Geology topics

Research about New York

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including New York.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

USGS2024

Low-flow statistics for selected streams in New York, excluding Long Island

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, updated low-streamflow statistics for New York, excluding Long Island and including hydrologically connected watersheds in bordering States, for the first time since 1972. Historical daily streamflow data for active and inactive gages were considered for this study with periods of record as recent as March 31, 2022, adding 50 years of data to the last published low-streamflow statistics report for New York and including 119 new gages where low-streamflow statistics are calculated for the first time. Gages were evaluated across several criteria to identify gages that were not suitable for low-streamflow frequency analysis. In addition, gages were evaluated for the presence of alteration within the streamflow period of record based on previous studies and U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System site metadata including peak flow codes. A trend analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum hypothesis test comparing data from the most recent 30 years of record to data from 30 years and earlier for each long-record gage (30 years or more of available data). Results from the trend analysis indicated that 45 unaltered and 32 altered long-record sites had a statistically significant trend for the annual minimum n -day time series; most gages showed increasing trends in the annual minimum n -day time series. Low-streamflow statistics were calculated using the most recent 30 years of record for gages with a statistically significant trend. Before and after 1972, the lowest annual 7-day and 30-day average streamflow that occurs (on average) once every 10 years (7Q10 and 30Q10 statistics respectively) increased significantly at 41 unaltered gages and decreased significantly at 3 unaltered gages where data were available.

New York↗

USGS2024

Nitrogen load estimates from six nonpoint sources on Long Island, New York, from 1900 to 2019

Estimates of nitrogen loading from nonpoint sources on Long Island, New York, at or just below the land surface, are essential for assessing the current and future effects of nitrogen on the island’s drinking water and fresh and marine surface receiving waters. Annual estimates of nitrogen loading for the 120 years from 1900 to 2019 for major nonpoint nitrogen sources—septic systems, residential fertilizer, agricultural fertilizer, livestock waste, pet waste, and atmospheric deposition—were made by using a geographic information system to analyze, visualize, and process data sources, and format output data. This analysis provided spatial and temporal estimates of nitrogen loading derived from each nonpoint source at a 500- by 500-foot gridded resolution and represents the total mass of nitrogen applied on, or just below, the land surface annually from 1900 to 2019. These mass estimates are considered unattenuated as they do not reflect the various mechanisms of nitrogen loss, such as plant uptake, overland runoff, and chemical transformations in the soil and unsaturated zones that likely reduce the amount of nitrogen that reaches the water table. Island-wide and countywide summaries of the estimated nitrogen loading were analyzed to describe the long-term average nitrogen totals and the contributions from the six nonpoint sources. The island-wide average annual nitrogen load from 1900 to 2019 was 14.92 million kilograms (Mkg) nitrogen, which represents the aggregate of individual contributions from septic systems (4.15 Mkg), residential fertilizer (3.28 Mkg), agricultural fertilizer (3.19 Mkg), livestock waste (1.22 Mkg), pet waste (0.98 Mkg), and atmospheric deposition (2.10 Mkg). The island-wide average annual nitrogen load, normalized by area, was 4,100 kilograms nitrogen per square kilometer (kg N/km 2 ), which represents the aggregate of individual contributions from septic systems (1,100 kg N/km 2 ), residential fertilizer (910 kg N/km 2 ), agricultural fertilizer (880 kg N/km 2 ), livestock waste (340 kg N/km 2 ), pet waste (270 kg N/km 2 ), and atmospheric deposition (580 kg N/km 2 ).

