their dog. Quite probably articleworthy. Ambivalenthysteria 13:13, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Hmm, i reconsider my stand then since it's been covered by a dog. --Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 18:39, 2004 May 14 (UTC)

 * Why is this article already in red? Was it already deleted? If so, what admin is deleting articles prior to VfD debates being over, and can they please stop? Snowspinner 19:29, 16 May 2004 (UTC)

 * From Deletion log archive/May 2004 (1):
 * 03:26, 14 May 2004 RickK deleted "Star of County Down" (lyrics are copyrighted)
 * --Zigger 21:39, 2004 May 19 (UTC)

This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue or the deletion should be placed on other relevant 'live' pages. Please do not edit this page.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Le Canal Nouvelles

Le Canal Nouvelles (LCN) is a Canadian French language discretionary service 24-hour headline news channel owned by Groupe TVA, a division of Québecor. Its broadcasting headquarters are located in Montreal, Quebec. The channel, operated and programmed by the TVA Nouvelles division, was launched on September 8, 1997.

Programming
LCN broadcasts two 30-minute news segments per hour with headlines scrolling at the bottom of the screen.

Québecor also owns the TVA network. Many news reports shown on TVA are also shown on LCN. LCN also runs four TVA-produced newscasts: at 5pm weekdays, and noon/6pm/10pm daily, with the TVA logo superimposed over the LCN logo.

LCN's anchors have included Pierre Bruneau, Réjean Léveillé, Jean-François Guérin, Karine Champagne, Pascale Déry, Julie Marcoux, Mélanie Bergeron and Pierre Cantin.

The channel broadcasts factual current affairs programs, such as Denis Lévesque (hosted by Denis Lévesque, Le Vrai Négociateur (hosted by Claude Poirier), Dumont (hosted by Mario Dumont), and Franchement Martineau (hosted by Richard Martineau).

LCN HD
A high definition channel called LCN HD was launched as a simulcast of LCN on December 7, 2009. It is available on Cogeco, Vidéotron, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Fibe and Shaw Direct.

title: Le Canal Nouvelles


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Pulau Ubin

Pulau Ubin, also simply known as Ubin, is an island situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. The granite quarry used to be supported by a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about 40 villagers remained as of 2012. It is one of the last rural areas to be found in Singapore, with an abundance of natural flora and fauna. The island forms part of the Ubin–Khatib Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports significant numbers of visiting and resident birds, some of which are threatened. Today, the island is managed by the National Parks Board, compared to 12 agencies managing different areas of the island previously.

Etymology
The name Pulau Ubin literally means "Granite Island" in Malay, which explains the many abandoned granite quarries there. Pulau means "island", and Ubin is said to be a Javanese term for "squared stone". To the Malays, the island is also known as Pulau Batu Ubin, or "Granite Stone Island". The rocks on the island were used to make floor tiles in the past and were called Jubin, which was then shortened to Ubin.

The island is known as tsioh sua in the Taiwanese Romanization of Hokkien, which means "stone hill". The highest point is Bukit Puaka (Haunted Hill in Malay) at a height of 75 m.

Legend
Legend has it that Pulau Ubin was formed when three animals from Singapore (a frog, a pig and an elephant) challenged each other to a race to reach the shores of Johor. The animals that failed would turn to stone. All three came across many difficulties and were unable to reach the shores of Johor. Therefore, the elephant and pig together turned into Pulau Ubin whilst the frog became Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island.

History

Pulau Ubin first appeared on map in an 1828 sketch of the Island of Singapore as Pulo Obin and in Franklin and Jackson's map as ''Po. Ubin''. Since the British founding of Singapore, the island has been known for its granite. The numerous granite quarries on the island supply the local construction industry. The granite outcrops are particularly spectacular from the sea because their grooves and fluted sides create furrows and ridges on each granite rock slab. These features are captured in John Turnbull Thomson's 1850 painting — Grooved stones on Pulo Ubin near Singapore.

The granite from Pulau Ubin was used in the construction of Horsburgh Lighthouse. Tongkangs ferried the huge rock blocks (30 by 20 feet) from the island to Pedra Branca, the site of the lighthouse, in 1850 and 1851.

Later, the granite was also used to build the Singapore-Johor Causeway. Most of the quarries are not in operation today and are being slowly recolonised by vegetation or filled with water. Apart from quarrying, farming and fishing were the principal occupations of the inhabitants of the island in the past. It is also called Selat Tebrau (tebrau is a kind of large fish).

In the 1970s as the granite quarries closed down and jobs dwindled, residents began leaving.

Human settlement
In the 1880s, a number of Malays led by Endut Senin from the Kallang River were said to have moved to the island that began the thriving Malay community on the island.

Many of the former kampung on Pulau Ubin were either named after the first person who settled in the kampung or by some feature in the area. Kampung Leman was named by Leman; Kampung Cik Jawa by a Singaporean named Jawa; and Kampung Jelutong from people from Changi and from its jelutong trees. During the 1910s the island was home to a number of German-run coffee plantations. One of the German residents who died in 1914 is commemorated at the German Girl Shrine. During the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore in WW2, the island was captured and occupied by the Imperial Japanese army on the night of 7th February 1942 as a diversionary attack on Singapore. A few Japanese soldiers were killed and wounded in the conquest of the island by a few soldiers and natives who put up a fight. The Japanese created havoc on the island and executed and wounded many locals on the island.

During the 1950s and 1970s, there were 2,000 people living on the island and the Bin Kiang School was established in 1952 for the increasing number of children, from money donated by the Chinese residents. Lessons prior to this were conducted on the village wayang stage. With a student population that once numbered 400, enrolment fell as the Singapore mainland developed. The school closed in 1985, and was demolished on 2 April 2000. There was also a private Malay school around 1956 at Kampung Melayu, which closed in the late 1970s.

