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PROBLEM
Surface-water information is needed for surveillance, planning, design, hazard warning, operation, and management in water-related fields such as water supply, hydroelectric power, flood control, irrigation, bridge and culvert design, wildlife management, pollution abatement, flood-plain management, and water-resources development. To provide this information, an appropriate data base is necessary.
OBJECTIVE
(1) To collect surface-water data sufficient to satisfy needs for current- purpose uses, such as assessment of water resources, operation of reservoirs or industries, forecasting, disposal of wastes and pollution controls, discharge data to accompany water-quality measurement, compact and legal requirement, and research or special studies. (2) To collect data needed in analytical studies to define for any location the statistical properties of, and trends in, the occurrence of water in streams, lakes, estuaries, etc., for use in planning and design.
APPROACH
Standard methods of data collection will be used as described in the series, "techniques of water resources investigations of the united states geological survey." Partial-record gaging will be used instead of complete-record gaging where it serves the required purpose.
PROBLEM
Long term water level records are needed to evaluate the effects of climatic variations on the recharge to and discharge from the ground-water systems, to provide a data base from which to measure the effects of development, to assist in the prediction of future supplies, and to provide data for management of the resource.
OBJECTIVE
A. To collect water level data sufficient to provide a minimum long-term data base so that the general response of the hydrologic system to natural climatic variations and induced stresses is known and potential problems can be defined early enough to allow proper planning and management. B. To provide a data base against which the short-term records acquired in areal studies can be analyzed. This analysis must (1) provide an assessment of the ground-water resource, (2) allow prediction of future conditions, and (3) provide the data base necessary for management of the resource.
APPROACH
Evaluation of regional geology allows broad, general definition of aquifer systems and their boundary conditions. Within this framework and with some knowledge of the stress on the system in time and space and the hydrologic properties of the aquifers a subjective decision can be made on the most advantageous locations for observation of long-term system behavior. This subjective network can be refined as records become available and detailed areal studies of the ground-water system more closely define the aquifers, their properties, and the stresses to which they are subjected.
PROBLEM
Water resources planning and water quality assessment require a statewide and nationwide level of information of chemical and physical quality of surface and ground-waters.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a statewide and nationwide bank of water-quality data for Federal, State, and local planning, and provide such data where it will support other projects within the New York District. Maintain a water-quality lab within the district to analyze low-ionic strength water.
APPROACH
Maintain and operate a network of water-quality stations to provide concentrations, loads, and time trends of chemical constituents in surface waters. Funding for these sites comes from the state/federal coop program (Federal water-quality program was discontinued in FY 1996). Data provided by local cooperators are used to supplement the network.
PROBLEM
Operate a nationwide long-term monitoring network to determine streamflow and water quality in areas minimally affected by human activities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine time trends and to serve as control for separating natural from artificial changes in other streams.
APPROACH
Set up monitoring stations as part of the National Trends Network. Maintain stations, make on site measurements, process samples, and submit samples to an analytical laboratory. Verify data retrievals and report on results.
PROBLEM
The demand for water in New York State is unevenly distributed, and little information is available on water use. Because increasing competition for local supplies could lead to shortages, it is necessary to know the present uses, how use may vary with time, and how the availability and nature of the resource vary with demand. These are addressed by collecting information on all water- use categories in New York.
OBJECTIVE
The final objective is to assemble data and estimates of values for several
different categories of water use. By so doing, the information is available
for analysis and comparisons with supply.
Specific objectives are to:
determine which agencies collect data on water use for specific categories,
collect and compile water-use data for input to the Site-Specific Water-Use
Data System (SSWUDS) and the Aggregated Water-Use Data System (AWUDS),
develop methodology for estimating water uses for categories in which no
data or incomplete data are available,
make the data available through computer processing and reports,
address topics of relevance to the regional and national water-use programs.
APPROACH
Data will be collected and compiled from local, State, and federal agencies and from other sources such as universities. The USGS will estimate or derive information for categories that other agencies do not address. The water-use data will be used to update the SSWUDS and AWUDS computer programs. Periodic water-use reports will be written as requested by the cooperator or as needed to address specific topics of local, State, or federal interest. Presentations will be given to explain research efforts or data-collection activities. Every 5 years data will be sent to a national AWUDS data base for preparation of the 'Estimated Use of Water in the United States' report. These reports present water-use data by state and basin and have been published for each year ending in '5' or '0' since 1950.
PROBLEM
Flooding is a serious problem in many parts of the state. Information on flood occurrences and analyses of flood data are needed for use in the design of bridges, highways, and buildings, and in flood-plain zoning and flood- protection works.
OBJECTIVE
To provide information on magnitude and frequency of floods to agencies and individuals involved in flood-protection planning and design; develop regional flood-frequency relationships for the entire state; and make site studies.
APPROACH
To collect flood data at crest-stage stations and publish annual peak discharges; calculate discharges of floods, develop flood profiles, and collect information for flood-plain mapping; prepare reports covering individual floods, and make analyses to improve flood-frequency relationships for the state.
PROBLEM
The industrial discharge of (PCB's) Polychlorinated biphenyls into the upper Hudson River has degraded this resource. Because it is not known whether significant quantities of PCB-contaminated sediments have already been transported downstream, the efficacy of proposed sediment dredging operations in the upper Hudson is not known.
OBJECTIVE
The role of the upper Hudson in contributing PCB's to the estuary will be approximated, and, it will be determined whether PCB-contaminated sediments have been transported into the estuary. This study will provide a data base from which the effects of dredging the upper Hudson, if that course of action is followed, can be evaluated.
APPROACH
The movement of PCB Aroclors from sediments into the water column and their configuration to the PCB load transported by the Hudson River will be studied with emphasis on high-flow events.
PROBLEM
Southeastern New York is undergoing rapid suburban development. In many of the developing areas including Putnam County, aquifers are the sole source of water and are highly susceptible to the effects of drought and overpumpage. The hydrogeology of these systems are not well understood, however a WEB based inventory of well-logs will help provide preliminary data that is easily accessible for current and future studies.
OBJECTIVE
Define the hydrogeology of the crystalline bedrock in Putnam County including the areal and vertical distribution of water-bearing fractures and their aquifer characteristics. Develop a WEB based Geographic Inventory System that links copies of historic and current well-logs.
APPROACH
All well logs from the (1) USGS, (2) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the (3) New York State Department of Health, and the (4) Putnam County Department of Hezlth will be scanned. The latitude and longitude for each well will be converted into a WEB based geographical information system and the scanned logs will be linked to their respective well.
PROBLEM
Irondequoit Creek, which flows through an expansive flood plain wetland into Irondequoit Bay, has been identified as a significant source of nonpoint-source pollutants. The U.S. Geological Survey studied the Irondequoit Creek basin as part of the National Urban Runoff Program (NURP) in 1980-81 to determine the chemical quality of urban runoff and provide data to indicate which strategies could help decrease chemical loads in urban runoff that enters Irondequoit Bay.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of the flood-plain wetland (cattail marsh) at the mouth of Irondequoit Creek as a nutrient and sediment filter. Document the effects of the wetland on storm runoff and chemical loads, and current ecological status of the wetland, on the basis of flora, fish, bird, and macroinvertebrate studies. After installation of a flow-control structure designed to disperse stormflows through the wetland and increase the residence time of the water and associated constituents, document changes in chemical load removal rates and evaluate any ecosystem changes that might affect the multiple-use value of the wetland.
APPROACH
Baseline water-quality data will be collected upstream and downstream of the wetland before flow modification to document the effect of the present dispersion patterns on water quality. A flow-control structure midway through the wetland will be installed to increase stormwater dispersion and detention throughout the wetland, and water sampling will be continued to document the resultant changes in chemical-load retention. Flora and fauna surveys will be conducted throughout the study to document ecological changes that result. Shallow sediment samples will be collected above and below the flow-control structure to document changes in the accumulation of nutrients, trace metals, and organic compounds in the sediments. Sedimentation rates will be estimated.
PROBLEM
The Nation's water resources are composed of many interrelated ground- and surface-water systems. The response of each of these systems to natural and human factors manifests itself in a corresponding set of hydrologic, chemical, and biological characteristics that reflect the water-quality effects of these factors. A nationwide assessment is needed to address the recurring local and regional problems related to managing and protecting the quality of our Nation's water resources.
OBJECTIVE
Provide a nationally consistent description of current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources. Define long-term trends (or lack of trends) in water quality. Identify, describe, and explain, to the extent possible, the major natural and human factors that affect observed water- quality conditions and trends.
APPROACH
The Hudson basin is one of 60 study units that together will provide the information for local, regional, and national assessments of water-quality conditions and trends. Each study will evaluate existing information and use this information to design sampling programs that use nationally consistent methods. Three years (1993-95) were spent implementing these sampling programs and analyzing the data. This intensive phase is being followed by six years of less intensive sampling, then the cycle will begin again.
PROBLEM
Increased groundwater use in Northern Nassau County has predicated the need for detailed knowledge of the hydrologic and hydrogeologic framework of the area. Northern Nassau County is dominated by fresh groundwater necks and peninsulas surrounded by saltwater bays and inlets. This close proximity of saltwater and a fresh groundwater reservoir coupled with an ever increasing demand of the resource causes concern for possible saltwater intrusion.
OBJECTIVE
Investigate the present position of a freshwater-saltwater interface and try to delineate it. Determine hydraulic separations and interconnections between aquifers and how the hydrogeology affects local groundwater flow patterns. Map hydrogeologic units at a higher resolution then presently exists.
APPROACH
Develop a water elevation well network for the study area. Measure and map water-table and potentiometric surface elevations to determine hydraulic gradients within and between aquifers. Compile available groundwater data, water levels, chloride analyses and geophysical logs to provide a data base from which future drilling sites can be identified. Sample selected and installed wells for major inorganic constituents, in particular chloride concentrations at regular intervals during the study. Compile hydrogeologic maps and cross sections from previous workers to determine future drilling sites for detailed hydrogeologic mapping. Drill and install wells using PVC casing and collect geologic, electric electromagnetic and gamma logs.
PROBLEM
The Catskill Mountain region has among the highest rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the northeastern United States. Long-term water quality data indicates that nitrate concentrations have increased during the past 50 years in Catskill streams. Nitrate is largely transported as a strong mineral acid, and therefore, contributes to stream acidification and its associated toxic effects on biota. Because nitrogen is a nutrient that potentially limits forest growth, the historical increases in Catskill stream nitrate concentrations are closely related to forest stand history and maturity. Forest harvesting may result in increases in the leaching of nitrogen from soils into streams, and thus, may effect stream acidification and stream biota.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study are to determine how two different forest harvesting techniques affect the rates at which nitrogen and related chemical constituents are processed within two Catskill watersheds, the implications of changes in nitrogen-cycling rates on stream-water quality and stream biota, and how quickly and to what extent nitrogen retention in the affected watersheds recovers from the effects of harvesting.
APPROACH
This study will use a watershed approach in which inputs and outputs of chemical constituents are measured in three catchments. The trees will be completely removed from one watershed, a second watershed will be selectively harvested (removal of about 40% of the trees), and a third will remain undisturbed as a control. Streamflow and rainfall amount will be continuously monitored, and stream and precipitation samples will be collected frequently for chemical analysis. Additionally, samples of soil water, ground water, and throughfall will be collected for chemical analysis. In-situ incubations and buried ion exchange resin techniques will be used to determine rates of soil nitrogen turnover and movement. Homogenized mineral soil will be buried and removed annually to determine changes in soil chemistry. Data will be collected for three years prior to harvesting and for four years after harvesting.
PROBLEM
Information on the origin of the Tully Mudboils, their persistence, and the possible extent of their migration is needed to mitigate or remediate (1) land subsidence, and (2) degradation of Onondaga Creek by turbidity, fine-sediment deposition, and chloride loading.
OBJECTIVE
To define the glacial stratigraphy and hydraulic-head distribution within the unconsolidated deposits, and identify the source(s) of artesian head driving the mudboils.
APPROACH
A drilling, sampling and hydraulic-head monitoring and testing program will be implemented in and near the mudboil area. Auger holes about 125 feet deep will be drilled to define the glacial stratigraphy. Transducers will be used to measure pressure fluctuation in the poorly permeable units, and hydraulic tests will be performed in permeable layers. These data will be used to identify the source of artesian head that causes the mudboils to discharge ground water and fine sediments at land surface and to Onondaga Creek.
PROBLEM
A comprehensive, consistent assessment of the Nation's surface- and ground-water quality currently is not available. Such an assessment is needed to provide a sound, scientific basis for prioritizing national water-quality issues and formulating effective national water policies. A detailed description of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Nation's streams and aquifers, and an undestanding of the factors that affect the Nation's water quality, are two of the valuable products that would result from such an assessment. The LINJ study unit is one of 60 investigations nationwide that together will provide a large-scale framework of focused activities to develop a greater understanding about regional and national water-quality conditions that cannot be acquired from individual, small-scale programs and studies alone.
OBJECTIVE
To determine current water-quality conditions (status) in the LINJ study unit. Over time, to identify any trends in observed water-quality conditions. To determine, to the extent possible, the causes of the observed water-quality conditions and trends.
APPROACH
Following two years (FY 1994-95) of planning, analysis of existing data, reconnaissance sampling, and network design, the study will enter three years (FY 1996-98) of intensive data collection and data interpretation. Fixed-station, synoptic, and reach studies of surface water will be conducted, as will regional and land use surveys and flow-path studies of ground-water. Water-quality results, useful to policy makers and managers at the National, Xtate, and local levels, will be published in numerous papers during the 3rd through 7th years (FY 1996-2000) of the study.
PROBLEM
Watershed as part of the LERI-NAWQA study unit.
OBJECTIVE
consistent with national protocols and specific study-unit needs.
APPROACH
required water-quality samples. Maintain NWIS data base for site data. BEBEFITS:
PROBLEM
Trends in chemistry of surface water can be used to identify temporal changes in contaminant levels (eg. sulfate and nitrate) as they are affected by changing industrial outputs permitted within the Federal Clean Air Act and its ammendments. Long-term data are needed to follow trends in quality of stream water.
OBJECTIVE
To monitor stream chemistry and continuous discharge during base flows and throughout snowmelt and storm events..
APPROACH
Continue sampling four streams in the Catskills of the former long-term monitoring (LTM) network in a consistent manner to identify long-term trends in water chemistry. Samples will be collected at four streams during base flow, precipitation events, and snow melt events.
PROBLEM
Populations of endangered and threatened macroinvertebrate species,
particularly the dwarf wedge mussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) and the swollen
wedge mussel (A. varicosa), are known to occupy portions of the lower Neversink
River Basin (The Nature Conservancy 1995). However, little is known of the
broader spatial distribution of these and other endangered and rare invertebrate
species throughout the Neversink River Basin, or of the chemical, physical, and
biological factors that affect these populations on a stream-reach scale (100s
of meters) in natural systems (Strayer and Ralley 1993, Strayer 1993).
An initial spatial survey of water quality, physical habitat, hydrology, and
macroinvertebrate communities of the Neversink watershed (and a compilation of
historical fish data) is proposed by the USGS herein to define spatial patterns
within each resource and to advance our understanding of their unique
interrelations within the basin. In conjunction with existing fishery
information, this initial survey will allow for refinement of hypotheses
regarding factors affecting endangered and threatened mussel populations and
general ecosystem integrity, and, also provide data needed to plan efficient
sampling strategies for more intensive studies within the basin. Ideally,
information from this preliminary study and future intensive efforts will help
the Nature Conservancy develop a strategy to protect, manage, and monitor rare
mussel populations and related natural resources within the Neversink River
Basin.
