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A steady increase in the chloride and nitrate content of water in a sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin in the Cortland area prompted a study to obtain data on the extent and source of these constituents. Chloride concentration in the upper part of the aquifer increased generally from 2 mg/L in 1930 to 20 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in 1976, and nitrate concentration (as nitrogen) in the upper part of the aquifer increased from 1 mg/L in 1930 to an average of 4 mg/L in 1976. Although the ground water is normally very hard (more than 180 mg/L as calcium carbonate), its quality generally meets State standards for source waters used for drinking. The most likely threat to the quality of water is continued increase in the concentrations of chloride and nitrate. Concentrations of chloride and nitrate (as nitrogen) locally may be as high as 80 mg/L and 7 mg/L, respectively. Concentrations of these constituents are generally less than 10 mg/L chloride and 2 mg/L nitrate (as nitrogen) along the aquifer boundary Input/output budgets indicate that in wet years such as 1976, output may exceed input of these constituents. Road salting and farming seem to be the primary cause of chloride increases, although septic systems may be a major source locally. Farm-animal waste, sewage systems, and fertilizers are the major contributors of nitrate to ground water. Flow in the aquifer system was simulated with a digital-computer model. The model was calibrated by comparing measured water levels in the aquifer with those determined by the model. The major sources of recharge are from precipitation and seepage from losing reaches of the streams. In the uplands, ground water generally moves in the same direction as surface runoff toward and into streams, which generally have gaining reaches in the uplands. On the valley floor the ground water moves in a general downvalley direction, parallel to the main streams, and ultimately discharges into the West Branch Tioughnioga River and Tioughnioga River. INTRODUCTION A marked increase in chloride and nitrate concentrations in ground water since the mid-1930's in the Cortland area indicates that further population growth and urbanization may cause a deterioration in the quality of water supplies. The aquifer underlying the Cortland area is an excellent ground-water reservoir that provides water for the municipalities of Cortland and Cortlandville, several industries, and private supplies. Total (1976) pumpage from the aquifer was 6 Mgal/d and is expected to reach nearly 10 Mgal/d by the year 2020 (Stearns and Wheler, 1970). In 1975, the County of Cortland requested the U.S. Geological Survey to study the hydrologic characteristics of the aquifer and the drainage area that provides recharge to the aquifer. The study was undertaken as part of an Areawide Waste Treatment Management Plan, Section 208, of the Federal Water Quality Pollution Act. Its objectives were to: (1) Establish a network of observation wells and stream-sampling stations to obtain sufficient basic data to define present water-quality conditions and to provide a baseline against which future water-quality data may be compared; (2) Develop and verify a digital hydrologic model of the aquifer for county water-use planning; (3) Provide a hydrologic data base for land-use management. The study, from August 1975 to January 1977, was not'of sufficient duration or scope to determine the sources, movement, or long-term trends of ground-water contamination. However, suggested procedures for future determination of these factors are given at the end of the report in the section, "Suggestions for Further Investigations." After the necessary hydrologic data had been collected, flow of water in the aquifer was simulated on a digital model to develop a better understanding of the integrated surface-water/ground-water system. This report describes the hydrogeology of the basin, presents in tabular form the basic hydrologic data used in developing the model, and interprets the results obtained from the model together with field observations as they relate to movement and quality of surface water and ground water in the basin. A companion report explains the development, calibration, and application of the model (Gosner and Harsh, in press). Acknowledgments This study was done in cooperation with the County of Cortland. Cooperation and assistance were provided by James Feuss and Hayne Smith of the Cortland County Department of Health, Walker Banning of the Central New York Region Planning and Development Board, and Randolph Well and Pump Company. Special mention is given to local governments who permitted the drilling of test holes on their land. The authors express thanks to David Bouldin, Department of Agronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; Olin Vanderslice and John Peters of the Agway Farm Research Center, Tully, N.Y.; and the Cortland County Cooperative Extension, Agricultural Division, for providing technical information. Special thanks are extended to James Bugh, Department of Geology, State University College at Cortland, for his contribution to the section on glacial geology. Location and Description of Study Area 2 The 10-mi study area, hereafter called Otter Creek-Dry Creek basin, encompasses principally the valley floor and lower stream reaches of Otter Creek basin and Dry Creek basin, and includes the city of Cortland and the surrounding Town of Cortlandville. The location and major geographic features of the study area are shown in figure 1. The western and southern parts are drained by Otter Creek, the northern part by Dry Creek. Both streams drain the central part and are tributary to the West Branch of the Tioughnioga River. The area has been glaciated and consists of a broad, flat valley surrounded by hills that, except in the west, rise to nearly 700 ft above the valley floor. The western part of the valley is moderately undulating and contains many lowland depressions. The city of Cortland is a fairly industrialized, growing, urban community; the surrounding areas of South Cortland and Cortlandville are agricultural and residential. At present (1977), the population of Cortland is about 20,000, and the total population of Otter CreekDry Creek basin is nearly 36,000 (Stearns and Wheler, 1970). Average annual precipitation is about 40 inches, of which 70 percent occurs from March through November. Winters are severe; air temperatures frequently reach below 0°F, and annual snowfall averages 60 inches. Winter precipitation is stored as snow until the spring thaw. Summers are moderate with temperatures seldom exceeding 90°F (Stearns and Wheler, 1970). Previous Investigations Major contributors to the literature on the glacial geology in central New York are Fairchild (1932), MacClintock and Apfel (1944), von Engeln (1961), Denny and Lyford (1963), and Coates (1966). Asselstine (1946), Hollyday (1969), Weist and Giese (1969), and MacNish, Randall, and Ku (1969) describe the geology and water resources of the study area.

Quality and movement of ground water in Otter Creek - Dry Creek basin, Cortland County, New York