Pulau Ubin was found to be suitable for the construction of several campsites. Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) was established in 1967 at Pulau Ubin, by Dr Goh Keng Swee, while the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) opened its 25-hectare site camp located between Kampung Bahru and Kampung Noordin. The camp is called Camp Resilience where Secondary 2 and 3 NPCC cadets have a 3-day 2 night stay for training. Secondary 2 NPCC cadets go to Adventure Training Camp (ATC) while Secondary 3 NPCC cadets go to Survival Training Camp (STC). lt was opened officially on 10 August 2004.

On 3 June 2005, the Singapore Government ordered that all the farmers rearing poultry on the island were to ship them to mainland Singapore and rear them in government-approved farms by 17 June 2005, in the wake of the avian influenza. In exchange, the local inhabitants were offered HDB government housing packages, although they could choose to live on the island.

As of 2012, there are only 40 people living on the island.

Present-day

Pulau Ubin is one of the last areas in Singapore that has been preserved from urban development, concrete buildings and tarmac roads. In the 1990s, the government approved land reclamation plans for Chek Jawa and when the plans were made public in 2001, it drew public criticism, with Singaporeans making appeals to the government to preserve the biodiversity of Chek Jawa instead. After a biodiversity survey conducted by conservationist volunteers in December, 2001, it resulted in the plans being postponed by the government, with the Ministry of National Development stating that the island would not be developed if there is no need for it to be.

Outlined in Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)'s 1993 master plan, there were plans to build an MRT line connecting the island and Pulau Tekong to mainland Singapore as well as HDB apartments on the island by 2030. In 2013, these plans were removed from URA's updated master plans and authorities announced that there are currently no plans to develop the island.

Pulau Ubin's wooden house villages and wooden jetties, relaxed inhabitants, rich and preserved wildlife, abandoned quarries and plantations, and untouched nature make it the last witness of the old kampung Singapore that existed before modern industrial times and large-scale urban development.

Ubin Town

Ubin Town is the only settlement on the island. Located near Ubin Jetty, many businesses in the village cater mainly to visitors to the island, with various bicycle shops, restaurants and provision shops dotting the village centre. A Chinese opera stage, managed by the village temple (Fo Shan Teng Tua Pek Kong Temple) is also located in the village centre; it is one of the last three Chinese opera stages that has survived in Singapore. The platform is a characteristic of Southern Chinese temples, where Chinese opera and Getai performances can be held during important festivals presented to the deities of the temple.

Future developments
In the URA 2011 concept plan, Pulau Ubin is poised to be developed when Singapore's population exceeds a threshold of 6.9 million. According to the plan, HDB flats and a bridge would be built to connect the island with the mainland and Pulau Tekong. However, the government has also stated that it would preserve the island in its current state for as long as possible.

Local tourism
Although the island attracted attention for development and planning only in recent years, Pulau Ubin has been popular with Singaporean visitors for recreational activities such as summer camps and outdoor activities. With growing attention and interest in nature, visitors to Pulau Ubin has increased over the years, where according to the National Parks Board, the island sees an estimated 300,000 visitors annually. Pulau Ubin Recreation Area, which included Chek Jawa, was created to cater to local tourism. The site is about 700 hectares within the 1,020-hectare Pulau Ubin.

Amongst the various popular attractions on the island is Chek Jawa, a previous coral reef 5,000 years ago, Chek Jawa can be said to be virtually unspoilt. The wetlands are unique as several ecosystems can be observed in one area and supports a variety of marine wildlife comparable to other islands, such as sea hares, sea squirts, octopuses, starfishes, sand dollars, fishes, sponges, cuttlefishes and nudibranches.

A boardwalk runs through the mangrove, allowing visitors to observe the plant and marine life at close range. During low tide, a limited number of people are allowed to walk on the tidal flats. The prominent Chinese temple, Fo Shan Teng Tua Pek Kong Temple, is also another frequently visited site.

Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a popular activity on Pulau Ubin and the island is home to one of Singapore's mountain bike trails, Ketam Mountain Bike Park which was built in 2007. The trail is approximately 8 kilometres long, varies in elevation and features a wide range of terrain from open meadows to thick jungle and is well-marked with signs indicating the difficulty level of each section. While a large proportion of visitors to the island bring their own bicycles, rental cycle vendors are prevalent in Ubin town.

Transport

Visitors may travel to Pulau Ubin from the main island of Singapore via a 10-minute bumboat ride from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal (previously known as the Changi Village jetty). In 2008, the one-way ticket price was increased from S$2.00 to S$2.50 per passenger. It was further increased to S$3.00 from 7 September 2015 onwards. Since June 2022, it has been S$4.00. Every bumboat can carry 12 passengers and the captain will wait until his boat has reached the maximum capacity. People who do not want to wait can pay S$48.00 for the whole bumboat and leave without waiting.

Transportation around the island can be either be done via bicycles of which the rental price range anywhere from S$8.00 to S$27.00 (for the entire day) depending on the condition of the bike, number of gears etc. For longer distance travel around the island, individuals can call taxi service (which is arranged by small coach buses), to get to scenic spots there.

Hornbill Conservation Project

The National Biodiversity Centre, in partnership with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and researchers Marc Cremades and Ng Soon Chye, implemented the Hornbill Conservation Project to aid in the breeding and recovery of the Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) which had previously become extinct in Singapore but has since started to re-establish itself in places like Pulau Ubin and Changi.

Hornbills require tree cavities to nest in. However, tree cavities of sufficient size to accommodate the female hornbill and her young are not common in Singapore. The implementation of artificial nest boxes at Pulau Ubin and Changi have been successful and video cameras are even installed within the nest boxes to provide a better understanding of the behavioural and feeding patterns of these birds.

