A Five Year Summary of Kendig Creek Watershed Monitoring

Abstract

Land use in the Kendig Creek watershed is mostly for agriculture purposes. Kendig Creek has relatively high concentrations of nitrate, total kjeldahl nitrogen and total suspended solids when compared to other watersheds in central New York State. Kendig Creek is also an event responsive watershed, i.e. a majority of the discharge, nutrient and solids lost from the watershed to the stream ecosystem occurs during precipitation or melting events. Stressed stream analysis has identified several agricultural sites that are contributing nutrients and soil to the stream ecosystem. Linking these three facts together suggest that agricultural practices allowing nutrients and soil to runoff into the creek are having a major impact on the loadings from Kendig Creek. The high loss of phosphorus from the watershed into Kendig Creek also indicate that the Creek is fairly polluted, when compared to other streams in western and central New York State. A remedial action plan and best management plan are suggested as the next logical step in developing a water quality program for this watershed.