NYS DEC Division of Water New York State Water Quality 2000 October 2000 Submitted Pursuant to Section 305(b) of the Federal Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 (PL 95-217) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation George E. Pataki, Governor John P.Cahill, Commissioner Table of contents (navigate by blue links) Acknowledgments Forward Part I: Executive Summary/Overview ..........................................1 Overall Use Support ...............................................1 Causes and Sources of Use Impairment ...............................2 Water Quality Trends ..............................................6 Comprehensive Assessment Strategy .................................7 Part II: Water Resources Background ..........................................9 Snapshot of New York State Waters ...................................9 The NYS DEC Water Quality Monitoring and Management Program .......11 A Watershed Approach ...........................................21 Part III: Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment ...............................27 Chapter 1 - Water Quality Monitoring Program ...........................27 Rotating Intensive Basin Studies (RIBS) .............................27 The Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List (WI/PWL) ...........31 Special State Concerns and Recommendations .........................34 Chapter 2 - Comprehensive Assessment Strategy .........................37 Cornerstones of the Strategy ........................................37 Component Programs and Activities .................................38 Chapter 3 - Assessment Methodology ..................................45 Degree of Use Support ............................................45 Monitored and Evaluated Waters ....................................54 Presumed Assessments ...........................................54 Chapter 4 - Water Quality Assessment ..................................57 Surface Water Assessment .........................................58 Rivers and Streams .........................................60 Lakes and Reservoirs ......................................60 Estuary Waters ............................................61 Great Lakes Shoreline ......................................61 Ocean Coastline ...........................................61 Clean Lakes Assessment ..........................................77 Groundwater Assessment ........................................100 Wetlands Assessment ...........................................109 Public Health and Aquatic Life .....................................114 Drinking Water Restrictions ................................114 Fish Consumption Advisories ...............................116 Shellfishing Restrictions ....................................118 Bathing Beach Closures ....................................118 Toxic Pollutants ..........................................119 Contaminated Sediments ...................................124 Fish Kills ................................................125 Section 303(d) Waters and TMDLs .................................126 Appendices A. Watershed/Basin Water Quality Summaries Niagara River/Lake Erie Basin ...............................A - 3 Allegheny River Basin ......................................A-11 Lake Ontario (Minor Tributaries) Basin .......................A-15 Genesee River Basin .......................................A-23 Chemung River Basin* ......................................A-27 Susquehanna River Basin ...................................A-35 Oswego-Seneca-Oneida Rivers (Finger Lakes) Basin .............A-41 Black River Basin* .........................................A-51 Saint Lawrence River Basin* .................................A-63 Lake Champlain Basin ......................................A-77 Upper Hudson River Basin ..................................A-85 Mohawk River Basin .......................................A-91 Lower Hudson River Basin* ..................................A-97 Delaware River Basin .....................................A-115 Atlantic Ocean-Long Island Sound Basin ......................A-121 B. The Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List C. New York State Water Quality Classifications D. Volunteer River Monitoring Program E. 1998 New York State Section 303(d) List Introduction ..............................................E - 1 Waterbodies Designated as Priorities for TMDL Development .....E - 3 Waterbodies Impacted by Atmospheric Deposition ...............E - 6 Waterbodies with Fish Consumption Advisories .................E-20 Waterbodies Closed to Shellfishing ...........................E-24 Waterbodies with Exceedences of Water Quality Standards ........E-26 Waterbodies with Problems Requiring Verification ...............E-27 F. NYS DOH Health Advisories: Chemicals in Sportfish and Game * The water quality assessments for these Drainage Basins have been updated since the publication of the previous New York State 305(b) Report in 1998. Figures 1. Assessment of New York State Waters ...........................3 2. Primary Sources/Causes of Water Quality Impairment ...............5 3. WI/PWL Drainage Basin Update Schedule .........................8 4. Cycle of Water Quality Monitoring and Management ...............12 5. RIBS Sampling Program Schedule ...............................28 6. 