Seahorse Monitoring Project
Since May 2009, the National Biodiversity Centre, together with volunteers from National Parks Board and nature groups such as Wild Singapore and TeamSeaGrass, initiated a project to monitor identified populations of seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) and pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) in several locations including Pulau Ubin for conservation management purposes. The data gathered will help to estimate the population size, growth rate of individuals and track their movements in their natural habitats.

In popular culture

 * In 1989, TCS (now renamed Mediacorp), filmed a television drama named Good Morning, Sir. The drama was set in the 1950s where a woman from the main island of Singapore went to Pulau Ubin to work as a teacher.
 * In 1999, Mediacorp filmed a Channel 8 television drama called My Teacher, My Friend about the lives of students in the primary school that used to exist on Pulau Ubin.
 * In 2006, Mediacorp broadcast a Kids Central (now Okto on 5) television drama series titled Ubin Boy. The plot revolved around two main characters, Steven (a mainland citizen) and his cousin Ah Boy living in Pulau Ubin.
 * In the Danny Wallace book Yes Man, Wallace visits Pulau Ubin after it is suggested to him (and to which he must agree) after he visits Singapore. He is told the island is a paradise and must visit it by a local taxi driver.
 * The Amazing Race 25 visited this island when the teams arrived in Singapore.
 * Mediacorp filmed a Channel 8 television drama called Hand In Hand in 2015 about four siblings in search of a suspicious figure on Pulau Ubin who looks like their father.

title: Pulau Ubin


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User:Stephanlebohec

This is my text

title: User:Stephanlebohec


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Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)

The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century professional baseball team that competed from to, first in the American Association and later in the National League. This early Orioles franchise, which featured six players (Wilbert Robinson--C, Dan Brouthers--1B, Hughie Jennings--SS, John McGraw--3B, "Wee Willie" Keeler--RF, and Joe Kelley--LF) and a manager (Ned Hanlon) who were later inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, finished in first place for three consecutive seasons (1894–1896) and won the Temple Cup national championship series in 1896 and 1897.

Despite their success, the dominant Orioles were contracted out of the National League after the 1899 season, when the league reduced in size from 12 members to eight. Upon the foundation of the American League in 1901, a reorganized Baltimore Orioles franchise competed as a charter member for two seasons, before folding and being replaced by the New York Highlanders, later renamed the New York Yankees.

History
The team (formally the "Baltimore Base Ball and Exhibition Company" ) was founded in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association, which was then a major league. After several years of mediocrity, the team dropped out of the league after the 1889 season, but re-joined in 1890 to replace the Brooklyn Gladiators when that last-place team dropped out during the season. The Orioles were one of four AA clubs merged into the National League in 1892 (formally as a 12-member "League Association"). The beginnings of what was to become a legendary team can be traced to June 1892, when Harry Von der Horst hired Ned Hanlon to manage the Orioles giving him stock in the team and full authority over baseball operations. Ned moved his growing family to a house that stood a block away from Union Park.

After two years finishing near the bottom of the league, the Orioles won three consecutive pennants with several future Hall of Famers under player/manager Ned Hanlon from 1894 to 1896. They followed up the title run with two consecutive second-place finishes. Accordingly, they participated in all four editions of the post-season Temple Cup series, winning the final two in 1896 and 1897.

After the team's 1898 second-place finish, Hanlon and most of the team's stars were moved to the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League by the joint ownership of the clubs. Third baseman John McGraw and catcher Wilbert Robinson remained in Baltimore, with McGraw remaining as first-year player/manager. Following a fourth-place finish in 1899, the Orioles were one of four clubs eliminated by the National League. In the 8-team National League of 1900, McGraw and Robinson joined the St. Louis Cardinals.

One year later McGraw followed through on his threats to abandon the NL and form a club in the rival American League (being formed by new president Ban Johnson out of the former minor Western League), doing so beginning in 1901. (Those newly formed A.L. Orioles only stayed in Baltimore for two seasons before being moved to New York as "the price of peace" as agreement was established in 1903 between the older circuit and its new upstart rival allowing the "Americans" to have a representative also in the "Big Apple" as a sign of respectability. The old Oriole franchise under McGraw became known as the "New York Highlanders" or occasionally the "New York Americans", later renamed in 1913 as the New York Yankees.)

A high-minor league franchise in the old Eastern League filled the void left by the Orioles in 1903, including local product and future baseball icon Babe Ruth and Lefty Grove, even winning an unbroken string of seven straight titles, 1919–1925 in the "Triple A" (AAA) level of minor league baseball in the reorganized International League (after 1911); but top-level professional baseball would not return to Baltimore until the St. Louis Browns relocated to the City in 1954.

Ballpark
The Orioles played briefly at the old Oriole Park, in Harwood, south of the Waverly neighborhood at 29th and Barclay Streets, (just a block west from Greenmount Avenue) from 1890 to 1891. (The 1901 AL Orioles-turned-Highlanders would play at the site a decade later.) During the 1891 season, the Orioles moved a few blocks away to Union Park on Huntington Avenue (later renamed 25th Street) and Greenmount Avenue, where they would play and win their famous three straight championships for the old "Temple Cup" in 1894–1895-1896. Unfortunately they were removed from the N.L. roster after the 1899 season when the League was controversially reduced from 12 team franchises to 8, which endured for the next half-century. For further info see List of baseball parks in Baltimore, Maryland.

Stars

The original Orioles were one of the most storied teams in the history of the game. Managed by Ned Hanlon, they won NL pennants in 1894, 1895 and 1896, and sported some of the most colorful players in history including John McGraw, Wee Willie Keeler, Hughie Jennings, Joe Kelley, Wilbert Robinson, and Dan Brouthers.

