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Switzer Creek is a small tributary to the Cohocton River, which flows into the Susquehanna River north of the New York-Pennsylvania border. Switzer Creek drains a 3.55-square-mile watershed that is typical of the many small, predominantly agricultural subbasins of the upper Susquehanna River basin. This basin is 51 percent agricultural and 49 percent forested. Switzer Creek discharged a total of 1,000 tons of suspended sediment, or an average of 0.44 tons per acre, from November 1978 through September 1980. Fortyeight percent of this load was transported during two high-water events on March 5, 1979 and March 21, 1980. The maximum instantaneous sediment concentration (3,840 milligrams per liter) occurred during high water on September 14, 1979. Approximately 80 percent of the annual nitrogen load was transported during base flow. Nitrite plus nitrate load totaled 11 pounds per acre, and total kjeldahl nitrogen load 3.5 pounds per acre. During base flow, nitrite plus nitrate constituted 88 percent of the nitrogen load; during high flows, organic nitrogen constituted 85 percent of the nitrogen load. During the study, 90 percent of the total phosphorus load was transported during high flows as a result of its affinity to particulate matter. Discharge of total phosphorus as P totaled 0.63 pounds per acre, and total orthophosphorus as P totaled 0.19 pounds per acre. Concentrations of suspended organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon varied widely and showed little relation to stream discharge. Total loads of suspended and dissolved organic carbon during the study were 6.8 pounds per acre and 27 pounds per acre, respectively. The largest nutrient and sediment loads occurred during February through May of both years; the smallest loads occurred during June through September. Nitrite plus nitrate loads from atmospheric sources totaled 8.4 pounds per acre during the study; ammonia totaled 3.9 pounds per acre, and phosphorus totaled less than 0.34 pounds per acre. Nitrogen from the application of fertilizer and manure to agricultural areas total 47 pounds per acre; and phosphorus from these sources totaled 53 pounds per acre. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the upper reaches of Chesapeake Bay have undergone accelerated eutrophication, as indicated by the increasing frequency and persistence of nuisance algal blooms and significant changes in the aquatic biota. The major factor influencing the increased eutrophication of the Bay has been identified as plant nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, which promote algal growth. The largest contributor of sediment and nutrients to the upper part of Chesapeake Bay is the Susquehanna River (Guide and Villa, 1972). Much of the nutrient load of the Susquehanna can be traced to point sources, which are relatively easy to identify and control. Nonpoint discharges, which enter the stream by overland runoff, are no less significant but are more difficult to quantify and control. Takita (1975) indicated that the available water-quality data were adequate only for gross assessment of pollution from nonpoint sources, Recognizing this, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission in 1977 initiated a program to assess nonpoint-source pollution in the basin and to identify contributions of differing land uses. Streams draining agricultural basins typically receive nutrients from fertilizers, the atmosphere, and animal populations. The quantities received are directly related to the extent of farming and the methods used. Switzer Creek, a tributary to the Cohocton River in western New York (fig. 1), is a typical small agricultural and forested subbasin of the Susquehanna River. It is assumed to be representative of similar basins providing nonpoint discharges of nutrients and sediment to the upper Susquehanna basin. Pupose and Scope From November 1978 through September 1980, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, measured streamflow and the discharge of suspended sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic carbon from Switzer Creek basin. This report describes the physical setting, land use, and farming methods in the basin and relates concentrations of phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic carbon to stream discharge. The relationships between nutrient concentrations and streamflow were plotted (fig. 10); also the atmospheric contributions of nutrients to the basin were calculated and are compared to nutrient loads discharged by Switzer Creek (figs. 5-9). Methods An abandoned U.S. Department of Agriculture gaging station on Switzer Creek was repaired and reactivated to provide continuous flow data. An automatic sampler was installed to collect samples during high flows. A local observer collected daily suspended-sediment samples and twice-weekly nutrient samples. Data on chemical quality of precipitation were obtained from U.S. Geological Survey precipitation stations at Allegany State Park in southwestern New York, Stillwater in northeastern New York, and Mays Point in north-central New York to calculate atmospheric loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus to the basin. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in streamflow and precipitation are reported as total concentrations (suspended plus dissolved). Organic carbon samples were analyzed for both suspended and dissolved concentrations. (Dissolved refers to material in a water sample that will pass through a 0.45-y filter.) Analyses for dissolved organic carbon were performed on the filtrate. Statistical analysis was done by the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) general linear models procedure (SAS, 1979) to provide a predictive relationship between streamflow and nutrient and organic carbon concentrations and loads. Daily mean streamflow and daily mean suspended-sediment concentrations and discharges, along with the analyses of all samples collected during the study, are published by the U.S. Geological Survey (1979, 1980). Acknowledgments Thanks are extended to the Steuben Soil and Water Conservation District, who provided information on land use and agricultural practices within the Switzer Creek basin. 77° 45'

Assessment of nonpoint-source nutrient discharges from the Switzer Creek basin, Steuben County, New York