The northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer consist of a 29-mile-long, crescent-shaped, mixture of glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine, and recent alluvial deposits of predominantly sand and gravel on the western side of the Tug Hill Plateau in Jefferson and Oswego Counties in north-central New York. Approximately 11,400 people are supplied by groundwater that is withdrawn from municipal and nonmunicipal wells in the northern and central parts of the aquifer. In addition, many farms, several industries, and a large New York State fish hatchery also rely on the water from the aquifer.
In the early 2000s, anticipated developmental pressures from potential new industries (including a proposed water-bottling plant in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer) and expansion of the Fort Drum military base north of Watertown (with the projected increase in population extending into the northern part of the aquifer) prompted the Tug Hill Commission, local municipal officials, and representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to initiate a geohydrologic study with the U.S. Geological Survey. The information from this study is intended to help the state, counties, and local communities make sound policy decisions about their use of this large groundwater resource.
The northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is a combination of glaciofluvial outwash and alluvial sand and gravel in the Sandy Creek Valley northeast of Adams, New York, and mostly glaciolacustrine beach and deltaic sand or sand and gravel north and south of the village of Adams. The southern and eastern areas of the central part of the aquifer are composed mostly of glaciofluvial sediments such as kames, kame moraines, and kame terraces, whereas most of the western areas of the central part are composed mostly of glaciolacustrine sediments such as deltaic sand and beach sand and gravel.
The northern and central parts of the aquifer are unconfined. Recharge to the northern and central parts of the aquifer is from three main sources: (1) precipitation that falls directly onto the aquifer; (2) unchannelized runoff (overland flow) and groundwater from till and bedrock in the Tug Hill Plateau that seeps into the eastern side of the aquifer; and (3) streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau and flow across and lose water to the aquifer. Groundwater discharges to springs, seeps, headwaters of streams, and wetlands in the middle area of the central part of the aquifer and along the entire western boundary of the northern and central parts of the aquifer; pumping wells; artificial ditches; and deeply incised streams in the northern and central parts of the aquifer. The groundwater discharge to such streams is critical in supporting the salmonid fishery in the central part of the aquifer.
Groundwater levels were measured on July 17, 2014, at 22 wells throughout the northern and central parts of the aquifer. Water-table contours were drawn on the basis of the measured July 2014 water levels, historical water-level data, and surface-water levels where surface water in the channels was expected to be hydraulically connected to the groundwater system. The water table generally slopes from east to west throughout the northern and central parts of the aquifer; this slope also indicates that the direction of groundwater flow is generally from east to west.
Water-quality samples were collected from 23 stream sites during base-flow conditions, and groundwater-quality and other types of environmental samples were collected from 20 wells in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. The results of the sampling indicate that surface water and groundwater are generally of good quality.
Comparison of the median concentration values of major ions in groundwater samples indicated that hardness in the northern part of the aquifer was about twice as great, and concentrations of calcium and sodium were more than three times as great, as in the central part of the aquifer. As was the case with surface water, the much greater median concentrations in groundwater of calcium, hardness, and alkalinity in the northern part of the aquifer are due to the dissolution of limestone that underlies most of that area and to the high-carbonate content of the clasts in the sand and gravel. There was little to no difference among the median values for bromide, fluoride, silica, and iron in the two parts of the aquifer. Concentrations of most other major ions were slightly greater in the northern part than in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, except for magnesium, whose concentration was greater in the central part. Median concentrations of nutrients were generally greatest in surface water and groundwater in the northern part of the aquifer.
Fisher, B.N., and Keto, D.S., 2022, Geospatial datasets for the geohydrology and water quality of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York: U.S. Geological Survey data release,
Fisher, B.N., and Keto, D.S., 2022, Horizontal-to-vertical seismic method (HVSR) soundings in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York: U.S. Geological Survey data release,
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The authors thank the Villages of Adams and Pulaski, Towns of Richland and Orwell, the Sandy Creek/Lacona Joint Water Works, and the Sandy Creek Water District 2 for providing water use data. The authors also thank the residents of the study area who provided information or use of their wells for testing and monitoring. A special thanks to Ed Bugliosi (retired), Shannon Fisher, Brett Hayhurst, Liz Kreitinger, Lacey Pitman, and Jim Reddy of the U.S. Geological Survey for their assistance in the field with data collection.
Multiply | By | To obtain |
Length | ||
---|---|---|
inch (in.) | 2.54 | centimeter (cm) |
foot (ft) | 0.3048 | meter (m) |
mile (mi) | 1.609 | kilometer (km) |
Flow rate | ||
cubic foot per second (ft3/s) | 0.02832 | cubic meter per second (m3/s) |
gallon per minute (gal/min) | 0.003785 | cubic meter per minute (m3/min) |
gallon per day (gal/d) | 0.003785 | cubic meter per day (m3/d) |
million gallons per day (Mgal/d) | 0.04381 | cubic meter per second (m3/s) |
million gallons per year (Mgal/yr) | 0.002738 | million gallons per day (Mgal/d) |
inch per year (in/yr) | 25.4 | millimeter per year (mm/yr) |
Radioactivity | ||
picocurie per liter (pCi/L) | 0.037 | becquerel per liter (Bq/L) |
Hydraulic gradient | ||
foot per mile (ft/mi) | 0.1894 | meter per kilometer (m/km) |
Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as °C = (°F – 32) / 1.8.
Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) where light detection and ranging (lidar) and digital elevation model (DEM) data were used and to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) elsewhere.
Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (µS/cm at 25 °C).
Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given in either milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (µg/L).
Activities for radioactive constituents in water are given in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
chlorofluorocarbon
digital elevation model
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio
light detection and ranging
maximum contaminant level
North American Vertical Datum
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Water Information System
National Water Quality Laboratory
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Health
EPA secondary maximum contaminant level
soluble reactive phosphorus
Tug Hill Commission
tritium unit
U.S. Geological Survey
The entire Tug Hill glacial aquifer is a 47-mile (mi)-long, crescent-shaped mixture of glacial deposits of predominantly sand and gravel on the western side of the Tug Hill Plateau in Jefferson, Oswego, and Oneida Counties in north-central New York. The Tug Hill glacial aquifer can be divided into three parts (northern, central, and southern) based on geohydrological setting, depositional history, and type of glacial deposits (
Map showing the physiography and boundaries of the northern, central, and southern parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in north-central New York.
1. Map showing the physiography and boundaries of the northern, central, and southern parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in north-central New York
For this report, the division between the northern and central parts of the aquifer was placed about 0.5 mi south of the villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona, N.Y., in Oswego County (
Map showing location of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in north-central New York, major drainage basins, and meteorological stations in the study area.