They were rough characters who practically invented "scientific" baseball, the form of baseball played before the home run became the norm in the 1920s. Like the style known today as "small ball", the "inside baseball" strategy of Orioles featured tight pitching, hit and run tactics, stolen bases, and precise bunting. One such play, where the batter deliberately strikes the pitched ball downward onto the infield surface with sufficient force such that the ball rebounds skyward, allowing the batter to reach first base safely before the opposing team can field the ball, remains known as a Baltimore chop.

Matt Kilroy pitched a no-hitter for the Orioles on October 6, 1886. Bill Hawke threw one on August 16, 1893, the first from the modern pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Jay Hughes threw a no-hitter for the Orioles on April 22, 1898.

Instead of "flying spikes," it was really "flying mouths" that most made the 1890s Orioles stand out.

title: Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)


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Lake Rotoroa (Tasman)

Lake Rotoroa lies within the borders of Nelson Lakes National Park in the South Island, New Zealand. The lake is fed by the D'Urville and Sabine rivers.

The greatest depth is 145 metres, and it has a surface area of just under 23.5 km. The lake is surrounded by beech forest. Rotoroa is a small community at the base of the lake. The Gowan River flows out of the lake at this point, thus making the lake one of the sources of the Buller River system.

The Rotoroa Route, following the northeast side of the lake, has been permanently closed to public access. Several other walking tracks can be accessed near the settlement at the head of the lake, and a water taxi travels the length of the lake to ferry trampers.

The lake has introduced trout, which attract recreational fishermen. There is a fly-fishing lodge, Lake Rotoroa Lodge, on the lake.

The word rotoroa is Māori for long lake.

title: Lake Rotoroa (Tasman)


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User talk:The Crimson Keyboard

 * Yo---The Crimson Keyboard 02:51, 14 May 2004 (UTC)

So, are you changing your username from Rick. K to The Crimson Keyboard, or are you going to have 2 usernames?--Beelzebubs 02:53, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Who is this?---The Crimson Keyboard 02:59, 14 May 2004 (UTC)

Your vandalism continues, I see. RickK 03:03, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * What do you mean my vandalism continues? who is this?---The Crimson Keyboard 10:44, 14 May 2004 (UTC)
 * You keep deleting the votes for deletion header from All Saints Construction, though you have been repeatedly asked to stop. And quit asking "who is this", it's disingenuous.  RickK 06:31, 15 May 2004 (UTC)

You keep adding VfD and Delete notices to legitimate pages. Any reason? Fuzheado 10:53, 14 May 2004 (UTC)

Yammy Is this the username that you prefer? Because I need to change all those redirects? theresa knott 16:05, 14 May 2004 (UTC)

Disambiguation pages are pages for a word that has more than one meaning. We do not add stub messages to those. Since you sdon't understand our deletion process, stop posting VfD messages on articles. The articles in question have 'zero chance of being deleted, andd you are just wasting everyone's time.

title: User talk:The Crimson Keyboard


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Otsego Lake (New York)

Otsego Lake is a 4046 acre lake located in Otsego County in the U.S. state of New York. It is the source of the Susquehanna River and largest lake in Otsego County. The Village of Cooperstown is located at the lake's southern end. Glimmerglass State Park is located on the lake's northeastern shore, and includes Hyde Hall, a large mansion constructed in 1817, that overlooks the lake. The Glimmerglass Opera, opened in June 1987, is located on the western shore.

Between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, glaciers of the Wisconsin glaciation filled the valley. Otsego Lake was formed when an ice tongue from a glacier carved out the Susquehanna River Valley. As the glaciers melted slowly, they filled in the valley they carved out. The lake takes its name from the Iroquois Indians, who inhabited the area around the lake in and before the 17th century. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock", referring to the large boulder near the lake's outlet, today known as Council Rock.

The lake's role in the state and local economy has led to a concentrated effort to protect and manage it. In 1935, the New York State Conservation Department performed the first biological survey of Otsego Lake. In 1968, the State University of New York at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta) gained access to the lake, a location to build a field station and a biological research facility. Also at this time, the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) was formed by a group of local landowners and sportsmen concerned about the water quality. SUNY Oneonta and OCCA collaborate on water quality improvement projects. The Otsego Lake Association, a not for profit group, makes sure that the Otsego Lake Watershed Management Plan is enforced. Today the lake is used for pleasure as well as sporting activities such as fishing.

Geography
Otsego Lake is 7.8 mi long with a surface area of 4046 acre. Its average depth is 82 ft, with a maximum depth of 167 ft. The northern roughly 2 mi of the lake is in the town of Springfield and the southern part in the town of Otsego, and bordered by the town of Middlefield on the eastern shore. The lake is the source of the Susquehanna River, which flows south through New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. The lake level is controlled by a dam that was built in 1905.

Sunken islands
Sunken Island is a submerged sandy plot located near the western shore of Otsego Lake, approximately 6 mi north from Cooperstown. It is the supposed remains of an island described in the writings of James Fenimore Cooper upon which a structure once stood. Today Sunken Island is several feet below the surface of the lake and is marked with four buoys to prevent boats from running aground. Another sunken island, Eel Island, is located approximately 7 mi north of Cooperstown. It is much deeper than the other sunken island.

Bays and points
There are many bays on Otsego Lake and four of them are named. One is Blackbird Bay, which located on the southwest end of the lake in the Village of Cooperstown. The next bay north of Blackbird Bay is Muskrat Cove, also known as Rat Cove. Waterlily Bay is a bay located on the west side of the lake about 2.5 mi from the foot of the lake. Then on the northern end of the lake is Hyde Bay. Glimmerglass State Park is located in this bay. Hyde Bay is named after the Hyde family.

There are many points on Otsego Lake and many of them are named. On the southwest part of the lake is Brookwood Point. About 1 mi further north is Three Mile Point. About 2 mi farther north is Five Mile Point. Mohican Brook enters the lake at Five Mile Point. Just north from Five Mile is Six Mile Point. Continuing further north about 1 mi is Hutter Point.

