United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Great Lakes
National Program Office
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
EPA-905/9-91-005D-
GL-07D-91
oEPA
Genesee River
Watershed Study
Volume IV — Special Studies
U.S. Geological Survey
Printed on Recycled Pape
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CENESEE Rl VER WATERSHED STUDY
VOLUME 1: Summary
VOLUME 2: Special Studies - New York\State
REPORT I: Sediment Nutrient and
Heavy M^tal Character! zati
REPORT II: Geo/Themi st ry of Oxide Pre
Genfesee Watershed
REPORT III: Sdrficial Geology ofy^he Genesee Valley
and Water Col umn
n in the Genesee River
i pi t at es in the
VOLUME 3: Special Studies - Renssel^er Polytechnic Institute
and Cornell Uni versi t
REPORT I : ITTvlentory of fiprms of Nutrients Stored in a
Watershed
REPORT II: Evaluation of thekEogardi T-3 Bedl oad Sampler
REPORT II i: Nitro^n and Phosphorus in Drainage Water
from OrgVni c SoiRs
VOLUME 4: Special Studies^- United States Geological Survey
PART I : Streamflow and Sediment Transport in the Genesee
Ri ver, New York
PART II: Hydrogeol ogi c Influences on Sediment-transport
Patterns in the Genesee River Basin
PART III: Sources and Movement of Sediment in the
Canaseraga Creek Basin near Dansville, New York
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EPA-905/9-91-005D
February 1 991
GENESEE RIVER WATERSHED STUDY
SPECIAL STUDIES
UNITED STATES GEOLOCIAL SURVEY
VOLUME 4
for
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Chicago, Illinois
Grant Number R005144-01
Grants Officer
Ralph G. Christensen
Great Lakes National Program Office
This study, funded by a Great Lakes Program grant from the U.S. EPA,
was conducted as part of the TASK C- Pilot Watershed Program for the
International Joint Commision's Reference Group on Pollution from
Land Use Activities.
GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, REGION V
230 SOUTH DEARBORN STREET
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60604
605 i^
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DISCLAIMER
This report has been reviewed by the Great Lakes National
Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and
approved for publication. Approval does not signify that
the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nor does
mention of trade names or commercial products constitute
endorsement or recommendation for use.
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PART I
STREAMFLOW AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE
GENESEE RIVER BASIN, NEW YORK
Lawrence J. Mansue and William R. Bauersfeld
U.S. Geological Survey
Ithaca, New York
Prepared in cooperation with the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bureau of Water Research
Albany, New York
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Chicago, Illinois
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CONTENTS - PART I
Abstract i
Figures ii
Tables iv
Conversion factors and abbreviat ions v
Acknowledgment s vi
1. Introduction 1
Objectives 1
Approach 2
2. Conclusions... 3
3. Physiography of the Genesee River basin 4
Genesee River 4
Major tributaries.. 5
4. Methods of data collection 6
Precipitation measurement. ,.. 6
Streamf low measurement 6
Suspended sediment measurement 6
5 . Results of analyses 9
Precipitation. 9
Streamf low 10
Sediment transport 10
Suspended sediment 10
Streambed material 15
Mineralogy of sediment material 15
Streamf low- and sediment-duration analyses 23
Suspended sediment yield 23
6. Discussion of suspended sediment discharge 26
References 28
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ABSTRACT
Streamflow and rates of sediment transport in the Genesee River basin
were measured at 32 stations between 1975 and 1977, and sediments were ana-
lyzed to determine their source and role in the basin's sediment-transport
patterns.
The stream-sediment loads and composition were found to be related to
natural factors such as precipitation and local geology. Headwater areas,
where stream gradients are steepest and where easily eroded unconsolidated
glacial deposits are extensive, supply most of the sediment load. Deposition
occurs in the lower half of the Genesee River, where stream gradients are
flattest.
Sediment loads transported by the Genesee River in New York during the
study were greatest at Portageville and Mount Morris, about midway down the
river, and at Rochester, near the river mouth at Lake Ontario. The greatest
annual sediment loads at those sites ranged from 1 to 1.4 million megagrams.
The largest annual sediment yields measured during the study were at
Portageville, Mount Morris, and Avon, where these yields ranged from 200 to
400 megagrams per square kilometer.
The sediments transported by streams in the Genesee basin were mostly
silt-sized particles composed largely of quartz (16-86 percent); clay minerals
in the finer sediment load were mostly llllte (10-55 percent) and chlorite
(6-16 percent). Percentage ranges were greater In streambed-transported
materials than in suspended sediments.
I-i
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FIGURES
(at back of report)
Number Page
1 Map of Genesee River basin showing locations of data-
collection sites 29
2 Long-term average monthly precipitation for period of
record (1941-70) and monthly precipitation from January
1975-September 1977 at Wellsville,Dansville and Rochester 30
3 Instantaneous streamflow and suspended sediment curves
for 27 stations in the Genesee River basin:
A. Genesee River at Wellsville...... 31
B. Genesee River at Transit Bridge near Angelica.... 31
C. Genesee River near Houghton 32
D. Genesee River at Portageville 32
E. Sugar Creek near Canaseraga 33
F. Canaseraga Creek above Dansville 33
G. Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park.... 34
H. Mill Creek at Patchinville 34
I. Mill Creek at Perkinsville 35
J. Mill Creek near Dansville 35
K. Mill Creek at Dansville 36
L. Canaseraga Creek at Groveland 36
M. Bradner Creek near Dansville 37
N. Bradner Creek near Sonyea 37
0. Keshequa Creek at Nunda 38
P. Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora 38
Q. Keshequa Creek at Sonyea 39
R. Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing 39
S. Genesee River near Mount Morris 40
T. Genesee River at Avon 40
U. Oatka Creek at Rock Glen 41
V. Oatka Creek at Warsaw 41
W. Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek.... 42
X. Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center 42
Y. Mad Creek near Le Roy 43
Z. Oatka Creek at Garbutt 43
AA. Genesee River at Rochester 44
I-ii
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FIGURES (continued)
Number Page
4 Duration curves showing long-term mean daily streamflow
and June 1975 to May 1977 mean daily streamflow, suspended
sediment concentration, and suspended sediment discharge at
Genesee River basin stations:
A. Genesee River at Wellsville 45
B. Genesee River at Portageville. 46
C. Canaseraga Creek above Dansvilie (streamflow only) 47
D. Keshequa Creek at Sonyea (streamflow only) 48
E. Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing 49
F. Genesee River near Mount Morris. 50
G. Genesee River at Avon 51
H. Oatka Creek at Warsaw (streamflow only) 52
I. Oatka Creek at Garbutt 53
J. Genesee River at Rochester.... 54
I-iii
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TABLES
Number
Stations at which streamflow and suspended sediment were
measured in the Genesee River basin in water years 1975-
1977 7
Monthly suspended sediment discharge in the Genesee River
and selected tributaries, 1975-1977., 11
Average slope of sediment-transport curve, at discharge of
0.10 cubic meters per second per square kilometer, for 27
stations in the Genesee River basin, 1975-1977(curves ate
shown in Fig. 3) 13
Particle size distribution of suspended sediments at
selected sampling stations, Genesee River basin, 1975-77.... 14
Mineralogical analyses of sediment material, Genesee River
basin, 1975-1977 16
Calculated average annual suspended sediment load,
Genesee River at Rochester, based on 1953-77 streamflow
and 1975-77 sediment water year records 24
Drainage area and average annual suspended sediment load
and yield at stations sampled in Genesee River basin 25
I-iv
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FACTORS FOR CONVERTING INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM (SI) UNITS
TO INCH-POUND UNITS AND ABBREVIATIONS OF UNITS
Multiply SI unit
kilometer (km)
meter (m)
square kilometer (km2)
cubic hectometer
megagram (Mg)
cubic meter per second
(m3/s)
meters per kilometer (m/km)
megagram/km2
cubic meters per second per
square kilometer [(m^
to
0.6214
3.281
Area
0.3861
Volume
810.7
Mass
1.102
0.9842
Flow
35.31
to obtain inch-pound unit
mile (mi)
foot (ft)
square mile (mi2)
acre-foot (acre-ft)
ton [short, 2,000 pounds (lb)]
ton [long, 2,240 lb]
cubic foot per second
(ft3/s)
feet per mile (ft/mi)
Slope
5.28
Specific Combinations
2.85 ton (short)/mi2
2.55 ton (long)/mi2
91.45
cubic feet per second per
square mile [(ft3/s)/mi2]
I-v
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was carried out as part of Task C of the Pollution from
Land Use Activities Reference Group, International Joint Commission and was
funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of
New York.
The authors acknowledge the guidance, support, and advice received from
Drs. Leo J. Hetling and G. Anders Carlson of the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation, and Robert B. Dona, Project Officer of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The authors are also grateful to the
Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for providing financial
support, under another program, for the daily-streamflow stations that
supplied data in this report. The authors acknowledge the advice and coop-
eration by George Pericht, of the National Weather Service, who provided
weather data during this study.
Sediment observations were made by local residents Ralph Bishop, Frank
Blue, Arlene Buckley, Arnold Downey, Rodney Graham, Frank Keller, Charles
Nadeau, E. William Prytherch, Philip Swartout, and Gloria Williams. Their
assistance is greatly appreciated by the authors.
I-vi
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SECTION I
INTRODUCTION
Concern over the deterioration of water quality of the Great Lakes led
the Governments of the United States and Canada to conduct studies of the
effects of land use on the water quality of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes
Water Quality Agreement of April 15, 1972, empowered the International Joint
Commission (IJC) to authorize such studies and the development of recommenda-
tions for remedial measures. Through the Great Lakes Water Quality Board, the
IJC established the International Reference Group on Great Lakes Pollution
from Land Use Activities (Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group-
PLUARG) to carry out such studies.
PLUARG developed a program consisting of four major tasks: Task A, to col-
lect and assess management and research information and, in its later stages,
to critically analyze the potential implications of recommendations; Task B,
to prepare a land-use inventory and an analysis of trends in land-use patterns
and practices; Task C, to carry out (1) detailed surveys of selected water-
sheds to determine pollutant sources and their relative significance, and (2)
to assess the transport of pollutants to boundary waters; and Task D, to ob-
tain supplementary information on the effects of suspended materials on the
boundary waters, their effect on water quality, and their future significance
under alternative management schemes. The PLUARG study plan was approved by
the Great Lakes Water Quality Board in March 1974 and by the IJC in April 1974.
Task C included intense investigations of six watersheds in Canada and
the United States that represent the full range of urban and rural land uses
in the Great Lakes basin. A technical committee and a Task C subgroup deve-
loped and conducted pilot watershed studies and studies of the rates and pat-
terns of the transport of selected pollutants to Lake Ontario, particularly
suspended sediment, phosphorus, and chlorides. The Genesee River basin was
selected for study by the U.S. Geological Survey to quantify the effects of
(a) land-use activities, (b) soils, and (c) geology and geomorphology, on
surface-water quality.
OBJECTIVES
The U.S. Geological Survey's program in the Genesee River basin con-
sisted of (a) establishment of a data-collection network, and (b) the collec-
tion, analysis, and interpretation of streamflow and sediment data, including
a study of sediment-source material and patterns of deposition. In this
report, only daily and partial-record streamflow data, suspended-sediment data,
and mineralogical data collected from the Genesee River and its major tribu-
taries are tabulated; interpretations of these data are given in Part II of
this volume (Mansue, Young and Soren, 1983).
1-1
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APPROACH
Seven daily, 24 partial, and 2 miscellaneous suspended-sediment records
were compiled from samples collected at sites in the Genesee River basin
between 1975 and 1977. Recording precipitation gages provided instantaneous
information from the headwaters of two major tributary streams near Arkport
and Warsaw by automatic telephone transmission. Mineralogical analyses of
sediment "samples were done to determine the spatial and seasonal variations
in mineral content of suspended sediment in the river.
1-2
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SECTION 2
CONCLUSIONS
The greatest measured suspended-sediment discharge in the Genesee River
basin from April 1975 to September 1977 was in the Genesee River at
Portageville. The highest monthly sediment loads occurred in February 1976 at
Wellsville (22,000 Mg) and at Portageville (666,000 Mg), during which time 62
percent of the total sediment load for the 1976 water year was transported.
The highest measured monthly suspended-sediment yield (load per drainage area)
was in the Genesee River at Portageville in February 1976 (262 Mg/km2) and in
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing in September 1977 (109 Mg/km2).
In general, the greatest suspended-sediment discharge per unit of stream-
flow occurred in the upper reaches of streams; deposition occurred at sites
further downstream. Data collected from the Genesee ma instern suggest a lag in
sediment transport in the river system. On a daily-measurement basis, a lag
in the migration of the suspended sediment after storms was noted, which indi-
cates a month or more of lag in the downstream movement of sediment in the
lower part of the basin.
The major mineral constituents transported by streams within the basin
are quartz, illite, and chlorite. No seasonal variation was detected in the
mineralogical content of the sediments.
1-3
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SECTION 3
PHYSIOGRAPHY OF GENESEE RIVER BASIN
The Genesee River originates in Potter County, Pa., near the New York
boundary, and flows north through western New York into Lake Ontario, draining
an area of 6,394 km^. The river basin includes part of Potter County, Pa.,
most of Allegany and Livingston Counties, N.Y., and parts of Wyoming, Ontario,
Monroe, and Genesee Counties, N.Y. A map of the basin showing the location
of data-collection sites is given in figure 1.
Sedimentary rocks of Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian ages (from north
to south) underlie the Genesee River basin. The rocks strike east-west and
dip southward at low angles. Shale, siltstone, and limestone predominate in
the northern part; siltstone and sandstone predominate in the southern part.
In the northern (lower) part of the basin, the rocks are less resistant
to erosion than in the southern part; also, the terrain is relatively even, and
stream gradients are low. In the southern (upper) part of the basin, more resist
ant rocks form highlands of greater relief than in the lower part, and stream
gradients in the upper basin are steeper. Stream gradients lessen markedly
northward from about the vicinity of Mount Morris.
GENESEE RIVER
The Genesee River begins at an altitude of about 610 m and flows 235 km
northward, entering Lake Ontario at an altitude of about 74 m. Many tributary
streams contribute to the Genesee's flow. The largest of the tributaries are
Canaseraga and Oatka Creeks (fig. 1).
Flow of the main stem is unregulated from the river's origin to the dam
at Mount Morris Lake (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control Reservoir)
near Mount Morris. This reservoir has a maximum length of 24 km, with a
usable storage capacity of 415 hm^ and a dead storage of 0.751 hm^. A dam for
generating hydroelectric power is downstream at Mount Morris. At Rochester,
the river is affected during the navigation season by the Erie (Barge) Canal,
at the southern end of the City, where the barge-canal pool is regulated by a
gated dam operated by New York State. Further downstream, the river has three
controlled ponds and diversions for electric-power generation in the City of
Rochester.
1-4
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Several of the Genesee River's tributary streams are regulated by
dams for water supply or recreation, or both. The major impoundments are
on Caneadea Creek near Caneadea (Rushford Dam), WLscoy Creek near Wiscoy,
in the west-central part of the Genesee basin, and at Conesus, Hemlock,
Canadice, and Honeoye Lakes on tributaries in the east-central part of
the basin. .
MAJOR TRIBUTARIES
Canaseraga Creek
Canaseraga Creek originates in the east-central part of the basin in
Steuben County (fig. 1) and flows generally northwest to the Genesee River
near Shakers Crossing. Canaseraga Creek is 68 km long and drains an area
of 868 km^. The Canaseraga Creek subbasin includes several tributaries,
the largest of which are Mill and Keshequa Creeks.
Oatka Creek
Oatka Creek originates in Wyoming County, in the west-central part
of the Genesee basin (fig. 1), and flows northwest to the Genesee River.
Oatka Creek is 96 km long and drains an area of 557 km^. It is partially
regulated by a dam at Le Roy.
1-5
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SECTION 4
METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
Precipitation, streamflow, and sediment data for this report were
collected at 32 sites on the Genesee River and its major tributaries from
November 1974 to September 1977. Pertinent earlier data were also included.
The locations of the data-collection sites are shown in figure 1; measurements
made at the stations and periods during which data were collected are given in
table 1.
PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENT
Recording precipitation gages were installed near Arkport and Warsaw, at
the two principal tributary headwater sites, to obtain telemark (instantaneous
telephone translation) rainfall values. (Arkport is outside the Genesee basin
(fig. 1); however, the "Arkport" gage is actually in the basin, about 1 1/2 km
west of South Dansville.) This information was needed to correlate streamflow
and sediment measurements with runoff from headwater drainage and also pro-
vided information on precipitation quantity and Intensity during the data-
collection period.
STREAMFLOW MEASUREMENT
Streamflow was measured monthly and during high-flow periods at all sites
to define the relationship of stream stage to discharge. At each daily
streamflow-record station, a graphic or digital recorder provided a continuous
record of the gage height (water-surface elevation). Values of mean daily
streamflow were computed from rating curves that establish a relationship bet-
ween stream stage and discharge.
Partial-record streamflow stations consisted of a reference gage to
measure gage height, and a crest-stage gage to record the maximum stream
stage. Instantaneous streamflow at partial-record sites either was measured
or was computed from stage-to-discharge relationships.
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT MEASUREMENT
Suspended-sediment samples were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey
sediment laboratory in Ithaca, N.Y., by methods outlined in Guy (1969).
Record computations were made in accordance with techniques described by
Porterfield (1972).
1-6
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TABLE 1. STATIONS AT WHICH STREAMFLOW AND SUSPENDED SEDIMENT WERE MEASURED IN THE
GEKESEE RIVER BASIN, HATER YEARS 1975-77
04221000
04221725
04222300
04223000
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224978
04225000
04225500
04225600
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
04228370
04228380
04228500
04230320
04230380
04230400
04230410
04230423
04230470
04230SOO
04231000
04232000
«
Station number and name*
Genesee River at Wellsville
Gene see River at Transit Bridge
near Angelica
Genesee River near Boughton
Genesee River at Portageville
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
Mill Creek at Patchinvllle
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
Bradner Creek near Dansville
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morris
Little Conesus Creek near South Lima
Little Conesus Creek near East Avon
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Oatka Creek at Pearl Creek
Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek near Pavlllion Center
Mad Creek near Le Roy
Oatka Creek at Garbut
Black Creek at Churchville
Genesee River at Rochester
Streamflow
(daily
record)
8/55-9/58,
10/72-9/77
—
—
8/08-9/77
—
8/74-9/77
—
—
—
—
—
7/10-9/35,
7/70-9/76
2/17-3/20,
10/55-9/64
—
—
_
—
3/11-9/32,
11/74-9/77
11/59-9/70,
10/74-9/77
6/03-9/77
—
—
8/55-9/77
—
12/63-9/77
—
—
—
—
10/45-9/77
10/45-9/77
12/19-9/77
Sediment
(daily
record)
4/75-9/77
—
—
4/75-9/77
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
_
—
—
—
—
--.
—
3/75-9/77
4/75-9/77
—
—
4/75-9/77
—
—
__
—
—
—
3/75-9/77
—
4/75-9/77
Streamflow
(partial
record )
«
2/75-9/77
4/77-9/77
—
2/75-9/77
—
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12-74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
—
2/75-6/76
2/75-6/76
—
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
—
Sediment
(partial
record)
__
2/75-9/77
4/77-9/77
—
2/75-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
2/75-6/76
2/75-6/76
—
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-6/76
—
note: Refer to text for definition of station
type.
* Locations are shown in figure 1>
1-7
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At daily suspended-sediment record stations, a depth-integrating sampler
was suspended by a cable from a reel at a fixed location. Stream cross-
section samples were obtained monthly and during high flows to verify values
of the single vertical sample at the fixed location. Single vertical samples
were collected (a) daily when flows were uniform, (b) at about 2-hour inter-
vals when flows were increasing rapidly during storms, and (c) at 4- to 6-hour
intervals during the streamflow recession. The sampling devices used were of
designs by the (U.S.J Water Resources Council (1975). Mean daily-sediment
concentration and streamflow values were used to determine dally sediment
loads except for periods of rapidly changing flow, for which a method of sub-
division was used to compute daily sediment loads (Porterfield, 1972, p. 47-52).
Samples at partial-record stations were collected during periods of storm
runoff and monthly during low flows to provide Instantaneous suspended-
sediment Information. Instantaneous sediment discharges were computed from a
stage-to-discharge relationship of measurements or, when data were incomplete,
were estimated from other stage-to-discharge measurements.
Samples at miscellaneous suspended-sediment stations were collected by
New York State personnel monthly and when water samples were obtained for
chemical and metals analyses.
1-8
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SECTION 5
RESULTS OF ANALYSES
PRECIPITATION
The precipitation data collected from the two telemark stations near
South Dansville ("Arkport" station) and Warsaw during the study provided
supplemental data. Records from three National Weather Service stations
(Wellsville, Dansville, and Rochester) were used to determine the long-term
(1941-70) precipitation patterns in the Genesee River basin. Graphs showing
monthly totals for the long-term record and for 1975-77 are presented in
figure 2.
Precipitation at the three National Weather Service stations is generally
lowest in February and greatest in July. The precipitation patterns from 1975
to 1977 were as follows:
1975.—Monthly precipitation at Wellsville, Dansville, and Rochester
ranged from less than the long-term average to the long-term average in
January, March, April, July, September, October, and November. In May,
monthly precipitation at Dansville and Rochester was of long-term average
intensity; however, precipitation was significantly greater than the long-term
average at Wellsville. At all three stations, precipitation was significantly
greater than the long-term average during February, June, August, and
December.
1976.—Total monthly precipitation was equal to or above the long-term
average in January, February, March, June, July, August, and October.
Precipitation in April exceeded the long-term averages at Dansville and
Rochester but was lower at Wellsville. The total precipitation at the three
stations during May and September ranged from about the same as to slightly
less than the long-term averages; however, the precipitation in November and
December were substantially less than the long-term averages.
1977.—Total precipitation in the first half of 1977 was less than the
long-term average at Dansville and Rochester but was about average at
Wellsville. In June, precipitation was greater than the long-term average at
all stations. Total precipitation in July, August, and September was signifi-
cantly greater than the long-term average except at Rochester, where precipi-
tation in July was less than the long-term average.
1-9
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STREAMFLOW
Mean daily, monthly, and annual streamflow values were calculated from
data collected at continuous gaging stations. The mean daily values were used
to describe the streamflow variation in time with duration analyses.
(Analyses of the long-term record and the 1975-77 period are given in graphs
in figure 4.)
Instantaneous streamflow values at all stations were measured or com-
puted to provide discharge data as an independent variable for use in com-
puting sediment discharge. The streamflow values were used in association
with data on sediment-transport rates. Graphs showing the relation of
streamflow to suspended-sediment discharge at the various measurement sites
are presented in figure 3.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT
Sediment in a stream is carried by suspension, saltation, and bedload
transport, or a combination of these processes. Suspended sediment is carried
in the stream above its bed; saltation moves particles in a series of hops
along the stream bottom, and bedload transport is the movement of particles
along the stream bottom by rolling or sliding.
Suspended Sediment
Monthly suspended-sediment loads, derived from the daily records, are
given in table 2. Suspended-sediment yield (load per unit area) generally
decreases downstream in the Genesee River basin. From April to September
1975, the yield at Portageville was about 7.5 times greater than at Rochester.
During the equivalent period in 1976, the yield was about 1.5 times greater at
Portageville than at Rochester, and, from April to September 1977, the yield
at Portageville was about 2.5 times greater than at Rochester. The total
annual suspended-sediment discharge at each of these sites during 1976 was
about the same as in 1977, but the total annual yield at Portageville was
about 2.5 times greater than at Rochester. The greatest annual suspended—
sediment discharges by the Genesee River during the study were at
Portageville, Mount Morris, and Rochester, and ranged from 1 to 1.4 Mg. The
largest annual sediment yields in the river during the study occurred at
Portageville, Mount Morris, and Avon, and ranged from about 200 to 400 Mg/km^.
Decreasing sediment yield as drainage area increases in the downstream
direction is a phenomenon that has been observed in many streams (Walling,
1976, p. 19). This pattern reflects the geomorphologic processes of erosion
(degradation) in the headwaters, where river gradients are steeper, and aggra-
dation downstream, where river gradients are lower.
1-10
-------
TABLE 2. MONTHLY SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT LOAD IN THE GENESEE RIVER AMD SELECTED TRIBUTARIES, 1975-77
(In rnegagroms).
Monthly totals 1975-77
Year OCT. HOV. PEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JPNE JULY AUG. SEPrT YEARLY"
STATION 04221000i',, GENESEE RIVER AT WELLSVILLE (Drainage area 749 km2)
1975 __ __ __ — — — 214 1,130 12,200 102 249 13,600
1976 1,500 259 1,400 121 22,000 5,890 454 1,760 1,100 389 619 157 35,600
1977 5,960 724 238 46 2,090 6,910 862 1,360 785 10,900 1,860 20,700 52,500
STATION 04223000, GENESEE RIVER AT PORTAGEVILLE (Drainage area 2,541 km2)
1.975 _ _ _ _ — 7,120 288,000 252,000 426 2,010 116,000
1976 34,400 1,450 73.300 33,300 666,000 176.000 35,600 5,420 14,100 18,200 17,200 797 1,080,000
1977 80,800 5,650 1,080 382 37,100 183,000 126,000 12,800 866 118,000 85,000 441,000 1,090,000
STATION 04227000, CANASERAGA CREEK AT SHAKERS CROSSING (Drainage area 862 km2)
1975 __ __ _____ __ 989 38,000 12,900 149 805 9,620
1976 6,620 351 8,540 4.730 82,600 76,600 22,700 1,790 1,260 2.350 7.670 183 215,000
1977 18,600 1,620 387 41 9,380 24,400 41,400 5,630 631 21,300 12,000 94,000 229,000
STATION 04227500, GENESEE RIVER NEAR NT. MORRIS (Drainage area 3,670 km2)
1975 — _____ _ 23,700 121,000 110,000 793 3,650 125,000
1976 60,500 3,760 48,900 8.860 138.000 306,000 68,200 20,200 18,100 26,800 21,000 1,020 721,000
1977 113,000 39,400 12,900 2,800 18,300 282,000 145,000 42,000 2,940 112,000 132,000 346,000 1,260,000
STATION 04228500, GENESEE RIVER AT AVON (Drainage area 4,318 tan2)
1975 — — — — -- — 33,100 102,000 114,000 1,650 1,550 90,700
1976 33,300 2,850 45.800 6,880 214,000 174,000 84,000 32,300 15,400 26,900 27,600 998 664,000
1977 68,900 32,900 3,400 409 5,840 189,000 133,000 33,500 2,260 106,000 97,500 251,000 924,000
STATION 04230500, OATKA CREEK AT GARBUTT (Drainage area 528 km2)
1975 — — — — 129 189 593 17 24 11
1976 26 29 758 249 4,830 5,000 868 262 204 152 286 25 12,700
1977 124 216 71 40 89 2,380 1.080 104 39 376 1.610 2,980 9,100
STATION 04232000, GENESEE RIVER AT ROCHESTER (Drainage area 6,364 km2)
1975 — — — — — — 15,700 64,000 77,800 2,190 2,530 53,900
1976 26,000 3,870 54,400 5.650 468.000 353,000 76,800 19,800 7,470 11,400 27,700 1.560 1,060,000
1977 53,400 20,200 2.640 1,260 6,570 247,000 129,000 7,950 1,310 65,400 76,500 437,000 1,050,000
II Station locations are shown in figure 1.
I'll
-------
Large areas of easily eroded, unconsolidated deposits upstream from
Portageville are a major source of sediment in the Genesee River. The river
gradient is steepest from Portageville to the Pennsylvania border, where it
averages about 2.2 m/km. Material eroded from these areas is deposited both
above the Mount Morris dam and further downstream, where the river gradients
are lower. Downstream from Portageville, between Geneseo and Avon, the chan-
nel gradient is about 0.2 m/km. Further downstream, between Avon and
Rochester, the river gradient decreases to about 0.02 m/km.
Relationship of Suspended-Sediment Transport to Streamflow.—The relationship
between streamflow and suspended sediment is described by Colby (1956).
Suspended-sediment-transport curves, plotted from data obtained at 27 stations,
are shown in figure 3. The slopes of the curves represent suspended-sediment
discharge in relation to stream discharge. The steeper the slope of the
curve, the greater the proportion of sediment in transport. For the purpose
of comparing the amount of sediment in transport at the different stations in
figure 3, a point of tangency on the curves at which streamflow equals 0.10
[(m3/s)/km2] was used to normalize the slopes. The average slopes are given
in table 3.
Four stations within the basin have curve slopes of 3 or greater, which
Indicates a relatively high sediment yield. These stations and their curve
slopes are:
Mill Creek at Patchinville, 5.9 Genesee River near Mount Morris, 5.5
Mill Creek near Dansvilie, 3.5 Genesee River at Avon, 3.9
Particle-Size Distribution.—Many of the suspended-sediment samples collected
during the high flows were analyzed for particle size; the extent of the ana-
lysis was determined by the amount of sample material available. At stations
with low loads, it was difficult to obtain sufficient material to represent a
sample. At other sites, such as Portageville, which often had high con-
centrations, many samples were collected for particle-size determinations.
[Particle-size determinations were done in accordance with procedures
described in Guy (1969, p. 28-45).J
Arithmetic average values of the particle-size analysis of suspended-
sediment samples collected are given in table 4. The percentages are by dry
weight. These averages assume a linear distribution. No statistical analysis
was made to determine the representativeness of the size fraction at each sta-
tion.
The percentage of sand transported in suspension by a stream is generally
in direct proportion to stream gradient and depends on the composition proper-
ties of source material. At Wellsville, the Genesee River transported about
twice as much sand as at Portageville; this is probably because the land being
eroded in the drainage area upstream from Wellsville consists predominantly of
sandy glacial deposits and because the channel had been disturbed by recent
construction work in the Wellsville vicinity. In contrast, considerable
amounts of glacial-lake sediments, predominantly of silt, provide the major
sediment source upstream from Portageville.
1-12
-------
The percentage of silt transported in suspension past Portagevtlle
decreases downstream below the Mount Morris dam, but the sand proportion
increases below the steep gradient of an ancient glacial lake delta further
downstream (the Genesee River flowed into the Canaseraga Valley basin, which
contained a glacial lake). The silt fraction retained in the reservoir at
Mount Morris and the amount deposited below the delta have not been deter-
mined. The determination is complicated because Canaseraga Creek, which
enters the Genesee River below the delta but upstream from the Mount Morris
station, is a source of much clay- and silt-sized material.
