Prepared in cooperation with the Village of Endicott, New York

Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek 

Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5063

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
Cover. Endicott Water Works, 1926, from the photo archive of the Village of Endicott, New York.
Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the 

Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, 

near Endicott, New York

By Elizabeth A. Kreitinger and William M. Kappel

Prepared in cooperation with the Village of Endicott, New York

Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5063

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2014

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Suggested citation:

Kreitinger, E.A., and Kappel, W.M., 2014, Hydrogeology and water quality of the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift 

aquifer, near Endicott, New York: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5063, 19 p. plus 

appendixes, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145063.

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Study Area.......................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope .......................................................................................................................................3

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................3

Well Inventory .......................................................................................................................................3

Synoptic Water-Level Survey .............................................................................................................3

Continuous Groundwater-Level Monitoring.....................................................................................3

Geologic Data Inventory and Passive Seismic Surveys ................................................................3

Streamflow Measurements ................................................................................................................6

Water Quality Data Collection ............................................................................................................6

Geology............................................................................................................................................................6

Bedrock ..................................................................................................................................................6

Glacial Deposits ..................................................................................................................................11

Hydrogeology................................................................................................................................................11

Sources of Recharge and Discharge to the Aquifer.....................................................................11

Recharge from Precipitation....................................................................................................11

Recharge from the Uplands .....................................................................................................11

Recharge from Groundwater...................................................................................................12

Groundwater Levels ...........................................................................................................................12

Water Quality................................................................................................................................................14

Physiochemical Properties ...............................................................................................................14

Common Inorganic Constituents......................................................................................................14

Nutrients...............................................................................................................................................15

Trace Elements....................................................................................................................................15

Dissolved Methane.............................................................................................................................15

Summary........................................................................................................................................................16

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................16

Appendix 1. Record of Wells and Test Holes Used in the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift 

Aquifer Study, Broome County, New York ..............................................................................19

Appendix 2. Results of Seepage Measurements and Subbasin Data for Nanticoke Creek 

and its Major Tributaries, Broome County, New York...........................................................19

Appendix 3. Water-Quality Data for Four Surface-Water Sites and Three Groundwater 

Wells in the Nanticoke Creek Valley, Broome County, New York.......................................19

Appendix 4. Historic Water-Quality Data for Nanticoke Creek, Broome County, New York........19

Appendix 5. Susquehanna River Basin Commission Real-Time and Periodic Water-Quality 

Data for Nanticoke Creek near Maine, New York.................................................................19

Appendix 6. Water-Quality Data from a Greenhouse Supply Well, 1991, 2001, and 2011, 

and a Residential House Well, 2011, near Union Center, New York ...................................19
iv

Figures

1. Map showing location of Nanticoke Creek watershed, boundary of the stratifieddrift aquifer, and map sections A, (lower Nanticoke Creek) and B, (upper Nanticoke 

Creek), near Endicott, Broome County, New York...................................................................2

2. Map showing groundwater-level, surface-water-stage gage, and water-quality 

data-collection locations, in the stratified-drift aquifer, Nanticoke Creek valley near 

Endicott, Broome County, New York..........................................................................................4

3. Map of the altitude of the bedrock surface beneath the stratified-drift aquifer, 

Nanticoke Creek valley near Endicott, Broome County, New York ......................................5

4. Map of surficial geology of the stratified-drift aquifer, Nanticoke Creek valley near 

Endicott, Broome County, New York..........................................................................................7

5. Geologic sections A–A’, B–B’, and C–C’ in the Nanticoke Creek valley, Broome 

County, New York..........................................................................................................................8

6. Graphs showing monitored groundwater levels in the Nanticoke Creek stratifieddrift aquifer, water levels in Nanticoke Creek at Union Center, New York, and daily 

precipitation from the Binghamton Regional airport, July 2012 to July 2013....................13
v

Conversion Factors and Datum

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

yard (yd) 0.9144 meter (m)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2)

square foot (ft2) 929.0 square centimeter (cm2)

section (640 acres or 1 square mile) 259.0 square hectometer (hm2)

square mile (mi2) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2)

Volume

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L)

gallon (gal) 0.003785 cubic meter (m3)

gallon (gal) 3.785 cubic decimeter (dm3)

million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter (m3)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 0.001233 cubic hectometer (hm3)

Flow rate

foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 meter per second (m/s)

foot per hour (ft/hr) 0.3048 meter per hour (m/hr)

cubic foot per second per square 

mile [(ft3/s)/mi2]

0.01093 cubic meter per second per square 

kilometer [(m3/s)/km2]

cubic foot per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day (m3/d)

inch per year (in/yr) 25.4 millimeter per year (mm/yr)

mile per hour (mi/h) 1.609 kilometer per hour (km/h)

inch per year per foot [(in/yr)/ft] 83.33 millimeter per year per meter

[(mm/yr)/m]

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F–32)/1.8

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek 

Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

By Elizabeth A. Kreitinger and William M. Kappel

Abstract

The Village of Endicott, New York, is seeking an 

alternate source of public drinking water with the potential to 

supplement their current supply, which requires treatment due 

to legacy contamination. The southerly-draining Nanticoke 

Creek valley, located north of the village, was identified as a 

potential water source and the local stratified-drift (valley fill) 

aquifer was investigated to determine its hydrogeologic and 

water-quality characteristics.

Nanticoke Creek and its aquifer extend from the hamlet 

of Glen Aubrey, N.Y., to the village of Endicott, a distance of 

about 15 miles, where it joins the Susquehanna River and its 

aquifer. The glacial sediments that comprise the stratified-drift 

aquifer vary in thickness and are generally underlain by glacial 

till over Devonian-aged shale and siltstone. 

Groundwater is more plentiful in the northern part of the 

aquifer where sand and gravel deposits are generally more 

permeable than in the southern part of the aquifer where 

less-permeable unconsolidated deposits are found. Generally 

there is enough groundwater to supply most homeowner wells 

and in some cases, supply small public-water systems such as 

schools, mobile-home parks, and small commercial/industrial 

facilities. The aquifer is recharged by precipitation, runoff, 

and tributary streams. Most tributary streams flowing across 

alluvial deposits lose water to the aquifer as they flow off of 

their bedrock-lined channels and into the more permeable 

alluvial deposits at the edges of the valley.

The quality of both surface water and groundwater is 

generally good. Some water wells do have water-quality 

issues related to natural constituents (manganese and iron) 

and several homeowners noted either the smell and (or) 

taste of hydrogen sulfide in their drinking water. Dissolved 

methane concentrations from five drinking-water wells were 

well below the potentially explosive value of 28 milligrams 

per liter. Samples from surface and groundwater met nearly 

all State and Federal water-quality standards for common ion 

and nutrient concentrations with the exception of manganese, 

which is common in central New York where water sourced 

from shale rock or glacial sediments derived from shale 

bedrock naturally develops higher manganese concentrations. 

One shallow dug well also had elevated sodium and chloride 

concentrations that are likely sourced from road salt runoff 

from two nearby roads.