On the east side of the lake just north of the outlet is Point Judith, is a projection into the east side of the lake. Point Judith is the location of the historic Kingfisher Tower. It was originally called Two Mile Point, but is now named after Judith Hutter from The Deerslayer. About 1 mi further north is Point Florence. Roughly 1 mi further north is Cherry Tree Point. About 1 mi further north is Gravelly Point. Just north of Gravelly is Peggs Point. On the north end of the lake, west of Hyde Bay, is Clarke Point.

Adjacent mountains
One mountain near the lake is Mount Wellington, which is located on the north end of the lake, east of Hyde Bay. It is known as "The Sleeping Lion", as it looks similar to a lion laying down, viewed from Cooperstown, New York. It was named by George Hyde Clarke in honor of Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who went to Eton College in England with Clarke. Red House Hill is located on the west side of the lake, west of Six Mile Point. Mount Ovis is located on the west side of the lake behind the Farmer's Museum. It was named around 1813, by James Fenimore Cooper's grandfather, who kept on it some of the first imported Merino sheep (Ovis aries). Mount Vision is located on the east side of the lake by the south end. Mount Vision was named by Judge Cooper, and is the location where his father first saw the lake.

Natural history
About 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, during the Wisconsin glaciation, a glacier slowly moved through and carved out a valley that Otsego Lake now sits in. As the glacier slowly melted, it filled in the valley that was carved out. The glacier exposed limestone in the lake's watershed, which now flows into the lake through the various tributaries. The limestone protects the lake from the damaging effects of acid rain.

There are various features surrounding the lake that are evidence of the glacier. These include moraines, drumlins, hanging deltas, clays and sands. There is also evidence that shows a previously higher lake level had existed, known as "Lake Cooperstown". The Cassville-Cooperstown moraine follows the Oaks Creek valley, crosses the Susquehanna roughly 2 mi south of the lake's outlet and appears again in Cherry Valley, which is the next valley to the east. Near where this moraine crosses the Susquehanna, it rises to an elevation of 1250 ft, except for a sharp cut that the Susquehanna River now flows through. The cut is the location of the "dam" that held Lake Cooperstown at an elevation of around 1250 ft. Large terrace remnants are present around this location.

Human history
Before European colonization, Iroquois Indians inhabited the area around the lake. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock", referring to the large boulder near the lake's outlet, today known as "Council Rock". It is a large boulder whose top is above the water's surface and can be seen from shore. At low water, the oval rock rises approximately 4.5 ft above the water, and is about 9 ft long by 6 ft wide. It is believed to have been a meeting place for Native Americans prior to the American Revolutionary War. A small parcel of land near Council Rock was presented to the Village of Cooperstown in 1957, on the condition that it remain open to the public as a park. The park, today known as Council Rock Park, also includes a set of concrete steps leading to a lake-level terrace that were built in 1937.

Pieter Quackenboss, Jr (1710–1774), an early settler of the Mohawk Valley, dealt extensively with the natives and became known as "The Old Indian Trader." The following incident in his life is recorded in the 1848 book Women of the American Revolution: "Pieter Quackenboss was among the early settlers of the [Montgomery] County, and did not escape the difficulties. He was a trader with the Indians, who placed great confidence in him, frequently consulting him. They were disposed to bestow on him some particular mark of regard, and after meeting for consultation, they decided on giving him the name ' Otsego' and christening the lake for him. The ceremony of naming both him and the lake was performed by pouring liquor upon his head as he knelt on the ground, a portion being afterwards poured into the water. It is probable that few are acquainted with this origin of the name of Otsego Lake; but that family tradition has been confirmed by the recollection of some who witnessed the occurrence."

Early in 1779, General James Clinton and his soldiers began to haul 208 boats and all their supplies from the present day Villages of Fort Plain and Canajoharie, along the Mohawk River, towards Otsego Lake. By the end of June, they had made it to the lake and began to build a temporary dam at the outlet to raise the water level. The purpose of this was to break the dam and ride the flood water down the river to meet General John Sullivan at Tioga. This event is described by James Fenimore Cooper in the introduction to his popular novel The Pioneers, and commemorated by a Memorial Day canoe race.

In 1785, William Cooper settled at the south end of the lake and founded the settlement that is now known as Cooperstown. A few years after settling, there was a food shortage. Cooper stated: "A singular event deemed sent by a good Providence to our relief; it was reported to me that unusual shoals of fish were seen moving in the clear waters of the Susquehanna. l went, and was surprised to find that they were herrings (probably American shad, Alosa sapidissima). We made something like a small net, by the interweaving of twigs, and by this rude and simple contrivance we were able to take them in thousands. In less than two days each family had an ample supply."

Between 1817 and 1834, Hyde Hall was constructed at the north end of the lake. It is located within Glimmerglass State Park at the base of Mount Wellington. The building is a New York State Historic Site known as Hyde Hall State Historic Site. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 1825, Hyde Hall Bridge, a historic wooden covered bridge, was built on what was then Hyde Hall property. The bridge crosses the Shadow Brook tributary of the lake.

In 1858, the first commercial steamboat was put into operation on the lake, and by 1894, the number was up to ten. Two of them, the Natty Bumppo and the Cyclone, could hold more than 300 passengers per boat. At this time, commercial transportation on the lake was developed to fill in the gap between rail traffic entering from the Catskills into Cooperstown, to Richfield Springs where it accessed a railway that linked to a railway between Albany and Buffalo, and the Erie Canal. The last commercial steamboat went out of business in 1933.

