3/15/2024
WT Staff
HAPPENING NOW
Streamflows up overnight upstate, Hudson Valley
Drought for northwest NYS
Water news for Friday, March 15, 2024 1030 am EDT
Streamflow Situation from USGS current streamflow monitors
As many NYS drinking water facilities are supplied from surface water reservoirs, the streamflow situation is pertinent to both drinking water supply and quality. High flows can stir up sediment and cause turbidity in the reservoirs, requiring additional treatments to render the water potable. Low flow volume is linked to warmer temperatures in the reservoir and can be an issue for water quality where HABs are present. WTNY.us tracks streamflow trends with an eye to the impacts on drinking water supply and quality in each of the state's 17 watersheds. Check the watershed layer on the map to see the direction of flow and streamflows that may be impacting drinking water today.
Streamflows have spiked overnight in northeast Lake Champlain watershed, all stations reporting above 90th percentile flows Friday. St Lawrence River watershed chimes in with three stations recording much above seasonal normal. Upper Hudson River seeing the same movement Friday, streamflows are rated much above normal at North Creek near the Hudson head and downstream at Hadley. Tributary Sacandaga River is much above normal near Hope, running up the volume on Hudson River at Hadley. Hudson runs above normal from this point down to confluence with Mohawk River, settling down to normal levels recorded in the lower channel and tidal estuary. Two stations continue to rank above 90th percentile on Long Island.
Southeast basin Chemung and Susquehanna River watersheds are reporting normal flow ratings Friday as also reported yesterday. Delaware River sports seven 90+ percentile readings and Ramapo watershed has one much above the seasonal norm.
For the west state, Lower Genesee and Niagara River - Lake Erie drainage area carries on below the seasonal normal flow volume Friday. Niagara River watershed feeds into Lake Erie, while Genesee lands in Lake Ontario, all part of the same basin, the water from these adjacent watersheds reaches the Atlantic Ocean via St. Lawrence River in due time. The preponderance of data from NYS northwest is below seasonal normal, nine stations rated below normal and three much below normal, among the lowest ten percent volumes recorded in monitoring history for this date. Finger Lakes watershed still shows two sites with below seasonal normal ratings out of a field of normal streamflow values. Southwest Allegheny River watershed, the only part of NYS contributing water to the Mississippi basin, shows streamflows in the normal range.
No flooding, no extreme high or low flows are recorded as of this report.
Drought Map>/b> 7-day average streamflows
Lower Genesee River and Niagara River - Lake Erie watersheds remain at the below normal rating Friday. With more streamflow monitors rated below normal today, expect to see the drought map recording these watersheds in moderate hydrologic drought over the weekend.
Hazardous Spills Report a spill 1-800-457-7362
Home heating fuel oil spills continue. New York Department of Health estimates 2 million homes are heated with oil, the number of hazardous spills occurring inside residential spaces often makes up more than half the spill incidents reported in NYS. These spills are not only hazardous to the residents, they can enter drains into the public septic system, cross contamination is possible, runoff to the environment can occur.
A caller to the NY DEC Emergency Spill hotline reported 200 gallons of kerosene spilled at a private residence in Ithaca last week March 7. The cause of the spill is noted as equipment failure.
Another incident reported the same day involves five gallons of home heating oil spilled on a private residential site. This this one made its way to a water body in the Susquehanna River watershed. This spill also caused by equipment failure, Guildford Lake in Chenango County impacted.
NY DEC Emergency spill hotline takes reports of hazardous materials spills from anyone with knowledge of a spill. Professional responders are dispatched to contain spills and remove hazardous materials. Note that a spill of one gallon of home heating oil inside a residence is considered a large spill requiring professional response and cleanup. Ventilate the building and clear the area if a spill of fuel oil #2 occurs inside your home, and call the emergency spill line.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
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