Base flow of streams in Nassau County sewer districts 2 and 3, Long Island, New York, 1978-79

Abstract

South-shore streams on Long Island, N.Y., are small, widely spaced and have few or no tributaries. Their gradients are gentle, averaging 10 feet per mile. All streams in the area studied have a mean annual discharge of less than 20 cubic feet per second, and most are from 3 to 10 miles long. Under natural conditions, about 95 percent of total streamflow originates as ground-water seepage from the upper glacial aquifer; the remaining 5 percent consists of direct runoff. Thus, the streams of Long Island function as ground-water drains, the flow of which in dry weather is controlled directly by ground-water levels adjacent to the stream channels. Monthly low-flow discharge measurements of 18 south-shore streams in Nassau County from 1978-79 are tabulated in this report. Measurement sites were established at 1,000-foot intervals between the southern tide-affected reach and the northern headwaters of each stream. The measurements provide a data base for the 'Flow Augmentation Needs Study,' supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which will evaluate the need to replace streamflow lost through lowering of the water table as a result of sewage in Nassau County Sewer Districts 2 and 3.