ITHACA, N.Y. -- Researchers for Cornell University's Lake Source Cooling (LSC) project will be collecting information about the proposed land and lake routes over the next 10 days. The data collection is part of the scope of the environmental impact statement and permit applications required by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Now through April 13, the LSC project team will perform a Cayuga Lake bottom contour and subbottom sediment structure survey. During the week of April 15, surveys also will begin along the proposed land pipeline route between 1000 East Shore Drive and the Cornell University campus.

According to Lanny Joyce, LSC project manager, the lake survey will be conducted from a 45-foot vessel that will make multiple passes over the proposed area for the LSC lake water pipe route. The area runs nearly 2 miles up the lake from the marina at 1000 East Shore Drive.

Joyce said a portion of the work will involve mapping subbottom lake features and will require that the survey vessel tow a 300-foot-long submerged cable with geophones to record reflected sound waves from the bottom sediments. "The sound waves will be generated periodically from the boat directly into the water and might be audible to boaters in the vicinity of the surveying activities," he said.

Along the proposed land pipeline route, archaeologists, environmental scientists, surveyors and engineers will be in the field at various times during the spring and summer of 1996.

The first of these investigations will be geotechnical testing, which will be performed on University Avenue and Lake Street between Library Slope and Fall Creek to determine the depth of bedrock. Testing is scheduled to be performed during the week of April 15.

During testing, passers-by might hear a muffled noise. Cornell's Joyce explained that this is part of the normal procedure and is used to generate a sound wave, which will provide a profile of the rock. In addition, soil borings will be taken along the entire proposed pipeline route from campus to 1000 East Shore Drive. This and all work will be conducted within the city of Ithaca, town of Ithaca, and New York State Department of Transportation rights-of-way, and in areas approved by private landowners.

Traffic disruption will be minimal, and flag people will facilitate any minor detours required, Joyce said. The New York State Police, Ithaca City Police and Ithaca Fire Departments have been notified of the testing.

Questions regarding the field work may be directed to John Heintz of Stearns & Wheler, the Cazenovia-based environmental engineering firm working on the LSC project, at (315) 655- 8161, or the Lake Source Cooling project at (607) 254-4790. Information about the LSC project also is available by e-mail at lake_source@cornell.edu