named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Equipment Loan Program
Free lending of scientific tools and kits to teachers and student groups for hands-on water quality and weather monitoring in Central New York watersheds
Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz
Public education campaign to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species by engaging boaters at access sites with "Clean, Drain, Dry" messaging
LOOOP (Lake Ontario, Oneida, Onondaga Program)
Professional development and resource program for educators to lead student watershed investigations; includes workshops, equipment loans, and guest speaking
Lake Ontario Nearshore Buoy Network
Seasonal and year-round environmental monitoring using summer buoys and winter "stick" systems to collect temperature, turbidity, and wave data on Lake Ontario
Onondaga Lake Guardian Monitoring Program
Pro bono water quality monitoring initiative providing ongoing data collection and analysis after cessation of government-funded monitoring
Onondaga Lake Nitrate Addition and Monitoring
Scientific intervention to prevent methyl mercury mobilization in Onondaga Lake through controlled nitrate addition and real-time water quality monitoring
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Lake and Watershed Monitoring & Assessment 5 activities
- Direct freshwater monitoring and field servicesProvides direct field-based services including water and sediment sampling, streamflow measurement, aquatic plant and mussel surveys, bathymetric mapping, and deployment of multi-parameter sondes and certified divers for underwater equipment maintenance. Supports clients and stakeholders with chain-of-custody protocols and sample bottle requests.
- Freshwater research and monitoringConducts scientific research and long-term monitoring of lakes, reservoirs, and rivers across New York State, including over 100 waterbodies, to improve water quality and support ecosystem management. Activities include field sampling, laboratory analysis, data interpretation, and development of peer-reviewed scientific publications, with a focus on nutrient dynamics, eutrophication, sediment transport, and watershed-scale hydrology.
- Near real-time environmental data collection and disseminationDeploys autonomous monitoring platforms, profiling buoys, fixed stations, and sensor networks on lakes including Onondaga Lake and Lake Ontario to collect near real-time water quality and meteorological data. Makes data publicly available for research, stakeholder use, and public education, operating year-round systems including winter monitoring with specialized buoys and temperature chains.
- Scientific solutions for contaminated sediment and pollution mitigationDesigned and implemented a full-scale nitrate addition strategy in Onondaga Lake to reduce methyl mercury mobilization from contaminated sediments, resulting in lower mercury levels in fish tissue. Conducts ongoing monitoring and spatially intensive profiling to manage the program in real time.
- Water quality modeling and data analysisDevelops and applies thermodynamic, mass balance, and multidimensional transport models to simulate physical, chemical, and biological processes in freshwater systems. Supports lake and watershed management planning, TMDL studies, and decision-making tools such as NYC DEP’s Operations Support Tool through hydrodynamic, turbidity, and pollutant loading models.
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 2 activities
- Capacity building for educators through professional development and curriculum toolsOffers professional development workshops for K–12 educators on freshwater science, providing continuing education credits in partnership with OCM BOCES and the New York State Master Teacher Program. Develops educational modules using real-world data, such as the Lake Loading Learning Module based on Onondaga Lake, to teach nutrient loading and environmental impacts.
- Equipment Loan Program for student and educator engagementOperates a free Equipment Loan Program that enables teachers and student groups in the Onondaga, Oneida, and greater Ontario watersheds to borrow scientific supplies for hands-on monitoring of streams, water quality, and weather. Also offers an educational loan program for classroom use of scientific tools.
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Lake Stewardship Education & Outreach 1 activity
- Public outreach and educational programmingDelivers freshwater science presentations to middle and high schools, hosts facility tours for students and educators, and participates in STEM events such as the CNY Youth Climate Summit and Junior Cafe Scientifique. Engages the public in invasive species prevention through outreach events like the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.88M
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$1.88M100%
Investment income$3K0%
Other revenue$116
expenses
Total expenses$1.70M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead25%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$1.16M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.11M
Cash$651K
Investments$0
Liabilities$61K
Net assets$2.05M
Liquid reserves4.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +8.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID A MATTHEWS | CEO AND SECR | 40 | $111K |
| MARYGAIL PERKINS | COO | 40 | $94K |
| NORA B O'KEEFE | CFO | 20 | $31K |
board members · 3
- KIMBERLY SCHULZ — DIRECTOR
- MARY MINER — CHAIRMAN
- TENG ZENG — DIRECTOR
relationships · 41
Who they work with
- Anchor QEA Partner — Collaborated with UFI on the development of the DeRuyter Reservoir Nine-Element Watershed Plan.