The percentage of sand-sized material transported in suspension near the
Mount Morris station is reduced by one-half at Avon, which suggests con-
siderable sand deposition within this reach. For much of the distance between
Geneseo and Avon, the stream flows on till with only a thin cover of alluvium
or glacial-lake clays.
TABLE 3. AVERAGE SLOPE OF SEDIMENT-TRANSPORT CORVES, AT DISCHARGE OF
0.1 CUBIC METERS PER SECOND PER SQUARE KILOMETER, FOR 27
STATIONS IN GENESEE RIVER BASIN, 1975-77
(Curves are shown in figure 3)
04221000
04221725
04222300
04223000
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224978
04225500
04225600
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
04228500
04230320
04230380
04230410
04230423
04230470
04230500
04232000
Station number and name
Genesee River at Wellsville
Genesee River at Transit Bridge near Angelica
Genesee River near Houghton
Genesee River at Portageville
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
Mill Creek at Patchinville
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
Bradner Creek near Dansville
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morris
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center
Mad Creek near Le Roy
Oatka Creek at Garbutt
Genesee River at Rochester
Average slope
1.9
2.7
2.7
2.6
2.9
2.3
2.7
5.9
2.9
3.5
2.4
2.5
1.9
1.8
2.1
2.4
2.5
2.3
5.5
3.9
2.7
2.7
2.4
1.6
1.9
1.9
2.8
1-13
-------
TABLE 4. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AT SELECTED
SAMPLING STATIONS, GENESEE RIVER BASIN, 1975-77
Average percentage
within sediment samples
Clay
Station number and name (<0.004
04221000 Genesee River at Wellsville
04221725 Genesee River at Transit Bridge
near Angelica
04222300 Genesee River near Houghton
04223000 Genesee River at Portageville
04224740 Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
04224775 Canaseraga Creek above Dansvllle
04224848 Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
04224900 Mill Creek at Patchinville
04224930 Mill Creek at Perkinsville
04224940 Mill Creek near Dansville
04224978 Mill Creek at Dansville
04225000 Canaseraga Creek near Dansville
04225500 Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
04225600 Bradner Creek near Dansville
04225670 Bradner Creek near Sonyea
04225915 Keshequa Creek at Nunda
04225950 Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
04226000 Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
04227000 Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
04227500 Genesee River near Mount Morris
04228370 Little Conesus Creek near South Lima
04228380 Little Conesus Creek near East Avon
04228500 Genesee River at Avon
04230320 Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
04230380 Oatka Creek at Warsaw
04230410 Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
04230410 Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
04230423 Oatka Creek near Pavilllon Center
04230470 Mad Creek near Le Roy
04230500 Oatka Creek at Garbutt
04231000 Black Creek at Churchville
04232000 Genesee River at Rochester
26
27
37
32
32
26
27
22
—
22
17
27
22
48
43
38
36
31
44
38
--
--
40
—
28
—
—
—
—
61
—
35
Silt Sand
(0.004- (0.062-
mm) 0.062 mm) 2.0 mm)
50
55
54
54
51
62
59
65
—
46
60
47
56
44
55
51
51
55
43
46
—
—
48
—
50
—
—
—
—
28
— —
49
25
18
9
14
17
12
14
13
13
32
23
26
22
8
2
11
13
14
13
16
—
—
12
24
22
9
18
8
16
11
26
16
1-14
-------
Mill Creek at Perkinsvilie shows a low percentage of sand owing to the
low gradients upstream from this sampling site. The small amount of sand-
sized material transported by Bradner Creek near Dansvilie is unexplained
because the basin upstream from this site contains large amounts of sand and
gravel overlying dense gray till* However, it is probable that the very low
gradient of Bradner Creek, a yazoo-type tributary to Canaseraga Creek, is not
capable of'transporting significant quantities of sand, so that sand brought
down from the upper part of Bradner Creek's basin is deposited in delta-like
fashion on entering the valley* Oatka Creek shows a downstream decrease in
the amount of sand loading; the low amount measured at the Garbutt station is
attributed to the low gradients upstream and low-intensity precipitation
within the drainage area.
Streambed Material
Bed material was collected from 16 stream sites for size and mineralogi-
cal analyses. At sites on small streams, Streambed samples were collected
directly into sample containers; at sites on larger streams, grab samples were
obtained from several spot locations to provide a representative sampling for
the site. Size and mineraloglcal analyses were also done on Streambed samples
from four separate stream reaches to define the spatial variation and material
gradation. Collection was made by a nodal-point method (Wolman, 195A).
Selected samples containing an appreciable amount of fine sediment were ana-
lyzed for mineral content to determine the sources.
Mineralogy of Sediment Material
Samples of suspended sediment and bed and source material were obtained
for mineral analyses. The suspended-sediment samples were collected over a
wide range of runoff conditions; the bed material was collected after a sea-
sonal high-flow period. Table 5 gives results of 274 mineralogical analyses
from stream sites, in downstream order, followed by source materials.
The results of the analyses are consistent with the type and age of the
rocks of the Genesee River basin. The major mineral constituents of all
samples were quartz, illite, and chlorite; quartz was predominant at all but
the lowest flows. The shale, siltstone, and sandstone bedrock underlying the
basin consist predominantly of quartz; the till and glacial-lake deposits
overlying bedrock within the basin are weathered and transported material
derived mostly from the regional rocks.
The major clay constituents throughout the basin are illite and chlorite.
The ratio of illite to chlorite is consistent throughout the basin, with a
mean value of about 3.4:1.
Most sediment samples consisted mainly of quartz and illite. However,
samples from Canaseraga Creek also contained substantial amounts of calcite,
which is probably derived from limestone sediments in the local glacial drift
in the vicinity.
1-15
-------
TABLE 5.--MINERALOGICAL ANALYSES OF SEDIMENT MATERIAL,
GENESEE RIVER BASIN, 1975-77
SIZE MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
STATION I/ DATE TIME MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/ Q P K C CL IL CH KA
04218710 052975 — STREAM BED — 36 8 0 - 56
04218740 052975 — STREAM BED — 54 12 1 - 33
04218740 052975 — STREAM BED ' — 45 8 0 - 47
04218741' 052975 — STREAM BED — 37 9 0 - 54
04221000 071775 1030 STREAM BED <0.062 50 5 3 - 42
04221000 071775 — STREAM BED >0.062 35 10 - - 55
04221000 071775 1030 STREAM BED >0.062 81 4 3 - 12
04221000 071775 1030 STREAM BED >0.062 69 5 3 2 21
04221000 092675 1600 HIGH FLOW >0.062 68 16 3 - 13
04221000 092675 — HIGH FLOW <0.062 42 5 3 - 50
04221000 092675 — HIGH FLOW <0.062 45 6 7 7 35
04221000 100975 1630 SUSPENDED <0.062 45 6 3 - 46
04221000 121475 1020 STREAM BED <0.062 28 7 4 - 61
04221000 021776 1430 SUSPENDED <0.062 35 7 1 - 57
04221000 031376 0930 STREAM BED PSR 46 5 - - 49
04221000 031376 0930 STREAM BED <0.062 46 5 3 - 46
04221725 071775 — STREAM BED <0.062 28 6 - - 66
04221725 071775 -- STREAM BED >0.062 73 4 9 1 13
04221725 091275 1300 HIGH FLOW <.0062 45 5 - - 50
04221725 092675 1840 HIGH FLOW <.0062 53 5 - - 42
04221725 121475 1100 STREAM BED PSR 41 9 - - 50
04221725 020976 — LOW FLOW <0.062 38 6 3 4 49
I/ STATION NUMBER REFERS TO LOCATION IN FIGURE 1 AND TABLE 1
EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
— .
— .
31
40
9
17
10
40
28
38
49
—
40
37
47
10
38
32
38
41
—
11
15
3
4
3
10
7
8
12
—
8
9
19
3
12
10
12
8
-
—
-
-
-
—
—
—
-
—
-
—
1
—
-
—
—
—
-
—
04218710 ERIE (BARGE) CANAL, AT GENESEE RIVER JUNCTION ENTRANCE,
AT ROCHESTER
04218740 ERIE(BARGE) CANAL, AT GENESEE RIVER JUNCTION EXIT,
AT ROCHESTER
04218741 ERIE(BARGE) CANAL, AT GENESEE RIVER JUNCTION
100 M FROM EXIT, AT ROCHESTER
04224000 MOUNT MORRIS LAKE NEAR MOUNT MORRIS
04224964 LITTLE MILL CREEK, AT COUNTY LINE ROAD, NEAR DANSVILLE
04224965 LITTLE MILL CREEK RESERVOIR NEAR DANSVILLE
04227610 GENESEE RIVER, AT BIG TREE ROAD, NEAR GENESEO
04221400 GENESEE RIVER, AT ROCHESTER FIRE CLUB, ROCHESTER
04221500 GENESEE RIVER, ABOVE COURT STREET DAM, ROCHESTER
2/
3/
4/
CORE@ DENOTES DEPTH BELOW SURFACE, IN METERS
AUTOM S. DENOTES AUTOMATIC SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT SAMPLER
PSR DENOTES PIPET PARTICLE-SIZE ANALYSIS RESIDUE
BWR DENOTES BOTTOM WITHDRAWAL PARTICLE-SIZE ANALYSIS RESIDUE
Q-QUARTZ P-PLAGIOCLASE
CL-CLAY IL-ILLITE
VALUES ARE IN PERCENT
K»K FELDSPAR
CH-CHLORITE
(continued)
C-CALCITE
KA-KAOLINITE
1-16
-------
TABLE 5 (continued).
STATION If DATE
04221725
04221725
04221725
04221725
04221725
04221725
04221725
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04223000
04224000
04224000
04224000
021776
021876
031376
031376
040176
042476
100976
021975
071775
071775
091275
092675
092675
092675
111875
121475
012776
021776
021776
030476
031376
031376
031376
042276
042576
042576
102176
031077
031377
031377
031377
031377
031377
031377
031477
031477
033077
040377
042377
042377
042377
042477
072976
072976
072976
TIME
1230
1540
1100
1100
—
1450
1530
—
— -
1230
1350
1040
—
1435
1645
1230
1500
1350
1600
1610
1200
1200
1200
1330
1350
1905
0815
1640
0820
1030
1150
1525
1750
1910
0950
1825
1100
1340
1820
1820
1820
1220
—
—
™
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
RECESSION
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
CORE02.7M
CORE01.5M
CORE@1.2M
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
—
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
—
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
__
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
—
~
~"~
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
Q P K C CL IL CH KA
50 9
48 8
67 11
72 4
29 6
54 11
47 7
51 9
50 6
53 11
52 8
86 4
60 8
58 7
60 11
30 8
48 8
63 8
55 6
58 11
68 7
60 8
68 5
36 8
56 6
47 9
45 14
30 6
48 5
49 7
49 8
47 11
35 8
46 13
46 4
51 8
48 8
35 13
45 7
47 7
53 10
55 9
27 5
25 6
48 7
-
-
-
2
3
4
2
2
-
24
5
-
5
7
-
3
5
3
2
5
-
3
4
0
-
0
9
4
4
4
4
6
6
5
5
4
12
6
5
8
3
7
3
3
4
-
-
-
3
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
4
4
3
2
4
3
3
3
2
3
6
3
3
4
—
—
~
41
44
22
19
58
31
44
38
44
12
35
10
27
28
29
59
39
26
37
26
25
29
23
56
38
44
32
56
39
36
36
34
47
33
46
34
30
43
37
35
31
25
65
66
41
32
34
18
15
45
25
34
29
32
9
27
—
20
21
22
42
29
20
27
19
20
23
18
—
29
—
24
38
27
24
24
24
35
23
33
26
20
31
27
27
22
19
53
52
32
9
10
3
4
13
6
10
9
12
3
8
—
7
7
7
17
10
6
10
7
5
6
5
—
9
—
8
16
10
10
10
9
11
9
11
8
9
10
8
6
7
6
10
11
9
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
T 5/
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
T
-
-
-
-
T
-
-
-
-
-
T
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
-
T
2
2
2
2
T
2
3
T
5/ T - TRACE
(continued)
1-17
-------
TABLE 5 (continued).
STATION I/ DATE
04224000
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224940
04224940
04224940
04224940
04224964
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
072976
062675
072675
• 121375
021076
021176
021876
031276
042176
042576
052076
062476
081576
100976
042477
021176
021876
042576
072976
100976
032877
032877
072976
032877
032877
042377
042377
032877
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
082576
012776
021776
021776
021876
052076
072976
100976
032877
TIME .
--
1700
1700
1200
— -
—
1445
1330
—
1620
1200
1430
0515
1705
1630
—
0905
1130
1835
1615
1500
1440
1810
1500
1555
1915
1915
1720
—
— —
__
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1525
1645
0930
—
1745
1555
1715
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
SURFACE
STREAM BED
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
AUTOM S.
HIGH FLOW
AUTOM S.
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
CORE@1.5M
CORE@1.5M
CORES 1.5M
CORE@1.5M
CORE@2.3M
CORE02.3M
CORE@2.3M
CORE@6.4M
CORE(?6.4M
CORE@6.4M
CORE@6.4M
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
—
<0.062
>0.062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
—
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
<0.062
q
53
35
66
31
38
39
36
59
26
57
36
56
22
58
43
41
49
39
40
49
65
58
46
47
43
46
52
49
65
60
59
59
56
49
53
47
46
51
42
40
59
60
49
43
44
38
41
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
P K C CL IL CH
9
19
6
6
12
8
4
9
5
14
7
6
6
6
4
9
13
8
6
7
-
10
8
12
11
28
4
10
5
11
7
7
9
5
7
9
6
5
13
11
8
7
12
12
12
12
5
4 -
_ _
- 8
2 8
5 4
1 -
1 -
4 7
4 4
3 3
3 -
- 17
- -
- 9
15 8
1 -
13 -
- _
5 1
3 -
8 -
4 3
4 7
4 17
5 15
2 10
17 8
8 5
3 1
5 -
4 -
5 -
_ —
3 -
4 -
_ _
3 -
e „
- i
3 -
4 4
6 3
4 -
4 8
5 5
5 9
5 10
34
46
20
53
41
52
59
21
61
23
54
21
72
27
30
49
25
53
48
41
27
25
35
20
26
14
19
28
26
24
30
29
35
43
36
44
45
39
44
46
25
24
35
33
34
36
39
27
33
13
38
30
—
—
16
47
18
39
16
59
21
23
—
18
40
36
30
20
18
26
14
16
10
13
18
19"
17
23
23
27
33
29
32
33
30
34
—
18
17
26
24
25
27
27
7
13
6
15
11
—
—
5
14
5
15
5
13
6
7
—
7
13
12
11
7
7
9
6
9
4
5
10
6
7
7
6
8
10
7
12
12
9
10
—
7
7
9
9
9
9
9
KA
T
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
T
-
T
-
-
-
-
-
T
-
-
T
1
-
1
-
1
—
-
-
-
-
-
—
-
—
-
-
—
-
-
-
-
-
3
(continued)
1-18
-------
TABLE 5 (continued).
STATION II DATE
04224978
04224978
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225600
04225600
04225670
04225670
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225950
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
032877
042477
062675
062675
012776
021076
021776
021876
062375
072375
121375
021176
021776
030576
031276
042276
042476
042477
021876
102176
071775
042576
071975
071975
011476
020976
021776
030476
042377
011476
062675
062675
062675
121375
011476
021176
042276
062576
042377
062675
070875
071775
072375
TIME
1715
1425
1720
1720
—
—
1330
—
1930
1930
0900
--
1810
1215
0900
1330
1830
0910
1015
1105
—
1340
—
~
—
— -
--
—
1035
1600
2000
1410
—
—
— -
—
--
1550
1530
0900
0930
1045
1910
1915
1530
1915
1800
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
RECESSION
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
STREAMBED
STREAMBED
<0.062
PSR
XJ.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
PSR
<0.062
X0.062
PSR
PSR
--
—
<0.062
<0.062
_
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
< 0.62
> .25
> .062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
0.062
XJ.062
>0.062
q
39
42
66
48
36
42
56
43
34
59
46
37
66
54
56
40
59
40
54
28
44
28
52
45
34
59
26
51
51
48
47
24
40
42
56
50
63
27
33
58
30
67
38
34
23
58
55
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
P K C CL IL CH KA
18
8
11
14
8
7
9
12
7
6
11
9
9
12
8
10
11
9
10
6
9
6
6
10
7
14
5
5
8
12
9
5
23
8
7
22
13
5
6
8
7
14
9
12
6
7
9
2 18
6 12
- 7
- -
1 -
4 2
3 5
4 -
- -
5 11
4 4
4 -
- -
6 -
- -
3 3
- -
4 12
5 -
- -
3 3
3 -
3 8
3 12
4 -
8 3
3 -
3 -
4 -
7 -
8 6
2 -
3 2
7 12
- 3
4 4
- 4
- 5
1 -
4 -
- 5
3 -
5 9
15 6
- 9
- 12
4 9
23
32
16
38
55
45
27
41
59
19
35
50
25
28
36
44
30
35
31
66
41
63
31
30
55
16
66
41
37
33
30
69
32
31
34
20
20
63
60
30
58
16
39
33
62
23
23
17
22
12
27
—
34
20
—
43
14
27
—
19
21
30
35
23
25
21
48
30
—
23
22
39
11
—
31
27
25
22
__
23
22
26
15
14
47
— —
21
43
12
30
24
46
15
15
6
9
4
11
—
11
7
—
16
5
8
—
6
7
6
9
7
9
10
18
11
—
7
7
16
5
—
10
10
8
7
—
7
8
8
5
6
16
__
9
15
4
8
9
16
5
8
-
1
„
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
_
1
-
-
-
-
1
1
-
T
-
—
—
—
1
-
T
1
—
_
—
T
—
_
-
_
1
_
3
T
(continued)
1-19
-------
TABLE 5 (continued),
STATION I/ DATE
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227500
04227610
04227610
04227610
04227610
04227610
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
092675
092675
121375
. 011376
021976
031276
042576
102176
042377
042477
042577
062775
062775
062775
062775
070975
082675
082675
082775
082775
082775
082775
092675
121475
011376
021976
030476
030476
031376
031376
042576
102176
112776
033077
042477
082875
082875
082875
082875
082875
070975
071775
071975
092775
120275
121475
TIME
1040
1515
1615
—
0930
1600
1430
1230
1245
1050
0900
—
—
—
—
1115
—
—
—
—
—
—
1600
1345
—
1220
1450
1750
1345
1345
2015
1140
1105
1340
1208
~
—
—
~
—
0830
1445
1445
0915
—
1500
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH STAGE
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
RECESSION
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SING-STAGE
STREAM BED
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
—
<0.062
PSR
—
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
> 4
> 0.25
> .062
< .062
0.062
__
—
—
—
—
—
<0.062
PSR
— .
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
-—
PSR
PSR
PSR
PSR
—
— -
—
—
—
0.062
>0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
Q
56
54
43
31
48
26
45
52
44
34
42
47
44
61
40
24
51
49
53
41
29
40
60
59
49
48
55
50
61
40
53
45
55
46
38
42
50
41-
32
38
36
34
63
56
73
37
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
P K C CL IL CH KA
8
10
7
8
9
8
9
8
17
21
17
4
7
14
5
5
11
10
12
7
7
8
10
12
9
8
12
11
6
6
8
10
6
9
6
9
10
* 8
5
7
10
2
10
11
10
7
7
—
—
5
11
7
8
—
4
3
6
17
36
5
2
—
1
2
0
0
2
3
—
—
3
4
—
3
4
5
3
3
—
3
9
0
1
1 *
1
1
—
7
5
—
—
-
-
~
3
-
2
-
..
4
3
9
5
6
—
-.
2
—
-.
—
-
—
~
_
—
—
-
8
—
—
—
—
—
3
—
3
13
_
—
—
_
—
5
4
3
—
—
-
29
36
47
56
30
59
38
36
32
33
30
26
13
20
51
71
37
39
35
52
62
50
30
29
39
32
33
36
29
49
36
39
39
39
34
49
39
50
62
54
49
53
19
33
27
56
21
27
36
38
22
47
29
29
22
23
19
20
10
13
37
55
—
—
— —
—
— —
—
22
22
29
25
24
27
25
41
27
29
30
28
26
__
— _
—
__
— —
36
37
15
25
20
41
8
9
11
18
8
10
9
7
8
8
9
6
3
7
14
16
—
__
—
__
—
—
8
7
10
7
9
9
7
8
9
10
9
9
8
__
—
__
__
—
13
13
4
8
7
13
-
_
_
_
_
2
_
_
2
2
2
_
—
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
2
T
_
_
_
_
_
_
3
T
_
_
2
(continued)
1-20
-------
TABLE 5 (continued).
STATION 11 DATE
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04228500
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230380
04230410
04230500
04230500
04230500
04230500
04230500
04230500
04230500
04231000
04231000
04231000
04231000
04231000
04231400
04231500
04232000
04232000
04232000
04232000
04232000
04232000
04232000
121975
011476
021076
021776
022476
030476
031376
031376
031376
042676
073176
110176
030977
042477
042877
042977
071875
071875
121575
021176
030376
031476
042776
052076
021176
071875
071875
121575
021276
030576
031476
042676
071875
071875
121575
031476
042676
052975
052975
070975
011476
021276
021976
021976
030476
042376
TIME
1100
—
—
1500
1645
1900
1500
1500
1500
1805
1255
0905
1050
1655
1510
1145
0915
0915
0930
—
1650
0945
1015
0930
—
1200
1200
— -
--
1345
1430
1200
1240
1240
—
1350
1545
—
~
1430
--
__
1700
0800
1200
1030
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
RECESSION
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
RECESSION
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAMBED
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
RECESSION
SUSPENDED
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
—
0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
BWR
PSR
PSR
PSR
<0.062
PSR
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
BWR
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
PSR
<0.062
BWR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
PSR
PSR
<0.062
--
—
0.062
_
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
Q
40
47
27
56
38
45
56
71
57
45
48
41
43
43
48
41
61
34
32
43
54
54
35
45
30
26
29
38
37
34
44
31
20
29
31
40
16
46
46
26
—
46
47
58
53
31
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
P K C CL IL CH KA
22
9
9
11
21
10
7
4
6
6
8
9
20
8
6
7
6
7
5
8
11
7
5
6
6
9
7
5
3
5
5
4
7
11
6
7
3
8
8
4
_
9
24
7
8
5
- 3
- -
4 -
4 -
- -
5 -
3 4
3 -
5 6
9 -
— -
5 -
4 -
3 8
4 6
7 3
5 4
- 6
4 11
4 -
- -
4 8
3 -
- -
3 -
- 25
6 51
3 15
— —
4 2
2 24
- 7
- 11
6 37
3 18
6 8
2 -
1 -
1 -
- 4
_ _
3 -
— —
4 -
4 -
- -
35
44
60
29
41
40
30
22
26
40
44
45
33
38
36
42
24
53
48
45
35
27
57
49
61
40
7
39
60
55
25
58
62
17
42
39
79
45
45
66
__
42
29
31
35
64
24
32
47
21
31
31
24
18
21
31
34
35
23
28
27
29
18
40
34
33
26
21
42
36
50
31
5
30
47
43
20
48
56
14
31
31
— _
__
—
51
__
32
21
22
26
51
11
12
11
8
10
9
6
4
5
9
10
10
8
9
7
11
6
13
14
12
9
6
15
13
11
9
2
7
10
12
4
10
6
3
10
8
—
__
__
15
_—
9
8
9
9
13
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
T
-
—
T
2
1
2
2
—
_
—
-
—
—
—
—
T
—
—
2
3
—
1
T
—
-
1
-
_
_
_
_
__
1
_
_
_
-
(continued)
1-21
-------
TABLE 5 (continued).
LOCATION 6/
CLAY BED RD, FILLMORE
CLAY BED RD, FILLMORE
EMO RD, S. OF PATCHINVILLE
EMO RD, S. OF PATCHINVILLE
ESTERBROOK FARM, HOUGTON
ESTERBROOK FARM, HOUGTON
GRAHAM FARM, N. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, N. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, N. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, N. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, N. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, N. .PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, S. , PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, S. .PORTAGEVIL
GRAHAM FARM, S. , PORTAGEVIL
WEARKLEY RD, NR PATCHINVIL
LATTICE BR RD, HOUGTON
MILL CR RAVINE, PERKINSVIL
MILL CR RAVINE, PERKINSVIL
RT 36, DANSVILLE
RT 63, DANSVILLE
RT 63, 1.4 KM E.OF DANSVIL
RT 63, 1.4 KM E.OF DANSVIL
SHONGO CR. BR, CANEADEA
DATE
073076
073076
051376
051376
073076
073076
120876
120876
120876
120876
120876
120876
120876
120876
120876
062277
073076
040276
040276
040276
040276
051376
051376
073076
MATERIAL
LCS
LCS
HLD TILL
HLD TILL
AN
TG
AN
LCS
TG
AF
AF
AF
L
AN
AF
HLD TILL
LCS
LCS
TBS
TILL
V.CLAY
BR LAKE
BR LAKE
AF
SIZE
11 MM
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
X).062
<0.062
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
Q
16
22
72
66
52
51
—
34
40
62
16
44
34
61
48
38
42
51
44
33
45
52
56
50
MINERAL CONSTITUENT
P K C CL IL CH
6
6
5
5
6
6
6
8
6
4
6
7
9
6
7
8
15
7
8
11
10
7
6
4
3
4
3
-
-
3
3
2
-
4
4
4
2
4
3
3
4
5
5
8
-
4
-
3
1
-
-
-
4
4
7
18
-
-
-
-
7
-
16
16
29
13
2
3
—
74
66
18
26
42
43
53
45
23
62
46
55
26
44
44
47
15
29
25
26
28
34
40
64
55
15
22
37
34
42
36
19
56
40
45
23
40
37
40
9
22
18
17
22
29
32
10
11
3
4
5
8
—
11
9
4
6
6
10
3
4
7
7
5
7
7
8
6
5
8
KA
—
—
—
—
— •
1
—
—
T
—
—
—
—
—
—
TR
—
1
—
TR
1
—
—
—
6/ GRAHAM FARM, N. DENOTES NORTHERN PART OF SLIDE AREA, GENESEE RIVER,
3 KM SOUTH OF PORTAGEVILLE
GRAHAM FARM, S. DENOTES SOUTHERN PART OF SLIDE AREA, GENESEE RIVER,
3 KM SOUTH OF PORTAGEVILLE
BR DENOTES BRIDGE
CR DENOTES CREEK
E DENOTES EAST
RD DENOTES ROAD
7/ AF DENOTES ALLUVIUM ABOVE 100-YEAR FLOOD LEVEL
AN DENOTES ALLUVIUM BELOW 100-YEAR FLOOD LEVEL
(MULLER, YOUNG, RHODES, WILLETTE, WILSON,
1976, NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WRITTEN COMMUN.)
HLD TILL DENOTES HIGHLAND SANDY TILL
L DENOTES GLACIAL LAKE MATERIAL
LCS DENOTES LACUSTRINE SILT AND CLAY
TBS DENOTES BROWN SANDY TILL
TG DENOTES DENSE GRAY TILL
V.CLAY DENOTES VARVED CLAY
BR LAKE DENOTES BROWN GLACIAL LAKE MATERIAL
1-22
-------
STREAMFLOW- AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT-DURATION ANALYSES
Streamflow- and suspended-sediment-duration curves depict the temporal
distribution of mean daily data at a given location. Ten such curves are pre-
sented in figure 4. Where streamflow data are available from stations
operated before this study (see table 1), analyses of these data are presented
for comparison with the June 1975 to May 1977 data. The curves illustrate
that high streamflows, high suspended-sediment concentration, and high sedi-
ment loads occurred during only a small percentage of time during the study.
For example, sediment in amounts greater than 10,000 Mg per day was
transported by the Cenesee River at Rochester only 12 percent of the time
during 1975-77.
Another application of duration curves is to determine the percentage of
time that a particular concentration value was equaled or exceeded. For
example, from June 1975 to May 1977, the median stream discharge (equaled or
exceeded 50 percent of the time) of the Genesee River at Rochester (fig. 4J)
was 60 m^/s. Median suspended-sediment concentration was 40 milligrams per
liter, and median suspended-sediment discharge was 200 Mg per day.
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT YIELD
Duration curves can "be used to compute the average annual suspended-
sediment yield at sampling stations. Sediment yields during this study were
determined by the transport-duration technique described by Miller (1951),
which uses sediment-transport curves and streamflow-duration curves such as
those presented in figure 4. An example of the computational procedure to
determine average annual suspended-sediment load and yield at Rochester is
given in table 6. Two assumptions are made in this method: (1) that the
sediment-transport and flow-duration curves represent long-term relationships,
and (2) that the observed instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge has the
same relation to the corresponding water discharge as mean daily sediment has
to water discharge. The advantage of this method is that, within these
assumptions, a computation can be made from only a few years of streamflow
and(or) sediment discharge.
Calculated average annual suspended-sediment yields for stations with
daily streamflow records are given in table 7. The values shown for the
Genesee River at Wellsville, Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing, Oatka Creek
at Warsaw and Garbutt, and Black Creek at Churchville are lower than antici-
pated from field observations and areal study. Although the values in table 7
are valid within the accuracy of the technique used to obtain them, values
about twice those listed for the sites may be more realistic.
1-23
-------
TABLE 6. COMPUTED AVERAGE ANNUAL SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT LOAD AND
YIELD, GENESEE RIVER AT ROCHESTER, BASED ON 1953-77
STREAMFLOW AND 1975-77 SEDIMENT WATER-YEAR RECORDS
(1) .