2. Map showing location of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in north-central New York, major drainage basins, and meteorological stations in the study area
In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer and its watershed that extends eastward onto the Tug Hill Plateau (
Development that might affect groundwater resources has been incremental over time, punctuated by a few large industries that established their manufacturing facilities near the village of Pulaski in the mid-1960s; a landfill in the town of Rodman, which began operations in the 1980s; and residential-housing booms caused by the expansion of the military base at Fort Drum near the city of Watertown in the late 1980s and in 2015 (K.H. Malinowski, Tug Hill Commission, written commun., 2007). In 2007, because of concerns about the potential effects of these developments on the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, the Tug Hill Commission (THC) received requests from local officials and agencies in the region for information about the aquifer’s characteristics, capacity, and interaction with surface water. Specific water issues raised by local officials and agencies in the region included the following:
designation of the northern part of the aquifer as a sole source aquifer for the villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona (
exploration of springs in the aquifer to be tapped by a commercial water-bottling company in the towns of Orwell, Albion, and Williamstown;
industrial wells that are being phased out and were subsequently acquired by the town of Richland to be used for a municipal water supply
basement flooding in the town of Richland;
bacterial contamination that was detected in the village of Pulaski’s spring-fed water supply;
need for replacement of a failing production well at the NYSDEC Fish Hatchery in the hamlet of Altmar;
increased need for residential drinking-water supplies in growing communities; and
risk to wild steelhead and salmon production, especially in Trout Brook and Orwell Creek (
In July 2007, the THC, local officials, and agency representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the NYSDEC met to discuss these issues. The group concluded that there was a compelling need to better understand and explain the dynamics of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer to help communities make sound policy decisions about groundwater use. Specific information was needed to determine, as follows:
the sustainability of groundwater supply to support substantial economic activities that are dependent upon a reliable groundwater source (for example, community water supplies, agriculture, tourism, recreation, and manufacturing);
the changes in aquifer recharge caused by changing climate and weather; and
the roles of groundwater in base flow and water temperature in key cold-water tributaries—especially Trout Brook, Orwell Creek, Lindsey Creek, and Little Sandy Creek—that provide critical year-round nursery habitat for much of the wild steelhead-trout fishery along Lake Ontario in New York.
The group recommended that, in addition to collecting more geohydrologic data with which to develop a better understanding of how the aquifer works, numerical groundwater-flow models for each part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer be constructed by the USGS to provide a tool to help State and local officials manage the groundwater resource. A proposal to collect more detailed information on how the aquifer works and to construct numerical groundwater-flow models was developed by the USGS and presented to the THC in September 2007. The proposal was accepted by the THC later that year (K.H. Malinowski, Tug Hill Commission, written commun., 2007). Initially, all three parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (northern, central, and southern parts) were to be included in the study; however, funding limitations precluded including the southern part of the aquifer in the study. All interested parties decided to proceed with a study of the northern and central parts of the aquifer because these areas were more likely to face development issues and included sensitive habitat related to salmonid viability. The original planned scope of the study of the northern and central parts of the aquifer included two phases: a data collection and construction of regional groundwater-flow models. Funding restrictions, however, allowed for only the data-collection phase of the program to be completed. This report documents that data-collection phase.
This report provides a regional appraisal of the geohydrology and water quality of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties. The report describes the geometry and glacial origin of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, sources of recharge and discharge to those areas, groundwater withdrawals, groundwater-flow directions, and groundwater and surface-water quality. Maps show the northern and central aquifer boundaries, well locations, water levels, and selected geohydrologic sections; generalized bedrock and surficial geology; regional potentiometric-surface altitudes and directions of groundwater flow in the unconfined aquifer; and gains and losses of waterflow in selected streams. Groundwater-withdrawal rates and water-quality analyses of selected well data are also included in the report.
The northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer roughly coincide with the boundary between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Ontario Lowlands (
Total precipitation ranges from 45 to 55 inches per year (in/yr), and snowfall can be heavy, averaging more than 140 in/yr (
Graphs showing mean monthly total precipitation and snowfall at the A, Watertown and B, Bennett Bridge meteorological stations in the northern and central Tug Hill glacial aquifer study area in New York from January 2003 through December 2014. Locations of meteorological stations are shown on
3. Graphs showing mean monthly total precipitation and snowfall at the
Graphs showing total monthly precipitation and monthly total snowfall, in inches, for the A, Watertown and B, Bennett Bridge meteorological stations in the northern and central Tug Hill glacial aquifer study area in New York from January 2003 to December 2014. Locations of meteorological stations are shown on
4. Graphs showing total monthly precipitation and monthly total snowfall, in inches, for the A, Watertown and B, Bennett Bridge meteorological stations in the northern and central Tug Hill glacial aquifer study area in New York from January 2003 to December 2014
1. Mean monthly total precipitation and snowfall at meteorological stations at the
[Locations of meteorological stations are shown on
Month | Watertown | Bennett Bridge | ||
Total precipitation, mean monthly (in.) | Snowfall, mean monthly (in.) | Total precipitation, mean monthly (in.) | Snowfall, mean monthly (in.) | |
January | 3.16 | 25.1 | 4.42 | 46.7 |
February | 3.05 | 30.6 | 3.85 | 40.8 |
March | 2.40 | 7.34 | 2.42 | 11.7 |
April | 3.71 | 2.19 | 3.48 | 2.18 |
May | 3.42 | 0.00 | 2.72 | 0.00 |
June | 3.96 | 0.00 | 3.93 | 0.00 |
July | 3.85 | 0.00 | 3.49 | 0.00 |
August | 4.20 | 0.00 | 3.08 | 0.00 |
September | 4.11 | 0.00 | 2.98 | 0.00 |
October | 5.39 | 1.25 | 5.24 | 1.30 |
November | 4.40 | 4.42 | 3.97 | 6.29 |
December | 4.65 | 23.4 | 5.00 | 35.8 |
Mean monthly total | 46.3 | 94.3 | 44.6 | 145 |
In the late 1980s, the USGS studied the general geohydrology of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer at a regional scale that included mapping the aquifer boundary, depicting the geologic framework, and determining the potentiometric (water-level) surface and other general aquifer characteristics (
The data presented in this report include both historical data and data collected for this study (
The geologic mapping presented in this report builds upon and refines the mapping done by several researchers including
Data in the well-site inventory are from 174 wells (
Two test wells were drilled in the Sandy Creek Valley in the town of Adams (
Maps showing locations of wells, horizontal-to-vertical spectral-ratio seismic surveys, and lines of geologic sections, in the
5. Maps showing locations of wells, horizontal-to-vertical spectral-ratio seismic surveys, and lines of geologic sections, in the A, northern and
Land-surface altitudes of well locations were obtained by using three methods: (1) standard surveying techniques (
Streamflow was measured at Sandy Creek and Sandy Creek tributaries on June 2, 2009, and during low flow at 15 sites along Pekin Brook, Beaverdam Brook, Beaverdam Brook tributary, Trout Brook, and Orwell Creek on May 29, 2008. The techniques used for streamflow measurements are outlined by
The HVSR method was used to approximate the thickness of sediment and depth to bedrock at selected sites throughout the study area (
Samples were collected from surface water and groundwater. These samples, along with replicates and a blank sample, were collected and analyzed in accordance with the USGS manual for water-quality data collection (
In total, 23 surface-water environmental samples were collected in the study area: in the northern part of the study area, 13 were collected on June 2, 2009, and 1 sample was collected on November 6, 2013, and in the central part of the aquifer, 8 samples were collected on May 29, 2008, and 1 sample was collected on November 5, 2013.
A total of 21 groundwater environmental samples were collected at well sites in the study area between September and November 2013; in addition, three quality-control samples were collected. Samples were collected from a variety of types of wells, including homeowner, observation, testing, and large pumping wells distributed throughout the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. Before water samples were collected from homeowner wells, each well was purged until at least three well volumes of water had been removed or until physiochemical properties (pH, specific conductance, temperature, and dissolved oxygen) had stabilized. Water was collected from sample points in the home plumbing that either bypassed or were upstream of filtration or chemical treatment.
Three groundwater samples were collected at a nested pair of test wells drilled for this study in the Sandy Creek Valley. The deep well finished in bedrock was sampled twice (once during drilling and again 1 week after drilling was completed), and the shallow well, which was finished in the unconfined sand and gravel aquifer, was sampled 1 week after drilling was completed. Samples were collected after the wells had been purged for approximately 1.5 hours (more than 10 casing volumes each) or until physical properties had stabilized. All three samples were analyzed for physiochemical properties, nutrients, major ions, trace elements, tritium, dissolved gases, and CFCs. In addition, because gas bubbles had been detected in the water from the bedrock well during drilling and sampling, a sample was collected and analyzed for methane isotopes.
