DOCSLIB.ORG

Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York Prepared in cooperation with the Town of Enfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5136 Version 1.1, May 2020 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Left: Devil’s Parlor Falls at Robert H. Treman (Enfield Glen) State Park, Enfield, New York. Middle: Lucifer Falls (Enfield Falls) at Robert H. Treman (Enfield Glen) State Park, Enfield, New York. Right: Lucifer Falls (Enfield Falls) at Robert H. Treman (Enfield Glen) State Park, Enfield, New York. Historical photographs courtesy of Bill Hecht. Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York By Benjamin N. Fisher, Paul M. Heisig, and William M. Kappel Prepared in cooperation with the Town of Enfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5136 Version 1.1, May 2020 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DAVID BERNHARDT, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019 First release: 2019 Revised: May 2020 (ver. 1.1) For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit https://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Fisher, B.N., Heisig, P.M., and Kappel, W.M., 2019, Geohydrology and water quality of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York (ver. 1.1, May 2020): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5136, 52 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195136. Associated data for this publication: Fisher, B.N., Heisig, P.M., and Kappel, W.M., 2019, A horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio soundings and depth-to-bed- rock data for geohydrology and water quality investigation of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York, April 2013–August 2015: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZFTDFY. Fisher, B.N., Heisig, P.M., and Kappel, W.M., 2019, Records of selected wells for geohydrology and water quality investigation of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York, 2013–2018: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90FOTQV. Fisher, B.N., Heisig, P.M., and Kappel, W.M., 2020, Geospatial datasets for the hydrogeology and water quality of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9T3U63J. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................2 Methods of Investigation ..............................................................................................................................4 Well Inventory, Test Drilling, and Water-Level Measurements ....................................................6 Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio Seismic Sounding Surveys ................................................6 Surficial Geologic Map ........................................................................................................................6 Streamflow Measurements ................................................................................................................8 Water-Quality Sampling and Analysis ...............................................................................................8 Depositional History and Framework of Glacial and Postglacial Deposits ..........................................8 Bedrock Surface and Thickness of Glacial Deposits .....................................................................8 Glacial and Postglacial History ........................................................................................................10 Glacial Aquifers ...................................................................................................................................16 Groundwater Recharge, Discharge, and Withdrawals .........................................................................17 Groundwater Recharge .....................................................................................................................17 Groundwater Discharge ....................................................................................................................23 Groundwater Withdrawals ................................................................................................................23 Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley .......................................24 Surface Water .....................................................................................................................................24 Physical Properties ...................................................................................................................24 Common Inorganic Ions ............................................................................................................24 Nutrients ......................................................................................................................................24 Trace Elements ...........................................................................................................................24 Groundwater ........................................................................................................................................28 Physical Properties ...................................................................................................................28 Common Inorganic Ions ............................................................................................................28 Nutrients ......................................................................................................................................28 Groundwater Age and Gasses ................................................................................................28 Trace Elements ...........................................................................................................................33 Comparison of Groundwater and Surface-Water Chemistry ......................................................33 Summary........................................................................................................................................................35 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................35 Appendix 1. Well Logs of Test Wells Drilled in the Enfield Creek Unconsolidated Aquifer, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ............................................................................40 