EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ON TWO WATERSHEDS, GENESEO, NEW YORK

Jaycox Creek, a tributary to the Genessee River, is a part of the SUNY Geneseo/Genesee Valley Conservancy Research Reserve in Geneseo, New York. It contains two tributaries. The northern tributary drains a large agricultural area consisting mainly of horse, cattle and crop (corn, beans, and hay) farms. The southern tributary basin is a developing urban area about a third the size of the northern basin. During the summer of 2001, both tributaries were sampled at numerous locations for analysis of pH, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and presence of cations, anions, and alkalinity. The results of the analyses were compared for the purpose of observing the different effects of agriculture and urban development on the local stream hydrology. Preliminary results indicate that both tributaries have a pH range of 7.25-9.0 due to the large amount of carbonate rocks in the area. However, the southern tributary tends to have a higher pH than the northern tributary. Also, the southern tributary contains less dissolved solids and oxygen and had a lower conductivity and salinity than the northern tributary. The geochemical data is evaluated based on land use and the geologic media included in both basins. In addition, the current drainage system was mapped and compared with the original drainage as indicated by the Geneseo Quadrangle. Changes in the drainage are mainly the result of agricultural and urban development.