U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER-RESOURCES CONDITIONS IN NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER 2004
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WRD
New York District, Troy, NY
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW AND CURRENT CONDITIONS STATEMENT
FOR SEPTEMBER 2004
Prepared October 1, 2004
Troy Subdistrict--Summary Report
Provisional streamflow conditions at sites monitored and included in this report in
eastern New York were in the excessive range. The excessive conditions from last month
continued through September due to the remnants of hurricanes Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
Precipitation from Hurricane Ivan (Sept. 17-18) caused record floods in the Delaware
River basin resulting in 8 sites equalling or exceeding their 100-year flood discharge.
Record peaks were recorded at 2 of these sites (not included in this report)
01421000-Delaware River at Fishs Eddy (90 years of record) and 01427510-Delaware River
at Callicoon (28 years of record). For sites included in this report, the highest
provisional period-of-record maximum monthly mean discharge for September was recorded
at Canajoharie Creek near Canajoharie (record = 1993 to date), Schoharie Creek at
Prattsville (record = 1902 to date), Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls (1913 to date), and
Oquaga Creek at Deposit (record = 1941-73, 2002 to date).
The total New York City reservoir system was at 98.4 percent of capacity on September
30; normal for this period is 75.0 percent of capacity. Pepacton Reservoir in this system
(East Branch Delaware River) recorded its highest lake elevation since construction of
the reservoir in September 1954.
Ithaca Subdistrict--Summary Report
Provisional streamflow conditions at sites monitored and included in this report for
western New York remained in the excessive range at all sites. Chemung River at Chemung
recorded the highest monthly mean of record for September. Sites at Susquehanna River
at Conklin, Chenango River at Chenango Forks, Allegheny River at Salamanca, Cattaraugus
Creek at Gowanda, Tonawanda Creek at Batavia, Genesee River at Wellsville, Oatka Creek
at Garbutt, and Flint Creek at Phelps all recorded the second highest monthly mean of
record for September. Unadilla River at Rockdale, Fall Creek at Ithaca, and Oneida Creek
at Oneida were third highest of record for September.
Coram Subdistrict--Summary Report
Mean flow at Connetquot Brook near Central Islip was in the normal range for the
fifth consecutive month.
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Provisional Data for September 2004
MEAN FLOW FOR SELECTED GAGING STATIONS
Period
of record Flow Percent
Station (to date) (cfs) Exceedence Conditions
01306460 Connetquot Brook nr Central Islip 1978 24.8 27 Normal
01312000 Hudson River at Newcomb 1925-87,2002 525 8 Excessive
01318500 Hudson River at Hadley 1921 3,190 2 "
01321000 Sacandaga River nr Hope 1911 798 8 "
01334500 Hoosic River near Eagle Bridge 1910 1,120 3 "
01349150 Canajoharie Creek near Canajoharie 1993 86.7 0 "
01350000 Schoharie Creek at Prattsville 1902 1,320 0 "
01357500 Mohawk River at Cohoes 1917 6,440 3 "
01371500 Wallkill River at Gardiner 1924 2,260 3 "
01372500 Wappinger Cr nr Wappingers Falls 1928 377 5 "
01387400 Ramapo River at Ramapo 1979 426 4 "
01413500 E Br Delaware River at Margaretville 1937 635 2 "
01420500 Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls 1913 1,650 0 "
01423000 W Br Delaware River at Walton 1950 1,320 1 "
01426000 Oquaga Creek at Deposit 1941-73,2002 425 0 "
01502500 Unadilla River at Rockdale 1930-95,2001 1,070 4 "
01503000 Susquehanna River at Conklin 1912 6,900 2 "
01512500 Chenango River nr Chenango Forks 1912 3,920 2 "
01531000 Chemung River at Chemung 1903 10,200 0 "
03011020 Allegheny River at Salamanca 1903 6,150 1 "
04213500 Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 1940-98,2000 1,050 2 "
04217000 Tonawanda Creek at Batavia 1944 336 2 "
04221000* Genesee River at Wellsville 1916 978 1 "
04230500 Oatka Creek at Garbutt 1945 355 2 "
04234000 Fall Creek at Ithaca 1925 325 3 "
04235250 Flint Creek at Phelps 1960-95,2002 201 2 "
04243500 Oneida Creek at Oneida 1950 213 3 "
04250750 Sandy Creek near Adams 1958-95,2002 206 14 "
04256000 Independence River at Donnattsburg 1942 178 14 "
04262500 W Br Oswegatchie R nr Harrisville 1916 647 1 "
04270200 Little Salmon River at Bombay 1958-95,2002 115 6 "
04275500 Ausable River at Au Sable Forks 1910-68,1990 682 7 Excessive
* Includes 04221500-Genesee River at Scio (1916-72)
MONTHLY MEAN DISCHARGE FOR SELECTED STREAMFLOW STATIONS
Provisional Data for September 2004
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 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 or ** which indicates water level in feet above land-
surface datum. Statistics used for A-654(replacement) are from A-636, for Cm-622(replacement) are from Cm-46
(adjusted), and for U-1619(replacement) are from U-405 (adjusted).