Continuous temperature data were also collected by dataloggers installed at six surface-water sites throughout the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. Locations of temperature datalogger sites are described in the “Water Quality” section of this report. The temperature dataloggers were placed and secured in stream reaches where disturbance by people would be minimal. The dataloggers were secured to metal rods that were driven into the streambed in stream pools (the deepest part of the stream at each location). Data were collected hourly and then aggregated into a daily mean temperature for analysis.
The bedrock geology underlying the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer was mapped by
Map showing bedrock geology underlying the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in the western part of the Tug Hill Plateau, north-central New York.
6. Map showing bedrock geology underlying the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in the western part of the Tug Hill Plateau, north-central New York
The bedrock dips to the south at about 50 feet per mile (
Map showing altitude of bedrock surface underlying the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York. [A full-size version of figure 7 is available at
7. Map showing altitude of bedrock surface underlying the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
Unconsolidated deposits that compose the Tug Hill glacial aquifer resulted from deposition of coarse-grained sediments during the last continental glaciation (which ended approximately 11,500 years ago), wave action along the shoreline of proglacial Lake Iroquois (about 11,400 years ago), and deposition of fluvial sediments by postglacial streams. The glacial history and distribution of glacial deposits and their relation to the succession of ice-margin advances and retreats are explained in detail by
Map showing surficial geology of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York.
8. Map showing surficial geology of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
The study area contains unstratified (not layered) and stratified (layered) sediment. Unstratified deposits are mostly lodgment till (
The northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer system is composed of several types of coarse-grained glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits as well as some recently deposited alluvium (
The fine-grained lake-bottom sediments consisting of fine sand, silt, and some clay (
Most of the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is dominated by a 2-mi-wide and 6.5-mi-long kame and kame-terrace sand and gravel deposit (
The underlying bedrock, along with till that mantles it in some places, forms the bottom of the aquifer. The types of glacial deposits (beach, outwash, kame, and others) that overlie the bedrock often have distinct landforms that are characteristic of those types of deposits and therefore influence the aquifer geometry. The northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer are unconfined. Groundwater and most streams in the northern and central parts of the aquifer generally flow westward from the western edge of the Tug Hill Plateau across or through the aquifer. Recharge that ultimately comes from precipitation replenishes the aquifer with water and supplies the base flow in streams that flow over the aquifer. Groundwater discharges to pumping wells and infiltrates into stream channels, wetlands, and springs.
Well and seismic data in the entire northern part of the aquifer indicate that the unconsolidated deposits range in thickness from 4 to 136 ft, with a median thickness of 38 ft. The aquifer geometry in the northern part of the aquifer varies depending on the geologic setting. Northeast of Adams, part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer occupies a 5-mi-long by 0.4-mi-wide reach of the linear northeast-southwest-trending Sandy Creek Valley (
Geohydrologic section
9. Geohydrologic section A–A′ across Sandy Creek Valley, along Toad Hollow Road (County Route 155), town of Rodman, Jefferson County, north-central New York
Approximately 1.5 mi east of the village of Adams, the aquifer in the 0.4-mi-wide Sandy Creek Valley expands out to the west and southwest, forming a broad, 2.2-mi-wide deltaic plain (
Geohydrologic section
10. Geohydrologic section B–B′ across Sandy Creek Valley, village of Adams, and along Spring Street, town of Adams, Jefferson County, north-central New York
Geohydrologic section
11. Geohydrologic section C–C′ Sandy Creek Valley, village of Adams, and South Sandy Creek Valley, town of Lorraine, Jefferson County, north-central New York
The western side of the deltaic plain has been reworked into a beach ridge (
Because of differences in the sedimentary depositional history during deglaciation of the central and northern parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, the composition of the aquifer material differs between the two parts. The largest difference is the deposition of a large kame-moraine deposit (
From well and seismic data collected for this study in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, unconsolidated deposits range in thickness from 5 to 130 ft, with a median thickness of 43.5 ft. Geohydrologic section
Geohydrologic section
12. Geohydrologic section D–D′ across Edwards Road, town of Sandy Creek, Oswego County, north-central New York
Section
Geohydrologic section
13. Geohydrologic section E–E′ in the towns of Albion and Orwell, Oswego County, north-central New York
Section
Geohydrologic section
14. Geohydrologic section F–F′ in the towns of Albion and Orwell, Oswego County, north-central New York
Although bedrock is not a major part of this report because most homeowners, farms, and businesses above the Tug Hill glacial aquifer have wells that tap the glacial aquifer (which usually supplies ample amounts of good-quality water), bedrock is mentioned briefly here because, in most places, it is directly beneath the Tug Hill glacial aquifer and forms the bottom boundary of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. In some places, wells are finished in the bedrock where the glacial aquifer is thin or seasonally unsaturated; however, bedrock aquifers generally yield less water to wells, and the water is of poorer quality.
From north to south, bedrock underlying the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer consists of the Middle Ordovician Trenton Group composed of limestone and shale (
From north to south, bedrock underlying the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer consists of the Upper Ordovician Pulaski and Whetstone Gulf Formation composed of shale and siltstone (
Although most water in the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is derived ultimately from precipitation that infiltrates at the surface of the aquifer, a small amount of groundwater from the underlying bedrock enters the bottom of the glacial aquifer. This recharge to the glacial aquifer from bedrock occurs where the bedrock is hydraulically connected to the glacial aquifer, and the hydraulic head is greater in the bedrock than in the glacial aquifer. This relation between bedrock and the glacial aquifer was found in the Sandy Creek Valley (2.5 mi northeast of Adams) where two test wells were drilled, one into bedrock (J 231) and one into the overlying Tug Hill glacial aquifer (J 230), to determine the direction of vertical flow and recharge potential from the underlying bedrock to the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
Well-log and construction details of U.S. Geological Survey test wells J 231 and J 230 near the abandoned quarry adjacent to Fuller Road, town of Adams, north-central New York. Locations of test wells shown on inset maps in
15. Well-log and construction details of U.S. Geological Survey test wells J 231 and J 230 near the abandoned quarry adjacent to Fuller Road, town of Adams, north-central New York
Although bedrock units were not generally a major part of this report, the top of the bedrock is an important component in the aquifer framework because it is the geologic unit immediately beneath the bottom of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. The altitude of the bedrock surface differs throughout the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. The depth to and altitude of the top of bedrock were determined from well records (
Several seismic surveys were conducted at well sites to enable comparison of the computed seismic bedrock depth to the bedrock depth measured in the well. The seismic surveys generally agreed with the well data. The percent difference between the depths to bedrock reported on drillers’ logs (
2. Comparison of depths to bedrock estimated from horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio seismic surveys and depths reported on drillers’ logs for selected wells in the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
[Data are from
Site number | HVSR measured depth to bedrock (ft) | Well number | Drilled depth to bedrock (ft) | Difference between HVSR and drilled depth to bedrock (ft)1 | Percent difference |
JHVSR4 | 28 | J 199 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
JHVSR11 | 35 | J 110 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
JHVSR13 | <17 | J 108 | 15 | 2 | 12 |
JHVSR48 | >86 | J 231 | 136 | −50 | 37 |
JHVSR54 | >33 | J 107 | 36 | −3 | 8 |
JHVSR55 | >34 | J 107 | 36 | −2 | 6 |
JHVSR65 | >21 | J 225 | 27 | −6 | 22 |
JHVSR66 | >20 | J 224 | 26 | −6 | 23 |
JHVSR67 | >14 | J 223 | 32 | −18 | 56 |
JHVSR69 | <60 | J 217 | 87 | −27 | 31 |
JHVSR70 | >57 | J 106 | 43 | 14 | 25 |
JHVSR72 | >37 | J1416 | 33 | 4 | 11 |
JHVSR76 | >67 | J 101 | 54 | 13 | 24 |
OWHVSR3 | <29 | OW1939 | 23 | 6 | 21 |
OWHVSR30 | >31 | OW1222 | 33 | −2 | 6 |
Negative depth indicates HVSR measurement less than drilled depth.