New York↗

USGS2024

Accuracy assessment of three-dimensional point cloud data collected with a scanning total station on Shinnecock Nation Tribal lands in Suffolk County, New York

A combined point cloud of about 85.6 million points was collected during 27 scans of a section of the western shoreline along the Shinnecock Peninsula of Suffolk County, New York, to document baseline geospatial conditions during July and October 2022 using a scanning total station. The three-dimensional accuracy of the combined point cloud is assessed to identify potential systematic error sources associated with the surveying equipment and the novel methodology used to collect and field-register (data are oriented and aligned in real time) point cloud data. The accuracy of the combined point cloud was assessed in terms of relative and absolute reference frames. Relative accuracy provides a measure of error within the local coordinate system and is determined by combining the uncertainty associated with the position of the scan station (the point being occupied by the scanning total station during the scan), the uncertainty associated with the position of the network control points, and the uncertainty associated with the laser of the scanning total station. Assessment of the absolute accuracy includes these three potential error sources combined with the uncertainty associated with the geodetic coordinates to which the local control network is referenced. The combined overall relative horizontal and vertical accuracy of the point cloud is 0.0156 and 0.0241 meter, respectively, at the 95 percent confidence level. The combined overall absolute horizontal and vertical accuracy of the point cloud is 0.0598 and 0.0733 meter, respectively, at the 95 percent confidence level.

New York↗

USGS2024

Preparing for today's and tomorrow's water-resources challenges in eastern Long Island, New York

Freshwater is a vital natural resource. Although New York is a water-rich State, the wise and economical use of water resources is needed to ensure that there is enough water of adequate quality for both human and ecological needs—both for today and for tomorrow. Nowhere in New York is this more evident than in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, where the public water supply is obtained from the sole-source aquifers located directly beneath the nearly 3 million people who live there. In 2023, in eastern Long Island’s Suffolk County, groundwater was pumped from these aquifers by more than 1,100 public water-supply wells to meet the needs of about 1.5 million people.

New York↗

USGS2024

Integrating presence-only and detection/non-detection data to estimate distributions and expected abundance of difficult-to-monitor species on a landscape-scale

Estimating species distribution and abundance is foundational to effective management and conservation. Using an integrated species distribution model that combines presence-only data from various sources with detection/non-detection data from structured surveys, we estimated the distribution and expected abundance of three difficult-to-monitor mammals of management concern across New York State, namely, coyotes ( Canis latrans ), bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) and black bears ( Ursus americanus ). Three distinct landscape-scale camera trap surveys provided detection/non-detection data over 9 years between 2013 and 2021, and we augmented those data with incidental records of our focal species from public repositories. We used an inhomogeneous Poisson point process to construct an integrated model that fit both data types simultaneously. We demonstrate a simple application of spatial point density of all species records in the accessed public databases to inform the thinning process to account for unknown spatial sampling in the presence-only data, often referred to as the ‘magic covariate’. Using this approach, we examine habitat associations and provide spatially explicit estimates in expected abundance across the entirety of New York State for all three focal species. As expected, coyotes were the most widely distributed and abundant species, with a strong positive association with agricultural land uses. Bobcats exhibited low expected abundance throughout the state and showed positive associations with deciduous forest and forest edge, and a negative association with road density. Finally, we observed considerable spatial variation in abundance of black bears with expected abundance increasing in association with various forest cover and composition covariates and decreasing with crop cover. We present insights into habitat associations and spatial variation in abundance, and provide management implications for each of the species of interest. Synthesis and applications . Our integrated modelling method allows for managers to use citizen sightings combined with detection/non-detection surveys to estimate robust indices of abundance for both high- and low-density, and wide-spread versus patchily distributed species. Through comparison with previous studies, we highlight how broad-scale programmes, such as the statewide efforts to estimate species distributions undertaken here, can benefit substantively from integrated models that leverage additional data (here, incidental records) from a larger region of space, and thus capture more landscape heterogeneity than is plausible within formalized surveys alone.

