Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Addendum To Segment Analysis Of Sucker Brook: The Location Of Sources Of Pollution, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

This supplemental report is an addendum to the original study 'Segment Analysis of Sucker Brook: The location of sources of pollution' (Makarewicz et a/. 1999). In the original study, recommendations for further investigation of two segments of Sucker Brook were suggested as follows. 1. The segment above Site 7 (Figure 1) in the City of Canandaigua had high concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP) during an event January 1999. The source(s) was not identified. 2. The segment between Sites3 and 4 (Figure 1) had high concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), total phosphorus (TP) and total …

Chemical Analysis And Nutrient Loading Of Streams Entering Sodus Bay, N.Y, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

In response to public concern created by an abundance of nuisance weeds (i.e. macrophytes) within the three embayments of Wayne County (Sodus, East and Port Bays) , the Aquatic Vegetation Control Program was created in 1987 to develop long-term management strategies for the Bays. The program is administered jointly by the Wayne County Planning Board and the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District. The Soil and Water Conservation District recognized early that management of the Bay ecosystem would require the development of a data base presently not available. Toward this end, the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District …

Oak Orchard Creek Orleans County, New York, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Matthew J. Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Oak Orchard Creek is a major tributary of Lake Ontario, with a watershed straddling Orleans and Genesee counties. Surrounding land use is a mix of residential, small commercial businesses, and agriculture. The Elba and Oakfield sewage treatment plants are located along Oak Orchard Creek, as are three hydroelectric dams located in Oak Orchard, Glenwood, and Waterport (Zollweg et al. 2005). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation lists fishing in Oak Orchard as threatened. There have been high measures of DDT, DDE, DDD, PAHs, and arsenic identified near Lyndonville, NY, at one of these sites (Makarewicz 2000). Nuisance algae, …

Genesee River Monroe County, New York, Joseph Makarewicz, Matthew Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Originating in Potter County, Pennsylvania, the Genesee River travels 157 miles northward before emptying into the Rochester Embayment at the Port of Rochester on Lake Ontario. The 2,500-mi watershed of the Genesee River is predominately in agriculture and forest until it reaches the suburban urban environment of the City of Rochester, New York. Several wastewater plants, including Eastman Kodak’s industrial waste plant (King’s Landing) and Scottsville, and Honeoye Falls sewage treatment plants, discharge into the river. Just west and east of the outfall of the Genesee River into Lake Ontario are Charlotte and Durand Eastman Beaches that are periodically closed …

Twelvemile Creek Niagara County, New York, Joseph Makarewicz, Matthew Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

The east branch of Twelvemile Creek (69 mi2) flows through northern Niagara County to its mouth at Lake Ontario 12 miles east of the Niagara River, near the village of Wilson, New York. From fall through spring, good runs of steelhead and brown trout with the occasional Chinook and Coho salmon occur into the creek. Agriculture, especially row crop farming, is predominant within the watershed, though natural protected land is also plentiful. The Wilson-Tuscarora State Park provides a buffer between the creek and agriculture immediately around the mouth of the creek, while upstream farms directly line the creek. Nuisance algae, …

Genesee River Watershed Project. Volume 5. Water Quality Analysis Of The Canaseraga Creek Watershed Nutrient Concentration And Loading, Identification Of Point And Nonpoint Sources Of Pollution, Total Maximum Daily Load, And An Assessment Of Management Practices Using The Soil Water Assessment Tool (Swat) Model. A Report To The Usda., Evan Rea, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore W. Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

An assessment of the Canaseraga Creek watershed was undertaken to determine the nutrient and sediment contribution to the Lower Middle Main Stem of the Genesee River and to determine sources of nutrient and sediment loss geospatially within the Canaseraga Creek watershed. To accomplish this task, a multifaceted, integrated approach was taken by a combination of monitoring, segment analysis, and modeling (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). Thus, the river was monitored for discharge, water chemistry, and loss of nutrients and soil for an entire year (3 August 2010 to 14 February 2012) at the USGS stations at Shaker’s Crossing and Dansville, …