In 1870, Elihu Phinney built a fish hatchery at Three Mile Point on the west side of the lake. Over the next few years thousands of fish were raised and released into the lake. In 1935, the New York State Conservation Department performed the first biological survey of the lake. In 1968, access to the lake and a location to build a field station and biological research facility were acquired by State University of New York at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta). Also at this time, the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) was formed by a group of local landowners and sportsmen concerned about the water quality. SUNY Oneonta and OCCA work closely together to plan and discuss water quality improvement projects. Glimmerglass State Park opened in the late 1960s.

In 1999, the 15000 acre Glimmerglass Historic District was formed, which includes the entire lake. The district covers parts of three towns, Otsego, Springfield, and Middlefield and also the village of Cooperstown. It includes 1,475 contributing features, including Hyde Hall in Glimmerglass State Park.

Geology
It is geologically related to the Finger Lakes, as they were both carved by glaciers, but is not counted among them. One difference is that Otsego Lake is situated at a higher elevation (1194 ft) than the Finger Lakes (approximately 400 ft). Another difference is the Finger Lakes are part of the Lake Ontario watershed, and Otsego is part of the Susquehanna River watershed. The lake is known for its deepness as well as the shallow littoral zone present around the majority of the lake. The shallow areas correlate to sediments deposited from tributaries that enter the lake. This is best shown at the north end of the lake where Trout Brook, Cripple Creek, and Hayden Creek enter the lake. It is also present in Hyde Bay where Shadow Brook enters, and at the south end of the lake between where Willow Brook enters the lake and Brookwood Point.

The water residence time for the lake is roughly 3 years. The majority of the water drains into the Susquehanna River, however evapotranspiration and loss to groundwater occurs but has not been measured as of 2017. Most substances that dissolve in the lake eventually leave the lake with the flow, with some serving as nutrients for organisms living in the lake. Due to water velocity slowing as the tributaries reach the lake, soil particles such as clay, silt, and sand, will usually remain within the lake longer than the water residence time. This over long periods of time can fill the lake basin in, which increases water levels. Short term problems occur as well, as lake trout were studied and found that they were not using their normal spawning beds, due to being buried in silt.

Otsego Lake is chemically eutrophic, which means that it is rich in nutrients and supports a dense plant population, the decomposition of which kills some animal life by depriving it of oxygen. It is also morphometrically oligotrophic, which means that its large size causes it to appear and function as a nutrient-poor lake although it receives a fair amount of nutrients. Many other lakes in this climate/area, such as Canadarago Lake just to the west, are smaller and shallower. In shallow lakes, algae that die fall to the bottom and decompose, which causes all of the oxygen at the lower levels to be used. This results in greater algae populations the next year and reduced sediments. However, with Otsego Lake being much deeper, the same amounts of nutrients entering are used by algae or lost into deep water. The algae still die and settle on the bottom, but due to higher oxygen levels, the oxygen isn't completely exhausted. Therefore the majority of Otsego Lake is oligotrophic, with some of the shallow bays showing eutrophic characteristics.

Watershed
The Otsego Lake watershed covers approximately 75 mi2 and includes parts of the towns of Otsego, Springfield, Middlefield, Warren and Richfield in the counties of Herkimer and Otsego in the State of New York. The watershed is 44% agricultural land, 36% forested, and 14.5% brushland. It is the headwaters of the 27510 mi2 drainage basin of the Susquehanna River which runs from Otsego Lake in Cooperstown to Havre de Grace where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake is the drinking water source for the Village of Cooperstown and residents who live along the lake shores.

SUNY Oneonta maintains a Biological Field Station (BFS) that regularly takes phosphorus samples around the lake. Tributaries to the lake are the major source of phosphorus, contributing 75-88 percent. Shadow Brook contributes the highest, with Hayden Brook being the next highest. Rain and snow contribute 8-15 percent and on-site septic systems contribute 4-10 percent. There is also evidence of some internal recycling of phosphorus from the lake's bottom.

Conservation and management
In 1870, a fish hatchery was built on the west shore of the lake. Over the years that it was in operation, over one million fish were stocked, including whitefish, landlocked salmon, black bass, California mountain trout, salmon trout and smelt. In 1935, as part of a wider survey of the Delaware and Susquehanna watersheds, the New York State Conservation Department studied the plankton, fish, plants, and physical and chemical properties of Otsego Lake. In 1968, access to the lake and a location to build a field station and biological research facility were acquired by SUNY Oneonta. Also at this time, the OCCA was formed by a group of local landowners and sportsmen concerned about the water quality. SUNY and the OCCA work together on water quality improvement projects. The main laboratory is located on the west shore of the lake just north of Cooperstown. Further north on the lake is the Thayer Farm, where the boathouse is located, that houses their research boats. Also the Otsego Lake Association, a not for profit group, makes sure that the Otsego Lake Watershed Management Plan is enforced.

In 2001, approximately 2000 yd3 of material was dredged from Clarke Pond on the northwest end of the lake. Also the aged leaking dam was repaired so it could continue to serve as a sediment detention basin. Funding was provided by a grant as well as from the Clark Foundation, property owners and the BFS. From 2002 to 2003, four wetlands in the watershed were restored under the oversight of Ducks Unlimited. Funding was provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Monitoring was conducted by BFS of the sites to determine the influence of the projects on water quality, as well as floral and fauna. In 1999, the village of Cooperstown received a $5,600 grant from the NYSDEC, to purchase lighted buoys to mark a no-wake zone, that extends 200 ft from shore. Since then, additional buoys have been purchased. A team of BFS divers install and remove the buoys each year. Signage regarding the no-wake zone is posted at access sites to the lake.

