|
| |
The Niagara Watershed
The Niagara River-Tonawanda Creek Watershed is located at the western end of
New York State and covers an area of approximately 514,810 acres over parts of
five counties: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming and a tiny part of Orleans. The
watershed drains to Lake Ontario with principle tributaries including Tonawanda
Creek and Ellicott Creek. The watershed also includes many small tributaries
draining directly to the Niagara River from the Town of Grand Island, New York,
upstream of Niagara Falls. Some of the watershed flow is seasonally diverted out
of Tonawanda Creek into the New York State Barge Canal System. Waters from the
Niagara River also are withdrawn for hydroelectric power generation in both the
U.S. and Canada and returned to the Niagara River below Niagara Falls. The
Niagara River is the outlet for Lake Erie and the rest of the Great Lakes Basin
upstream of Lake Ontario. Eighty-three percent (83%) of the water flowing into
Lake Ontario enters through the Niagara River.
Annual rainfall is 35 to 40 inches. Annual snowfall ranges from 75 inches per
year in the northern part of the watershed to over 150 inches per year in the
southern portion of the watershed. Soils are variable with glacial till and
glacio-fluvial soils in southern lobe of the watershed and lacustrine, outwash
and glacial lake beach-ridge soils in the more northern and western part of the
watershed. The watershed includes City of Niagara Falls and part of the City of
Lockport in Niagara County, the City of Batavia in Genesee County.
Close proximity to Lakes Erie and Ontario impacts rainfall and snow patterns,
moderating the climate of the region allowing for production of a diverse
variety of crops. There are 994 farms and 205,348 acres of farmland within the
watershed. Important agricultural sectors include dairy, vegetable production,
nursery stock, sod, greenhouse horticulture, vineyards and small fruit
production.
Other resource concerns revolve around water quality and erosion and sediment
control, particular as it relates to flooding prevention and resuspension of
contaminated sediments. The Buffalo River is one of the United States – Canadian
International Joint Commissions 42 “Areas of Concern” throughout the Great Lakes
Basin.
Most point sources, including industrial discharges, leaking landfills and
municipal sewage discharges are reasonably well controlled. Improvements in the
general condition of Niagara River resulted from bans on phosphates in
detergents, improvements in municipal wastewater treatment, and major reductions
in nutrient and sediment runoff from farms. Average annual soil erosion on all
cropland throughout the watershed is well below the USDA “tolerable” soil
erosion rate although non-point sources of pollution remain of concern and
nutrient, manure and pest management are particularly important agricultural
conservation practices in this watershed. Urban sprawl and loss of prime and
important farmland are also of significant concern throughout the watershed.
Land Cover/Use
| Land Use |
Totals |
| Surface Area |
514,810 acres |
| Number of Farms |
994 |
| Acres Farmed |
205,348 acres |
| Cropland |
174,300 acres |
| Pasture |
60,900 acres |
Map of Niagara Watershed
For general and application information, visit our
CSP homepage.
This document requires
Adobe Reader.
Self-Assessment Workbook (PDF; 941 KB)
Contact Information
District Conservationist
John Whitney
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
50 Commerce Way
East Aurora, New York 14052
Telephone;
716-652-1400
If you encounter any problems with files provided on this page, have questions, suggestions, or find a broken link, please contact Gary Vandawalker
at 315-477-6546.
< Back to
2005 Conservation Security Program Information | |
|
About Us
Back to Top