Percentage
of time
discharge
was equaled
or exceeded
0.0-0.25
0.25-0.75
0.75-1.5
1.5-2.5
2.5-4.5
4.5-8.5
8.5-15
15-25
25-35
35-45
45-55
55-75
75-95
95-100
Totals
(2)
Interval
(percentage
time of
column 1)
0.25
.50
.75
1.0
2
4
6.5
10
10
10
10
20
20
5
100
(3)
Mld-
ordinate
(percent of
column 2)
0.125
.50
1.125
2.0
3.5
6.5
11.75
20
30
40
50
65
85
97.5
(4)
Water
discharge
(m3/s)
540
435
380
340
297
260
180
120
84
62
46
30
18
13
(5)
Suspended-
sediment
discharge
(megagrams/day)
56,000
29,000
21,000
15,500
11,000
7,800
3,200
1,320
650
365
220
110
55
35
(6)
Average
daily sedi-
ment discharge
(column 2 x
column 5)
140
145
158
155
220
312
208
132
65.0
36.5
22.0
22.0
11.0
1.8
1,628
Average annual suspended-sediment load
(1,628 Mg/d x 365 days)
Average annual suspended-sediment yield
(594,000 Mg / 6.364 km).....
.594,000 Mg
..93 Mg/km2.
1-24
-------
TABLE 7. DRAINAGE AREA AND AVERAGE ANNUAL SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT LOAD AND
YIELD AT STATIONS SAMPLED IN GENESEE RIVER BASIN
04221000
04221725
04222300
04223000
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04222978
04225000
04225500
04225600.
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
04228500
04230320
04230380
04230400
04230410
04230423
04230470
04230500
04231000
04232000
Station number and name
Genesee River at Wellsville
Genesee River at Transit Bridge
near Angelica
Genesee River near Houghton
Genesee River at Portageville
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook
State Park
Mill Creek -at Patchinville
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
Bradner Creek near Dansville
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers
Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morris
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Oatka Creek at Pearl Creek
Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center
Mad Creek near Le Roy
Oatka Creek at Garbutt
Black Creek at Churchville
Genesee River at Rochester
Drainage
area
(kift2)
749
1,494
1,940
2,541
49.7
233
53.9
13.0
46.9
57.0
93.0
396
469
19.3
106
84.4
152
178
862
3,670
4,318
41.4
109
209
28.2
288
26.2
528
319
6,364
Measured
average annual
suspended-
sediment load
(1976-77)
(Ms)
44,000
—
—
1,080,000
—
—
—
—
_
_
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
_
222,000
990,000
794,000
_
_
__
_
__
_
10,900
«.
1,060,000
Calculated
average annual
suspended-
sediment load
(1975-77)
(Mg)
81,300
—
—
540,000
—
28,600
__
—
__
__
—
—
—
—
—
—
__
44,000
144,000
1,390,000
949,000
«.
3,660
_..
_—
—,
6,260
»
594,000
Suspended-
sediment
yield
(1975-77)
(Mg/km2)
108
—
—
212
__
123
_-
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
247
167
378
220
34
»
_—
«—
12
93
1-25
-------
SECTION 6
DISCUSSION OF SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE
Records and curves of suspended-sediment concentration and suspended-
sediment-discharge duration show that high streamflow, high suspended-sediment
concentration, and high suspended-sediment discharge occurred during only a
small percentage of time from 1975-77, but the total amount of suspended-
sediment transported during the small time percentage was relatively large.
Conversely, streamflow and suspended-sediment discharge were low during a
large percentage of time, and the total amount of suspended-sediment
transported at low flows was relatively small.
From April 1975 to September 1977, the greatest daily suspended-sediment
load transported by the Genesee River (201,000 Mg) was at Portageville on
February 17, 1976. This load represents 19 percent of the total measured at
that station during the 1976 water year. From February 16-20, 1976, the
Genesee River at Portageville transported a sediment yield of 197 Mg/km2—
seven times the yield at Wellsville (28 Mg/km2) and 5 1/2 times that at
Rochester (35 Mg/km2). The suspended-sediment load transported past the
Wellsville and Portageville sampling stations during February 1976 was 62 per-
cent of the amount transported during the 1976 water year. During February
1976, streamflow at Wellsville and Portageville was 27 percent, respectively,
of the annual total; the large sediment load transported at that time is
attributed to thawing and major runoff after a winter freeze.
The greatest monthly load at all daily suspended-sediment stations during
the 1977 water year was in September. The September totals represent from 1/4
to 1/2 of the annual loads transported past the stations. The second highest
amount was during March, when about 20 percent of the annual load was
transported past most stations.
The 1976 and 1977 annual suspended-sediment loads were about the same at
Portageville as at Rochester. The totals at Wellsville, Canaseraga Creek at
Shakers Crossing, and Genesee River near Mount Morris and at Avon were greater
in 1977 than in 1976; however, the total for Oatka Creek at Garbutt was
greater in 1976. This anomaly has not yet been explained.
The amount of sediment being deposited above the Mount Morris dam is
undetermined. Canaseraga Creek adds sediment to the Genesee River near Mount
Morris station, and deposition occurs in downstream river channels wherever
gradients are low. Some temporary deposition is suggested by the downstream
suspended-sediment discharge progression.
1-26
-------
The greatest monthly total suspended-sediment yield during 1976-77 was In
the Genesee River at Portageville (262 Mg/kra2 in February 1976) and in
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing (109 Mg/km2 in September 1977). The
yield measured at Avon was less than at Mount Morris; this reflects the normal
pattern of decreasing sediment yield with increasing drainage area. The
highest monthly yield during June-August 1976 was In July in the Genesee River
at Mount Morris (7.3 Mg/km2) and Portageville (7.2 Mg/km2). Downstream from
Portageville, the month of highest yield was August, with 6.4 Mg/km2 at Avon
and 4.4 Mg/km2 at Rochester. This yield pattern suggests that under summer
hydrologic conditions, sediment is stored on the wide flood plains and in low-
gradient channels downstream from Geneseo and Avon.
Sediment load during September 1977 was considerably less at the site
near Mount Morris than at Portageville, even with the inclusion of sediment
from Canaseraga Creek into the Genesee main stem, presumably because of con-
siderable sediment deposition in the reservoir behind the Mount Morris dam.
However, without extensive cliraatological and hydrologic analysis, the low
sediment load between Portageville and Mount Morris cannot be fully explained.
Results of particle-size analyses show that, in general, the percentage
of stream-transported sand is directly related to stream gradient, source
rocks, and unconsolidated deposits. Most of the source materials are at the
higher elevation within the basin, where stream gradients are also the steep-
est. Comparison of percentages of sand-sized material at different sites show
a downstream decrease in sand percentage.
1-27
-------
REFERENCES
Colby, B. R. 1956. Relationship of sediment discharge to streamflow. U.S.
Geological Survey open-file report, 170 p.
Guy, H. P. 1969. Laboratory theory and methods for sediment analysis. U.S.
Geological Survey Techniques of Water Resources Investigations, Book 5,
Chapter Cl, 58 p.
Mansue, L. J., Young, R. A., and Soren, J. 1983. Part IIj Hydrogeologic
influences on sediment transport patterns in the Genesee River basin.
In Volume 4; Streamflow and sediment transport, Final Report Genesee
River Watershed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Miller, C. R. 1951. Analysis of flow-duration sediment-rating method of
computing sediment yield. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 55 p.
Porterfield, George, 1972, Computation of fluvial-sediment discharge: U.S.
Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 3,
Chapter C3, 66 p.
Walling, D. E., 1976, Natural and channel erosion of unconsolidated source
material (geomorphic control, magnitude and frequency of transfer
mechanisms), in Shear, H., and Watson, A. E. P., eds., Proceedings,
Workshop on the fluvial transport of sediment-associated nutrients
and contaminants: Kitchener, Ontario, International Joint Committee
Research Advisory Board, p. 1-36.
[U.S.] Water Resources Council, 1975, Instruments and reports for fluvial
sediment investigations, Catalog: Federal Inter-Agency Sedimentation
Project, Sedimentation Committee, 61 p.
Wolman, M. G., 1954, A method of sampling coarse river-bed material: Trans-
actions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 35, no. 6, p. 951-956.
1-28
-------
7B-30'
78"
43'
42
30'
42
EXPLANATION
,04227500 Stage and daily sediment
' site and number
£04231000 Stage-recording and sediment
partial-record site and number
A04230470 Stage and sediment partial-
record site and number
O Precipitation-recording site
•*—3.4 Radiocarbon dating sample
site and number!s) of samplels):
tip of arrowhead is approximate
site(s) location
•—•— Drainage boundary 042304C
77-30'
LAKC ONTARIO
1O
20MILES
10 20KILOMETERS
Base from U.S. Goologiral Survttv
NY .mil PA Si.n.. li.i-.i MIS. I r.oo.
-------
OC-I
(M
m
MOO
333
CO rtOO
H- M rt
re -O a
• 1
n a>
cu n <
3 H- CD
O.T3 1
H. CO
*J rt 00
O 0> (0
n rt
3* H. a
(BOO
CO 3 3
rt rt
CD M> 3*
1 I M
o> ra
3 n
c P-
CU T3
•^ rt
to
h-> rt
VO H-
~J O
Oi 3
cn MI
CD o
•a i
rt
fD -O
S. ">
cf i
(B H-
•^ o
a.
vO O
B) (D
rt n
CD IX
CO H->
< VO
H- *-
(B -»J
• o
CO
3
Cu
s § s s
ai
O
8
^^
mini
MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION, IN MILLIMETERS
-• — N)
00808 o i
s
unnnni
,1(111)1)111
ill
^»w
MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION, IN MILLIMETERS
*^ -• -* ISJ
S 00808 o
"" ' ' ' 'S ""
I
M
3
S
M
I
-------
•b.
0(331000 - tCNCSCC DlVCIt HI NCLL3«!UC, «. I.
MRTDt 7CMt
o-tsre HRicit irw
• - an UBTOI im»
'lO'
10' 10* 10'
NOTCH OI9CMMC, IH CUBIC ICtOIS PT" KCONO
r
«- vxtu. »I«CT in iwwsn • IMC icm flNeeuw, H.I.
B
ID1 10' 10'
mien oiscHHwe, IN CUBIC MCTCTS m> straw
Figure 3.—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
A, Genesee River at Wellsville; B, Genesee River at Transit Bridge near Angelica.
-------
s-
E
I
•-» 5
~\tf
04222300 - CCNCSCC RIVIII fCffi HOUEHTON, H.I.
10' 10' 10'
MHO* oisctwtec, IN CUBIC mwa rcn stcwc
10'
i •
041311100 - CCNCJCC RIVE* BT PCHIIBttVILlC, ». I.
10' 10' 10'
«BTW 015CHWW, IN CUBIC ICTTKS ft' STOJC
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
C, Genesee River near Houghton; D, Genesee River at Portageville.
-------
wow turn; xrm oMMcmtoi, n. i.
V
l"
Itf IQ' 10'
MIDI OUCHWSC, IN CUBIC ICtOW fCR 9CGON9
10'
o«»«r?j - tuna.*** wctr iwwe OWSHLLC, «. r.
i "
mm OIJCMMC. m CUBIC nciws PCH attm
ID1
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
E, Sugar Creek near Canaseraga; F, Canaseraga Creek above Dansvilie.
-------
•o.
V =
U)
0«n
-------
' *
fc.\ ft
Ui I
- HILL OWMC «T PDK1WHUC, K.T.
\
-------
u £
*
- ma trac ff omuv.'LLr, i.
10'
K
10' 10' 10'
wit* oiscwrcr, IN CUBIC nno« fr* xcoxo
10'
0431SSOO - otmsninefl CHECK «t cmwcLmD, N. t.
10* 10'
WITCT OIlCHRRtC, IN CUBIC ICTCK) fFK
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
K, Mill Creek at Dansville; L, Canaseraga Creek at Groveland.
-------
u>
VJ
•o.
amocK wren mm nmsviac, H.I.
M
t,.
-V
S
10' 10* 10'
NOTtX OUCWWC, IN CUBIC ICITO PCX JCOKI
10-
N
Q423567Q * BRflDCR CHECK NCflR 9QNTCR/ N.T.
I »
10" 10* 10'
«m oncmrec, m CUBIC rerun t» xmo
Figure 3 (cont.)-—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
M, Bradner Creek near Dansville; N, Bradner Creek near Sonyea.
-------
00
•b
OUU*1S - KMHCDUt OIKK RT NUHOT, N.I.
10'
in' 10' 10"
•IKK OIMMMC, IN CUBIC IC1CK3 fCK 9CCOND
10'
04135JM - KCJNtOUII CICCK RT 7U3OWOW1, N.T.
10'
10' 10' 10'
me* DIKMMO:, IN CUBIC icTcn mt XCCND
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
0, Keshequa Creek at Nunda; P, Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora.
-------
ouwxn - «I:JHEQUB wxx m emit touwi JOHICT, H.I.
10' ID1
:, m CUBIC man re* SCCOND
awnsmncn CKCCK HT MKcm cmjsiNt. N.T.
'ID'
10"
10' _ 10'
9CWHK, IN CUBIC HL1CRS fCM liv^Ml
10'
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streanflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
Q, Keshequa Creek at Craig Colony, Sonyea; R, Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing.
-------
M S
S I
(HW75QQ - ttHESCC RIVCP NT H3UNT IttWIS, * T.
o.
'id-
10' 10* 10*
MICH oisowmc, IM CUBIC ictnts TR XCOND
10'
- celeste mvcR RT WON,
10' 10' 10'
MHTCP oiscHnmc, IN CUBIC ncTnis IT* SCCOND
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
S, Genesee River near Mount Morris; T, Genesee River at Avon.
-------
- ami went m raw aw, «, r.
u
'10'
10'' Id" 10'
•ncK Dimme, i* CUBIC ncms PCK SCOONQ
ib1
047W3M - OKIKR CHECK RT NNI9MI.
10' 10' 10'
wrtCT aiJMMC. IN CUBIC ncTots m KCOND
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
U, Oatka Creek at Rock Glen; V, Oatka Creek at Warsaw.
-------
V
v
oino4ia - KWL CHECK or nm meat, N.I.
W
I -•
ft- 'ib*.'_. 'ib'
•not onatiwc, IN ante man mt sccao
10'
omicn turn nrmt NWILJIM conw, x. i.
'i -
uf 10' 10'
MTCR OUCHOC, IN CUBIC HC1DO RR 3CCOND
10'
Figure 3 (cont.)-—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
W, Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek; X, Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center.
-------
"a.
-o.
l"1 e
» I
<-> 8
- 1*0 cat!* tew LC HOT, N.I.
10' 10' 10'
irart oncmtec, in CUBIC icmn PT» stcwn
10'
onicn cum m snuiiu'''!. « r
10'
10'
runic
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
Y, Mad Creek near LeRoy; Z, Oatka Creek at Garbutt.
-------
0011000 - ttNCJK HIVCR m ROCHTJtn, ». I.
AA
10' 10*
MBTCT D13CHWCC, IN CUBIC ICTCKS PCK 9CCOND
10'
Figure 3 (cont.).—Instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment curves for Genesee River basin:
AA, Genesee River at Rochester.
-------
10,000
1000
100
10
0.1
i r
i i i I i
j I
i i i i i i
j i
i I i I
••.01 0.060.10.2 0.6 % 2 6 10 2O 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 85 98 9999.699.899.9 99.99
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4A. Long-term daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily
btreamflow, suspended sediment concentration, and suspended
sediment discharge, Genesee River at Wellsville.
1-45
-------
100,000
10,000
E >-
-I <
o-
i —rn 1000
ir
<
II
100
85
10
m—m—T—i—i—i—r—r-r
i—i—i—i—i—n—rr
i i i i i i i i
i i
0.01 0.060.10.2 0,5 1
10
20 30 40 SO 60 70 SO
90
98 9999.599.899.9
99.99
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4B. Long-term daily streamfluw and June 1975-May 1977 mean
daily streamflow, suspended sediment concentration, and
suspended sediment discharge, Genesee River at Portageville.
1-46
-------
10,000
1000 -
CJ
UJ
V)
I
g
y
CO
u
100
10
0.1
i i I i I r
i i
ill til
1
I i i i I i i
J I
I I I I I
80
90 95
98 9999.599.899.9
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.5 1 2 6 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4C. Long-term daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean
daily streamflow, Canaseraga Creek above Dansville.
99.99
1-47
-------
10.000
1000 -
Q
o
QC
LU
Q.
y
m
U
100 -
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.6 1 2 5 10 2O 30 40 SO 60 70 80 90 96 98 9999.599.899.9 99.99
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4D. Long-lerm daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean
daily streamflow, Keshequa Creek at Sonyea.
1-48
-------
100,000
10,000
to
£^§ 1000
CL «= LU
g-J
2^ '00
IP
IsS
10
I I
I i I I i I i i
I LI i i
I
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.5 1 2
Figure 4E.
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 9S 98 9999.599.899.9
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Long-term streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily stream
streamflow, suspended sediment concentration and suspended
sediment discharge, Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing.
99.99
1-49
-------
100,000
10,000
tr —''
rr-. — i
Ufiji
1000
100
10
r~n—\—r
T — i i i — i — i
1 — i
i — rr
iii
i i i i i i i
j
i i i i i
1
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.8 1 2 5 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 90 95 90 9999.599.899.9 99.99
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4F. Long-term, daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily
streamflow, suspended sediment concentration, and suspended
sediment discharge, Genesee River near Mt. Morris.
1-50
-------
100,000
10,000
100
10
TTT—rr~-i—r
i i I I i—i—i—i—r—n—r
i i i i i i i i
A J L I J I I
I
I I
I
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.6 1 2 S tO 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 90 95 98 99 99.S99.899.9 99.99
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 4G. Long-term daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily
streamflow, suspended sediment concentration, and suspended
sediment discharge, Genesee River at Avon.
1-51
-------
1000
100
10
0.1
0.01
ill 111 — \ — I
i — i — r— r— i — rr
i i i i i i i i
i
i i i
i
i i
i
0.01 0.050.10.2 0.5 1 2 5 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 90 95 96 9999.599.899.9
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOWWAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
99.99
Figure 4H. Long-term daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily
streamflow, Oatka Creek at Warsaw.
, 1-52
-------
10,000
1000
100
10
0.1
I I I I
iii i i >
i i i i i i i i
i i i
0.01 0.050.10.2 O.S 1 2 5 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 00 95 96 99 99.8*9.899.9
PERCENTAGE OF TIME STREAMFLOW. SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION,
AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED
Figure 41. Long-term daily streamflow and June 1975-May 1977 mean daily
streamflow, suspended sediment concentration and suspended
sediment discharge, Oatka Creek at Garbutt.
99.99
1-53
-------
100,000
10,000 -
tr
LU
t- >-
LIJ
O
-------
PART II
HYDROGEOLOGIC INFLUENCES ON SEDIMENT-TRANSPORT PATTERNS
IN THE GENESEE RIVER BASIN, NEW YORK
by
Lawrence J. Mansue, Richard A. Young, and Julian Soren
U.S. Geological Survey
Ithaca, New York, 14850
Prepared in cooperation with the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bureau of Water Research
Albany, New York, 12233
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Chicago, Illinois
-------
CONTENTS - PART II
Abstract • i
Figures. ii
Tables iii
Conversion factors and abbreviations iv
Acknowledgments v
1. Introduction 1
Purpose of study 1
Scope *
Method 1
2. Summary and conclusions 3
3. Genesee River basin 5
Physiography -*
Bedrock and surf icial geology 8
Soils 10
Land use ^
Channel geology and stream characteristics 10
Gradient s H
A. Sediments 17
Suspended sediment 1?
Suspended-sediment loads. 1?
Seasonal variation 3.9
Average annual load and yield. 20
Bed material 20
Physical properties 20
Particle size 20
Atterberg limits 21
Mineralogy 25
Reservoir sampling 26
5. Sediment transport 27
Genesee River basin 27
Subbasins 27
Mill Creek 27
Stony Brook 28
Genesee River reach from Belmont to Portageville.... 28
Long-term erosion and deposition rates 28
References 32
-------
ABSTRACT
Sediment loads transported by streams in the Genesee River basin were
studied from 1975 to 1977 to determine their sources, composition, distri-
bution, movement, and relation to land use and basin geology. The basin is
characterized by forested uplands, farmlands in the central part, and urban
development in the vicinity of Rochester at the basin's mouth on Lake Ontario.
However, the sediment loads and composition seem to be more related to preci-
pitation patterns (including snowmelt) and basin geology than to land use.
Reaches of the Genesee River's main stem were differentiated by geologic
and channel-gradient conditions. Sediment loads and composition in the
reaches varied according to precipitation, runoff, geology, topography,
availability and erodability of sediment-source materials, land use, and arti-
ficial channel controls. The sediments were predominantly silt and clay con-
sisting mostly of quartz, plagioclase, illite, and chlorite.
Major sources of sediment in the Genesee basin are unconsolidated depo-
sits of till on the uplands, lacustrine deposits of glacial and Holocene age,
and deltaic or outwash deposits of glacial origin In valley areas. The uncon-
solidated deposits are largely derived from underlying bedrock that consists
predominantly of limestones, shales, and siltstones in the lower part of the
basin and siltstones and sandstones in the upper part.
Sediment loading and deposition seemed to migrate downstream in a
pulsating manner in response to precipitation and changing channel gradients
in the Genesee's main stem and in major tributaries during the study.
However, these streams have mature characteristics, and fluctuating patterns
of sediment load and deposition are normal in the channels of such streams.
It seems that not all sediment in the Genesee's main stem is currently
transported out of the basin. Suspended-sediment load at Portageville, about
halfway down the basin, averaged 1,080,000 megagrams in 1976-1977; Canaseraga
and Oatka Creeks, tributaries that enter the main stem below Portageville,
contributed an additional combined average load of 233,000 megagrams to the
main stem in the same years. At Rochester, the sediment load in these years
averaged 1,060,000 megagrams. Thus, a minimum of 253,000 megagrams seems to
have been deposited in main-stem reaches above Rochester in 1976-77. The
deposition occurred behind dams and in stream reaches of low gradients. Most
of the suspended-sediment load measured at Rochester was probably discharged
into Lake Ontario.
Il-i
-------
FIGURES
Number Page
Map showing physical divisions and boundaries of principal
stratigraphy groups in the Genesee River basin
Map showing data-collection sites in the Genesee River
basin.
PLATE
(on file at NYSDEC, Albany, NY and GLNPO, Chicago, IL)
Generalized surficial geology of the Genesee River
basin, New York
Il-ii
-------
TABLES
Number Page
1 Summary of stratigraphy and geologic units in the
Genesee River basin 9
2 Land use in the Genesee River basin:
Genesee River ma ins tern. 12
Canaseraga Creek subbasin 12
Oatka Creek subbasin. 13
3 Description of Genesee River segments... 14
4 Streamflow and sediment measuring stations at which
data were collected during 1975-77.. 18
5 Drainage area and 1975-77 average measured and
calculated annual suspended-sediment load and yield
at stations sampled in the Genesee River basin 22
6 Particle-size distribution within suspended-sediment
samples from Genesee River basin sampling stations,
1975-77 23
7 Atterberg-limits determination on Genesee River basin
soil samples...... 24
8 Dates from carbon-14 analyses, Genesee River basin 30
-------
FACTORS FOR CONVERTING INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM (SI)
UNITS TO INCH-POUND UNITS AND ABBREVIATIONS OF UNITS
Multiply SI unit
millimeter (mm)
meter (m)
kilometer (km)
Length
0.0394
3.281
0.6215
to obtain inch-pound unit
inch (in)
foot (ft)
mile (mi)
hectare (ha)
square kilometer (knr)
Area
2.471
0.3861
acre
2
square mile (mi )
cubic hectometer (hnr)
Volume
810.7
acre-foot (acre-ft)
megagram (Mg)
Weight
1.102
0.9842
ton [short, 2,000 pounds (lb)]
ton (long, 2,240 lb)
meters per kilometer (m/km)
Slope
5.28
feet per mile (ft/mi)
Il-iv
-------
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was part of Task C (pilot studies of watersheds and sub-
watersheds) of the Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group
and was funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the State of New York. The authors acknowledge the guidance, support,
and advice received from Drs. Leo J. Hetling and G. Anders Carlson of the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Water
Research, and Robert B. Dona, Project Officer of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Dr. E. H. Muller of Syracuse University provided
unpublished data for the Genesee River basin map (pi. 1), which incorporates
part of his published map (Muller, 1977).
II-v
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SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
Concern over the effects of various land-use activities on water quality
of the Great Lakes led the governments of the United States and Canada, under
the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of April 5, 1972, to direct the Inter-
national Joint Commission (IJC) to study the impact of land-use activities on
the Great Lakes and to recommend remedial measures for maintaining or
improving the lakes' water quality. In response, the IJC established the
International Reference Group on Great Lakes Pollution from Land-Use
Activities, referred to as the Pollution from Land-Use Activities Reference
Group (PLUARG), to carry out such studies.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The Genesee River basin in New York was one of several watersheds
selected by PLUARG for study by the U.S. Geological Survey. The purpose of
the study was to collect data on streamflow, water chemistry, sediment
transport, land use, soils, and geology. This report describes the rela-
tionship of the basin's geology to the river's sediment-transport patterns.
Other elements of work done for the PLUARG study are given in companion
reports described in following sections.
SCOPE
The scope of the study done by the Geological Survey included collection
of sediment samples for mineralogic analyses and correlation of sediment
material with the geology of the Genesee River basin. Data were collected at
32 stations in the Genesee basin from October 1975 to September 1977 to define
the composition and points of origin of sediment transported. Results of the
streamflow and suspended-sediment analyses are given in Part I of this volume
(Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983).
METHOD
The stations used for hydrologic- and sediment-data collection from
1975-77 were selected as representative of the principal types of land use
(cropland, pasture, residential, and forest) within the Genesee watershed.
Streamflow and sediment data consisted of continuous (daily) and instantaneous
(partial) records with a main emphasis on suspended-sediment loads, but
streambed and source materials were also collected for study. Suspended-
sediment samples were analyzed for concentration, particle-size distribution,
and mineral composition. Concentration data were used to calculate suspended-
sediment loads. Particle-size distribution and mineralogic data were used to
II-1
-------
define the nature of the sediment transported and to identify the source
areas. Interpretation and statistical analyses of the streamflow and
suspended-sediment data are presented in Part I of this volume (Mansue and
Bauersfeld, 1983).
Geological investigation of the Genesee basin included compilation and
mapping of the area's Paleozoic bedrock and Pleistocene glacial unconsolidated
surficial deposits to define the geologic units' areal extent and to determine
the effect of these units on relative long- and short-term erosion and sedi-
mentation rates. The long term is considered to be the entire postglacial
period, about 11,000 years; the short term is the period of data collection,
October 1975 to September 1977.
II-2
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SECTION 2
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Sediment-erosion and deposition patterns in the Genesee River basin are
controlled chiefly by the composition and location of bedrock and glacial
source materials and by intensity and areal distribution of precipitation.
Relatively erosion-resistant bedrock and dense clayey till seem to have inhi-
bited the rate of channel downcutting in many places. The bedrock consists
principally of shale, siltstone, sandstone, and limestone ranging in age from
Ordovician to Middle Pennsylvanian. Most till consists of poorly sorted
material with clayey and silty matrices and is compact and erosion resistant.
Where stream channels are in sorted glacial sand and gravel or Holocene allu-
vium overlying till or bedrock, lateral channel migrations have caused acce-
lerated bank erosion and triggered landslides into channels. This has
contributed a significant amount of sediment to the river, especially south of
Portageville.
Generally, the suspended material sampled consisted of 10-25 percent
sand, 45-60 percent silt, and 20-40 percent clay. The major mineral consti-
tuents of transported sediment were quartz and illite, which were eroded from
glacial drift that was largely derived from the underlying sedimentary rocks.
Significant amounts of suspended sediment move erratically downstream in
multiple erosion/deposition events during spring periods of snowmelt, storms,
or both; therefore, serious problems as to sampling or interpretation could
arise in short-term studies or in correlations between widely spaced stations.
The major sources of sediment along the Genesee River channel upstream
from Portageville are probably (1) slumping of saturated postglacial
lacustrine silt, clay, and sand overlying compact till near river level, and
(2) erosion by lateral channel migration into Holocene bank alluvium. The
largest known landslide in the basin (at the Graham Farm, about 3 km south of
Portageville) has been active for at least 3,000 years.
Sediment transported in Mill Creek, in the headwaters area of Canaseraga
Creek subbasin, is derived mostly from along a central gorge incised in thick
glacial drift. Oversteepening and subsequent slumping of the banks occur
where saturated fine-grained glacial sediments overlie compact and relatively
Impermeable till. Similar conditions were observed in the channel of Stony
Brook near Dansville.
11-3
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About 11,000 years ago, the lower Canaseraga Valley north of Dansville
was occupied by a lake whose floor was slightly more than 10 meters below the
present floodplain level of Canaseraga Creek. Assuming that all early
postglacial stream sediments were impounded in the basin, a comparison of the
modern and the early postglacial sediment loads can be approximated. It is
estimated that the modern river carries more than four times more suspended
sediment each year than was deposited annually in the center of the old lake
basin between 8,000 and 11,000 years ago.
Radiocarbon (C-^) data indicate that erosion rates have not been uniform
during the last 11,000 years. Alternating aggradation and downcutting have
occurred in some reaches, which suggests regional climatic variations as the
most likely cause. Aggradation is assumed to have occurred during intervals
of wetter, cooler weather, and downcutting was more pronounced during warmer,
dryer periods. Radiocarbon dating of organic material in the sediments indi-
cates that a period of flood-plain aggradation began about 400 years ago.
In this study, no significant relationship was noted between land use and
sediment-transport rate, mainly because local precipitation or runoff patterns
and sediment sources obscure any sediment-load increases that could be attri-
butable solely to land use.
II-4
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SECTION 3
GENESEE RIVER BASIN
PHYSIOGRAPHY
The Genesee River basin drains 6,394 km2, of which 6,150 km2 is in
western New York. The river begins at an altitude of 610 m in northcentral
Pennsylvania, 12 km south of the New York border, and flows northward for 235
km through New York to Rochester on Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 74 m. The
basin includes part of Potter County in Pennsylvania and, in New York, most of
Allegheny and Livingston Counties and parts of Wyoming, Ontario, Monroe, and
Genesee Counties. The river valley is 167 km long and trends roughly north-
northwest for 62 km from Pennsylvania to Caneadea, N.Y.; from Caneadea, the
valley trend is north-northeast for 105 km to Lake Ontario. The greater
length of river than valley length is due to considerable meandering of the
stream.
