General News: Water Quality Good in Cornwall Creeks
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| Moodna during last year's flood. Photo by David Speck |
February 19, 2008
An Orange County study of the water quality of creeks in the county found some of the highest quality in the streams that flow through Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson.
The study sampled water over three years, from 2004 to 2006, and looked at the macroinvertebrates -- insects, worms, clams, snails and crustaceans -- whose abundance and diversity depend on water quality. It did not look at chemicals or other toxins in the water.
The samples were rated on a scale from one to 10. A rating of 0 to 2.5 is considered severely impacted; 2.51-5.00 is considered moderately impacted, 5.01 to 7.50 is slightly impacted, and 7.50 to 10 is rated non-impacted.
In Cornwall in 2006, five water samples were found to be high quality, with ratings above 7.5. Three samples, one from Woodbury Creek near Juenger Road, one taken from the Moodna near Route 32 and Quaker Avenue and one from Idlewild Creek near Shore Road were found slightly impacted but still of good quality.
The study suggests that the impact on the biology of the water countywide results from the paving of surfaces (roads and parking lots), silt and sediment from construction sites, improper septic systems, excessive fertilizer use, de-icing materials, automotive chemicals or wastewater discharges.
The study also shows that the ratings had dropped slightly for Cornwall water from 2004 to 2006. Except for samples taken from Idlewild Creek near Route 218 that went up in quality 25 percent from 2004 to 2006, the results inched downwards from 1.6 to 10.9 percent from 2005 to 2006.
The waterways that were tested were Baby Brook (off Taylor Road), Dock Hill Creek, Idlewild Creek, Mineral Springs Creek, Moodna Creek, Woodbury Creek, and two unnamed tributaries.
Across Orange County, ratings ranged from 1.8 to 9.3 with the majority, 55%, in the good quality range.
The study was a project of the Orange County Water Authority. You can view the entire study here then clicking on Projects/Stream Water Quality.
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