Record Percent
County Well No. begins Date Water Level Exceedence Conditions
Albany A-654 2002 9/21 7.46 0 Excessive
Allegany Ag-261 2002 9/29 6.26 - --
Allegany Ag-262 2002 9/29 -0.39 - --
Broome Bm-128 1980 9/27 22.80 0 Excessive
Broome Bm-129 1985 9/27 67.33 6 Excessive
Cattaraugus Ct-121 1951 9/30 6.97 29 Normal
Chautauqua Cu-10 1939 9/30 31.12 26 Normal
Chemung Cm-622 2002 9/30 22.81 1 Excessive
Chenango Cn-12 1975 9/27 7.66 2 Excessive
Clinton Cl-145 1992 9/30 23.49 61 Normal
Columbia Cb-1071 2004 9/30 9.18 - --
Cortland C-998 2002 9/23 4.53 - --
Delaware D-503 2002 9/30 3.81 - --
Dutchess Du-321 1948 9/29 68.76 25 Normal
Dutchess Du-1009 1967 9/30 13.22 7 Excessive
Erie E-1196 2004 9/30 12.86 - --
Essex Ex-150 2002 9/21 18.18 - --
Fulton Fu-271 2002 9/21 15.28 - --
Genesee Gs-190 2002 9/27 26.14 - --
Greene G-644 2003 9/23 19.89 - --
Hamilton H-3 1966 9/21 12.41 10 Excessive
Herkimer He-627 2004 9/22 29.14 - --
Lewis L-174 2002 9/21 23.48 - --
Livingston Lv-330 2004 9/30 8.69 - --
Madison M-178 1975 9/30 7.48 7 Excessive
Monroe Mo-11 1984 9/27 7.56 0 Excessive
Montgomery Mt-411 2004 9/28 33.02 - --
Niagara Ni-869 2003 9/30 1.42 - --
Oneida Oe-151 1926 9/30 25.05 31 Normal
Oneida Oe-1457 2003 9/8 42.58 - --
Onondaga Od-1825 2004 unavailable
Od-1833 2004 9/23 13.13 - --
Ontario **Ot-900 1955 9/27 8.25 9 Excessive
Ontario Ot-1133 2002 9/27 2.85 - --
Orange O-2271 2002 9/30 5.54 - --
Orleans Ol-20 2004 9/30 20.27 - --
Oswego Ow-5013 2002 9/30 23.03 - --
Oswego Ow-5014 2002 9/30 23.34 - --
Otsego Og-23 1953 9/27 6.14 5 Excessive
Rensselaer Re-703 1983 9/30 36.85 24 Excessive
Rockland Ro-18 1949 9/29 14.18 0 Excessive
St. Lawrence St-40 1953 9/27 6.39 8 Excessive
Saratoga Sa-1285 2002 9/30 2.75 - --
Schenectady Sn-730 2004 9/21 4.77 - --
Schuyler Sy-706 2003 9/30 6.31 - --
Steuben Sb-472 1965 9/29 6.20 2 Excessive
Suffolk *S1810 1976 9/23 50.31 52 Normal
Suffolk *S1812 1982 9/22 46.56 34 Normal
Suffolk *S4271 1946 9/23 11.90 15 Excessive
Suffolk *S5517 1948 9/30 42.84 47 Normal
Suffolk *S8833 1951 9/30 17.10 15 Excessive
Sullivan Sv-535 2001 9/15 8.91 - --
Tioga Ti-891 2003 9/30 16.33 - --
Tompkins Tm-984 2003 9/30 10.91 - --
Tm-985 2004 9/30 3.57 - --
Ulster U-1619 2002 9/30 16.68 6 Excessive
Washington W-533 1974 9/21 6.70 13 Excessive
Wayne Wn-592 2004 9/27 8.82 - --
Westchester We-5020 2003 9/14 11.87 - --
Wyoming Wo-4 1974 9/30 12.62 4 Excessive
Yates Ya-180 2004 9/30 3.51 - --
INDEX OBSERVATION WELLS
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 3,512 3,556 2,856
01323500 Great Sacandaga Lake at Conklinville 26,840 27,810 22,100
04295000 Richelieu River (Lake Champlain) at Rouses Point, NY - Elevation in ft
above sea level
September 30, 2004 97.05 September 30, 2003 95.27
Average (1939-2002) 94.83
Maximum daily 97.79 (1976) Minimum daily 92.91 (1941)
Provisional Data for September 2004#
INDEX STREAMFLOW STATIONS
(Reference period 1971-2000)
## Reference period is 1978-2000
** Excessive
# Note: Flow statistics based on data collected through September 30, 2004.
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.