OBJECTIVE
This initial study has four major objectives. 1) Document the distribution of threatened and endangered mussel, mussel species richness, and other macroinvertebrate species (both known and unknown) from 25 to 35 reaches across the Neversink River basin. 2) Establish baseline information on the spatial variation in water quality and physical-habitat characteristics, macroinvertebrate communities, and fish populations during base flow conditions in the basin. 3) Generate preliminary (working) hypotheses concerning potential environmental factors that are highly correlated to or may influence the distribution (and health) of rare mussel populations and the richness of mussel communities. 4) Design sampling strategies for future surveys that will quantify the interrelations between the distribution, abundance, and health of rare mussel populations and the integrity of local macroinvertebrate communities (e.g., indicator species, community richness and density, and etc.) and other environmental factors (e.g., nutrient enrichment, substrate composition, calcium concentrations, specific land uses, sediment loads, distribution of host-fish species, and etc.) in the Neversink River basin.
APPROACH
1) The field survey will consist of a standardized search for rare mussel
species at 30 "new" and 5 "old" sites, followed by a rapid assessment of benthic
macroinvertebrate communities, stream habitat (and the corresponding riparian
zones), and water quality at a subset of these sites across the entire Basin.
At the 5 old sites (previously identified with endangered mussel populations) in
the lower basin, mussel data will be obtained from prior surveys. The 30 new
sites will be selected to represent a wide range in instream habitat conditions
and watershed land uses. The presence of rare and other mussel species (mussel
species richness) at the new sites will be determined by our proposed efforts.
From these 35 sites, 25 will be selected for further macroinvertebrate community
sampling and habitat characterizations.
2) Each study site will consist of reaches that are equal to 20 mean stream
widths, but, that are not less than 150 m nor greater than 500 m long, and,
should include 2 or more sequences of stream habitat types (riffles, runs, and
pools) (Meador et al. 1993; Simonson et al. 1993; Simonson et al. 1994). All
mussel surveys, macroinvertebrate samples, water samples, and physical habitat
measures will be collected within each study reach. Fish-species lists for the
basin will be generated either simply by noting resident species during site
visits or by extracting information from existing historical survey databases.
3) The distribution of endangered and threatened mussel populations and host
fish species, the composition of macroinvertebrate communities, additional
invertebrate species that are listed as federally threatened or endangered, and
other environmental characteristics will be summarized in the final report.
Graphical and multivariate data analysis techniques such as classification
and ordination (e.g., correspondence analysis, principal components analysis,
canonical correlation analysis), will be used to describe spatial patterns among
sites in terms of 1) the composition of macroinvertebrate communities and
distribution of various invertebrate species across the basin, 2) the presence
or absence of all mussel species and of rare mussel populations, 3) the presence
or absence of host fish species, 4) measured water-chemistry parameters, and 5)
selected habitat characteristics.
Spatial distributions, results of multivariate analyses, and simple and
multiple (forward and backward) regression analyses will be used to 1) formulate
working hypotheses concerning environmental factors affecting rare mussel
populations at these sites and 2) devise subsequent intensive surveys to gather
additional environmental information needed to accurately test the validity of
these hypotheses in Neversink River basin. As many features and levels of reach
characterizations as practical will be used during statistical analyses.
PROBLEM
As deposition of nitrate and sulfate either stabilizes or declines during the 1990's (Likens and others, 1996), the effects on surface-water quality will likely be complex and difficult to quantify. For example, discharge-event chemistry data collected to date in the Northeast indicate that changes in nitrate concentrations occur rapidly near storm peaks and then return to base-flow concentrations over a drawn-out period (Murdoch and Stoddard, 1992). Sufficient storm-event sampling is necessary to determine if storm-flow concentrations are changing over time, yet also allow for rigorous trend detection for average and base-flow conditions. Fixed interval sampling is very important for detecting trends in long-term records. When sampling at a fixed interval, however, more samples is not always better. Serial correlation can be a problem when sampling density becomes too great. Defining "too great" is a site-specific problem and may vary considerably from stream to stream. Biweekly sampling appears to be a good compromise between weekly and monthly timesteps, and will be used during this study for trends detection. Analysis of trends in peak-flow concentrations are critical to understanding the processes that control sulfate and nitrogen transport. However, defining these trends can be problematic because different streams and constituents within a stream can have different concentration-discharge relations during each storm-flow event. These relations vary with season, watershed characteristics, and antecedent conditions. Methods for determining peak-flow trends in constituent concentrations, therefore, are in need of further refinement.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this project is to track the effects of sulfur and nitrogen emission reductions on surface-water quality of 2 small-scale (0.75 and 3.8 mi2) and 3 medium-scale (46-69 mi2) rivers in the Northeastern United States and two medium-scale rivers in the southeast. The project will link deposition-chemsitry data (NTN sites) with stream chemistry information to develop a better understanding of chemical changes brought about by the Clean Air Act (CAA) than would be possible using data from either network by themselves. The project will illustrate the value of the national Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) for tracking long-term trends in the surface waters of small-to-medium scale river basins, and provide our first indications of the effect of the CAA on water quality in the Northeast. Results from this project will also provide guidance on monitoring strategies for a redesigned National HBN, including the cost-effectiveness of using automated samplers, District laboratory services, and research personnel.
APPROACH
Four hypotheses and their approaches are described below. Hypothesis 1: A combination of biweekly and event sampling of stream chemistry and weekly deposition chemistry will provide sufficient information on the effect of seasonal and climatic variability on concentration-discharge relationships to: (a) enable improved analysis of the historical records and (b) better detect trends (if they exist) in stream water sulfate, nitrate, and calcium concentrations resulting from the CAA; The combined fixed interval (bi-weekly) and event sampling will provide a data base for modeling controls on sulfate concentration at the present time. ESTREND will be used to analyze the data for trends. The model will incorporate instantaneous discharge and/or average discharge during an optimized antecedent period, as well as seasonality. We will apply our model to the entire period of record (mid-1960's to present) at each site and analyze the model residuals for all observations prior to 1997. If the model residuals exhibit a trend with time, this indicates the conditions of the model have changed, possibly as a result of changes in sulfate emissions. In effect, the model will remove the effect of discharge, antecedent moisture conditions, and seasonality on sulfate concentration, thus allowing the residual trends to represent changes in sulfate deposition or other factors. Hypothesis 2: The first evidence of trends in streamwater sulfate and nitrate resulting from decreased emissions will appear in the highest flow classes and in the areas of highest deposition. The magnitude of changes in the concentration-discharge relation thus will decrease along a gradient of improving air quality from southwest to northeast; Approach: The greatest changes in streamwater sulfate and nitrate concentrations are expected where deposition has historically been highest, i.e. at the Pennsylvania and New York sites. If trends are detected from the above analysis, we will assess the magnitude of the change in concentration /discharge relation at each site as a function of position along the deposition gradient. If the magnitudes of trend changes along the gradient are consistent with hypothesis 2, this will support the analysis of hypothesis 1 by suggesting that changes in deposition, and not some other external factor, are the cause of streamwater sulfate and nitrate trends. Hypothesis 3: The scale of the larger watershed (Neversink River) is sufficiently small to detect changes in surface-water quality resulting from emission reductions, and exhibit trend characteristics that are consistent with trends observed at the smaller research watershed (Biscuit Brook) upstream. Hypothesis 4: Long-term records of stream chemistry may reveal information on past trends in soil calcium availibility, but to evaluate the current status and future trends in calcium availability, watershed calcium budgets will need to be developed. Results of the trend analysis described above will answer the first part of this hypothesis if significant trends are detected at large-watershed station. A comparison of trends at the Neversink and Biscuit Brook stations can be used to determine if basin scale is an issue in trend detection if no trends are observed at the Neversink station. If trends are detected at Biscuit Brook, but not at the Neversink station, previous modeling of downstream changes in water quality and hydrology of the Neversink River (Wolock and others, in press) will be used to contrast the trend characteristics of the two stations and determine the probable causes of those differences. Data on bi-weekly water quality collected by the New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection at stations representing intermediate- and smaller-scale watersheds in the Neversink River basin will then also be used to determine the scale at which trends observed in small watersheds become non-detectable. Biweekly and episodic sampling of water quality will be done at the 5 discharge-gaging stations. Automated water samplers will collect samples over a range of flow conditions during 10 storm or snowmelt events (episodes) of each year. 01/29/99 To develop budgets, small watersheds will be gaged within the three northeastern sites. Periodic sampling, plus event sampling, will be used to estimate watershed outputs. NTN data will be used to estimate atmospheric impacts of calcium. Soil sampling and analysis will be used to determine the current size of calcium pools in the soil. Isotopes of Sr will also be used as an analog of calcium to estimate inputs from calcium weathering. Calcium output information from the small watersheds wil be compared to the data for the overall watersheds to determine the representativeness of the small watersheds.
PROBLEM
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is charged by state law to establish a water-quality monitoring program for pesticides to provide an understanding of the health and environmental impacts of pesticide use in the state. Consequently, the DEC developed a long-term program with the USGS to establish a monitoring network to detect spatial and temporal trends in pesticide concentrations in the surface waters of upstate New York and in selected aquifers upstate and on Long Island.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the project is to assess and monitor the occurrence and distribution of pesticides across the state with emphasis on areas of the state where agricultural pesticides are applied. The use of USGS labs will provide lower analytical detection limits than have been previously applied in statewide monitoring.
APPROACH
A network of 50 surface-water sites will be sampled once each in the first year of the study to assess regional patterns of pesticide occurrence and to identify areas requiring more detailed sampling in future years. Also in the first year, a fixed network of six surface-water sites will be established upstate and will be sampled 10 times per year; these sites will be sampled at this frequency annually and used to develop a long-term database and evaluate temporal trends in pesticide concentrations. Sample design in subsequent years of the project will be based on results from previous years, the need of the cooperator, and recommendations of the State's pesticide program steering committee. Emphasis will shift annually from area to area and among streams, lakes, reservoirs, and aquifers.
PROBLEM
The deposition of sulfur and nitrogen oxides has had many environmental effects, including the acidification of surface waters. Regulation of emissions has focused on sulfur, and as a result, nitrogen deposition has increased in relative importance. Factors that affect nitrogen cycling in watersheds, however, are complex. Therefore, the effects of future increases in nitrogen deposition on watersheds is uncertain.
OBJECTIVE
The primary objectives of the Watershed Nitrogen Cycling Study are as follows: 1. Investigate relations between landscape characteristics (such as forest type, topography, hydrology, wetland coverage, and land-use history), and nitrate concentrations in stream water. 2. Investigate relations among indices of soil nitrogen availability and variations in natural factors that are associated with varying landscapes, such as elevation, aspect, soil temperature, soil moisture, and forest floor depth. 3. Integrate the information obtained in objectives (1) and (2) to explain differences in nitrogen retention among watersheds. 4. Investigate relations between watershed nitrogen retention and lake water chemistry
APPROACH
To meet the stated objectives, the Watershed Nitrogen Cycling Study will be implemented as three work elements: (1) seasonal sampling of stream water for chemical analysis, (2) development of GIS layers that will enable watershed characteristics to be statistically related to stream chemistry, and (3) collection of data on soil properties and nitrogen cycling indices throughout three intensively studied watersheds. Work Elements (1) and (2) will comprise the extensive component of the study, which will be conducted in approximately 15 of the 30 lake watersheds.
PROBLEM
The Nation's water resources are composed of many interrelated ground- and surface-water systems. The response of each of these systems to natural and human factors manifests itself in a corresponding set of hydrologic, chemical, and biological characteristics that reflect the water-quality effects of these factors. A nationwide assessment is needed to address the recurring local and regional problems related to managing and protecting the quality of our Nation's water resources.
OBJECTIVE
Provide a nationally consistent description of current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources. Define long-term trends (or lack of trends) in water quality. Identify, describe, and explain, to the extent possible, the major natural and human factors that affect observed water- quality conditions and trends.
APPROACH
The Delaware basin is one of about 60 study units that together will provide the information for local, regional, and national assessments of water-quality conditions and trends. Each study will evaluate existing information and use this information to design sampling programs that use nationally consistent methods. Three years (1999-2001) will be spent implementing these sampling programs and analyzing the data. This intensive phase will be followed by six years of less intensive sampling, then the cycle will begin again. Retrospective analysis and planning, and limited sampling, will be coordinated during 1998.
PROBLEM
Dredging sediment in New York Harbor has become increasingly expensive, and uncertainties over future dredge disposal and cost of dredging has threatened the future of the port of New York and New Jersey. Sediment enters the New York-New Jersey Harbor from the Hudson River and other tidal rivers, and existing data indicate that the quantity and quality of the sediment vary substantially among the tributaries to these tidal rivers. The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, 1996) has identified a need for determining tributary loads of organic chemicals and metals. Managing dredged material was also identified as a major objective, as many of the fine-grained sediments in the New York-New Jersey Harbor contain heavy metals, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hyrdocarbons), PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and dioxin (New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, 1996). Quantitative estimates of tributary inputs of sediment associated with contaminants will require accurate estimates of the loads of suspended sediment, the size fractions of suspended sediment, as well as the loads of dissolved and suspended organic carbon. Such data are crucial to estimating future costs of dredging in the harbor and the implementation of any management strategies that would seek to reduce the cost and environmental effects of dredging operations.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the load of suspended sediment, dissolved and suspended organic carbon, selected trace metals, and selected organic compounds entering the New York-New Jersey harbor from selected tributary streams. In phase 1 of the project, (from March 1, 1998 to September 30, 1998) the USGS installed sampling equipment. In phase 2, (from October 1, 1998 to March 30, 2001), the USGS is responsible for maintaining sampling equipment, collecting and analyzing samples for suspended sediment, dissolved and suspended organic carbon, and for calculating the loads of these constituents.
APPROACH
The USGS will operate three automatic samplers at each of the four sites (listed below): 1) an automatic sampler for suspended sediment and organic carbon, 2) an automatic sampler for dissolved PAHs, and 3) a TOPS sampler for suspended and other dissolved organic compounds. Manual collection of trace metal samples will be conducted during a variety of flow conditions. Between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 1999, approximately 150 suspended sediment and organic carbon samples will be collected at each site, plus approximately 20 quality assurance samples. The USGS will transfer samples and data to NYSDEC or its contractors under procedures worked out between the agencies. The USGS will collect approximately 15 TOPS and trace metals samples, and operate these samplers in cooperation with the NYSDEC. Suspended sediment samples will be analyzed by the USGS for total sediment concentration and sand-fine split (the percent of suspended sediment that is less than .062 mm). Dissolved organic carbon and suspended organic carbon samples will be filtered according to protocols provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and will be analyzed by the USGS. DEC will supply necessary equipment for the repair of the TOPS samplers along with replacement columns and filters. USGS will be responsible for the maintenance of other sampling equipment.
PROBLEM
The quantity and quality of the ground-water resources of the North Fork of eastern Long Island are critical to the area's residents since ground water is their sole source of drinking water. The fresh ground-water reservoirs of this area include three hydraulically distinct principal flow systems within a sequence of sand and gravel aquifers that are bounded laterally and below by saltwater; west of this area, the fresh ground-water system is hydraulically connected to the flow system of the main body of Long Island. Nearly all drinking and irrigation water supply on the North Fork is withdrawn from the upper glacial (water-table) aquifer. In this area, the deeper aquifers mostly contain saline ground water and are therefore not used for water supply. Previous studies undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and others have documented the susceptibility of the ground-water-flow systems of the North Fork to saltwater intrusion or upconing to water-supply wells in response to heavy pumping. Early investigations describing the water resources of the Town of Southold (Hoffman, 1961; Crandell, 1963) report steady increases in ground-water pumping starting in about 1950, followed by saltwater encroachment during subsequent years. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence indicating extensive pesticide contamination of monitoring wells and private water-supply wells near agricultural areas throughout eastern Long Island (Baier and Moran, 1981; Baier and Robbins, 1982a and 1982b; Soren and Steltz, 1984; Bohn-Buxton and others, 1996). Concerns have been raised recently over the capacity of public water-supply systems on the North Fork to meet the current and future needs of the year-round population and seasonal tourists. Drinking and irrigation water supply on the North Fork compete for the same limited fresh ground-water resources during the summer; in a prolonged drought, this competition could be intense and cause drawdowns that induce saltwater encroachment. The reported contamination of supply wells on Great Hog Neck from domestic wastewater and saltwater intrusion (E.J. Rosavitch, Suffolk County Water Authority, oral commun., 1997), and the potential migration of contaminants from the Southold landfill increase the need to protect the remaining potable ground-water resources of the North Fork. Planning for the maintenance, upgrading, and expansion of existing public water-supply systems, and a proposed acquisition of the Greenport Water District by the Suffolk County Water Authority also affect ground-water resource-management decisions for the North Fork. As the demand on the limited ground-water resources of the North Fork increases, water-supply strategies will need to rely on information that describes the effects of current and future pumping and recharge on ground-water flow within the hydraulically distinct flow systems of this area, and especially the behavior of the freshwater/saltwater interface.
OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of this investigation is to quantitatively evaluate the effects of present and projected future ground-water pumping and recharge on ground-water flow and the freshwater/saltwater interface within the hydraulically distinct flow systems of the North Fork.
APPROACH
Analysis of the effects of pumping and recharge on ground-water flow and the freshwater/saltwater interface within the Cutchogue and Greenport flow systems on the North Fork will be assessed using numerical ground-water-flow models developed for each flow system. A geographic information system (GIS) will be used to facilitate the development of each ground-water-flow model, which will rely on available hydrogeologic data. Transient ground-water-flow models will be used to simulate both freshwater and saltwater flow separated by a sharp interface, using the USGS SHARP model code (Essaid, 1990), to evaluate the response of ground-water flow and the freshwater/saltwater interface within the Cutchogue and Greenport flow systems to predevelopment conditions (before 1950) through present conditions. These SHARP models will then be used to predict the response of ground-water flow and the freshwater/saltwater interface within each flow system to projected future conditions, evaluating a variety of high, medium, and low pumping and recharge scenarios to be determined in consultation with the project cooperators. The GIS will be used to illustrate graphically the response of each modeled flow system to simulated conditions in terms of (1) ground-water levels; (2) ground-water inflows and outflows; and (3) the transient movement of the freshwater/saltwater interface. Incorporation of model input and output data into the GIS will provide the ability to relate these digital spatial data sets (coverages) to the cultural, demographic, and geographic features of the North Fork, such as relating the quality of ground water at a specified location and depth to the land uses within the corresponding source area (Schubert and others, 1996). The results from the SHARP models to be developed for each flow system also will provide information that can be subsequently used to delineate the source area of water that ultimately is withdrawn by an individual pumped well, through use of the USGS MODPATH particle-tracking program (Pollock, 1989), and to characterize the transport of known or potential contaminants, through use of the USGS MOC3D three-dimensional solute-transport model (Konikow and others, 1996). Available hydrogeologic data and information describing pumping and recharge scenarios used in the ground-water-flow models for the Cutchogue and Greenport flow systems will be compiled with assistance provided by the project cooperators. Technical advisory meetings will be periodically convened with the cooperators to evaluate the provisional results of the investigation, as well as preliminary flow-model data, and provide technical assistance to ultimately allow the in-house operation of the ground-water-flow models by the cooperators.
PROBLEM
Results from the National Reconnaissance Investigation conduced by the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that endocrine disruption in carp appears to be widespread in several areas of the United States (Goodbred et al. 1997). Results of the endocrine biomarkers from the Northeast US indicate hormones and other biomarkers that are outside of the normal range, particularly in areas with elevated concentrations of PCBs and other contaminants in the fish tissue and sediments (Smith et al. 1997). Collections of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) were made at three locations on the main stem of the Hudson River in fall 1994 and Spring 1995 by the USGS. Collection sites included: Lake Luzurne above Glens Falls, as a reference site for carp in 1994 and 1995; Catskill in 1995 for largemouth bass; and Poughkeepsie for carp and largemouth bass in 1994 and 1995. Blood was collected from live adult fish and the University of Florida completed biomarkers analysis. The analysis of estrogen, testosterone, vitellogenin (an egg protein typically produced by females prior to egg production), histopathology of the gonad, and messenger-RNA (produced in the liver to stimulate vitellogenin production) were completed and currently the results are being analyzed and synthesized.
OBJECTIVE
This study will document (1) whether contaminants currently cause endocrine disruption in resident fish, (2) the magnitude and spatial extent of endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms across the basin, and (3) the "potential for consequential endocrine disruption" in organisms, including humans, that are exposed to the same environmental conditions or that consume Hudson River fish. Baseline histopathology and biochemical information will also provide a valuable reference to gage future effects (positive or negative) that the redistribution and/or cleanup of contaminated sediments in parts of the Hudson River system might have on the endocrine system of resident aquatic species.
APPROACH
Blood (for the determination of endocrine biomarkers) and gonad tissue (for histopathology) will be collected from fish at as many as 8 locations across the basin and determine if the long-term exposure of Hudson River fish to contaminated water and sediments might have resulted in disruption to their endocrine system. The focus will be on three or four fish species; largemouth/smallmouth bass, brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), and carp in priority order. Blood samples and gonad tissues will be collected from a minimum of 20 fish from each site (10 of each sex) for each species. Endocrine biomarker levels for male and female fish from each site will be compared to (1) those levels at the control sites near Lake Luzuerne and above Glens Falls and (2) previous collections from the same or similar sites throughout the basin to determine the magnitude and spatial extent of endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms in the basin. Additional efforts to relate endocrine biomarker levels with concentrations of specific contaminants in sediment residue, fish-tissue residue, and the water column may, depending upon data availability, be pursued after evaluation of the endocrine data and any implications. Collection sites below the 2 references will include areas where levels of PCB in fish have previously been documented. Candidate sites are: Thompson Island Pool below Hudson Falls; Stillwater Pool; Waterford; Albany/Troy near Federal Dam; Catskill; and Poughkeepsie.
PROBLEM
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has proposed construction of water tunnels in southeastern New York that may intersect several faults and fractures that may produce large amounts of ground-water. Recent tunnel excavations have intersected fractures that produced over 200 gallons per minute of ground-water to flow into the tunnel, prompting a need to determine the potential of ground-water producing fractures along proposed tunnel excavations areas. In Manhattan at places where the bedrock is highly fractured and is overlain by water-bearing glacial deposits high yields of groundwater from fractures have been found (Perlmutter and Arnow, 1953). The rocks underlying Manhattan have undergone deep-seated deformation producing a series of sheared-ductile thrust faults, and several episodes of folding (Baskerville, 1992; Merguerian and Sanders, 1993). Many of these fractures and faults have been encountered during the excavation and construction of the New York City Water Tunnel. These intersected fractures and faults may produce hazardous construction problems such as ground-water flow into the tunnel and structural weakness (Scott Chessman, NYCDEP oral communication). Seismic-reflection profiles of Long Island's harbors and bays indicate the region has undergone extensive glacial erosion and deposition of thick sequences of sand, silt and clay (Stumm and Lange, 1994; 1996). The NYCDEP needs better information on the distribution of ground-water producing faults and fractures along proposed tunnel excavation areas. At present the lack of accurate structural data from deviated (non-vertical) boreholes and the existence of several major ground-water producing faults and associated fractures has prompted interest in a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the NYCDEP to utilize advanced borehole geophysical techniques to study the area's subsurface features and fractured-rock ground-water flow system. Core analysis using present techniques is inadequate because the holes are not oriented, core recovery is poor along structurally weak zones, and the cores do not provide hydrologic information. 1. Ground-water flow from major faults and fractures that may intersect the tunnel excavation areas needs to be quantified form drilled boreholes. 2. Drill-cores from NYCDEP boreholes provide information on subsurface geology and some structural information, but due to deviated (non-vertical) boreholes and mechanical alteration during drilling strike and dip orientations of major faults and fractures from these holes are not accurate. 3. Due to the poor recovery of structurally weak areas (faults or fractures) in the drill-core samples, some important fractures or faults outside the borehole may not be detected at all by drilling and coring alone.
OBJECTIVE
Borehole geophysical techniques can provide the location and true strike and dip orientation of intersected faults and fractures in southeastern New York, and the quantity and relative quality of groundwater flowing from some of these features. New advancements in digital imaging technologies can produce three-dimensional images of fractures and faults within a borehole known as "virtual cores". The virtual cores can be rotated into any orientation so as to allow a complete visualization and analysis of fractures and faults. Borehole radar logging has the potential of imaging major fractures or faults that lie as much as 30 meters beyond the drilled borehole (Lane and others, 1994). 1. Determine the quantity and direction of ground-water flow from intersected faults and fractures within the boreholes using geophysical techniques. Estimate specific conductance of ground water within unconsolidated deposits and large fault or fracture zones intersecting the borehole. 2. Delineation of lithologic contacts and structural subsurface features (faults and fractures) penetrated in boreholes using advanced borehole geophysical techniques. Delineate faults or fractures zones that are in the surrounding bedrock using borehole radar. Determine bedrock heterogeneity using two- and three-dimensional tomograms between boreholes at the Police Plaza Site only 3. Determine the deviation and three-dimensional location of the boreholes and distribution and orientation (true strike and dip) of major faults and fractures penetrated using advanced borehole geophysical techniques. Produce 360 degree oriented images "virtual cores" of the intersected faults and fractures to aid in the visualization and interpretation of these features. 4. Delineate the bedrock surface topography in the surrounding rivers and embayments using offshore seismic-reflection surveying. Attempt to determine if high-angle faults can be located if present beneath offshore sediments. 5. Provide a geophysical data set and three-dimensional visualization information of the major faults and fractures obtained from logging boreholes and the seismic-reflection survey.
APPROACH
The USGS proposes a change of existing NYCDEP drilling practices to allow downtime with the open NX size borehole for one and one half to two weeks for borehole geophysical logging. The boreholes must cleared of suspended particles and drilling cuttings to provide clear views of the borehole walls prior to geophysical logging. The boreholes will provide access to the bedrock at the proposed tunnel excavation areas for borehole geophysical logging. The borehole geophysical logs can then be compared to core samples obtained at the sites. The remainder of the boreholes will be spread over proposed tunnel excavation areas. Upon completion of drilling, the boreholes will then be logged using advanced borehole geophysical methods to provide detailed geologic, structural, and hydrologic information on the subsurface. Conduct an offshore seismic-reflection survey of the rivers and embayments surrounding southern Manhattan Island. The seismic-reflection surveys have the potential of delineating the bedrock surface topography, which may indicate the presence of high-angle faults if sufficient offset and erosion exists. The following borehole geophysical logs will be collected from each borehole: 1. Natural Gamma 9. Heat-Pulse Flowmeter 2. Spontaneous Potential 10. Borehole Color Video (Downhole and Side Scan) 3. Single-Point Resistance 11. Acoustic Televiewer (ATV) 4. Caliper 12. Borehole Deviation 5. EM Resistivity/Conductivity 13. Borehole Digital Imaging System (Virtual Cores) 6. Borehole Fluid Temperature 14. Borehole Radar 7. Differential Temperature 15. Crosshole Seismic or Radar Tomography* 8. Borehole Fluid Conductance (*Four boreholes at the Police Plaza Site Only) 1. Determine the quantity and direction of ground-water flow from intersected fractures and faults within the boreholes using geophysical techniques. A. After determining the location of major fractures within the boreholes conduct flowmeter measurements of these fractures using the heat-pulse flowmeter. Determine the quantity of ground-water flow from these fractures into the boreholes. B. Determine the distribution, transmissivity, and hydraulic head relations of water-bearing fracture zones. C. Conduct specific conductance and EM logging of the borehole to estimate the specific conductance of the ground-water within the unconsolidated overburden and possible major fracture or fault zones. 2. Delineate major geologic contacts and structural features (faults and fractures) detected within the drilled boreholes. A. Compile available hydrogeologic and structural geologic data for the study area, including drillers' and borehole geophysical logs, and water-quality data. Complete a field reconnaissance of existing boreholes and determine areas where future drilling would be feasible. Purchase advanced borehole imaging systems and other necessary support equipment. Complete a GIS (geographic information system) of existing NYCDEP drill-core boreholes, proposed tunnel locations, and major pre-existing underground structures. B. Select locations for drilling and collection of geophysical logs, based upon available geologic data and data-collection requirements. Upon completion of NYCDEP drilling of geophysical boreholes, collect and interpret a suite of borehole geophysical logs from the newly drilled boreholes. Analyze the suite of geophysical logs and delineate the geologic contacts and any fractures or faults penetrated. C. Use borehole radar to determine the presence of major fractures or faults away from the borehole. D. Produce cross-hole radar or seismic tomography at the Police Plaza Drill site only. Two- and three-dimensional tomograms may indicate information on the bedrock heterogeneity between the boreholes. 3. Determine the location and orientation (true strike and dip) of major faults and fractures penetrated by the boreholes using advanced borehole geophysical techniques. A. Complete a full suite of borehole geophysical surveys to determine the location and orientation (true strike and dip) of fractures and faults. B. Analyze all borehole geophysical data and determine major fracture and fault zones. C. Determine the deviation of the borehole using the acoustic televiewer and borehole imaging unit. Produce digital borehole images of major fractures and faults, and virtual three-dimensional visualization (virtual cores) of critical fractures for analysis in the office. D. Produce GIS based maps of completed boreholes and major structural and lithologic features delineated from geophysical logs. 4. Delineate the bedrock topographic surface and attempt to locate high-angle faults using offshore seismic-reflection surveying. A. Conduct offshore seismic-reflection surveys in New York Harbor, and the East and Hudson Rivers in southern Manhattan Island. B. Delineate the bedrock topographic surface and attempt to determine the location of high-angle faults if sufficient offset and erosion are present. DELIVERABLES Provide a geophysical data set and visualization information of the major faults and fractures obtained from logging boreholes. A. Summarize geophysical logging data at bi-monthly progress meetings. B. Produce digital files of borehole-geophysical data and store on high capacity CD-ROM. Digital images of fractures and faults and virtual core images can be displayed and analyzed on a PC based office computer. C. Produce geophysical log suite plots of data collected for each borehole. Produce color borehole videos of drilled wells, color acoustic televiewer plots of major fractures and faults, and stereo net analysis of fracture and fault sets delineated from geophysical logging. D. Summarize final results in a USGS interpretive report.
PROBLEM
Local agencies and the public have expressed concern about use impairments to
the South shore Estuary Reserve (SSER), including nutrification and algal blooms
("brown tide"), anoxic areas, and productivity of fish and shellfish
populations. While some evidence for these problems are anecdotal, some parts
of the SSER have low dissolved oxygen and localized algal blooms, and similar
problems of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen concentration in water) in nearby Long
Island Sound have been well documented to adversely affect plant and animal
populations. Elevated nutrient concentrartions can trigger the algae blooms that
consume oxygen as the algae die and decompose, and the extent to which surface-
and ground-water discharge to the SSER contribute to elevated nutrient
concentrations is unknown. Estimates of the input of nitrogen from ground water
and surface water need to be determined to better manage the SSER.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to estimate average nitrogen load derived from ground water and surface water sources from the south shore of Long Island to the SSER.
