Publication 259 September 2008 Chemung Subbasin Small Watershed Study: Cohocton River A Water Quality and Biological Assessment, April 2007 - February 2008 The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) completed a water quality survey in the Cohocton River Watershed from April 2007- February 2008 as part of the Year-2 small watershed study in the Chemung Subbasin (Figure 1). Year-1 and Year-2 surveys are part Introduction . .1 of SRBC’s Subbasin Survey Program, which is funded in part by the United States Description . .2 Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This program Methods . .3 consists of two-year assessments in each of the six major subbasins in the Susquehanna River Figure 1. Location of Cohocton River Watershed in the Data Analysis . .4 Chemung River Subbasin Basin on a rotating schedule. The Year-1 studies are broad-brush, one-time samples of about 100 stream sites to Results/Discussion . .6 - 11 assess water quality, macroinvertebrates, and physical habitat. The Year-2 studies focus on a particular region or small watershed within the major subbasin, and typically Conclusion . .11 consist of quarterly sampling over a one-year period at a set number of sampling locations. SRBC conducted the Chemung Subbasin Year-1 study from June-August References . .12 2006 (Buda, 2007). The Year-2 sampling plan is tailored for the individual needs or concerns of a chosen watershed, and, through sampling seasonally at various flow regimes, a more detailed evaluation of the watershed can be made. Appendix . .12 For more information on SRBC’s Subbasin Survey Program, see reports by Buda (2006 and 2007) and Steffy (2007). These reports are posted on SRBC’s web site at www.srbc.net/pubinfo/techdocs/Publications/techreports.htm. This technical report was produced by: Luanne Y. Steffy Aquatic Ecologist (717) 238-0426 ext. 112 [email protected] For more information on the methods or results of this survey, contact Luanne Y. Steffy. For raw data, visit the web site at www.srbc.net/pubinfo/publications/techreports.htm For additional copies of this Subbasin survey contact the Commission by e-mail at [email protected]. Headwaters of the Cohocton River west of Atlanta, N.Y. The Cohocton River Watershed Cohocton River Watershed that will Planning and Development Board was chosen for the detailed Year-2 study benefit from the additional data (STCRPB), the Soil and Water for several reasons. During initial provided from this project. Since Conservation Districts of Steuben and coordination meetings with state and October 2005, staff has been conducting Schuyler Counties, local citizens, and local agencies in the area, many groups water quality sampling on the Cohocton other interested parties. expressed interest in having additional River at Campbell, N.Y., as part of the data for the Cohocton River, as there Chesapeake Bay Program’s Non-tidal DESCRIPTION has not been any recent ongoing Water Quality Monitoring Network. of the Cohocton River monitoring in the watershed. Based on Monthly nutrient and sediment data are Watershed these coordination meetings, SRBC collected, as well as seasonal storm samples, The Cohocton River Watershed created a sampling plan, which included weather permitting. More information drains 604 square miles and flows establishing 25 sampling locations to on this program can be found at southeast through the southern tier of address numerous potential issues in www.srbc.net/programs/CBP/nutrient- New York State (Figure 1). More than the Cohocton River Watershed. program.htm. 80 percent of the watershed is located The Cohocton River Watershed is Additionally, in 2007, SRBC in Steuben County, with smaller sections one of the major drainages in the expanded its Early Warning System located in Schuyler (ten percent), Chemung Subbasin, and much of the (EWS) program into the New York Livingston (three percent), Yates (two land remains forested and undeveloped. State portion of the Susquehanna River percent), and Ontario (less than one However, agriculture does represent Basin to protect public drinking water percent) counties. The Cohocton River almost 20 percent of the land use in the supplies. This program helps protect and the Tioga River converge in the watershed, and there are local concerns public water supplies that serve the Village of Painted Post, N.Y., to form the about the resulting impacts of nutrients almost 700,000 customers in the Elmira mainstem of the Chemung River. Most and sediment. Nineteen sites were sampled and Binghamton, N.Y., areas. The EWS of the streams in the Cohocton River throughout the watershed to assess program involves a monitoring network Watershed, including all the sampling ambient water quality and document that helps minimize the impact from locations, are designated as either Class nutrient levels likely resulting from contaminant spills, and provides data B or Class C waters, which are typically agricultural practices. for improving day-to-day treatment intended for primary and secondary The water quality of tributaries operations, further ensuring a continuous recreation