U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER-RESOURCES CONDITIONS IN
NEW YORK
MARCH 2002
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WRD
New York District, Troy, NY
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW AND CURRENT CONDITIONS STATEMENT
FOR MARCH 2002
Prepared April 2, 2002
Troy Subdistrict--Summary Report
Provisional streamflow conditions at sites monitored and included in this report varied
from deficient in the southeastern region to excessive in the western Adirondack Mountain
region. Minimum period-of-record monthly-mean discharges were recorded at Wallkill River
at Gardiner and Wappinger Creek near Wappingers Falls. Accumulated stream runoffs at those
two sites for the period of October 2001 through March 2002 are about 10 inches below normal.
Monthly conditions at these two sites have been deficient during the last six months.
Deficient conditions were also evident at most of the sites in the Catskill Mountains while
normal streamflows were found in the upper Hudson River and lower Mohawk River basins.
The total New York City reservoir system was at 56.8 percent of capacity on
March 31; normal for this period is 94.8 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 Susquehanna River at Conklin, Unadilla River
at Rockdale, Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda, Tonawanda Creek at Batavia, and Oneida Creek
at Oneida. Monitored sites at Chenango Forks, Chemung, Salamanca, Wellsville, Garbutt, and
Ithaca were in the deficient range.
Coram Subdistrict--Summary Report
Mean flow at Connetquot Brook near Central Islip was in the deficient range for the
fifth consecutive month. The lowest provisional period-of-record minimum monthly mean
discharge for March was recorded at this site.
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Provisional Data for March 2002
MEAN FLOW FOR SELECTED GAGING STATIONS
Period
of record Flow Percent
Station (to date) (cfs) Exceedence Conditions
01306460 Connetquot Brook nr Central Islip 1978 13 100 Deficient
01318500 Hudson River at Hadley 1921 3,660 44 Normal
01321000 Sacandaga River nr Hope 1911 1,870 31 Normal
01350000 Schoharie Creek at Prattsville 1902 568 76 Deficient
01357500 Mohawk River at Cohoes 1917 9,620 63 Normal
01371500 Wallkill River at Gardiner 1924 445 100 Deficient
01372500 Wappinger Cr nr Wappingers Falls 1928 87 100 "
01413500 E Br Delaware River at Margaretville 1937 348 79 "
01420500 Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls 1913 690 74 Normal
01423000 W Br Delaware River at Walton 1950 733 85 Deficient
01502500 Unadilla River at Rockdale 1930-95,2001 1,380 70 Normal
01503000 Susquehanna River at Conklin 1912 5,450 73 "
01512500 Chenango River nr Chenango Forks 1912 3,530 79 Deficient
01531000 Chemung River at Chemung 1903 3,320 89 "
03011020 Allegheny River at Salamanca 1903 3,840 79 Deficient
04213500 Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 1940-98,2000 1,480 47 Normal
04217000 Tonawanda Creek at Batavia 1944 460 60 "
04221000 Genesee River at Wellsville 1916 508 81 Deficient
04230500 Oatka Creek at Garbutt 1945 354 81 "
04234000 Fall Creek at Ithaca 1925 215 94 "
04243500 Oneida Creek at Oneida 1950 273 72 Normal
04256000 Independence River at Donnattsburg 1942 397 21 Excessive
04262500 W Br Oswegatchie R nr Harrisville 1916 1,180 24 "
04275500 Ausable River at Au Sable Forks 1910-68,1990 786 42 Normal
MONTHLY MEAN DISCHARGE FOR SELECTED STREAMFLOW STATIONS
Provisional Data for March 2002
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 4/1 11.84 93 Deficient
Broome Bm-121 1947 3/27 20.25 17 Excessive
Cattaraugus Ct-121 1984 3/28 5.77 91 Deficient
Chautauqua Cu-10 1939 3/28 24.54 69 Normal
Chemung Cm-46 1955 3/27 22.65 12 Excessive
Chenango Cn-12 1975 3/28 6.00 10 "
Clinton Cl-145 1992 3/29 23.16 96 Deficient
Cortland C-102 1975 3/27 4.53 24 Excessive
Dutchess Du-1009 1967 3/27 14.42 84 Deficient
Kings *K1194 1971 unavailable
Madison M-178 1975 3/27 6.22 57 Normal
Nassau *N1259 1962 3/19 42.00 100 Deficient
Nassau *N1616 1966 3/19 66.26 100 "
Oneida Oe-151 1926 3/25 20.52 27 Normal
Otsego Og-23 1953 3/28 4.42 9 Excessive
Queens *Q1249 2000 3/28 26.49 - --
St. Lawrence St-40 1953 3/29 5.80 43 Normal
Saratoga Sa-1100 1983 3/28 77.46 61 "
Steuben Sb-472 1965 3/27 8.18 73 "
Suffolk *S1806 1978 3/19 48.13 100 Deficient
Suffolk *S1810 1976 3/19 46.09 100 "
Suffolk *S1812 1982 3/18 43.23 94 "
Suffolk *S4271 1946 3/19 10.24 71 Normal
Suffolk *S5517 1948 3/25 40.18 87 Deficient
Suffolk *S8833 1951 3/18 15.40 85 Deficient
Sullivan Sv-535 2001 3/18 11.57 - --
Wyoming Wo-4 1974 3/29 11.75 46 Normal
Provisional Data for March 2002#
INDEX STREAMFLOW STATIONS
(Reference period 1971-2000)
## Reference period is 1978-2000. *=Deficient e=Estimate **=Excessive
# Note: Flow statistics based on data collected through March 31, 2002.
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 2,904 2,595 2,340
01323500 Great Sacandaga Lake at Conklinville 18,240 9,235 17,020
04295000 Richelieu River (Lake Champlain) at Rouses Point, NY - Elevation in ft
above sea level
March 31, 2002 96.02 March 31, 2001 95.35
Average (1939-2000) 96.19
Maximum daily 100.68 (1976) Minimum daily 93.63 (1940)
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.