Onondaga Lake — Attraction in Town of Geddes

Onondaga Lake is one of the best lakes around where you can view wildlife. It has many ducks and ones that you do not often or ever get to see such as Mergansers. You will see swans and Mallard families snuggling together around the shoreline and pairs of ducks finding their own little spots to hang and allow you to photograph them. All kinds of wildlife are drawn to this lake including groups of up to nearly 100 bald eagles on any given day spread about the trees, water,shoreline and lake. My husband are novice wildlife, and birding photographers of about 10 years. Onondaga is a "jackpot"of eagles and other rare sightings of wild life , even in the winter time! Trips to Onondaga Lake in the winter can keep you exercising and staying healthy throughout the winter even if you are not a sports enthusiast. The Onondaga Lake facilities are phenomenal at snow removal for all walking paths, and other areas for observing wildlife. So no matter what time of year you visit, you can access areas that you typically can in the summer. It is a beautiful lake with beautiful facilities, and safety features such as expensive, wrought iron high quality lantern style lighting all along each walking path so you can stay out and enjoy your adventure at any time of day safely. If there is a lake in western NY that you should visit to experience exciting adventures with nature...this IS THE ONE! Go to Onondaga Lake as soon as you can! You will not be...

From a passage in the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” which exposes the toxic history of this lake:

“The fish that survive, you may not eat. Fishing was banned in 1970 due to high concentrations of mercury. It is estimated that 165,000 pounds of mercury were discharged in Onondaga Lake between 1946 and 1970. Allied Chemical used the mercury cell process to produce industrial chlorine from the native salt brines. The mercury waste, which we know to be extremely toxic, was handled freely on its way to disposal in the lake.

…Inputs of mercury were sharply curtailed in the 1970s, but the mercury remains trapped in the sediments where, when methylated, it can circulate through the aquatic food chain. It is estimated that 7 million cubic yards of lake sediments are today contaminated with mercury.

A sampling core drilled into the lake bottom cuts through sludge, trapped layers of discharged gas, oil, and sticky black ooze. Analysis of these cores reveals significant concentrations of cadmium, barium, chromium, cobalt, lead, benzene, chlorobenzene, assorted xylenes, peo...

Onondaga Lake is one of the most polluted lakes in North America. For decades, industries dumped toxic chemicals—like mercury and PCBs—directly into its waters. Raw sewage was discharged here until recently. At one point, swimming and fishing were banned because the contamination was so severe. This lake, once central to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and considered sacred, became a dumping ground—treated as if it were lifeless.

And yet… the lake still lives. Wildlife is returning. People walk and bike its shores. Restoration efforts have begun—but they are not enough without us. When you visit, don’t just enjoy the beauty—ask who’s protecting it. Join a cleanup. Support Indigenous stewardship. Demand stronger environmental protections. This isn’t just a lake—it’s a living relative, asking us to do better. Healing is possible, but only if we...