Groundwater-level data were collected throughout the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in the mid-1980s (
Maps showing synoptic groundwater-level data and generalized water-surface altitudes in the unconfined aquifers in the
16. Maps showing synoptic groundwater-level data and generalized water-surface altitudes in the unconfined aquifers in the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
The synoptic groundwater-level data were the primary control for constructing the configuration of groundwater contours (
Graphs showing total annual precipitation and annual snowfall, in inches, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological stations at
17. Graphs showing total annual precipitation and annual snowfall, in inches, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological stations at Watertown and Bennett Bridge, north-central New York, from 1985 to 2014
Graphs showing the altitudes of groundwater levels and water temperatures for test wells
18. Graphs showing the altitudes of groundwater levels and water temperatures for test wells OW 491, OW 396, and OW 376 in Oswego County, north-central New York, from October 10, 2008, to July 17, 2014, and J 107 in Jefferson County, north-central New York, from June 26, 2012, to December 22, 2014
The Sandy Creek Valley northeast of the village of Adams, was investigated in detail because (1) the northernmost extent of the aquifer boundary was uncertain (on the basis of evidence that the aquifer might extend farther upgradient in the valley to the northeast than previously mapped by
If the suspected fault zone were sufficiently fractured and the gradient in hydraulic head vertical and upward within the zone, then a potentially abundant source of groundwater could feasibly flow upward through the rubble zone in the bedrock and recharge the overlying Tug Hill glacial aquifer. HVSR passive seismic surveys in the Sandy Creek Valley were used to determine the altitude of the top surface of bedrock (
To find answers to the issues listed above, two USGS test wells (J 230 and J 231) were completed in the Sandy Creek Valley on October 29, 2013 (well logs shown on
Well J 231 was drilled to a depth of 202 ft below land surface and was finished as an open borehole in the bedrock from depths 136 to 202 ft (
Water levels that were measured in both wells on November 6, 2013, May 8, 2014, and July 17, 2014, indicated that the hydraulic-head relation between the bedrock and sand and gravel aquifers varied: the hydraulic head was higher in the sand and gravel aquifer by 2.06 ft on November 6, 2013, and higher in the bedrock aquifer by 3.16 ft on May 8, 2014, and 2.30 ft on July 17, 2014. However, subsequent water-level measurements (
Graph showing the altitudes of groundwater levels measured in test wells J 230 (finished in the unconfined sand gravel aquifer) and J 231 (finished in the bedrock aquifer) in Jefferson County, north-central New York, from November 8, 2013, to July 17, 2014, and total daily precipitation at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorological station USC00309000 at Watertown, New York, from November 1, 2013, to July 31, 2014. Locations of wells shown on inset map in
19. Graph showing the altitudes of groundwater levels measured in test wells J 230 and J 231 in Jefferson County, north-central New York, from November 8, 2013, to July 17, 2014, and total daily precipitation at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological station USC00309000 at Watertown, New York, from November 1, 2013, to July 31, 2014
Water-level data (
Graphs showing altitudes of groundwater levels in test wells J 230 (finished in the unconfined sand and gravel aquifer) and J 231 (finished in the bedrock aquifer) in Jefferson County, north-central New York, from November 8, 2013, to December 22, 2014, and of the water surface in Sandy Creek near Adams, north-central New York, from May 8, 2014, to December 22, 2014. Location of wells shown on inset maps in
20. Graphs showing altitudes of groundwater levels in test wells J 230 and J 231 in Jefferson County, north-central New York, from November 8, 2013, to December 22, 2014, and of the water surface in Sandy Creek near Adams, north-central New York, from May 8, 2014, to December 22, 2014
Maps showing streamflow gains and losses and locations of six stream-temperature-measurement sites in
21. Maps showing streamflow gains and losses and locations of six stream-temperature-measurement sites in the northern and central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
Because groundwater levels in bedrock usually follow, but lag behind those of the water levels in the Tug Hill glacial aquifer and of the stream stage in Sandy Creek (
The regional direction of groundwater flow in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is from east to west, with all water ultimately discharging into Lake Ontario. Locally, the direction of groundwater flow depends on the geologic and hydrologic setting. In the Sandy Creek Valley, northeast of the village of Adams, the direction of flow is from the valley walls to Sandy Creek, which is the main groundwater sink in the valley (
The regional direction of groundwater flow in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is predominantly from east to west (
Groundwater in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is recharged by (1) precipitation that falls directly on the aquifer, (2) unchannelized runoff from till and bedrock hills that border the eastern side of the aquifer, (3) losses from streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau and discharge water into the eastern area of the aquifer, and (4) groundwater inflow from the till and bedrock on the adjoining Tug Hill Plateau (
3. Streamflow measurements for selected streams in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York on June 2, 2009, and May 29, 2008, respectively
[Total sums of computed values may not equal sums of components because of independent rounding. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; no., number; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; Mgal/d, million gallons per day; Mgal/yr, million gallons per year; CR, County Road]
USGS station name | USGS site no. | Discharge (ft3/s) | Streamflow (Mgal/d) | Streamflow (Mgal/yr) |
Northern part Tug Hill glacial aquifer; June 2, 2009 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Sandy Creek tributary 5 near Adams, NY (upstream) | 04250745 | 1.46 | 0.94 | 345 |
Sandy Creek tributary 5 at Adams, NY (downstream) | 04250747 | 2.28 | 1.5 | 538 |
Sandy Creek above CR 69 (Lisk Bridge) near Adams, NY (upstream) | 04250730 | 110.0 | 71.1 | 26,000 |
Sandy Creek below Adams, NY (downstream) | 04250744 | 113.0 | 73.1 | 26,700 |
Sandy Creek tributary at Lawrence Road near Adams, NY (upstream) | 04250736 | 1.20 | 0.8 | 283 |
Sandy Creek tributary at mouth near Adams, NY (downstream) | 04250737 | 0.81 | 0.52 | 191 |
Sandy Creek tributary 3 near Adams, NY (upstream) | 04250738 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 9 |
Sandy Creek tributary 3 at Adams, NY (downstream) | 04250739 | Dry | Dry | Dry |
South Sandy Creek at Allendale, NY (upstream) | 04250565 | 52.1 | 33.7 | 12,300 |
South Sandy Creek above US 11 at Giddings, NY (downstream) | 04250575 | 57.9 | 37.4 | 13,600 |
Sandy Creek tributary 4 near Adams, NY | 04250741 | 0.33 | 0.2 | 78 |
Trib 2 to Sandy Creek tributary (Lawrence Rd) Allendale, NY | 0425074160 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 7 |
Sandy Creek tributary to tributary 4 above Allendale, NY | 0425074140 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 24 |
Sandy Creek tributary to tributary 4 (Lawrence Road) near Adams, NY | 0425074120 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 12 |
Sandy Creek tributary to tributary 4 at Adams, NY | 04250742 | 0.28 | 0.2 | 66 |
Sandy Creek tributary 4 at Adams, NY | 04250743 | 0.33 | 0.2 | 78 |
Central part Tug Hill glacial aquifer; May 29, 2008 | ||||
Trout Brook at Wart Road near Richland, NY | 04250310 | 6.03 | 3.9 | 1,420 |
Trout Brook tributary at Jerry Look Rd near Orwell, NY | 04250380 | 7.09 | 4.6 | 1,670 |
Trout Brook below County Route 2 at Richland, NY | 04250385 | 13.8 | 8.9 | 3,260 |
Trout Brook upstream of County Road 48 at Centerville, NY | 0425040001 | 19.9 | 12.9 | 4,700 |
Orwell Creek at Orwell, NY | 04249950 | 6.63 | 4.3 | 1,570 |
Orwell Creek at Tubbs Road near Altmar, NY | 04249960 | 6.35 | 4.1 | 1,500 |
Orwell Creek above Pekin Brook near Altmar, NY | 04249965 | 7.12 | 4.6 | 1,680 |
Pekin Brook tributary at Tubbs Road near Altmar, NY | 04249985 | Dry | Dry | Dry |
Pekin Brook at County Highway 22 near Bennett Bridge | 04249970 | 4.34 | 2.8 | 1,020 |
Pekin Brook at Mouth near Altmar, NY | 0424999005 | 9.87 | 6.4 | 2,330 |
Orwell Creek near Altmar, NY | 04250000 | 21.6 | 14.0 | 5,100 |
Beaverdam Brook at Sloperville Road near Altmar, NY | 04249850 | 6.79 | 4.4 | 1,600 |
Beaverdam Brook tributary at Sloperville Road near Altmar, NY | 04249870 | 1.04 | 0.7 | 245 |
Beaverdam Brook at Altmar, NY | 04249910 | 12.9 | 8.3 | 3,040 |