APPROACH
Phase I will entail review and analysis of historical information and estimating average nitrogen loads from tributaries and ground water through the following tasks. 1 - Review published data and studies related to the SSER. 2 - Reestablish water-quality monitoring at gaging stations of 5 streams in Nassau County that currently have no data collection by the USGS. Analyzed constituents will include major ions, nutrients, and organic carbon. 3 - Evaluate historical water-quality data from the USGs Natinal Water Information System for wells that represent the quality of ground water that discharges to the SSER. Use a GIS syatem to select wells into groups using their distance from coast and screen depth. Compile streamflow water-quality data from streams that discharge to the SSER. Analysis of the data will includeplotting time-series constituent concentrations, box plots, and summary statistics at selected wells and streams. When necessary, combine nitrate, nitrite, TKN, and ammonia concentrations to calculate total nitrogen concentration. 4 - Estimate ground-water discharge to SSER using the existing regional ground-water flow model for 1983 conditions. Identify discharge cells of the model. Create GIS layers of model output (simulated discharge). Sum discharge cells and group into hydrologic zones. 5 - Develop preliminary estimates of nitrogen load from ground water to SSER by combining water-quality data from selected wells with results from the ground-water flow model. 6 - Estimate average annual nitrogen loads from tributaries to SSER by using annual average stream discharge values and annual average nitrogen concentrations,
PROBLEM
Rural trailer parks in Oswego County typically have populations of 100 to 300 people. These small communities obtain water from shallow ground water wells that may be prone to contamination from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes and septic systems. Several wells in the county have recently been found to contain nitrate in excess of the state standard of 10 mg/L as N. The Environmental Assessment and Response Section of the Oswego County Health Department has undertaken a project to determine the age of ground water throughout the county. The purpose of this effort is to determine the vulnerability of shallow ground water to contamination from surface sources. Young ground water, recharged in the past 50 years, is more likely to contain contaminants than older ground water recharged before agriculture, industry and septic-waste systems were established. Additionally, leakage around well casings may allow recent surface water, perhaps carrying contaminants, to reach ground-water aquifers. Finally, some trailer parks in the county are located next to Oneida Lake, and Health Department officials wish to know whether wells in these communities contain induced recharge from the lake.
OBJECTIVE
The project objective is to age-date ground water in ten to 34 wells that serve trailer parks and other small communities in rural parts of Oswego County. This information will be used to assess the vulnerability of ground water to contamination from surface sources.
APPROACH
Recharge ages of ground water will determined by analyses of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) concentrations (Plummer and others, 1993). This method is based on equilibrium partitioning of CFC's in the atmosphere and ground water. The CFC's include dichlorodifluoromethane and trichlorofluromethane, which have been used since the 1940's as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, cleaning agents and solvents. Under favorable conditions, CFC dating yields ages of post-1940 ground water that are accurate to within a few years. Conditions that should be met for successful age dating by the CFC method include: 1. Wells should be located in rural settings where CFC concentrations in ground water are determined only by equilibration with the atmosphere, not by contamination with municipal sewage effluent, propellants from aerosol cans, or air-conditioning coolants. 2. The unsaturated zone should be comparatively thin, less than about 10m thick. This condition ensures that recharge reaching the water table will be in equilibrium with atmospheric CFC concentrations. 3. Ground water should be oxic because CFC concentrations may be affected by microbial degradation under anoxic conditions. 4. The unsaturated zone should contain little organic matter to avoid adsorption of CFCs on soils. 5. Age dating by the CFC method is only possible for ground water recharged since 1940. An actual age cannot be determined for CFC-free ground water, except that it must have recharged prior to 1940. To my knowledge, no previous study has dated ground water in New York by the CFC method, and certainly no such studies have been done in Oswego County. Therefore, we do not know whether the conditions for successful application of the method are met. To ensure wise expenditure of project funds, dating will be done in two stages. First, water from ten wells will be sampled and dated. If these initial samples yield useful ages, water from an additional 24 wells will be dated. The initial ten wells were selected in discussions with the cooperator to provide broad geographic coverage of Oswego County. The wells are, from west to east: Andel 3, Fox Meadow 2, Kerfil, Indian Hill, Phoenix Village, Mexico Village, Lyndon Lawn 1, Northvale Manor, Scotch Pine 1, and Spruce Grove 3. Water will be sampled from municipal wells equipped with submerged pumps. A hose fitting will be attached to the well heads to obtain samples. Wells will be purged of three casing volumes prior to CFC sampling. Temperature, specific conductance, pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations will be measured with a Hydrolab at five-minute intervals during purging and CFC sampling. Nitrate and sulfide concentrations will be measured with a Hach portable spectrophotometer at approximately ten-minute intervals. Once field parameters have stabilized, five samples from each well will be sealed into borosilicate ampoules with a welding torch. A special sampling apparatus that excludes air from contact with the water will be used to collect the samples. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) CFC laboratory in Reston, Virginia supplies this apparatus. Samples will be shipped by overnight express to the Reston laboratory for analysis and age determination. Quality assurance will be evaluated from comparison of CFC concentrations in the five samples collected from each well. Analytical detection limits and uncertainty are about 1 picogram/liter. I conservatively predict a sampling rate of one well per day for the initial ten wells. A sampling rate of two wells per day is considered appropriate for the following 24 wells, when field personnel are accustomed to the sampling procedure. At this writing, limited information is available about the municipal wells to be sampled in the study. Important information that is unknown includes the screen depths and lengths and aquifer properties. Some of this information will be forthcoming as well records are researched, but records for some wells may simply not exist. If the wells have long screens that span more than one aquifer, recharge ages determined from CFC concentrations will represent composites from the sampled intervals. Also, high pumping rates may induce drawdown of shallow, young ground water into older formation water, perhaps through the grout and gravel pack around the well casing. It may not be possible to assign quantitative CFC ages to mixed waters. However, the presence of any CFC's in ground water indicates some post-1940 component, and the analytical detection limits of CFC measurements are sufficiently low to detect as little as 0.01% modern water in aquifers recharged before 1940. Certain ambiguities in CFC-determined ages may be resolved by comparison with tritium concentrations. For example, leakage of small amounts of modern water into an older reservoir would imply an old CFC-age for the mixture, say about 1950. However, detection of bomb-pulse tritium in the sample would fix the recharge date as post-1963. These apparently conflicting ages would alert us to the probability of mixed water sources, and we would confine our interpretation of the CFC data to mixing proportions and qualitative age limitations. Determination of ground-water ages from CFC concentrations requires knowledge of the recharge temperature. This value can be determined from measurements of dissolved nitrogen and argon gases in ground water. Concentrations of these gases will be measured in water from four of the initial ten wells to establish an average recharge temperature in the study area. If the full project goes forward, nitrogen and argon concentrations will be measured in water from eight to ten of the succeeding 20 to 25 wells. Training in CFC sampling is required to familiarize project personnel with the specialized collection techniques and ensure that samples are collected in the proper manner. Training will be provided by Jerry Casile of the Reston CFC laboratory. The cooperator has contracted with the University of Waterloo to determine tritium concentrations in water from the same wells that the USGS will analyze for CFC concentrations. The Waterloo laboratory was chosen because of cost savings compared the USGS charge for tritium analyses. The cooperator will provide the USGS with the tritium analyses, which will be very useful for correlating with and interpreting the CFC ages. The detection limit for tritium analyses supplied by the Waterloo laboratory is 0.6 tritium units. The accuracy and usefulness of CFC ground-water ages of water from the initial ten wells will be evaluated. If the ages are reasonable and the conditions for successful application of the method appear to be satisfied, ground water from 24 additional wells will be dated. Project results will be summarized in a journal article or USGS report. However, if the results from the initial ten wells are not meaningful or seem unreasonable in light of other hydrologic information, the cooperator will have the option of terminating the project. In this eventuality, the cooperator will be sent a brief letter outlining the project results and the reasons why the CFC dating technique did not produce interpretable results. No formal report would be written.
PROBLEM
Within the Catskill Mountain region, several major river valleys contain stratified-drift that supplies groundwater to small municipalities and individual residences. For example, the West Branch Delaware River valley stretches for 39 miles from the Cannonsville Reservoir to its headwaters near Stamford, NY, and supplies municipal ground water to the villages of Walton, Delhi, Hobart, Stamford, and the Bloomville Water District, collectively serving a population of over 11,000 people (New York State Department of Health, 1982, p. 62-3). In addition, the East Branch Delaware River valley, extending for approximately 18 miles upstream from the Pepacton Reservoir to its headwaters near Fleishmanns, supplies the villages of Margaretville and Fleishmans, along with the Roxbury and Arkville Water Districts, with groundwater to a combined population of 2,200. Figure 2 shows the location of the East and West Branch Delaware River basins and the municipalities within them. The stratified-drift within these two valleys consists of alluvium, outwash, fine-grained lacustrine sediments, and ice-contact deposits of sand, gravel, silt, and clay. The outwash and ice-contact deposits in these valleys constitute the principal aquifer and may reach thicknesses of up to 200 ft in places (Perlmutter and Salvas, 1957, written commun.). In other sections of these valleys, blocks of low permeability lacustrine silt and clay comprise the bulk of the valley fill, the result of remnant glacial lakes. In other areas, bodies of permeable ice-contact sand and gravel lie buried beneath large thicknesses of silt and clay or glacial till, forming confined aquifers. Each of these hydrogeologic situations has specific implications for the availability of ground water for public supply. Moreover, the narrow width of the valleys and resultant floodplain virtually ensures that some percentage of municipal water pumped from the surficial outwash aquifer will be derived from induced infiltration. Although several aquifer mapping reports have covered nearby valley-fill aquifers (South Fallsburgh-Woodbourne area, Anderson and others, 1982; Port Jervis area, Garry, in press; Beaverkill basin, Reynolds, in review) aquifers within the East and West Branch Delaware River valleys have not been mapped in detail and are given only a brief description in earlier USGS county ground-water reports (Soren, 1961, 1963). Thus, little is known about the thickness, areal distribution, and hydrogeologic framework of the aquifers that occupy these two valleys upstream of the Cannonsville and Pepacton Reservoirs.
OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of this pilot study is to define the hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer systems in the East Branch Delaware River valley, above the Pepacton reservoir, within Delaware, Ulster, and Greene counties. The distribution of valley-fill aquifers in this basin will be mapped at 1:24,000 scale and will define such hydrogeologic factors as surficial geology, locations of wells and test holes, directions of ground water flow, relative saturated thickness, relative permeability of aquifer materials, geologic sections, and potential for induced infiltration. Data for these aquifers would be compiled at 1:24,000 scale and would include adjacent upland areas that are tributary to the main valley-fill aquifers. Secondary objectives would be to: 1) characterize the ground water quality from both stratified-drift and bedrock aquifers in East Branch Delaware basin, 2) provide estimates of average annual recharge to stratified drift in the East Branch Delaware basin, and 3) provide examples of source water assessment delineations for municipal wells in this basin that typify the hydrogeologic setting of these narrow valleys.
APPROACH
This study will be conducted as a pilot study and will be limited to the East Branch Delaware River basin above the Pepacton Reservoir (12 quads-371 mi2). Surficial geologic, hydrologic, and well and test boring data will be compiled for the East Branch Delaware River basin above the Pepacton Reservoir. Ground-water quality will be investigated through a separate sampling program conducted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in which the New York State Department of Heath (NYSDOH) will provide analytical services for a selected number of ground-water samples from both basins. Based on the availability of suitable sampling sites (wells), NYSDEC will provide an overview of the quality of ground water in both bedrock and stratified-drift aquifers in the East Branch Delaware basin, and will provide GIS support for this project. All hydrogeologic data will be compiled at 1:24,000 scale, and digital coverages of surficial geology, well locations, and aquifer types will be made available to the cooperator. A digital 1:48,000 scale surficial geologic map of the study area would be produced as a separate report approximately halfway through the project. The final report will include a 1:48,000 scale digital map of ground water availability in the upper East Branch Delaware River basin showing the distribution and relative thickness of the surficial aquifer, areas where confined aquifers exist, areal extent of bodies of fine-grained lacustrine sediments, and areas that may be conducive to induced infiltration. In addition, geologic sections will be constructed, where data permits, to show the stratigraphic relationships between major hydrogeologic units. Estimates of average annual recharge to stratified-drift within the upper East Branch Delaware River will be calculated based on base-flow separation of long-term USGS streamflow data, and estimates of ground-water pumpage within each basin will be estimated using data from the USGS State Water-Use database. Since small municipal water supplies within these narrow valleys rely to some extent on induced infiltration to maintain sustained well yields, the delineation of source water assessment areas for these situations can be difficult. Several supply wells that rely on induced infiltration will be selected and example source water assessments will be performed. Specific work elements for this project follow: 1.) Compile surficial geologic data for the approximately 12 quadrangles that cover the upper East Branch Delaware River drainage area. Surficial geologic data will be obtained from unpublished field maps on file with the New York State Geological Survey, published Masters' and Doctoral theses, published soil surveys, and unpublished reconnaissance mapping on file at the USGS Troy, NY office. 2.) Compile existing well and test boring data for all 12 quadrangles currently stored in the USGS Ground Water Site Inventory (GWSI) database. 3.) Update the GWSI database for the study area in areas lacking sufficient data by acquiring additional well and test hole data from well drillers, NYSDEC water supply applications (WSA) database, the USGS State Water-Use database, the New York State Geological Survey, and state, county, and local planning and highway departments. 4.) Compile municipal, and other significant water-use category data within each study area using data from the State Water Project. 5.) Construct maps, at 1:24,000 scale, for each quadrangle in the East Branch Delaware (12 quads) showing: a)Locations of wells and test holes, b) Surficial geology, c) Altitude of the water table and groundwater flow directions in major valley segments, d) Aquifer type (confined vs. unconfined), relative thickness, and well yield data, as well as, e) Selected geologic sections showing stratigraphic relationships and thicknesses of aquifers and confining units. 6.) Develop Geographic Information System (GIS) coverages of constructed maps for East Branch Delaware study area (provided by NYSDEC). 7.) Provide estimates of recharge to stratified-drift aquifers within the East Branch Delaware valley based on base-flow separation or low-flow statistical techniques derived from long-term USGS streamflow data, if possible. 8.) Select several small municipal community water systems in the East Branch Delaware valley and perform example source water assessment delineations. 9.) Compile and summarize ground water quality data for the East Branch Delaware basin provided by NYSDEC under NYSDOH analysis.
PROBLEM
Since, 1980 the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted a Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program in upstate New York, first in cooperation with the New York State department of Health (NYSDOH), and then later in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Water. The objective of this program was to define the hydrogeology of extensively used (primary) stratified-drift aquifers in upstate New York, and to present the information as individual sets of maps at 1:24,000 scale. Each published report from this program describes the hydrogeology of a specific aquifer or section of aquifer, and depicts selected hydrogeologic characteristics. The number of maps vary among reports, depending upon the amount of hydrogeologic data that was available for each area studied. To date, 29 of these detailed aquifer mapping reports have been published containing 1:24,000-scale maps. These reports form the foundation of NYSDEC's wellhead protection program in upstate New York In 1987, several principal aquifers that served large muncipalities were selected for study from the 1983 list and included the Utica-Rome area, the Hornell area, the Sand Ridge aquifer in Oswego County, the Norwich-Oxford area, the Schodack-Kinderhook area, and the Port Jervis area. As before, these studies were done cooperatively, with USGS staff investigating the Utica- Rome, Hornell, Sand Ridge, and Schodack-Kinderhook areas, and NYSDEC staff investigating the Norwich-Oxford and Port Jervis areas. Reports for all of these principal aquifers have been published or are in press, with the exception of the Norwich-Oxford area. Although all 18 primary aquifers and 11 principal aquifers have been mapped, there still exists a constant need within the NYSDEC Division of Water programs to have interpreted hydrogeologic data available in map format for the many other principal aquifers that serve substantial populations with both publicly- and privately-supplied ground water. This data, in published reports, supports many Division of Water activities including delineation of ground water contributing areas, assessing potential threats to the aquifer from both point and non-point sources, responding to contaminant spills or leaks from underground fuel storage facilities, and providing information to assess the need to permit new or expanded public water supplies. Thus, there is a clear need for a continued hydrogeologic assessment of principal aquifers within upstate New York. However, as the focus of a continued mapping effort moves into rural, more sparsly-populated principal aquifers, ground water use tends to shift from municipally- supplied to self-supplied water. In these areas, available hydrogeologic data within the USGS GWSI database can be sparse, and therefore conclusions drawn about the hydrogeology of the aquifer become more tenuous without aquiring additional subsurface data from local drillers, and state and local agencies.