Introduction

The Village of Endicott relies on wells that supply 

groundwater from a sand and gravel aquifer within the 

Susquehanna River valley to which the Nanticoke Creek 

and its aquifer drain. Contamination in and near the village 

of Endicott has been documented by U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York Department of 

Environmental Conservation (NYDEC). Currently (2014), the 

Village of Endicott pumps and treats its water supply from 

a number of wells in the Susquehanna River aquifer within 

the village limits. The village also has the option to purchase 

water from nearby municipalities if needed. The village is 

interested in locating alternative sites where municipal supply 

wells could be developed and protecting those sites from 

future water quality degradation. For this reason, Endicott is 

exploring the potential for water-supply well development in 

Nanticoke Creek valley north of the village, To assist with this 

effort, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation 

with the Village of Endicott, investigated the hydrogeologic 

and water-quality characteristics of the Nanticoke Creek 

stratified-drift aquifer. Results from the study will enhance 

scientific knowledge of stratified-drift aquifers and can be used 

to improve understanding of groundwater availability for this 

type of aquifer in the northeastern United States.

Study Area

Nanticoke Creek is the closest tributary valley to 

the village with no significant documented legacy of 

contamination. The Nanticoke valley contains a narrow 

stratified-drift aquifer that is less than a half-mile wide, 

15 miles long, and drains to the south. This aquifer extent is 

from north of Glen Aubrey, New York, southward through 

the hamlets of Maine, Union Center, and West Corners before 

reaching the Village of Endicott. The stratified-drift aquifer in 

the Nanticoke Creek watershed encompasses about 17 square 

miles, within the 111 square mile Nanticoke Creek watershed 

(fig. 1).
2 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

Susquehanna River

NEW YORK

Broome County

Study Area

76°10' 76°05' 76° 75°55'

42°20'

42°15'

42°10'

42°5'

Boundary of Nanticoke Creek Watershed

Boundary of Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer

EXPLANATION

Endicott

Union Center

Glen Aubrey

Johnson City

Whitney Point

Newark Valley

A

B

Maine

Binghamton Airport

Dudley Creek

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:150,000

2003 National Geographic

West

Corners

Boundary of map areas A and B shown in figures 2, 3, and 4.

Direction of streamflow

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 2 1 3 4 KILOMETERS

Figure 1. Location of Nanticoke Creek watershed, boundary of the stratified-drift aquifer, and map sections 

A, (lower Nanticoke Creek) and B, (upper Nanticoke Creek), near Endicott, Broome County, New York.
Methods 3

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this study is to determine the 

hydrogeology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifer in 

the Nanticoke Creek valley. This report includes information 

on the: (1) boundary of the aquifer and the hydrogeologic 

units within the boundary, (2) hydraulic characteristics of the 

aquifer, (3) extent of groundwater/surface-water interaction, 

(4) the water levels within the aquifer and the direction 

of groundwater flow, and (5) the general water quality of 

Nanticoke Creek and its underlying aquifer. 

Methods

Various types of data were collected to provide the basis 

for interpreting the hydrogeology and water quality in the 

Nanticoke Creek valley. The field methodologies employed 

throughout this study followed standard USGS guidelines and 

technical manuals, and all field data used in this report were 

collected by USGS personnel.

Well Inventory

Well records were collected from several sources, 

including the USGS Ground-Water Site Inventory (GWSI) 

database, NYSDEC Water-Well Reporting Program, and 

the Broome County Health Department. The most complete 

well records were provided by the NYSDEC Water-Well 

Reporting Program, which was implemented in 2000 to collect 

information on newly drilled wells in New York from licensed 

water-well drillers. These data include well location (fig. 2) 

and depth, water level, sediment lithology, and well yield. The 

Broome County Health Department identified public-supply 

wells (such as mobile home parks, schools, and restaurants), 

and the Village of Endicott assisted in gathering background 

information throughout the project.

Synoptic Water-Level Survey

For the synoptic water-level survey, selected 

homeowners, commercial facilities, and institutions were 

sent letters describing the project and requesting permission 

to measure the water level in their well. Groundwater levels 

were measured in 21 wells on or adjacent to the Nanticoke 

Creek valley floor on October 17, 2012, during a period that 

seasonally represents lower water-table conditions in the 

region. Land-surface altitudes at wells were derived from 

USGS 1:24,000 topographic maps and 10-meter digital 

elevation model (DEM) data sets (NAVD 88) (National 

Elevation Dataset, at http://ned.usgs.gov/). Water levels were 

measured from the top of the well casing (TOC) and the 

height of the well above land surface (stick-up) was noted at 

each location. Casing stick-up values were subtracted from 

tape down measurements and the computed groundwater 

levels were adjusted to the nearest foot relative to NAVD 88 

(Appendix Data Table 1 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/

appendix/sir2014-5063_appendix_table1-1.xlsx). Where data 

were non-existent, generally in tributary valleys, the elevation 

of the stream where it crossed selected land-surface elevation 

contours were used to approximate groundwater elevations in 

these areas.

Continuous Groundwater-Level Monitoring

Water levels were monitored in three wells in the 

Nanticoke Creek valley using sealed pressure transducers 

which recorded groundwater levels every four hours. One 

well, BM 778, in unconsolidated materials was monitored at 

the Maine-Endwell school bus garage (Maine, N.Y.)—the well 

is completed in unconsolidated material and is 140-feet deep. 

A second well, BM 785, in the village of Union Center, N.Y., 

is 80-feet deep and is cased through unconsolidated materials 

and completed in bedrock. The third well BM 787, located 

between Union Center and West Corners, N.Y., near Nanticoke 

Creek, is believed to be finished in unconsolidated materials 

near bedrock and is approximately 65-feet deep (fig. 2). 

The water level of Nanticoke Creek was also monitored 

with a transducer located at the Nanticoke Road bridge over 

Nanticoke Creek (station number 01513790) in Union Center, 

N.Y. (fig. 2). This transducer was used to measure streamlevel changes due to precipitation and runoff in the watershed, 

and how reactive streamflow was to precipitation. Finally, 

a barometric transducer, used to compensate for barometric 

pressure changes in the well and stream transducer water 

levels was maintained in the village of Endicott Department of 

Public Works office. 

Geologic Data Inventory and Passive Seismic 

Surveys

Regional-scale (scale 1:250,000), surficial, glacialdeposit maps by Muller and Cadwell (1986) were modified 

for this study to construct a surficial-deposits map at a scale 

of 1:24,000 (fig. 3) and were enhanced using field checking, 

landform interpretations from topographic maps, orthophotos, 

and SSURGO digital soil-survey data (U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 2008).

Sources of well and test-boring data include previous 

USGS groundwater studies such as Randall (1972), Brown 

and Ferris (1946), Martin and Shumaker (1968), the USGS 

National Water Information System (NWIS), the NYSDEC 

Water Well Drillers Registration Program (water well records 

from 2000 to 2012), and the New York State Department 

of Transportation (borehole logs for road and bridge 

construction). All records collected for this study were entered 

into the USGS Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI) computer 

database and are accessible at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/

nwis/inventory. Locations of wells, test-borings, and passive 

seismic data are shown on figure 3. All of these data were used 
4 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

76°5' 76°2'30"

42°12'30"

42°10’

42°7'30"

42°5'

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°2'30"

42°17'30"

42°15'

A B

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°

Water-table contour—Shows approximate altitude of groundwater

table on October 17, 2012, in feet above North American Vertical

Datum of 1988 (NAVD). Interval is 25 feet. (Hatchered contour

indicates drawdown)