and fishing. Two sampling entering Lamoka and Waneta Lakes was and safe supply of drinking water. sites, the Cohocton River south of Avoca another concern that was addressed The City of Elmira’s water treatment (about river mile 25.0) and the mouth of in the sampling plan. To evaluate where facilities, included in the EWS network, Meads Creek (MEAD 0.1), are in reaches excess nutrients in the lakes may be are located downstream of the outlet of designated as trout waters. In addition, originating, SRBC sampled six sites the Cohocton River. The treatment Twelvemile Creek (TWVE 0.5) is listed around, between, and downstream of facility benefits from the real-time by NYSDEC as trout spawning waters. the lakes. Quarterly sampling at these monitors that record temperature, turbidity, The Cohocton River Watershed is a 25 sites was conducted throughout the dissolved oxygen, and conductance. primarily rural area with forested lands watershed to provide information for There is also an ultraviolet absorbance covering more than 75 percent of the determining any temporal or spatial monitoring system, which can be used basin. Agriculture makes up almost changes in water quality and to provide to detect organic contaminants. By 20 percent of the watershed, and just evidence of anthropogenic influence, monitoring these few major parameters over one percent is developed land. Two particularly with regard to agricultural continuously, any changes can be large lakes and numerous sizeable sources of nutrients or the possibility of detected early, before they threaten wetland areas make up most of the other sources, such as septic systems. the safe supply of drinking water. For remaining area. The largest population In addition, due to the numerous more information on the EWS program center is Bath, located in the central large automobile salvage yards in the at SRBC, go to http://www.srbc.net/ region of Steuben County (Figure 2). watershed, quarterly volatile organics programs/docs/ EWSGeneral(2_07).pdf. Land use information is based on the sampling (specifically looking for BTEX - This Year-2 watershed study will 2000 land use coverage from the benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, provide valuable biological, chemical, Chesapeake Bay Program. xylenes mix) also was incorporated and habitat information to SRBC The entire Cohocton River upstream and downstream of two and other agencies, including the Watershed falls within Ecoregion 60, salvage yards to assess any surface water Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC), which is the Northern Appalachian impacts from these facilities. New York State Department of Plateau. This ecoregion is a combination SRBC also has numerous other Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), of agriculture and forested land and is involvements in and around the Southern Tier Central Regional considered a transition ecoregion between 2 the more agricultural and urban ecoregions The Cohocton River also provides METHODS to the north and west and the more opportunities for canoeing and kayaking, DATA COLLECTION mountainous and forested ecoregions to especially on the lower reaches and onto Between April 2007 and February the south and east. The geology of these the Chemung River. There are three 2008, SRBC staff collected quarterly areas consists mainly of sandstone and specific launches for canoes and kayaks: water chemistry samples and measured shale (www.newyork.geology-forum.com). along Route 11 in the Town of Bath stream discharge at 25 stream sites Recreational opportunities are (sampling site COHO 16.5), at Wood Road in the Cohocton River Watershed. abundant in the Cohocton River in the Town of Campbell (sampling site Macroinvertebrate samples were collected, Watershed, with Lamoka and Waneta COHO 9.7), and at Kinsella Park in the and habitat assessments were completed Lakes and the Cohocton River Town of Erwin (sampling site COHO at each site in June 2007. Appendix A providing for many outdoor activities. 0.5). The Chemung Basin River Trail contains a list of station names, sampling NYSDEC maintains numerous public Partnership is an active organization in location descriptions, drainage areas, fishing areas along the entire extent the area and was formed in 1999 to and latitude and longitude coordinates of the river. Information on the promote protection of the Chemung for each of these sites. In addition, location of these access areas, as basin, including the Cohocton River volatile organic samples were collected well as fishing regulations for these Watershed. For more information on this at one of the original 25 sites as well areas, can be found under Region 8, group or to sign up for its newsletter, as three additional locations. These Steuben County at http://www.dec.ny.gov/ please see the partnership’s web site at additional sites were located upstream outdoor/9924.html. http://www.chemungrivertrail.com. and downstream of large automobile salvage yards and are listed in red in Appendix A. The site listed in blue was sampled for both volatile organics and nutrient parameters.