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Historical water-quality data from the Harlem River, New York

Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5044
Prepared in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165044

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Abstract

Data specific to the Harlem River, New York, have been summarized and are presented in this report. The data illustrate improvements in the quality of water for the past 65 years and emphasize the importance of a continuous water-quality record for establishing trends in environmental conditions. Although there is a paucity of sediment-quality data, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) Bureau of Wastewater Treatment has maintained a water-quality monitoring network in the Harlem River (and throughout the harbor of New York City) to which 61 combined sewer outfalls discharge effluent. In cooperation with the NYCDEP, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated water-quality data collected by the NYCDEP dating back to 1945, which indicate trends in water quality and reveal improvement following the 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act. These improvements are indicated by the steady increase in median dissolved oxygen concentrations and an overall decrease in fecal indicator bacteria concentrations starting in the late 1970s. Further, the magnitude of the highest fecal indicator bacteria concentrations (that is, the 90th percentile) in samples collected from the Harlem River have decreased significantly over the past four decades. Other parameters of water quality used to gauge the health of a water body include total suspended solids and nutrient (inorganic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus) concentrations—mean concentrations for these indicators have also decreased in the past decades. The limited sediment data available for one sample in the Harlem River indicate concentrations of copper, zinc, and lead are above sediment-quality thresholds set by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. However, more data are needed to better understand the changes in both sediment and water quality in the Harlem River, both as the tide cycles and during precipitation events. As a partner in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, the U.S. Geological Survey has worked to address the chronic water-quality concerns of the Harlem River by compiling relevant data and studies, which is an important component for understanding and rectifying water-quality problems within a watershed.

Suggested Citation

Fisher, S.C., 2016, Historical water-quality data from the Harlem River, New York: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5044, 21 p., appendix, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20165044.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Water- and Sediment-Quality Data From the Harlem River 
  • Summary
  • Selected References
  • Appendix 1

 

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Historical water-quality data from the Harlem River, New York
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2016-5044
DOI 10.3133/sir20165044
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) New York Water Science Center
Description Report: viii, 19 p.; Water-quality data
Country United States
State New York
Other Geospatial Harlem River
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details