Appendix 2. Test-Well Hydrographs in the Enfield Creek Unconsolidated Aquifer, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ............................................................................45 Appendix 3. Air and Water Temperatures by Depth at Test Wells TM1075 and TM1077 in the Enfield Creek Unconsolidated Aquifer, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ..........................................................................................................50 iv Figures 1. Map showing the location of 17 stratified-drift (unconsolidated) aquifer reaches in Tompkins County, New York ........................................................................................................3 2. Map showing physiographic features of New York and location of the Enfield Creek Valley study area in the town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ................................4 3. Map showing extent of unconfined and confined aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ...............................................................5 4. Map showing thickness of unconsolidated deposits and locations of horizontal-to-vertical seismic soundings, town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York ........................................................................................................................................7 5. Map showing streamflow and surface-water quality
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Geology of the Cayuga Lake Basin New York State
    I GEOLOGY OF THE CAYUGA LAKE BASIN NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 31 sT ANNUAL MEETING CORNELL UNIVERSITY, MAY 8-9» 1959 GEOLOGY OF THE CAYUGA LAKE BASIN A Guide for the )lst Annual Field Meeting of the New York State Geological Association prepared by Staff and Students of the Department of Geolqgy Cornell Universit,y ".080 We must especially collect and describe all the organic remains of our soil, if we ever want to speculate with the smallest degree of probabilit,r on the formation, respective age, and history of our earth .. " ------ C. S. Rafinesque, 1818 Second (Revised) Edition Ithaca, New York May, 1959 PREFACE Ten years have passed since Cornell was host to the New York state Geological Association. In the intervening yearllf we have attended the annual meetings and field trips at other places with pleasure and profit. Therefore, we take this opportunity to express our appreciation and thanks to all of those who have made theBe meetings possible. We not ~ welcome you to Cornell and the classic cayuga Lake Basin, but we sincerely hope you will en­ ja,y and profit by your brief excursions with us. This guide is a revision of one prepared for the 1949 annual meeting. Professor John W.. Wells assumed most of the responsi­ bility for its preparation, ably assisted by Lo R. Fernow, Fe M. Hueber and K.. No Sachs, Jro Without their efforts in converting ideas into diagrams and maps this guide book would have been sterile. we hope that before you leave us, you will agree with Louis Agassiz, who said in one of his lectures during the first year of Cornell, "I was never before in a single locality where there is presented so much ma.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood-Inundation Maps for Cayuga Inlet, Sixmile Creek, Cascadilla Creek, and Fall Creek at Ithaca, New York Flood-Inundation
    Prepared in cooperation with the City of Ithaca, New York, and the New York State Department of State Flood-Inundation Maps for Cayuga Inlet, Sixmile Creek, Cascadilla Creek, and Fall Creek at Ithaca, New York Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5167 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Ithaca Falls on Fall Creek in Ithaca, New York. Photograph by Elizabeth Nystrom, U.S. Geological Survey. Flood-Inundation Maps for Cayuga Inlet, Sixmile Creek, Cascadilla Creek, and Fall Creek at Ithaca, New York By Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Arthur G. Lilienthal III, and William F. Coon Prepared in cooperation with the City of Ithaca, New York, and the New York State Department of State Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5167 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2018 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit https://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.
    [Show full text]
  • HYDRILLA DISCOVERED in CAYUGA INLET Cayuga Lake and Other Regional Water Bodies at Risk
    New York Invasive Species Research Institute Department of Natural Resources 105B Bruckner Ithaca, New York 14853 t. 607.254.6789 f. 607.255.0349 http://nyisri.org Holly Menninger, Coordinator FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NY Invasive Species Research Institute August 19, 2011 [email protected] Robert L. Johnson Racine‐Johnson Aquatic Ecologists [email protected] AGGRESSIVE INVASIVE PLANT HYDRILLA DISCOVERED IN CAYUGA INLET Cayuga Lake and other regional water bodies at risk Ithaca, NY – The highly invasive aquatic plant, Hydrilla verticillata, known commonly as ‘hydrilla’ or ‘water thyme’ was recently detected in the Cayuga Inlet by staff from the Floating Classroom. In a follow‐up survey, Robert L. Johnson, a local plant expert with Cornell University and Racine‐Johnson Aquatic Ecologists, located several areas of the Inlet with extensive populations of hydrilla. To date, hydrilla appears to be localized to the Cayuga Inlet, with no evidence that it has yet rooted in Cayuga Lake. This is the first detection of hydrilla in upstate New York’s waters, and the risk of it spreading to Cayuga Lake and other regional waterbodies is substantial. Fragments of the plant, which are easily caught and transported by boats and boat trailers, can sprout roots and establish new populations. Fragments also float and are capable of dispersing via wind and water currents. State and local municipal officials along with biologists from Cornell University gathered Friday, August 19, to discuss the scope of the problem and rapid response options. Attendees included representatives from the City of Ithaca, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, the Finger Lakes Region of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and NYS Canal Corporation.