1999 NYS Lake Water Quality Assessment .......................82 Tables 1. New York State Water Resources Information .....................9 2. Schedule of Comprehensive Assessment Strategy Activities ............43 3. Relationships Between USEPA Designated Use Assessments and WI/PWL Severity/Documentation Categories ...........................47 4. Aquatic Life Use Assessment Criteria ...........................48 5. Acid Rain/Aquatic Life Assessment Criteria ......................48 6. Drinking Water Use Assessment Criteria ........................49 7. Fish Consumption Use Assessment Criteria ......................50 8. Shellfishing Use Assessment Criteria ............................51 9. Public Bathing/Recreation Use Assessment Criteria ................53 10. Summary of Fully Supporting, Threatened, Impaired Waters .........57 11. Individual Use Support (a thru e) ............................ 62-66 12. Total Sizes of Waters Impaired by Various Source Categories (a thru e)67-71 13. Total Sizes of Waters Impaired by Various Cause Categories (a thru e)72-76 14. Categories of Ponded Waters in New York State ...................78 15. Assessment Criteria for Lake Trophic Status .....................80 16. True Color as Indicator of Trophic Status ........................80 17. Lake Trophic Status for “Clear” Waters .........................81 18. Lake/Pond Condition for Waters with True Color < 30 ..............82 19. Lake/Pond Condition for Waters with True Color > 30 .............82 20. Lake/Pond Condition for ELS Waters with True Color < 30 ..........83 21. Statewide Assessment of Lake Water Quality .....................85 22. Assessment of Lake Acidification ...............................95 23. Trophic Condition of Lakes in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s ..........97 24. Trophic Condition of Lakes: 1970s/80s vs 1980s/90s ...............98 25. Parametric/Non-Parametric Trends in Lake Water Quality ..........100 26. Major Sources of Groundwater Contamination ....................102 27. Groundwater Contaminants ...................................104 28. Functions and Values of Wetlands ..............................109 29. Wetlands Water Quality Standards Development ..................113 30. Recent Changes to Fish Consumption Advisories .................117 31. Segments Affected by Toxic Pollutants ...................... 120-123 32. Suspected Sources of Fish Kills ...............................125 33. Schedule for TMDL Development .............................128 Acknowledgments This report reflects the contributions of a great number of people. Those who deserve special thanks and recognition include (in alphabetical order): Larry Abele, Bill Andrews, Jim Beach, Robert Bode, Tom Boekeloo, Michael Burke, Karen Chytalo, Jim Connolly, Bob Cronin, Phil DeGaetano, Charles deQuillfeldt, Richard Draper, Steve Eidt, Ron Entringer, Frank Estabrooks, Pat Ferracane, Ray Gabriel, Jim Garry, Maria Hanby, George Hansen, William Hastback, Diana Heitzman, Jim Hyde, Ramesh Kapur, Dan Kendall, Ken Kosinski, Edward Kuzia, Joe Marcogliese, Ken Markussen, Lois New, Margaret Novak, Tom Pearson, Patricia Riexinger, Hank Samide, Fred Sievers, Ron Sloan, Larry Skinner, Libby Smith, Joseph Spodaryk, Tracey Tomajer, Robert Townsend, Colby Tucker, Fred Van Alstyne, and many others in various programs throughout the NYS DEC Division of Water who have contributed indirectly to the information in this report. Appreciation is also extended to Jeri Adams, Sharon Hotaling, and Debbie Wickert for providing stenographic assistance. Any questions or comments regarding the contents of this report should be directed to: Jeffrey A. Myers, 305(b) Coordinator NYS DEC, Division of Water 50 Wolf Road, Room 392 Albany, NY 12233-3502 Forward In addition to the continued routine monitoring and assessment of the waters of the state – conducted according to the program’s rotating basin schedule – NYS DEC staff have also been involved in a number of other water quality monitoring and assessment initiatives since the 1998 Section 305(b) Report was submitted. The most significant of these initiatives involve: ! Section 305(b) Reporting Consistency, ! Achieving Comprehensive Assessment of New York State Waters, and