New York↗

USGS2024

Evaluation of sensors for continuous monitoring of harmful algal blooms in the Finger Lakes region, New York, 2019 and 2020

In response to the increasing frequency of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, a pilot study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, was conducted to enhance CyanoHAB monitoring and understanding. High-frequency sensors were deployed on open water monitoring-station platforms at Seneca Lake in 2019–20, at Owasco Lake in 2019–20, and at Skaneateles Lake in 2019. One of the goals of this study was to evaluate the ability of in-place sensors to make representative measurements of dissolved organic matter, nutrients, and algal pigments (as indicators of phytoplankton biomass) while collecting routine field parameters (water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, weather, and light) to provide additional information about environmental conditions. Despite challenges like power issues and sensor fouling, the sensors performed well overall. However, correlation analyses between sensor readings and laboratory measurements revealed variable performance. Results indicate the relation between the fluorescent dissolved organic matter sensor and laboratory-measured dissolved organic carbon was weak at all study lakes. The nitrate sensors can be sensitive to ambient temperature and have a substantial power requirement, and the relation between sensor- and laboratory-measured nitrate values differed among lakes. The orthophosphate sensors, which were complex and prone to data loss, yielded results that were difficult to interpret because orthophosphate detections are rare in the study lakes. The multichannel fluorometer was also complex to use and required several unique procedures for its operation. Chlorophyll measurements from the fluorometers correlated moderately well with laboratory-measured chlorophyll- a , although relations with total phytoplankton biovolume were weaker. Relations between phycocyanin concentration measurements from the dual-channel fluorometers and cyanobacterial biovolume were not significant; however, the cyanobacterial biovolume correlation was moderately strong with chlorophyll contribution from cyanobacteria measurements from the multichannel fluorometer. Of all collected parameters, water temperature was among the strongest correlated with chlorophyll- a , total phytoplankton biovolume, and cyanobacterial biovolume. Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the best parameters for modeling variance in laboratory measures of phytoplankton biomass. This analysis included factors such as chlorophyll fluorescence, pH, water temperature, and others, which varied by lake. Overall, the models had limited explanatory power for chlorophyll- a and other biovolumes, possibly due to the absence of CyanoHABs at the open-water monitoring locations. Multivariate models did not outperform simple fluorescence-based models. Notably, turbidity was a more significant indicator of cyanobacterial biovolume variability than phycocyanin from dual-channel fluorometers. The study concludes that while single and multivariate models based on sensor data are useful, they did not explain any more variance than fluorescence-based models. Broader data collection, including more CyanoHAB events, is necessary to refine these models. Integrating machine learning could leverage large, complex datasets to improve CyanoHAB predictions, thereby enhancing the management and understanding of these blooms.

New York↗

USGS2024

Intraguild interactions and abiotic conditions mediate occupancy of mammalian carnivores: Co-occurrence of coyotes–fishers–martens

The widespread eradication of large carnivores and subsequent expansion of top mesopredators has the potential to impact species and community interactions with ecosystem-wide implications. An example of these trophic dynamics is the widespread establishment of coyotes following extirpation of wolves and mountain lions in eastern North America. Here, we examined occupancy of three carnivores in northern New York considering both environmental/habitat factors and interspecific interactions. We estimated the co-occurrence of coyotes, fishers, and martens from a landscape-scale winter camera trap survey repeated annually for three years. Martens occurred independently of both coyotes and fishers, while fishers and coyotes displayed positive intraguild interactions that were constant across the landscape. Both marten and fisher first-order occupancy were driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors, with both species displaying positive associations with forest cover but antithetical responses to average snow depth. The integral and antithetical role of snow depth in driving the occurrence of martens (positive) and fishers (negative) in the landscape indicates that future climatic warming could reduce the availability of current spatial refuges for martens created by severe winter conditions. Climate-driven alterations to established competitive interactions and co-existence patterns between marten and fisher have critical implications for the species survival and conservation. We provide correlational evidence consistent with the potential for positive top–down effects of dominant mesocarnivores on subordinate species, with fisher occupancy increasing conditional on the presence of coyotes across the landscape. These findings align with the hypothesis that under certain conditions, coyotes may facilitate certain subordinate carnivores. The evidence produced here is consistent with hypotheses on the dynamic nature of trophic niches. We demonstrate the need to consider the interplay between climate, habitat, and interspecific interactions to understand wildlife occupancy patterns and inform wildlife management in a rapidly changing world.

