The Buffalo River is a receiving water for contaminants from a variety of chemical, metallurgical, and petroleum industries that line its shores Possible pollutant sources to the Buffalo River include industrial discharges, leaching from inactive hazardous waste sites, and upstream point and nonpoint sources Combined sewer overflows (CSO’s) are also a source of contaminant loading and they undoubtedly impact the linkage between sediment and contaminant transport. There are a total of 39 combined sewer overflows to the Buffalo River AOC that produce discharge high in bacteria and organochlorine compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls and polyaromatic hydrocarbons during heavy storm events.
The contaminated bed sediments in the Buffalo River are also likely vectors for contaminant loading to the river. Sediments are an ideal sink for contaminants, and they can be a direct source of contaminants if resuspended, and they can also be a diffusive source of contaminants into the overlying water column. Therefore, it is critical to determine the path sediments take during transport and deposition, as well as their ultimate fate in the system.
The goal of our research was to determine the impact of storms on the water quality of the Buffalo River, Niagara River and Black Rock Canal. We used Seabird CTD oceanographic profilers and EVS-Pro three-dimensional visualization software to collect data and create visual models of parameter responses to storm events and baseflow conditions.
We found that storm events over the Buffalo River watershed produce runoff from the watershed and from CSOs that degrade the water quality in the Buffalo River and the Black Rock Canal. The effects in the Niagara River, however, are minimal. EVS models suggest that suspended sediment settles out quickly and other contaminants are greatly diluted by ambient waters in the Outer Harbor or the Niagara River. Storm events had a more noticeable impact on the Canal than the Buffalo River.
