Controls on Water Quality in the New Croton Reservoir/Turkey Mountain Watershed Final Report for New York State Department of Transportation March 2006 Controls on Water Quality in the New Croton Reservoir/Turkey Mountain Watershed Final Report March 2006 Charles T. Driscoll1, Donald W. Lake2, Shobha K. Bhatia1, Douglas DeKoskie3, James Buchanan3, Joel DuBois3 and Kimberley M. Driscoll1 1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Syracuse University 151 Link Hall Syracuse, NY 13244 2361 Funk Road Erieville, NY 13061 3Integrated River Solutions, Inc. 9 River Road Ulster Park, NY 12487 Table of Contents List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... v List of Figures.................................................................................................................. viii Executive Summary.......................................................................................................... xii Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 TASK 1: Development of a Geographic Information System............................................ 1 Location ......................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives and Methodology........................................................................................ 1 Description of Coverages in the Geographic Information System........................... 2 Relief ........................................................................................................................... 2 Bedrock ....................................................................................................................... 2 Surficial Geology ........................................................................................................ 2 Steep Slopes ................................................................................................................ 3 Hydrography............................................................................................................... 3 Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 3 Population................................................................................................................... 3 Transportation ............................................................................................................ 4 Soil Distribution.......................................................................................................... 4 Results and Discussion of Geographic Properties of the Turkey Mountain/Sawmill Creek Watershed.......................................................................... 4 TASK 2: Location of Sites of Environmental Degradation................................................ 6 Method ........................................................................................................................... 6 Data Summary .............................................................................................................. 7 TASK 3: Quantitative Stormwater Quality Modeling........................................................ 8 Water Quantity ............................................................................................................. 8 Background................................................................................................................. 8 Approach..................................................................................................................... 8 Results......................................................................................................................... 9 Water Quality................................................................................................................ 9 Background................................................................................................................. 9 Approach................................................................................................................... 10 Results....................................................................................................................... 10 TASK 4A. Water Quality Analysis .................................................................................. 12 Objectives..................................................................................................................... 12 Background: Dynamics of Major Non-point Source Pollutants............................. 12 Oxygen Demand........................................................................................................ 12 Dissolved Organic Carbon Dynamics ...................................................................... 12 Nutrients in Streams.................................................................................................. 13 Bacteria..................................................................................................................... 14 Field and Laboratory Methods.................................................................................. 14 Sampling Procedures................................................................................................ 14 Analytical Procedures............................................................................................... 15 Hydrology and Annual Loads ................................................................................... 15 i Results .......................................................................................................................... 16 Hydrology ................................................................................................................. 16 Water Quality............................................................................................................ 16 Temperature, pH, Turbidity, DO, TSS ................................................................. 16 Nutrients................................................................................................................ 18 Bacteria ................................................................................................................. 20 Multivariate Statistical Analysis............................................................................... 20 Factor Analysis ..................................................................................................... 20 Cluster Analysis.................................................................................................... 21 Watershed Loadings.................................................................................................. 21 Stormwater Events .................................................................................................... 22 Toxicity Testing......................................................................................................... 23 Comparison of Surrounding Waters ......................................................................... 23 Summary...................................................................................................................... 23 TASK 4B: Habitat Analysis ............................................................................................. 25 Fishery Assessment ..................................................................................................... 25 Findings – Fishery Assessment................................................................................. 25 Findings – Habitat Assessment................................................................................. 26 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................. 27 Macroinvertebrate Assessment.................................................................................. 29 Methods..................................................................................................................... 29 Physical Habitat .................................................................................................... 29 Water Quality Analysis......................................................................................... 29 Macroinvertebrate Collection ............................................................................... 30 Laboratory Methods.............................................................................................. 30 Sorting Quality Assurance .................................................................................... 31 Sample Identification............................................................................................ 32 QA/QC of Taxonomic Identifications .................................................................. 32 Biological Assessment ................................................................................................. 32 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................. 33 Physical Habitat .................................................................................................... 33 Water Quality Results........................................................................................... 35 Conclusions.................................................................................................................