New York↗

USGS2024

Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York

Understanding the response of coastal barriers to future changes in rates of sea level rise, sediment availability, and storm intensity/frequency is essential for coastal planning, including socioeconomic and ecological management. Identifying drivers of past changes in barrier morphology, as well as barrier sensitivity to these forces, is necessary to accomplish this. Using remote sensing, field, and laboratory analyses, we reconstruct the mesoscale (decades–centuries) evolution of central Fire Island, a portion of a 50 km barrier island fronting Long Island, New York, USA. We find that the configuration of the modern beach and foredune at Fire Island is radically different from the system's relict morphostratigraphy. Central Fire Island is comprised of at least three formerly inlet-divided rotational barriers with distinct subaerial beach and dune–ridge systems that were active prior to the mid-19th century. Varying morphologic states reflected in the relict barriers (e.g., progradational and transgressive) contrast with the modern barrier, which is dominated by a tall and nearly continuous foredune and is relatively static, except for erosion and drowning of its fringing marsh. We suggest that this state shift indicates a transition from a regime dominated by inlet-mediated gradients in alongshore sediment availability to one where human impacts exerted greater influence on island evolution from the late 19th century onward. The retention of some geomorphic capital in Fire Island's relict subaerial features combined with its static nature renders the barrier increasingly susceptible to narrowing and passive submergence. This may lead to an abrupt geomorphic state shift in the future, a veiled vulnerability that may also exist in other stabilized barriers.

New York↗

USGS2024

Development and calibration of HEC–RAS hydraulic, temperature, and nutrient models for the Mohawk River, New York

In support of a preliminary analysis performed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that found elevated nutrient levels along selected reaches of the Mohawk River, a one-dimensional, unsteady hydraulic and water-quality model (Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System Nutrient Simulation Module 1 [HEC–RAS NSM I]) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the 127-mile reach of the Mohawk River between Rome and Cohoes, New York. The model was designed to accurately simulate within-channel flow conditions for this highly regulated, control-structure dense river reach. The model was calibrated for the period of May through September 2016 using available streamflow, temperature, and water-quality data. Nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and water column algae were balanced within the model; however, the nutrient model calibration was focused on phosphorus. The HEC–RAS hydraulic model simulated streamflow adequately at the calibration locations with observed and simulated daily flows demonstrating coefficient of determination ( r 2 ) values ranging from 0.91 to 0.97, mean absolute error ranging from 15–20 percent, and bias ranging from −7 to 16 percent. The water temperature model within HEC–RAS NSM I demonstrated remarkable ability to simulate water temperature: typical water temperature errors were less than 1.0 degree Celsius (°C). Simulated water temperature results closely tracked observed continuous water temperature data at three locations on the Mohawk River, with mean absolute error for the 2016 study period ranging from 0.87 to 0.90 °C, and a root mean square error of 1.00 to 1.07 °C. Performance criteria for the water-quality (nutrient) model were applied differently than the water temperature model because of the temporally coarse discrete samples collected for the project. The average difference between final simulated concentrations and observed concentrations of organic phosphorus for all sample locations was within 0.01 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and within 0.09 mg/L for orthophosphate using all locations except Rome, which was within 0.25 mg/L. The calibrated model was used to implement nine phosphorus reduction scenarios by applying reductions to wastewater treatment plant effluent concentrations within the model. Monthly mean differences were computed for five comparison locations. Scenario results were generally linear and predictable; scenarios implementing the highest reductions showed correspondingly larger differences in Mohawk River concentrations downstream from the wastewater treatment plants associated with those reductions. The largest monthly mean differences were realized from reduction scenario nine and ranged from −0.018 to −0.076 mg/L for organic phosphorus and from 0.001 to −0.138 mg/L for orthophosphate.

