The Onondaga Lake Visitor Center in Syracuse has been officially transferred from Honeywell International to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, marking a new chapter in the lake’s restoration.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced the milestone Tuesday, calling it a key step in reconnecting New Yorkers to one of the state’s most dramatic environmental recovery efforts.
“Onondaga Lake is an incredible natural resource and the cleanup of one of New York’s most polluted waterbodies is an undeniable success story,” Lefton said. “DEC embraces the opportunity to help New Yorkers and visitors alike learn about the history of the lake and its cleanup.”
Built in 2012, the visitor center features exhibits highlighting the cleanup process, ecological restoration, and the return of native plants and animals. It will continue operating under DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Education, opening seasonally from April to October.
The center will also serve as an educational hub, partnering with local schools and colleges including SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to offer programming and career exploration for students.
Its debut under state operation coincides with this Saturday’s “Get Outdoors & Get Together Day,” part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s “Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the nearby Onondaga Lake Boat Launch, with inclusive birding, adaptive biking, and accessible fishing demonstrations.
Cleanup of Onondaga Lake, one of the country’s most studied waterbodies, officially concluded in 2016. Improvements in water and stormwater management, as well as cleanup of industrial pollution, have led to renewed recreational use and ecological revival.
The visitor center’s transfer fulfills part of the federal restoration plan for the lake and follows other major milestones, including the return of more than 1,000 acres in Tully Valley to the Onondaga Nation.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].