Invasive species
Zebra mussels were first introduced into the Great Lakes in the mid- to late-1980s from ballast discharged from freighters originating in the Black and Caspian Sea region of eastern Europe and western Asia. They first became established in Otsego Lake in 2007, and by 2010, carpeted most of the lake trout spawning areas. The mussels impact fry numbers by covering shallow rocky shoals and deep water rocks, where they spawn. The mussels, in high densities, block eggs from being protected in the rocks, making the eggs more vulnerable to predators. Native freshwater pearly mussels have also been negatively impacted by zebra mussels. Six different species of clams once occupied the soft bottoms, but as of 2016, no live clams were observed. In a 2013 study of the lake, other invasive species were found, including eurasian milfoil, japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, curly leaf pondweed, rusty crayfish, and starry stonewort. In August 2020, the BFS announced that quagga mussels were discovered in the lake.

In 2003, the village of Cooperstown began a boat inspection system at the village boat launch. From May through October, all incoming boats and trailers are inspected. If any evidence exists that boats have been on other bodies of water, the boats are escorted to a washing station. The town of Springfield owned launch later started a similar program.

Pollution
When Glimmerglass State Park was opened in the 1960s, a sand-filtered, wastewater treatment system was built. This system allowed some pollutants to enter the lake through Shadow Brook, which increased nutrient levels in the lake. A new filtration system was built at the state park by 1977. Eutrophic indicators decreased from 10.4 percent in 1973, to 1.4 percent in 1981. By 1988, there were significant reductions in phosphorus concentrations as well. Then between 1988 and 1994, total phosphorus concentration increased, due to old septic systems around the lake failing as well as runoff from farms and forests. As a result, a ban on phosphate-containing detergents was enacted.

In 1998, the Village of Cooperstown switched from using sand to provide winter traction on the streets to using salt. Later BFS tests showed that the change had reduced phosphorus runoff significantly. Another factor that increased phosphorus input were the outdated septic systems around the lake. In 2004, an inventory was completed for all septic systems along the lake, including type, age, and maintenance history. In 2005, a five-year program of inspections was started, to perform a visual inspection of the septic tank, an inventory of wastewater discharges from the house, and an inspection of the absorption area. If a system failed, the owner had a year to replace and upgrade the system.

Fishing
On Otsego Lake, lake trout are the main species targeted by fishermen, as well as walleye and yellow perch. The lake also supports an exceptionally large smallmouth bass population. Other fish species present in the lake are brown trout, rock bass, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, Otsego bass, bluegill, redfin pickerel, pumpkinseed, and landlocked atlantic salmon. The lake is stocked each year with approximately 5,000 brown trout that are 8 to 10 in long, approximately 5,000 lake trout that are 8 to 9 in long and between 40,000 and 80,000 walleye that are 2 to 3 in. Also 5,000 landlocked atlantic salmon that are 5 to 6 in long are stocked biennially.

There is a boat launch at the south end of the lake maintained by the Village of Cooperstown and a boat launch at the north end of the lake that is only available to residents who live in the Town of Springfield, and is maintained by the Town of Springfield. In 1990, the NYSDEC announced plans to build a boat launch at Glimmerglass State Park, which caused a debate on the use of power boats on the lake. Opponents of the new boat launch wanted all boats banned on the lake except those powered by paddle, sail or battery. During the summer, there are multiple bass tournaments to show off who can catch the most impressive sized bass.

Since the disappearance of the alewife, the more balanced lake ecosystem has caused the rebound of yellow perch and walleye populations, due to no competition from the invasive alewife. In early 2017, BFS researchers installed transponder tags in 500 adult walleyes while they spawned in tributaries at the north end of the lake. Afterwards, a warmwater gill net survey was conducted to recapture tagged walleye for a population estimate. Yellow perch were the most numerous captured, followed by walleye. Just over 65 percent of walleye caught were legal to keep (≥ 15 in). Smallmouth bass were the most numerous Centrarchid caught, with over 76 percent being legal (≥ 12 in).

Public swimming areas
Three Mile Point is a public swimming beach located three miles from Cooperstown along the western shore of the lake accessible via State Highway 80. It is open June through August and offers changing rooms, a picnic area, and a pavilion. Another swimming area is Fairy Springs and is located one mile of Cooperstown along the eastern shore of the lake accessible via County Road 31. It is open May through September and offers changing rooms, a picnic area, and a pavilion. Another swimming area, Public Landing, is at the northern end of the lake located at the end of Public Landing Road. This swimming area is only open to residents who live in the Town of Springfield and has changing rooms and a picnic area. Another area is Glimmerglass State Park, which is located at the north end of the lake and is accessed by County Route 31. It offers a beach, many picnic areas and a few pavilions.

Lakefront park
Lakefront park is located in the village of Cooperstown on the lake and is accessed by Pioneer Street, Lake Street or Fish Road. At this park are benches to sit at and view the lake and a stage where concerts are held in the summer months. From lakefront park, Mount Wellington is visible at the other end of the lake. When viewed from this park, the mountain looks like a "sleeping lion," which is the mountain's nickname. Also located in the park are the village docks where spaces can be rented to dock a boat. Most of the docks were damaged in the floods of 2011, and some have since been replaced.

Appearances in literature
The lake was known to James Fenimore Cooper as Glimmerglass and was a principal feature in his novels The Pioneers, The Deerslayer, and Home as Found in which local landmarks such as Council Rock, Hutters Point, Gravelly Point, and Sunken Island are mentioned. Set in 1740-1745, the historical novels describe the lake as being somewhat beyond the frontier, perhaps into French-controlled territory. When the novel was written in 1840, all of New York State was well within civilized territory. In the novel The Pioneers, Blackbird Bay is where Deerslayer rescues Ben Pump from drowning and the northern point that makes the Blackbird Bay is the location of an annual bass fishing expedition. In the novel The Deerslayer, Gravelly Point is the location where Deerslayer is fired upon by a Huron Indian, then Deerslayer returned fire and killed the Huron. Also in The Deerslayer, Peggs Point is the location where Deerslayer and Hurry Harry first reach the shore of Otsego Lake. It is also the location where Deerslayer departs the lake. Six Mile Point is the location in The Deerslayer that Natty Bumppo makes an unsuccessful effort to escape from the Hurons. In The Deerslayer, Three Mile Point is the location where Hetty Hutter docks to seek the Huron Indian camp which was further south at Muskrat Cove. In Home as Found, Three Mile Point is referred to as Fishing Point and is owned by the Effingham family. Hutter Point is where Deerslayer first saw the "Glimmerglass".

