Water Resources of Monroe County, New York, Water Years 1994-96, with Emphasis on Water Quality in the Irondequoit Creek Basin Atmospheric Deposition, Ground Water, Streamflow, Trends in Water Quality, and Chemical Loads to Irondequoit Bay U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4201 Prepared in cooperation with the Monroe County Department of Health Water Resources of Monroe County, New York, Water Years 1994-96, with Emphasis on Water Quality in the Irondequoit Creek Basin Atmospheric Deposition, Ground Water, Streamflow, Trends in Water Quality, and Chemical Loads to Irondequoit Bay By DONALD A. SHERWOOD U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water Resources Investigations Report 00-4201 Prepared in cooperation with the MONROE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: Subdistrict Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services 30 Brown Road Box 25286 Ithaca, NY 14850 Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Description of study area............................................................................................................................................. 5 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Atmospheric deposition......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Precipitation volume.................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chemical loads ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Ground water ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Water levels.................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Chemical concentrations.............................................................................................................................................. 7 Spatial variability............................................................................................................................................... 8 Constituent trends ............................................................................................................................................ 11 Surface water ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Crest-Stage Gages........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Water temperature........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Temporal trends in streamflow .................................................................................................................................... 15 Irondequoit Creek at Blossom Road.................................................................................................................. 16 Allen Creek near Rochester............................................................................................................................... 16 Black Creek at Churchville................................................................................................................................ 17 Chemical concentrations.............................................................................................................................................. 17 Spatial variability............................................................................................................................................... 20 Irondequoit Creek basin sites .................................................................................................................. 24 Northrup Creek........................................................................................................................................ 26 Temporal variability........................................................................................................................................... 26 Temporal trends ................................................................................................................................................ 27 Irondequoit Creek basin........................................................................................................................... 27 Northrup Creek and Genesee River......................................................................................................... 29 Chemical loads and yields ........................................................................................................................................... 30 Irondequoit Creek basin........................................................................................................................... 33 Northrup Creek and Genesee River......................................................................................................... 36 Summary and conclusions..................................................................................................................................................... 37 References cited..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 FIGURES 1. Map showing principal geographic features of Monroe County, N.Y. and locations of streamflow-gaging stations in study area.................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Map showing locations of streamflow-gaging stations, canal-diversion sites, and atmospheric-deposition sites within the Irondequoit Creek basin................................................................................................................................. 4 3. Map showing locations of observation wells in Ellison Park........................................................................................ 8 4. Hydrographs showing water levels in Ellison Park wells, period of record through 1996 ............................................. 9 5. Plot of mean monthly water levels at wells Mo2 and Mo3, for 1994-96, with mean monthly, maximum, and minimum water levels for 1985-93 ................................................................................................................................ 10 6. Bar graphs showing median concentrations of selected constituents in Ellison Park wells for period of record through 1993 and for 1994-96 . ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Contents III 7. Bar plot of Monthly water temperature range and mean monthly water temperature, with optimum, upper, and lower critical temperature ranges for rainbow trout at four Irondequoit basin sites and Northrup Creek, Water Years 1995-96................................................................................................................................................................. 14 8. Plot of monthly mean flows for Allen Creek with LOWESS (locally weighted scatterplot smooth) line and the estimated trend line.. ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 9. Monthly mean flows of three streams in Monroe County, N.Y., water years 1994, 1995, and 1996, in relation to normal range (flows exceeded 25 to 75 percent of time) for period of record; A. Irondequoit Creek at Blossom Road. B. Allen Creek at Rochester. C. Black Creek at Churchville. (Locations Shown in fig. 1). ............................................................................................................................................................. 18 10. Mean monthly flows of three streams in Monroe County, N.Y., for period of record and water years 1994-96, in relation to normal range (flows exceeded 25 to 75 percent of time) for period of record; A. Irondequoit Creek at Blossom Road.