Well with historic groundwater-level data

Boundary of Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer 

Well with USGS synoptic groundwater-level data—Number is

water level, in feet above NAVD 1988

EXPLANATION

Well with USGS continuous groundwater-level data—Number is

water level, in feet above NAVD 1988

Well with USGS water-quality and dissolved methane data—

Number is water level, in feet above NAVD 1988

Well with USGS dissolved methane data 

USGS continuous streamgage—stage data only

Susquehanna River Basin Commission surface-water data-collection site

USGS surface-water-quality data-collection site

BM 787

BM 502

BM 1049

Large-volume production well

01513725

SRBC

01513790

BM 782 Well with owner water-quality data

BM 582

BM 42

BM 783

925

828

880

895

BM 502

BM 778

BM2283

BM 787

BM 785

BM 782

BM 1049

BM 2222

850

01513725

01513790 01513792

01513800

SRBC

BM 501

01513725

875

950

900

900

925

875

850

825

800

900

925

900

925 950

875

925

1,050

1,050

1,025

975

950

975

950

925

1,000

BM 789

BM 788

BM 791

BM 572

BM 577

BM 577

BM 784

BM 790

BM 575

BM 578

BM 576

BM 573

BM 574

BM 783

BM 714

880

885

886

908

964

975

992

992

885

911

922

BM 564

BM 1767

BM 365

BM 364

BM 363 BM 362

BM 360

BM2065

BM 340

BM 341

BM1341

BM 339

BM2065

BM 340

BM 341

BM1341

BM 339

BM 565

BM 328

BM2122

BM 326

BM1732

BM2091

BM 321

BM 764 BM 304

BM 1378 BM 302

BM 776

BM2038

BM2043

BM 929

BM1650 BM 276

BM 274

BM 922

BM 771

BM 270

BM2265

BM 246

BM 245

BM 1889

BM 238

BM2208

BM 450

BM 127

BM 562

BM 111

BM 797

BM 103

BM 563

BM 561

BM 62

BM 48 BM 560

BM 51

BM 463

BM 50 BM 756

BM 53

Bradley Creek

Ketchumville

Branch

Crocker Creek

Day Hollow Creek

828

827

829

849

853

864

878

Figure 2. Groundwater-level, surface-water-stage gage, and water-quality data-collection locations, in the stratified-drift aquifer, 

Nanticoke Creek valley near Endicott, Broome County, New York. (Location of wells in data-collection network have U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) Broome County [BM####] well numbers.)
Methods 5

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

76°5' 76°2'30"

42°12'30"

42°10’

42°7'30"

42°5'

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°2'30"

42°17'30"

42°15'

A B

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°

750

850

800

850

750

900

700

650

700

750

650

700

800750

800

800

750

700

750

800 750

850

Bedrock contour—Shows altitude of bedrock surface, in feet 

above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD). Interval is 

50 ft. (Hatchered elevation contour indicates a closed depression)

EXPLANATION

Passive seismic measurement site—Number indicates

approximate altitude of bedrock surface in feet above NAVD 88

Bedrock exposure—number indicates altitude of bedrock, 

in feet above NAVD 88

Line of geologic cross section A A'

Boundary of stratified-drift aquifer

850

BM 270

950

674 672 720

716

726

727

808

664

676 808 649

727

709

1025

1012 1039

1048

1041

1037

1022

958 921

890

872

905

928

950

937 934

896

892

950

937

934

896

892

790

798

834

918

786

814 778

859979

804

736

888

870

892 894

739

688 700

697

758 758 808

833

721

701 714

BM 564

BM 364

BM 362

BM1724

BM 569

BM 751

BM 340 BM1341 BM 339

BM 751

BM 340 BM1341

BM 339

BM 565

BM 326

BM2222

BM 764

BM2038

BM 929

BM 274

BM 567

BM 270

BM 568

BM 570

BM 246

BM 248

BM 245

BM1889

BM 238

BM2208

BM 137

BM 127

BM 450

BM 797

BM 466

BM 768

BM 561

BM 758

BM 50 BM 463

BM 55 BM 56

BM 57

BM 765

BM2065

BM2065

950

1002

925

BM 752

BM 752

1015

(972)

(1026)

(965)

(873)

(834) (899)

(834)

(899)

(873)

(851)

(758)

(777)

(832)

(875)

(846)

(862)

(777)

(761)

(715)

(738)

(681)

(646)

(643)

(670)

(647)

(647) (694)

900

1000

950

(654)

(647)

(698)

(704)

(708)

(850)

(887)

(871)

(869)

(805)

(924)

(969)

650

Well with bedrock surface data—County well number 

assigned by U.S. Geological Survey; number in parenthesis indicates

altitude of bedrock surface in feet above NAVD 88

B’

B'

B

BM 246

BM 245

BM 248

BM1889

(801)

(777)

(761)

(862)

C'

C

A A'

Figure 3. The altitude of the bedrock surface beneath the stratified-drift aquifer, Nanticoke Creek valley near Endicott, Broome County, 

New York. (Location of areas A and B shown in figure 1; geologic cross sections shown in figure 5.)
6 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

to define the surficial extent of the Nanticoke Creek aquifer 

(fig. 4), depict aquifer stratigraphy in three geologic sections 

(fig. 5), and determine the bedrock surface configuration in the 

Nanticoke Creek valley (fig. 3). 

Subsurface data including well- and test-drilling records 

and passive seismic surveys were also used for interpretation. 

The passive seismic (also called horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) 

ambient-noise seismic) survey technique is a geophysical 

method used to estimate the thickness of sediments over 

bedrock as described in detail in Lane and others (2008). 

Passive seismic data were collected at 59 locations to create 11 

full or partial cross-valley geologic sections in the Nanticoke 

Creek valley. Three of these geologic sections had enough 

stratigraphic materials information to create both a bedrock 

profile and an indication of glacial materials that filled the 

valley in these sections (fig. 5).

Streamflow Measurements

Streamflow (gain or loss) measurements were made at 

three sites along Nanticoke Creek and four major tributaries 

to quantify the amount of recharge to, or discharge from, the 

valley-fill aquifer. On July 17, 2012, streamflow measurements 

were made on Nanticoke Creek at: (1) Ames Road (Station 

number–01513725), (2) Union Center, N.Y. (01513790), 

and (3) Endicott, N.Y. (01513800), as well as a streamflow 

measurement on the Bradley Creek at Nanticoke Road 

(01513792) during early summer low-flow conditions. Stream 

water-quality samples were also collected at the same time at 

these four sites (fig. 2).

On August 7, 2012, streamflow measurements along 

(1) the Ketchumville Branch, (2) Crocker Creek, (3) Bradley 

Creek, and (4) Day Hollow Creek (fig. 2) were made during 

summer low-flow conditions. This information was used 

to determine if major tributaries to Nanticoke Creek were 

gaining water from, or losing water to the aquifer. Discharge 

measurements were made with either a Price AA or Pygmy 

current meter in accordance with USGS standards and 

methods (Rantz and others, 1982). In several cases, the flow 

was so low that volumetric discharges were determined by 

concentrating the flow to one point and collecting it into 

a calibrated 5 gallon bucket over a set period of time to 

determine the stream discharge in cubic feet per second (ft3/s). 

All measurements were then standardized by developing a 

flow per unit area at each measurement location—cubic feet 

per second per square mile (ft3/s/mi2). Measurements were 

rated good to fair based on Rantz and others (1982).

Water Quality Data Collection

Water samples were collected by the USGS and 

processed at each stream location or from each well using 

methods described in USGS manuals for the collection of 

water-quality data (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated). 

Stream samples were collected using an equal-width increment 

protocol at each stream site while groundwater samples were 

collected at an untreated tap, typically before or just after a 

pressure tank and before any filtration or water softening. 

All water samples were analyzed in the field for physical 

properties and dissolved oxygen and shipped overnight to 

the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in 

Denver, Colorado, for analysis for major ions, nutrients, 

metals and trace constituents. Dissolved gas analyses were 

only performed on groundwater samples and these samples 

were analyzed by USGS Dissolved Gas Laboratory in 

Reston, Virginia. 