    [Show full text]
  • 2009 CTC Newsletter.Pdf
    CCayugaayugaayugaayuga T Trailsrailsrailsrails Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 “to explore, enjoy and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty…” January - February 2009 Winter Edition Volume 49, Nos. 1 & 2 Cayuga Trails Club Annual Meeting and Luncheon by Marsha Zgola and Roger Hopkins atch your mail for an invitation to the Cayuga Trails Club (CTC) Annual Meeting and Luncheon which will be held on January 25, 2009 at the Ramada Inn, 2310 Triphammer Road, Ithaca. Social hour with cash bar will W start at 12:00 p.m. followed by lunch at 1:00 p.m. After lunch we will commence with the meeting which includes Annual Committee reports, Election of Officers and Awarding the “Oscars” for distinguished service. Lunch will include: Eggplant Parmesan, Honey Basil Chicken, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Vegetables, Tossed Garden Salad w/House Dressing, Sweet Pea Salad, Three Bean Salad, Rolls & Butter, Chocolate Layer Cake, Coffee, Iced and Hot Tea. Following our meeting will be the presentation, “A Different Kind of End-to-End”, by Brad Edmondson. CTC member and Past President of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, Brad Edmondson, will tell of his “Coast to Coast for Conservation” bike ride and share some of the photos he took along the way. Brad joined immediate Past President of the FLLT, Jim Kersting, and Jim’s wife Sara on a 72-day bicycle ride from Puget Sound to Wells Beach, Maine. The trip, a very successful fund-raiser for the FLLT, included visits with similar land protection organizations across the country. Reservation details will be included with your mailing.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Diamond Trail’S Plan Development
    CHAPTER III ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND EXISTING CONDITIONS Natural and cultural landscape features and life-style and leisure preferences guide the planning and design of new recreational resources. The following sections summarize existing demographic and landscape features located in the Finger Lakes Region that were considered in the Black Diamond Trail’s plan development. REGIONAL SETTING Location The Black Diamond Trail is located in the Finger population of 102,418 people, make up the urban Lakes State Parks Region, one of 11 state park areas within the state park region. regions within the State of New York. The Finger Lakes Region is bounded by Lake Ontario to the Each year over 2.5 million visitors enjoy the wide north and the state of Pennsylvania to the south, and variety of recreational opportunities provided by includes Wayne, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Cayuga, the 29 Finger Lakes regional state park facilities Tompkins, Schuyler, Steuben, Chemung, and Tioga illustrated on Figure III-2 on the following page. counties. The background and ethnicity of the patrons that visit the region are as diverse as the State’s population. International travelers are also found in significant numbers visiting the Region’s park Thousand Islands Adirondack facilities. Lake Ontario Rochester Physical Characteristics of the Region Syracuse Buffalo Genesee Saratoga Niagara Finger Central Lakes The Finger Lakes geographical region is an Allegany Catskill area that was carved by ancient glaciers leaving Pennsylvania nic long, deep lakes surrounded by rolling hills and Palisades o STATE PARK REGIONS Tac striking waterfalls. The Finger Lakes landscape New York Long Island encompasses hundreds of perennial and intermittent City streams, unique species of plants and animals as well as significant wildlife refuges.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydrilla Resurfaces Around Lake's Southern End in 2019, Cayuga
    CAYUGA LAKE WATERSHED 2019 i4 Network It takes a Network to protect a watershed. News Hydrilla resurfaces around the lake’s southern end in 2019 A hydrilla hunter Jenn Tufano Grillo & Hilary Lambert searches along the CLWN staff Cayuga Inlet shoreline for the lurking invasive, The summer and fall of 2019 brought the discovery of which is seeing a resurgence around the new hydrilla outbreaks around the southern end of lake’s south end. Cayuga Lake. Good news is that the plants offshore of Stewart Park may have been vanquished following another round of chemical treatment by the US Army Corps of Engineers. However, just to the north on the east shore, a new-found infestation next to Cornell’s Merrill Family Sailing Center was not affected by initial chemical treatment. arther north in Lansing, the Finger Lakes Marina’s newfound Fbut well-established infestation was treated in October by SOLitude Lake Management via teamwork between the Finger Lakes Institute and Finger Lakes PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) in Geneva, and the south-end Hydrilla Task Force, which is headquartered in the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District Office in Ithaca. Continued monitoring by FLI of the dredged and chemically treated outbreak at Don’s Marina in King Ferry found no further outbreaks this season. Success in reducing the outbreak along the Village of Aurora shoreline has been reported by Rich Ruby treatment and monitoring program. Further study may or and Mike Greer, US ACE. may not show if these new outbreaks are due to boats bringing During October and into November, continued careful hydrilla back into Cayuga Inlet and Fall Creek from the newer monitoring by Bob Johnson’s team (Racine-Johnson Aquatic outbreaks up the lake, or are from the germination of long- Ecologists) around the lake’s south end led to the discovery of buried tubers.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Plan
