USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 04237500

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Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

04237500 SENECA RIVER AT BALDWINSVILLE, NY

LOCATION - Lat 43°09'25", long 76°19'54" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Onondaga County, NY, Hydrologic Unit 04140201, on left bank 200 ft downstream from bridge on State Highways 31 and 48 in Baldwinsville, and 400 ft downstream from navigation dam at Lock 24 of New York State Erie (Barge) Canal.

DRAINAGE AREA - 3,138 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR NY-78-1: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - November 1949 to September 2014 (discontinued). November 1898 to December 1908, prior to construction of Erie (Barge) Canal, not equivalent to later records at same site because of extensive development of Erie (Barge) Canal system. January 1909 to September 1925 (gage heights only) in reports of State Engineer and Surveyor.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 361.38 ft above NGVD of 1929 (362.60 ft Erie (Barge) Canal Datum). Prior to Dec. 31, 1908, nonrecording gage at same site at different datum. Auxiliary water-stage recorder 1,500 ft downstream from base gage at same datum.

COOPERATION - Records of lockages at Lock 24 provided by New York State Thruway Authority, Office of Canals.

REMARKS - Records from November 1898 to December 1908 determined on basis of head on dam, flow through 10 mills nearby, lockages at Oswego Canal lock, estimated leakage of dam, wheel gates, flumes, and penstocks; not adjusted for inflow from Lake Erie through Erie (Barge) Canal. Records from November 1949 to September 1996, computed by using fall as determined by auxiliary water-stage recorder. Records from October 1996 to current computed by using standard stage-discharge methods. Published record represents the total flow at Baldwinsville and includes flow in Erie (Barge) Canal. A large amount of natural storage and some artificial regulation is afforded by many large lakes and the Erie (Barge) Canal system in the river basin. Large diurnal fluctuations at low and medium flows caused by powerplants upstream from station. Seneca River basin receives water from Erie (Barge) Canal through Lock 32 near Pittsford. During part of year, entire flow from 45.5 mi² of Mud Creek drainage area may be diverted from Chemung River basin into Keuka Lake in Oswego River basin.
Water Year 2014: Records good except those below 500 ft³/s, which are poor.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum daily discharge, 22,100 ft³/s, Mar. 25, 1936, provided by New York State Department of Transportation.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum daily discharge, 18,100 ft³/s, Apr. 27, 1993, maximum gage height, 9.63 ft, Apr. 26, 27, 1993; minimum daily discharge, 34 ft³/s, Sept. 17, 1985, result of extreme regulation. Maximum and minimum instantaneous discharges not determined.