U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WRD New York District, Troy, NY WATER RESOURCES REVIEW AND CURRENT CONDITIONS STATEMENT FOR DECEMBER 2001 Prepared January 3, 2002 Troy Subdistrict--Summary Report Provisional streamflow conditions at sites monitored and included in this report in eastern New York were in the deficient to normal range. Mean flows at Hudson River at Hadley, Mohawk River at Cohoes, Wallkill River at Gardiner, and West Branch Delaware River at Walton were in the deficient range for the fifth consecutive month, at Wappinger Creek near Wappingers Falls for the third consecutive month, and at Schoharie Creek at Prattsville and East Branch Delaware River at Margaretville for the second consecutive month. The second lowest provisional period-of-record minimum monthly mean discharge for December was recorded at Wappinger Creek near Wappingers Falls. Most sites did show some recovery from the previous month and the mean flow at Sacandaga River near Hope was in the normal range for December after three consecutive months in the deficient range. Adjustments were made to flows at some sites due to ice affect at the end of the month. On December 18, the Delaware River Basin Commission declared a drought emergency in the 13,539 square-mile watershed due to below seasonable average reservoir storage and ground-water conditions. Roughly half the water supply for New York City is from its three Upper Delaware reservoirs (Cannonsville, Neversink, and Pepacton) located in the Catskill Mountains region. As of December 31, the Cannonsville was at 9.3 percent of capacity, the Neversink at 35.9 percent, and the Pepacton at 34.5 percent. The total New York City reservoir system was at 44.1 percent of capacity on December 31; normal for this period is 77.6 percent of capacity. Ithaca Subdistrict--Summary Report Provisional streamflow conditions at sites monitored and included in this report for western New York were in the normal range at all sites except those in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, which remained in the deficient range. Susquehanna River at Conklin was deficient for the third consecutive month and Unadilla River at Rockdale was deficient for the fourth consecutive month. Streamflow at all other monitored sites increased from the deficient range for November into the normal range for December. Coram Subdistrict--Summary Report Mean flow at Connetquot Brook near Central Islip was in the deficient range for the second consecutive month. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Provisional Data for December 2001 MEAN FLOW FOR SELECTED GAGING STATIONS Period of record Flow Percent Station (to date) (cfs) Exceedence Conditions 01306460 Connetquot Brook nr Central Islip 1978 19 86 Deficient 01318500 Hudson River at Hadley 1921 1,550 80 " 01321000 Sacandaga River nr Hope 1911 718 68 Normal 01350000 Schoharie Creek at Prattsville 1902 e200 81 Deficient 01357500 Mohawk River at Cohoes 1917 3,150 91 " 01371500 Wallkill River at Gardiner 1924 174 98 " 01372500 Wappinger Cr nr Wappingers Falls 1928 30 99 " 01413500 E Br Delaware River at Margaretville 1937 153 87 " 01420500 Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls 1913 445 61 Normal 01423000 W Br Delaware River at Walton 1950 176 96 Deficient 01502500 Unadilla River at Rockdale 1930-95,2001 309 93 " 01503000 Susquehanna River at Conklin 1912 1,410 91 " 01512500 Chenango River nr Chenango Forks 1912 2,120 62 Normal 01531000 Chemung River at Chemung 1903 1,410 63 " 03011020 Allegheny River at Salamanca 1903 3,320 38 " 04213500 Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 1940-98,2000 750 68 " 04217000 Tonawanda Creek at Batavia 1944 172 65 " 04221000 Genesee River at Wellsville 1916 322 51 " 04230500 Oatka Creek at Garbutt 1945 84 71 " 04234000 Fall Creek at Ithaca 1925 170 61 " 04243500 Oneida Creek at Oneida 1950 127 67 " 04256000 Independence River at Donnattsburg 1942 183 53 " 04262500 W Br Oswegatchie R nr Harrisville 1916 462 64 " 04275500 Ausable River at Au Sable Forks 1910-68,1990 394 56 " e Estimate. MONTHLY MEAN DISCHARGE FOR SELECTED STREAMFLOW STATIONS
Provisional Data for December 2001 INDEX OBSERVATION WELLS The observation-well network generally reflects conditions in water-table sand and gravel aquifers and does not necessarily reflect conditions in confined and bedrock aquifers. Water levels in N1259, N1616, Q1249, Sa-1100, S1806, and S1810 have been affected by changes in ground-water withdrawals or sewering. Water level in feet below land-surface datum unless site noted with * which indicates reference to sea level. Period of record Percent County Well No. (to date) Date Water Level Exceedence Conditions Albany A-636 1974 12/28 12.63 96 Deficient Broome Bm-121 1947 12/27 22.34 15 Excessive Cattaraugus Ct-121 1984 12/29 6.90 94 Deficient Chautauqua Cu-10 1939 unavailable Chemung Cm-46 1955 12/27 24.30 54 Normal Chenango Cn-12 1975 12/27 8.79 36 " Clinton Cl-145 1992 12/31 23.99 100 Deficient Cortland C-102 1975 12/28 6.43 42 Normal Dutchess Du-1009 1967 1/2 18.92 91 Deficient Kings *K1194 1971 unavailable Madison M-178 1975 12/28 7.34 44 Normal Nassau *N1259 1962 12/26 42.85 100 Deficient Nassau *N1616 1966 12/26 67.27 99 " Oneida Oe-151 1926 12/28 26.48 72 Normal Otsego Og-23 1953 12/27 5.77 66 " Queens *Q1249 2000 12/27 27.11 -- -- St. Lawrence St-40 1953 12/31 6.73 61 Normal Saratoga Sa-1100 1983 12/26 82.15 72 " Steuben Sb-472 1965 12/27 9.42 75 " Suffolk *S1806 1978 12/26 49.30 100 Deficient Suffolk *S1810 1976 12/26 47.35 100 " Suffolk *S1812 1982 12/21 44.23 69 Normal Suffolk *S4271 1946 12/27 11.81 12 Excessive Suffolk *S5517 1948 12/20 42.04 39 Normal Suffolk *S8833 1951 12/20 16.00 43 " Wyoming Wo-4 1974 unavailable
Provisional Data for December 2001# INDEX STREAMFLOW STATIONS (Reference period 1971-2000)
## Reference period for this site is 1978-2000. * Deficient. e Estimate. # Note: Flow statistics based on data collected through December 31, 2001. LAKES AND RESERVOIRS Elevation & Storage at End of Month Reservoirs (Storage in million cubic feet) Current Year Last Year Average 01314500 Indian Lake nr Indian Lake, NY 2,977 3,780 2,851 01323500 Great Sacandaga Lake at Conklinville 17,170 23,050 18,820 04295000 Richelieu River (Lake Champlain) at Rouses Point, NY - Elevation in ft above sea level December 31, 2001 93.86 December 31, 2000 95.86 Average (1939-2000) 95.51 Maximum daily 100.02 (1984) Minimum daily 93.25 (1954) NOTES, DEFINITIONS, ETC. Percent exceedence is, for example, the percentage of November monthly mean discharges for period of record equal to or greater than the current November monthly mean discharge. Statistics for the "Index Streamflow Stations" table are for the 30-year reference period 1971-2000. All other statistics used in report are based on the period of record at the site. Median = 50th percentile, which means that, for the period of record included in the analysis, 50% of the values are greater than the median and 50% are less. Deficient range = values below the 25th percentile - for the period of record included in the analysis, 75% of the values are greater and 25% are less than this value. Excessive range = values above the 75th percentile - for the period of record included in the analysis, 25% of the values are greater and 75% are less than this value. Normal range = values between the 25th and 75th percentiles.