New York↗

USGS2024

Integrating genetic and demographic data to refine indices of abundance for Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River, New York

Critical to Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus recovery and monitoring is the ability to estimate abundance and identify age- and stock-specific threats to survival. As adult Atlantic sturgeon spend much of their lives broadly distributed in marine and estuarine environments, it is challenging to collect data needed to estimate these demographic parameters in the adult population. Alternatively, data collected from juveniles and subadults before emigration may be used to calculate indices of abundance and provide insights into recruitment dynamics and stage-specific survival. However, uncertainty about stock mixture during early life stages may limit the use of juvenile and subadult data for monitoring recovery. To better understand early life stage stock composition, we conducted a genetic mixed-stock analysis of over 500 juvenile and subadult Atlantic sturgeon captured in an overwintering area in the Hudson River, New York, USA, from 2017 to 2022. The majority of Atlantic sturgeon in our study were natal to the Hudson River population, regardless of sex, size, or age. As such, indices of relative abundance estimated from survey data are expected to primarily characterize the demographic trends of Hudson River juvenile and subadult Atlantic sturgeon. We also found a small proportion of individuals that were most likely to have originated from more distantly located rivers, highlighting the potential for long-distance migration in juvenile and subadult Atlantic sturgeon. Results of this study strengthen our understanding of juvenile and subadult Atlantic sturgeon habitat use in the Hudson River and improve our ability to use data from early age classes to monitor recovery and stage-specific survival.

New York↗

USGS2024

Hydrologic analysis of an earthen embankment dam in southern Westchester County, New York

In 2001, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection installed 25 wells on the southern embankment of the Hillview Reservoir in Westchester County in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the source of a large seep (seep A) that began flowing continuously in 1999. In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative study with the NYCDEP to characterize the hydrology of the local groundwater system and identify potential sources of seep A and other seeps on the embankment. At least two groundwater-flow zones—one shallow and the other deep—overlie the bedrock at the Hillview Reservoir in southern Westchester County, New York. Analyses of slug tests of wells drilled into the southern embankment of the reservoir were used to determine the three-dimensional distribution of hydraulic conductivity of the embankment materials. The wells with the minimum and maximum hydraulic conductivity values are in the deep saturated zone on the southern embankment, where hydraulic conductivity ranges from 0.0012 to 2 feet per day. Hydraulic conductivity ranges from 0.0026 to 1 foot per day in the shallow saturated zone and from 0.021 to 0.27 foot per day in the toe of the embankment. A hydraulic conductivity of 0.016 foot per day was determined for one toe well partially screened in the crystalline-bedrock aquifer. In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative study with New York City Department of Environmental Protection to characterize the local groundwater-flow system and identify potential sources of seeps on the southern embankment of the Hillview Reservoir in southern Westchester County, New York. Long-term hydrologic data indicated that water levels trended downward in 29 of 41 sites, including the reservoir basin that was monitored during the 12-year study period; data from a National Weather Service precipitation gage at Central Park indicated annual precipitation also trended downward during the same 12-year period. Of the seven wells in which water levels trended upward during the study, two of the wells are on the west side of the southern embankment, proximal to a major water supply conduit, whereas the five remaining wells are screened in the toe. These data indicate an increasing hydrostatic pressure within the deep system and the toe of the