OBJECTIVE
The immediate objective of the Aquifer Mapping Program would be to complete the report on the primary aquifer in the Waverly-Sayre area, with the next objective being the completion of the report on the principal aquifer in the Norwich-Oxford area. These two areas, once published, will complete an unbroken chain of aquifer segments that stretches along the Chemung River drainage system from Cohocton, to Waverly, and up along the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers to Smyrna, NY. The long-term objective of this program would be to continue the hydrogeologic assessment and mapping of selected principal aquifers within upstate New York. Selection of these aquifers would be flexible, so as to respond to changing program needs within the Division of Water. The main difference between this program and previous Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program would be the emphasis on electronic release of completed reports, rather than as conventional published paper reports. Electronic (digital) publishing would make release of completed aquifer maps more timely and at a reduced cost over conventionally printed maps. Digital release of the maps will provide a highly versatile and usable product. Reports could be released as a Web document and/or as a CD-ROM. CD-ROM versions would also include the GIS coverages used in the study.
APPROACH
The renewed Aquifer Mapping Program would commence with completing a report on
the Waverly-Sayre area. Draft versions of earlier maps of well locations and
surficial geology exist, along with several geologic sections. Data from
previous USGS studies of the section of the aquifer within Pennsylvania will be
incorporated into the report. Text would need to be written to accompany all
maps. The GWSI database in New York and Pennsylvania would need to be updated
with new well data that was aquired for this area. A water-table map for the
surficial aquifer would be constructed from USGS data in both New York and
Pennsylvania. The New York District GIS unit would scan in the completed maps,
create and edit the coverages, and help design an electronic report that would
be both useful and visually appealing. The electronic Waverly-Sayre aquifer
mapping report would therefore consist of maps showing:
1. Surficial geology and geologic sections
2. Hydrogeologic units and locations of wells and test holes
3. Water table altitude and ground -water flow directions
Future reports would cover the Norwich-Oxford area, and other principal aquifers
selected
jointly by NYSDEC and USGS staff to reflect changing program needs.
PROBLEM
The federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon), is particularly susceptible to local (New York State) and nationwide extinctions because they are rare and their population distributions are very restricted. Our understanding of the relations between the health and distribution of mussel populations and the environmental factors that govern them is also poorly developed because few have studied these relations and because locating individuals and quantifying standing crop of their populations is arduous. A confined population of dwarf wedgemussel and more expansive population of the threatened swollen wedgemussel (Alasmidonta varicosa), occupy portions of the lower and middle reaches of Neversink River Basin. Recent studies have documented the spatial distribution of these rare and other common mussel species throughout the basin, and helped increase our understanding of the habitat factors that affect these local mussel populations on the micro- and macro-habitat level. Two dam-related issues also confuse attempts to document mussel and habitat relations; the unnatural flow regimes from the Neversink Reservoir and the abandoned Cuddebackville Dam potentially affect the distribution of dwarf wedgemussel populations in the basin. With unnatural flow regimes, mounting development pressures, and changes in land uses in the Neversink Watershed upstream from the dwarf wedgemussel population, accurate methods (models) are needed to predict the consequences of these changes on imperiled mussel populations. Therefore, mussel and habitat relationships need to be better defined and water quality, hydrologic, and habitat resources and the parameters that potentially affect mussel populations need to be more accurately characterized and select factors monitored over the long term.
OBJECTIVE
An integrated study of water quality, hydrology, stream classification and stability, aquatic habitat, and mussel communities of the Neversink River is planned herein by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Primary objectives of this research and monitoring program are to (1) document spatial and temporal variability in water quality, (2) characterize current (baseline) hydrologic, stream habitat, channel stability, and biologic conditions, and (3) refine our understanding of the relations between the distribution of common and rare mussel species and environmental factors in the Neversink River Basin.
APPROACH
Study scope, design, timeline, and prospective study sites are outlined below. Study sites will consist of those where mussels were collected in 1997 and as many as six new sites where we anticipate mussel populations. Extensive mussel searches and modeling of bankfull geometry parameters will be done at all sites. Retrospective (historical) data compilation and analysis, reconstructive analyses of stream-channel geomorphology, resource data analyses, and two interpretative papers are planned. Five main stem or tributary sites will be selected for monthly water quality monitoring and as many as 25 sites will be sampled during a base flow synoptic survey. The following topics will be addressed at these sites: 1. Water and sediment quality 2. Hydrology 3. Stream classification and channel stability 4. Aquatic habitat 5. Biologic communities A.. Mussels B. Fisheries C. Macroinvertebrates 6. Integration of aquatic resources data
PROBLEM
The towns in the Irondequoit Creek watershed within Monroe County, N.Y., have experienced urban sprawl over the past few decades and are expecting continued residential and commercial development. Irondequoit Creek and its tributaries drain to Irondequoit Bay, which is listed as a priority water body by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC). The effects of urbanization on the hydrology and water quality in the lower reaches of the watershed have been monitored and documented by the USGS and the Monroe County Environmental Health Lab (MCEHL) over the past two decades. There is increasing concern over the effect urbanization will have on flooding and water-quality within the Irondequoit Creek watershed and ultimately on Irondequoit Bay. To date, managing the hydrologic and water-quality effects that result from urbanization has mostly been done on a site-specific basis. A comprehensive watershed model is needed to assist planners and engineers from the towns within the Irondequoit Creek watershed in development of sound management strategies. A watershed-runoff model that has water-quality components is needed to (1) assess the hydrologic and water-quality effects of land-use changes, and (2) evaluate effective flood-control strategies within the Irondequoit Creek watershed.
OBJECTIVE
A watershed-runoff model with a water-quality component will be developed to: (1) assess the effects of current and future urbanization on storm runoff in the main streams in the Irondequoit Creek watershed; (2) appraise the effect of current and planned detention storage on storm runoff; and (3) estimate the effects of urbanization and detention storage on surface-water quality throughout the watershed.
APPROACH
(1) Compile hydrologic and meteorological data needed for watershed-model input. (2) Create geographic information system (GIS) coverages of pertinent data for watershed model development and analysis of hydrologic data. (3) Develop and calibrate the Hydrologic Simulation Program - Fortran (HSPF) watershed model developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (Johanson and others, 1984) using the USGS-developed GenScn pre- and post-processing software for HSPF (Kittle and others, 1998). (4) Apply the calibrated HSPF model to: (a) Evaluate the effects of selected detention basins on storm runoff and water-quality in Irondequoit Creek; (b) Estimate the effects of projected urban sprawl and urbanization on (i) storm runoff in Irondequoit Creek and its main tributaries, and (ii) water-quality expressed as loadings of selected chemical constituents to Irondequoit Creek, and (c) Estimate discharge statistics for selected flood frequencies for selected reaches of Irondequoit Creek that can be applied by others to step-backwater and flood inundation analyses.
PROBLEM
An extensive set of water-management alternatives for Kings and Queens are being considered under an overall ground-water-management plan proposed by the New York City Department of environmental Protection (NYCDEP).
OBJECTIVE
The objective is to evaluate water management alternatives with a ground-water flow model that incorporates technical advances in geographic informaiton systems and computational fluid dynamics and recently-collected field data.
APPROACH
Tasks during the first year include moving datasets of the previously-developed USGS ground-water model and geographic information system of Kings/Queens/Nassau to a new computer platform, testing density-dependent flow-model codes, updating the geographic information system with recent data, and constructing a modified version of the USGS ground-water flow model that incorporates fluid-density dynamics and recent field data. Tasks during the second and third years include conducting and evaluating regional-scale simulations of water-management alternatives, providing data necessaryy for development of local-scale engineering models, identifying data collection activities, and report production.
PROBLEM
The Croton Reservoir System in southeastern New York comprises twelve reservoirs and three controlled lakes that supply 200 million gallons of water a day to New York City. The reservoir system holds about 70.7 billion gallons of water . The Croton watershed has experienced increased development in the past 30 years as its population has increased by 50 percent to about 168,000 inhabitants served by 67 wastewater treatment plants and about 90,000 septic systems. Preliminary studies performed by the U.S. Geological Survey and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) have shown that water quality in tributaries of the Croton watershed is strongly related to land use. Existing monitoring programs and modeling efforts in the watershed have broadly defined the relationship between land use and water quality, but additional studies are needed to quantify the hydrological and biogeochemical processes that link land use and geographic sources to water quality. Such studies require personnel with expertise in many fields and disciplines including: hydrology, biogeochemistry, isotope geochemistry, organic chemistry, modeling, and geographic information systems. Commonly, personnel with such a range of expertise are not available at any one regional scientific agency or university, necessitating collaborative efforts. The study proposed below is an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY - CESF), Syracuse University (SU), and the Upstate Freshwater Institute (UFI) to determine the influence of land use and the natural landscape on runoff flow pathways, disinfection by-products, and nutrients in the Croton Reservoir Watershed.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives are; (1) to determine the residence time of stream water and the relative importance of different runoff components in three watersheds within the Croton Reservoir system. The study watersheds will be chosen so that they are generally similar in their physical and geological characteristics, except that one watershed will be dominated by high-density residential development, the second by medium-density development, and the third will have little human development. (2a) Characterize spatial and temporal contributions of organic carbon, and its DBP formation potentials, from non-reservoir sources within the Croton watershed and (2b) identification of the primary DBP precursor fractions within total organic carbon. (3a) Characterize temporal variations of nutrients and organic carbon in stream flow, during both baseflow and stormflow conditions, at small basins with different land use characteristics. (3b)Define trends in water quality among basins with different unsewered residential development intensity under stormflow and baseflow conditions.(3c)Define nutrient and organic-carbon concentrations in STP outflows.
APPROACH
The respective approaches for each for three objectives mentioned above are described in the corresponding three modules below. Module-1 The three study watersheds will be chosen after review of existing GIS coverages of the Croton Reservoir system. Several candidate watersheds with drainage areas of 10-50 ha will be chosen initially. The principal selection criteria for the watersheds will be similar geology and topography and accessibility. Because most of the land in the Croton watershed is privately owned, landowner permission to perform the study may be the most important selection criterion. A stream gage will be installed in each watershed and instrumented for recording stream stage every 5 minutes and calculation of streamflow using a rating curve. Several ground water wells and soil water lysimeters will also be installed in each study watershed. A rain gage will be installed in one of the watersheds for analysis of the 18O composition of wet deposition only. Stream samples for analysis of 18O and chemical constituents will be collected biweekly at each stream gage. Additionally, stream, ground water, and soil water samples will be collected and analyzed for 18O composition and chemical constituents during 2-4 high flow events in each season of the study. Approximately 25-50 samples will be collected and analyzed during each event.at Module-2 Contributions of potential organic carbon/DBP sources within the Croton watershed will be evaluated for 1 year through periodic sampling of a network of approximately 20 first- and second-order streams that drain relatively homogeneous basins representative of the most common land uses in the watershed. These will include a range of sewered and unsewered residential-development intensity, agriculture, and undeveloped forested areas. Variations in natural factors such as the presence of wetlands or lakes, topography, and bedrock geology will be incorporated into the network. The sites will be divided into three categories related to anticipated sampling intensities: 1) intensive (3 sites, 150 samples/site/yr.), moderate (5 sites, 35 samples/site/yr.), and low (12 sites, 15 samples/site/yr.). Baseflow and stormflow sample collection will be timed as closely as possible for direct comparison among the sites. The 3 intensive sites will be gaged and equipped with automatic samplers to obtain detailed data from storm events; these sites will be the same as those described in module 1 of this proposal package. Automatic samplers will be deployed at moderate-intensity sites for detailed storm sampling on a periodic basis. Low-intensity sites will be sampled manually during baseflow and stormflow periods. Ten additional sites will be sampled quarterly to document 1) DBP contributions from STP effluent and 2) longitudinal variations in DBP formation potentials along stream courses. DBP formation potential loads will be estimated at intensively monitored sites and extrapolated at the low-intensity sites. Other analytes will be evaluated as surrogates for DBP formation potential. DBP formation potentials among different land uses will be evaluated/documented by season and flow regime. Module-3 Contributions of potential nutrient sources within the Croton watershed will be evaluated for 1 year through periodic sampling of a network of approximately 20 first- and second-order streams that drain relatively homogeneous basins representative of the most common land uses in the watershed. These will include a range of sewered and unsewered residential development intensity, agriculture (including horse farms and golf courses), and undeveloped forested areas. Variations in natural factors such as the presence of wetlands or lakes, and topography will be incorporated into analysis of the network. The sites will be divided into three categories related to anticipated sampling intensities: intensive (3 sites, 150 samples/site/yr.), moderate (5 sites, 35 samples/site/yr.), and low (12 sites, 15 samples/site/yr.). Baseflow and stormflow sample collection will be synchronized as closely as possible for direct comparison among the sites. The 3 intensive sites will be gaged and equipped with automatic samplers to obtain detailed data from storm events; these sites will be the same as those described in module 1 of this proposal package. Automatic samplers will be deployed at moderate-intensity sites for detailed storm sampling on a periodic basis. Low-intensity sites will be sampled manually during baseflow and stormflow periods. Ten additional sites will be sampled quarterly to document 1) nutrient contributions from STP effluent and 2) the net effects of lakes or reservoirs on nutrients received from upland streams. In addition, longitudinal surveys of two large stream basins will be performed once during the summer months and once during the winter months.
PROBLEM
Cortland County.s land and water use planners need detailed information on the geohydrologic system in the West Branch Tioughnioga River valley in order for the county to manage this ground-water resource and insure that enough good-quality water is available for sustainable use by homeowners, farms, and industry. Cortland County, together with the The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the NYSDEC, is encouraging protection of municipal-ground-water supplies from contamination. The results of this investigation will aid in the objective to define the surface area through which water enters the ground-water system and eventually flows to wells. BACKGROUND The USGS, in cooperation with the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District, (SWCD) began a study (project NY34900) of an extensive sand and gravel aquifer in the West Branch Tioughnioga River Valley in federal fiscal year 1999. The study entailed collecting well data, sampling 5 wells and analyzing ground water for common ions and nutrients, leveling to wells and stream channels, conducting several seismic-refraction surveys, measuring ground-water levels and streamflow. Assistance was also given to a student intern (Mike Alfieri, SUNY Binghamton) who is constructing a ground-water flow model of part of the study area (Factory Brook valley). This study will build upon the previously collected data by (1) adding that part of the West Branch Tioughnioga River Valley that is in Onondaga County and (2) constructing a numerical ground-water flow model of the aquifer system.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the proposed study is to: (1) improve the understanding of the geohydrology of the glacial aquifer system in the West Branch Tioughnioga River valley including the water quality, sources and rates of recharge, ground-water/surface-water interactions, location and rates of discharge, and direction of ground-water flow; (2) delineate areas that are likely to contribute recharge to the public-water supply wells including the Village of Homer, Hamlet of Preble, Scott Water District, and mobile home parks; and (3) provide a tool for the county (a numerical ground-water flow model) that can be used by the county to manage the ground-water resource and guide future development over the aquifer.