Most of the basin lies in the Southern New York Section of the Appa-
lachian Plateaus and includes the Genesee system from the headwaters to near
the vicinity of Geneseo, N.Y. From Geneseo to Lake Ontario, the basin lies in
the Eastern Lake Section of the Interior Plains. The physical divisions are
as described by Fenneraan (1946), and their boundaries are shown in figure 1;
site and stream locations are shown in figure 2. The topography of the
Southern New York Section is that of a mature glaciated plateau of moderate to
high relief. The Eastern Lake Section consists of maturely dissected and gla-
ciated cuestas and lowlands of low to moderate relief with moraines, lakes,
and lacustrine plains.
Although the topography of the Genesee basin was extensively modified by
glaciation, the northern and southern parts differ physiographically. In the
southern part, where the glacial ice was thinner and the rocks more resistant,
glacial scouring was less.
Canaseraga and Oatka Creeks are the major tributaries to the Genesee
River. Canaseraga Creek is 68 km long and drains 868 km2; Oatka Creek is 97
km in long and drains 559 km2. Both of these tributaries are much longer
than their valley lengths because of considerable meandering. Meandering of
the smaller tributaries is common; streamflow is fairly straight only for
relatively short distances in the streams' headwater areas.
11-5
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78 30'
78"
43'
42
30
42
EXPLANATION
Pennsylvania!! (Middle and lower)
and Mississippian (Lower)
77° 30'
LAKE ONTARIO
Devonian (Upper)
Devonian (Upper to middle)
Silurian and Ordovician
• Stratigraphic boundary
Physical-province boundary
Province-section boundary
EASTERN LAKE SECTION
^-—— — Drainage bou=viary
/ 'T. •-"•"-^L/'y" V"r> X— \M "*•—*l I
4^J-\B-^^ — ^!
SOUTHERN NEW YORK SECTION /'^..--^ *,„.%. ^-.'"'•^,l"'",'-'—^.'iv...,T:.";^3
PENNSYLVANIA
LOCATION MAP
10
KANAWKA SECTION
20MILES
10 2'0 KILOMETERS
NOTE- Names of geologic units within
the Stratigraphic groupings are
given in table 1
Base from U.S. Geological Survey
NY and PA Stale base maps. 1 500.000. 1974
Figure 1.—Physical divisions and boundaries ot principal Stratigraphic
groups in the Genesee River basin.
11-6
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78°
43
42'
30
42
EXPLANATION
.04227500 Stage and daily sediment
site and number
^04231000 Stage-recording and sediment
partial-record site and number
A04230470 Stage and sediment partial-
record site and number
77 30'
LAKE ONTARIO
•3.4
Precipitation-recording site
Radiocarbon dating sample
site and number(s) of sample(s);i y-^y
tip of arrowhead is approximate V
site(s) location
.._.._ Drainage boundary
'"fl^j5422"5670 A ^ , j
!860TJ5\p42eS&00>! v :
QRO^.t ^ i~ ". - I I
PENNSYLVANIA
LOCATION MAP
10
20MILES
10
20KILOMETERS
Base from U.S. Geological Survey
NY and PA Slate hnse maps. 1-500.000. 1974
Figure 2.—Location of data-collection sites in the Genesee River basin.
II-7
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Stream valleys exhibit characteristics associated with maturity along
most of the Genesee River and along the larger tributaries. Flood plains are
generally much wider than streams, and meanders or meander scars are visible
over most of the valley widths. In the larger valleys, streams flow mostly in
their own alluvial deposits. The Genesee River exhibits some classical
youthful-stream characteristics such as occupation of the full valley width
and falls and rapids in its upper course, mostly between Belmont, and the
Mount Morris dam 20 km north of Portageville, and at Rochester near the mouth
at Lake Ontario. Between Portageville and the Mount Morris dam, postglacial
segments of the Genesee exhibit meanders that are deeply incised in bedrock,
and the river contains three falls whose total drop is 98 m. Near the
Genesee's mouth within Rochester, the river flows mainly on bedrock, drops a
distance of 82 m over three controlled-level ponds, and occupies essentially
the full valley width. However, the river banks at Rochester are artificially
controlled to a significant degree. In general, youthful-stream charac-
teristics are common only where relatively short streams flow from high upland
areas toward the larger tributaries and the Genesee's main stem. However,
typical fluvial morphology has been significantly modified by glacial erosion
and deposition throughout the basin.
BEDROCK AND SURFICIAL GEOLOGY
Bedrock consists of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks ranging in age from
Ordovician at Lake Ontario to Middle Pennsylvanian in Pennsylvania (fig. 1).
The rocks strike approximately east-west and dip to the south generally less
than 2 degrees. Ordovician to Upper Devonian bedrock in the lower (northern)
part of the basin consists of shale, siltstone, and limestone. Upper Devonian
to Middle Pennsylvanian siltstone and sandstone predominate in the upper
(southern) part. Bedrock is exposed in parts of the Genesee'8 main stem and
in many of the small tributaries' channels of the upland. However, the larger
valleys downstream have been glacially widened and deepened and are largely
filled with drift covered by river alluvium. Major stratigraphic groups
within generalized boundaries are shown in figure 1; the stratigraphy and the
names of the geologic units within the groups are summarized in table 1.
Bedrock was glacially scoured from north to south during the Pleistocene
Epoch, and the rocks are now covered almost entirely by drift that was depo-
sited as the glacier advanced across and melted from the area. In general,
dense, gray, clayey and silty lodgement till overlies bedrock in valley bot-
toms, but the till is covered by glacial-lake sediments, patches of outwash,
and deltaic deposits in many of the valley areas. Along much of the main stem
of Genesee River and in many tributaries, dense, gray, silty till or varved
clay lies beneath a thin layer of alluvium at or very close to the channel.
The upland drift typically consists of more stony till, numerous small kames,
lake sediments, and outwash deposits of sand and gravel in meltwater channels
and deltas. Postglacial erosion has removed some of this drift on steep
valley sides, and, in places, hanging deltas mark former proglacial lake levels.
The surficial geology is depicted in plate 1. This map is derived from
a published map by Muller (1977) and additional unpublished work by Muller
(written commun., 1978). In this report, geologic units of similar
11-8
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TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF STRATIGRAPHY AND GEOLOGIC UNITS IN THE
GENESEE RIVER BASIN. NEW YORK AND PENNSYLVANIA
Erathem System
Pennsylvanian
Mississippian
u
M
O Devonian
<
o
w
,j
Series
Middle and Lower
Pennsy Ivanian
Lower
Mississippian
•
Middle and Upper
Devonian
Geologic units
>!
Pottsville Formation
Pocono Formation _,
Conewango Formation
Conneaut Group*
Canadaway Group*
Java Formation
West Falls Formation,
Sonyea Formation
,
Genes ee Formation "^
.
Principal
rock types
Sandstone, con-
^ T . j
r giomeratej ana
shale
Sandstone,
* siltstone,
and shale
Shale, siltstone
and sandstone
•Shale and silt-
stone
Silurian
Ordovician
Middle (Hamilton Group
Devonian \0nondaga Limestone
UNCONFORMITY
'Upper Silurian Salina Group
Middle Silurian
Lower Silurian
Lockport Dolomite
Clinton Group
Albion Group
Queens ton Formation
Limestone
Shale, limestone,
and dolomite
Dolomite
Shale and lime-
stone
Sandstone and
shale
Sandstone and
shale
* Geologic name used by New York State Geological Survey (Fisher and others, 1961).
II-9
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sedimentary character are grouped; for example, sand and gravel with different
genetic origins, such as kames and beach sand, are grouped into a lithologic
unit (differences in geologic origin of these materials do not significantly
alter how the materials are eroded or weathered).
SOILS
County soils maps published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil
Conservation Service, provided information for interpretation of soils of the
upland areas not adjacent to the stream channels. The composition of soils in
the glaciated Genesee River basin reflects that of the surficial glacial
material and, indirectly, that of the underlying bedrock.
LAND USE
A Land Use and Natural Resources (LUNR) inventory was assembled by the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to determine the prin-
cipal type of land use in each watershed of the Genesee River basin (Hetling
and others, 1978, table 3). The Genesee River basin, especially south of
Portageville, consists predominantly of forest and cropland. Within the cen-
tral area, forests decrease and agricultural (crop and pasture) lands increase
northward to the vicinity of Rochester, the major urban area in the Genesee
basin. The highest percentage of cropland is in the Oatka Creek subbasin.
Generally, crop and pasture areas increase and forest areas decrease as
the basin-drainage area increases. This trend coincides with reduced stream
gradients near the mouths of the tributaries and in the Eastern Lake Section
and northern part of the Southern New York Section physical divisions. Urban
development predominates in the extreme northern part of the basin, near
Rochester. The land-use pattern, excepting urbanization, is similar in the
Keshequa Creek subbasin, where cropland Increases downstream from 17 to 34
percent of the total subbasin area from Nunda to Sonyea. On the Genesee main
stem, croplands increase from 32 to 45 percent of the total land area from
Wellsville to Rochester. Percentage of pasture does not increase sig-
nificantly with drainage area; the most significant feature is the decrease in
forest lands downstream throughout the Genesee basin. Percentages of land for
major uses are given in table 2.
CHANNEL GEOLOGY AND STREAM CHARACTERISTICS
Flow of the Genesee River is significantly affected by several geologic
and man-made controls. The river flows in a bedrock channel for relatively
short distances at Belmont, Fillmore, and Portageville; between Portageville
and the Mount Morris dam, the Genesee Is developed mostly in bedrock, and much
of the river's channel through Rochester is in bedrock. The bedrock resists
downcutting more than till or lake sediments and coincides with changes in
gradients along specific stream reaches. The different gradients were used to
divide the main stem of the Genesee River into segments for study of indivi-
dual sedimentation and erosion differences. In at least four places south of
Portageville, the main river channel is confined by bedrock at the channel
margins, and lateral streambed migration at these sites is greatly restricted.
11-10
-------
The identifiable geologic controls of river flow are presented in table
3, which describes the basic relationship between gradient and channel
geology. Geologic interpretations pertaining to sediment loads in Sections 4
and 5 of this report are based largely on the data in table 3. Table 3 was
compiled to correlate the river reaches having unique geologic characteristics
and gradients with specific erosion and deposition mechanisms in the reaches.
Column 4 in table 3 describes the major surficial deposits through which the
river flows in each reach and the composition of the modern flood plain;
column 5 indicates the major aspects of the flood plain and channel shape that
differentiate the river sections in terms of sedimentation patterns; column 6
describes historic flood-plain features (mainly lateral meandering) that are
indicative of the historic bank erosion or channel stability; and column 7
lists factors that are interpreted to be related to the stability of channels
during the period that areal maps and photographs have been available for com-
parative study.
GRADIENTS
The Genesee River's main-stem reaches comprise 14 segments (segments A-N
in table 3) on the basis of geology and stream-gradient changes. Rock crops
out at many of the segment ends. The gradient changes are related primarily
to the geologic units in the physiographic provinces through which the Genesee
flows.
Gradients are steepest in the Southern New York Section, in the Genesee
valley from Pennsylvania to Mount Morris, N.Y. In this 107-km reach, the
average gradient of the valley is 4 m/km. Within this reach, however, the
valley descends 94 m over three falls from 1.5 to 4.5 km north of Portage-
ville. The Genesee's steepest valley gradient, which averages 29.5 m/km, is
in this 3-km section. South of Portageville are several smaller falls. As
the Southern New York Section grades toward the Eastern Lake Section between
Mount Morris and Geneseo, the Genesee's average valley gradient declines to
1.5 m/km. Within the Eastern Lake Section, from Geneseo to the Erie Canal at
the south end of Rochester, the river's gradient is 0.25 m/km. Water levels
in the Erie Canal and through the center of Rochester are controlled by three
dams, built at the sites of former natural falls, that pond water at altitudes
(from south to north), of 156, 147, and 119 m above sea level. Outflow from
the ponds is artificially controlled. From the base of the third dam, 75 m
above sea level, the Genesee's valley gradient to base level is 0.1 m/km.
Stream gradients in the Genesee's main stem are generally lower than
their valley gradients because of longer stream lengths that result from mean-
dering of the river. Stream gradients in various segments of the Genesee are
given in table 3.
The downcutting of the channel and lateral migration seem to be reduced
by the relatively resistant, dense, gray till that is present along much of
the Genesee River channel. Aerial photographs (1938-1976) show that lateral
migration of the channel (table 3, column 5) is least where rock or relatively
resistant till lines the channel and is greatest in reaches in Holocene allu-
vium or silty stratified glacial sediments.
11-11
-------
TABLE 2. LAND USE IN GENESEE RIVER BASIN, NEW YORK
(Data adapted from Hetling and others, 1978.)
Land
(Upper figure is
Locality
Wellsville
Transit Bridge
Portageville
Mt. Morris
Avon
Rochester
(RG & E)
Cropland
32.3
24,200
28.5
42,580
30.3
77,000
35.3
129,600
39.9
172,300
44.7
284,500
Pasture
Residential
use in watershed area upstream from locality
area percentage; lower figure is land area, in hectares)
Commercial-
industrial
Forest
Genesee River
3.6
2,700
3.6
5,380
4.1
10,420
4.8
17,620
5.1
22,000
4.2
26,700
2.3
1,720
4.0
5,980
3.6
9,140
3.6
13,200
4.2
18,100
6.0
38,200
.3
220
.5
750
.3
760
.8
2,940
.9
3,900
2.6
16,500
49.6
37,150
53.8
80,380
54.9
139,500
47.5
174,300
42.1
181,800
33.8
215,100
Outdoor
recreation
main stem
—
.2
300
.2
510
2.1
7,700
1.9
8,200
1.5
9,550
Wetlands
4.9
3,670
2.4
3,580
2.4
6,100
2.6
9,540
2.6
11,200
4.1
26,100
Inland
water
.3
220
.3
450
.2
510
.3
1,100
.6
2,600
.7
4,450
Miscel-
laneous
6.7
5,020
6.7
10,000
4.0
10,160
3.0
11,000
2.7
11,700
2.4
15,300
Total
area
100.0
74,900
100.0
149,400
100.0
254,100
100.0
367,000
100.0
431,800
100.0
636,400
Canaseraga Creek subbasin
Sugar Creek
Poags Hole
Stony Brook
Mill Creek
Dansville
Rt. 436
Grove land
Bradner
Rt. 36
28.0**
1,390
26.2
6,110
41.5
2,230
44.2
4,110
32.4
12,800
35.1
16,500
49.0
940
3.6
170
4.5
1,050
6.0
320
11.7
1,090
6.7
2,650
7.6
3,560
14.3
280
.5
30
1.0
230
.5
30
5.8
540
2.3
910
2.8
1,310
—
—
.1
20
'—
5.3
490
1.7
670
2.3
1,080
1.0
20
66.9
3,320
64.5
15,030
46.0
2,480
23.6
2,200
51.2
20,300
47.2
22,100
33.7
650
—
.5
120
3.5
190
—
1.2
480
1.1
520
—
.5
30
1.0
230
.5
30
3.6
330
1.5
600
1.3
610
—
.5
30
1.2
280
.5
30
2.2
210
1.3
520
1.1
520
—
—
1.0
230
1.5
80
3.6
330
1.7
670
1.5
700
2.0
40
100.0
4,970
100.0
23,300
100.0
5,390
100.0
9,300
100.0
39,600
100.0
46,900
100.0
1,930
(continued)
-------
TABLE 2. (continued).
M
»-•
OJ
Locality
Bradner at
Pioneer Rd.
Keshequa-
Nunda
Keshequa-
Tuscarora
Keshequa-
Sonyea
Shakers
Crossing
Mouth of
Canaseraga
Creek
Rock Clen
Warsaw
Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek at
Pearl Creek
Pavilion
Had Creek
Garbutt
Mouth of
Oatka Creek
Cropland
50.6
5,360
17.2
1,450
30.9
4,700
34. 0
6,060
35.6
30,700
35.6
30,800
52.3**
2,140
44.2
4,820
59.5
1,660
45.5
9,510
50.7
14,550
79.3
2,080
55.3
29,200
55.9
31,100
Pasture Residential
Commercial- Outdoor
industrial Forest recreation
Wetlands
Inland
water
Miscel-
laneous
Total
area
Canaseraga Creek subbasin (continued)
8.7
920
9.4
790
9.6
1,460
9.0
1.600
8.4
7,240
8.4
7,260
2.3
90
5.3
580
9.5
270
8.0
1,670
7.8
2,240
.9
20
5.8
2,050
5.7
3,190
.5
50
6.6
550
4.0
610
3.3
590
2.9
2,500
2.9
2,500
.5
20
2.3
250
—
2.2
460
2.1
600
—
1.9
1,000
1.9
1,060
1.3
140
1.3
110
.8
120
.7
130
1.8
1,540
1.8
1,560
—
—
—
.1
30
.9
20
.2
100
.3
170
36.3
3,850
61.3
5,150
52.3
7,950
50.4
8,980
46.6
40.200
46.7
40,300
Oatka Creek
42
1,730
40.8
4.450
31.0
870
38.8
8,110
34.5
9,900
14.2
380
30.8
16,300
30.3
16,800
.8
90
—
.4
60
.3
50
1.0
860
.9
780
subbasin
1.4
150
--
.7
150
.7
200
.9
20
1.0
520
.9
500
.5
50
2.5
210
1.2
180
1.0
180
1.5
1,280
1.5
1,300
2.9
120
6.0
650
—
4.5
940
3.9
1,120
~
4.0
2,110
3.9
2,170
—
1.3
110
.6
90
.5
90
.7
600
.7
600
—
—
—
—
3.8
100
.2
100
.2
110
1.3
140
.4
30
.2
30
.8
140
1.5
1.280
1.5
1,300
—
—
.3
60
.2
60
—
.8
420
.9
500
100.0
10,600
100.0
8,400
100.0
15,200
100.0
17,820
100.0
86,200
100.0
86,400
100.0
4,100
100.0
10,900
100.0
2,820
100.0
20,900
100.0
28,700
100.0
2,620
100.0
52,800
100.0
55,600
-------
TABLE 3. DESCRIPTION OF GENESEE RIVER SEGMENTS
River distance
from mouth
(km)* to down-
Downstream stream bound.! ry
Segment reach of reach
in plate (1) (2)
A Base of
Rochester
Gorge to
mouth at
take Ontario.
B Black Creek
mouth to base
of Rochester
Gorge.
C Honeoye Creek
mouth to
Black Creek
mouth.
0 Conesus Creek
outlet to
Honeoye Creek
mouth.
E York Landing
to Conesus
Creek outlet.
F Route 63
bridge to
York Landing.
G Canaseraga
to Route 63
bridge.
H Mount Morris
to Canaseraga
Creek mouth.
0
Mouth at Lake
Ontario.
13
Base of
Rochester
Corge,
22.5
Black Creek
mouth.
42.6
Honeoye Creek
at mouth.
57.1
Conesus Creek
outlet.
71.8
York Land Ing.
84.1
Rt 63 bridge
(Ledvard
shale forma
base or chan-
nel north of
bridge.
100
Mouth of
Can.isoraga
Average
channel Predominant surflclal deposits
gradient* (glacial and recent)
(3) (4)
Low,
<0.1 m/km.
Low, <0.1
m/km; 3 dam-
controlled
ponds to
south, total
drop In pondi
about 81 m.
Low,
0.02 m/km.
Lou,
0.2 m/km.
Lou,
0.12 m/km.
Low,
01 7 m/lrtn
. I / ID/ Km.
Moderate,
0,28 m/ km
(Alluvial
valley).
Steep,
1.1 m/km.
Obscured by urban development
probably mainly glacial-lake
deposits.
Flood plain mainly alluvium
with shoreline ridges of
glacial lake sands. Flood
plain bordered by lake sands,
silts, and clays.
9
Drum! ins (till) and some lake
clays or silts mantled with
alluvium.
Mainly alluvium with eolian
sand bordering east bank.
Delta and out wash t,inds and
gravels on west sldr of flood-
plain. Flood plain deposits
possibly more Sandy at depth.
Mainly till (large boulders of
Onondaga Limestone) Interbedded
with varved clays. Evidence of
Ice teadvance blocking valley
between York Landing and Conesus
Creek.
Tills and varved clays with
Alluvial silts, sands* some
ve
Fluvial sediments with greater
amount sand and gr.wel particu-
larly thick at Mount Morris
General
channel morphology
(5)
Bedrock or artificial
banks.
Alluvial floodplain
(channel relatively
straight).
Channel sinuous and
constricted by drumltns.
Width from 305 m in north
to 2.4 km in south.
Cut-off meanders Indicate
rapid lateral channel
migration.
Narrow (305 m for 3 km)
and .stable channel may be
a restricting factor in
large floods. Basal chan-
nel scour probably minimal
during high water owing to
resistance of till.
Somewhat wtder than sec-
last 75 years.
Rapid channel shifting
between km 92 and 98.
Stream straight where
against east bank but
meandering in center of
valley.
Rapid channel shifting
1 (HI- 103 km. Lateral
erosion of meanders may
Flood-plain
characterlst ics
(6)
Little incision into
bedrock.
do.
Constricted floodplain
for 10 km. Floodplain
about 1.6 km wide south
of Barge Canal and wider
at mouth of Black Creek.
Flood plain 2.4 km wide.
Narrow flood plain con-
fined in tilt of large
moraine. Little evidence
oT lateral changes.
Narrows to north In section
till and rock threshold at
York Landing.
Flood plain aggregation
able. River overflowed
banks during hurricane
Agnes (1972). Overbank
f landing unconnton due to
Mount Morris dam.
Rapid meander migration
up to 12 m per year.
Bank stability*
Extensively con-
trol led by ma unhide
st rurtures .
Stability probably
high because of
controlled flow.
Till probablv pres-
ent close to surface
at many places.
Low, appears rela-
tively unstable on
basis of meander
migration.
High and generally
stable in till.
Oxbow Lane land-
slide at Km A9
resulting from
saturation of
varves under till.
High, decreasing to
south.
Slab and sliding
easily eroded
alluvial deposits;
low to moderate
gradient; highest
rate of meander
migrat ton where
trees were removed.
Low, coarser depos-
i i *, with steep c li.in-
ncl grjdlf lit s.
alluvial fan/delta downstream
from dam.
be a consequent e of d.im
acting .-is sediment t rap
and the slt-t-p >;r.njt*'nt.
(ront IniieH)
-------
TABLE 3. (continued).
River distance
from mouth
(km)* to down-
Downstream stream boundary
Segment
inflate
I
J
K
L
M
N
reach
(1)
North end of
Gardeau Flat
to Mount
Morris.
South end
to north end
of Gar dean
Flat.
Base of fait
at Portnge-
vllle to
south end of
Gardeau Flat.
Long Beards
Riff to base
of fall at
Portagevllle.
Dam at
Belmnnt to
LOOK Beards
Riff.
Origin to
dan at
Bolmnnt.
of reach
(2)
105
Mount Morris
119
North end of
Cardeau Plat.
129
South end of
Cardeau Flat
(St. Helena).
HO
Base of fall
at Portage-
vllle.
162
Long Beards
Rtff (1 mile
south of
Fill more.
204
Dam at Bel-
mont (rork
beneath dam)
Headwaters
of basin.
Average
channel
gradient*
(3) _
Moderate
to steep.
Average is
0.69 m/km.
Steep,
1.9 m/km.
Steep,
4.7 m/km
with falls
omitted.
Steep,
1.0 m/km.
Strep,
1.5 m/km.
Steep,
2.3 m/km.
Predominant surf trial deposits
(glacial and recent)
<4)
Shale and slltstone
bedrock with sediment
accumul.it ion In Ml, Morris
reservoir.
Tin-filled burled valley
with some bedrock.
Mainly bed rork and falls.
Sandstone and shale at Long
Beards Riff Is exposed across *
entire stream channel and on
both sift PS. Segment has thin
alluvial rover over dense gray
till, bordered bv like sil t s
Thin alluvium over dense gray
till or contorted glacial lake
material. Lacustrine deposits
of both proglaclal Lake Wells-
vtlle (south of Angelica) and
BeUfasi-Fnimore (Belfast to
Portagevi lie) are present along
the valley sides.
Alluvium over glacial deposits
and bedrock.
General
channel morphology
(5)
River Is confined in
a deep valley carved
in bedrock except with
new sediments deposited
behind dam.
Wider and shallower
than downstream reaches
reaches.
Three falls totaling
94 m drop.
River cut off at the
Graham Farm during
Hurricane Agne«; active
lateral migration. CI4
data shows channel has
last 3,400 years.
Many lateral changes
documented by air photos
1938-76. Recent cut off
at Houghton (km 164) and
north of Angelica Creek
mouth (km 187). Channel
may impinge on rock along
Flood-plain
characteristics
(6)
Unstable artificial con-
ditions; intermittent
deposit ion in reservoir.
Silt, sand, gravel, and
some till. Complicated
by periodic flooding and
vegetation clearing after
hurricane Agnes (1972).
Major slumps in glacial
sediment.
Flood plain almost non-
existent.
Flood plain Averages
2.4-3.2 km wide with
adjarcnt relief on the
order of 91 m. Active
lateral migration with
Flood plain relatively
consistent, 1-6 km In
width.
Bank stability*
(7)
Freeze- thaw
effects along
joints and bedding
planes. Slumping
with low stability
of reserve I r silts.
Variable,
Stable from rock
walls.
Low with large
slides in glacial
lake silts. Has
been active for
at least 2,900
Low, in al luvial
sand where till
forms base of
channel. Lateral
hank undercutting
relatively rapid.
valley sides but not gener-
ally constrained by rock.
Depth to rock nay be up
to .several hundred feet
in some places as shown
by well data.
Cuba sandstone may
account for gradient
change near km 217 to
219.
Undetermined.
Undetermined.
* U.S. Army Corps of HnRlneers, l%7, plates F3-11.
t l.iiw Is less than or oqn.il in 0.? in/km; moderate K 0.2-1.0 m/km; hif>h Is greater Ihnn 1.0 m/km (from U.S. Armv Corps of I'm-.lneers, I9h7,
pl.itos FI9-22).
t ll.ink •it.ihility; low - Literal mlp.r.illnn p,ro.irer I linn rh.innel width, . h.int>e h.isml on mips .mil .lortnl photographs from I9t« in present,
medium » later.il mlcr.ltlon eflu.ll to or less than (hnnnol width, Mgl» = no ihinpe note.I on m.-jp-..
-------
Lateral migration is most extreme in alluvium-filled valleys where rock lines
only the base of the channel, thus restricting downward incision.
From the river mouth to kilometer 100, streambed alluvium in the channel
consists predominantly of clay, silt, and fine sand, with smaller amounts of
sorted sand- to cobble-sized material. Upstream and along tributaries, the
alluvium becomes progressively coarser. Lining of streambed by gravel to
cobble-size material is common in upstream upland tributaries.
11-16
-------
SECTION 4
SEDIMENTS
Streamflows were measured, and suspended sediment, streambed material,
and sediment-source material were collected for analyses from October 1975 to
September 1977. Locations of streamflow and sediment stations are shown in
figure 2; these and the periods of collection are listed in table 4. Results
of sample analyses (tables 5, 6, and 7) are given in sections that follow.
Detailed studies were made at selected locations to identify and determine the
composition and erodability characteristics of sediment-source materials.
SUSPENDED SEDIMENT
Suspended-sediment samples were collected from streams by depth integra-
tion with standardized equipment. All samples were analyzed for suspended-
sediment concentration, and selected samples were analyzed for particle-size
distribution and mineral content. Seven daily streamflow and sediment sta-
tions and 26 daily- or partial-record streamflow and (or) sediment stations
were operated during the study period (table 4). The sediment data are
available in releases of U.S. Geological Survey, titled "Water Resources Data
for New York (volume 1 for water years 1975, 1976, 1977). Discussion of these
data and tabulation of monthly suspended-sediment load and statistical analy-
sis are presented in Part I of this volume(Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983).
Suspended-Sediment^ Loads
The annual suspended~sediment loads for the Genesee River at Portageville
during 1976 and 1977 (1,080,000 and 1,090,000 Mg, respectively) were nearly
equal to those at Rochester (1,060,000 and 1,050,000 Mg). The largest monthly
loads at Portageville were in February 1976 (666,000 Mg, 62 percent of the
annual total) and in September 1977 (441,000 Mg, 40 percent of the annual
total). The largest monthly loads for Rochester occurred also in February
1976 (468,000 Mg, 44 percent of the year's total) and in September 1977
(437,000 Mg, 42 percent of the year's total).
Owing to the local variation in climate, precipitation, and hydrologic
conditions, comparison of the sediment volumes transported at different sam-
pling locations within the basin must be restricted to the annual totals; the
short-term variations are reflected in the range of the instantaneous and
daily streamflow and sediment records.
11-17
-------
TABLE 4. STREAMFLOW AND SUSTFNDED-SEDIMENT-MEASURING STATIONS AT WHICH DATA WERE COLLECTED DURING 1975-77
M
M
I
H*
OO
Period of collection
04221000
04221725
04222300
04223000
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224978
04225000
04225500
04225600
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
04228370
04228380
04228500
04230320
04230380
04230400
04230410
04230423
04230470
04230500
04231000
04232000
Station number and name*
Genesee River at Wellsville
Genesee River at Transit Bridge
near Angelica
Genesee River near Houghton
Genesee River at Portageville
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
Mill Creek at Patchlnville
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
Bradner Creek near Dansville
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morris
Little Conesus Creek near South Lima
Little Conesus Creek near East Avon
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Oatka Creek at Pearl Creek
Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center
Mad Creek near Le Roy
Oatka Creek at Garbutt
Black Creek at Churchville
Genesee River at Rochester
Streamflow
(daily
record)
8/55-9/58,
10/72-9/77
—
—
8/08-9/77
—
8/74-9/77
—
—
—
—
—
7/10-9/35,
7/70-9/76
2/17-3/20
10/55-9/64
—
—
—
—
3/11-9/32,
11/74-9/77,
11/59-9/70,
10/74-9/77
6/03-9/77
—
—
8/55-9/77
—
12/63-9/77
—
—
—
—
10/45-9/77
10/45-9/77
12/19-9/77
Sediment
(daily
record)
4/75-9/77
—
—
4/75-9/77
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
~
—
—
—
3/75-9/77
4/75-9/77
—
—
4/75-9/77
—
—
—
—
—
—
3/75-9/77
—
4/75-9/77
Streamflow
(partial
record)
__
2/75-9/77
4/77-9/77
—
2/75-9/77
—
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
—
2/75-6/76
2/75-6/76
—
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
Sediment
(partial
record)
2/75-9/77
4/77-9/77
—
2/75-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
2/75-6/76
2/75-6/76
—
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/76
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
12/74-6/76
* Locations shown in figure 2.