Spring Brook at Richland, NY | 04250502 | 5.70 | 3.7 | 1,350 |
Water-temperature data were collected from Sandy Creek Tributary 5 (
Graph showing water-temperature data from selected surface-water sites in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York. Locations of sites shown in
22. Graph showing water-temperature data from selected surface-water sites in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
Groundwater in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer receives recharge from precipitation that falls directly on the aquifer and from upland sources of recharge in the eastern part of the aquifer (
Water-temperature data were collected from Trout Brook, Spring Brook, Orwell Creek, and Beaverdam Brook (
In general, groundwater in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer discharges to (1) domestic, agricultural, and commercial pumping wells and large production wells for municipalities and a fish hatchery; (2) springs, seeps, headwaters of streams, and wetlands along the western boundary of the aquifer; and (3) wetlands and main trunks of major streams within the middle areas of the aquifer. An estimate of the average annual groundwater withdrawals from the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
4. Estimated annual groundwater withdrawals from municipal-supply systems and nonmunicipal wells in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York, from 2012 to 2017
[Most values rounded to three significant figures; total sums of computed values may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. Totals are rounded to three significant digits. Pumpage uses include fire, system flushing, churches, municipal buildings, and cemeteries. gal/d, gallon per day; Mgal/yr, million gallons per year; NA, not applicable; NYSDEC, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]
Water users | Number of homes or apartment units | Average number of persons per householda | Computed number of persons using water | Average use per person, (gal/d)b | Estimated or reported total use (gal/d) | Estimated or reported total use (Mgal/yr) |
Northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Village of Adams and hamlet of Adams Centerc | NA | NA | 3,300 | NA | 512,000 | 187 |
Village of Mannsville | 155 | NA | a354 | 75 | d26,600 | d9.71 |
Homeowner wells completed in the aquifer and outside areas served by municipal systems | 294 | e2.5 | 735 | 75 | d55,100 | 20.1 |
Subtotal (rounded to three significant digits) | NA | NA | 4,390 | NA | 594,000 | 217 |
Central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer | ||||||
Village of Pulaskif | 861 | NA | 2,365 | NA | 400,000 | 146 |
Town of Richland (Water District 1)g | 488 | NA | 1,460 | NA | 130,000 | 47.5 |
Town of Richland (Water District 2, Villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona)h | 652 | NA | 1,500 | NA | 160,000 | 58.4 |
Town of Orwell Water Districti | 90 | NA | 150 | NA | 25,000 | 9.12 |
NYSDEC Salmon River Fish Hatchery | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1,920,000 | 701 |
Homeowner wells completed in the aquifer and outside areas served by municipal systems | 624 | e2.5 | 1,560 | 75 | d117,000 | 42.7 |
Subtotal (rounded to three significant digits) | NA | NA | 7,040 | NA | 2,750,000 | 1,000 |
Total for northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer | NA | NA | 11,400 | NA | 3,340,000 | 1,220 |
Data are from
Estimated from
Data are from
Calculated from census data and average water use.
Estimated as upper limit from 2010 census data (
Data are from
Data are from
Data are from Sandy Creek/Lacona Joint Water Works and Sandy Creek Water District 2 (2017).
Data are from
Approximately 11,400 people are supplied by groundwater that is withdrawn from municipal and nonmunicipal wells in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
The estimated average annual groundwater withdrawal from the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in 2012 was 217 Mgal/yr (
In addition to pumping withdrawals, groundwater discharges from the aquifer to many wetlands and springs (not shown) mainly along the western margins of the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer and to the streams that gain groundwater as they flow from east to west across the aquifer. The discharge measurements on June 2, 2009, in the northern part of the aquifer indicate that all but three stream reaches had gained flow from groundwater seeping into their channels (
The estimated average-annual groundwater withdrawal from the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer during 2014–17 was about 1,000 Mgal/yr (
As in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, groundwater in the central part of the aquifer discharges to springs, seeps, and the headwaters of streams in wetlands along the western boundary of the aquifer; and to wetlands and main trunks of major streams in the middle zones of the aquifer. The largest discharge zone in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is in the hamlet of Richland, where exceptionally large amounts of groundwater discharge to springs that form the headwaters to Spring Brook (
On May 29, 2008, the spring discharge into the headwaters of Spring Brook at Richland (site 4250502;
Surface-water samples were collected in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. In the northern part of the aquifer, the samples were collected from streams during average annual base-flow conditions at 13 sites on June 2, 2009, and at one site during base-flow conditions on November 6, 2013 (
Maps showing the locations of surface-water and groundwater sampling sites and streamflow-measurement sites in the
23. Maps showing the locations of surface-water and groundwater sampling sites and streamflow-measurement sites in the northern, and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York
Groundwater-quality and environmental samples were collected from 20 wells—11 in the northern part (
Thirteen surface-water samples were collected in conjunction with streamflow measurements to determine gains or losses in selected streams and tributaries during average annual base-flow conditions in and near the village of Adams on June 2, 2009. Another sample was collected from Sandy Creek on November 6, 2013, near test wells J 230 and J 231 northeast of the village of Adams (
Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from 4.6 to 12.4 milligrams per liter (mg/L), with a median value of 9.9 mg/L. The pH of samples ranged from 7.0 to 8.8, with a median value of 8.0. Measured pH values of all but 1 of the 14 samples were within the accepted secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) range of 6.5 to 8.5 for pH (
Water hardness as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) ranged from 29 to 247 mg/L, with a median of 90 mg/L. The cation detected in the greatest concentration (92.4 mg/L) was calcium. Calcium concentrations ranged from 8.19 to 92.4 mg/L, with a median of 28.8 mg/L (
The predominant nitrogen constituents in surface-water samples from the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer were nitrate plus nitrite, whose concentration ranged from 0.02 to 1.43 mg/L as nitrogen (N), with a median of 0.18 mg/L. Concentrations of nitrogen greater than 10 mg/L as N can be a human health concern (
In the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, 11 wells were sampled between August 27 and December 5, 2013—of those, USGS test well J 231 was sampled twice, once during drilling when the bottom of the casing was in sand and gravel (Tug Hill glacial aquifer) at a depth of 30 ft and once after it was finished in bedrock at a depth of 202 ft (
Concentrations of dissolved oxygen ranged from 0.10 to 9.7 mg/L, with a median value of 1.3 mg/L, and pH measurements ranged from 6.9 to 9.0, with a median value of 7.4 (
Water hardness as CaCO3 ranged from 30.0 to 287 mg/L, with a median of 209 mg/L. The greatest cation concentration was 104 mg/L for calcium. Calcium concentrations ranged from 5.02 to 104 mg/L, with a median value of 69.6 mg/L. Magnesium concentrations ranged from 4.09 to 25.2 mg/L, with a median of 5.63 mg/L. Potassium concentrations ranged from 0.92 to 4.78 mg/L, with a median of 1.37 mg/L. Sodium ranged from 5.22 to 129 mg/L, median of 13.8 mg/L. Iron concentrations ranged from less than 4.0 to 249 µg/L, with a median of 23.3 mg/L. Manganese concentrations ranged from less than 0.15 to 356 µg/L, with a median of 8.19 mg/L. None of the major ion concentrations exceeded drinking-water standards except in samples from well OW 490, where the 356-µg/L concentration of manganese exceeded the NYSDOH drinking-water standard of 300 µg/L. The relatively high concentrations of alkalinity that ranged from 81.1 to 292 mg/L (median 180 mg/L) indicate that the dominant anion for the wells sampled is bicarbonate and the type of water is predominantly calcium bicarbonate. Chloride concentrations ranged from 0.83 to 55.3 mg/L, with a median of 21.5 mg/L. Sulfate concentrations ranged from 0.46 to 38.8 mg/L, with a median of 12.3 mg/L.
