Genesee River Monroe County, New York

Abstract

Originating in Potter County, Pennsylvania, the Genesee River travels 157 miles northward before emptying into the Rochester Embayment at the Port of Rochester on Lake Ontario. The 2,500-mi watershed of the Genesee River is predominately in agriculture and forest until it reaches the suburban urban environment of the City of Rochester, New York. Several wastewater plants, including Eastman Kodak’s industrial waste plant (King’s Landing) and Scottsville, and Honeoye Falls sewage treatment plants, discharge into the river. Just west and east of the outfall of the Genesee River into Lake Ontario are Charlotte and Durand Eastman Beaches that are periodically closed due to nuisance algae, bacterial abundance, and algal mat development along the southern shoreline of Lake Ontario. The Genesee River is also a major point of access to Lake Ontario and has over 1000 boat slips. The Genesee River’s high flow makes it a key contributor to the water quality of the Rochester Embayment in the nearshore zone. This short report provides a synopsis of data collected monthly from May through September (2003 to 2009) on the water quality of the Genesee River and the lakeside (swimmable depth) of Lake Ontario near the mouth of the river.