22-8 Effects of a rural cemetery on Glenwood Creek Water Quality in the Seneca Lake watershed, Geneva, NY

Session: Advances in characterizing groundwater, surface water, and their interactions (Posters)

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Abstract:

Urban and rural headwater streams are integral components of watersheds but are highly susceptible to contamination and changes in land use.  This study investigates the impact of a cemetery on the water quality of Glenwood Creek, a urban-to-rural creek located in Geneva, NY. This headwater creek cuts through glacial till and proglacial lacustrine silt and clay. The creek is conceptually divided into an upstream portion fed by urban runoff from parking lots, athletic fields and Hobart and William Smith College’s Village at Odell's Pond residential area.  Downstream the creek transitions to a rural setting with fewer homes and roads impacting the drainage and winds its way adjacent to a cemetery.  Glenwood Cemetery is a Victorian-era garden cemetery that opened in 1873 on fifty acres of land, and was designed to be a place of quiet for family gatherings and picnics as well as a burial ground.  A campus groundwater monitoring well and Seneca Lake (drainage point) waters are considered endmembers to characterize nutrient and major ion loading.  Weekly to biweekly surface water samples were collected for analysis and discharge was measured from June through November of 2025.  Specific conductance ranges from 1000 - 2000 (µS/cm) over the sampling period.  Dissolved oxygen and pH increased in the rural segment dominated by the cemetery.  Bicarbonate alkalinity exceeds the range of Seneca Lake, suggesting increased productivity and nutrient loading possibly sourced from the cemetery or glacial sediment dominated groundwater.  High concentrations of zinc and phosphate are consistent with organic decay within the lower segment of the creek or from input from the cemetery.  In addition, increases in total nitrogen and silica are also consistent with runoff and loading sourced from the cemetery.  Discharge measurements revealed the creek is a losing stream.  This study demonstrates both cemetery and groundwater contributions can significantly alter the water chemistry of Glenwood Creek which may contribute to nutrient cycling within Seneca Lake.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2, 2026

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