APPROACH
Collection of Existing Data Well data will be collected in the part of the West Branch Tioughnioga River Valley that is in Onondaga County to supplement the data that was collected in Cortland County during the first phase of the study. Analyze Pumping Data Analyze aquifer tests from municipal and other large pumping wells (such as the new proposed pumping well to supply water for snowmaking for a ski area) to estimate hydraulic properties and to guide development of the numerical model. Installation of Test Wells A total of 4 test wells will be installed at 2 nested piezometer sites to (1) determine stratigraphy and (2) obtain water-level measurements. At each site, one test well will be installed in the unconfined outwash aquifer and second deep well will be finished in the confined aquifer (estimated to be about 200-300 ft below land surface). Well drilling will be contracted and paid for by the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District. Wells will be logged by personnel from the USGS. Split-spoon samples will be collected approximately every 20 ft starting at the top of the confining unit to determine the stratigraphy in the deeper zones of the valley. Water levels will be measured in both the shallow well finished in the unconfined aquifer and in the confined aquifer to determine the vertical relationship of head in the aquifers. Seismic-refraction Surveys Two seismic-refraction surveys will be made in the study area to define the thickness of unconsolidated deposits and the configuration of the top of bedrock in the valley. Water-Level Measurements A synoptic water-level-measurement survey will be made during a period judged to represent average-annual water-level conditions. These measured heads will be used to calibrate the numerical ground-water flow model. Continuous water-level recorders will continue to be maintained at three sites to define seasonal fluctuations of water levels. Streamflow Measurements Stream-discharge measurements will be made during the same period as the synoptic water-level-measurement survey. Measurements will be made at base flow in the West Branch Tioughnioga River and in most of the large tributary streams in order to determine ground water-surface water interaction and rates of gain or loss of streamflow. These data will also be used in the calibration of the numerical ground-water flow model. Model Analysis A steady-state, numerical ground-water model will be constructed using the computer program MODFLOW developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (MacDonald and Harbaugh, 1988). Ground-water flowpaths and areas contributing recharge to municipal wells will be estimated for average-recharge conditions with a particle-tracking routine MODPATH (Pollock, 1990). The model will be calibrated using data collected during a synoptic ground-water-level and streamflow-measurement survey. A sensitivity analysis will be conducted in which several model parameters, such as recharge rate, horizontal hydraulic conductivity, vertical conductance between layers, and vertical conductances between the aquifer and streams, will be varied by multiplication factors within probable ranges of the hydraulic parameter, to determine which hydraulic properties are sensitive or insensitive to changes of values. Time and Costs The project will take about 2.5 years to complete and cost $215,000. The cost of the project does not include well drilling, which will be paid for separately by SWCD. Product A Water-Resources Investigations Report titled "Geohydrology and Simulation of Ground-Water Flow in a Glacial-Aquifer System in the West Branch Tioughnioga River Valley, Cortland and Onondaga Counties, New York" will be published at the end of the study (April 2002) and a calibrated model will be transferred to Cortland County.
PROBLEM
Green County Soil and Water (GCSWCD), in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), is conducting extensive stream-channel stabilizations in Catskill Mountain watersheds to sustain the high quality of water in tributaries that feed New York City reservoirs. Increased channel and bank stability of restored reaches can reduce bank erosion, sediment loads, and turbidity of waters entering reservoirs, and decrease the amount of pre-treatment required for drinking water. Stable streams have bank and channel characteristics that do not change significantly with moderate and high flows and, thus, change very little over long time periods. Changes in channel geomorphology and increased channel stability at restored reaches should also affect the quantity and quality of fish habitat, and the stability and production of resident fish populations and communities. The effects that unstable stream-channel geometry and that stream-channel restoration have on stream habitat, fish populations, and fish communities, however, have not been documented. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) proposes a multi-agency study herein to evaluate the relations among channel stability, fish habitat, and fishery responses.
OBJECTIVE
Major objectives of this proposed effort are to evaluate hypotheses that the quality and quantity of fish habitat and indices of salmonid population(s) and fish-community health are (1) lower in unstable stream reaches than in stable reference reaches, (2) higher in restored (treated) stream reaches than in unstable/unimproved control reaches, and (3) similar in restored (treated) and stable reference reaches.
APPROACH
To meet project objectives we propose a cooperative multi-agency effort to characterize fish habitat and inventory fish communities in treatment, control, and reference reaches of streams for 1-3 years before, and 3 (or more) years following, stream-channel restorations. A work plan to characterize most fish-habitat variables that contribute to salmonid habitat-suitability indexes will be developed by the USGS that may be integrated and implemented with stream-reach geomorphology assessments being done by the NYCDEP and GCSWCD. Data for target fish-habitat variables for each reach will be compiled and (or) derived from (1) preexisting GCSWCD and NYCDEP data, (2) new data for additional habitat variables gathered by ongoing GCSWCD and NYCDEP field efforts, and (3) new data gathered by USGS continuous-monitoring efforts.
PROBLEM
Long Island's underlying aquifer system needs to be monitored carefully to avoid future problems associated with periods of drought that may cause undue hardships and possible irreparable damage to this critical resource. Currently, there is no drought-monitoring network on Long Island that can provide State and local agencies with timely information on aquifer conditions.
OBJECTIVE
The USGS will develop a statistical evaluation of the relation between changes in precipitation with the natural fluctuations of water levels in the water-table and Magothy aquifers. Based on this evaluation, the USGS will design an island-wide network capable of monitoring drought conditions within the aquifer system.
APPROACH
Historical ground-water data will be compiled for cluster sites that contain wells screened in both the water-table and Magothy aquifers. Additionally, historical precipitation data will be compiled for selected National Weather Service long-term precipitation recording stations near the well sites. The compiled historical water-level data will be analyzed using statistical methods to define their frequency distribution and to determine the trends and lag times between the water-table and deeper Magothy aquifer. These trends will be related to declines in average precipitation associated with past periods of drought (especially the major drought occurring from 1962 to 1966). Data will be summarized and disseminated in a USGS Fact Sheet.
PROBLEM
The Clean Water Action Plan of 1998 requires each state to prepare a Unified Watershed Assessment to determine where additional funding will help achieve "fishable and swimmable waters for all Americans". In October 1998, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) submitted a plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to assess the water quality abd other natural resource factors in each of the State's 54 major watersheds. In the Upper Susquehanna River watershed, as in other upstate New York Watersheds, State, Federal, and civic organizations have collected information mostly about surface water; the ground-water component of the watershed's hydrologic system has not been adequately addressed. As development of land and water resources increases, it is apparent that development of either of these resources affects the quantity and quality of the other. Nearly all surface water features interact with ground water. These interactions take many forms. In many situations, surface-water bodies gain water and solutes from ground-water systems and in others the surface-water body is a source of ground-water recharge and causes changes in ground-water quality. Thus, effective land and water management requires an understanding of the linkages between ground water and surface water.. During non-runoff periods, ground water sustains flow in streams. Yet, while ground water sustains flow in a stream, little is typically known about the portion of the stream discharge that is made up of ground water. This is especially true in the Upper Susquehanna River watershed in upstate New York where the primary aquifers are unconfined, valley-fill deposits that have significant ground-water/surface-water interaction. Also, the component of ground-water flow into the valley-fill aquifer that is derived from upland till and bedrock is typically not well known. In the past, studies of valley-fill aquifers in upstate New York have been either conducted on a basin-wide scale, resulting in a reconnaissance-level of study, or on a more detailed level 1:24,000-scale or less) in selected parts of aquifers. At either level of study, the hydrology and land use of the entire watershed are not adequately assessed. By selecting an unconfined valley-fill aquifer that has a contributing watershed of over 2,000 square miles, a unified watershed approach to studying the hydrology can be taken. Studies of aquifers within watersheds of this size lend themselves to a water-budget approach in assessing the basin hydrology (Lacombe and Roseman, 1995). Basins of this size typically have several long-term (more than 20 years of continuous record) stream-gaging stations, thus facilitating the calculation of runoff and base-flow components of total discharge through base-flow separation techniques.
OBJECTIVE
The general objective of this period is to characterize the ground-water component in the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed. More specifically, the objectives are to characterize the water-quality (major ions and nutrients), quantify the runoff and ground-water compopnents of streamflow, and document water use. A selected reach of the valley-fill aquifer in the Susquehanna River valley will be investigated in more detail. In this reach, stratigraphy of the valley-fill deposits will be constructed, the direction of ground-water flow will be determined, surface/ground-water interactions will be characterized, and aquifer recharge and discharge areas will be identified.
APPROACH
An general assessment will be made of the hydrology, water-quality, and land use
of the entire watershed, and a more detailed assessment will be made in the
selected part of the unconfined, valley-fill aquifer (underlying the villages of
Sidney, Unadilla, Otego, and Oneonta) in the southern part of the watershed.
General Assessment of Entire Watershed:
A. Water quality:
1. Retrieve existing water-quality data from USGS files.
2. Collect water-quality samples during baseflow conditions in 13
tributaries. Water will be analyzed for major ions and nutrients.
3. The range of concentrations of major ions will be depicted in trilinear
and box plot
diagrams on a map.
B. Geology and land use:
4. Compile bedrock map of the watershed from existing 1:250,000 digital
coverages by New York State Geological Survey.
5. Compile surficial geology map of watershed from existing 1:250,000
digital coverages by New York State Geological Survey.
6. Compile land-use data from Landsat Thematic Mapping dataset (30 meter
resolution).
7. Compile SPEDES data of point-source pollution coverage from NYSDEC.
C. Ground water:
8. Retrieve well data from the USGS GWSI computer database and convert data
into a well coverage.
9. Compile a hydrogeologic unit map from existing 1:250,000 coverage by
USGS.
D. Surface water:
10. Conduct base-flow measurements at selected sites on major tributaries at
the same time water-quality samples are collected for up to 13
sub-watersheds.
11. Conduct base-flow separation analuses of long-term stream-gaging stations
to determine base-flow and direct-runoff components of
streamflow..
Detailed aquifer assessment of part of the valley-fill aquifer in the
Susquehanna River basin that encompasses the village of Afton, Bainbridge,
Unadilla, and Otego.
A. Data collection:
1. Well inventory of area - collect and compile well logs in area and enter
into USGS GWSI database.
2. Compile water-use information in USGS, NYSDEC, and NYSDOH files.
3. Conduct stream gain-loss measurements in about 10 streams.
4. Synoptic ground-water-level measurements made at same time as streamflow
measurements described above.
5. Water Quality:
a. Collect tritium and CFC samples at each of the four village supply
wells. Analyze and interpret data for age of water and aid in
determining the conceptual flow model of the aquifer.
b. Water samples will be collected in the three wells installed for
this study (see below). The samples will be analyzed by the USGS
laboratory (Denver, CO) for common ions and selected nutrients.
6. Test drilling:
a. Install 3 test wells extending to top of bedrock (estimated depth
to rock is 200-250 ft.) so that a stratigraphic log is collected
of the entire sequence of the valley-fill deposits.
Test-drilling sites will be near municipal-supply wells so that more
detailed information will be obtained on hydrogeologic setting
in these critical areas. Sediment samples (cuttings and/or
split-spoon cores) will be collected and
described for compiling a geologic log of the test well.
B. Data compilation:
1. Construct water-table map of area.
2. Construct hydrogeologic sections.
3. Analyze available pump-test data to determine aquifer hydraulic
properties.
PROBLEM
Efforts to predict and design stable channel geomorphology in streams of New York State have been hampered by the lack of regional models of the relations between bankfull discharge and drainage area and between drainage area and hydraulic geometry parameters, such as mean depth, width, cross-sectional area, and mean velocity at bankfull stage and discharge levels. BACKGROUND Information requests from city, county, state, and federal agencies, local municipalities, and engineering firms for peak flow and stream-discharge measurement (USGS form 9-207) data, and for stage-to-discharge rating curves, have increased greatly over the past 5 years at the New York District, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This increase corresponds to nationwide increases in the use of these data to assess stream classification, stream-channel stability, flood stabilization, and the potential for "restoring natural function, stability, and biological condition" of disturbed stream reaches using widely applied river-geomorphology techniques of Rosgen (1994, 1996). These techniques are currently being used by private and nonprofit organizations and by government agencies to increase channel stability, decrease sediment loads, improve the quality of drinking water, abate the potential for damage from future floods, and enhance the quantity and quality of habitat available to local fisheries and entire aquatic ecosystems in streams negatively affected by natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The underlying basis for assessing stream stability and the need for stream-channel restoration in a given stream reach is (1) data of stream-channel dimensions, patterns, and profiles in disturbed and comparable stable (reference) reaches and (2) an understanding of the complex relations among drainage area, bankfull discharge, depth, width, cross-sectional area, channel slope, velocity, flow resistance, sediment size, and sediment load in streams. Comparison of these characteristics between disturbed and reference reaches can help determine (a) the departure from normal for key hydraulic geometry parameters, (b) the likely effects of an unstable reach on local water quality, erosion, and suspended and bed sediment loads, and (c) the potential for successful restoration of stream-channel stability. The relations that exist between drainage area and bankfull discharge and between drainage area and mean depth, width, cross-sectional area, and mean velocity are relatively constant at bankfull stages in stable streams of the same type (class) and in the same hydrophysiographic region. Variation in precipitation levels, runoff rates, soil depths, elevations, till thicknesses, and surface slopes between the regions can produce different flow hydrographs and channel geomorphology in local streams (Lumia 1991). Bankfull discharge is the flow that, over the long term, effectively maintains the general form of a stream channel (Leopold and others 1964), and is an instantaneous peak flow that corresponds, on average, to the 1.5-year recurrence interval discharge (Rosgen 1996). Mean bankfull depth, width, and discharge are key variables that can be roughly estimated by analyses of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) peak flow data and basic channel-geometry information, and refined by surveys of channel geometry at discharge-gaged stream reaches. Mean bankfull stage, discharge, and recurrence intervals can be correlated to each other at discharge-gaging stations using (a) estimated stage and discharge for various recurrence intervals, (b) field indicators of bankfull stage, and (c) channel geometry data extrapolated to bankfull stage. Plots of bankfull discharge vs. drainage area for numerous discharge-gaged streams of one hydrophysiographic region yield a regional model; plots of mean depth, width, cross-sectional area, and mean velocity vs. drainage area yield general models. These models can be used to estimate/verify bankfull stage and discharge and bankfull channel-geometry characteristics at ungaged streams in the same region. General cross-region standard and dimensionless hydraulic-geometry models for width, depth, velocity, and cross-sectional area (as a function of each at bankfull stage) vs. discharge (as a function of bankfull discharge) can be developed for individual stream types after larger data sets are assembled. These refined models will help extrapolate bankfull geometry characteristics to various-sized streams of similar type. Compilation and assessment of historical USGS data and channel-geomorphology surveys are needed from gaged streams to provide data for each regional model. Information needed for historical data analyses include: (1) estimated 1- to 2-year recurrence interval discharges, (2) associated stages from recent stage-discharge rating curves, (3) associated channel-geometry data from discharge measurements (USGS forms 9-275 and 9-207), (4) knowledge of the stream channel and flow-measurement locations near discharge-gaging stations, and (5) the point of zero flow (PZF), which are all on file with the USGS. No comprehensive statewide program exists to compile, organize, and analyze historical USGS hydrology and channel geometry data in an easily retrievable fashion needed by hundreds of separate end users to assess the stability of various stream sites. Complete analyses of existing USGS data for one or more hydrophysio-graphic regions in New York State would be costly. The resources needed to conduct bankfull-regression (regression is the intent, but calibration is used in all relevant literature) surveys for dozens of streams in a given region are also substantial. This study proposes to address both needs and develop regional hydraulic-geometry models for streams of New York State. This project will be a collaboration between the USGS, the NYSDEC, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), and other interested agencies. An advisory committee from interested agencies has been formed to review planned work and to determine strategies to best implement collaborative efforts. A working (draft version) protocol will be developed during the first 12 months of the project; it will describe how we plan to (1) compile and assess historical hydrologic, geometry, photographic, and topographic data, (2) identify bankfull indicators, (3) define stream-channel reconnaissance and survey procedures, (4) compile and analyze field data, and (5) develop and refine models of bankfull discharge and hydraulic geometry vs. drainage area by hydrophysiographic region and stream type. This protocol will be based on Powell (1999) and integrate standard USGS survey and hydrologic methods with those used to calibrate bankfull discharge and develop regional hydraulic geometry curves (Powell 1999; Rosgen 2000). Regional models will define the relations between drainage area and bankfull discharge and between drainage area and (b) mean depth, (c) width, (d) cross-sectional area, and (e) mean velocity at bankfull flows for current and discontinued discharge-, and crest-stage gaged streams of each hydrophysiographic region in New York State.
OBJECTIVE
Major objectives of this project are to (1) compile and summarize hydraulic geometry data and calibrate bankfull discharge at USGS stream discharge stations and (2) develop regional models of the relations between bankfull discharge and drainage area and between drainage area and mean depth, width, cross-sectional area, and mean velocity at bankfull flows for streams of New York State.
