Chaumont Bay Jefferson County, New York

Abstract

Chaumont Bay is a 9,000-acre embayment located on the east end of Lake Ontario. The bay receives tributary waters from Guffon Creek, Three Mile Creek, and the Chaumont River, creating three smaller embayments within Chaumont Bay on the northeastern side. The bay is lined by shoreline development, but the watershed is primarily agriculture. Algae blooms plague Chaumont Bay and hamper boating, swimming, and fish consumption. Direct sewage discharges into Chaumont Bay have been documented, but inadequate septic systems are considered the primary source of nutrient loading to the bay. This short report provides a synopsis of data collected monthly from May through September (2005 to 2009) on the water quality of Chaumont Bay and the lakeside (swimmable depth) of Lake Ontario near the bay.