The analyses for physical properties and dissolved gases 

were performed on unfiltered water samples to obtain total 

concentrations. Description of the analytical methods used 

for all constituents except the dissolved gases are available 

through the U.S. Geological Survey (2012a); the methods for 

determination of dissolved gases in water are described by 

the U.S. Geological Survey (2012b). The analytical results 

are available through the USGS National Water Information 

System (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012c).

Geology

The Nanticoke Creek valley is underlain by sedimentary 

bedrock of Upper Devonian age that consists of shales and 

siltstones in the higher elevations in the northern part of the 

valley and primarily shales in the southern part. The bedrock 

is overlain by unconsolidated glacial materials (sand and 

gravel, clay and silt, and till), and more recent alluvium (sand 

and gravel) and wetland deposits.

Bedrock

Bedrock that underlies the valley and crops out at 

land surface on the surrounding hillsides consists of Upper 

Devonian Sonyea Group shales and siltstones in the northern 

and central uplands of the watershed and West Falls Group 

shales are present further south in the lower Nanticoke 

Creek watershed. These sediments were deposited in seas 

374–360 million years ago (Rickard and Fisher, 1970). 

Bedrock crops out at land surface along the flanks of many of 

the valleys and on the hilltops. The regional dip of the strata 

is southward at 40 to 60 feet per mile (ft/mi); however, the 

strata may be warped into shallow folds which result in local 

variations in direction and steepness of dip. 

Eleven passive seismic cross-valley surveys were 

conducted to estimate the depth to bedrock in the Nanticoke 

Creek valley (fig. 3). The deepest passive seismic bedrock 

measurement in the northern end of the valley was about 

38 feet (ft), and about 190 ft near the southern end where the 

Nanticoke and Susquehanna valleys join. The bedrock floor 

of the Nanticoke Creek valley exhibits a southward dipping 

surface, but at several locations, deeper ‘depressions’ were 

documented on the valley floor likely due to dynamic glacial 

ice flow, especially in the narrower parts of the valley (fig. 3).
Geology 7

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

0.50 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER 0.50

0

76°5' 76°2'30"

42°12'30"

42°10’

42°7'30"

42°5'

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°2'30"

42°17'30"

42°15'

A B

Basemap created with TOPO!, scale 1:24:000

2003 National Geographic

76°

Surficial geology modified from

Muller and Cadwell (1986)

Surficial geology modified from

Muller and Cadwell (1986)

EXPLANATION

Channel and flood-plain alluvium—Stream-deposited

gravel, sand, silt, and clay

af Alluvial-fan deposits—A complex of gravel, sand, silt, and clay 

deposited as fans by upland tributaries where they join the main valley

Water

Urban land—Cut and fill may be composed of well-sorted sand and

gravel to poorly-sorted gravel, sand, silt, clay and debris

Ground-moraine (till) deposits in stratified drift

Till in uplands—Unsorted mixture of silt, clay, sand, gravel, 

and boulders

Ice-contact (kame) sand and gravel

Wetland—Wet organic deposits consisting of layers of peat and muck

cv

mf Made land—Sanitary landfill

w

al

k

tvf

pm

tl

Boundary of stratified-drift aquifer

A A' Line of geologic section

Nanticoke Creek

Susquehanna

River

Nanticoke Creek

cv

al

al

al al

al

al

al/af

al

al

al

al

al

al

al al

al al

al

k

k

k

k

mf

mf

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

pm

pm

pm

pm

pm

pm

pm

pm

tvf

tl

tl

w

w

w

pm

af

al

al

al al

al

al

al

al

al

al

al

al

al

al

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

af

pm

af

pm

pm

pm

pm

pm pm

tvf

tl

w

A A'

C

C'

B

B'

Figure 4. Surficial geology of the stratified-drift aquifer, Nanticoke Creek valley near Endicott, Broome County, New York. (Location of 

areas A and B shown in figure 1; geologic sections shown in figure 5.)
8 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

Nanticoke

Creek

WEST 

A

FEET

r Bedrock—Devonian-age shale, siltstone, and sandstone

af Alluvial-fan deposits—Sand and gravel with some silt deposited as 

fans by upland tributaries where they join the main valley. May 

form local unconfined aquifers

Unamed tributary

Passive (horizontal-to-vertical ambient-noise) seismic measurement—

Asterisk denotes location, number is bedrock altitude, in feet above 

* North American Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) H/V

Geologic Contacts

Accurately to approximately located

Inferred

??? Unknown

Well with lithologic log and identifier—Broome County well number 

(assigned by U.S. Geological Survey); TD and number indicates total depth 

of well in feet

BM2222

tl Ground-moraine (till) deposits—Consists of subangular 

to angular clasts (pebbles to boulders) derived in large part from local 

bedrock that became embedded in a fine-grained matrix consisting of 

clay, silt, and fine sand

al Channel and flood-plain alluvium—Gravel, sand, and silt deposited 

by recent streams. Deposits are found beneath flood plains, on low 

terraces, and in stream channels

EXPLANATION

Water level—Static water level in well

EAST 

A'

Clay and silt—Fine-grained sediments that were deposited in former 

glacial and postglacial lakes; some deposits settled in small separate 

basins

lcsl

?

?

?

lcsl

af

tl

al

r r

950

900

850

800

1,000

1,050

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500

FEET

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x10

VERTICAL DATUM IS NORTH AMERICAN VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988

750

H/V

979*

859*H/V

*778H/V

H/V

*786

TD 190

BM2222 ~

~

Figure 5. Geologic sections A–A’, B–B’, and C–C’ in the Nanticoke Creek valley, Broome County, New York. (Section lines shown on 

figure 4.)
Geology 9

dry, 

fine sand 

wet clay

and gravel

dry clay 

and gravel

?

?

?

?

dry, 

fine sand 

and silt

Nanticoke

Creek

800

760

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

820

780

840

860

WEST

B FEET

880

740

900

EAST

B'

FEET

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x5

VERTICAL DATUM IS NORTH AMERICAN VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988

r Bedrock—Devonian-age shale, siltstone, and sandstone

Geologic Contacts

Accurately to approximately located

??? Unknown

Well with lithologic log and identifier—Broome County well

number (assigned by U.S. Geological Survey), TD and number indicate 

total depth of well in feet

BM 246

af Alluvial-fan deposits—Sand and gravel with some silt deposited as 

fans by upland tributaries where they join the main valley; likely

Bradley Creek in this case. May form local unconfined aquifers

tl

Ground-moraine (till) deposits—Consists of subangular 

to angular clasts (pebbles to boulders) derived in large part from 

local bedrock that became embedded in a fine-grained matrix

consisting of clay, silt, and fine sand

Channel and flood-plain alluvium—Gravel, sand, and silt deposited 

by recent streams. Deposits are found beneath flood plains, on low 

terraces, and in stream channels

Undifferentiated material of unknown origin— Buried 

deposits. Lithology of borehole depicted

al

EXPLANATION

Water level—Static water level in well

Water source—Source of water likely a confined aquifer. (Note: Driller’s

terms of wet and dry indicate whether or not materials penetrated are

water-yielding; all ‘dry’ sediments below creek level were saturated)

ud

TD 75

TD 52

TD 82 BM 246

BM 248

BM 245

al

ud

tl

af

r

Figure 5. Geologic sections A–A’, B–B’, and C–C’ in the Nanticoke Creek valley, Broome County, New York. (Section 

lines shown on figure 4.)—Continued
10 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

tl

900

800

700

600

1,000

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

EXPLANATION

FEET

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x 10

VERTICAL DATUM IS NORTH AMERICAN VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988

Bedrock—Devonian-age shale, siltstone, and sandstone.

