U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER-RESOURCES CONDITIONS IN NEW YORK
AUGUST 2004
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WRD
New York District, Troy, NY
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW AND CURRENT CONDITIONS STATEMENT
FOR August 2004
Prepared September 2, 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. This month was the sixth wettest August on
record for the Capital region with 7.34 inches of rainfall. Precipitation for July and
August combined to make this the wettest summer since the mid-1800's. The highest
provisional period-of-record maximum monthly mean discharge for August was recorded at
Mohawk River at Cohoes (5,390 cfs -- previous = 5,140 cfs -- 85 years), and the second
highest was recorded at the sites at Ramapo, Margaretville, Cooks Falls, Walton, and
Deposit.
The total New York City reservoir system was at 97.5 percent of capacity on August 31;
normal for this period is 81.2 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 excessive range at all sites. Monitored sites at Fall Creek
near Ithaca, Unadilla River at Rockdale, Chenango River at Chenango Forks, and Oneida
Creek at Oneida recorded the highest monthly means of record. Susquehanna River at
Conklin recorded the second highest monthly mean of record.
Coram Subdistrict--Summary Report
Mean flow at Connetquot Brook near Central Islip was in the normal range for the
fourth consecutive month.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Provisional Data for August 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 22.9 47 Normal
01312000 Hudson River at Newcomb 1925-87,2002 367 7 Excessive
01318500 Hudson River at Hadley 1921 2,530 3 "
01321000 Sacandaga River nr Hope 1911 795 4 "
01334500 Hoosic River near Eagle Bridge 1910 789 8 "
01349150 Canajoharie Creek near Canajoharie 1993 36.6 21 "
01350000 Schoharie Creek at Prattsville 1902 593 4 "
01357500 Mohawk River at Cohoes 1917 5,390 0 "
01371500 Wallkill River at Gardiner 1924 853 16 "
01372500 Wappinger Cr nr Wappingers Falls 1928 180 12 "
01387400 Ramapo River at Ramapo 1979 234 4 "
01413500 E Br Delaware River at Margaretville 1937 452 2 "
01420500 Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls 1913 1,030 1 "
01423000 W Br Delaware River at Walton 1950 651 2 "
01426000 Oquaga Creek at Deposit 1941-73,2002 113 4 "
01502500 Unadilla River at Rockdale 1930-95,2001 1,100 0 "
01503000 Susquehanna River at Conklin 1912 4,090 2 "
01512500 Chenango River nr Chenango Forks 1912 3,640 0 "
01531000 Chemung River at Chemung 1903 3,100 4 "
03011020 Allegheny River at Salamanca 1903 2,060 6 "
04213500 Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 1940-98,2000 307 20 "
04217000 Tonawanda Creek at Batavia 1944 91.9 13 "
04221000* Genesee River at Wellsville 1916 400 3 "
04230500 Oatka Creek at Garbutt 1945 94.4 9 "
04234000 Fall Creek at Ithaca 1925 282 0 "
04235250 Flint Creek at Phelps 1960-95,2002 32.3 14 "
04243500 Oneida Creek at Oneida 1950 357 0 "
04250750 Sandy Creek near Adams 1958-95,2002 70.4 19 "
04256000 Independence River at Donnattsburg 1942 173 8 "
04262500 W Br Oswegatchie R nr Harrisville 1916 271 13 "
04270200 Little Salmon River at Bombay 1958-95,2002 105 8 "