APPROACH
In general, hydrologic-data compilation, preliminary data assessments, and field surveys will be completed for one region during a single fiscal year; field-survey data for the region will be assessed during the subsequent fiscal year. Selected sites (up to 20) in each region will include new stations expected to contribute to regional models (with 10 or more years of peak-flow record) within the time frame for site surveys and data analyses. Bankfull-regression surveys and development of regional hydraulic-geometry models will be prioritized by region depending upon interest of the funding agencies, input from the regional curve advisory committee, and requests from other interested agencies. Streams within Region 5 will be surveyed during the first year of this project. Funding during the prior fiscal year has permitted (a) project planning, (b) initial data compilation and assessment, (c) site selection, (d) personnel training, and (e) support of geomorphology surveys (being conducted by the DCWSWCO and the NYCDEP) at four discharge-gaged sites in the region. For the first year of this study, a USGS team will conduct preliminary reconnaissance and regression surveys at as many as 15 sites within Region 5; as many as 4 sites will be active USGS continuous-discharge, partial-record, or crest-stage gage sites and as many as 11 will be deactivated USGS gages. For the second year of this study, field data for surveyed streams of region 5 will be assessed and a final report prepared, data will be compiled and assessed for a second region (e.g., region "B"), and geomorphology surveys will be conducted at as many as 20 streams in the second region. Efforts for subsequent years will duplicate efforts described for year two in additional regions. If this project is fully funded for a total of about seven years then we will be able to survey streams, and develop hydraulic-geometry models, for all active and many discontinued USGS discharge-gaged streams in the eight hydrophysiographic regions of New York State. Additional analyses after completing the bankfull surveys at active and discontinued gages across the state will allow us to reassess the boundaries for the hydrophysiographic regions of the state Specific tasks that are necessary to calibrate bankfull flow and to develop and assess hydraulic geometry models for streams of each hydrophysiographic region will generally follow methods summarized in Powell (1999), Rosgen (1998) and Rosgen (2000). The working-draft and work plan-OFR will be based primarily on Powell (1999) and include modifications for bankfull-regression surveys at discontinued USGS discharge-gages. A flowchart of these steps is available in Rosgen (1998). Though survey data from 2 or 3 cross sections is needed at active USGS discharge-gaging stations, data from as many as 11 cross-sections may be used to estimate bankfull stage and discharge at streams with discontinued gages or with crest-stage gages. The general steps for calibrating bankfull flow and developing models for each region follow: (1) compile, summarize, and assess hydrologic USGS data from all streams with discharge- and crest-stage-gages, and that have 10 or more years of record, in a region; compile photographic, topographic, and geographic information for candidate sites, (2) conduct log-Pearson Type III flood-frequency analyses to estimate 1- to 2-year peak-flow recurrence intervals for candidate streams in the region; plot the most-recent (last10 years) estimates of discharge vs. hydraulic geometry parameters (mean width, depth, cross-sectional area, and mean velocity) from the USGS 9-207 discharge-measurement forms, (3) inspect candidate sites and conduct reconnaissance surveys of each study reach; this consists of marking bankfull indicators, and estimating hydraulic-geometry characteristics at 1 or more test cross-sections, (4) conduct longitudinal and cross-section surveys, pebble counts along longitudinal profile and at each of the cross-sections, and survey another 8 to 9 cross sections if step-backwater flow and water surface profiles are needed for the stream reach, (5) at active USGS discharge-gaging stations, use the most recent rating table to determine the discharge that corresponds to the field-estimated bankfull stage; (6) at discontinued USGS discharge-gaging stations, estimate bankfull discharge using step-backwater analyses and assess the accuracy of the most-current rating table (7) estimate the exceedance probability and the return period (1/Px100) in years for each stream; (8) assemble data for longitudinal and cross-sections, summarize particle size distributions, and estimate bankfull discharge, stage, and hydraulic-geometry characteristics for surveyed cross sections from each stream reach, (9) plot bankfull estimate of discharge vs. drainage area and hydraulic geometry values of cross-sectional area and mean depth, width, and velocity vs. drainage area on respective regional model, (10) determine Rosgen stream-channel class using channel stream profile, geometry, and pebble count information; identify points on regional curves by stream types, and (11) update regional curves as data from additional streams become available; segregate each geometry curve by stream types if sufficient numbers of each type are available. PRODUCTS A final USGS Open File Report (OFR) describing the sampling and analysis protocol (work plan) will be reviewed, tested, and revised during the first year of this project (FY2002). It will be published in draft form on the web and as a limited release hardcopy during the first year and published in final form during the second or third year of the project. Bankfull-regression surveys will also be done during year 1 at as many as 15 streams in Region 5. Survey-data analyses will be done, and the first draft of an OFR describing hydraulic-geometry models for Region 5 will be assembled during year two (FFY2003), with subsequent regional reports generated annually (if the project is fully funded). The first OFR will be reviewed and revised during the second year (FY2003) and published before or during the third year (FY2004) of the project. All OFRs will be published in hardcopy and placed onto the USGS, New York District web site. LITERATURE CITED Leopold, L.B., Wolman, M.G., and Miller, J.P., 1964, Fluvial processes in geomorphology: San Francisco, W.H. Freeman, 522 p. Lumia, R., 1991, Regionalization of flood discharges for rural, unregulated streams in New York, excluding Long Island: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4197, 119 p. Powell, R.O., 1999. Gage calibration surveys for construction of regional curves - draft report: New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Stream Management Program, 19 p. Rosgen, D.L., 1994, A classification of natural rivers: Catena, v. 22, no. 3, p. 169-199. Rosgen, D.L., 1996, Applied River morphology: Pagosa Springs, CO, Wildland Hydrology. various pages. Rosgen, D.L., 1998, The reference reach field book: Pagosa Springs, CO, Wildland Hydrology, 209 p. Rosgen, D.L., 2000, River morphology and applications, year 2000: Pagosa Springs, CO, Wildland Hydrology. various pages.
PROBLEM
The Pepacton watershed is an integral part of New York City's public-water supply system.. Land use varies from dairy farms in the northern portion of the watershed to extensive fprested areas in the south with small rural communities interspersed throughout the watershed. Pressures for sound management of the water resources in the region, as well as for increased develoment, necessitates development of hydrologic data networks that will documentcurrent water-quality conditions in relation to watershed characteristics such as land use. Knowledge of human effects on the hydrologic system can provide a basis for future management/development decisions. Ground-water discharge to streams accounts for most of the water reaching the New York City reservoirs during periods of little or no rainfall (baseflow conditions), and a large proportion (60-70 percent) of total annual streamflow. Baseflow samples from carefully selected drainage areas provide a composite or integrated sample that is a reflection of the most active part of the shallow ground-water flow system,as indicated by previous findings in the Croton watershed (Heisig, 2000). The Croton investigation showed a strong link between the intensity of unsewered residential land use and chloride and nitrate concentrations in baseflow. The proposed study will address ground-water quality through development of a monitoring network of baseflow sites that characterize spatial (land use, physical basin characteristics) and temporal water-quality variations within the Pepacton watershed.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this investigation is to provide the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), New York City Department of Environmentlal Protection (NYCDEP), and Delaware County with an overview of shallow ground-water quality within the Pepacton watershed through a network of stream-baseflow sampling sites that include upland areas as well as larger valley segments. Data will be collected over one year and interpreted to identify relations between ground-water quality and land use.
APPROACH
The ground-water quality network will consist of 20 stream-baseflow sites in upland stream basins (first-order through third-order) and 8 stream-baseflow sites in four sand and gravel valley segments (4 upstream and 4 downstream), that cover different types and degrees of land use. Stream baseflow provides an integrated sample of the most active portion of the local ground-water system within a small stream basin. Additionally, stream water leaving the watershed during baseflow conditions represents an important ground-water contribution to the New York City reservoir system. The paired valley segment sites will be used to evaluate ground-water quality inputs through differences in water quality between up- and downstream sites. On the other hand, individual wells provide a sample of a minute portion of the ground-water system (ideally, a relative narrow strip of the area upgradient of the well, depending on the location of the sreened zone). Study includes siting stream sites and characterizing the physical properties and land-use of each basin. GIS coverages, including digital elevation models, digital color orthophoto quads, and thematic mapper land-use data, will be used in this anaylsis. The 28 network sites will be sampled seasonally over 1 year with monthly samples collected at a subset of 3 sites. Timimg of sample collection will be based on hydrologic conditions. Water-quality meters will be used for field measurement of electrical conductance, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH. Grab samples will be collected at first- and second-order streams; equal-width-increment samples will be collected at the larger streams. Samples will be analyzed for major ions, nutrients (including DOC), and boron. Interpretation of spatial and temporal water-quality data from the one-year sampling effort will include linear regression techniques and will be reported in a U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation Report or a journal article.
PROBLEM
Acidic precipitation has affected forested and aquatic ecosystems in New York, particularly in the Adirondack and Catskill regions. Acidification of surface waters and deleterious effects on fish and other biota have been well documented in both these regions. Despite reduced levels of acidity in atmospheric deposition over the past 20 years across New York and the northeastern United States, the most acid-sensitive streams and lakes have not yet begun to recover, and many show continued declines in acid-neutralizing capacity, an indicator acid-base status. Many studies have documented the effects of acid precipitation in New York, but thus far, there has been no comprehensive effort to synthesize and compare data and results from these two regions. We propose to address this shortcoming by bringing together researchers from five research institutes who have collected data on the effects of acidic precipitation in the Adirondacks and Catskills during the past two decades.
OBJECTIVE
For each of the study objectives listed below, the emphasis will on comparing and contrasting surface water chemistry in the Adirondacks and Catskills. 1. Recovery at intensively monitored sites. Document temporal changes in chemical constituent concentrations and mass flux for key indicators of acid-base status for at least 5 surface water sites in the Adirondacks and 5 sites in the Catskills. These chemical indicators of acid-base status will include: pH, acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC), aluminum, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, nitrate, and sulfate. Sites will be selected to include only those for which at least monthly water chemistry data have been collected for a minimum of 8 years. 2. Nitrogen retention rates. Estimate retention rates for atmospheric nitrogen deposition at the intensively monitored sites that are being analyzed for temporal changes in water chemistry and water flux. This analysis will use a mass-balance approach where feasible. 3. Modeled recovery under different future deposition scenarios. Use several different possible and likely scenarios of future acid deposition rates to model projected recovery of surface water chemistry at intensively monitored sites over the next 30 years. 4. Integrated New York acid precipitation effects database. Any data used in the above analyses will be assembled into an integrated database or network of electronically linked databases that will be accessible on a web site.
APPROACH
1. Compile existing data for intensively monitored and survey watersheds. A database will be developed for the study that will be based on the Microsoft Access (or similar) database program and will be accessible via a web site or linked to web sites of the institutions of the principal investigators. The following data will be compiled into the study database: A. Precipitation Chemistry and Rates of Atmospheric Deposition. Concentrations of major ions and pH of precipitation and the rates of wet deposition will be compiled for 5 National Acid Deposition Program (NADP) sites: Bennett Bridge (NY52), Huntington Forest (NY20), Whiteface Mountain (NY98), Biscuit Brook (NY68) and West Point (NY99). Only data that have passed the rigorous quality control/quality assurance procedures of the NADP will be used in the study. B. Surface Water Chemistry. Concentrations of major ions, aluminum, pH, silica, DOC, and ANC will be compiled for each surface water site used in the study. Only data for which the sum of cations and anions agree to within 15 to 25% (dependent on pH) will be compiled and analyzed. C. Forest and Vegetation Properties. Available data on tree species, forest type, wetlands extent, and forest history will be compiled into a GIS database for all of the sites to be used in the study. D. Physical Geology and Soils. Available data on bedrock type, glacial till cover, and soils will be compiled into a GIS database for each watershed to be used in the study. 2. Time trends and recovery at intensively monitored sites. Time trend analysis will be performed for key chemical constituents that are indicative of recovery from acidification using seasonal Kendall Tau and other statistical tests. Trends will also be examined for indices of recovery derived from chemical constituents such as sum of base cations divided by acid anions. 3. Nitrogen retention rates. Inputs of nitrogen in wet deposition will be estimated for each intensively monitored watershed by extrapolating from available NADP and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation data. This approach to estimate nitrogen inputs will be compared to a second approach using the model of Ollinger et al. (1993). If the model results are sufficiently close to measured nitrogen deposition values at NADP sites, then the model results will be used in the analysis. If the model does not adequately predict nitrogen deposition at the NADP sites, then the extrapolation approach will be used in the analysis. Outputs of nitrate and ammonium will be estimated by combining chemistry data with surface water flow data to calculate loads. Export of water from each watershed will be calculated by estimating stream or lake outlet flow using stream discharge data available in the region from gages operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. The Catskill sites have stream gages, and therefore, a continuous record of stream discharge that will be used to calculate water export. Nitrogen cycling rates will be obtained from data collected previously by the principal investigators and other researchers. 4. Modeling of recovery. Through NYSERDA funding PnET-BGC is currently being applied to forest ecosystems in the Adirondack region of New York, including Huntington Forest (a second-growth watershed with intermediate ANC), Willys Pond watershed (a mature-growth watershed), Constable Pond watershed (a second-growth watershed with negative ANC) and West Pond watershed (a second-growth watershed with high DOC drainage waters). Following validation of the model, a scenario analysis will be conducted to evaluate the response of these watersheds to potential changes in atmospheric deposition. These deposition scenarios will include: 1) anticipated changes in atmospheric deposition from Title IV of the 1990 Amendments of the Clean Air Act, 2) potential reductions in utility emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in legislation proposed for reauthorization of the Clean Air Act, and 3) proposals to decreases emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from utilities in New York State. In this proposed study, PnET-BGC will be applied to five Catskill watersheds. The model will first be validated using long-term stream data from these four Catskill watersheds. Precipitation data from the NADP/NTN site at Biscuit Brook will be used as the input to these watersheds. Available data on vegetation and soil chemistry from the Dry Creek and Winnisook watersheds will be used in model validation. Similar to the procedure that is being used for the Adirondack watersheds, scenario analysis will be conducted of the response of Catskill watersheds to anticipated changes in atmospheric deposition following future controls on emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. An important component of this proposed study will be to use PnET-BGC to compare and contrast the response of Catskill and Adirondack watersheds to changes in atmospheric deposition.
PROBLEM
The Pepacton watershed is an integral part of New York City's public-water supply system. Most of the watershed is within Delaware County with headwaters of some of its eastern tributary streams originating in Greene and Ulster Counties. Land use varies from dairy farms in the northern portion of the watershed to extensive forested areas in the south with small rural communities interspersed throughout the watershed. Pressures for sound management of the water resources in the region, as well as for increased development, necessitates development of hydrologic data networks that will document current water-quality conditions in relation to watershed characteristics such as land use. Knowledge of human effects on the hydrologic system can provide a basis for future management/development decisions. Ground-water discharge to streams accounts for most of the water reaching the New York City reservoirs during periods of little or no rainfall (baseflow conditions), and a large proportion (60-70 percent) of total annual streamflow. Baseflow samples from carefully selected drainage areas provide a composite or integrated sample that is a reflection of the most active part of the shallow ground-water system, as indicated by previous findings in the Croton watershed (Heisig, 2000). The Croton investigation showed a strong link between the intensity of unsewered residential land use and chloride and nitrate concentrations in baseflow. The proposal study will address ground-water quality (major ions, nutrients, selected pesticides, and their metabolites) through development of a monitoring network of baseflow sites that characterize spatial (land use, physical basin characteristics) and temporal water-quality variations within the Pepacton watershed.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this investigation is to provide the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the New YOrk City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), and Delaware County with an overview of shallow ground-water quality within the Pepacton watershed through a network of stream-baseflow sampling sites that include upland areas as well as larger valley segments. Data will be collected over one year and interpreted to identify relations between ground-water quality and land use. Specific objectives include: 1. Development of a ground-water (baseflow) monitoring network that will provide water-quality data that are representative of upland and valley shallow ground-water flow systems and the spatial variations in the type of intensity of land use in each sampled basin. 2. Identification of temporal water-quality variations in baseflow. 3. Determination of instantaneous ground-water loads for selected nutrients at two selected times. 4. Determination of extent of relation between ground-water disvharge and basin area among sample sites. 5. Interpretation of mutual water-quality data on the basis of land-use type, distribution, and intensity.