Niagara River Niagara County, New York, Joseph Makarewicz, Matthew Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

The Niagara River carries water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and is the major source of Lake Ontario’s water volume. Famous for the immense Niagara Falls, the 36-mile river is used by over 1 million people in the United States and Canada for functions including drinking water, recreation, and hydropower (Niagara Parks 2009). The Niagara River drains the entire upper Great Lake system into the final lake, Lake Ontario, and due to this huge volume of water has a large potential to change Lake Ontario’s water quality. Nuisance algae, bacterial abundance, and algal mat development along the southern shoreline …

Port Bay Wayne County, New York, Joseph Makarewicz, Matthew Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Located midway between Rochester and Oswego, New York, Port Bay is one of southern Lake Ontario’s larger but relatively shallow (<25 feet) embayments. The perimeter of the bay is primarily residential, but portions of the shoreline and watershed are part of the Lake Shores Marshes Wildlife Area. Wolcott Creek is the major tributary of Port Bay and drains ~27 mi² of land that is mostly in agriculture. The bay receives treated effluent from the Village of Wolcott Sewage Treatment Plant. Port Bay suffers from cultural eutrophication and is on the New York State 303d list of Impaired Waters due to an overabundance of phosphorus. Benthic anoxia is a major effect of this eutrophication. Port Bay is impacted by nuisance algae, and harmful algal blooms have been observed (Makarewicz et al. 2009). This short report provides a synopsis of …

Irondequoit Bay Monroe County, New York, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Matthew J. Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Irondequoit Bay is approximately 4.2 miles long and 0.6 miles wide and is separated from Lake Ontario by a small barrier beach. Irondequoit Bay had been historically considered hypereutrophic when several sewage plants discharged directly into the bay; however, aggressive restoration by Monroe County has improved the eutrophic state of the bay. Restoration efforts included sealing the bottom sediments with alum, reducing both point and non-point sources of phosphorus, and the pumping of air into the hypolimnion to reduce phosphorus movement from the sediments into the water. Currently no direct sewage plant discharge is received, and phosphorus levels are approaching …

Final Data Report: Sodus Bay Limnology, Lake Chemistry, Phytoplankton And Zooplankton Abundance And Nutrient And Soil Losses From The Watershed, 2004, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

During the spring, summer and fall of 2004, limnological and sub-watershed data were collected from Sodus Bay. In general, monitoring and analysis were designed to meet the following objectives: document current lake, sediment and nutrient conditions; document stream loading to the lake; characterize the bay's community of phytoplankton and zooplankton to provide a benchmark against which the effectiveness of future management actions can be measured. This program will assist in developing a watershed enhancement plan and provide data for a simulation to determine the need for and likely success of adding alum to decrease phosphorus loss from the anoxic hypolimnion.

Segment Analysis Of Johnson Creek: The Location Of Sources Of Pollution, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

Johnson Creek is located in the southern portion of the Lake Ontario watershed, Orleans and Niagara Counties, New York. The relatively large watershed encompasses 98.6 square miles and flows into Lake Ontario near Kuckville, New York. Two years of continuous water quality monitoring indicated that the Johnson Creek watershed was a source of phosphorus, nitrate, organic nitrogen, sodium and soils to Lake Ontario. That is, Johnson Creek and the watershed it drained are a source of nutrients and soil pollution to Lake Ontario relative to other watersheds of similar size in western New York.

Where are the sources of nutrients, …

A Technique For Identifying Pollution Sources In A Watershed: Stressed Stream Analysis Revisited, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

This article describes stressed stream analysis, and how it is used to identify and prioritize sub-watersheds by their relative contribution to the deterioration of the lake ecosystem and, subsequently, to locate point and nonpoint sources within priority sub-watersheds.

