Sandy Creeks Watersheds Baseline Conditions Report TALCOTT FALLS Prepared for: FEBRUARY 2008 Prepared by: The New York State Department In support of the Sandy Creeks of State with funds provided from the Watersheds Ecosystem Based NYS Environmental Protection Fund and Management Strategic Plan under cotnract to The Nature Conservancy. Sandy Creeks Watersheds Baseline Conditions Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 WATERSHEDS BACKGROUND........................................................................................ 3 3.0 DATA ACQUISITION AND METHODS............................................................................. 7 3.1 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................... 7 3.2 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) DATA........................................... 8 3.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA........................................................................................ 10 3.4 FIELD RECONNAISSANCE...................................................................................... 13 3.5 USGS GAUGING STATION...................................................................................... 13 3.6 STAKEHOLDER PROCESS....................................................................................... 14 4.0 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS....................................................................................... 17 4.1 POPULATION ............................................................................................................. 17 4.2 INCOME BY AGE....................................................................................................... 18 4.3 EMPLOYMENT........................................................................................................... 18 4.4 LOCATION QUOTIENT ANALYSIS ........................................................................ 20 4.5 TAX PARCEL DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................. 22 4.6 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA GAPS & TRENDS TO TRACK................................... 24 5.0 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE ..................................................................... 27 5.1 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY.............................................................................. 27 5.2 SOILS ........................................................................................................................... 30 5.3 CLIMATE..................................................................................................................... 30 5.4 HYDROLOGY, STREAM CHANNEL CONDITIONS, AND WATER QUALITY. 31 5.5 TUG HILL AQUIFER.................................................................................................. 34 5.6 LAND COVER............................................................................................................. 35 5.7 VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE ............................................................................... 44 6.0 SUBWATERSHED PROFILES........................................................................................... 49 6.1 STONY CREEK........................................................................................................... 51 6.2 LITTLE STONY CREEK/LAKEVIEW ...................................................................... 57 6.3 NORTH BRANCH SANDY CREEK .......................................................................... 63 6.4 UPPER SANDY CREEK ............................................................................................. 69 6.5 GULF STREAM........................................................................................................... 77 6.6 FISH CREEK................................................................................................................ 83 6.7 LOWER SANDY CREEK ........................................................................................... 89 6.8 UPPER SOUTH SANDY CREEK............................................................................... 97 6.9 FOX CREEK.............................................................................................................. 105 6.10 BEAR CREEK............................................................................................................ 111 6.11 LOWER SOUTH SANDY CREEK ........................................................................... 117 6.12 LINDSEY/SKINNER................................................................................................. 125 6.13 LITTLE SANDY CREEK .......................................................................................... 133 6.14 DEER CREEK............................................................................................................ 141 Biohabitats, Inc. • RESTORING THE EARTH AND INSPIRING ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP • February 2008 - i - Sandy Creeks Watersheds Baseline Conditions Report 7.0 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 147 7.1 GIS ANALYSIS RESULTS....................................................................................... 147 7.2 DATA GAPS.............................................................................................................. 159 7.3 STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK................................................................................. 170 8.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 176 Biohabitats, Inc. • RESTORING THE EARTH AND INSPIRING ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP • February 2008 - ii - Sandy Creeks Watersheds Baseline Conditions Report List of Tables Table 1. Four Watersheds Comprising Sandy Creeks EBM Strategy ............................................ 4 Table 2. Fourteen Subwatershed Delineations................................................................................ 4 Table 3. Population by Age – Sandy Creeks Trade Area ............................................................. 17 Table 4. Employment Distribution across Industry Sectors ......................................................... 19 Table 5. Location Quotients for Sandy Creeks Trade Area, 2006................................................ 21 Table 6. Sandy Creeks Watershed Area Market Value by Land Use........................................... 23 Table 7. Subwatershed Percent of Total Market Value by Land Use........................................... 24 Table 8. Topography by Subwatershed ....................................................................................... 28 Table 9. Subwatershed Land Cover Comparison ......................................................................... 37 Table 10. Raw Data of Land Cover Features for Sandy Creeks Watershed................................ 43 Table 11. Normalized Data for Sandy Creeks Watersheds Land Cover....................................... 44 Table 12. Stony Creek Average Annual Precipitation From East to West, in general................. 51 Table 13. General Soil Map Units in Stony Creek ....................................................................... 53 Table 14. Stony Creek Hydrologic Soil Groups ........................................................................... 53 Table 15. Stony Creek Wetlands by Classification ...................................................................... 54 Table 16. Market Value per Acre by Land Use in Stony Creek................................................... 55 Table 17. Little Stony Creek/Lakeview Average Annual Precipitation from East to West, in general................................................................................................................................... 57 Table 18. General Soil Map Units in Little Stony Creek/Lakeview............................................. 59 Table 19. Little Stony Creek/Lakeview Hydrologic Soil Groups................................................. 59 Table 20. Little Stony Creek/Lakeview Wetlands by Classification............................................ 60 Table 21. Market Value per Acre by Land use in Little Stony Creek .......................................... 61 Table 22. North Branch Sandy Creek Average Annual Precipitation from East to West, in general................................................................................................................................... 63 Table 23. General Soil Map Units in North Branch Sandy Creek................................................ 65 Table 24. North Branch Sandy Creek Hydrologic Soil Groups.................................................... 65 Table 25. North Branch Sandy Creek Wetlands by Classification............................................... 66 Table 26. Market Value per Acre by Land Use in North Branch Sandy Creek ........................... 67 Table 27. Upper Sandy Creek Average Annual Precipitation from East to West, in general. ..... 69 Table 28. General Soil Map Units in Upper Sandy Creek............................................................ 71 Table 29. Upper Sandy Creek Hydrologic Soil Groups ............................................................... 71 Table 30. Upper Sandy Creek Wetlands By Classification .......................................................... 72 Table 31. Market Value per Acre by Land Use in Upper Sandy Creek ...................................... 74 Table