ABSTRACT:Three hydrologically different water bodies located at the urban fringe of Metropolitan Syracuse, New York, were monitored using field equipment to determine the effect of dilution on water quality in response to precipitation events during Summer 1980. Conductivity was the primary parameter since the portable meter used to obtain readings provided an immediate indication of dilution of the dissolved solids content of base flow. Results show that water quality is a complex function of hydrologic, precipitation, and watershed characteristics. In the ground water pond, dilutions ranged from 50 to 150 micromhos/cm as a result of direct precipitation and overland flow. These dilutions along with increasing conductance as evaporation losses increased were indicative of the role of the pond as a “sink,” as opposed to being a part of a flow through steady state system. Watershed orientation governed dilution of base flow in Butternut Creek. The westerly summer storm track moves across the narrow Butternut Creek. The watershed, the orientation of which is northerly, so that the drainage area exposed to precipitation was minimal. Dilution ranged from 50 to 200 micromhos/cm. In the Butternut Feeder Canal (created by withdrawal from Butternut Creek), extreme fluctuations reflected the localized land use, in particular the imperviousnes of adjacent urbanized hillsides. This investigation suggests guidelines to further assess the impact of Meadow Brook and storm sewer input on the Feeder Canal. The water level in a section of Old Erie Canal State Park is maintained by the Feeder Canal. Therefore, it is imperative that jurisdictional agencies complete this assessment. On a broader scale, this study demonstrated the value of field equipment as a viable alternative to expensive instrumentation if the data to be generated are of general, descriptive
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