Characterization And Prioritization Of The Watersheds Of Niagara County, New York, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis, Daniel White, Mark Seider, Victor Digiacomo

Joseph C Makarewicz

In recognition of the need to acquire a uniform, organized approach to addressing surface 6 water degradation and given the diverse nature of non-point sources of pollution within the County, the Soil and Water Conservation District formed a committee known as the Niagara County Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC). Since little was known about the environmental status of other major creeks in Niagara County, the WQCC recommended a study to evaluate nutrient and soil loss from 17 watersheds and their creeks. The purpose of the monitoring program was to collect water quality data to quantify the concentration and loading of …

Sandy Creek Monroe/Orleans Counties, New York, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Matthew J. Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Sandy Creek is located in Monroe and Orleans Counties in New York State and drains 89 mi2 of land. Surrounding land use is predominantly agriculture, though there are also residential influences. The Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District through the Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC) has monitored nutrient loss from the watershed through continuous automated monitoring and event sampling. Sandy Creek was identified as moderately polluted, not as pristine as forested watersheds but not as polluted as streams receiving partially treated sewage. Soil loss was highest (75% of total) during precipitation events suggesting that agricultural runoff may play a …

Nutrient And Sediment Loss From A Niagara County Watershed : The East Branch Of Twelvemile Creek, May 1998 To May 2000, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

Discharge and nutrient loss from a Niagara County tributary, Twelvemile Creek, was intensely monitored for two consecutive years by automated gauging and sampling techniques. This report focuses on the two annual cycles monitored (19 May 1998 to 18 May 1999 [Year 1] and 19 May 1999 to 17 May 2000 [Year 2]). The sampling regime allows an accurate measurement of discharge, nutrient and soil loss from a watershed during hydrometeorological events and nonevent conditions. Discharge and concentrations of nitrate, total phosphorus, sodium, total suspended solids, and total kjeldahl nitrogen were measured and converted into the amount of material lost from …

Segment Analysis Of Fish Creek North Of Pennellville Pond The Location Of Sources Of Pollution, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore W. Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

To identify sources of the elevated levels of nutrients observed in Pennellville Pond, a recommendation of the Makarewicz and Lewis Report (2003) was to initiate water quality sampling in the area north of Penneville Pond in the Fish Creek watershed. To accomplish this task, the Soil and Water Conservation District of Oswego County contracted with the Water Quality Laboratory at SUNY Brockport to systematically identify, during baseline and hydrometeorological events, the sources of nutrients, soils and salts within the Fish Creek watershed north of Pennellville Pond. Point and non-point sources were identified through a process called stressed stream analysis or …

Genesee River Watershed Project. Volume 1.Water Quality Analysis Of The Genesee River Watershed: Nutrient Concentration And Loading, Identification Of Point And Nonpoint Sources Of Pollution, Total Maximum Daily Load, And An Assessment Of Management Practices Using The Soil Water Assessment Tool (Swat) Model. A Report To The Usda., Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis, Blake Snyder, Mellissa Winslow, Dale Pettenski, Evan Rea, Lindsay Dressel, William Smith

Joseph C Makarewicz

The Genesee River Project, conducted from August 2010 to August 2013, provides a detailed picture of sediment and phosphorus concentrations (e.g., weekly water chemistry sampling), nutrient loading, allocation and identification of phosphorus sources, and the effectiveness of management practices on the four major Genesee River tributaries (Canaseraga, Honeoye, Black, and Oatka Creeks), the Upper Genesee River, and the lower Genesee River. With 60% of the P load (412,505 kg P/yr) from the Genesee River to Lake Ontario being of anthropogenic origin, a managed reduction in P lost from the Genesee watershed is apparent. Models using the Soil and Water Assessment …

Genesee River Watershed Project. Water Quality Analysis Of The Oatka Creek Watershed. Volume 6. Nutrient Concentration And Loading, Identification Of Point And Nonpoint Sources Of Pollution, Total Maximum Daily Load, And An Assessment Of Management Practices Using The Soil Water Assessment Tool (Swat) Model. A Report To The Usda., Dale Pettenski, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