    TOWN OF ITHACA, NEW YORK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DRAFT DATE: DECEMBER 5, 2012 Town of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: 12/5/2012 Acknowledgements The Town’s Comprehensive Plan would not be possible without the support, expertise and input from the following individuals: Ithaca Town Board Herb Engman, Town Supervisor Bill Goodman, Deputy Town Supervisor Rich DePaolo Tee-Ann Hunter Patricia Leary Eric Levine Comprehensive Plan Committee Herb Engman, Town Board, Chair Patricia Leary, Town Board Tee-Ann Hunter, Town Board Hollis Erb, Planning Board Joe Wetmore, Resident Stephen Wagner, Resident Bill Sonnenstuhl, Resident Diane Conneman, Conservation Board Dave Mountain, Resident (former) David Kay, City of Ithaca Diana Riesman, Village of Cayuga Heights Peter Stein, Tompkins County Town of Ithaca Planning Staff Susan Ritter, Director of Planning Jonathan Kanter, AICP, Director of Planning (former) Dan Tasman, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning Michael Smith, AICP, Environmental Planner Christine Balestra, Planner Darby Kiley, Planner (former) Nina Coveney, Planning Intern (former) Stephen Albonesi, Planning Intern (former) A special acknowledgment to the citizens who participated in open houses, neighborhood meetings, public hearings, and other input opportunities. ii Town of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: 12/5/2012 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Ithaca – The Setting 2 Building on Successes to Shape the Future 3 Creating a Plan for the New Century 3 Securing a Sustainable Future 4 Collaborating with Neighboring Municipalities
    [Show full text]
  • Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan Cayuga Lake
    HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM ACTION PLAN CAYUGA LAKE www.dec.ny.gov EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SAFEGUARDING NEW YORK’S WATER Protecting water quality is essential to healthy, vibrant communities, clean drinking water, and an array of recreational uses that benefit our local and regional economies. 200 NY Waterbodies with HABs Governor Cuomo recognizes that investments in water quality 175 protection are critical to the future of our communities and the state. 150 Under his direction, New York has launched an aggressive effort to protect state waters, including the landmark $2.5 billion Clean 125 Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, and a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive 100 initiative to reduce the frequency of harmful algal blooms (HABs). 75 New York recognizes the threat HABs pose to our drinking water, 50 outdoor recreation, fish and animals, and human health. In 2017, more 25 than 100 beaches were closed for at least part of the summer due to 0 HABs, and some lakes that serve as the primary drinking water source for their communities were threatened by HABs for the first time. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 GOVERNOR CUOMO’S FOUR-POINT HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM INITIATIVE In his 2018 State of the State address, Governor Cuomo announced FOUR-POINT INITIATIVE a $65 million, four-point initiative to aggressively combat HABs in Upstate New York, with the goal to identify contributing factors fueling PRIORITY LAKE IDENTIFICATION Identify 12 priority waterbodies that HABs, and implement innovative strategies to address their causes 1 represent a wide range of conditions and protect water quality. and vulnerabilities—the lessons learned will be applied to other impacted Under this initiative, the Governor’s Water Quality Rapid Response waterbodies in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • The Finger Lakes Trail in the Emerald Necklace: a Plan for Corridor Protection and Enhancement
    The Finger Lakes Trail In the Emerald Necklace: A Plan for Corridor Protection and Enhancement Prepared by: Mark Whitmore and Rick Manning Finger Lakes Land Trust Ithaca, NY Acknowledgments This report, like the Finger Lakes Trail, would not be possible if not for the efforts of many dedicated volunteers from the Cayuga Trails Club and the Finger Lakes Trail Conference. The authors and the Finger Lakes Land Trust would like to thank all the members of these organizations and in particular the following individuals for their advice, information, and comments: Dave Marsh, John Andersson, Tom Reimers, Gary Mallow, Phil Dankert, and Roger Hopkins. We would also like to thank the following individuals and agencies for their support and assistance:; Michael Liu, Finger Lakes National Forest; John Clancy and Rich Pancoe, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Region 7; Sue Beeners, Town of Danby; Rocci Aguirre and Andy Zepp of the Finger Lakes Land Trust; Ed Marx and Leslie Schill of the Tompkins County Planning Department; and lastly an especially big thank you to Sharon Heller of the Tompkins County Planning Department for her time and patience producing the base maps that are so important to this project. The report was funded by a grant from New York’s Department of State Quality Communities Grant Program to the Finger Lakes Land Trust and the Tompkins County Planning Department. Additional support for the assessment of open space resources within the Emerald Necklace was provided by a grant from the New York State Partnership Program, administered by the Land Trust Alliance with support from the State of New York.