Clay and sand—Fine-grained sediments that were deposited in former 

glacial and postglacial lakes; some deposits settled in small, separate 

basins. 

lcs

Clay and silt—Fine-grained sediments that were deposited in former 

glacial and postglacial lakes; some deposits settled in small, separate 

basins. 

lcsl

r

tl Ground-moraine (till) deposits—Subangular to angular clasts 

(pebbles to boulders) derived in large part from local bedrock that 

became embedded in a fine-grained matrix consisting of clay, silt, 

and fine sand.

Urban land—Cut and fill may be composed of well-sorted sand 

and gravel to poorly sorted gravel, sand, silt, clay, and debris.

Ice-contact (kame) sand and gravel

Passive (horizontal-to-vertical ambient-noise) seismic measurement—

Asterisk denotes estimated depth to bedrock, elevation noted

*H/V

Geologic Contacts

Accurately to approximately located

Inferred

??? Unknown

Well with lithologic log and identifier—Broome County well

number (assigned by U.S. Geological Survey), TD and number indicate 

total depth of well in feet

BM2222

Water level—Static water level in well

al Channel and flood-plain alluvium—Gravel, sand, and silt deposited 

by recent streams. Deposits are found beneath flood plains, low 

terraces, and in stream channels

cv

k

af Alluvial-fan deposits—Sand and gravel with some silt deposited as 

fans by upland tributaries where they join the main valley. May 

form local unconfined aquifers

TD 77

TD 72

TD 200

TD 135

BM 794

Nanticoke Creek

FEET

H/V

727*

H/V

BM 563

BM 561 (projected)

BM 2370

709 *

H/V

*649

WEST

C

EAST

C'

?

?

?

?

? tl k

lcs

al/af ?

lcsl

r

r

cv

Figure 5. Geologic sections A–A’, B–B’, and C–C’ in the Nanticoke Creek valley, Broome County, New York. (Section lines shown on 

figure 4.)—Continued
Hydrogeology 11

Glacial Deposits

The region underwent several major glaciations during 

the Pleistocene Epoch, commonly referred to as the Ice 

Age, which began 2.6 million years ago and ended about 

12,000 years ago (Fullerton, 1980). Most glacial sediments 

were deposited as the ice retreated northward between 20,000 

and 12,000 years ago (Fullerton, 1980). The unstratified 

glacial deposits in the study area consists of till (an unsorted 

mixture of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and rocks) that was 

deposited in the uplands directly on the bedrock surface by 

glacial ice. The till is not very permeable and is a poor aquifer, 

yielding little to no water. 

Within the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer, 

unconsolidated deposits consisting of stream-laid sand and 

gravel, lake-laid silt and clay, post-glacial (alluvial) sand 

and gravel, and wetland and marsh deposits are present. 

Coarser-grained sediment (sand and gravel) is the major 

component of the aquifer generally north of the village of 

Maine, N.Y., which ranges in thickness from 3 to over 25 ft, 

and in numerous locations the coarse-grained sediment is 

overlain by extensive wetland deposits. South of Maine to 

West Corners, N.Y., the aquifer comprises finer-grained silt 

and clay intermixed with sand and gravel. From West Corners 

to the Susquehanna River, the bedrock valley becomes deeper 

and the Nanticoke unconsolidated deposits intermix with those 

from the Susquehanna River aquifer system. 

While a large amount of glacial sediment was deposited 

in the Nanticoke Creek valley as the ice retreated northward 

and the glacially-fed streams flowed southward, additional 

sediment that could have filled the Nanticoke Creek valley 

was shunted eastward in the west-to-east flowing Dudley 

Creek valley at Lisle, N.Y., just north of Whitney Point, N.Y. 

(fig. 1) (Allan Randall, USGS-emeritus, oral commun., May 

2013). The prevalence of alluvial fan deposits at the mouths of 

tributary valleys to Nanticoke Creek indicate that post-glacial 

erosion of the uplands contributed a large volume of sediment 

that has accumulated in the valley. 

The geologic framework that forms the stratified-drift, or 

valley fill, aquifer is depicted in several geologic sections at 

selected locations in the valley (fig. 5, sections A–A′ through 

C–C′).

Hydrogeology

The stratified-drift aquifer is primarily in the Nanticoke 

Creek valley but can extend a short distance up into some of 

the tributary valleys. Of the 96 wells and test holes within 

the Nanticoke Creek valley used in this study, 78 had records 

that included location, well depth, and depth to water, and 70 

of the 78 additionally had stratigraphic (geologic layering) 

information (Appendix Data Table 1). Most of these well 

records were not sufficiently detailed, or the wells were not 

deep enough, for construction of multiple geologic sections 

that depict the entire extent or types of the stratified-drift 

deposits present throughout the Nanticoke Creek valley. 

Well records indicate that the northern part of the valley 

fill aquifer is unconfined and can support the water-supply 

needs of most homeowners. Unconfined aquifers are open 

to direct recharge from precipitation and may be influenced 

by recharge to, or discharge from nearby streams. South of 

Maine and Union Center, N.Y. (fig. 1), the aquifer materials 

become less permeable as more lacustrine, fine-grained silt 

and clay mix with the coarser-grained sand and gravel. In 

some locations well yields are sufficient for homeowners 

and small businesses, whereas in an adjacent area the yield 

can diminish and barely support domestic use because of 

lower permeability.

Sources of Recharge and Discharge to the 

Aquifer

A stratified-drift aquifer can be recharged from three 

sources: (1) precipitation that falls directly on to the aquifer; 

(2) upland sources that include (a) tributary streams that lose 

water to the aquifer where they flow from the bedrock hillside 

on to alluvial fans in the main valley, and (b) runoff that 

enters the aquifer along its edges from adjacent hillsides; and 

(3) groundwater inflow from till and bedrock along the sides 

and bottom of the aquifer (Randall, 1978). The Nanticoke 

Creek valley is likely recharged by all of these sources. Local 

groundwater supply is reliant on these sources, particularly 

on the valley floor and to a smaller extent by wells on the 

lower hillsides.

Recharge from Precipitation

The average annual recharge from direct precipitation 

over the aquifer is about 14 inches per year (in/yr), as 

calculated from an average precipitation rate of 33 in/yr 

minus an estimated evapotranspiration rate of 19 in/yr (Kontis 

and others, 2004, pl. 1; and Randall, 1996). Recharge from 

precipitation that is not lost through evapotranspiration, or 

that does not flow overland, is assumed to seep through the 

soil and into the aquifer. The recharge rate of 14 in/yr over 

the surface area of the aquifer (about 5 mi2) is equivalent to 

5.16 ft3/s or about 3.33 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of 

recharge to the aquifer.