The predominant nitrogen constituents in groundwater samples from the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer were nitrate plus nitrite, whose concentrations ranged from less than 0.040 mg/L to 3.3 mg/L as N, with a median of 0.39 mg/L as N. Nitrite concentration ranged from less than 0.001 to 0.008 mg/L as N, with a median of less than 0.001 mg/L as N. Concentrations of orthophosphate ranged from less than 0.004 to 3.1 mg/L as N, with a median of less than 0.004 mg/L as N. None of the groundwater samples had concentrations that exceeded EPA or NYSDOH drinking water standards for nitrate or nitrite.
In general, concentrations of trace elements were slightly greater in the sample from well J 231 (finished in bedrock) than in samples from wells finished in the sand and gravel deposits of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
Along with measurements of the concentrations of CFCs in groundwater, measurements of the concentrations of certain dissolved gases in groundwater—such as oxygen, argon, dinitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane—aid in dating groundwater. Samples were collected for dissolved-gas analysis at wells J 202 and J 231 in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in water sampled from these two wells were 0.3 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. Argon, carbon dioxide, dinitrogen, and methane concentrations in samples from the two wells were 0.841 and 0.765 mg/L, 0.5 and 0.4 mg/L, 27.4 and 25.2 mg/L, and 3.08 and 10.9 mg/L, respectively.
Samples were collected for analysis of CFCs from wells J 202, J 231, and J1653 on November 6, 2013. Wells J 202 and J1653 are finished in the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, and well J 231 is finished in bedrock (limestone with some shale). CFC age dates of samples taken from an unconsolidated aquifer are sometimes unreliable because some processes, such as urban and industrial contamination, microbial degradation of CFCs, and sorption of CFCs onto particulate organic carbon and mineral surfaces, can modify the apparent age of the sample. The samples collected for this study did not show evidence of contamination and thus are considered to provide a valid approximation of the age of groundwater from these wells. The estimated age ranges reported by the USGS Groundwater Dating Laboratory in Reston, based on the concentrations of CFCs and dissolved gases in the samples collected, were from the early 1950s for well J 202 and late 1950s to early 1960s for well J 231. Well J1653 was estimated to have contained water from the early to mid-1970s.
Tritium, which has a half-life of 12.43 years (
Nine surface-water samples were collected in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in conjunction with streamflow measurements to determine streamflow gains or losses in selected streams and tributaries. Eight of the nine surface-water samples were collected on May 29, 2008, and one sample was collected on November 5, 2013 (
The measured pH of the samples ranged from 5.4 to 8.0, with a median value of 7.4. All but one of the nine samples were within the accepted SMCL pH range of 6.5 to 8.5 (
The cation detected in the greatest concentration was calcium, which ranged from 6.73 to 34.5 mg/L, with a median of 9.22 mg/L. Magnesium concentrations ranged from 2.19 to 6.19 mg/L, with a median of 2.69 mg/L. Potassium concentrations ranged from 0.22 to 0.80 mg/L, with a median of 0.37 mg/L. Sodium concentrations ranged from 1.54 to 11.0 mg/L, with a median of 2.87 mg/L. Iron concentrations ranged from 5.00 to 73.0 µg/L, with a median of 35.0 µg/L. Manganese concentrations ranged from 1.80 to 28.9 µg/L, with a median of 9.10 µg/L. Alkalinity concentrations ranged from 25.1 to 97.7 mg/L, with a median of 32.8 mg/L. Chloride concentrations ranged from to 1.94 to 11.6 mg/L, with a median of 3.86 mg/L. Sulfate concentrations ranged from 3.45 to 7.53 mg/L, with a median of 4.36 mg/L. Results of the major ions analyses indicate that the water type is dominated by calcium bicarbonate.
The predominant nitrogen constituents in surface-water samples from the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer were nitrate plus nitrite, whose concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 1.11 mg/L as N, with a median of 0.24 mg/L as N. In seven of the nine samples, nitrite was not detected in concentrations above reporting limits of 0.001 and 0.002 mg/L as N; in two samples, the nitrite concentrations were estimated to be at or below 0.002 mg/L as N. None of the surface-water samples had concentrations that exceeded EPA or NYSDOH drinking-water standards for nitrate or nitrite. Orthophosphate ranged from 0.003 to 0.009 mg/L as P, with a median of less than 0.006 mg/L as P.