-------
The largest annual suspended-sediment load was at the Mount Morris sta-
tion, where 1,260,000 Mg—1.75 times the 1976 annual load—was measured in
1977. The total streamflow during 1976 and 1977 was 2,110 and 1,980 hm3,
respectively, the latter of which was 6 percent smaller than the previous
year's value.
The sediment load measured at Avon was similar to that at the Mount
Morris station. The suspended load at Avon was 1.4 times greater in 1977 than
in 1976, and the annual streamflow in 1977 was 10 percent less than in 1976.
This seeming paradox suggests delayed downstream migration of sediment depo-
sited in the previous year. However, until more data are available on the
precipitation patterns, soil moisture, and flow at Mount Morris, this explana-
tion is tentative. Stream systems that are well developed generally have ero-
sion and deposition patterns that vary with the volume of water and sediment
load (Lobeck, 1939, p. 165).
Seasonal Variation
The largest monthly suspended-sediment load transported during 1975-77
was 666,000 Mg at Portageville in February 1976. On February 17 alone, 19
percent of the 1976 annual load was transported. During the late winter
(February-March, the months of highest load) of 1976, the sediment yield (load
per unit drainage area) of the Genesee River at Portageville was as much as
2.6 times greater than at Rochester. In 1977, the two highest suspended-
sediment loads were in March and April at Portageville and Rochester, with a
yield ratio of 2:1 for each of these sites.
Monthly sediment loads at Portageville decreased from February to May
during the study, whereas at the downstream sites, the loads remained high,
which suggest a delayed downstream migration of the sediment through the river
system. Sediment was temporarily stored in alluvial channel deposits (no
overbank deposits were made during 1975-77). Because events such as intense
precipitation or snowmelt can cause several high discharges during a month,
with most such events lasting only a few days, pulsation of sediment-load
deposition (delayed and intermittent downstream migration of sediment deposits)
should be expected. This pulsation of sediment transport may be ehnanced by
temporary channel deposition along segments having lower gradients. This
pulsation could give rise to serious questions in short-term sediment studies
and in comparisons of sediment loads at widely spaced stations. A significant
downstream progression of sediment takes place during any major high flow.
For example on September 14, 1978, the yield at Portageville was 705 times
greater than that measured at Rochester. In contrast, the two yields were
nearly equal on September 15, and, on September 16, the yield at Portageville
was only 0.3 percent higher. On February 17, 1976, and February 25 and 28,
1977, ratios of yield at Portageville to yield at Rochester were high (14:1,
53:1, and 32:1 respectively), all of which decreased over the next several
days.
11-19
-------
Average Annual Load and Yield
A method by Miller (1951) was used to study the amount of sediment
transportd past a station during a period longer than the actual measurement
period to determine annual suspended-sediment loads and yields. This tech-
nique makes use of available long-term streamflow data in the form of a daily
mean-value duration curve and the mean line of a sediment-transport curve (plot
of instantaneous streamflow and suspended-sediment discharge). In the tech-
nique, two assumptions are made: (1) that the sediment-transport and flow-
duration curves represent long-term relationships, and (2) that the observed
instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge has the same relation to the con-
current flow as the mean daily suspended-sediment load and water discharge.
The results are presented in table 5. An example of the computations used in
the process is given in Part I of this volume(Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983).
BED MATERIAL
Particle-size and mineralogic analyses of streambed material from 16
sites in the Genesee River Basin are given by Mansue and Bauersfeld (in press,
table 5). Bed samples in headwater sites were found to be coarser than those
in downstream reaches but of the same composition as the adjacent local uncon-
solidated materials and rock; samples collected farther downstream from head-
water areas have a more homogeneous composition.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Suspended sediment, streambed material, and source materials were ana-
lyzed to characterize their physical properties. Analyses included particle-
size determination on all types, as well as Atterberg limits (defined in a
following section) of source materials.
Particle Size
The average particle-size distribution of suspended sediment transported
past sampling stations is presented in table 6. Generally, the particle sizes
of suspended material transported in most streams in the Genesee basin during
1975-77 consisted of 10-25 percent sand, 45-60 percent silt, and 20-40 percent
clay.
The percentage of sand transported in suspension by a stream is directly
proportional to stream gradient and availability of erodable source material.
For example, suspended sediment transported by the Genesee River at Wellsville
contained a greater percentage of sand (25 percent) than at Portageville (14
percent); this is attributed to a greater amount of erodable sandy material in
the drainage area upstream from Wellsville and to disturbance of channel depo-
sits by stream improvements and road construction in the vicinity of
Wellsville. In contrast, considerable amounts of predominantly silty glacial-
lake sediments upstream from the Portageville station seem to be the main
source contributing to the sediment load at Portageville. The percentage of
suspended coarse material transported for significant distances decreases
below Portageville because lesser amounts of sandy material enter the lower
11-20
-------
stream gradient and also because a substantial amount is trapped behind the
Mount Morris dam. The proportion of sand increases downstream from the dara as
the river flows over an ancient glacial-lake delta below the dam. Neither the
quantity of the fine sediment retained in the Mount Morris reservoir nor the
amount of sand gained from the delta was determined. The percentage of sand
transported by the Genesee River at Avon is less than at the Mount Morris sta-
tion. The lower percentage at Avon suggests sand deposition in the reach bet-
ween the two sites, in which the river flows on till or glacial-lake clay with
only a thin cover of alluvium for much of the distance.
The small percentage of sand (table 6) transported by Bradner Creek near
Dansville (western tributary to Canaseraga Creek, fig. 1) is probably a result
of the stream's low gradient. The basin upstream from this site consists of
large amounts of sand and gravel overlying dense gray till. On the hillsides,
gray silty till grades upward into sandy till. Tributary streams down the
hillsides probably carry sand but deposit much of it at lower elevations as
the stream gradients decrease along Bradner Creek.
Canaseraga Creek contributes large quantities of clay and silt to the
Genesee River's sediment load below Mount Morris. The creek gradient is too
low to carry many particles significantly larger than silt to its mouth at the
Genesee.
The information in table 6 indicates a downstream decrease in the percen-
tage of sand transported by Oatka Creek. The low percentage measured at
Garbutt station is probably a result of deposition behind the dam at Le Roy
and a low precipitation intensity during the study period. The low percentage
of sand in Mill Creek at Perkinsville is attributed to shallow gradients
upstream from the sampling site.
Atterberg Limits
Soil shear strength is considered a measure of the soil erodability from
areas adjacent to the streams for evaluating the sedimentation patterns in the
basin. Soil shear strength was estimated by Atterberg-limits analyses (Lynn
H. Irwin, Cornell University, written commun., 1978). Atterberg limits divide
the cohesive range from solid to liquid state into five stages, or limits, in
terms of water content. The test description is presented by Means and
Parcher (1963, p. 70-83). The liquid limit less the plastic limit is defined
as the plasticity index, which is the plastic range of the material expressed
numerically. Material with a high liquid limit and plasticity index is more
resistant to erosion than material with a low index.
Unweathered material were collected from eight sites selected to repre-
sent material being actively eroded. Analyses of these samples are given in
table 7. Samples 1-4 were collected along the Genesee River 3 km south of
Portageville at a site known locally as the Graham Farm slide, where the
Genesee River has recently cut off a meander and where the river impinges
against lacustrine and alluvial terrace deposits on the east side of the
valley. Samples 5-8 were collected from the walls of a 30- to 46-m-deep
ravine carved in thick glacial moraine by Mill Creek in Mill Creek Gorge, west
11-21
-------
NJ
N)
TABLE 5. DRAINAGE AREA AND 1976-77 AVERAGE MEASURED AND 1975-77 CALCULATED ANNUAL
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT LOADS AND YIELDS AT STATIONS SAMPLED IN GENESEE RIVER
BASIN (from Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983).
04221000
04223000
04224775
04227000
04227500
04228500
04230380
04230500
04231000
04232000
Station number and name*
Genesee River at Wellsville
Genesee River at Portageville
Canaseraga Creek above Dannsville
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers
Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morris
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Oatka Creek at Garbutt
Black Creek at Churchville
Genesee River at Rochester
Drainage
area
(k»2)
749
2,541
233
862
3,670
4,318
109
528
319
6,364
Measured
average annual
suspended-
sediment load
(metric tons)
44,000
1,080,000
—
222,000
990,000
794,000
—
10,900
—
1,060,000
Calculated
average annual
suspended-
sediment load
(metric tons)
16,900
500,000
21,200
70,200
748,000
601,000
2,160
3,450
925
417,000
Suspended-
sediment
yield
(metric tons
per km^)
23
197
91
81
204
139
20
6.5
2.9
66
* Locations shown in figure 2.
-------
TABLE 6. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT SAMPLES FROM
GENESEE RIVER BASIN SAMPLING STATIONS, 1975-77
M
N>
U)
04221000
04221725
04222300
04223000
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224978
04225000
04225500
04225600
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
04228370
04228380
04228500
04230320
04230380
04230400
04230410
04230423
04230470
04230500
04231000
04232000
Station number and name *
Genesee River at Wellsville
Genesee River at Transit Bridge near Angelica
Genesee River near Houghton
Genesee River at Portageville
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
Mill Creek at Patchinville
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at Groveland
Bradner Creek near Dansville
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
' Genesee River near Mount Morris
Little Conesus Creek near South Lima
Little Conesus Creek near East Avon
Genesee River at Avon
Oatka Creek at Rock Glen
Oatka Creek at Warsaw
Oatka Creek at Pearl Creek
Pearl Creek at Pearl Creek
Oatka Creek near Pavillion Center (Pavillion)
Mad Creek near Le Roy
Oatka Creek at Garbutt
Black Creek at Churchville
Genesee River at Rochester
Average
Clay
(<0.004 mm)
26
27
37
32
32
26
27
22
—
22
17
27
22
48
43
38
36
31
44
38
—
—
40
—
28
—
— —
—
—
61
—
25
percentages in sediment
Silt
(0.004-0.062 mm) '(0
50
55
54
54
51
62
59
65
—
46
60
47
56
44
55
51
51
55
43
46
—
—
48
—
50
—
—
—
—
28
—
49
samples
Sand
.062-2.0 mm)
25
18
9
14
17
12
14
13
13
32
23
26
22
8
2
11
13
14
13
16
—
—
12
24
22
9
18
8
16
11
26
16
* Locations shown in figure 1.
-------
TABLE 7. ATTERBERG-LIMITS DETERMINATIONS ON SOIL SAMPLES FROM GENESEE RIVER BASIN
[Analyses by Cornell University, Department of Agricultural Engineering,
Ithaca, N.Y.]
Sample number and description
Natural
moisture
Sampling content Liquid Plastic Plasticity
date (percent) limit limit index
1. Graham Farm landslide, 9/16/77 28.5 37 18
lake material, southern
end of slump
2. Graham Farm landslide, 9/16/77 17.1 25 16
dense, gray till at toe
of southern end of slump
3. Graham Farm landslide, — 13.3 <26^
sand lens, below lacustrine
silt and clay
4. Graham Farm landslide, 9/30/77 21.3 29 14
dense gray till at cutoff
and oxbow
5. Mill Creek Gorge, lake 10/07/77 12.0 14 12
sediment
6. Mill Creek Gorge, till at 9/30/77 13.4 19 12
base of slump
7. Mill Creek Gorge, at rail- — 13.3 19 12
road cut. Gray till at
base of slump
8. Mill Creek Gorge, 30 ft 9/30/77 18.6 20 16
from surface, brown till
19
Nonplastic
15
* Refer to text for sampling location.
t Soil moisture content less than 26 percent cannot be tested, nor could the
plastic limit be determined.
11-24
-------
of Perkinsville. Rapid erosion of the moraine in the Mill Creek valley con-
tributes much of the sediment that is transported by the creek.
Samples 1 and 4, from glacial-lake and gray till deposits, respectively,
had the highest liquid limits and plasticity indexes, which indicates that
these samples are more resistant to erosion than the others listed in table 7.
Samples from Mill Creek's valley had low liquid limits, plastic limits, and
plasticity indices (table 7), which indicates high susceptibility to erosion.
MINERALOGY
Two-hundred seventy-four mineralogic analyses were done on samples of
suspended sediment, streambed material, and source material. Results of these
analyses are presented in Part 1 of this volume by Mansue and Bauersfeld
(1983, table 5); the samples described in this section are also listed in that
report. The suspended-sediment samples represent a variety of runoff con-
ditions. The streambed material was collected after a seasonal high-flow
period, and the source-material samples were collected where material was
being rapidly eroded.
The samples represent the major types and ages of glacial material in the
Genesee River basin. Quartz, illite, and chlorite were the major constituents
in the samples. Quartz was the major mineral transported at all but the
lowest streamflows; this is due to its predominance in the surficial deposits
and bedrock and its resistance to weathering. Most of the drift and lake
deposits in the Genesee basin were derived from the bedrock in the area.
The major clay minerals in the samples were illite and chlorite. The
predominance of these minerals reflects generally insignificant weathering
since Pleistocene glaciation. The ratio of illite to chlorite (mean value
3.39; standard deviation 1.56) was consistent among all samples, which
suggests a similarity from site to site in the materials eroded from the drift
and the underlying bedrock. The processes of glaciation seem to have largely
homogenized the eroded material, although samples from the Canaseraga Creek
subbasin contained more chlorite than those from the Mill Creek subbasin.
Chlorite Is more abundant in the glacial-lake material sampled near Dansville
and in sediment transported during low streamflow.
Comparison of analyses of samples collected during low streamflow on
December 14, 1975, show similar values for the Genesee River stations at
Wellsville, near Angelica, Portageville, Avon, and for the Canaseraga Creek
station at Shakers Crossing (sampled on December 13, 1975); these analyses
suggest that suspended sediment in the streams at these sites was well
integrated during transport. Samples from the Genesee River near Mount Morris
differed in that the quartz and plagioclase values were higher and the illite
and chlorite values lower. The similarity of values at Wellsville, near
Angelica, Portageville, Avon, and Shakers Crossing is attributed to erosion of
an ancient glacial lake delta (the Genesee River flowed into the Canaseraga
Valley subbasin, which contained a glacial lake). The variations among the
Mount Morris samples are attributed to influence of the dam upstream from the
site. A dense gray till sample (Emo Road south of Patchinville, collected
May 13, 1976) also differed from the December 14, 1975, samples in that the
11-25
-------
latter contained a greater amount of quartz and lesser amounts of illite and
chlorite. The till generally has a coarser granular structure than glacial-
lake material owing to the lack of sorting at the time of deposition.
Analyses of the variations in percentages of (1) chlorite within the clay
fraction, (2) plagioclase, and (3) potassium feldspar in sediment samples from
various collecting locations showed that the variability among samples was
generally large enough to obscure any significant differences among the sites
represented.
RESERVOIR SAMPLING
Most sediment deposited in a reservoir contains a full suite of material
eroded from upstream. Depth as well as inflow and outflow characteristics of
the reservoir are among the factors that affect the rate and pattern of sedi-
ment deposition, which occurs as a stream enters a reservoir. Samples were
collected from the bottom of the reservoir on Little Mill Creek (Canaseraga
Creek subbasin, A km east of Dansville).and upstream from the Mount Morris
flood-protection dam on the Genesee River. The material sampled in the Little
Mill Creek reservoir represented sediment deposited since 1938, when the
downstream end of the reservoir bottom was sealed with marl. The Mount Morris
reservoir was sampled approximately 1.4 km upstream from the dam. The
samplings are described in a written communication by L. J. Mansue, R. A.
Young, and T. S. Miller (U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1978).
Samples were obtained by coring to a depth of 3.5 m. At a depth of 1.3 m,
fine sediment several centimeters thick and of uniform consistency was found;
this material was probably deposited by runoff during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Selected samples from both reservoirs were analyzed mineralogically
(Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983, table 5). Similar results were obtained,
which suggests that the mineral composition of fine suspended sediments
throughout the Genesee basin has been relatively consistent, probably because
of the relative homogeneity of the glacial materials and the bedrock from
which they were derived. Larry Smith (New York State University College of
Arts and Sciences at Geneseo, written commun., 1977, p. 10) obtained similar
results on samples from the Mount Morris storage reservoir and glacial-lake
sediments near Houghton in the southern part of the basin. Smith's results
suggest that whether the lake is of Pleistocene (glacial) or Holocene (modern)
age, sediments derived from lacustrine deposits are similar. Because the
sediment samples were largely homogeneous, detailed mineralogical studies of
basin sediment would probably not provide detailed interpretation as to speci-
fic sediment sources.
11-26
-------
SECTION 5
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT
Average annual suspended-sediment loads and yields are presented in table
5; the following sections explain the sediment-transport patterns in relation
to basin and subbasin geology.
GENESEE RIVER BASIN
The suspended-sediment load at Portageville was approximately the same as
at Rochester, but indicates that not all sediments that entered the lower
Genesee main stem were transported out of the basin during 1975-77. Evidence
of deposition is seen in the heed for dredging behind the Mount Morris dam and
additional sediment deposited in reaches having a low gradient. The average
load for the 1976-77 water years, based on contribution of 1,080,000 metric
tons at Portageville and 233,000 metric tons from the Canaseraga and Oatka
tributaries combined compared to the discharge of 1,060,000 metric tons at
Rochester indicates that 253,000 metric tons remained as deposits in the
Genesee's main stem. This residual load represents a minimum average for the
2 years because sediment loads from tributaries and overland sources
downstream from Oatka Creek's mouth were not included in the computation. The
Genesee River does not have a significant flood plain from the gaging station
at Rochester to Lake Ontario, and it is probable that most of the sediment
load at Rochester is discharged into Lake Ontario.
Suspended-sediment yield in the Genesee River basin shows a general
decrease as drainage area is increased, in accordance with sediment-transport
conditions defined by Walling (1976, p. 19).
SUBBASINS
Detailed studies of some individual smaller drainage areas in the Genesee
basin were made to relate the erosion, sediment-transport rate, and deposition
processes to sediment source and other factors affecting sedimentation. These
studies were done mainly near Mill Creek and Stony Brook, which are tribu-
taries to Canaseraga Creek, and the Genesee River at Portageville; these loca-
les contained large amounts of sediment traceable to specific geologic
sources.
Mill Creek
Mill Creek flows westward from Perkinsville into Canaseraga Creek at
Dansville. The sediment in transport at four sites along the stream was
related to the geology and ground-water conditions.
11-27
-------
Slumping caused by ground-water seepage along the streambank occurs at
the upper contact of dense gray basal till with overlying sediments.
Oversteepening of the banks by lateral stream erosion and seepage pressure
combine to cause active bank slumping, which provides some of the sediment.
Most of the sediment is contributed where the channel is incised in uncon-
solidated glacial deposits that contain much silt and clay. Erosion in the
Mill Creek basin has contributed significantly to the formation of the main
Canaseraga Creek flood plain downstream and to high suspended-sediment yield
measured at the mouth of Canaseraga Creek.
Stony Brook
The Stony Brook subbasin lies south of Dansville and adjacent to the Mill
Creek subbasin. Stony Brook enters Canaseraga Creek 1.5 km upstream from
Dansville. Stony Brook has a higher suspended-sediment load per streamflow
unit than was found at other sites in the Genesee River basin (Mansue and
Bauersfeld, 1983, table 3). The geologic setting of the Stony Brook sub-
basin is similar to that of Mill Creek, and it is likely that the erosion pro-
cesses and resulting suspended-sediment loads in the two subbasins are also
similar.
Genesee River Reach from Belmont to Portageville
In the upper (southern) Genesee River basin, the river flows on bedrock
at Belmont, Fillmore, and Portageville. Between these localities, dense gray
till occupies most of the channel. Vertical downcutting by the river is
retarded by the bedrock and dense gray till. The Genesee's main stem south of
Caneadea (table 3, reach M) flows north-northwest, mainly against the west
wall of the valley, and from Caneadea to Portageville the river flows north-
northwestward, mainly against the east wall of the valley. In the area south
of Portageville, the river parallels bedrock jointing for short distances
(table 3, reaches L and M). A study of bedrock-joint orientation along Rush
Creek near Fillmore (L. J, Mansue, written commun., 1977) suggests a secondary
parallelism of this stream and its tributaries with the direction of bedrock
joints. However, the primary controls for the orientation of the Genesee
River's channel are not known, other than that the main valley north of
Caneadea generally parallels the direction of glacial scouring.
Five locations along the east side of the river channel between Belmont
and Fillmore (table 3, reaches L and M) contain areas of major stream-bank
slumping. Slumping is common also along steeper tributary streams in glacial
sediments. The largest slump is on the Genesee's main stem at the Graham
Farm, 3 km south of Portageville, and a large part of the sediment load in the
Genesee at Portageville is attributed to lateral erosion of slumped material
by the river and to runoff from the slumped material into the river.
LONG-TERM EROSION AND DEPOSITION RATES
Documentation of historic and prehistoric changes in the stream and
flood-plain surfaces were sought to define erosion and deposition rates in the
Genesee River basin. Dating by radiocarbon analysis of organic materials in
glacial and stream deposits has provided data on general erosion and deposition
11-28
-------
rates as far back as 11,000 years B. P. (before present). The geologic ages
and significance of 13 samples are listed in table 8. Gross aggradation and
degradation rates on the flood plain have been estimated for areas upstream
from Portageville, near Dansville, and downstream from Mount Morris. The
significance of each sample is appropriately explained in table 8; however,
several samples are of special significance. Sample 7 (table 8) indicates
that flood-plain aggradation in the vicinity of Geneseo began before European
settlers caused an increase in erosion by clearing the land. It is possible
that the burning of forest cover by Indians and increased development of
Indian agriculture could have started an increase in soil erosion, which
significantly increased sediment loads in streams. Although the Indians'
activities are probably a factor that contributed to presettlement aggradation
on the flood plain (Miller, 1973), climatic variation cannot be ruled out as
the primary cause.
Samples 9 and 10 (table 8) date the transition of the Dansville-Canaseraga
valley from an open lake to a shallow marshy lake slightly more than 9 meters
below the present flood-plain level at about 11,000 years B.P.
Sample 12 (table 8) indicates that the Genesee River was, at the time of
the sample material's deposition, close to its present channel bottom upstream
from Portageville more than 3,300 years B.P. , and sample 13 indicates that the
Graham Farm slide, described previously, was active at least 2,900 years B.P.
Dating of these samples indicates that little channel downcutting has occurred
in the last 3,300 years.
Radiocarbon (C) dating of a tree trunk buried by earlier land movements
near the north edge of the Graham Farm slide indicates that slumping had begun
at least 2,900 years B.P. (Results of radiocarbon analyses are given in table
8.) Dating of an inplace tree root found intruding till at river level a
short distance upstream from the slide suggests that the streambed could not
have been significantly higher (probably no more than 3 m above its present
elevation) 3,000 years B.P. A river terrace 18 km upstream from, and 15 m
above the modern streambed has a reported beginning date of 7,590 years B.P.
(Muller and others, written commun. , 1976, p. 32), which suggests rapid down-
cutting between 7,500 and 3,300 years B.P. but little change since. Data are
too scanty to permit a more detailed correlation of sediment load at
Portageville with climatologic variations. Rapid downcutting before about
3,300 B.P. probably resulted in part from the Genesee River's cutting toward a
lower base level before the filling of Lake Ontario and before the subsequent
rise of the Great Lakes area by elastic rebound after glacial retreat. It is
also probable that bedrock and till deposits in the Genesee channel, between
its head and Long Beards Riff (river mile 162, table 3), are partly respon-
sible for a slower present rate of downcutting in upstream reaches.
The radiocarbon dating studies have also provided additional confirmation
of major regional climatic trends and sediment variations during the past
11,000 years (table 8, samples 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11). Downstream from the
Mount Morris dam, a correlation of drier climate with downcutting on the flood
plain is indicated when information from the carbon-14 analyses is combined
with pollen studies in western New York (Miller, 1973). Alluvium deposition
has been attributed to cooler wetter intervals (Knox, 1972).
11-29
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TABLE 8. DATES FROM CARBON-14 ANALYSES, GENESEE RIVER BASIN
[Samples collected by R. A. Young and L. J. Mansue;
analyses by Teledyne Isotopes, Westwood, N.J.]
Laboratory
sample
no. Location
Age,
years
In
B.P.
Approximate
corrected age,
In calendar
years A.D.
Description of
sample
Significance
RAY-GS-1 Geneseo quad., meander
(I-9822)5 bend 300 m SE of State
Highway 20A bridge over
Genesee River. 42°46'30"
lat, 77"50'30" long.
RAY-GS-2
(1-9823)
Same as sample 1.
410 + 80 1,440 + 90
210 + 80 1,405 + 90
Tree roots 3.9 m below sur-
face of flood plain at base
of overbank deposits
Log buried on point bar
5.5 m below flood plain
Shows amount of local
deposition and gives
age of last meander
migration through area
Agrees with sample 1
for migration of last
point bar through area
M
t-H
I
O
RAY-GS-3 Geneseo quad., east 1,450 + 80
(1-9845) bank Genesee River, ~
600 m NE of Hemp Pond.
77°50'45" lat, 42°47'45"
long.
547 + 90
RAY-GS-4 Same as sample 3.
(1-9827)
1,275 + 80
687 + 90
RAY-GS-5 Caledonia quad., Lacey 8,140 + 140
(1-9828) Road at Dugan Creek
Swamp. 42°58'30" lat,
77°47'30" long.
RAY-GS-6 Same as sample 5.
(1-9829)
RAY-GS-7 Adjacent to samples
(1-9830) 1 and 2.
11,040 + 160
470 + 80 1,416 + 90
Cored from log in gravel
and sand 10.6 m below flood
plain surface; 1.5-2.1 m
below present riverbed
Log in point bar filling
old slough at present low
water level, 6.7 m below
flood-plain surface
Marl at 1.2 m depth below
0.9 m of peat on top of
1.4 m of peat
Peat 2.6 m to 2.7 m depth
on gray lacustrine clay at
base of bog. Bottom of
1.4 m section of peat below
sample 5
Charcoal from hearth 1.8 m
below flood plain. Many
hearths at or near 1.2 m
depth associated with
buried soil profile
Possible period of slightly
greater incision before
present. Alternatively
indicates little or no
net change during this
period (1,400 years)
Indicates channel near
same elevation at time
Indicated with no lateral
migration until present
to expose log
Probably Indicates wetter
climate or higher water
table. Date on marl is
less reliable. Probably
1,000 to 1,500 years too
old (based on other data
from same bog).
Dates probable postglacial
period of climatic wanning;
places limit on youngest
glacial lake in this part
of Genesee Valley
Presumed to record beginning
of prehistoric alluviation
continuing to present
(continued)
-------
TABLE 8 (continued).
Laboratory
sample
no. Location *
Age, In
years B.P.
Approximate
corrected age,
In calendar
years A.D. Description of sample
Significance
RAY-GS-8 Dansville quad., Red <180 BP
(1-9831) School Road at Bradner
Creek. 77°44'52" lat,
42°37'00" long.
RAY-GS-9 Sonyea quad., Pioneer 10,730 + 150
(1-9952) Road at Erie-Lackawanna
railroad. 77°49'00" lat,
42°41'15" long.
RAY-GS-10 Sonyea quad., Erie- 11,160 + 160
(1-9972) Lackawanna railroad
at Keshequa Creek.
77"49'39" lat,
42°41'50" long.
RAY-GS-11 Same as samples 6»015 ± 12°
(1-10,068) 5 and 6.
Log buried 1.8 m below
flood-plain surface (now
covered by dike). Much
organic debris and logs
in gray sand
Lake clays with organic
debris below conspicuous
basal peat layer at 9.3 m.
Washed residue from 9.4-
10.6 m depth in core
Wood and peat layer over-
lying lake clay section
(as in sample 9). Dated
25-mm diameter wood frag-
ment with branches.
Compact peat below marl
layer dated at 7,125 +
140 BP (marl date is
obviously too old), (Refer
to sample 5 for comparison)
RAY-GS-12 Portageville quad., NE 3,375 +
(1-10,076) of Bluestone near Graham
Farm cutoff, at west bank
of Genesee River.
42°32I33" lat, 78°03'03"
long.
RAY-GS-13 Portageville quad., NE
(1-10,077) of Bluestone near Graham
Farm, east bank at toe
of large northern slide.
42°32'43" lat, 78°02'58"
long.
2,925
90 1,630 + 120 B.C. Tree-root fragment (black),
embedded in till exposed by
erosion of hurricane Agnes
(1972) at low-water level
in side of channel
90 1,095 + 155 B.C. Log 0.6-0.9 m above low
water in river bank buried
by old movements of slide;
in 30-46 cm of brown gravel
on till and covered by de-
formed varves from slide.
Bark covered tree with
branching. Probably rep-
resents primary burial by
slide not reburial of an
older trunk.
Shows recent marked lateral
migration and(or) aggreda-
tion in Canaseraga Valley
Marks apparent end of
open lake and beginning
of shallow marsh-lake
environment in Canaseraga
Valley
Marks apparent end of
open lake and beginning
of shallow marsh-lake
environment in Canaseraga
Valley
Marks probable end of dry
Interval prior to onset of
marl formation during higher
water table condition (for
marl)
Marks former low Incision
of streambed at or near
present level
Demonstrates early movement
of slide; in close agreement
with river incision of
sample 12
* Locations shown in figure 2.
t Correction date from Ralph, Michael, and Itau, 1974.
t Quadrangle; map published by U.S. Geological Survey.
'• Tfle
-------
REFERENCES
Fenneman, N. M., 1946, Physical divisions of the United States: U.S.
Geological Survey (map).
Fisher, D. W., Isachsen, Y. W., Rickard, L. V., Broughton, J. G., and
Offield, T. W., 1961, Geologic map of New York: New York State
Museum and Science Service Map and Chart Series, no. 5.
Hetling, L. J., Carlson, G. A., Bloomfield, J. A., Boulton, P. W., Rafferty,
M. R., 1978, Summary pilot watershed report: Albany, N.Y., New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Water Re-
sources, 73 p.
Knox, J. A., 1972, Valley alluvium in southwestern Wisconsin: Annals of
the Association of American Geographers, v. 62, no. 3, p. 401-410.