04275500 Ausable River at Au Sable Forks 1910-68,1990 572 5 Excessive
* Includes 04221500-Genesee River at Scio (1916-72)
MONTHLY MEAN DISCHARGE FOR SELECTED STREAMFLOW STATIONS
Provisional Data for August 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 8/16 8.01 3 Excessive
Allegany Ag-261 2002 8/26 5.44 - --
Allegany Ag-262 2002 8/26 -0.41 - --
Broome Bm-128 1980 8/30 24.60 19 Excessive
Broome Bm-129 1985 8/30 67.51 0 Excessive
Cattaraugus Ct-121 1951 8/26 7.70 46 Normal
Chautauqua Cu-10 1939 8/26 32.96 50 Normal
Chemung Cm-622 2002 8/30 23.58 6 Excessive
Chenango Cn-12 1975 8/30 9.16 8 Excessive
Clinton Cl-145 1992 8/31 23.00 32 Normal
Columbia Cb-1071 2004 8/16 11.30 - --
Cortland C-998 2002 8/27 4.99 - --
Delaware D-503 2002 8/27 5.16 - --
Dutchess Du-321 1948 8/30 69.26 43 Normal
Dutchess Du-1009 1967 8/31 14.02 7 Excessive
Erie E-1196 2004 8/25 12.90 - --
Essex Ex-150 2002 8/25 22.27 - --
Fulton Fu-271 2002 8/23 14.83 - --
Genesee Gs-190 2002 8/27 28.93 - --
Greene G-644 2003 8/30 20.34 - --
Hamilton H-3 1966 8/25 12.76 3 Excessive
Herkimer He-627 2004 8/24 28.55 - --
Lewis L-174 2002 8/20 23.59 - --
Livingston Lv-330 2004 8/30 10.01 - --
Madison M-178 1975 8/27 6.47 1 Excessive
Monroe Mo-11 1984 8/27 8.09 8 Excessive
Montgomery Mt-411 2004 8/31 33.09 - --
Niagara Ni-869 2003 8/31 0.42 - --
Oneida Oe-151 1926 8/31 25.46 79 Deficient
Oneida Oe-1457 2003 8/24 42.60 - --
Onondaga Od-1825 2004 8/27 12.53 - --
Od-1833 2004 8/27 13.78 - --
Ontario **Ot-900 1955 8/27 11.63 0 Excessive
Ontario Ot-1133 2002 8/27 3.23 - --
Orange O-2271 2002 8/25 6.30 - --
Orleans Ol-20 2004 8/25 20.44 - --
Oswego Ow-5013 2002 8/27 23.26 - --
Oswego Ow-5014 2002 8/27 23.50 - --
Otsego Og-23 1953 8/30 6.47 6 Excessive
Rensselaer Re-703 1983 8/18 37.42 26 Normal
Rockland Ro-18 1949 8/30 15.38 2 Excessive
St. Lawrence St-40 1953 8/26 6.60 15 Excessive
Saratoga Sa-1285 2002 8/30 2.57 - --
Schenectady Sn-730 2004 8/16 4.94 - --
Schuyler Sy-706 2003 8/30 7.62 - --
Steuben Sb-472 1965 8/26 8.88 3 Excessive
Suffolk *S1810 1976 8/31 50.08 60 Normal
Suffolk *S1812 1982 8/20 46.84 33 Normal
Suffolk *S4271 1946 8/19 12.05 9 Excessive
Suffolk *S5517 1948 8/31 43.73 53 Normal
Suffolk *S8833 1951 8/31 16.72 39 Normal
Sullivan Sv-535 2001 8/25 8.63 - --
Tioga Ti-891 2003 8/30 16.22 - --
Tompkins Tm-984 2003 8/30 11.28 - --
Ulster U-1619 2002 8/31 17.40 43 Normal
Washington W-533 1974 8/20 7.11 27 Normal
Wayne Wn-592 2004 8/27 8.98 - --
Westchester We-5020 2003 8/19 13.45 - --
Wyoming Wo-4 1974 8/31 13.16 32 Normal
Yates Ya-180 2004 8/30 3.92 - --
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 3,801 3,789 3,399
01323500 Great Sacandaga Lake at Conklinville 29,520 29,130 24,930
04295000 Richelieu River (Lake Champlain) at Rouses Point, NY - Elevation in ft
above sea level
August 31, 2004 97.39 August 31, 2003 95.94
Average (1939-2002) 95.22
Maximum daily 98.31 (1976) Minimum daily 93.39 (1949)
Provisional Data for August 2004#
INDEX STREAMFLOW STATIONS
(Reference period 1971-2000)
## Reference period is 1978-2000
** Excessive
# Note: Flow statistics based on data collected through August 31, 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.
