Genesee RiverWatch
Genesee River Basin Report Card
Genesee RiverWatch released its first-ever “Report Card” on April 29th, 2019 grading the water quality and usability of the Genesee River and its major tributaries. The Report Card was developed to raise awareness of the environmental challenges facing the Genesee River Basin so that actions can be taken to improve the state of the watershed and preserve its beauty for generations to come.
“We have been developing this Report Card for a long time and are pleased to release it today. We hope the public will take the time to read the full report. We are happy to answer questions about its grades and their implications. We are even happier to answer questions about how individuals and organizations can help us continue to improve the river’s water quality and its recreational opportunities.”
George Thomas, Executive Director of Genesee RiverWatch
The overall grade for the Genesee River Basin is a “C”, based on the quality of the river’s water at Rochester. This, in turn, reflects the cumulative effects on water quality of all the activities that take place along the Main Stem of the River and all its sub-watersheds stretching to northern Pennsylvania. Canaseraga Creek received the lowest grade – “D” – of all the sub-watersheds, indicating poor water quality and limits to human usage. Oatka Creek and Black Creek received grades of “B” – the highest grades of all the Genesee River subwatersheds, indicating good water quality and better opportunities for human usage. The Upper Basin of the river (south of Letchworth Park), Honeoye Creek and Conesus Creek sub-watersheds received grades of “C.” In summary, there are portions of the Genesee River Basin that are environmentally in good health. However, major portions of the watershed are degraded to varying degrees.
Listen: WXXI Connections: What did we learn from the Genesee River Report Card?