dam, which could result in future seeps on the southern embankment near these wells. Results of 11 suspended-sediment samples collected from seeps along the southern embankment at 234.1- and 221.6-feet elevation, and another drainage outflow point between 2007 and 2015 indicate a poor correlation between suspended-sediment concentration and discharge. From the flowing seep at 234.1 feet, suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 1 milligram per liter at a flow of 2.6 gallons per minute (that is, 1 milligram per 0.26 gallons) during March 2008 to 16 milligrams per liter at 12 gallons per minute during July 2014. At about 12 gallons per minute discharge, suspended-sediment concentration from samples collected at that seep during different sampling events, ranged from 3 to 16 milligrams per liter. From the seep at 221.6 feet elevation, the suspended sediment concentration was 2 milligrams per liter at a discharge of 3.4 gallons per minute and 2 milligrams per liter at a discharge of 1.1 gallons per minute. Only one sample was collected at the drainage outflow point, for which the suspended sediment concentration was 2 milligrams per liter at a discharge of 2.4 gallons per minute. Anomalously high-water levels were recorded in deep-system wells between June 5, 2013, and January 14, 2014. The period for the increase and the decrease back to more typical water-level elevations occurred rapidly during a 13-hour period in each instance. The sudden and rapid changes, in addition to the spatial distribution of magnitude of water-level response indicate that leaky water infrastructure was the source of recharge to the affected wells. A major water supply conduit was drained for repairs between July 7 and 10, 2010. The seeps indicated an immediate response and a substantial hydraulic connection to the water supply conduit. Approximately 10.5 hours after the water supply conduit was drained, flow from a seep on the southern embankment decreased from about 20 gallons per minute to less than 1 gallon per minute. This seep is located at about the same elevation and within the vicinity of the water supply conduit. A travel-time of about 10.5 hours from the source to the seep at 234.1 feet elevation was estimated from the dewatering timeline. During the 3-month shutdown of the water supply conduit, the previously flowing seeps remained dry until precipitation resulted in discharge of about 0.7 gallon per minute at the higher elevation seep, indicating a minor contribution from precipitation to the total seepage discharge. Discharge from the seeps resumed almost immediately coincident with the refilling of the water supply conduit, supporting the hydraulic connection observations during the drainage stage. In addition, during the refilling of the water supply conduit on September 21, 2010, a new seep (I) was observed on the southern embankment. Discharge from this new seep remained relatively constant until it became inaccessible under construction stone from subsequent embankment repairs by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Precipitation after the refilling stage of the shutdown seemed to have induced a rise in water levels in the toe wells and an increase in discharge from the seep at 234.1 feet elevation. The post shutdown discharge was less than 12 gallons per minute, compared to a discharge of about 20 gallons per minute before the repairs. The lower discharge rate measured during the period of historically higher discharge rates for the fall season indicates that the repair of the major water supply conduit may have contributed to a reduced discharge from the seeps. There were no definitive responses to the shutdown in any of the wells near the major water supply conduit. The more transmissive deep system of the southern embankment near the major water supply conduit and its associated infrastructure seems to be the preferential flow path for leaking infrastructure. The wells screened in this system showed a response during the deep system anomaly and have some of the highest hydraulic conductivities of the tested wells. All the seeps are in the elevation range of the deep system from approximately the crystalline bedrock surface around 200 feet elevation to the contact between the deep and shallow saturated zones of the reservoir at about 250 feet elevation.

