Braddock Bay Monroe County, New York

Abstract

Braddock Bay, located just west of Rochester, NY, is one of Lake Ontario’s larger embayments. The bay is open to wave action from Lake Ontario, differentiating it from several other embayments such as Port and Sodus Bays. Braddock Bay is located in the 2,500-acre Braddock Bay Fish and Wildlife Management Area; is a major waterfowl and migratory bird nesting, resting, and feeding habitat; has 541 boat slips; and is a major access point to the lake from the southern shore. The Braddock Bay watershed contains a mix of residential development, state park, and protected wildlife areas. Nuisance algae, bacterial abundance, and algal mat development along the southern shoreline of Lake Ontario are major causes of beach closings, fouling the nearshore waters and limiting water recreation. This short report provides a synopsis of data collected monthly from May through September (2003 to 2009) on the water quality of Braddock Bay and the lakeside (swimmable depth) of Lake Ontario east of the entrance to Braddock Bay.