APPROACH
The ground-water quality network will consist of 20 stream-baseflow sites in
upland stream basins (first-order through third-order) and 8 stream-baseflow
sites in four sand and gravel valley segments (4 upstream and 4 downstream),
that cover different types and degrees of land use. Stream baseflow provides an
integrated sample of the most active portion of the local ground-water system
within a small stream basin. Additionally, stream water leaving the watershed
during baseflow conditions represents an important ground-water contribution to
the New York City reservoir system. The paired valley segment sites will be
used to evaluate ground-water quality inputs through differences in water
quality between up- and downstream sites. On the other hand, individual wells
provide a sample of a minute portion of the ground-water system (ideally, a
relatively narrow strip of the area upgradient of the well, depending on the
location of the screened zone).
There are several constraints on using streamflow as representative of
ground-water discharge. The first is that the stream is sampled during baseflow
conditions. For small (first- and second-order) watersheds, baseflow conditions
are typically reached within three days following a precipitation event.
Third-order streams and larger require longer antecedent conditions, dependent
on basin size and, prehaps, geometry. The second constraint is the absence of
direct human inputs to surface water such as sewage-treatment-palnt outflows.
The third constraint is minimal impoundment of water within each stream
drainage; lakes or reservoirs, in particular, may store earlier runoff, and thus
discharge a mixture of runoff and ground water during periods that would
otherwise be considered baseflow.
Study initiation by USGS will include siting the stream sites and characterizing
the physical properties and land use of each basin. GIS coverages, including
digital elevation models, digital color orthophoto quads, and thematic mapper
land-use data, will be used in this analysis. The 28 network sites will be
sampled seasonally over 1 year with monthly samples collected at a subset of 3
sites. Timing of sample collection will be based on hydrologic conditions.
Water-quality meters will be used for field measurement of electrical
conductance, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH. Grab samples will be
collected at first- and secodn-order streams; equal-width-increment samples will
be collected at the larger streams. Samples will be analyzed for major ions,
nutrients (including DOC), and boron (table 1) by the USGS National Water
Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado. A QA/QC program will be implemented;
field blanks using inorganic-grade blank water sample replicates totaling ten
percent of the study samples will be collected and analyzed.
Discharge measurements will be conducted by USGS personnel during collection of
water-quality samples during the summer sample period and one other sample
period to estimate 1) instantaneous "ground-water" loads for selected nutrients
and 2) basin area - discharge relations. Discharge data will be
compared/correlated with current USGS stream discharge data/water quality data
from the watershed (or adjacent watershed) as available.
Interpretation of spatial and temporal water-quality data from the one-year
sampling effort will include linear regression techniques similar to those used
in the previous Croton watershed study (Heisig, 2000), and will be reported in a
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report or a journal
article.
Table 1 - Water-sample analytes - dissolved constituents
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Total Phosphorous (MDL<=5ug/l) I ANC I Calcium
Ortho Phos. (MDL<=5ug/l) I Chloride I Sodium
Nitrate I Sulfate
I Magnesium
Ammunium I Bromide I
Potassium
Organic N I Boron I
Manganese
DOC I Fluoride I
Iron
I
I Silica
PROBLEM
Several supply wells in Oswego County were evaluated in 1999 (Komor, written commun., 2000) with stable isotopic (d18O and dD) and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) age dating techniques. At two municipal well sites (Villages of Sandy Creek/Lacona and Village of Pulaski) that tap a shallow, unconfined aquifer (typically 20-50 ft thick) and that are within study areas for which numerical ground-water flow models had been developed (Zarriello, 1993 and Malcom-Pirnie, 2000), there were significant discrepancies between ground-water recharge ages from those determined by chemical data and from those determined by simulation of ground-water flow. The significant discrepancies between times of travel of ground water as determined by use of numerical ground-water-flow modeling and geochemical dating approaches in Oswego County need to be understood so that a reasonable concept of the ground-water flow system can be reconciled, especially in order that water managers and government agencies can implement effective ground-water protection strategies.
OBJECTIVE
Refine the conceptual understanding of the ground-water-flow system in a shallow, sand and gravel aquifer in Oswego County. Reconcile differences in recharge ages and ground-water-flow rates estimated by numerical ground-water-flow modeling and geochemical approaches for one of the sites (Sandy Creek-Lacona municipal well that taps the Tug Hill aquifer. Determine whether there are significant vertical flow components within the sand and gravel aquifer and (or) whether there are other sources of older water (bedrock?) that discharge into the sand and gravel aquifer.
APPROACH
The study is divided into two phases. Phase I will comprise of test drilling and
water sampling for age determination. Phase II, which is contingent upon the
results of phase I, is comprised of revision of the two-dimensional ground-water
flow model by Zarriello (1993) of the sand and gravel aquifer tapped by the
Sandy Creek/Lacona municipal wells. The model will be converted to a
three-dimensional model by subdividing the one layer used in the model.
Proceeding with Phase II will depend on whether the results of the chemical
analyses show significant differences in age of water with depth within the sand
and gravel aquifer.
Phase I
Well Installation and Water Levels
Two clusters of wells will be installed along a ground-water-flow path extending
roughly from the east edge of the aquifer to the Sandy Creek/Lacona municipal
well to the west. The pathline will be determined from the numerical
ground-water-flow model by Zarriello, 1993. One cluster of three wells (two
finished at different depths in the sand and gravel aquifer and one in bedrock)
will be installed about midway along the flowpath. A second well cluster
(finished at different depths in the sand and gravel aquifer) will be installed
in the east part of the aquifer. The test wells will be used to collect
water-level data and obtain water samples for chemical dating analyses.
Chemical Analyses
Ground water will be pumped from the screened depth of each test well at a slow
rate by to minimize drawdown. This technique will ensure that the sampled water
is from a discrete depth in the aquifer rather than a vertical mix of water from
several depths. Dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH, relative redox
potential, specific conductance, and temperature will be measured in the pumped
water. When these parameters stabilize, sample collection will begin.
Alkalinity and sulfide concentrations will be analyzed in the field. Water from
each well will be analyzed for the following constituents:
Analysis Type Numberof
samples USGS laboratory code
Cations and anions (calcium, magnesium,
sodium, potassium, manganese, iron, silica,
chloride, sulfate, fluoride, bromide, total
dissolved solids).
8 To be supplied by cooperator*
Nutrients (ammonia + organic nitrogen,
ammonia, nitrite + nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus,
orthophosphate).
8 To be supplied by cooperator*
Chlorofluorocarbons, d18O and dD 6
1173
d13CDIC
6 440
*Analyses will be done by Upstate Laboratories, Inc, 6034 Corporate Drive East
Syracuse 315-437-0255. New York State certifies this laboratory. Five
ground-water samples, one blank and one duplicate will be analyzed.
Our research hypothesis is that water from intermediate depths in the sand and
gravel aquifer is a mixture from two or more sources with different recharge
ages. A simplified, testable hypothesis is that such water is a mixture of: 1)
modern water, about 10 years old or younger, from direct precipitation and
stream inflow into the unconfined aquifer; and 2) older water, about 20 years
old or older, from fractured bedrock beneath the unconfined aquifer. Our
initial tests of the hypothesis will be from comparisons of CFC-determined ages
of water from fractured bedrock and various depths in the sand and gravel
aquifer. Evidence of mixing would be that water from fractured bedrock is older
than the shallowest water in the sand and gravel aquifer, and that water from
intermediate depths has intermediate ages.
Major-element concentrations and stable isotope values in water can also be used
to test the mixing hypothesis. The computer program NETPATH (Plummer et al.,
1994) will be used to calculate the major element and isotopic chemistry of
water that would result from mixtures of different proportions of water from two
or more sources. Evidence of mixing would be that water from intermediate
depths can be successfully modeled as a combination of water from fractured
bedrock and from shallow depths in the sand and gravel aquifer.
Phase II (contingent on results from phase I)
Convert two-dimensional flow model into a three-dimensional flow model
Should the results of the chemical-age dating in phase I indicate that are
significant age differences with depth in the sand and gravel aquifer and there
are significant head differences with depth within the aquifer then the
two-dimensional, numerical ground-water-flow model by Zarriello (1993) will be
revised using the feedback from the results of the chemical data and
water-level. Additional layers will be added to the model to improve vertical
resolution and be able to simulate vertical flow as well as horizontal flow. The
model will then be run to estimate recharge areas and times of travel for ground
water from these recharge areas to the supply wells. The initial hydraulic
parameters and boundary conditions to be used for the revised model will be from
the numerical model by Zarriello (1993).
The three-dimensional model will be calibrated to known hydraulic heads measured
in the test wells. Particle-tracking estimates of time-of-travel of ground water
from recharge areas to the supply wells will be compared with recharge ages of
ground water to the supply wells obtained from CFC analyses. The model will then
be recalibrated taking into account the dates determined by chemical dating.
PROBLEM
A gap exists in our understanding of sediment and contaminant transport from the mouth of tributaries to the tidal Hudson to New York Harbor. Very little is known about how much sediment and associated contaminants are actually making it to New York Harbor from these tributaries. In addition to not knowing how much, we only have a crude understanding of when material is moved through the freshwater-tidal Hudson. It’s generally assumed that a large percentage of the material flux occurs during the spring freshet, but we have no sense of how significant an August thunderstorm or hurricane is, for example, or how the timing of tidal effects can dampen or amplify the flux associated with a fresh water pulse. At present, there is no mechanism to accurately measure discharge in the Hudson River below Lock 1 on the Champlain Canal near Waterford (5 river miles upstream of where the Hudson becomes tidal and 159 river miles from the Battery). The USGS is capable of providing only rough estimates of monthly discharge for the tidal Hudson at Poughkeepsie, Verplanck, and the Battery. These estimates are based on measured flows from gaged tributaries and estimates from all other tributaries. The monthly time scale provides no information on the magnitude and duration of storm runoff and spring freshet events, which likely dominate the flux of sediment and contaminants.
OBJECTIVE
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) propose to 1) install and calibrate an up-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie to quantify river discharge and sediment flux and 2) to make up-looking ADCP measurements available to the public in near-real time via the World Wide Web.
APPROACH
The three project phases described below will be carried out by USGS. The role of WHOI on the project is one of an intellectual partner and technical consultant. Phase 1- Site Selection: A series of boat mounted ADCP transect measurements will be made to determine a river cross-section location that has a minimal amount of eddies, typical velocity profiles, regular channel geometry, a relatively homogenous distribution of suspended material, and is unaffected by human influence (i.e. cable crossings, bridge piers, and significant water intakes or discharges among a variety of possibilities). Transect measurements will be made over tidal cycles during spring and neap tide events for at least 1 lunar cycle to help further refine an appropriate location based on temporal variability. These transects together with detailed bathymetry data available through Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, and other practical concerns will dictate the best river cross-section location and the position of the bottom mount in that cross-section (see Figure 1 for a map of the river area that will be initially targeted for the up-looking ADCP deployment). Phase 2 – ADCP Installation and Setup: The bottom-mounted, up-looking ADCP will make measurements of flow velocity, direction, and backscatter every 10-15 minutes and transmit the data via an acoustic modem to a shore based station where the data would be logged. A few phone calls per day would automatically be made from the USGS office in Troy, NY to the shore based station to recover logged data and make it available via the World Wide Web in near real-time (see Figure 2 for data collection and transfer scheme). Real time data will take various forms as the project progresses and our understanding of the relations between measured parameters grows. Initially real-time data will be raw and/or a graphical representation of velocity and direction of flow. Real-time cross-sectional data will be added as the relation between the up-looking ADCP and cross-section are better understood. Links discussing the progress of the project and explaining the quality of the data and how interpretive data were derived will be updated regularly. Phase 3 – Rating Development: The up-looking ADCP data would be supplemented by a number (approximately 20 trips in the first year with several measurements per trip) of boat-mounted ADCP measurements at the selected cross-section to relate up-looking parameters to those in the river cross-section. These measurements would need to be made over an extended period to account for flow, tidal and seasonal variability. Correlations will be determined between 1) up-looking ADCP velocity and average cross-section velocity, 2) up-looking backscatter and cross-section backscatter, 3) up-looking backscatter and suspended sediment concentration, and 4) stage and cross-sectional area. Correlations between backscatter and suspended sediment concentration will at least initially be made by comparing suspended sediment concentrations at a given depth using a P-61 point sampler to the average up-looker backscatter in the corresponding depth bin.
PROBLEM
Onondaga Lake has been identified as one of the nation's most contaminated lakes as a result of discharges from industrial, sewage, and stormwater sources, and the lake received priority cleanup status under the National Water Resources Development Act of 1990. Local remediation goals for the lake established by the Onondaga Lake Citizens Advisory include improvement of water-quality to allow consumption of fish and allow human contact with lake waters from the mouth of Onondaga to the Seneca River outlet, restoration of the wildlife habitat to sustain the ecosystem in the tributaries and the lake, and enhancement of the aesthetic quality of the surface water and shoreline. Although remediation of polluted surface-water discharges is planned, the migration of poor quality (saline) ground water also affects the quality of lake water and may impair the remediation plans. Anthropogenic contamination has been identified at several sites near the lakeshore, including the former Allied Signal soda ash production facility and a former petroleum storage facility. Saline discharges from the Allied Signal waste beds have affected the seasonal stratification of lake waters and are a primary concern to resource managers (Effler, 1996). Brine originating from halite beds exposed in the Tully Valley south of the lake also discharges through springs along the southern lakeshore, however, the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources to the salinity of lake water are unknown.
OBJECTIVE
First, characterize the regional aquifer system in glaciated valleys that drain to Onondaga Lake, primarily from the results of test-well drilling in the Onondaga Creek Valley; the other valleys will be investigated using existing data only. Second, estimate the ground-water budget of the aquifer system and determine direction and rate of ground-water flow to Onondaga Lake and the sources of natural and anthropogenic salinity on the lake.
APPROACH
Year 1 1. Collect, compile, and analyze available data (geologic reports, well records, aquifer tests, and water quality analyses). 2. Develop a conceptual model and possibly a preliminary mathematical model of the Onondaga Valley aquifer system. 3. Identify areas where new data are required to understanding of the aquifer system - using conceptual and preliminary ground-water models as applicable. 4. Conduct geophysical surveys to provide information to select drilling locations. 5. Measure radon and radium in lake water to detect potential areas of ground-water inflow. Year 2 6. Conduct test drilling. 7. Complete wells in test holes and measure hydraulic head to map hydraulic gradient within the aquifer system. 8. Sample and analyze ground water from wells for major cations and anions, and tritium in suspected recharge areas. 9. Conduct seepage measurements on the major tributary streams to delineate gaining or losing reaches of streams. (2.) Refine preliminary mathematical model with new data. (5.) Remeasure radon and radium in lake water to detect potential areas of ground-water inflow. Year 3 10. Construct geologic sections showing the stratigraphy of the aquifer system. 11. Construct maps showing aquifer boundaries, piezometric surfaces, and source areas of ground-water recharge and contamination (natural (brine) and manufactured chemical constituents). 12. Develop ground-water flow model and conduct preliminary simulations. 13. Describe conceptual model of aquifer system in a fact-sheet. (8.) Continue to sample and analyze ground water from wells for major cations and anions, and tritium in suspected recharge areas. Year 4 14. Calibrate flow model with existing information concerning hydraulic head, stream baseflow, and ground-water chemistry. 15. Summarize ground-water budget and delineate directions of ground-water flow. 16. Prepare reports describing data collection and model development. Possible additional work elements (pending additional funding) If additional funds can be obtained from co-operating agencies at the beginning of the project, test-well drilling in the Ninemile Creek and Ley Creek glacial aquifers would further define these aquifers and improve the assessment of tributary valley contributions to the Onondaga Lake valley-fill aquifer system. If the co-operating agencies are interested, development of a solute-transport model of the valley-fill aquifer system could be made following development of the ground-water-flow model to assess contamination movement from selected sites within the Onondaga Lake aquifer system..
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