Trace elements were measured in the samples collected at only one site, Trout Brook below County Route 2 at Richland (04250385), in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
Of the 9 wells where 11 samples were withdrawn on September 24 and November 5, 2013, wells OW1599 (QA2) and OW1643 (QA1) were sampled for quality control with a replicate and a blank sample, respectively (
Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from 0.20 to 7.6 mg/L, with a median value of 4.0 mg/L (
5. Comparison of the median values of physiochemical properties and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, and trace elements in surface-water and groundwater samples collected in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York, 2008 to 2013
[Temperatures are listed in degrees Celsius (°C); to convert to degrees Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32. Parm code, U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System parameter code; mg/L, milligram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; <, less than; —, not analyzed or insufficient number of samples; N, nitrogen; P, phosphorus; SW, surface water; GW, groundwater]
Physiochemical characteristic | Parm code | Units | Surface water | Groundwater | ||||
Median value | Part of aquifer with greater median concentration | Median value | Part of aquifer with greater median concentration | |||||
Northern part of aquifer | Central part of aquifer | Northern part of aquifer | Central part of aquifer | |||||
Physicochemical properties | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dissolved oxygen (field) | 00300 | mg/L | 9.9 | — | — | 1.3 | 4.0 | Central GW |
pH (field) | 00400 | pH | 8.0 | 7.4 | Little difference | 7.4 | 7.7 | Little difference |
Specific conductance (field) | 00095 | μS/cm | 195 | 99.2 | Northern SW | 479 | 228 | Northern GW |
Water temperature | 00010 | °F | 130.1 | 120.0 | Little difference | 129.6 | 121.6 | Little difference |
Dissolved solids, filtered | 70300 | mg/L | — | — | — | 222 | 124 | Northern GW |
Major ions | ||||||||
Hardness, filtered | 00900 | mg/L | 90 | 34 | Northern SW | 209 | 81.1 | Northern GW |
Bromide, filtered | 71870 | mg/L | — | — | — | <0.03 | 0.038 | Little difference |
Calcium, filtered | 00915 | mg/L | 28.8 | 9.22 | Northern SW | 69.6 | 20 | Northern GW |
Fluoride, filtered | 00950 | mg/L | — | — | — | 0.06 | 0.04 | Little difference |
Magnesium, filtered | 00925 | mg/L | 3.54 | 2.69 | Little difference | 5.63 | 7.4 | Central GW |
Potassium, filtered | 00935 | mg/L | 0.84 | 0.37 | Little difference | 1.37 | 0.77 | Northern GW |
Sodium, filtered | 00930 | mg/L | 5.35 | 2.87 | Northern SW | 13.8 | 4.65 | Northern GW |
Alkalinity, filtered as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) | 29801 | mg/L | 85 | 33 | Northern SW | 180 | 106 | Northern GW |
Chloride, filtered | 00940 | mg/L | 5.57 | 3.86 | Northern SW | 21.5 | 4.86 | Northern GW |
Silica, filtered | 00955 | mg/L | 5.64 | 2.48 | Northern SW | 5.78 | 7.23 | Little difference |
Sulfate, filtered | 00945 | mg/L | 6.40 | 4.36 | Northern SW | 12.3 | 4.76 | Northern GW |
Iron, filtered | 01046 | μg/L | 45.0 | 35.0 | Northern SW | 23.3 | 13.4 | Little difference |
Manganese, filtered | 01056 | μg/L | 16.2 | 9.10 | Northern SW | 8.19 | 7.29 | Little difference |
Nutrients | ||||||||
Ammonia, as N, filtered | 00608 | mg/L | 0.029 | <0.020 | Northern SW | 0.08 | 0.07 | Little difference |
Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, filtered | 00623 | mg/L | — | — | — | 0.08 | 0.110 | Central GW |
Nitrate plus nitrite (NO3 + NO2), filtered as N | 00631 | mg/L | 0.18 | 0.24 | Little difference | 0.391 | 0.091 | Northern GW |
Nitrite, as N, filtered | 00613 | mg/L | 0.002 | <0.002 | No difference | <0.001 | <0.001 | No difference |
Phosphorous, unfiltered, as P | 00665 | mg/L | 0.028 | 0.011 | Little difference | — | — | — |
Orthophosphate, filtered, as P | 00671 | mg/L | 0.015 | <0.006 | Northern SW | <0.004 | 0.005 | Little difference |
Trace elements | ||||||||
Aluminum, filtered | 01106 | µg/L | — | — | — | <2.2 | <2.2 | No difference |
Antimony, filtered | 01095 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.027 | <0.270 | No difference |
Arsenic, filtered | 01000 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.10 | <0.505 | No difference |
Barium, filtered | 01005 | µg/L | — | — | — | 42.1 | 8.78 | Northern GW |
Beryllium, filtered | 01010 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.020 | <0.020 | No difference |
Boron, filtered | 01020 | µg/L | — | — | — | 15 | 9 | Northern GW |
Cadmium, filtered | 01025 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.030 | 0.135 | Little difference |
Chromium, filtered | 01030 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.30 | <0.30 | No difference |
Cobalt, filtered | 01035 | µg/L | — | — | — | 0.092 | <0.500 | Little difference |
Copper, filtered | 01040 | µg/L | — | — | — | 1.05 | <0.80 | Northern GW |
Lead, filtered | 01049 | µg/L | — | — | — | 0.136 | 0.056 | Northern GW |
Lithium, filtered | 01130 | µg/L | — | — | — | 2.52 | 2.84 | Little difference |
Molybdenum, filtered | 01060 | µg/L | — | — | — | 0.386 | <0.050 | Northern GW |
Nickel, filtered | 01065 | µg/L | — | — | — | 1.10 | <2.0 | Northern GW |
Selenium, filtered | 01145 | µg/L | — | — | — | 0.06 | 0.08 | Little difference |
Silver, filtered | 01075 | µg/L | — | — | — | <0.020 | <0.020 | No difference |
Strontium, filtered | 01080 | µg/L | — | — | — | 164 | 53.8 | Northern GW |
Uranium, natural, unfiltered | 22703 | µg/L | — | — | — | 0.139 | >0.014 | Northern GW |
Zinc, filtered | 01090 | µg/L | — | — | — | 4.45 | <2.00 | Northern GW |
Water hardness as CaCO3 ranged from 42.6 to 148 mg/L (soft to moderately hard), with a median of 81.1 mg/L. The hardness values in the central part of the aquifer are lower than those in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer and this difference is likely because of the differences in rock types of the clasts that compose the sand and gravel in the two aquifer parts. Because large areas of the northern part of the aquifer are underlain by limestone, the clasts that compose the aquifer are also carbonate rich. Carbonate rocks such as limestone dissolve relatively readily and contribute to high values of hardness in groundwater, whereas noncarbonate rocks, such as the shale, siltstone, and sandstone that underlie and compose the clasts in the central part of the aquifer, do not dissolve as readily as carbonate material.
The major cation detected in the greatest concentration was calcium, ranging from 11.8 to 38.7 mg/L, with a median value of 20.0 mg/L. Magnesium concentrations ranged from 3.13 to 12.1 mg/L, with a median of 7.40 mg/L. Potassium concentrations ranged from 0.53 to 3.48 mg/L, with a median of 0.77 mg/L. Sodium concentrations ranged from 1.95 to 26.0 mg/L, with a median of 4.65 mg/L. Iron concentrations ranged from less than 4.00 to 564 µg/L, with a median of 13.4 µg/L. Iron and manganese concentrations exceeded NYSDOH drinking-water standards in one sample, from the fish hatchery well OW1599. The relatively high concentrations of alkalinity that ranged from 43.6 to 145 mg/L, with a median of 106 mg/L (
The predominant nitrogen constituent in groundwater samples from the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer was nitrate, ranging in concentration from less than 0.040 to 1.52 mg/L, with a median of 0.091 mg/L. Nitrite, as nitrogen, ranged in concentration from less than 0.001 and 0.002 mg/L, with a median of less than 0.001 mg/L. Orthophosphate concentrations ranged from less than 0.004 to 0.007 mg/L, with a median of 0.005 mg/L. None of the groundwater samples had concentrations that exceeded Federal or State drinking-water standards for nitrate or nitrite.
The greatest detected concentrations of trace elements were for strontium, barium, boron, lithium, zinc, and copper—220, 164, 153, 45.8, 13.2, and 10.6 mg/L, respectively. Arsenic concentrations ranged from less than 0.04 to 4.40 μg/L, with a median of less than 0.505 μg/L. The concentration of arsenic did not exceed the EPA or NYSDOH MCL of 10 µg/L in any samples. All other trace-element concentrations were also below any EPA or NYSDOH drinking-water limits.
Along with CFCs, several other dissolved gases (carbon dioxide, dissolved nitrogen, and methane) whose concentrations are useful for determining the ages of groundwater were analyzed in one sample that was collected from well OW1599 on November 5, 2013, in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
Tritium was also measured to estimate the age of the groundwater sampled in well OW1599. The tritium concentration was 49.4 pCi/L, or about 15 TU. This concentration of 15 TU indicates that groundwater at this site is from precipitation that recharged the aquifer after 1953 and probably before the 1980s; this date range includes the CFC age-date range of mid-to-late 1970s for this sample.
Median values of physiochemical properties and concentrations of chemical constituents of surface-water and groundwater samples collected in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer were compared with measurements of the same properties in samples collected in the central part of the aquifer. The data indicate that, overall, there were some differences in the quality of surface water and groundwater between the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
Graphs showing comparisons of median values of physiochemical properties and concentrations of major ions and trace elements in groundwater and surface water samples collected in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York, in 2013. µS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/L, milligram per liter; °F, degree Fahrenheit; µg/L, microgram per liter.