Lobeck, A. K., 1939, Geomorphology: New York, McGraw-Hill, 731 p.
Mansue, L. J., and Bauersfeld, W. R., 1953. Part I: Streamflow and sediment
transport in the Genesee River basin, New York. In Volume 4; Streamflow
and sediment transport, Final Report Genesee River Watershed. USEPA.
Means, R. E., and Parcher, J. V., 1963, Physical properties of soils:
Columbus, Ohio, Merril Books, Inc., 464 p.
Miller, C. R., 1951, Analysis of flow-duration sediment-rating method of
computing sediment yield: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 55 p.
Miller, N. G., 1973, Late glacial and postglacial vegatation change in
southwestern New York State: New York State Museum and Science
Service Bulletin 420, 102 p.
Muller, E. H., 1977, Quaternary geology of New York: New York State
Museum and Science Service Map and Chart Series, no. 28.
Ralph, E. K., Michael, H. N., and Han, M. C., 1974, Radiocarbon dates and
reality: Archeology of eastern North America, v. 2, no. 1, p. 1-20.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1967, Genesee River basin—Comprehensive
study of water and related land resources: Buffalo, N.Y., v. IV,
app. F, 40 p.
1969, Genesee River basin study of water and related land
resources: Buffalo, N.Y., v. I, Summary report, 179 p. and additions.
11-32
-------
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1967, Genesee River basin—Comprehensive
study of water and related land resources: Buffalo, N.Y., v. IV,
app. F, 40 p.
1969, Genesee River basin study of water and related land
resources: Buffalo, N.Y., v. I, Summary report, 179 p. and additions.
U.S. Geological Survey, Water-resources data for New York, part 1, surface-
water records: Albany, N.Y., U.S. Geological Survey open-file reports
(released annually since 1964).
Walling, D. E., 1976, Natural and channel erosion of unconsolidated source
material (Geomorphic Control, Magnitude and Frequency of Transfer
Mechanisms), in H. Shear and A. E. P. Watson, eds., Workshop on
fluvial transport of sediment-associated nutrients and contaminants:
Kitchner, Ontario, International Joint Commission Resources Advisory
Board Proceedings, p. 1-36.
Wolman, M. G., 1954, A method of sampling coarse river-bed material:
Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 35, no. 6,
p. 951-956.
11-33
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PART III
SOURCES AND MOVEMENT OF SEDIMENT IN THE CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN
NEAR DANSVILLE, NEW YORK
by
Lawrence J. Mansue, Richard A. Young, and Todd S. Miller
U.S. Geological Survey
Ithaca, New York 14850
Prepared in cooperation with
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bureau of Water Research
Albany, New York 12233
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Chicago, Illinois
-------
CONTENTS - PART III
Abstract i
Figures . ii
Tables iii
Conversion Factors iv
Acknowledgments v
1. Introduction.. 1
Purpose and scope 2
Approach 2
2. Summary and Conclusions 4
3. Canaseraga Creek Basin 6
Climate and precipitation 6
Land use 6
4. Mill Creek Subbasin.. 9
Geology 9
Ground water 11
Geomorphology 18
5. Stony Brook Subbasin 19
Geology 19
Geomorphology 19
6. Upper Canaseraga Creek Subbasin 23
Geology 23
Ground water 24
Geomorphology 24
7. Canaseraga Creek Flood Plain 26
Geology 26
Ground water 27
8. Sedimentation 28
Data collection 28
Suspended-sediment transport in subbasins 28
Interstation correlation 31
Reservoir sampling 36
Physical properties of sediment 38
Particle-size distribution 33
Atterberg limits 39
Mineralogy 40
9. Regional Erosion and Deposition Rates 45
References 47
-------
ABSTRACT
Canaseraga Creek basin was selected as a typical basin of the Genesee
River system from which to obtain representative measurements of erosion
and sediment-transport patterns in the vicinity of the Valley Heads
Moraine in western New York. Its several subbasins exhibit a variety of
geologic, hydrologic, and physiographic conditions that permit correlation
of erosion rates and suspended-sediment yields with channel character-
istics, surficial and bedrock geology, ground-water conditions, and
land-use practices.
The highest suspended-sediment yields are associated with stream-bank
failure caused by ground-water movement through stratified glacial deposits
overlying lodgment till along deeply incised stream reaches. Some stream
reaches in glacial deposits have a significantly greater depth and width
than those on bedrock, which indicates that rapid erosion of glacial depos-
its along the stream throughout postglacial time has supplied the bulk of
the sediment transported from the basin.
Discharge from the permeable glacial sediments contributes directly to
seepage-related slumping along stream banks in areas of ground-water
discharge. Ground-water recharge Is greatest In upstream areas along
glacially widened valleys having low stream gradients, irregular glacially
formed land features, and permeable glacial sediments.
Sediment erosion and transport patterns within the several subbasins
reflect the wide variety of geologic, hydrologic, physiographic, and land-
use characteristics. In contrast to the upstream areas, where headwater
tributaries in glacial sediments have caused accelerated erosion, the
Genesee-Canaseraga valley flood plain near the mouth of Canaseraga Creek
has undergone net deposition of 1.2 to 1.8 meters of overbank sediment in
the past 400 years. This began before settlement of the region and is prob-
ably related to climatic fluctuations as well as postsettlement land-use
practices.
Carbon-14 dating indicates that the modern suspended-sediment load may
be as much as four times greater than in postglacial time, as evidenced by
cores from a shallow postglacial lake that received the combined flow of
Canaseraga Creek and the Genesse River near Mt. Morris from 11,000 to 8,000
years ago•
III-l
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FIGURES
Number
1 Map of Canaseraga Creek basin showing major drainage
boundaries and location of streamflow-, sediment-, and
precipitation-measurment stations •
Map showing surficial geology of Mill Creek, Stony Brook,
and Canaseraga Creek areas near Dansvilie 12
Map showing ice-margin positions of latest glaciation in
Mill Creek, Stony Brook, and Canaseraga Creek areas near
Dansville 20
Graph showing suspended-sediment yield at Mill Creek and
Stony Brook stations in relation to yield at Mill Creek
station at Dansville, July 1976 to September 1977 34
Ill-ii
-------
TABLES
Number Page
1 Land use In Mill Creek and Stony Brook subbasins, 1968 8
2 Summary of selected borings and well logs 16
3 Stations at which streamflow and suspended-sediment
were measured in the Canaseraga Creek basin, with dates
of data collection 29
4 Summary of streamflow and suspended sediment in Mill Creek
and Stony Brook subbasins, 1976-77 32
5 Standard error and coefficient of determination of
correlation of suspended-sediment yield between Mill
Creek at Dansville and that at Mill Creek stations
and Stony Brook 35
6 Measured suspended-sediment yield and load of Mill Creek
at Dansville and computed suspended-sediment storm yield
and load at Mill Creek and Stony Brook stations 37
7 Particle-size distribution of suspended sediments obtained
at Canaseraga Creek basin sampling stations, 1975-77 38
8 Atterberg limits for glacial material along Mill Creek
canyon 39
9 Mineralogical analysis of sediment source, streambed, and
suspended materials from Canaseraga Creek basin, 1975-77.... 41
10 Dates from carbon-14 analyses, Canaseraga Creek basin 46
Ill-iii
-------
CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS
The following factors may be used to convert International System (SI)
of metric units to U.S. inch-pound system units. These factors are shown
to four significant figures, but the converted inch-pound system equiva-
lents should be consistent with the values for the SI units.
Multiply SI units
centimeter (cm)
cubic meter per second (m-Vs)
kilometer (km)
hectare (ha)
meter (m)
metric ton
square kilometer (km^)
meter per kilometer (m/km)
By To obtain inch-pound units
0.394 inch (in)
35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s)
.6214 mile (mi)
2.471 acre
3.281 foot (ft)
1.102 ton (short)
.3861 square mile (mi^)
5.280 foot per mile (ft/mi)
Ill-iv
-------
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was done as part of Task C (pilot studies of watersheds and
subwatersheds) of the Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group of
the International Joint Commission and was funded by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of New York. The authors acknowledge
the guidance, support, and advice from Leo J. Hetling and G. Anders
Carlson of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,
Bureau of Water Research, and Robert B. Dona and Ralph G. Christensen of
EPA.
IIl-v
-------
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
Deterioration of the water quality of the Great Lakes has prompted the
United States and Canada to investigate the effects of various land uses on
waters entering the lake system. Under the Great Lakes Quality Agreement
of April 15, 1972, the International Joint Commission (IJC) was engaged to
study the impact of various land uses and to recommend remedial measures
to maintain or improve the water quality of the Great Lakes. Through the
Great Lakes Water Quality Board, the IJC established the International
Reference Group on Great Lakes Pollution from Land Use Activities
(Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group, PLUARG) to make the
studies.
PLUARG developed a program consisting of four major tasks:
Task A, to collect and assess management and research information and, in
its later_stages, to critically analyze the potential implications of
recommendations;
Task B, to prepare a land-use inventory and an analysis of trends in land-
use patterns and practices;
Task C, to (1) make detailed surveys of selected watersheds to determine
pollutant sources and their relative significance, and (2) assess the
transport of pollutants to boundary waters; and
Task D, to obtain supplementary information on the effects of suspended
materials on the boundary waters, their effect on water quality, and their
future significance under alternative management schemes.
The PLUARG study plan was approved by the Great Lakes Water Quality Board
in March 1974 and by the IJC in April 1974.
Task C included intense investigations of six watersheds in Canada and
the United States that represent the full range of urban and rural land
uses in the Great Lakes basin. A technical committee and a Task C subgroup
developed and made pilot watershed studies and studied the rates and
transport patterns of selected pollutants to Lake Ontario, particularly
suspended sediment, phosphorus, and chloride. PLUARG selected the Genesee
River watershed to study surface-water quality as it is affected by (a)
land use, (b) soils, and (c) geology and geomorphology.
III-l
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PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Because many of the factors designated for study could not be com-
pletely evaluated in the broader Genesee River basin studies (Mansue
and Bauerfeld, 1983; and Mansue, Young, and Soren, 1983) a represent-
ative subbasin, Canaseraga Creek basin, was selected for more detailed
study of the relationships between erosion, runoff, streamflow, deposition,
and sediment transport on a smaller scale. The Canaseraga Creek basin was
selected because it contributes a significant amount of sediment to the
Genesee River. Its geologic and physiographic characteristics can be extrap-
olated to other small basins having similar characteristics.
The major objectives were to identify the sources of sediment
transported to the lower Canaseraga basin and to define time and rates of
sediment transport. In addition, an attempt was made to compare present-
day erosion and deposition rates with presettlement (postglacial) rates.
Because sediment samples and streamflow measurements revealed anoma-
lously large quantities of suspended sediment during both high and low
flows, additional sediment-measurement sites were established in the Mill
Creek subbasin to (1) help define the transporting capability of specific
reaches, (2) delineate the sources of sediment, and (3) identify areas
yielding abnormally high or low quantities of sediment. In addition, data
on precipitation and land use were collected to assess erosion potential,
and sediment samples were collected for particle-size and mineral analyses.
APPROACH
Hydrologic and sediment data were collected during 1975-77 at selected
stations. In June 1976, the sites on Mill Creek at Dansville and Stony
Brook at Stony Brook State Park were changed from partial-record
(sampling on random plus storm basis) to automatic storm-sampling sta-
tions wherein equipment was activated when stage rose to a preselected
level. The site on Mill Creek near Dansville was an automatic storm-
sampling station. The sites on Mill Creek at Perkinsville and Patchinville
were partial-record streamflow and sediment-measurement stations to collect
sediment-load data during storm runoff.
Streamflow and sediment data consist of Instantaneous and daily values.
Sediment data represent mainly suspended sediment but include some bed
material; sediment samples were analyzed for concentration, particle-size
distribution, and mineral composition. The sediment-concentration data
were used to compute sediment discharge; the particle-size distribution and
mineral-composition data were used to define the nature of the source
materials and sediment transported. Manual depth-integrated suspended-
sediment samples were collected by methods outlined by Guy and Norman
(1970). Sediment concentration and particle-size analysis were determined
in the U.S. Geological Survey sediment laboratory in Ithaca, N.Y., with
methods outlined by Guy (1969). A calibration coefficient was applied to
the fixed-point samples obtained with the automatic equipment through com-
parisons with cross-section sampling.
III-2
-------
Streamflow and suspended-sediment discharge were measured monthly and
also during significant storms. The two miscellaneous-record sites on
Little Mill Creek were sampled at random intervals and during storms to
give additional areal coverage. Interpretations and statistical analyses
of the Genesee River basin Streamflow and suspended-sediment data are pre-
sented in Mansue and Bauersfeld (1983) and in Mansue, Young, and Soren
(1983).
Geologic investigations included reconnaissance mapping of surficial
deposits, the role of ground water in erosion processes, and collection of
organic material from glacial and fluvial sediments for radiometrlc age
determinations. These determinations were made on material distributed
thoughout the area in sediments from a variety of environments, and from
these determinations, a partial chronology was developed for aggradation-
degradation cycles, long-term rates of net sediment deposition, and periods
of significant stream-bank erosion. The estimated long-term sedimentation
rates of the lower Canaseraga valley were compared with sediment loads
measured during 1975-77 in an attempt to discern how recent changes in
land use might have affected the gross equilibrium of the basin.
III-3
-------
SECTION 2
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The Canaseraga Creek basin consists of six subbasins—Mill Creek, Stony
Brook, upper Canaseraga Creek, Bradner Creek, Keshequa Creek, and the
Canaseraga Creek flood plain north of Dansville. This study included all
but the Bradner and Kt-hequa Creek subbasins.
More than 40 percent of the land in the Mill Creek and Stony Brook
basins is used for agriculture. The Mill Creek subbasin contains more
pasture, residential, and commercial land than the Stony Brook subbasin
because it includes much of the town of Dansville. Much of the Stony Brook
subbasin, where the terrain is more rugged, is forested or used for
recreation, especially in the vicinity of Stony Brook State Park.
Most runoff to streams is from intense summer storms, which produce
significant erosion in the headwaters areas. Mill Creek contributes
approximately 11,100 metric tons of sediment per year, and Stony Brook
supplies approximately 4,600 metric tons. The respective annual yields are
119 and 86 metric tons per km2.
Most of the calculated 7,850 metric tons of suspended sediment
transported annually past the Mill Creek station near Dansville originates
from stream downcutting of unconsolidated deposits in the uplands west of
Perkinsville. The source material consists mainly of unconsolidated flu-
violacustrine sediment that overlies dense gray lodgment till. Small
slumps and earthflows in the fluviolacustrine sediments are common where
banks have been oversteepened and undercut along a 3-km reach between
Perkinsville and Stone Falls. Because the lodgment till at the base of the
exposed section is relatively impermeable, ground water moves along the
till contact, forming hillside seeps that accelerate slumping, especially
during the spring thaw. In addition, a steep gradient of 21 m/km through
this same section increases channel erosion where the main channel has
eroded through the Valley Heads Moraine.
The Mill Creek main stem was divided for this study into four sections:
headwaters to Patchinville, Patchinville to Perkinsville, Perkinsville to
Stone Falls, and Stone Falls to Dansville. Above Patchinville, exposed
bedrock and steep gradients contribute to rapid runoff and high sediment
discharge per unit drainage area despite thick sand and gravel deposits
that are relatively permeable. The broad valley near Wayland is underlain
by marl beds, peat, lacustrine clay, and glacial outwash in the low-
gradient segment from Patchinville to Perkinsville; the low relief and
impermeable sediments create wetland areas where downward percolation of
III-4
-------
ground water is inhibited by the underlying marl, fine-grained glacial-lake
deposits, and till. Low stream velocities and low suspended-sediment
measurements in this area reflect the low gradient.
From Perkinsville to Stone Falls, the gradient is steep (28 m/km). For
3 of the 5 km, the stream has formed a steep ravine by incising as much as
30 m into the Valley Heads Wbraine. The stream is now cutting into a com-
pact lodgment till above which are silty fluviolacustrine sediments
that are involved in most of the stream-bank failures. From Stone Falls to
Dansville, the streambed has a conspicuous armor of cobbles resting on the
dense gray till; this armor is slowing the cutting action of the stream.
The Little Mill Creek tributary contributes relatively low con-
centrations of suspended sediment. This basin is covered by permeable
sandy till and patches of sand and gravel and also contains a small storage
reservoir. Downstream from the reservoir, the channel is incised in
bedrock to its confluence with Mill Creek.
The physiographic and geologic setting of the Stony Brook subbasin is
similar to that of Mill Creek and thus has a similar sediment-transport
regime. In the uplands, most of the tributaries are eroding into till and
outwash and contain little or no alluvium. The upper Canaseraga Creek sub-
basin also is similar to the Stony Brook subbasin in its sediment-transport
regime.
The Canaseraga Creek flood plain below Dansville has undergone deposi-
tion since postglacial time, in contrast to the upstream basins, which have
undergone erosion. Radiometric age determinations on wood samples from
peat resting on glacial-lake sediments beneath the Canaseraga flood plain
indicate that the depositional surface 11,000 years ago was approximately
9 m below its present level. Data on suspended-sediment discharge farther
downstream indicate that modern erosion rates in the Genesee River basin
may be four times greater than 8,000 to 11,000 years ago, when the sedi-
ments of the former lake bottom were deposited.
Carbon-14 analyses of wood samples from elsewhere in the Canaseraga
flood plain verify that stream-channel migration has become extremely
active over at least the last 180 years.
III-5
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SECTION 3
CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN
CLIMATE AND PRECIPITATION
The climate of the basin (fig. 1) is humid continental and is charac-
terized by cold, dry winters and warm, wet summers. The most common storms
are frontal cyclones, which are most frequent from October to March, and
air-mass storms, which are most frequent from April to September (Dethier,
1966, p. 3). Summer storms account for more than half the annual precipi-
tation (Dethier, 1966, p. 6). The basin is within the Western Plateau and
Central Lakes climatological divisions and lies within a rain shadow caused
by orographic precipitation in the adjacent highlands to the west (Dethier,
966, p. 10).
Precipitation data used in this study are from National Weather Service
records collected at Dansville and from U.S. Geological Survey records
collected near Arkport, approximately 5 km south of the headwaters of the
basin. The average annual precipitation at Dansville from 1917-72 was 86.5
cm; the greatest precipitation intensity recorded during the study was
3.6 cm/h at Arkport on July 7, 1976.
LAND USE
Major land uses in the Mill Creek and Stony Brook subbaslns in 1968 are
summarized in table 1 in terms of area and percentage of basin. The most
significant differences between land-use patterns of the two subbasins are
(1) percentage of pasture land, which is twice as high in the Mill Creek
subbasin; (2) percentage of residential area, which is approximately 11
times greater in the Mill Creek subbasin; (3) percentage of commercial-
industrial area, which is 5.3 percent in the Mill Creek subbasin and zero
in the Stony Brook subbasin; (4) percentage of forest land, which is twice
as great in the Stony Brook subbasin; (5) percentage of outdoor recreation
area, which is zero in Mill Creek subbasin and 3.5 percent in Stony Brook
subbasin (which contains a State park); and (6) percentage of wetlands,
which is approximately 7 times greater in the Mill Creek subbasin.
The larger percentage of farmland (cropland and pasture), residential
area, and commercial-industrial area in the Mill Creek subbasin is directly
related to the lower relief. In both basins, the percentage of cropland
decreases with increasing forest cover in the rugged terrain of the
uplands.
III-6
-------
78° 00'
EXPLANATION
Genesee River
basin
Miscellaneous-record stage and suspended-sediment station
Recording stage and daily suspended-sediment station
Recording stage and partial-record suspended-sediment star
Partial record stage and suspended-sediment station
Recording precipitation station
Radiocarbon site and number
Drainage divide
Canaseraga
peek basin
LOCATION MAP
Sugar Creek near Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek above DansviHe
Stony Brook at Stony Brook Slate Park
Mid Creek at Patchmvilte
Miff Creek at Perkmsv
Creek near Oansvdte
Mill Creek n Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near DansviHe
Canaseraga Creek at Grove I and
Bradner Creek near Dan&viHe
Bradner Creek near Sonyea
Keshequa Creek ai Nunda
Keshequa Creek at Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing
Genesee River near Mount Morns
Reservoir on Little Mill C'eek
Base from U.S. Geological Survey
'mira. NY,PA, 1968, 1 ZSO.OOQscale
Figure 1.-
-Major drainage boundaries of Canaseraga Creek basin and location
of streamflow-, sediment-, and precipitation-measurement stations.
(Station numbers and sampling dates are given in table 3.)
III-7
-------
TABLE 1. LAND USE IN MILL CREEK AND STONY BROOK SUBBASINS, 1968
(Data from Hetling and others, 1978;
area values are in hectares)
Land Use
Cropland
Pasture
Residential
Commercial-
industrial
Forest
Outdoor
recreation
Wetlands
Inland water
Miscellaneous
Total
Mill
Percentage
44.2
11.7
5.8
5.3
23.6
—
3.6
2.2
3.6
100.0
Creek
Area
4110
1090
540
490
2200
—
330
210
330
9300
Stony
Percentage
41.5
6.0
.5
—
46.0
3.5
.5
.5
1.5
100.0
Brook
Area
2230
320
30
—
2480
190
30
30
80
5390
III-8
-------
SECTION 4
MILL CREEK SUBBASIN
Mill Creek has a drainage area of 93 km^ and flows west into Canaseraga
Creek, a major tributary to the Genesee River (fig. 1). The main stem of
Mill Creek and its tributaries have 130 km of definable channel. The head-
waters of the creek begin 9.6 km southeast of Perkinsville (altitude 648 m).
The main tributaries flow north from the uplands into a glacially broadened
east-west valley. Near the center of the valley floor the channels have
been straightened artifically; two segments parallel the abandoned
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad for 3 km. North of the railroad embankment,
wetlands and abandoned marl pits cover much of the valley floor. The main
tributaries join near Perkinsville, where a deep ravine has been cut
through the main crest of the Valley Heads Moraine for 3 km to Stone Falls.
Bedrock crops out discontinuously from near Stone Falls to the town of
Dansville. Along this segment, Mill Creek is joined by Little Mill Creek.
GEOLOGY
The Mill Creek subbasin contains glacial deposits associated with the
Valley Heads Moraine(s) of late Wisconsinan age. The underlying bedrock
consists mainly of siltstone and shale of the West Falls group and
generally crops out only along the lower reaches of major tributaries and
along small gullies on steep upland slopes.
The main channel of Mill Creek occupies part of the prominent east-west
glacial trough running from Dansville through Wayland and east.
A reconnaissance map of the major glacial moraines was drawn by G. C.
Connally (New York State Geological Survey, written commun., 1961).
Fairchild (1928) described the surficial geology and postulated events
during deglaciation of the Dansville region, with emphasis on the geologic
formations exposed near Stony Brook south of Dansville (fig. 1).
Remapping during the present study suggests that several ideas pre-
sented in these earlier works require modification. Unpublished works by
E. H. Muller, of Syracuse University, and R. A. Young, of the State
University College at Geneseo, as well as radiocarbon dates obtained during
this study, have added significant information relating to the late
Pleistocene and Holocene geology.
III-9
-------
The surficial geology of the Mill Creek subbasin is illustrated in
figure 2. The highlands are covered by relatively thin deposits of stony
to sandy till with patches of outwash, generally in the form of kame terra-
ces. These deposits contrast markedly with the thicker, more clay-rich
basal tills produced by multiple advances or readvances of ice over shale
bedrock and lacustrine deposits in the main valleys. Each glacial advance
apparently eroded the highlands but overrode and reworked the thicker gla-
cial-lake silt, clay, and outwash in the valleys to form new deposits.
Well logs obtained thoughout the study area (table 2) indicate that
glacial sediments vary considerably from place to place. They are more
than 137 m thick near Dansville and are estimated to be as much as 100 m
thick in the valley near Wayland.
The most conspicuous part of the Valley Heads Moraine fills most of the
valley between Perkinsville and Dansville. The morphology and internal
stratigraphy of the moraine along the main stem of Mill Creek indicates
that this massive moraine was formed during one or more readvances of ice.
The last major readvance deposited sandy to gravelly till containing masses
of lacustrine silt and contorted varved sediments. This moraine, formed by
a readvance over lacustrine and deltaic deposits at the margin of an older
proglacial lake, is a morphostratigraphic unit of hydrologic significance
to the Mill Creek subbasin because it strongly influences both surface
infiltration and ground-water movement. Although the moraines between
Perkinsville and Dansville are the most prominent glacial features, the
crests of older moraines and the trends of ice-margin outwash channels are
also evident to the south and east. (See fig. 3.)
The repeated advances of the ice front in this region have been the
principal force in shaping the morphology and glacial stratigraphy, and
thus the hydrologic properties, of the surficial sediments.
All moraines exposed in stream banks of Mill Creek basin are composed
of sandy till underlain by a clay-rich gray basal till that underlies the
valley floors. This basal till, deposited before the Valley Heads read-
vance, resulted from deep erosion of the shale bedrock north of Dansville
by a massive ice sheet capable of scouring to bedrock.
Between the basal till and the sandy till of the surficial moraines are
deposits of massive gray silt that lack obvious stratification. This silt
is well exposed in the 46 m of surficial sediments along Mill Creek wsst of
Perkinsville. The deposits seem to have gradational contacts with the
underlying and overlying tills and contain scattered lenses of sand and
gravel. They are interpreted to be lacustrine deposits that were over-
ridden and reworked by the Valley Heads readvance. However, any explana-
tion of their precise origin must reconcile their fine grain size with
their lack of obvious internal structure or stratification.
111-10
-------
The massive silt and overlying sandy till deposits are, in places,
covered by discontinuous patches of more recent fluvial and deltaic sedi-
ments from the initiation of the modern drainage as the ice withdrew for
the last time. Below an altitude of 305 m, the discontinuous sand and
gravel beds give way to more uniformly deposited deltaic sand, which marks
the prominent "1000-ft" (305-m) lake shore that correlates with the Pearl
Creek outlet west of Geneseo (Mansue, Young, and Soren, 1983 - fig.l).
The veneer of stream gravel and deltaic sand at high elevations is
generally oxidized, and slumping of exposures obscures the contacts with
the older deposits. The zone of oxidation is irregular and highly variable
in stream-gully exposures; also it does not seem to conform to strati-
graphic horizons, which further complicates recognition of geologic rela-
tionships.
GROUND WATER
Despite the lack of distinct stratigraphic contacts along the Mill
Creek channel, the geohydrologic conditions that affect present-day sedi-
ment erosion are easily recognizable. The surficial sandy morainic,
deltaic, and fluvial deposits are highly permeable, as indicated by the
lack of surficial ponding of water in closed depressions in the deposits
between Dansvilie and Perkinsville. In contrast, the massive water-
saturated silt beneath these deposits is subject to slump failure,
quicksand conditions, liquefaction, mud flows, and general instability
because the-relatively impermeable basal till beneath the silt limits down-
ward percolation of ground water and causes springs and seeps at the upper
contact of the till.
A slightly different sequence of geologic units east of Perkinsville
has formed a more complicated geohydrologic regime. When the ice front was
near Perkinsville (fig. 2), the area near Wayland was a shallow lake,
blocked by ice on the east and west, in which a deposit of clay formed.
Coarse outwash sand and gravel now overlies and interfingers with the lake
sediments around the margins of the basin. Well logs taken immediately
south of Wayland record permeable sand and gravel to depths of 15 to 18 m,
underlain by relatively impermeable clay. The area near Wayland is covered
by wetlands, muckland, and outwash deposits overlying the less permeable
lake sediments. Runoff from the adjacent hills enters the permeable sand,
gravel, and morainic materials in the vicinity of Perkinsville and Wayland
and resurfaces as seepage near the top of bedrock along the Mill Creek
channel above Stone Falls. This is inferred to be the major pathway for
ground water in the Mill Creek subbasin.
The distribution of bedrock outcrops (fig. 2) near Stone Falls suggests
that the bedrock surface beneath the buried glaciated valley is near an
altitude of 300 m. Assuming a moderate westward bedrock slope resulting
from ice erosion between Wayland and Dansville, thickness of the drift prob-
ably reaches 90 to 110 m beneath the upper part of the Mill Creek sub-
basin. No wells or exposures confirm this estimate, however.
111-11
-------
77 37'30"
*
from U.S. Geological Survey
'W mi nut* QuBorttnglvt, 1978
Figure 2. Surficial geology of Canaseraga Creek, Stony Brook,
111-12
-------
Geology by R.A. Young. 1977
and Mill Creek Near Dansville.
111-13
-------
FIGURE 2 - EXPLANATION
|w [ Open-water areas, natural and man-made ponds
[a j Alluvium: clay, sand, and gravel
Interpretation: Modern stream deposits, maximum thickness approximately
11 m in lower Canaseraga Valley near Mt. Morris. Overlying outwash and
lacustrine deposits near Wayland. A few deposits in small gullies and
tributaries are omitted from map
|pm| Peat, marl, muck, and clay
Interpretation: Postglacial to recent deposits in Wayland area in
poorly drained depressions. Fine sediments cannot always be
distinguished from lacustrine deposits of late glacial age where
outcrops are scarce
Stratified sandy deposits of linear form at uniform elevations along
valley sides. Includes silts and gravel
Interpretation: Remnants of shorelines of proglacial lake stages during
final retreat of ice from Valley Heads Moraine. Interfingers with delta
sands (sd) near larger streams
Isd | Stratified sandy deposits along major tributary gullies. Includes silt
and gravel
Interpretation: Deltaic deposits associated with changing proglacial lake
shorelines. Gradational with (si)
Massive lake silt, generally gray. Locally includes significant clay,
gravel, or ice-rafted pebbles. Stratification generally not apparent
Interpretation: Sorting, poor stratification, and field relationships
Indicate that this material was deposited in small, disconnected pro-
glacial lakes near ice margin. Cold-water density currents near ice
front may have prevented formation of distinct varves. Gradational with
till below (tg) and fluvial deposits above (sd). May be largely reworked
silts from readvance of ice over well-sorted lacustrine deposits in
Canaseraga valley with some addition of sediment from tributaries
draining adjacent upland areas. These silts are largely rock flour, rich
In quartz, and seem to be involved in most of the active landslides and
slumps in the Valley Heads Moraine deposits. The silts can easily be
mistaken for clays when wet and become highly unstable when saturated
[o | Gravel, sand, silt, and clay in well-defined ice-marginal channels
Interpretation: Deposits are in channels from streams near the ice margin
that are still visible on aerial photos as channelized depressions with
some braided bed forms. Closely related to kame-terrace and outwash
deposits
|v | Uniformly varved clays and silts, reddish brown
III-U
-------
Interpretation: These deposits are widespread at elevations below 427 m
and represent deposits of the larger proglacial lakes that formed as the
ice retreated up the Canaseraga-Genesee valley. Only large outcrops are
indicated* Small outcrops occur in other areas, but in many places the
soil profile or human activities have destroyed most of the original
texture. Contorted remnants of similar deposits are also included in
the tills of the Valley Heads Moraine (km) as a result of their incor-
poration by ice readvancing down the valley to form the moraine. Most
exposures of varves at land surface are younger than the moraine
jkt | Stratified kame-terrace sands, silts, and gravels
Interpretation: High-level ice-marginal deposits requiring the presence
of ice to contain the flow along one side of the former channels.