Recharge from the Uplands

The second potential source of recharge to the valleyfill aquifer can be from upland tributaries that may lose 

water to the aquifer as they flow across an alluvial fan where 

they enter the main valley before flowing, in this case, to 

Nanticoke Creek. Streamflow measurements were made on 

four tributaries on August 7, 2012, during a period of low-flow 

in the Southern Tier counties of New York, to estimate if these 

tributaries were losing or gaining (Appendix Data Table 2 at 
12 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/appendix/sir2014-5063_

appendix_table1-2.xlsx). The discharge measurements in the 

tributaries were usually made with the first measurement in 

a bedrock (headwater) part of the channel, one downstream 

on unconsolidated (alluvial) deposits and one near the mouth 

of the tributary before it entered Nanticoke Creek. Results 

of these measurements indicated that in general, all of the 

tributaries were losing water from their headwaters but in 

some cases the stream would lose, then gain, and then become 

indeterminate at its mouth as streambed aggradation (alluvial 

deposits of gravel and other debris) left by Tropical Storm Lee 

the previous fall (September 8–9, 2011) made it impossible 

to determine the amount of water lost from the stream to the 

aquifer versus water that flowed within the aggraded alluvial 

fan and directly to the Creek.

The Ketchumville Branch near Maine, N.Y., appeared to 

lose flow on a drainage area (per square mile) basis—flow per 

unit area changed from 0.041 cubic feet per second per square 

mile (ft3/s/mi2) in its headwater section to 0.032 ft3/s/mi2 near 

the mouth of the stream. Crocker Creek near Union Center 

had a variable flow regime initially gaining from 0.022 to 

0.034 ft3/s/mi2, then losing about half of its unit-area flow at 

Route 26 (0.015 ft3/s/mi2), but at the mouth, near Nanticoke 

Creek, there was no discernible flow (however, there was also 

a large aggraded alluvial fan deposit which was several feet 

higher than the water level in Nanticoke Creek). 

Bradley Creek near Union Center, N.Y., had a unit-area 

flow of 0.062 ft3/s/mi2. Further downstream, Bradley Creek’s 

unit-area flow decreased to 0.056 ft3/s/mi2, but near its mouth, 

there was no discernible flow in the lower 600-foot reach 

of stream channel, and the alluvial fan from Bradley Creek 

blocked nearly one-third of the channel of Nanticoke Creek 

just downstream of Union Center. Finally, Day Hollow Creek 

lost unit-area flow from its headwater area to near Route 26, 

from 0.020 to 0.010 ft3/s/mi2, but again, near the mouth of the 

creek, its alluvial fan was several feet higher than the water 

level in Nanticoke Creek, and no flow was seen entering the 

creek, although there may have been flow within the aggraded 

alluvium that entered Nanticoke Creek.

Recharge from Groundwater

A minor component of recharge to an unconsolidated 

valley-fill aquifer is groundwater from the deeper portions 

of the flow system that discharges into the sides and bottom 

of the aquifer from the surrounding till and bedrock. This 

component of groundwater budget in valley-fill aquifers of the 

glaciated Northeast has not been investigated in detail and is 

usually a component of the budget that is estimated after the 

other major components have been derived—A.D. Randall 

(U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2008) suggests 

that this deep component of the groundwater budget is small 

or negligible in most cases because shale and till are relatively 

impermeable, especially at depth. 

In the case of Nanticoke Creek, the amount of groundwater entering the aquifer was difficult to measure. One well 

drilled into bedrock adjacent to the creek at Union Center 

(BM 785) indicated a water level in the bedrock that was 

higher than the adjacent stream level, indicating an upward 

gradient may exist and that at least some groundwater recharge 

to the stratified-drift aquifer may be from the bedrock. But, 

while recharge to the aquifer is more likely to occur in some 

of the tributary stream channels where the distance between 

bedrock and the land surface is less, the amount of recharge 

from shale bedrock in any locality is indeterminate and likely 

quite small.

In evaluating the three discharge measurements made 

on Nanticoke Creek on July 17, 2012, the stream did appear 

to gain in unit-area flow between Maine, N.Y. (01513725), 

and Union Center, N.Y. (01513790), from 0.042 to 

0.056 ft3/s/mi2, but from Union Center to Endicott, N.Y. 

(01513800), the Creek did not appear to gain much, if 

any, additional flow (0.058 ft3/s/mi2) at Endicott, N.Y. This 

condition is likely due to (1) the tighter-grained valley-fill 

deposits found in the lower part of the creek that may impede 

upward discharge from the bedrock to the aquifer, (2) the 

greater distance from bedrock to land surface, (3) possible 

underflow to the deeper part of the Susquehanna River aquifer, 

and (4) the influence of the Endicott water supply wells further 

to the southeast and two purge wells near the former Endicott 

landfill to the southwest, all of which withdraw large amounts 

of groundwater in the Susquehanna aquifer system (fig. 2—see 

the hachured area near the Susquehanna River).

Groundwater Levels

Synoptic groundwater level measurements were collected 

on October 17, 2012, from 21 wells between Glen Aubrey and 

West Corners, N.Y. (fig. 2). While the wells were completed in 

both unconsolidated materials and bedrock, the resulting water 

levels are a good indication of the groundwater table in and 

adjacent to the valley-fill aquifer on that day. Where data were 

sparse, especially in tributary valleys, groundwater elevations 

were extrapolated where streams crossed specific topographic 

elevations. The slope of the water table follows the general 

slope of the valley floor and therefore, groundwater flows from 

north to south in the stratified-drift aquifer in the Nanticoke 

Creek valley, with an average water-table gradient of 15 ft/mi 

(fig. 2).

Groundwater levels were also continuously measured in 

three wells between Maine and West Corners, N.Y., two wells 

in unconsolidated materials (BM 778 and BM 787) and one 

in bedrock (BM 785 on fig. 2). The water level of Nanticoke 

Creek at Union Center, N.Y. (01513790), was also measured 

to determine any relationship between groundwater levels in 

well BM 785 and the creek, and daily precipitation data were 

available from the Binghamton Regional Airport located just 

east of the Nanticoke Creek watershed (fig. 1). The water level 

in each well and Nanticoke Creek was recorded every four 

hours and the hydrographs for these three wells and Nanticoke 

Creek at Union Center are shown on figure 6.
Hydrogeology 13

850.5

851.5

852.5

853.5

854.5

855.5

856.5

Water level, in feet above NGVD 88

7/05/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13

Date

823

824

825

826

827

828

829

Water level, in feet above NGVD 88

7/5/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13

Date

Date

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

7/5/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13

Precipitation, in inches

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

7/5/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13

Date

Precipitation, in inches

Well BM 787, water level in stratified-drift deposits near

West Corners, New York

Water level in Nanticoke Creek near Union Center,

New York (01513790)

Daily precipitation at Binghamton Regional Airport near

Maine, New York

Daily precipitation at Binghamton Regional Airport near

Maine, New York

903

904

905

906

907

908

909

910

911

Date

851.5

852.5

853.5

854.5

855.5

856.5

857.5

Water level,

in feet above NGVD 88

Date

7/5/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13 7/5/12 9/13/12 11/22/12 1/31/13 4/11/13 6/20/13

Well BM 778, water level in stratified-drift deposits near

Well BM 785, water level in bedrock at Union Center, New York Maine, New York Water level, in feet above NGVD 88

Figure 6. Monitored groundwater levels in the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer, water levels in Nanticoke Creek at Union 

Center, New York, and daily precipitation from the Binghamton Regional airport, July 2012 to July 2013.
14 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

The water levels in all the monitoring wells (BM 778–

Maine, N.Y., BM 785–Union Center, N.Y., and BM 787–north 

of West Corners, N.Y.–fig. 2) appear to respond to aquifer 

recharge beginning in the late fall/early winter period but not 

to shorter-term fluctuations in the water level of Nanticoke 

Creek nor in the case of BM 778, to a tributary to Nanticoke 

Creek that is located just west of this well. A large decline 

in water level of BM 778 (approximately 14 ft) and its slow 

recovery during the late fall of 2012 may have been due 

to a nearby water-supply well (BM2222) at the school bus 

garage having been “left on” during a long vacation weekend 

(Mike Aubel, Maine-Endwell bus garage, oral commun., 

December 2012). This continuous discharge from BM2222 

appears to have affected the water level in the monitoring 

well BM 778 as the two wells are only 30 ft apart, although 

open to the aquifer at different depths and units—BM 778 

is finished in sand and gravel and is an open-ended casing 

completed at 140 ft, while BM2222 is completed in bedrock 

between 171–190 ft. Well BM 778 slowly recovered over an 

approximate 35-day period, even though water levels at the 

other monitoring wells were steady or still slowly declining 

even with some appreciable precipitation falling during this 

period (see fig. 6—Binghamton Regional Airport, daily 

precipitation data).

