Eighteenmile Creek Watershed: The Location of Sources of Pollution

Abstract

Eighteenmile Creek is one of the six Areas of Concern (AOC) in New York State (Makarewicz and Lewis 2000). The International Joint Commission (IJC) and the Great Lakes community are working on 42 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes basin where beneficial uses of a waterbody have been identified as impaired. AOCs include harbors, river mouths, and river segments where Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) have beendeveloped and are being implemented to restore and to protect beneficial uses.Fourteen use-impairment indicators have been applied to define water qualityparameters. Eighteenmile Creek has been polluted by past industrial and municipal discharges, by the disposal of waste, and by the use of pesticides. Fish consumption has been impaired by PCBs and dioxins found in the flesh of various game fish. The health of the benthos has also been impaired by PCBs and metals in creek sediments. At the mouth of Eighteenmile Creek on Lake Ontario, dredging restrictions have been placed on the disposal of dredged material from Olcott Harbor. Dredging is needed to maintain recreational boating and requires land-based confined disposal. Other use-impairment indicators in the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) that require further investigation to assess impairment are: the degradation of fish and wildlife populations, fish tumors, bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems, and the degradation of planktonpopulations (Makarewicz and Lewis 2000).