Otsego Lake is also referenced in The Secret of Mirror Bay, a novel in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. In the story, Aunt Eloise invites Nancy and her friends to a cabin at Mirror Bay, in Cooperstown, to solve a case of a mysterious woman seen gliding across the water. Nancy is then involved in a vacation hoax because she resembles a woman involved in the hoax.

title: Otsego Lake (New York)


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VT-8

Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT-8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941.

After heavy losses in the Battle of Midway, VT-8 was assigned to USS Saratoga (CV-3). When Saratoga was disabled on 31 August, VT-8 was transferred to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, operating there until November 1942. Due to heavy cumulative losses on Guadalcanal, VT-8 was then withdrawn and disbanded.

A second VT-8 was established in 1943, and served on USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) until the end of the war.

Midway
VT-8's first and best-known combat mission came during the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942. Flying obsolete Douglas TBD Devastators, all of Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron's fifteen planes were shot down during their unescorted torpedo attack on Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers. The squadron failed to damage any Japanese carriers or destroy enemy aircraft.

Only one member of VT-8 who flew from Hornet on that day survived in the action, Ensign George Gay. Gay was rescued the day following the battle. VT-8 was afterwards awarded the American Presidential Unit Citation.

Just prior to the Battle of Midway, the reconstituted VT-8 was the first squadron equipped with the new Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. When Hornet sailed to the Pacific, a detachment of the squadron under the command of Lieutenant Harold "Swede" Larsen remained in Norfolk, Virginia to receive the first shipment of the new aircraft. Larsen's detachment arrived at Pearl Harbor the day after Hornet sailed for Midway Island. Six of the squadron's Avengers were flown to Midway under the command of Lieutenant Langdon K. Fieberling to participate in the battle. These planes were the first Navy aircraft to attack the Japanese fleet that day. They attacked without fighter cover, and five of the Avengers were shot down, with only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and Radioman 2nd Class Harry Ferrier surviving, on a badly shot-up plane with damaged controls and landing gear, and a dead rear-gunner.

VT-8's losses have been attributed to several causes. Hornet's CAG, Commander Stanhope C. Ring, kept the group's fighter escort at high altitude in order to cover the dive bombers and to give the Wildcats an altitude advantage. This decision was supported by Admiral Marc Mitscher, then commanding officer of  Hornet. The Wildcats' deployment was ultimately of no consequence, however, as Ring led the group on an incorrect heading, so the dive bombers never made contact with the Japanese fleet. Commander Waldron made repeated attempts to take over the formation by radio before leading VT-8 off on his own. Waldron's initiative coupled with Ring's faulty tactics led to VT-8 attacking the Japanese force without fighter or dive bomber support. It is important to note, however, that all of the carrier-based torpedo squadrons suffered heavily in the battle, including VT-3, which attacked with fighter escort.

Larsen's detachment of VT-8 that remained at Pearl Harbor was loaded aboard USS Saratoga (CV-3) when she was sent to reinforce the forces at Midway. They were later transferred to Hornet where they learned of the loss of their comrades. VT-8 was reconstituted with this detachment as nucleus and was reassigned to Saratoga.

South Pacific
VT-8 flew from Saratoga during the initial stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign. In the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, VT-8 assisted in sinking the light carrier JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Ryūjō. When Saratoga was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, the squadron was assigned to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, where it served as part of the Cactus Air Force. VTR-8 fought there to the point where all aircraft were disabled, and then operated as a single-aircraft unit, as one plane at a time was put back into service by salvaging parts (often themselves damaged) from other planes. VT-8 pilots and air crew also participated in the ground defense of Henderson Field, assisting to fend off Japanese infantry attacks on 24–26 October 1942. VT-8's last official mission was flown on 15 November 1942, against damaged transports from the last major Japanese convoy to the island. After leaving Guadalcanal and returning to the United States, the squadron was disbanded.

Central Pacific
A new Torpedo Squadron 8 was established in 1943 as part of the new Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8). It was assigned to the newly commissioned aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) at Norfolk in November 1943. After training in the Caribbean Sea, VT-8 left Intrepid at Pearl Harbor in January 1944. Here, VT-8 was assigned to USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), in March 1944. VT-8 attacked Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai on 30 March and 1 April 1944. Truk, Satawan, Ponape, and Hollandia on New Guinea were attacked a month later. CVG-8 then took part in the Marianas Campaign between 12 June and 10 August 1944. VT-8 flew sorties in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Western Carolines were attacked in September, Okinawa, Luzon, and Formosa were attacked in October and November 1944. For this deployment on Bunker Hill, CVG-8 was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.

In June 1945, VT-8 trained with USS Saratoga, but they did not deploy. CVG-8 (including VT-8) was disestablished after the end of the war.

Awards
Torpedo Eight earned two Presidential Unit Citations: one for Midway and one for Guadalcanal. Its members also earned more than fifty medals for valor in combat.

Literature
Herman Wouk's novel War and Remembrance pays tribute to Torpedo 8, whose pilots he called "the soul of America in action."

Robert J Mrazek's book "A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight" tells the story of VT-8 through interviews with surviving members, the official war record of the squadron and excerpts from letters written home by those who didn't make it.

title: VT-8