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Home , Chiques Creek, Kishacoquillas Creek, Larrys Creek, Little Chiques Creek, Little Muncy Creek, Nanticoke Creek

Monitoring and Assessment Activities in the Basin

Luanne Steffy, Aquatic Ecologist Susquehanna River Basin Commission Upper Susquehanna Watershed Forum October 1, 2019 About the Basin and the Commission Susquehanna River Basin . 27,510 sq mile watershed (23% in NY) . Comprises 43% of the Watershed . 60% forested, 85% shale Susquehanna River Basin Commission . SRBC is a federal-interstate compact commission established in 1971 by the federal government and the states of NY, PA, MD. . Responsible for managing the basin’s water resources . Regulate water quantity not . Compliment and supplement work done by state and local agencies Monitoring and Protection Program • 15 full time monitoring staff • Wide range of water quality and biological sampling • Routine long term sampling – headwaters -> large rivers • Continuous monitoring network • Macroinvertebrate and fish assemblage monitoring • Impacts of UNG industry (pipeline, water withdraws, methane) • Invasive species • and Nutrient Monitoring • American eel re-introduction • Flow-ecology • Chesapeake Bay related support WIP 3, County Plans • AMD remediation Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network

• In 2010, SRBC initiated the RWQMN as a mechanism to continually monitor changes in water chemistry as a response to the rapidly growing Marcellus Shale drilling industry • Currently, 15 monitoring stations in Upper Susquehanna watershed (12 in NY state) • temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity • 15 minute intervals • Reports live to a public website • Biological monitoring started in 2011 Remote Water Quality Monitoring Area Containing Madison Oneida Herkimer Natural Gas Shales Network Priority Watersheds Onondaga in the Susquehanna River Basin Area with No Recoverable Natural 1 2 Scho- Gas Formations Ontario Cortland ! harie Cooperstown Yates Cortland Chenango Recoverable Natural Gas Shales within the . Sangerfield River Livingston ! 3 Norwich Otsego Susquehanna River Basin include the Marcellus, ! Oneonta Burket, Utica/Antes, Geneseo, Mandata, Middlesex, Tompkins ! Upper Susquehanna Needmore, and Rhinestreet Formations. . Cherry Valley Creek Steuben Schuyler 60 Subbasin 5 PRIORITY WATERSHEDS 7 Chemung 4 Subbasin 6 Tioga . Chemung Delaware Trout Brook Corning Station Installed ! Binghamton Allegany 8 9 ! 11 ! 1. Sangerfield River 41. Pine Creek New York 13 Elmira 12 10 Broome 2. Cherry Valley Creek 42. Sugar Run . Susquehanna 3. Trout Brook 43. Grays Run Bradford Tioga 15 4. Nanticoke Creek 44. Potter 38 22 18 14 17 5. Catatonk Creek 45. East Fork First Fork . Catatonk Creek McKean 39 68 16 6. Sing Sing Creek ! 57 40 21 Towanda 19 8. Baldwin Creek 46. Portage Creek 25 20 9. Tuscarora Creek 47. Driftwood Branch 45 41 42 . Sing Sing Creek 46 52 26 Wayne 10. Choconut Creek 48. Hicks Run 55 47 28 24 23 11. Apalachin Creek 49. Baker Run 54 Wyoming 14. 50. Moose Creek 27 Scranton . Elk 44 58 15. Snake Creek 51. East Branch Baldwin Creek 59 43 Sullivan ! 17. Sugar Creek Fishing Creek 48 Renovo 53 31 Lacka- Cameron ! Lycoming 29 Wilkes- wanna 19. 52. Kettle Creek Williamsport 51 Barre 20. 53. . ! 32 30 ! Tuscarora Creek Jefferson 49 21. Tioga River 54. Hunts Run Columbia 34 Clinton West Branch Luzerne 22. Long Run 55. West Creek Susquehanna Middle 23. South Branch 57. East Branch Wyalusing . West Branch Owego Creek 50 ! 33 Subbasin Susquehanna Tunkhannock Creek Creek Clearfield Montour Subbasin 24. Little Mehoopany 58. Pleasant Stream Centre Union 35 Carbon Creek 59. Sterling Run Indiana ! . Butternut Creek Sunbury 25. West Branch 60. West Branch Owego North- Pine Creek Creek Clearfield umberland Mifflin Snyder 26. Elk Run 61. Quittaphailla Creek Schuylkill 56 Lower 27. 62. . Apalachin Creek 67 Lewistown Juniata Susquehanna 36 ! 28. Blockhouse Creek 63. Subbasin 70 29. 64. Mill Creek ! Altoona 69 30. Kitchen Creek 65. South Branch . Choconut Creek Cambria Dauphin Lebanon Berks 31. 37 Blair Perry 32. Little 66. North Branch Huntingdon Harrisburg 33. Marsh Creek Muddy Creek ! 61 . Starrucca Creek 34. Trout Run 67. 62 35. Little 68. Baldwin Run Juniata Cumberland Somerset 71 63 36. 69. Little Buffalo Creek Subbasin Lancaster 37. Bobs Creek 70. . Snake Creek 72 ! 64 38. Upper Pine Creek 71. !York Chester York 39. Ninemile Run 72. Yellow Breeches Franklin Lancaster 40. Marsh Creek Creek . Tioga River Fulton 65 66 Bedford Adams Historical Station Harford Cecil ¹ 7. Canacadea Creek 18. Crooked Creek 12. 56. West Branch Disclaimer: Use of Map for Any Purpose Carroll 0 10 20 Miles ! 13. Hammond Creek on “As Is” Basis, No Warranties Provided; Baltimore Havre Susquehanna River SRBC (1451h) 11-06-2018 de Grace 16. Tomjack Creek Website and Data Availability • http://mdw.srbc.net/remotewaterquality/ Butternut Creek

• Newest Site – installed summer 2019 • Mt. Upton, NY • Collaboration with many groups • Continuous, real-time water quality • Eel reintroduction • Hellbender research Whitney Point Lake

• Worked with NYSDEC, USACE, Broome County and others

• Ecological impacts of eliminating winter drawdown and coordinating low flow augmentation releases in times of low flow

• 10 year monitoring effort

• New reservoir operations benefit downstream ecosystems and show no detrimental impacts on lake What’s up next? • Subbasin Survey – rotating routine monitoring (water quality, macroinvertebrates and physical habitat) • Chemung Subbasin • 20 sites sampled, Spring 2019 • Upper Susquehanna Subbasin • Slated for Spring 2020 • Assisting TNC with a Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant in the Cohocton Watershed • Improve water quality, sediment reduction • Restore brook trout habitat • Water Quality Index • Tool for better contextualizing water quality throughout the basin Questions?

Luanne Steffy [email protected] 717-238-0426 x1112