Well BM 785 is adjacent to Nanticoke Creek (fig. 2) and 

is completed in bedrock. Comparison of the well and stream 

hydrographs (fig. 6) indicate an upward gradient between the 

bedrock and the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer in this 

location. The gradient is greatest in the spring recharge period, 

although the water level in well BM 785 does not appear to 

be strongly related to stream level fluctuations in Nanticoke 

Creek. The finer-grained materials found in the southern 

part of the Nanticoke Creek valley likely prevent a strong 

connection between the creek, the aquifer, and the deeper, 

underlying bedrock in this part of the Nanticoke Creek valley. 

Water Quality

Water-quality samples were collected to characterize 

the chemical quality of surface water and groundwater in the 

Nanticoke Creek valley. Three water-quality samples were 

collected along Nanticoke Creek and one on Bradley Creek on 

July 17, 2012. Three groundwater samples were collected from 

private drinking water wells, two finished in unconsolidated 

deposits and one in bedrock on November 19, 2012. Field 

measurements were made for pH, specific conductance, and 

water temperature for surface-water and groundwater samples. 

The concentrations of over 40 constituents in surface-water 

and groundwater samples were measured, including major 

inorganic ions, nutrients, trace metals, and dissolved gases 

(Appendix Data Table 3 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/

appendix/sir2014-5063_appendix_table1-3.xlsx). All samples 

were analyzed by USGS laboratories in Denver, Colorado, or 

Reston, Virginia. Analytical results for selected constituents 

are compared with Federal and State drinking-water standards, 

which include Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), 

secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCLs), and health 

advisories (HAs) established by the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

2011) and the New York State Health Department (New York 

State Department of Health, 2013).

Additional water-quality data are also available from 

several other sources for the Nanticoke Creek valley: 

(1) historic water-quality data for several stream sites in 

the valley from the USGS NWIS database (Appendix Data 

Table 4 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/appendix/

sir2014-5063_appendix_table1-4.xlsx), (2) the Susquehanna 

River Basin Commission maintains a streamgage on 

Nanticoke Creek near Maine, N.Y., and has both real-time 

water-quality data (http://mdw.srbc.net/remotewaterquality/

data_viewer.aspx), as well as bi-monthly water-quality 

measurements (Appendix Data Table 5 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/

sir/2014/5063/appendix/sir2014-5063_appendix_table1-5.

xlsx), and (3) water-quality data collected at a greenhouse 

supply well over several decades and adjacent residential well 

(Appendix Data Table 6 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/

appendix/sir2014-5063_appendix_table1-6.xlsx).

Physiochemical Properties

The pH of surface-water and groundwater samples 

collected by the USGS during this study (7 samples) ranged 

from 7.1 to 8.0, with a median value of 7.8 and all samples 

were within the accepted EPA SMCL range of 6.5 to 8.5 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). Specific 

conductance of all but one sample ranged from 256 to 

576 microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm) at 25 °C. Well 

BM 501, a 40-foot deep dug well, had a conductance of 

1,200 μS/cm at 25 °C; this value was possibly related to the 

influence of road salt because the well is near State Route 26 

and a steep hillside road. This well also exhibited many of the 

highest ion concentrations of the wells sampled during this 

study. Of note, several wells had a distinct smell of hydrogen 

sulfide during groundwater level data collection, and one of 

the sampled wells (BM 502) had a hydrogen sulfide smell 

when that sample was collected. 

Common Inorganic Constituents

Cation concentrations include calcium, ranging from 24.5 

to 93.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and a median value of 

29.7 mg/L as well as magnesium concentrations ranging from 

4.98 to 26.7 mg/L, and a median of 5.66 mg/L. While calcium 

and magnesium can contribute to water hardness, it should 

be noted that the stream samples generally had lower calcium 

and magnesium concentrations than the groundwater samples. 

Sodium concentrations ranged from 13.0 to 105 mg/L, with a 

median value of 25.9 mg/L. Potassium concentrations ranged 

from 0.631 to 2.240 mg/L, with a median value of 1.680 mg/L.

Anion concentrations include chloride ranging from 

8.90 to 265 mg/L, and a median value of 48.3 mg/L. Sulfate 
Water Quality 15

concentrations ranged from 8.22 to 35.9 mg/L, with a median 

value of 11.6 mg/L. Silica concentrations ranged from 2.56 

to 14.9 mg/L, with a median value of 4.03 mg/L. Fluoride 

concentrations ranged from the detection limit of 0.044 

to 0.106 mg/L with a median of 0.075 mg/L. Of all of the 

major inorganic constituents collected from surface-water 

and groundwater sites in the study area, only well BM 501 

exceeded the chloride and sodium Federal and State waterquality standards for these constituents, and may be due to 

road salt contamination from two nearby roads.

Nutrients

Nitrate was present in some surface water and 

groundwater samples and ranged from <0.040 to 3.08 mg/L 

as nitrogen, with a median value of 0.148 mg/L. High 

concentrations of nitrogen can cause excessive plant and algal 

growth in streams, and can also be a human health concern 

when the concentration is more than 10 mg/L as nitrogen 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). However, the 

concentration of nitrate in the streams is low and the highest 

value was in a groundwater well (BM 501). Four of the seven 

orthophosphate concentrations were below the reporting limit 

(0.0040 mg/L as phosphorus) while for the remaining three 

samples (one surface water site [01513792 Bradley Creek] 

and two groundwater wells [BM 501 and BM2283]) ranged 

between 0.0090 and 0.0551 mg/L—there are no drinking 

water standards for orthophosphate. None of the water-quality 

samples exceeded Federal or State drinking-water standards 

for nitrate or nitrite.

Trace Elements

Trace elements were detected in all the water samples 

which included aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, 

cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, lithium, 

manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium, 

uranium, vanadium, and zinc (Appendix Data Table 3). The 

trace elements detected in the greatest concentrations were 

aluminum, barium, boron, iron, lithium, manganese, and 

strontium. No samples exceeded Federal or State Maximum 

Contaminant Loads (MCLs) except for manganese. Aluminum 

concentrations ranged from less than the detection limit 

of 2.2 to 5.6 micrograms per liter (μg/L), with a median 

value of 2.4 μg/L. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 

0.090 to 2.37 μg/L, with a median of 0.560 μg/L. Barium 

concentrations ranged from 9.17 to 967 μg/L, with a median 

of 63.1 μg/L. Boron concentrations ranged from 15.0 to 

28.8 μg/L, with a median of 19.0 μg/L. An MCL has not 

been established for boron. Iron concentrations ranged 

from 6.00 to 138 μg/L, with a median of 51.0 μg/L. Lead 

concentrations ranged from less than the detection limit of 

0.025 to 0.675 μg/L, all of which are well below the EPA 

MCL of 15.0 μg/L. Lithium concentrations ranged from 0.22 

to 24.4 μg/L, with a median value of 6.09 μg/L. An MCL has 

not been established for lithium. Strontium concentrations 

ranged from 42.0 to 711 μg/L, with a median of 104 μg/L. 