Locally gradational with (sd) and (km)
[km j Sandy tills characteristic of the Valley Heads Moraine. Includes
sand, silt, gravel, and some varved sediments slightly reworked or
deposited penecontemporaneously with the moraine
Interpretation: The main moraine south of Dansville is characterized by
kame and kettle topography with a few kettle lakes. The tills here are
very sandy and permeable because of deltaic deposits that were reworked
by readvance of the ice down the Canaseraga Valley. Only such a
retreat-and-readvance sequence would explain the sandy nature of the
moraine, in contrast to the basal and upland tills
Gray silty to clay tills with a few large clasts
Interpretation: This basal till at the lower end of the Canaseraga Valley
was probably formed through the reworking of varves deposited in
proglacial lakes in the Canaseraga valley as the ice advanced before the
Valley Heads event. The lack of clasts contrasts strongly with the
tills along the valley sides and on the uplands. The gray color is
attributed both to the position of the till below the water table and to
its low permeability. The content of larger clasts is variable but
generally low. This till is exposed at the base of many slumps along
tributary streams but is not as readily eroded as the lacustrine silts
(Is) above it
}ts| Brownish sandy tills of upland regions
Interpretation: These tills were deposited at various elevations above
the main valleys where sandstones and siltstones are close to the sur-
face. They are more permeable than the gray valley till (tg) and vary
somewhat in their content of larger clasts, thus reflecting local bed-
rock variations. The till is in most cases less than 1.5 m thick, and
bedrock is exposed in most small gullies. Good exposures are rare except
in gravel pits. Plowed fields Indicate the high pebble and cobble con-
tent. The sandy nature of these tills allows easy percolation of preci-
pitation in upland areas and probably reduces the sediment load in head-
ward tributaries, as compared to the more clay-rich tills
|t | Till not readily related to (km), (tg), or (ts)
|r | Bedrock exposures. Small outcrops in upland areas not mapped
111-15
-------
TABLE 2. SUMMARY OF SELECTED BORINGS AND WELL LOGS
Land-surface
elevation
Boring* (meters)
13A 315.8
24A 332.5
33A 364.8
42A 381.0
133D 213
134D do.
142E 324.9
DAF55 174
Well Log2
Perkins ville 1 414.5
Depth
(meters)
Material
Brown silt, sand, gravel
Brown sand
Brown silt (trace sand, gravel,
clay)
Brown to gray silt, trace clay
and sand (till)
Fine to medium gray sand, silt
Brown silt and fine sand
trace clay, gravel (till)
Gray silty sand, trace
gravel (till)
Sand, gravel, clay silt,
trace sand, clay
do.
Sand, gravel
Gray silt, sand, gravel (till)
Rock at
Peat, clay, silt
Gray silt, clay
Gray sandy clay
Gravel
Soft gray clay
Gravel and sand
from
0
6.1
10.1
0
0
0
19.5
1.5
do.
0
3.0
14.9
0
9.8
0
10.1
12.8
14.3
to
6.1
10.1
24.4
15.8
17.4
19.5
21.9
12.5
do.
3.0
14.9
—
9.8
76.2
10.2
12.8
14.3
21.9
1 From New York State Department of Transportation
(written commun., 1977)
2 From Kammerer and Hobba, 1967, table A-l, A-2.
111-16
-------
TABLE 2 (continued).
Land-surface
elevation
Well Log2 (meters) Material
Perkinsville 2 414.5
Wayland 416.1
(composite of
several wells
in area)
235-743-1 181
234-743-2 189
Composite of 207
borings 3A,
121C, 122C
and well logs
232-741-1
233-742-1, 3
Hard blue clay, gravel (till)
Gravel and sand (outwash)
Gray clay
Gravel and sand
Sand and gravel
Medium to fine sand, silt
Soft blue-gray clay
(lake sediments)
No rock
Sand, gravel
Blue "clay" (silt)
Sand, gravel
Gray silt ("tough blue clay")
no rock
Sand , gravel
Gray silt, some sand, gravel
Fine sand, silt
Gray silt, trace sand, clay, gravel
Fine to medium sand, some silt
Gray silt with increasing gravel
of depth (till)
Rock
Depth
(meters)
from
0
12.5
17.7
17.8
0
10.4
17.4
0
0
7.6
8.8
11.0
0
3.0
22.6
27.4
34.1
46.0
65.8
to
12.5
17.7
17.8
32.3
10.4
17.4
22.9
137
7.6
8.8
11.0
37.2
3.0
22.6
27.4
34.1
46.0
65.8
111-17
-------
GE (MORPHOLOGY
Although the distribution and stratification of glacial deposits are
major influences on the hydrologic characteristics of the Mill Creek basin,
the bedrock structure also controls the general basin configuration and the
current trends of individual streams or stream segments. The resistant
sandstone (Portage Escarpment of Mansue, Young, and Soren,1983) that
trends east-west between Rogersville and Patchinville (fig. 3) was a signif-
icant barrier to the advancing ice sheets. Several glaciations strongly
eroded the escarpment, producing prominent drift-filled strike valleys
trending east-west along the weaker rock layers at the foot of the escarp-
ment.
During the glacial readvance to the Valley Heads Moraine, the ice front
became lobate, as indicated by the position of moraines and ice-marginal
drainage channels (fig* 3). In figure 3, the ice positions marked as
stages 3 and 4 correspond to the classic "Valley Heads" readvance; the other
ice positions have been inferred by Connally (New York State Geological
Survey, written coramun., 1961) to represent older recessional moraines.
All moraines and outwash deposits associated with these ice positions have
modified the terrain and influenced the modern hydrologic regime of the
Mill Creek subbasin. For example, headwater tributaries originating on the
thinly covered bedrock divides were impeded or diverted downstream on the
valley slopes by the various moraines, outwash gravel, ice-marginal chan-
nels, and kame terraces. The modern drainage pattern has resulted from the
modification of these older glacial landforms. Some tributary drainage
follows ice-margin channels and skirts the edges of moraines. The deep
incision by Mill Creek through the Valley Heads Moraine permits observation
of the relationship between glacial stratigraphy, georaorphology, and
ground-water movement.
In summary, the sequence of repeated ice retreat and readvance has pro-
duced a stratigraphy and morphology favorable to significant ground-water
recharge in the upper basin. The low relief of the glacial moraines and
the swampy depressions on the broad floor of the former lake basins near
Wayland enhance recharge to the underlying permeable outwash gravel and
sandy till.
111-18
-------
SECTION 5
STONY BROOK BASIN
GEOLOGY
The physiographic and geologic setting of Stony Brook is similar to that
of Mill Creek except that Stony Brook flows directly down the Portage
Escarpment, across the Valley Heads Moraine near Stony Brook Park, and into
Canaseraga Creek 1.4 km above the confluence of Mill Creek. It is a smaller
subbasin, and the stream is not diverted through a broad drift-filled valley
as Mill Creek is.
Ice associated with moraine positions 1 and 2 (fig. 3) must have filled
the upper reaches of Stony Brook subbasin, as indicated by the sand, gravel,
and kame deposits along the divide on the south margin of the basin above
South Dansville (fig. 2). However, exposures of glacial sediments in this
basin upstream from Stony Brook Park are poor, and the map units are largely
extrapolated from reconnaissance field mapping on aerial photographs.
Surficial deposits in the basin consist of thin, stony to sandy till in
the uplands and poorly exposed sand and gravel beds along the lower stream
courses. From a few exposures, bedrock is inferred to be near the surface in
most streambeds but veneered with grayish to brown (oxidized) till and outwash
or alluvium in most of the area.
For 1.6 km downstream from South Dansville, the streambed has extensive
till exposures with silt, sand, and gravel along the valley sides. Because
the main Valley Heads readvance did not extend this far south, these deposits
differ in origin and texture from those on Mill Creek in the section between
Stone Falls and Perkinsville. However, the upper Stony Brook subbasin has
relatively permeable glacial sediments at the surface to absorb precipitation
and also seems to have a veneer of clay-rich till over bedrock, which reduces
ground-water infiltration into bedrock. This situation, as in the Mill Creek
basin, produces slumping.
GEOMORPHOLOGY
Although it was not possible to correlate all ice-front positions from
Mill Creek into the Stony Brook basin, an approximation of ice positions was
made from extrapolation of the ice-front elevations. It seems probable that
the moraine in the upper parts of the Stony Brook subbasin is equivalent to
ice position 1 in figure 3. The basin's small size and high altitude pre-
vented a large ice lobe from extending southward into the basin. Prominent
111-19
-------
77 37'30"
V I •» ' I
i\*KW<
Otlet to north at Pearl Creek west of Geneseo,
dashed v^harf atonpnmet0tY
channej for indicated stage
Base from U.S. Geological Survey
Tvi-minute auadfangT*!, 1B7B
Figure 3. Ice-Margin positions of latest glaciation in Canaseraga Creek,
111-20
-------
77 37'30'
Glacial a»oloav by ft.A. Voung. 1977
Stony Brook, and Mill Creek areas near Dansville.
111-21
-------
moraines such as those near Perkinsville and Patchinville are absent in the
Stony Brook subbasin. In addition, because drainage along the ice margin
could not cross over the higher divides south of South Dansville, the valley
sides in the Stony Brook basin contain much less outwash sand and gravel in
the form of kame terraces than in the Mill Creek subbasin. In other words,
the lack of thick glacial outwash deposits in the Stony Brook area above Stony
Brook State Park reflects the lack of major through-flowing meltwater streams.
The thinner deposits consist predominantly of sediments produced by local
melting of debris-laden ice.
111-22
-------
SECTION 6
UPPER CANASERAGA CREEK SUBBASIN
Canaseraga Creek begins near the Livingston-Allegany County line (fig.
1) and flows southeast, then east, and finally turns northeast into the
broad drift-filled valley south of Dansville before crossing the Valley
Heads Moraine in the vicinity of Poags Hole near the Livingston-Steuben
County line. From Dansville northward to the Genesee River, the Canaseraga
flows through the glacially widened and deepened southern extension of the
ancestral Genesee Valley. Because the lower subbasin (Canaseraga Creek
flood plain) differs considerably from the upper basin, it is discussed
separately in the next chapter.
GEOLOGY
Upstream from the town of Canaseraga (fig. 1), the creek channel is
confined to a narrow valley that was formerly the meltwater outlet for
Valley Heads ice south of Nunda. This 13-km reach extends mostly over
outwash that was deposited as the Valley Heads ice was melting and
discharging meltwater southward toward Arkport. From 1.6 km northeast of
Canaseraga to Stony Brook State Park, the stream has incised 35 to 90 m
downward into a moraine complex 6.4 km wide formed by the Valley Heads
readvance south of Dansville.
The glacial stratigraphy along Poags Hole is similar to that along Mill
Creek above Stone Falls. A gray clay-rich basal till is overlain by
massive silty sediments and capped by the sandy brown till of the most
recent Valley Heads readvance. Younger deltaic and fluvial sediments cap
some stream divides.
Along the steep valley eroded through the moraine at Poags Hole, slumps
are evident along the valley sides in the unstable massive silt as well as
in the basal till. Because the section through Poags Hole has a flood
plain 600 to 900 m wide, some of these slides are at a distance from the
creek and do not feed sediment directly into the main channel.
Just above where the stream enters the wide valley at Dansville, it is
constrained by bedrock along the west side of the old buried glacial
valley. This bedrock prevents active downcutting of the channel and thus
forms a local base level for the upstream reach through Poags Hole. Bed-
rock also constricts the channel along a series of waterfalls 3 km below
Canaseraga. The gradient is approximately 9.5 m/km through the Poags Hole
section between the constrictions. Like both Mill Creek and Stony Brook,
Canaseraga Creek seems to derive most of its sediment from silt and till
111-23
-------
along the channel wherever it is incised through morainal deposits of
Valley Heads age. A series of large active slides in these materials is
present along the valley walls at Stony Brook State Park along both
Canaseraga Creek and lower Stony Brook. In the spring, mud slides and
slurries have been seen flowing into the Canaseraga from reactivated parts
of old landslides on the west side of the valley. Even when the slides are
not contributing large amounts of sediment, the streams become noticeably
more sediment laden downstream from the older slide scars.
GROUND WATER
Discharge of ground water plays an important role in the transport of
sediment to streams. Ground water from the upper basin probably emerges
into the stream in large quantities near the bedrock and till exposures
just downstream from the town of Canaseraga. Water moving through the silt
overlying the basal till causes instability and large slumps that are
active intermittently throughout the Poags Hole area. Tilted trees, slide
blocks, and irregular terrain along the valley sides attest to slope move-
ment throughout the 10-km valley section incised through the moraine. The
deepening and widening of this valley segment is undoubtedly a result of
this type of slump failure during channel downcutting. Below the falls,
where bedrock does not limit downcutting, the channel has been deepened 30
m within a 2.4-km reach. No tributaries enter the stream along that reach.
This difference in channel shape attests to the rapid erosion of the
glacial deposits and supports the hypothesis that streambed erosion and
valley widening by slope failure have been major contributors to suspended
sediment in this and similar basins.
The coarse outwash gravel south of the moraine near Poags Hole should
form an even better ground-water recharge unit than the deposits near
Wayland, but neither the thickness of the outwash nor the movement of
ground water could be determined from available information.
GEOMORPHOLOGY
The lobe of ice from the Valley Heads readvance southwest of Dansvilie
encountered less resistance than the lobes at Wayland and Stony Brook
because of a preexisting north-south valley that allowed passage and pro-
vided an unobstructed outlet for outwash deposits and meltwater. For this
reason, the massive moraine at Poags Hole has only 12 to 18 m of surface
relief and grades almost imperceptably into an outwash fan (valley train)
extending southward. The reach of Canaseraga Creek from Canaseraga to
Stony Brook State Park was probably incised originally from a semicircular
course around the front (south) edge of the main moraine and through low
swales across the moraine toward Dansville. A more direct southerly route
was apparently blocked by a large outwash fan deposited by meltwater dis-
charging from the narrow bedrock channel northwest of Canaseraga. It is
also possible that the upper reach of Canaseraga Creek (west of the town of
Canaseraga) was formerly a tributary to the main valley leading south from
Poags Hole but was captured by headward erosion from the direction of Poags
Hole.
III-24
-------
The upper Canaseraga drainage basin is more complex than the Mill Creek
basin. The moraine deposits, although more extensive than those in the Mill
Creek basin, have more subdued relief and a different depositional history
resulting from the large breach eroded in the Portage Escarpment. The
moraines in the valley near Wayland are lobate with small marginal outwash
channels. The moraine at Poags Hole is more massive, lacks distinctive
lobate ridges, and is veneered with coarse outwash gravel deposited by
large volumes of meltwater that did not discharge directly Into a lake.
Gravel pits in glacial outwash south of the Poags Hole moraine contain
thick sections of very coarse cobble gravel.
The kame moraine in the valley east of Canaseraga is responsible for
the distinctively curved shape of the Canaseraga Creek channel where it
parallels the moraine margin. The lack of tributaries can be attributed to
the high permeability of surface deposits. The upper Canaseraga, from its
headwaters to Dansville, is an example of a stream that conforms basically
to former glacial valleys and ice-contact depositional relief.
111-25
-------
SECTION 7
CANASERAGA CREEK FLOOD PLAIN
GEOLOGY
During preglacial time, the broad flood plain of lower Canaseraga
Creek, now 2.4 to 4.0 km wide, was the main trunk of a large stream to
which the Genesee River was tributary. It is believed that the Genesee
River, before glaciation, flowed from Portageville to Sonyea through the
present Keshequa valley (fig. 1), then into the main trunk stream in the
Canaseraga valley. Subsequently, glacial drift blocked the course of the
Genesee River and rerouted the flow from Portageville to Mount Morris (f^.g»
1) through Letchworth State Park (Fairchild, 1926). The lower Canaseraga
valley was more extensively scoured than the upper part because its axis
was alined north-south, in the direction of ice movement.
The lower part of the valley is inferred to have contained a shallow
lake dammed by a glacial moraine that plugged the Genesee Valley 35 km
north of Dansville near Geneseo about 11,000 years ago. As the Genesee
River cut through the moraine, lowering the outlet, the lake began to drain
and fill in with peat. The Genesee River deposited an alluvial fan or
delta (12 m thick) near Mt. Morris that may have been an additional control
on the lake level and (or) sediment-accumulation rate in the valley. The
periodic buildup of the delta fan in the valley near Mt. Morris would dam
the river temporarily, creating a shallow lake extending south to Dansville.
The temporary ponding of water in this area would form an effective sedi-
ment trap for the many small tributaries draining the valley walls.
The surficial material of the lower Canaseraga valley gradually changes
northward from sandy deltaic and lacustrine sediments at Dansville to gray
lacustrine clays and silts and marsh deposits consisting of peat and muck
near Keshequa Creek at Sonyea (fig. 1).
Radiocarbon age determinations on peat horizons collected from flood-
plain borings along Interstate Highway 390 (Young, 1977) indicate a
transition from a shallow open lake to periodically flooded marsh areas
about 11,000 years ago. (See table 10.) Peat layers of varying extent and
thickness are scattered throughout the valley from near present land sur-
face to depths of 10 m. The thickest layers occur at depths between 1.5
and 3.0 m and between 7.6 and 9 m below land surface. Underlying the marsh
deposits at a depth of 9 to 10 m is a lacustrine silty clay that is notice-
ably varved at a depth of 14 m; this layer may be a few hundred meters
thick.
111-26
-------
Although the Canaseraga valley has accumulated a net of 10 m of sedi-
ment In the last 11,000 years, cyclic periods of degradation and aggrada-
tion probably occurred as a result of climatic variations. Holocene
climates throughout North America have undergone several alternations from
cool and moist to warm and dry. Aggradation typically occurs during warm,
dry periods, whereas degradation occurs during cool, moist periods.
Recently obtained dates from buried hearths and soil profiles near Geneseo,
about 3.1 ,km northeast of Mt. Morris, Indicate that the flood plain has
undergone 1.2 to 1.8 m of aggradation in the last 400 years (Mansue, Young,
and Soren, 1983).
GROUND WATER
The role of ground water In creating unstable stream-bank conditions
and high sediment loads is less significant along the Canaseraga flood plain
than In the headwater subbasins. Because the flood plain lacks steep banks
of glacial material, slumping and similar phenomena associated with ground-
water seepage are less likely to occur.
The coarse deltaic sediments near Dansville should form an excellent
recharge area and permit ground water to move readily northward Into the
Canaseraga flood plain at depths generally less than 10 m. Relatively
impermeable clay or silt at shallow depths would prevent rapid infiltration
of ground water to deeper sediments. Fine sediments of low permeability
are known to extend to depths of at least 73 m. Water levels in borings
generally range between 2.4 and 9.1 m below land surface; borings with per-
forated casing below 15-m depths show decreasing amounts and rates of
seepage from the fine silt and clay.
From these observations, It seems likely that most of the water from
the Canaseraga basin enters the Genesee River either in the main channel or
as ground water at or above present channel-bottom elevations. This would
imply that streamflow measurements on Canaseraga Creek include most of the
water moving out of the basin because little ground water is likely to be
moving at through the fine-grained lacustrine sediments.
111-27
-------
SECTION 8
SEDIMENTATION
Fluvial sediment can be divided into two general categories—bedload
and suspended load. Bedload consists of soil, rock particles, and other
debris that rolls or skips along the streambed; suspended sediment includes
mineral, colloidal, and organic material that is kept in suspension by tur-
bulence.
Streamflow, suspended sediment, bed material, and source material were
measured during the collection period, 1975-77; the stations and period of
collection are listed in table 3. Detailed studies were made to identify
source materials, describe sediment transport, and discuss the nature and
susceptibility of sedimentary deposits to erosion.
Suspended-sediment load and yield for stations in the Mill Creek sub-
basin, at the Stony Brook site, and other sites in the Genesee River basin
are reported by Mansue and Bauersfeld (1983 - table 7).
DATA COLLECTION
The steamflow and sediment-measurement sites on Mill Creek and Stony
Brook were selected on the basis of a reconnaissance of geologic setting,
available suspended-sediment information, and site accessibility. Gages
equipped with continuous stage recorders and automatic water samplers were
installed at sites where relatively high suspended-sediment loads were
indicated. One site was along Mill Creek at Knox Street in Dansville; a
second was at Stone Falls Road near Dansville. A partial-record site
upstream on the main stem at Patchinville was used, and another was
established near Perkinsville. In addition, two miscellaneous measurement
sites were established on Little Mill Creek at County Line Road and at the
New York State Route 63 bridge near the mouth. Location of these sites is
shown in figure 1.
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN SUBBASINS
During low flow and base flow, field observations and suspended-
sediment measurements of Mill Creek from the headwaters to Perkinsville
revealed relatively clear water. However, where the stream enters the
canyon below Perkinsville, it turns milkly gray, mainly from gray muddy
slurries created by springs issuing near the contact between the dense gray
basal till and the overlying fluviolacustrine deposits. Some channel ero-
sion must also contribute to the suspended-sediment load at low flow.
111-28
-------
TABLE 3. STATIONS AT WHICH STREAMFLOW AND SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT WERE MEASURED
IN THE CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN, WITH DATES OF DATA COLLECTION
[Locations are shown in figure 1.]
Station number and name
04224740
04224775
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224978
04225000
04225500
04225600
04225670
04225915
04225950
04226000
04227000
04227500
Sugar Creek near
Canaseraga
Canaseraga Creek
above Dans vi lie
Stony Brook at Stony
Brook State Park
Mill Creek at
Patchinville
Mill Creek at
Perkinsvllle
Mill Creek near
Dansville
Daily record
Streamflow Sediment
—
8/74-9/77
—
—
—
—
Mill Creek at Dansville
Canaseraga Creek near
Dansville
Canaseraga Creek at
Grove land
Bradner Creek near
Dansville
7/70-9/76,
7/10-9/35
10/56-9/64,
3/11-10/19
—
Bradner Creek at Sonyea
Keshequa Creek at Nunda
Keshequa Creek at
Tuscarora
Keshequa Creek at
Sonyea
Canaseraga Creek at
Shakers Crossing
Genes ee River near
Mount Morris
—
11/74-9/77,
3/11-9/32
10/74-9/77, 3/75-9/77
11/59-9/70
6/03-9/77 4/75-9/77
Partial
Streamflow
2/75-9/77
—
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
—
record
Sediment
2/75-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
7/76-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
12/74-9/77
—
—
Note: Refer to text for definition of station type.
111-29
-------
Stony Brook has a higher suspended-sediment discharge per unit stream-
flow than Mill Creek (Mansue and Bauersfeld, 1983 - table 3). In
small basins such as Mill Creek and Stony Brook, the entire drainage area
may be affected by a single small rainstorm. Commonly, a large part of the
basin will receive equal quantities and intensities of rainfall at the same
time, particularly during winter storms. To correlate the sediment loads
at adjacent sampling sites with the load of Mill Creek at Dansville,
suspended-sediment data collected at these sampling sites have been tabu-
lated (table 4). In table 4, the storm data, stream discharge, and
sediment-load data collected at these sites from July 1976 to September
1977 are presented. It is assumed that these data represent yields from
generally equal precipitation throughout the basin.
The average suspended-sediment concentration was the greatest at Stone
Falls, which confirms that the major sources of sediment to Mill Creek are
derived from the reach from Perkinsville to Stone Falls.
The predominant factors determining the suspended-sediment yield at
Patchinville are the rainfall intensity and the degree of soil saturation.
During storms of low intensity, such as on April 23, 1977, when 5.1 cm of
rain fell uniformly over a 23-hour period, suspended-sediment discharge was
9.4 metric tons. The average streamflow, 0.74 m3/s, was relatively small
for the amount of precipitation.
During a storm of high intensity, such as that of July 6, 1977, the
Arkport precipitation gage recorded 2.8 cm in 1 hour, and a total of 3.6 cm
fell that day. However, a slightly greater suspended-sediment discharge
resulted then than during the storm of April 23. Approximately 24 hours
later (July 7), another 2.8 cm of rain fell within an hour (a total of 3.3
cm for the day). The ground was saturated from the previous day, and the
instantaneous peak streamflow on July 7 was 13.1 m3/s as compared with 0.68
n»3/s on July 6. Similarly, average streamflow during the July 7 storm was
8.7 times greater than during the July 6 storm, although both had approxi-
mately the same intensity and volume of precipitation. The suspended-
sediment load on July 7 was 260 times greater than on April 23 and 174
times greater than on July 6. These antecedent soil conditions are an
important factor in the availability of suspended sediment.
The average suspended-sediment discharge was generally higher down-
stream at Perkinsville than at Patchinville during low- and moderate-
intensity storms. During high-intensity storms, deposition occurred in the
reach between these sites. Afterward, the lower streamflows incorporated
this new material, resulting in the higher suspended-sediment transport
at Perkinsville.
Sampling during the high-intensity storms of July 7 and September 19
revealed both higher suspended-sediment concentrations and higher sand
concentrations at Patchinville than Perkinsville. The lower suspended-
sediment yield at Perkinsville is attributed to the relative flatness of
the broad Wayland valley and the poor drainage between these sites. The
low stream gradient of 22 m/km in this section would be a significant fac-
tor directly related to the sediment concentration, discharge, and
particle-size distribution.
111-30
-------
Suspended-sediment loads are greater at the station near Dansville than
at the other site because the ravine downstream from Perkinsville contrib-
utes a major source of sediment, and the gradient (28 m/km) is relatively
high. The sediment originated at the sides of the stream channel, where
slumps, mud flows, and springs form at the contact between the relatively
impermeable dense gray till and the more permeable overlying deposits of
deltaic sand and gravel, silty sandy till, and fluviolacustrine silt.
The suspended-sediment discharge per km2 at Dansville was slightly less
than upstream at Stone Falls, partly because of dilution by the inflow of
Little Mill Creek below Stone Falls. Random samples and storm samples
collected on Little Mill Creek above the reservoir and near the mouth both
indicated low suspended-sediment concentrations, which may reflect the
gentle rolling topography of the drainage area, the permeability of the
surficial deposits, which consist of sandy till and patches of sand and
gravel, and the fact that approximately two-thirds of the basin outflow
empties into the reservoir, which would act as a sediment trap. The chan-
nel from the reservoir outflow to the mouth is incised in relatively
resistant bedrock and contributes only small amounts of sediment. The few
stream tributaries along this bedrock channel and the armor of cobbles over
dense gray till between the station near Dansville and the station at
Dansville account for the reduced suspended-sediment yield within this
reach.
INTERSTATION CORRELATION
To compare the sediment load measured at different stations realisti-
cally, the suspended-sediment load for each storm at each station was
divided by the drainage area. The resulting data (suspended-sediment
yields) were used to develop relationships between each subbasin and Mill
Creek at Dansville. Figure 4 depicts the relationship between the
suspended sediment yields from these sites. A straight-line relation on
log-log paper was assumed, and the best relationship was computed by the
least-squares method.
The relationships developed for the Patchinville and Perkinsville sites
are grouped below the line of equal sediment yield. The straight line
representing the relationship is expressed by its slope. The Patchinville
site has the steepest slope, probably because of high sediment availability
during the higher flows from this headwaters site. The slope of the rela-
tionship for the Perkinsville site is low and below the line of equal
yield, mainly because the drainage area upstream from this site is shallow
and has extensive wetland areas. The curve for the site near Dansville is
completely above the line of equal yield, which indicates a relatively high
amount of suspended sediment in transport relative to the site at
Dansville. This is attributed to the large source of sediment from the
Mill Creek ravine between Perkinsville and this site.
The Stony Brook curve lies significantly above the line of equal yield
during low and moderate flows, but at high flows the relationship is below
this line, which suggests a proportionally limited sediment supply.
111-31
-------
TABLE 4. SUMMARY OF STREAMFLOW AND SUSPENDED SEDIMENT IN
MILL CREEK AND STONY BROOK BASINS, 1976-77
Date
Precipitation
intensity^-
Average
streamflow
(m3/s)
Mean
suspended-
sediment
concentration
(mg/L)
Suspended-sediment
Load
(metric
tons)
Yield
(metric
tons/km^)
MILL CREEK AT PATCHINVILLE. Drainage area 13.0 tan2;
percent of total drainage area 14;
average gradient 18 ra/km.
7/29/76
12/07/76
3/23/77
3/28/77
4/23/77
6/25/77
7/06/77
7/07/77
9/18/77
9/19/77
9/24/77
9/26/77
Average
MILL CREEK
7/29/76
12/07/76
3/23/77
3/28/77
4/23/77
6/25/77
7/06/77
7/07/77
9/18/77
9/19/77
9/24/77
9/26/77
Average
High
Low
Low
Low
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
Moderate
High
Moderate
Low
AT PERKINSVILLE .
High
Low
Low
Low
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
Moderate
High
Moderate
Low
.71
.25
.40
.45
.74
.20
.34
2.97
.71
4.05
1.10
.82
1.06
Drainage area 46
percent of total
average gradient
_—
.68
—
1.7
2.0
.71
.68
3.0
—
4.98
4.67
3.54
2.4
213
10
59
62
84
42
325
3880
105
1005
167
84
503
.9 km2;
drainage
22 m/km.