Oatka Creek is the second largest tributary of the Genesee River and is a highly prized trout fishery. The Oatka Creek portion of the Genesee River Project Study focused on identifying nonpoint and point sources, locating and quantifying the nutrient and sediment losses from Oatka Creek watershed, and through simulation identifying possible remediation or management practices. To accomplish this task, a multifaceted, integrated approach was taken by combining stream monitoring, segment analysis, and hydrologic modeling [Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)]. Runoff from nonpoint sources (Confined Animal Feeding Operation sites, agricultural practices, and urban areas) and point sources (wastewater treatment …

Little Sodus Bay Cayuga County, New York, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Matthew J. Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Little Sodus Bay is a 728-acre embayment on the southern Lake Ontario shoreline, located in the Town of Fair Haven, New York. The bay has a mean depth of 22 feet, a maximum depth of 37 feet, and is not fed by any major tributaries. Little Sodus Bay connects to Lake Ontario through a narrow channel located in the northwest corner of the bay. The watershed surrounding the bay is composed of land roughly 20% agricultural, 18% developed land (mostly limited development), 61% forest, 1% wetlands, and 0.1% quarry (The Camdus Group 2007). Little Sodus Bay has nuisance algae and …

Nutrients And Suspended Solid Losses From Oneida Lake Tributaries, 2002-2003: Butternut, Big Bay, Chittenango, Canaseraga, Cowaselon, Fish, Limestone, Oneida, Scriba And Wood Creeks, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

In summary, the goal of this report is to provide:

 An interpretive summary of chemistry trends for each subwatershed sampled in the Oneida Lake watershed;

 A prioritization of the tributaries, based on nutrient and soil loss; and

 A comparison between nutrient and soil loss from Oneida Lake subwatersheds to other central New York watersheds with different land use practices.

Stress Stream Analysis Of A Sub-Watershed Of Conesus Lake: South Mcmillan Creek, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

Stress stream analysis of a sub-watershed of Conesus Lake. July 1994.

Prepared for the Livingston County Planning Department, Mount Morris, N.Y.

Includes bibliographical references (leave 12)

Chemical Analysis Of Water From Buttonwood, Larkin, Round Pond And Northrup Creeks, Lake Ontario Basin West: May 1987 - May 1988, Joseph C. Makarewicz

Joseph C Makarewicz

As the local contribution to the Rochester Embayment Remedial Action Plan, the Monroe County Health Department contracted with SUNY Brockport to extend the ongoing sampling program in order to obtain one full year of data. The general objectives of this study of Buttonwood, Larkin, Northrup and Round Pond Creeks were: 1. To compare the water quality of stream water from watersheds having different land-use patterns; 2. To compare the water quality of stream water above and below the Spencerport Sewage Treatment Plant; 3. To obtain time trend data on chemical and physical characteristics of runoff water of these creeks; 4. …

Nutrient And Sediment Loss From The Watersheds Of Canandaigua Lake, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

In the past three years of tributary monitoring, we have established the importance of meteorological events to the loss of nutrients and material into Canandaigua Lake. We have also prioritized the sub-watershed in terms of those losses and narrowed the focus of remedial attention down from sixteen to six sub-watersheds. This has allowed a shift in a portion of the monitoring towards the identification of the actual sources, both point and non-point, of pollution in the priority watersheds. The Sucker Brook Segment Analysis has been completed (Makarewicz, Lewis and Lewandowski 1999). Intensive monitoring is also continuing in the watershed. At …

Nutrient And Sediment Loss From The Watersheds Of Orleans County Year 2: Johnson, Oak Orchard And Sandy Creek Watersheds. June 1998 - May 1999, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

In recognition of the need to acquire a uniform, organized approach to addressing surface water degradation and given the diverse nature of non-point sources of pollution, the Soil and Water Conservation District has recently formed a committee whose specific task is to address water quality issues. Since the reduction of non-point source pollution is likely to occur through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP's) and changes in land use regulations, this committee provides the necessary foundation for these changes to occur. This committee has become known as the Orleans County Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC). With the combined expertise …

