New York State Engineer and Surveyor Copies of Hydrographs and Flow Data of the Canaseraga and Keshequa Creeks and the Genesee…

Arranged by gage station or reading point.

State funds were frequently appropriated for hydrographic work connected with measurements of volumes of streams and flow of water in the state for the purpose of determining water supply available for canals, for potable and domestic purposes, and for the development of water power. Such funds were to be used in conjunction with the U.S. Geographical Survey and the additional funds supplied by the federal government.

Steam measurement work for the state in the barge canal zone was done by the office of the State Engineer and Surveyor. Such work for the remainder of the state was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the office of the State Engineer and Surveyor or the New York State Conservation Commission. Gages located at points of convenience to Barge Canal locks, dams, or other structures where employees of the Department of Public Works were stationed were read by those employees.

The State Engineer and Surveyor's annual report published all available stream flow data. The data was used in connection with the regulation and development of water resources. The Barge Canal area was especially important (and difficult to monitor) for flood prevention and related navigation and damage control problems. Data accumulated for many canal improvement projects related to problems of drainage and water run off and supply.

Canaseraga Creek is one of the most important tributaries of the Genesee River. Keshequa Creek is the principal tributary to that creek, meeting it at Sonyea, New York (location of the Craig Colony for Epileptics). Heavy silt deposits and the extreme curvature of Canaseraga Creek caused severe annual flooding until the channel was deepened and straightened by improvement work done from 1906 to 1915. The flooding and slow subsidence of flood waters impaired the usefulness of the land and posed a public health menace. Improvement work was undertaken to relieve these conditions and to restore valuable farm land to cultivation.

The series consists of blueprint copies of hydrographs of the Canaseraga and Keshequa Creeks and of the Genesee River showing gage heights and discharge at various points and stations along those waterways in 1918 and 1919. The volume also includes several sheets of hydrographs showing elevation of the water surface at gaging stations maintained in connection with the Canaseraga Creek improvement. These are apparently originals and are dated July, 1916. There is also a section of "Flood Hydrographs" dating from 1910 to 1918, some of which have penciled annotations. It is possible that these hydrographs are part of the data used for the Report on Stream Gaging section of the Report on Hydraulic Data routinely found in the annual reports of the State Engineer and Surveyor.

The blueprints are the products of the Water Resources Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey. A letter of transmittal confirms that the copies were sent to the Conservation Commission, showing periods of high water in 1918 and 1919 for the following stations: Canaseraga Creek at Groveland Station; Canaseraga Creek at Cumminsville; Canaseraga Creek near Dansville; and Keshequa Creek at Craig Colony, Sonyea. Blueprints are also present of the U.S.G.S. data of daily gage height and discharges for October 1918 to March 1919 at the following areas: Canaseraga Creek at Groveland Station; Keshequa Creek at Craig Colony, Sonyea; Genesee River at St. Helena; and Genesee River at Jones Bridge.

In the stream gage reports stations are normally presented in their order downstream, with records of a main river preceding those of tributaries. The data generally includes a description of the station, a list of discharge measurements, and tables of discharge and gage heights. The discharge measurement table gives results of the discharge measurements including date, name of hydrographer, gage height in feet and discharge in second-feet. Discharge measurement and gage height are the base data from which rating tables and daily and monthly discharge tables are computed. Further details and explanations of the data are presented in the Report on Hydraulic Data published annually in the report of the State Engineer and Surveyor.

The hydrographs range in size from 27 x 18 cm to 28 x 42 cm, folded to a volume size of 30 x 25 cm. They are almost entirely blueprint copies, although there are a few that are apparently originals from the office of the State Engineer and Surveyor, done in ink and signed by the Assistant and District Engineers. Some of the blueprints found in the section labeled "Flood Hydrographs" contain penciled annotations and were apparently used as working copies.

B0389-94: This accretion consists entirely of a blueprint copy of specifications for a retaining wall to be built during 1920 on Keshequa Creek at the Craig Colony power house in Sonyea, New York. The job was apparently part of a project to be paid from a "Special Fund" appropriation, probably as a flood control measure.

The estimate for the job was $15,000. The superintendent of the Craig Colony, acting as a contractor, was to rent the plant and furnish the labor from the colony and the open market. The state engineer would assign a staff representative to act as inspector and engineer on the project. Final acceptance of the work was vested jointly in the superintendent and state engineer. Location of accompanying plans or maps is unknown.

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