New York↗

USGS2024

Spawning habitat selection and egg deposition by reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in a tributary to Cayuga Lake, NY

In June 2017, we documented the first observed spawning event by a reintroduced population of Lake Sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) in Fall Creek, a tributary to Cayuga Lake, New York, USA. This is the first observed spawning encounter of adult Lake Sturgeon since the beginning of the multi-agency Lake Sturgeon restoration effort in Cayuga Lake initiated in 1995 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Lake Sturgeon egg deposition was found specifically on substrate mainly composed of gravel sized rocks with depths and flows that made up a unique microhabitat combination within the creek which is not typical of habitat identified in other Lake Sturgeon spawning habitat studies across the Great Lakes. An estimated 810,052 ± 24,386 eggs were deposited in the sampled area of Fall Creek. The identified, potentially productive spawning microhabitat type in Fall Creek is likely to be widespread in similar tributaries around Cayuga Lake as well as small tributaries to other Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. Ongoing research is focused on the evaluation of the extent of Finger Lakes habitat similar to that identified in Fall Creek. This microhabitat evaluation of sturgeon spawning and the broad scale landscape knowledge of tributary habitats, should support subsequent management to restore Lake Sturgeon.

New York↗

USGS2024

Flood of October 31 to November 3, 2019, in the East Canada Creek, West Canada Creek, and Sacandaga River basins in central New York

Between October 31 and November 3, 2019, historic flooding in localized areas of the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack region in central New York State resulted in one fatality and an estimated $33 million in damages. Flooding resulted from high-intensity, hyperlocal rainfall in the region within a 24-hour period between October 31 and November 1, 2019, at the end of a much wetter than average October. In that 24-hour period, rainfall amounts largely ranged from 2 to 5 inches in the most heavily affected parts of the region, but a maximum rainfall amount for the region of 7 inches was recorded in Speculator, New York. This rainfall total for a 24-hour period for this location is estimated to have between a 200- and 500-year recurrence interval. The most severe flooding to result from the rainfall was mainly in the Sacandaga River basin, which is within the upper Hudson River basin, and in the East and West Canada Creek basins, which are within the Mohawk River basin. Streamflow, stage, and reservoir elevation data, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, are documented in this report. Flooding resulted in new peak streamflow records at five of six U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the region that have periods of record of at least 20 years, including at three streamgages that have been in operation for about 100 years. At the sixth streamgage, this flooding resulted in the second highest peak streamflow in its 71-year period of record. For all six streamgages, estimates of flood magnitudes for selected annual exceedance probabilities were updated using the peak streamflows from the flooding. Additionally, the annual exceedance probabilities for the six respective peak streamflows were all estimated to be less than 1 percent (greater than a 100-year recurrence interval). At three of those six streamgages, however, previous annual peak streamflows of comparable magnitudes (within 10 percent) have also happened within the past 20 years.

New York↗

USGS2024

Comparing single and multiple objective constrained optimization algorithms for tuning a groundwater remediation system

Groundwater flow and particle tracking models are critical tools to simulate the natural system, contaminant fate and transport, and effects of remediation. Constrained optimization uses models to systematically explore the interplay between remedial design and contaminant fate, considering uncertainty. Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) provides a design alternative addressing a single goal (e.g. maximum hydraulic containment, maximum mass removal). Multi-objective algorithms like Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) explore the tradeoffs among such objectives and more (e.g. cost, public-supply well contamination). We explore both approaches at a contaminated site in Long Island, New York USA. We compare the algorithms and ramifications on results. NSGA-II explores, at additional computational cost, explicit tradeoffs among multiple objectives, providing additional insights relative to SLP. The NGSA-II algorithm allows for graphical consideration of three objectives. SLP decision variables often settle at predetermined bounds. Bounds assignment thus differs from parameter estimation; bounds must be acceptable rather than safeguards.

New York↗

USGS2024

Advancing the understanding of Cyano-HABs in New York State

Most harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams are caused by cyanobacteria (Cyano-HABs). Under certain environmental conditions, dense concentrations (blooms) can form, which have the potential to cause aesthetic, ecological, and economic damage to afflicted waterbodies. Most importantly, Cyano-HABs can cause physical harm to people, pets, and livestock through the production of cyanotoxins.

New York↗

USGS2024

United States Geological Survey ice jam monitoring network on the Mohawk River in Schenectady, NY

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has continuously monitored the Mohawk River between Lock 7 and Lock 9 of the New York State Barge Canal since 2011. There was a brief period, from 1914 to 1919, when a streamgage was operated at Vischer Ferry Dam (Lock 7), however, frequent damage to the gage from ice-jam related flooding in 1914 (figure 1) and 1916 resulted in establishing the Mohawk River streamgage at Cohoes, NY (USGS station ID 01357500) in 1917 and discontinuing the Vischer Ferry streamgage in 1919. The current monitoring network includes measurements of gage height (water level) and water temperature at various points within the reach, streamflow at Freeman’s Bridge, and realtime imagery from multiple pan-tilt-zoom web cameras, all of which provide situational awareness to the public, emergency managers, and other stakeholders during periods of ice-jam flooding. The USGS operates and maintains these stations in cooperation with the New York Power Authority, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Union College, and Brookfield Renewable Power.