    [Show full text]
  • Cayuga Lake Waterfront Plan
    f e & Wol e & g Trowbrid y hoto b ketch by John Dean P S NYS Local Waterfront Revitalization Program: Cayuga Lake Waterfront Plan Final Report Consultant Team: Trowbridge & Wolf Landscape Architects December, 2004 Planning & Environmental Research Consultants This report was prepared for the New York Clients: Department of State with funds provided under Tompkins County Town of Ithaca Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. Town of Lansing City of Ithaca Village of Lansing Town of Ulysses Village of Cayuga Heights Cayuga Lake Waterfront Plan Update August 2005 Introduction The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program: Cayuga Lake Waterfront Plan was written primarily in 2002. Since that time, many of the recommendations of the Waterfront Plan have already been initiated. The purpose of this foreword is to acknowledge the efforts made by individuals, businesses, and municipalities in implementing the plan and to bring the reader up to date on just a few of these accomplishments. Progress in implementing the Waterfront Plan can be seen in large and small ways around the waterfront. Some of the progress in implementing the plan can be seen in: • the successful establishment of The Boatyard Grill a new restaurant at the northern tip of Inlet Island; • the development of the Ithaca Town Park at East Shore, including a pavilion and a popular fishing access; • continued improvements at Ithaca Farmers Market, including expanded hours of operation during the week; and • the adoption of revised land development regulations for property along the waterfront in the Towns of Lansing and Ithaca. Boating Regulations One of the five key issues identified in the Waterfront Plan was the need to “control noise from boats and enhance boater safety by strengthening and enforcing boating regulations.” The communities bordering the waterfront have done just that.
    [Show full text]
  • Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Stratified-Drift Aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York
    Prepared in cooperation with the Town of Danby and the Tompkins County Planning Department Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Stratified-Drift Aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York Scientific Investigations Report 2015−5138 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey A. B. D. C. Cover. A, Panorama of the valley from a location near Comfort Road, Danby, N.Y., looking southwest. B, Signage for the town offices and public library of the Town of Danby. C, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologist holding soil sample from test well TM2806 (Whitehawk Lane, Danby). D, The Danby town hall. All photographs copyright Ted Crane (http://tedcrane.com/), used with permission. Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Stratified-Drift Aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York By Todd S. Miller Prepared in cooperation with the Town of Danby and the Tompkins County Planning Department Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5138 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Nutrient Loads to Cayuga Lake, New York: Watershed Modeling on a Budget
    Case Study Nutrient Loads to Cayuga Lake, New York: Watershed Modeling on a Budget Douglas A. Haith1; Nicholas Hollingshead2; Matthew L. Bell3; Stephen W. Kreszewski4; and Sara J. Morey5 Abstract: Nutrient loads were estimated for the 34 watersheds draining into Cayuga Lake, New York, through use of a watershed model. Financial and human resources were very limited for the project, but significant cost savings were achieved through project decisions. Chief among these were selection of a watershed model that did not require calibration and use of historic water quality monitoring data for model testing. Savings were also obtained by extrapolating soil properties from related information (nutrient contents from organic matter), substituting literature concentrations for missing point source data, extrapolating septic system performance from one area to another, and use of synthetic weather data generated from a model. None of the decisions was remarkable in itself, but together, they permitted a watershed study and its associated modeling to be accomplished with modest resources. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452 .0000198. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Lakes; Nonpoint pollution; Nutrients; Simulation models; Water pollution; Watersheds. Author keywords: Lakes; Nonpoint pollution; Nutrients; Simulation models; Water pollution; Watersheds. Introduction are 52% agriculture, 34% forest and brush, 12% urban, and the remaining 2% other rural uses, such as water, disturbed, and cleared Watershed modeling is often expensive and time consuming. The areas. development of land use databases, collection of water quality and Although the water quality of Cayuga Lake is generally good, hydrologic data for model calibration and testing, and measurement sediment and phosphorus inputs are considered long-term threats of model input parameters are major activities required for water- (Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council 2000), particu- shed modeling.
    [Show full text]