„
62
—
47
150
110
176
1060
—
346
312
59
258
21
.23
3.08
3.6
9.4
.84
14
2430
7.7
766
20
6.6
274
area 50;
„_
4.1
-._
7.0
30
7.6
13
375
.._
197
137
18
88
1.6
.017
.24
.28
.73
.065
1.05
187
.59
59
1.54
.51
253
__
.087
__
.15
.64
.16
.27
8.0
—
4.2
2.9
.39
1.9
1 low, <0.5 cm/h
moderate, 0.5-1.3 on/h
high, >1.3 cm/h
111-32
-------
TABLE 4 (continued).
Date
Precipitation
intensity1
Average
streamf low
(m3/s)
Mean
suspended-
sediment
concentration
(mg/L)
Suspended-sediment
Load
(Metric
tons)
Yield
(Metric
tons /km2)
MILL CREEK AT STONES FALLS. Drainage area 57.0 km2;
percent of total drainage area 61;
average gradient 28 m/km.
7/29/76
12/07/76
3/23/77
3/28/77
4/23/77
6/25/77
7/06/77
7/07/77
9/18/77
9/19/77
9/24/77
9/26/77
Average
MILL CREEK
7/29/76
12/07/76
3/23/77
3/28/77
4/23/77
6/25/77
7/06/77
7/07/77
9/18/77
9/19/77
9/24/77
9/26/77
Average
High
Low
Low
Low
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
Moderate
High
Moderate
Low
AT DANSVILLE.
High
Low
Low
Low
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
Moderate
High
Moderate
Low
1.27
.963
—
1.81
2.10
.91
1.27
3.09
1.47
6.06
4.87
2.92
2.43
Drainage area 93.0
average gradient
1.76
1.05
.91
1.90
2.63
1.05
1.95
6.23
2.49
13.3
7.48
4.05
3.73
627
150
—
436
721
283
1100
6240
647
6080
2750
990
1820
km2;
23 m/km.
581
134
279
402
518
246
510
4380
476
4800
2020
718
1260
88
14
—
68
136
24
142
1630
93
3560
1440
237
676
111
14
23
68
138
24
143
2370
109
6220
1540
255
918
1.54
.24
—
1.2
2.4
.42
2.5
28.6
1.6
63
25.3
3.8
11.9
1.2
.15
.24
.73
1.48
.26
1.54
25.5
1.2
67
17
2.7
9.9
STONY BROOK AT STONY BROOK
STATE PARK.
Drainage area 53.9 km2;
percent of total drainage area 92;
average gradient 27 m/km.
10/20/76
3/04/77
3/28/77
4/23/77
5/04/77
9/19/77
9/26/77
__
—
Low
Moderate
—
High
Low
5.0
2.6
2.7
6.6
2.8
10.9
3.8
896
114
194
655
184
1100
573
897
30.1
48.5
284
78.6
1685
234
16.6
0.56
0.90
5.27
1.46
31.3
4.34
111-33
-------
A Mill Creek at PatchmviMe
B Mill Creek at Perkmsville
• C Mill Creek near Dansvitle
O D Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
0.01
1 . 10
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT YIELD OF MILL CREEK AT DANSVILLE. N.Y.
IN METRIC TONS PER SQUARE KILOMETER
Figure 4.—Suspended-sediment yield at Mill Creek and Stony
Brook stations in relation to yield at Mill Creek
station at Dansville, July 1976 to September 1977.
111-34
-------
However, this observation is inconclusive because data were available from
only four storms.
Streamflow records in this part of New York indicate that the
Canaseraga Creek basin has an average of 12 significant storms per year.
The sum of suspended-sediment yield during 12 storms from July 1976 to
September 1977 (table 4) is considered to represent an average annual load.
To use the average annual load for a quantitative estimate of annual
suspended-sediment load, any trend in suspended-sediment discharge for the
entire basin is assumed uniform throughout the subbasins. Accordingly, the
relationship between sediment yield at Dansville and each subbasin (fig. 4)
may be used to compute subbasin sediment yield; for example, a suspended-
sediment yield of 4 metric tons at Dansville yields a computed annual
suspended-sediment yield of 5.3 metric tons per km2 for the station near
Dansville.
To describe the relationship between each station and Dansville, table
5 includes the standard error of an estimated yield and coefficient of
determination from the linear least squares relationships of log trans-
formed data (Draper and Smith, 1966, p. 14). A perfect fit would be
obtained if the coefficient equaled 1; at the site near Dansville the coef-
ficient is 0.996. This is probably a result of its proximity to the site
at Dansville. The standard errors of estimate have been expressed in log
units above and below the average regression line. A standard error may be
thought of as the maximum error expected for a mean yield about two-thirds
of the time. For example, the error for the mean sediment yield at
Perkinsville (10 metric tons) for nine storms is 4-2.9 metric tons per
km2 an
-------
The relatively large standard error of suspended-sediment yield rela-
tions for the Patchinville station nay be partly explained by the degree of
error in (a) determining a runoff hydrograph from a few gage-height
readings, and (b) directly comparing data without adjustment for slight
variations in rainfall distribution. The total number of storm discharges
available for comparison ranges from 12 at the Dansville station to 4 at
Stony Brook.
Taking the value of the suspended-sediment yield for each hydrologic
event for Mill Creek at Dansville, and entering the slope of the line of
the average relationship (fig. 4), a computed suspended-sediment value is
obtained for each subbasin station and the Stony Brook station. This value
is tabulated, and the procedure is repeated for each storm at the Dansville
station. The total of the computed suspended-sediment yield for each sub-
basin, multiplied by the drainage area, is the suspended-sediment load.
These totals can be expressed as a percentage of the total suspended-
sediment load passing Dansville and are tabulated in table 6 for each sub-
basin and for Stony Brook.
Comparison of the suspended-sediment load for each subbasin station
(table 6) reveals calculated annual suspended-sediment aggradation and
deposition. Subtraction of the load at the station near Dansville (7,850
metric tons) from the load at the station at Dansville (11,070 metric tons)
gives 3,220 metric tons, obtained from the drainage area between these
sites (36 km2), Or 89 metric tons per km2. Subtraction of the load at the
Perkinsville station (728 metric tons) from load at the station near
Dansville (7,850 metric tons) gives 7,122 metric tons, obtained from the
increase in drainage area between these sites (10.1 km2), or 705 metric
tons per km2. This high yield is attributed to the unconsolidated
materials above the dense gray till in the Mill Creek gorge, described in
the section "Mill Creek Subbasin, Geology."
Subtraction of the load at the Patchinville station (1,440 metric tons)
from the load at the Perkinsville station (728 metric tons) is -712 metric
tons, with a drainage-area increase of 33.9 km2. This loss indicates that
deposition has taken place between these sites, which may be attributed to
the low gradients.
RESERVOIR SAMPLING
The sampling program permitted only sparse sampling of the Little Mill
Creek, the mouth of which is between the station at Stone Falls and the
station at Dansville (fig. 1). Samples were collected from the bottom of
the reservoir on Little Mill Creek because sediment deposited in a reser-
voir generally represents an integrated sample of upstream material. The
perimeter was mapped and seven sites sampled within the reservoir to allow
interpretation of the differences among sampling localities. In addition,
location, depth, and nature of the bottom samples were noted. The seven
sites were selected to represent the reservoir bottom at the deepest loca-
tions. The material sampled represents sediment deposited since the reser-
voir bottom was sealed with marl in 1938.
111-36
-------
TABLE 6. MEASURED SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT YIELD AND LOAD OF MILL CREEK AT
DANSVILLE AND COMPUTED SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT STORM YIELD AND LOAD
AT MILL CREEK AND STONY BROOK STATIONS.
(Drainage areas are in parentheses)
Mill Creek
at
Date of Dansville
event (93.0 km2)
7/29/76 1.2
12/07/76 .15
3/23/77 .24
3/28/77 .73
4/23/77 1.48
6/25/77 .26
7/06/77 1.54
7/07/77 25.5
9/18/77 1.2
9/19/77 67
9/24/77 17
9/26/77 2.7
Total yield,
metric tons/km2 H9
Total load,
metric tons 11,070
Percentage
of load at
Dansville 100
Mill Creek
Near
Dansville
(57.0 km2)
1.77
.26
.40
1.12
2.14
.43
2.22
30.0
1.77
73.3
20.6
3.74
137.8
7850
71
Mill Creek Mill Creek
at at
Perkinsville Patchinville
(46.9 km2) (13.0 km2)
0.35 0.55
.075 .045
.11 .079
.24 .303
.41 .710
.11 .087
.42 .74
3.38 22.0
.35 .55
6.92 71
2.51 13.5
.64 1.47
15.52 111
728 1440
6.6 13
Stony Brook
at State Park
(53.9 km2)
2.34
.57
.79
1.67
2.69
.83
2.76
18.5
2.34
35.5
14.0
4.04
86.0
4640
42
111-37
-------
Particle-size and mineralogical analyses were done on samples from
three locations. Results are presented in following sections.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SEDIMENT
Selected physical properties of the sediment transported were eval-
uated, including suspended, bed, and source materials. Analyses included
particle-size determination on suspended sediment, streambed samples,
source material, and Atterberg limits of source materials.
Particle-Size Distribution
The particle-size distribution of suspended sediment from Mill Creek
and Stony Brook (average percentage) is presented in table 7. The
suspended material transported during 1975-77 consisted of 13 to 23 percent
sand, 46 to 65 percent silt, and 17 to 27 percent clay. The percentage of
sand transported in suspension by a stream is generally in direct propor-
tion to stream gradient and availability of source material. The highest
percentage of sand transported was at the site on Mill Creek near
Dansville; this is because the channel upstream is predominantly sandstone,
and materials adjacent to the stream contain considerable sand. Some
sorting would be expected during transport. Mill Creek at Perkinsville had
a low percentage of sand owing to the low gradient upstream.
TABLE 7. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS OBTAINED
AT CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN SAMPLING STATIONS, 1975-77
(All values are average percent)
Particle size
Clay Silt Sand
(0.004- (0.062-
«0.004 mm) (0.062 mm) 2.0 mm)
Mill Creek at Patchinville
Mill Creek at Perkinsville
Mill Creek near Dansville
Mill Creek at Dansville
Stony Brook at Stony Brook State Park
22
—
22
17
27
65
—
46
60
59
13
13
32
23
14
111-38
-------
Atterberg Limits
As a part of the source-material analyses, the erodability of
unweathered material in areas adjacent to the streams was evaluated. Shear
strength of soil is considered a measure of its erodibility and can be
interpreted from Atterberg limits analyses (L. H. Irwin, Cornell
University, written commun., 1978). Atterberg limits divide the cohesive
ranges of soils from the solid to the liquid state into five stages
(limits) on the basis of water content. The tests are described by Means
and Parcher (1963, p. 70-83), and applications can be found in the current
literature. The liquid limit minus the plastic limit is defined as the
plasticity index of the material. Material with a high liquid limit and
plasticity index tends to be more resistant to erosion.
Four sample analyses that represent material being actively eroded in
the Mill Creek basin are shown in table 8. The samples were collected from
the walls of a 30- to 45-m deep canyon that Mill Creek has eroded in the
Valley Heads Moraine between Perkinsville and Stone Falls. The analyses
show relatively low liquid limits, plastic limits, and plasticity indices,
which indicate high susceptibility to erosion. Rapid erosion of this
canyon on Mill Creek contributes much of the sediment transported
downstream.
TABLE 8. ATTERBERG LIMITS FOR GLACIAL MATERIAL ALONG MILL CREEK CANYON
(Analysis by Cornell University, Department of Agricultural Engineering)
Material description
and date of sample
Natural
moisture
content Liquid Plastic Plasticity
(percent) limit limit index
Lake sediment
(Oct. 7, 1977)
Till at base
of slump
(Sept. 30, 1977)
Gray till at base of slump
at railroad cut
(sampling date not given)
Brown till 9 m
from surface
(Sept. 30, 1977)
12.0
13.4
13.3
18.6
14
19
19
20
12
12
12
16
111-39
-------
MINERALOGY
To compare stream sediments with suspected source materials, suspended
sediment, bed material, and source material were analyzed by X-ray diffrac-
tion. Results of these analyses are presented in table 9. The suspended-
sediment samples included sediment transported during a variety of runoff
conditions. Streambed material was collected after the seasonal high-flow
period, and source materials were collected at sites where material was
being noticeably eroded.
The sampling is from the postulated major glacial deposits of various
ages. Quartz, illite, and chlorite were the major constituents of nearly
all samples. Quartz was the predominant mineral transported in all but the
lowest flows; this is attributed to its prevalence and resistance to
weathering. The shale, siltstone, and sandstone that underlie the basin
consist predominantly of quartz, and most sedimentary particles in the till
and lake deposits were derived from these sedimentary strata close to the
study area. Some of the material was probably glacially transported from
the Canadian Shield and older rocks to the north.
The major clay mineral constituents were illite and chlorite. These
noncomplex clays reflect a lack of weathering owing to the relatively short
time since the last glacial advance. Till analyses for chlorite from the
Mill Creek basin along Highway 63 near Dansville are comparable with the
percentage of chlorite found downstream in the Canaseraga Creek samples
(Mansue, Young, and Soren, 1983).
The mineralogical content of samples from the reservoir on Little Mill
Creek was similar to that of other lake sediments in the Genesee River
basin (Mansue, Young, and Soren, 1983).
111-40
-------
TABLE 9. MINERALOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENT MATERIAL,
CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN, 1975-77
STATION I/ DATE
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224775
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224848
04224900
04224930
04224940
04224940
04224940
04224940
04224940
06-26-75
07-26-75
12-13-75
02-10-76
02-11-76
02-18-76
03-12-76
04-21-76
04-25-76
05-20-76
06-24-76
08-15-76
10-09-76
04-24-77
02-11-76
02-18-76
04-25-76
07-29-76
10-09-76
03-28-77
03-28-77
07-29-76
03-28-77
03-28-77
04-23-77
04-23-77
TIME
1700
1700
1200
—
—
1445
1330
—
1620
1200
1430
0515
1705
1630
__
0905
1130
1835
1615
1500
1440
1810
1500
1555
1915
1915
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
AUTOM S.
HIGH FLOW
AUTOM S.
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
<0.062
>0.062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
—
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
Q
35
66
31
38
39
36
59
26
57
36
56
22
58
43
41
49
39
40
49
65
58
46
47
43
46
52
P
19
6
6
12
8
4
9
5
14
7
6
6
6
4
9
13
8
6
7
-
10
8
12
11
28
4
K C
— _
- 8
2 8
5 4
1 «.
1 -
4 7
4 4
3 3
3 -
- 17
- -
- 9
15 8
1 -
13 -
- -
5 1
3 -
8 -
4 3
4 7
4 17
5 15
2 10
17 8
CL
46
20
53
41
52
59
21
61
23
54
21
72
27
30
49
25
53
48
41
27
25
35
20
26
14
19
IL
33
13
38
30
—
—
16
47
18
39
16
59
21
23
_
18
40
36
30
20
18
26
14
16
10
13
CH
13
6
15
11
—
—
5
14
5
15
5
13
6
7
__
7
13
12
11
7
7
9
6
9
4
5
KA
_
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
TR
-
TR
_
-
-
-
-
TR
-
_
TR
1
-
1
I/ STATION NUMBER REFERS TO LOCATION ON FIGURE 1 AND TABLE 3
EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
04224964 LITTLE MILL CREEK AT COUNTY LINE ROAD NEAR DANSVILLE
04224965 LITTLE MILL CREEK RESERVOIR NEAR DANSVILLE
21 AUTOM S. » MATERIAL COLLECTED BY AUTOMATIC SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT SAMPLER
M - METERS OF DEPTH BELOW WATER SURFACE
3/ PSR DENOTES PIPET PARTICLE-SIZE ANALYSIS RESIDUE
4/ Q=QUARTZ P=PLAGIOCLASE K=K-FELDSPAR C-CALCITE TR-TRACE
CL=CLAY IL=ILLITE CH«=CHLORITE KA=KAOHNITE
ALL VALUES ARE IN PERCENT
II1-41
-------
TABLE 9 (continued) .
SIZE
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
STATION I/ DATE TIME MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/ Q P K C CL IL CH KA
04224964 03-28-77 1720 STREAM BED <0.062 49 10 8 5 28 18 10
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224965
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04224978
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225000
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225500
04225600
04225600
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
08-25-76
01-27-76
02-17-76
02-17-76
02-18-76
05-20-76
07-29-76
10-09-76
03-28-77
03-28-77
04-24-77
06-26-75
06-26-75
01-27-76
02-10-76
02-17-76
02-18-76
06-23-75
07-23-75
12-13-75
02-11-76
02-17-76
03-05-76
03-12-76
04-22-76
04-24-76
04-24-77
02-18-76
10-21-76
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
__
1525
1645
0930
—
1745
1555
1715
1715
1425
1720
1720
—
—
1330
—
1930
1930
0900
—
1810
1215
0900
1330
1830
0910
1015
1105
CORE01 . 5M
CORE<§1 . 5M
CORE01.5M
CORE@1 . 5M
CORE@2.3M
CORE@2.3M
CORE@2.3M
CORE@6.4M
CORE@6.4M
CORE@6.4M
CORE@6.4M
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAMBED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
RECESSION
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
LOW FLOW
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
<0.062
XJ.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
PSR
<0.062
>0.062
PSR
PSR
__
—
<0.062
<0.062
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
65
60
59
59
56
49
53
47
46
51
42
40
59
60
49
43
44
38
41
39
42
66
48
36
42
56
43
34
59
46
37
66
54
56
40
59
40
54
28
5
11-
7
7
9
5
7
9
6
5
13
11
8
7
12
12
12
12
5
18
8
11
14
8
7
9
12
7
6
11
9
9
12
8
10
11
9
10
6
3 1
5 -
4 -
5 -
- -
3 -
4 -
— —
3 -
5 -
- 1
3 -
4 4
6 3
4 -
4 8
5 5
5 9
5 10
2 18
6 12
- 7
— —
1 -
4 2
3 5
4 -
— —
5 11
4 4
4 -
_ ._
6 -
_ _
3 3
_ ~
4 12
5 —
- —
26
24
30
29
35
43
36
44
45
39
44
46
25
24
35
33
34
36
39
23
32
16
38
55
45
27
41
59
19
35
50
25
28
36
44
30
35
31
66
19
17
23
23
27
33
29
32
33
30
34
.•._
18
17
26
24
25
27
27
17
22
12
27
— -
34
20
—
43
14
27
—
19
21
30
35
23
25
21
48
6
7
7
6
8
10
7
12
12
9
10
*•_
7
7
9
9
9
9
9
6
9
4
11
— —
11
7
— _
16
5
8
—
6
7
6
9
7
9
10
18
1
-
-
—
-
-
—
_
-
-
-
_
—
—
—
—
—
_
3
—
1
«(•
_
—
_
—
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
_
_
_
1
«.
—
111-42
-------
TABLE 9 (continued).
STATION I/ DATE
04225670
04225670
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225915
04225950
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04226000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
04227000
07-17-75
' 04-25-76
__
—
07-19-75
07-19-75
01-14-76
02-09-76
02-17-76
03-04-76
04-23-77
01-14-76
__
—
06-26-75
06-26-75
06-26-75
12-13-75
01-14-76
02-11-76
04-22-76
06-25-76
04-23-77
06-26-75
07-08-75
07-17-75
07-23-75
09-26-75
09-26-75
12-13-75
01-13-76
02-19-76
03-12-76
04-25-76
10-21-76
04-23-77
04-24-77
04-25-77
TIME
._f .
1340
__
—
—
—
—
—
1035
1600
2000
1410
__
—
—
—
—
1550
1530
0900
0930
1045
1910
1915
1530
1915
1800
1040
1515
1615
—
0930
1600
1430
1230
1245
1050
0900
SIZE
MATERIAL 2/ MM 3/
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
LOW FLOW
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
HIGH FLOW
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
SUSPENDED
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
STREAM BED
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
HIGH FLOW
STREAM BED
LOW FLOW
HIGH STAGE
STREAM BED
HIGH FLOW
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
SUSPENDED
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
>0.062
<0.062
<0.062
—
—
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
< 0.62
> .25
> .062
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
0.062
>0.062
X3.062
<0.062
<0.062
PSR
—
<0.062
PSR
—
PSR
<0.062
<0.062
<0.062
MINERAL CONSTITUENT 4/
Q P
44 9
28 6
52 6
45 10
34 7
59 14
26 5
51 5
51 8
48 12
47 9
24 5
40 23
42 8
56 7
50 22
63 13
27 5
33 6
58 8
30 7
67 14
38 9
34 12
23 6
58 7
55 9
56 8
54 10
43 7
31 8
48 9
26 8
45 9
52 8
44 17
34 21
42 17
K
3
3
3
3
4
8
3
3
4
7
8
2
3
7
-
4
-
-
1
4
-
3
5
15
-
-
4
7
-
-
5
11
7
8
-
4
3
6
C
3
—
8
12
-
3
-
-
-
-
6
-
2
12
3
4
4
5
-
-
5
-
9
6
9
12
9
-
-
3
-
2
—
-
4
3
9
5
CL
41
63
31
30
55
16
66
41
37
33
30
69
32
31
34
20
20
63
60
30
58
16
39
33
62
23
23
29
36
47
56
30
59
38
36
32
33
30
IL
30
—
23
22
39
11
—
31
27
25
22
—
23
22
26
15
14
47
—
21
43
12
30
24
46
15
15
21
27
36
38
22
47
29
29
22
23
19
CH
11
—
7
7
16
5
—
10
10
8
7
—
7
8
8
5
6
16
—
9
15
4
8
9
16
5
8
8
9
11
18
8
10
9
7
8
8
9
KA
_
—
1
1
-
TR
-
-
-
-
1
-
TR
1
-
-
-
T
-
-
-
-
1
_
-
3
TR
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
2
2
2
111-43
-------
TABLE 9 (continued).
LOCATION 5/
SIZE MINERAL CONSTITUENT
DATE MATERIAL 6/ MM Q P K C CL IL CH KA
EMO RD, S. OF PATCHINVILLE 05-13-76 HLD TILL <0.062 72 5 4 1 18 15 3 —
EMO RD, S. OF PATCHINVILLE 05-13-76 HLD TILL X).062 66 5 3 - 26 22 4 —
MILL CR RAVINE, PERKINSVIL 04-02-76 LCS <0.062 51 15 3 16 15 95 1
MILL CR RAVINE, PERKINSVIL 04-02-76 TBS <0.062 44 7 4 16 29 22 7 —
RT 36, DANSVILLE 04-02-76 TILL <0.062 33 8 5 29 25 18 7 TR
RT 63, DANSVILLE 04-02-76 V.CLAY <0.062 45 11 5 13 26 17 8 1
RT 63, 1.4 KM E.OF DANSVIL 05-13-76 BR LAKE <0.062 52 10 8 2 28 22 6 --
RT 63, 1.4 KM E.OF DANSVIL 05-13-76 BR LAKE >0.062 56 7 - 3 34 29 5 —
5/ CR DENOTES CREEK
E DENOTES EAST
RD DENOTES ROAD
PERKINSVIL DENOTES PERKINSVILLE
DANSVIL DENOTES DANSVILLE
6/ HLD TILL DENOTES HIGHLAND SANDY TILL
LCS DENOTES LACUSTRINE SILT AND CLAY
TBS DENOTES BROWN SANDY TILL
V.CLAY DENOTES VARVED CLAY
BR LAKE DENOTES BROWN LAKE
111-44
-------
SECTION 9
REGIONAL EROSION AND DEPOSITION RATES
To calculate erosion and deposition rates In the Canaseraga Creek
basin, documentation of historic and prehistoric changes in the stream and
flood-plain altitudes were sought. Radiometric carbon-14 analyses of organ-
ic materials from glacial and stream deposits have provided data on
general erosion and deposition rates back to 11,000 years ago. This date
shortly follows glacial recession. The geologic ages and possible signifi-
cance of three samples are listed in table 10.
Samples RAY-GS-9 and RAY-GS-10, obtained from approximately 9 m below
the present flood-plain surface, indicate a transition of the Dansville-
Canaseraga valley from an open lake to a shallow, occasionally flooded
marsh about 11,000 years ago (table 10). These and other samples analyzed
and described in Mansue, Young, and Soren (1983) from elsewhere in the
Genesee River basin indicate that net sediment-deposition rates for com-
bined Genesee River-Canaseraga basin streamflow into this old lake basin
(now Canaseraga valley) between 8,000 and 11,000 years ago were probably
less than present sediment-transport rates. These sedimentation estimates
are long-term averages that include unknown variations caused by climatic
changes during the 3,000-year interval. Modern sediment transport seems to
be nearly four times greater than the amounts needed to account for the
average increment of deposition during the filling of the old lake basin.
However, this conclusion is valid only if it is assumed that the lower
Canaseraga basin was a shallow lake with a restricted outlet during this
period, thereby trapping most of the sediment. Analysis of log sample
RAY-GS-8 suggests that stream-channel migration has been active over at
least the last 180 years.
In summary, the greatest erosion seems to be occurring in headwater
areas where ground-water seepage causes bank failure in fine-grained stra-
tified deposits. Modern sediment deposition rates in the Canaseraga flood
plain are probably greater than those during postglacial times.
111-45
-------
TABLE 10. DATES FROM CARBON-14 ANALYSES, CANASERAGA CREEK BASIN
(Samples collected by R. A. Young and L. J. Mansue;
Analyses by Teledyne Isotopes, Westwood, N.J.)
M
M
M
Laboratory
sample
no. 1
o
Location
Age , in
years B.P.
Description of sample
Significance
RAY-GS-8
(1-9831)
RAY-GS-9
(1-9852)
RAY-GS-10
(1-9972)
Dansvllle quad. , Red <180
School Road at Bradner
Creek. 77°44'52" lat,
42037'00" long.
Sonyea quad. , Pioneer 10,730 + 150
Road at Erie-Lackawanna
railroad. 77°49'00"
lat, 42°41'15" long.
Sonyea quad. , Erie-
Lackawanna railroad
at Keshequa Creek.
77°49'39lf lat,
42°41'50" long.
11,160 + 160
Log buried 1.8 m below
flood-plain surface (now
covered by dike). Much
organic debris in logs
and gray sand
Lake clays with organic
debris below conspicuous
basal peat layer of 9.3 m.
Washed residue from 9.4
to 10.6 m depth in core
Wood and peat layer over-
lying lake clay section
(as in sample 9). Dated
25-mm diameter wood frag-
ment with branches
Shows recent marked lateral
migration and(or) aggrada-
tion in Canaseraga valley
Marks apparent end of
open lake and beginning
of shallow marsh-lake
environment in Canaseraga
Valley
Marks apparent end of
open lake and beginning
of shallow marsh-lake
environment in Canaseraga
valley
1
2
3
Number in parenthesis is Teledyne analysis number.
Locations shown in figure 1.
Quadrangle; map published by U.S. Geological Survey, 1:24,000 scale.
-------
REFERENCES
Dethier, B. A., 1966, Precipitation in New York State: Ithaca, N.Y.,
Cornell University Agriculture Experiment Station, Bulletin 1009,
78 p.
Draper, N. R., and Smith, H., 1966, Applied regression analysis: New
York, John Wiley, 407 p.
Fairchild, H. L., 1926, The Dansville valley and drainage history of
western New York: Rochester, N.Y., Proceedings of the Rochester
Academy of Sciences, v. 6, p. 217-242.
1928, Geologic story of the Genesee valley and western New
York: Rochester, N.Y., H. L. Fairchild, 215 p.
Guy, H. P., 1969, Laboratory theory and methods for sediment analysis:
U.S. Geological Survey, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations,
book 5, chapter Cl, 58 p.
Guy, H. P., and Norman, V. W., 1970, Field methods for measurement of
fluvial sediment: U.S. Geological Survey, Techniques of
Water-Resources Investigations, book 3, chapter C2, 59 p.
Hetling, L. J., Carlson, G. A., Bloomfield, J. A., Boulton, P. W., and
Rafferty, M. R., 1978, Summary pilot watershed report: New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Water
Resources, 73 p.
Kammerer, J. C., and Hobba, W. A., Jr., 1967, The geology and availability
of ground water in the Genesee River basin, New York and Pennsylvania,
ir± U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Genesee River basin comprehensive
study of water and related land resources: Buffalo, N.Y., U.S. Array,
Corps of Engineers, appendix I, 102 p.
Mansue, L. J., and Bauersfeld, W. R. 1983. Part I: Streamflow and sediment
transport in the Genesee River basin, New York. In Volume 4; Streamflov
and sediment transport, Final Report Genesee River Watershed. U.S. Envi-~
rtontnental Protection Agency.
Mansue, L. J., Young, R.A., and Soren, J. 1983. Part II: Hydrogeologic
influences on sediment transport patterns in the Genesee River basin.
In Volume IV: Streamflow and sediment transport, Final Report Genesee
River Watershed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
111-47
-------
Means, R. E-, and Parcher, J. V., 1963, Physical properties of soils:
Merril Books, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 464 p.
Miller, N. G., 1973, Late glacial and post-glacial vegetation change in
southwestern New York State: New York State Museum and Science Service,
Bulletin 420, 102 p.
111-48
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Inunctions on the rercrsi- before completing:
1 REPORT NO
EPA-905/9-91-005D
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION-NO.
4 TITLE ANDSUBTITLE
Genesee River Watershed Study
Volume 4 - Special Studies - U.S. Geological Survey
8. REPORT DATE
March 1978
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHORIS)
Lawrence J. Mansue
William R. Bauersfield
Richard A. Young
Julian Soren
Todd S. Miller
B. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bureau of Technical Services and Research
50 Wolf Road
Albany, New York 12233
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
A42B2A
11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
R005144
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADO~,IS_
Great Lakes National Program Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
Final - 1974-1978
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
GLNPO/USEPA
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
Ralph G. Christensen, Grants Officer
Patricia Longabucco, NY DEC Coord.
16. ABSTRACT
Part I
Streamflow and Sediment Transport in the Genesee River, New York
Part II - Hydrogeologic Influences on Sediment Transport Patterns in the
Genesee River Basin
Part III - Sources and Movement of Sediment in the Canaseraga Creek Basin
near Dansville, New York
7.
KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
b.lDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
c. COS AT I Field/Group
Sediment transport
Water quality
Stream flow
Suspended sediment
Precipitation
Particle size
Bedrock
Ground water
Land use
Minerology
Document available to public through
National Technical Information Service
19. SECURITY CLASS (ThisReport)
None
21. NO. OF PAGES
135
INTIS}
Springfield, VA 22161
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thiipage)
None
22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (9-73)
111-49
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