Segment Analysis Of Oneida Creek: The Location Of Sources Of Pollution, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

The water quality of Oneida Lake is directly influenced by land use practices in the lake's watershed. As precipitation falls on the landscape, it washes or carries materials, such as soil, cow manure, nutrients, pesticides, etc., from the land surface into nearby streams and eventually into Oneida Lake influencing water quality (CNY RPDB 2000). Thus different land usage greatly influences water quality of streams and lakes. For example, land usage that includes agriculture and urban living has a greater potential to deliver nutrients and soil to a lake than a forested watershed. If efforts are made to protect a lake's …

Eighteenmile Creek Niagara County, New York, Joseph C. Makarewicz, Matthew J. Nowak

Joseph C Makarewicz

Eighteenmile Creek drains 93 mi² of land as it travels 26 miles before emptying into Lake Ontario. Topography is generally flat and comprised primarily of agricultural and rural residential development, with most of the industrial influences concentrated in the City of Lockport. The creek is a Great Lakes Area of Concern and has a Remedial Action Plan currently headed by the Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District. PCBs, specifically, represent the area of stress that receives the most attention. In addition to a history of industrial waste exposure, the Lockport Sewage Treatment Plant diverts treated sewage to the …

The Muckland Demonstration Project : Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Control, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

The many muck fields in agriculture that exist in Oswego County offer an opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of using artificially constructed wetlands to reduce nutrient levels in water draining from these highly fertilized, productive agricultural systems. An artificial wetland was constructed adjacent to a large muckland farm raising onions and sorghum. Water draining from the muck fields was pumped into the constructed wetland and allowed to flow naturally out of the wetland after a retention period determined by the flow regime. The question being asked was can nutrients and sediments be effectively removed from muckland drainage water by an …

Nutrient And Soil Losses From The Eighteenmile Creek Watershed, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis, Daniel White, Mark Seider, Victor Digiacomo

Joseph C Makarewicz

Determination of sources and magnitude of soil and nutrient losses from a watershed is prerequisite to remedial action and essential to making cost-effective land management decisions as it reduces the likelihood of costly miscalculations based on the assumption of soil and nutrient sources and modeling rather than their actual identification. This process enhances the ability of concerned groups to obtain external funding for demonstration and remedial projects. In July 2003, the Niagara County Soil & Water Conservation District (NCSWCD), in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Sciences and Biology at SUNY Brockport, began a monitoring program for Eighteenmile Creek, located …

The Occurrence Of Cyanotoxins In The Nearshore And Coastal Embayments Of Lake Ontario, Joseph Makarewicz, Gregory Boyer, William Guenther, Mary Arnold, Theodore Lewis

Joseph C Makarewicz

Cyanotoxins are an emerging issue that Great Lakes’ scientists are conducting research on to determine occurrence, spatial and seasonal distribution, monitoring strategies and potential causes in Lake Ontario. Conditions necessary for blooms of Cyanobacteria exist along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. This is especially true in some embayments and rivers as levels of the nutrient phosphorus that stimulates the growth of Cyanobacteria is above New York State Department’s of Environmental Conservation guidelines. Monitoring in 2004 demonstrated that abundance of Cyanobacteria are indeed high in streams, embayments and the nearshore compared to offshore waters of southern Lake Ontario. Initial research suggests …

Nutrient Loading Of Streams Entering Sodus Bay And Port Bay, Ny 1 April, 1990 To 30 June, 1991, Joseph Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis, Robert Williams

Joseph C Makarewicz

Freshwater resources have historically played a key role in community development and sustainability. Maintaining a high quality freshwater resource is of equal importance. Within the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, degradation of water quality and aesthetics due to excessive plant growth is a growing concern. Involved agencies have recently focused their attention on non-point source pollution as a primary candidate linked to accelerated macrophyte growth and surface water degradation. Wayne County recognizes the importance of maintaining a quality water resource and has responded by developing a Water Quality Program. Established in 1 987 and administered jointly between the …