24. Graphs showing comparisons of median values of physiochemical properties and concentrations of major ions and trace elements in groundwater and surface water samples collected in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer, Jefferson and Oswego Counties, north-central New York, in 2013
Four median values of physiochemical properties of surface water—pH and water temperature—were slightly greater and specific conductance was much greater in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer than in the central part. Three median concentrations of major ions in surface water—hardness (dissolved calcium and magnesium), calcium, and alkalinity—were much greater and most other major ions were slightly greater in the northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer than in the central part probably because of the dissolution of the limestone that underlies most of that area and the high-carbonate content of the clasts in the sand and gravel. All median concentrations of nutrients in surface water were slightly greater in the northern part than in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer except for nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, which was about the same in both parts.
For median values of physiochemical properties of groundwater, dissolved oxygen was about two times greater in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer than in the northern part, and pH was slightly greater (by 0.3 pH unit) in the central part than in the northern part. Median values for specific conductance were about twice as great, dissolved solids were about two times as great, and water temperature was slightly greater (by 4.4 °F) in groundwater samples from the northern part than from the central part of the aquifer (
For median values of concentrations of major ions in groundwater, hardness as CaCO3 in the northern part of the aquifer was about twice as great and concentrations of calcium and sodium were more than three times as great as those in the central part. As was the case with surface water, the much greater median concentrations for calcium, hardness, and alkalinity in the northern part of the aquifer are likely caused by the dissolution of the limestone that underlies most of that area and to the high-carbonate content of the clasts in the sand and gravel. There was little or no difference in median concentrations between the two parts of the aquifer for silica and iron. Concentrations of most other major ions were slightly greater in the northern part than in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer; the exceptions were bromide, silica, and magnesium whose concentrations were greater in the central part. There were few differences in median values of concentrations of nutrients in groundwater between the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer except for nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, which was higher in the northern part (with a median of 0.391 mg/L) than in the central part (with a median of 0.091 mg/L).
Median concentrations of the trace elements barium, boron, lead, nickel, strontium, uranium, and zinc in groundwater were much greater in the northern part than in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer (
In the early 2000s, anticipated developmental pressures from potential new industries (including a proposed water-bottling plant in the central part of the aquifer) and expansion of the Fort Drum military base north of Watertown, New York (with the projected increase in population extending into the northern part of the aquifer), prompted the Tug Hill Commission, local municipal officials, and agency representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to initiate a geohydrologic study with the U.S. Geological Survey in 2007. The information from this study is expected to help the State, counties, and local communities make sound policy decisions about use of this large groundwater resource.
The entire Tug Hill glacial aquifer (the northern, central, and southern parts) is a 47-mile long, crescent-shaped aquifer. This report presents data collected for the first phase of a program to describe the geohydrology and water quality of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer in Jefferson and Oswego Counties in north-central New York. More specifically, the report describes the geometry, glacial origin, groundwater and surface-water interactions, groundwater withdrawals, water-table altitudes and directions of flow, and groundwater and surface-water quality of the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer.
The northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer comprise a 29-mile-long, crescent-shaped mixture of glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine, and recent alluvial deposits of predominantly sand and gravel on the western side of the Tug Hill Plateau in Jefferson and Oswego Counties in north-central New York. The data that were collected and compiled for this study are intended to support the construction and calibration of numerical groundwater-flow models for each part of the aquifer in a future second phase of the program.
The northern part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer is a combination of glaciofluvial outwash and alluvial sand and gravel in the Sandy Creek Valley northeast of Adams, N.Y., and mostly glaciolacustrine beach and deltaic sand or sand and gravel north and south of the village of Adams. The southern and eastern parts of the central part of the glacial aquifer are composed mostly of glaciofluvial sediments such as kames, kame moraines, and kame terraces, whereas most of the western areas of the central part are composed mostly of glaciolacustrine sediments such as deltaic sand and beach sand and gravel.
Recharge to the aquifer in the northern and central parts of the aquifer, which are unconfined, is from three main sources: (1) precipitation that falls directly onto the aquifer; (2) unchannelized runoff (overland flow) and groundwater inflow from till and bedrock in the Tug Hill Plateau that seeps into the eastern side of the aquifer; and (3) streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau and then flow across and lose water to the aquifer. Groundwater discharges to (1) springs, seeps, headwaters of streams, and wetlands in the middle of the central part of the aquifer and along the entire western boundary of the northern and central parts of the aquifer, (2) production wells, (3) artificial ditches, and (4) deeply incised streams in the northern and central parts of the aquifer. The groundwater discharge to the local streams is critical to supporting the salmonid fishery in the central part of the aquifer (
Groundwater levels were measured on July 17, 2014, at 22 wells throughout the northern and central parts of the aquifer. Water-table contours were drawn on the basis of these 2014 water levels, historical water-level data, and surface-water altitudes at sites where surface water was expected to be hydraulically connected to the groundwater system. The water table generally slopes from east to west throughout the northern and central parts of the aquifer; the direction of this slope indicates that the direction of groundwater flow is also generally from east to west.
Approximately 11,400 people are supplied by groundwater that is withdrawn from municipal and nonmunicipal wells in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. In addition, many farms, several industries, and a large New York State fish hatchery also rely on the water from the aquifer. The estimated total of the annual groundwater withdrawals from the combined northern and central parts of the aquifer is about 1,220 million gallons per year. Water used by industries and businesses but not supplied and measured by municipal water utilities was not accounted for in this estimate.
Water-quality samples were collected at 21 sites from streams during base-flow conditions, and groundwater-quality and environmental samples were collected from 20 wells in the northern and central parts of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. Water-quality analyses of the samples indicated that surface water and groundwater are generally of good quality. In one stream sample from Sandy Creek tributary to tributary 4 at Lawrence Road, near Adams (station number 0425074120), the concentrations of the iron and manganese major ions were 1,120 and 451 micrograms per liter (µg/L), respectively. These concentrations exceeded the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) drinking-water standard of 300 µg/L for both iron and manganese. None of the concentrations of nitrate or nitrite in surface-water samples exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or NYSDOH drinking-water standards. In groundwater samples, concentrations of nitrate or nitrite did not exceed EPA or NYSDOH drinking-water standards, and concentrations of iron and manganese exceeded drinking-water standards for trace elements in only three samples.
Comparison of the median concentrations of the trace elements barium, boron, lead, nickel, strontium, uranium, and zinc in groundwater were much greater in the northern part than in the central part of the Tug Hill glacial aquifer. Median concentrations of copper and molybdenum were slightly greater in groundwater from the northern part than in the central part. There was little or no difference in the median concentrations of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lithium, selenium, and silver between the two parts of the aquifer.
[Data are from
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL).
EPA drinking-water-advisory taste threshold.
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) maximum contaminant level (MCL).
If iron and manganese are present, their combined concentration of both should not exceed 500 µg/L (0.5 mg/L), NYSDOH MCL.
[Data are from
Replicate sample for well J 216 not included in statistics. Quality-assurance and quality-control samples not used in calculating statistics.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL).
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) maximum contaminant level (MCL).
If iron and manganese are present, their combined concentration should not exceed 500 µg/L (0.5 mg/L), NYSDOH MCL.
EPA drinking-water-advisory taste threshold.
[Data are from
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL).
EPA drinking-water-advisory taste threshold.
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) maximum contaminant level (MCL).
If iron and manganese are present, their combined concentration should not exceed 500 µg/L (0.5 mg/L), NYSDOH MCL.
[Data are from
Note, replicate sample for well OW1599 and blank sample for well OW1643 not included in statistics.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking-water-advisory taste threshold.
If iron and manganese are present, their combined concentration should not exceed 500 µg/L (0.5 mg/L), NYSDOH MCL.
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) maximum contaminant level (MCL).
Director, New York Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
425 Jordan Road
Troy, NY 12180–8349
dc_ny@usgs.gov
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