An MCL has not been established for strontium. Uranium 

concentrations ranged from less than the detection limit of 

0.004 to 1.290 μg/L, with a median of 0.125 μg/L. No samples 

exceeded the EPA MCL of 30 μg/L.

Manganese concentrations ranged between 0.067 and 

660 μg/L with a median of 16.0 μg/L. The EPA Secondary 

MCL for manganese is 50 μg/L, whereas the New York State 

Health Departments MCL is 300 μg/L. The highest manganese 

concentrations in this study were found in wells BM2283 

and BM 502 and manganese was also elevated in Nanticoke 

Creek at Endicott, N.Y. (01513800). These relatively large 

manganese concentrations (328 and 660 μg/L) in groundwater 

and 213 μg/L in Nanticoke Creek, while above the State and 

Federal drinking water standards, are not that unusual in the 

region based on results of groundwater samples collected 

across New York as part of the cooperative New York State 

Department of Environmental Conservation and USGS 305B 

groundwater monitoring program (http://ny.water.usgs.gov/

projects/305b/). The likely source of the manganese is from 

the surrounding shale bedrock and the stratified-drift materials 

that partly fill the Nanticoke Creek valley that are derived 

from the local bedrock. 

In all other cases, the chemistry of surface water and 

groundwater is well within State and Federal standards in 

the Nanticoke Creek valley. It is interesting to note that 

some of the older water-quality data for streams (late 1950s 

through mid-1970s) (Appendix Data Table 4) have lower ion 

concentrations then those measured presently. The increased 

chloride, sodium, and dissolved solids values measured 

in this study are likely indicative of road salt runoff to the 

aquifer (Kappel and others, 2012). Nutrient analysis results 

for nitrogen and phosphorus species indicate little in the 

way of anthropogenic influences on either surface water 

or groundwater. 

Dissolved Methane

Dissolved gases were analyzed in groundwater to 

establish a baseline of methane in the stratified-drift aquifer 

system. The three groundwater samples in this study 

(BM 501, 502, and 2283–Appendix Data Table 2) ranged 

from non-detect (<0.001 mg/L) to 0.55 mg/L of dissolved 

methane. During the summer of 2012, dissolved gas samples 

throughout the southern tier counties of New York were 

collected for a separate USGS study to establish a regionwide dissolved methane baseline. Two samples were collected 

within the Nanticoke Creek valley—one in a well drilled into 

unconsolidated sediments (BM1049) that had a dissolved 

methane concentration of 0.005 mg/L and the other well was 

drilled into bedrock (BM2222) and had a dissolved methane 

concentration of 9.6 mg/L. All five of these dissolved methane 

values are well below the potentially explosive limit of 

28 mg/L dissolved methane (Eltschlager and others, 2001, 

p. 40). 
16 Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York

Summary

The Village of Endicott, New York, is looking for 

an alternate source of public drinking water that could 

supplement their current supply which is affected by legacy 

contamination. The Nanticoke Creek valley, which drains 

southward toward the village, was identified by the village 

as a potential water-supply source, and the local stratifieddrift (valley-fill) aquifer was investigated to determine its 

hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics through this 

study. The Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer extends 

about 15 miles from the hamlet of Glen Aubrey, N.Y., to 

near West Corners, N.Y., just north of the village. Nanticoke 

Creek flows southward through the hamlets of Maine, 

Union Center, and West Corners, N.Y., and eventually to the 

Susquehanna River at Endicott, N.Y. The Nanticoke Creek 

valley floor is less than a half mile wide in most places. The 

glacial sediments that comprise the valley fill vary from 3 

to over 25 feet of permeable sand and gravel in the northern 

part of the aquifer to less permeable sand and gravel mixed 

with fine-grained silt and clay toward the southern end. The 

entire valley is underlain by poorly permeable Devonian-aged 

shale and siltstone and is usually capped with glacial till in the 

uplands, on side slopes of the valley, and along the floor of the 

bedrock valley. 

The availability of groundwater to individual wells 

from the unconsolidated aquifer in the stratified-drift aquifer 

is variable, but is enough to supply most homeowner wells, 

and in some cases has enough water to supply small publicwater systems such as schools, mobile-home parks, and small 

commercial/industrial facilities. Groundwater availability is 

better in the northern part of the aquifer where sand and gravel 

deposits are generally more permeable than in the southern 

half of the valley where finer-grained sediments settled out 

with the alluvial sand and gravel creating less-permeable 

aquifer material. 

The flow in Nanticoke Creek is driven by precipitationderived runoff and recharge to and from the groundwater 

system. Tropical Storm Lee (fall, 2011) caused the worst 

flood on record in the Southern Tier counties of New York, 

whereas during the summer of 2012, near record low-flows 

were experienced in the Southern Tier counties of New York, 

including the Nanticoke Creek valley. Most tributary streams 

appear to lose water to the alluvial deposits as they flow off of 

their bedrock-lined channels to alluvial fans and valley-bottom 

floodplain deposits. Extensive sediment aggradation near the 

mouths of the tributary streams draining to Nanticoke Creek 

due to Tropical Storm Lee made it impossible to determine 

the amount of tributary loss or gain in the lower part of these 

channels near Nanticoke Creek.

The quality of both surface water and groundwater is 

good, although certain natural constituents (manganese and 

iron) have been detected in groundwater and surface water, 

while home-owner reported smell and taste of hydrogen 

sulfide from some wells have been reported. The water-quality 

analysis of both surface water and groundwater indicated 

that both sources of water met nearly all State and Federal 

water-quality standards. Two well samples and one surface 

water sample exceeded the State and Federal standards for 

manganese, but these manganese concentrations are not 

that unusual for waters sourced in either shale bedrock or in 

glacial sediments derived from these rocks in central New 

York. Sodium and chloride standards were exceeded in one 

well that may be influenced by road salt runoff from nearby 

roads. Dissolved methane concentrations from five wells were 

all well below the potentially explosive limit for dissolved 

methane (28 milligrams per liter).

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Appendixes 1–6 19

Appendix 1. Record of Wells and Test Holes Used in the 

Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer Study, Broome 

County, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]

Appendix 2. Results of Seepage Measurements and 

Subbasin Data for Nanticoke Creek and its Major 

Tributaries, Broome County, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]

Appendix 3. Water-Quality Data for Four Surface-Water 

Sites and Three Groundwater Wells in the Nanticoke Creek 

Valley, Broome County, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]

Appendix 4. Historic Water-Quality Data for Nanticoke 

Creek, Broome County, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]

Appendix 5. Susquehanna River Basin Commission RealTime and Periodic Water-Quality Data for Nanticoke Creek 

near Maine, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]

Appendix 6. Water-Quality Data from a Greenhouse 

Supply Well, 1991, 2001, and 2011, and a Residential House 

Well, 2011, near Union Center, New York

[Available separately at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5063/]
Prepared by the Pembroke and Rolla Publishing 

Service Centers.

For additional information write to:

New York Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

30 Brown Rd.

Ithaca, NY 14850

Information requests:

(518) 285-5602

or visit our Web site at:

http://ny.water.usgs.gov
Kreitinger and Kappel—Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Nanticoke Creek Stratified-Drift Aquifer, near Endicott, New York—Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5063

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145063