New York↗

USGS2024

Flood of October 31 to November 3, 2019, East Canada Creek, West Canada Creek, and Sacandaga River Basins

Between October 31 and November 3, 2019, historic flooding in parts of the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack region resulted in one fatality, an estimated $33 million in damages, and the declaration of a state of emergency for 13 New York counties. Flooding resulted from high-intensity rainfall within a 24-hour period between October 31 and November 1, 2019, at the end of an October that had much higher rainfall than normal. In that 24-hour period, rainfall amounts in the most heavily affected parts of the region largely ranged from about 2 to 5 inches, but a maximum rainfall amount of 7.00 inches was recorded in Speculator, NY in Hamilton County. In this location, a rainfall of 7.00 inches in a 24-hour period is estimated to have between a 200- and 500-year recurrence interval or between a 0.5- and 0.2-percent chance of happening or being exceeded in any given year. The most severe flooding from October 31 to November 3, 2019, was mainly in the East and West Canada Creek basins, which are within the Mohawk River basin, and the Sacandaga River basin, which is within the upper Hudson River basin. Flooding resulted in new peak streamflow records at eight of nine selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages from the region, including at three streamgages that have been in operation for about 100 years. At East Canada Creek at East Creek, NY (01348000), flooding resulted in the second highest peak streamflow in its 71-year period of record. National Weather Service major flood stages were exceeded at the three streamgages in the region where National Weather Service flood stages have been established and were exceeded at Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley, NY (01343600). Hinckley Reservoir has a drainage area of 372 square miles and regulates West Canada Creek streamflow about 31 miles upstream of West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge (01346000) and 3 miles downstream of West Canada Creek near Wilmurt, NY (01343060). In West Canada Creek, downstream of Hinckley Reservoir, a distinct double peak of streamflow happened during the 2019 flood and was recorded at West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge, NY (01346000). A similar, but less distinct, double peak was recorded at Mohawk River near Little Falls, NY (01347000), which is located 14.8 miles downstream of West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge, NY (01346000). The first peak of the double peak was likely caused by inflows to West Canada Creek from unregulated tributaries downstream of Hinckley Reservoir, such as Cincinnati Creek, which drains a relatively large area of 48.5 square miles in the northwest corner of the West Canada Creek watershed. Cincinnati Creek was ungaged at the time, but in response to the flood, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Canal Corporation, installed a gage at Cincinnati Creek at Barneveld, NY (01344795) that has been in operation since November 2022. The second peak of the double peak, which happened about a day after the first peak, likely resulted from regulated streamflow that passed through Hinckley Reservoir. At the other streamgages upstream of Hinckley Reservoir, single peak streamflows were recorded during the flood. More details on the nature of the flood of October 31 to November 3, 2019, including the historic context of the flood, and the results from flood-frequency analysis of six selected streamgages in the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack region, are discussed in Graziano and others (2024).

New York↗

USGS2023

Whole-lake acoustic telemetry to evaluate survival of stocked juvenile fish

Estimates of juvenile survival are critical for informing population dynamics and the ecology of fish, yet these demographic parameters are difficult to measure. Here, we demonstrate that advances in animal tracking technology provide opportunities to evaluate survival of juvenile tagged fish. We implemented a whole-lake telemetry array in conjunction with small acoustic tags (including tags < 1.0 g) to track the fate of stocked juvenile cisco ( Coregonus artedi ) as part of a native species restoration effort in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA. We used time-to-event modeling to characterize the survival function of stocked fish, where we infer mortality as the cessation of tag detections. Survival estimates revealed distinct stages of juvenile cisco mortality including high immediate post-release mortality, followed by a period of elevated mortality during an acclimation period. By characterizing mortality over time, the whole-lake biotelemetry effort provided information useful for adapting stocking practices that may improve survival of stocked fish, and ultimately the success of the species reintroduction effort. The combination of acoustic technology and time-to-event modeling to inform fish survival may have wide applicability across waterbodies where receiver arrays can be deployed at scale and where basic assumptions about population closure can be satisfied.

New York↗