- Andrew Partner — Staff member serving as contact for field services inquiries.
- Barton and Loguidice Partner — Collaborated with UFI on the development of the DeRuyter Reservoir Nine-Element Watershed Plan.
- EPA Government — Supports Nine-Element Watershed Management Plans that meet EPA guidelines.
- EcoLogic, LLC Partner — Collaborated with UFI on monitoring Ballston Lake and preparing a management plan.
- Ernst Lake's Breeze Marina at Oak Orchard Partner — Provides additional services in support of buoy operations at Oak Orchard.
- Gina Kehoe Partner — Lab director responsible for distributing chain of custody and bottle request forms.
- Great Lakes Commission Partner — Received a subaward from the Great Lakes Commission via the US Fish and Wildlife Service to host a Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz event.
- Great Lakes Observing System Funder — Funds the summer Oswego buoy and overwinter monitoring efforts.
- Great Lakes Research Consortium Network — UFI operates the Lake Ontario buoys as part of this research consortium led by SUNY ESF.
- Hancock Estabrook, LLP Government — Board President Mary M. Miner represents the organization on UFI's Board of Directors
- Honeywell Partner — Collaborated on the Onondaga Lake Cleanup project, including nitrate addition strategy implementation.
- Honeywell Corporation Funder — Primary funder of the Onondaga Lake profiling buoy program since 2009.
- Katlynn Marine Partner — Provides additional services in support of buoy operations at Sodus Bay.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Partner — Collaborated on Great Lakes research cruises to enhance remote sensing and bio-optical modeling capabilities.
- Naval Research Laboratory Partner — Partnered on optical measurement and remote sensing research in the Great Lakes.
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection Government — Provided scientific support for modeling and monitoring of NYC drinking water reservoirs.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Funder — Funds the summer Oak Orchard and Sodus Point buoys.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Partner — Co-leads the Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) with UFI to support volunteer-based lake monitoring.
- New York State Federation of Lake Associations Partner — Collaborates with UFI on the Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) to support volunteer-based lake monitoring.
- New York State Master Teacher Program Partner — Collaborated to provide continuing education credits for educators attending UFI workshops.
- Noaa Funder — Funded the LOOOP initiative and the Lake Loading Learning Module through its Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program.
- OCM BOCES Partner — Partnered to offer continuing education credits for teachers participating in UFI's professional development workshops.
- Onondaga Environmental Institute Partner — Collaborated on Onondaga Lake projects related to the buoy through funding and technical support.
- Onondaga Lake Partnership Partner — Provided additional funding and collaborative support for Onondaga Lake buoy-related projects.
- Onondaga Nation Partner — Supported Onondaga Lake projects related to the buoy through funding and collaboration.
- Parsons Funder — Primary funder of the Onondaga Lake profiling buoy program since 2009.
- Parsons Partner — Collaborated on the Onondaga Lake Cleanup project, including nitrate addition strategy implementation.
- Port of Oswego Marina Partner — Provides additional services in support of buoy operations at Oswego.
- RoboShop Inc Partner — Provides additional services in support of buoy operations.
+ 11 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Applied Modeling and Real-Time Data for Proactive Managementmethodology: applied_modeling_and_real_time_managementBy tailoring scientific models and deploying real-time monitoring systems, we enable proactive decision-making because timely, accurate data allows stakeholders to anticipate and respond to ecological changes before they escalate.
- Collaborative Science and Capacity Buildingmethodology: collaborative_research_and_capacity_buildingBy combining in-house expertise with external partnerships and training local stewards, we produce scalable and sustainable freshwater management because knowledge transfer amplifies impact beyond institutional boundaries.
- Interdisciplinary Research Integrationmethodology: interdisciplinary_researchBy integrating physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering disciplines, we produce a more comprehensive understanding of freshwater systems because complex ecological challenges require cross-domain scientific synthesis.
- Research-Driven Environmental Improvementmethodology: research_driven_improvementBy advancing freshwater research, we produce measurable improvements in water quality because scientific understanding is foundational to effective intervention and management.
- Targeted Biogeochemical Interventionmethodology: evidence_based_biogeochemical_interventionBy applying controlled nitrate addition to deep waters, we reduce mercury bioaccumulation in fish because nitrate inhibits microbial processes that mobilize methyl mercury from sediments, demonstrating a causal manipulation of lake chemistry for ecological benefit.