Table 16. --Analyses of the water of Dunkirk Harbor, August 8, 1929 



Rock Canal and the Niagara River allows the wastes 

 of the city to be disposed of most conveniently. The 

 flow of the river is so large that the dilution of the 

 canal water below the junction of the canal and river 

 averts any harm to the aquatic life. The only danger 

 that may foUow the addition of untreated wastes to the 

 river Ues in the use of the river water without prelim- 

 inary purification. 



The direction of flow of the water of Buffalo Har- 

 bor is such that it is practically impossible for Buffalo's 

 wastes to enter the lake. Wastes from Lackawanna may 

 do this, but they do not seem to get far off shore be - 

 cause of the almost continuous breakwall. While the 

 combined wastes of these two cities have little effect 

 on the open lake, they certainly do harm fish life in 

 the harbor and damage any possible spawning beds 

 which may lie within it. 



Stations 06, 24, and 09 



Station 06 was about 1 1/2 miles off Port Colborne 

 and station 24 was about 3 miles off Port Maitland. 

 Analyses made on each of the 4 cruises showed no 

 evidence of any substances that may have been 

 discharged into the lake by either of the towns or the 

 Grand River. 



Station 09 lay about 1 1/2 miles off the mouth 

 of Cattaraugus Creek and about 2 miles off the mouth 

 of Silver Creek. The oxygen saturations at this sta- 

 tion were low in June and July, while in August the 

 bottom saturation only was low, although the surface 

 and bottom temperatures were the same. High chlo- 

 ride values were obtained on 3 cruises: June, July, 

 and September. These facts indicate that polluting 

 substances were being dumped into the lake by these 

 creeks and bear out reports of pollution on both streams. 

 The added substances had been so diluted by the time 

 they reached station 09 that no harm to fish could 

 have resulted at the station. Inshore conditions were 



probably bad at the mouths of both streams. 



Dunkirk 



The dilution afforded by the harbor water is de- 

 pended upon for the disposal of Dunkirk's sewage, 

 which is emptied into the harbor. The shore to the 

 easj of the Central Avenue dock is made up of a de- 

 posit of granular sludge formed by the decomposition 

 of sewage emptied into the harbor. 



On July 5 the oxygen saturation found on the west 

 side of the Central Avenue dock was 79 percent with a 

 high free carbon dioxide content, and a pH of 7. 9. 

 On the same day at station 11, 1 mile off Dunkirk, 

 the oxygen saturation was 91 percent, the pH value 

 was 8. 2, and negative carbon dioxide was found, 

 while the chloride content agreed with that found in 

 the harbor. 



A series of samples was taken in Dunkirk Harbor on 

 August 8. The first sample was taken on the west 

 side of the Central Avenue dock; the second in the 

 ship channel at the second red spar, coming into the 

 harbor; and the third at the red can buoy. No. 2, 

 which lies just outside of the harbor entrance. The 

 analyses of these 3 samples, together with the analy- 

 sis of a sample taken at station 11 on the previous 

 evening, are given in table 16. This series showed 

 that there was no variation of any significance from 

 the harbor to the lake in oxygen saturation, pH value, 

 or carbon dioxide content. The chloride content was 

 slightly greater in the harbor than in the open lake. 

 The turbidity alone showed a change, dropping off 

 regularly as the dilution of the harbor water by the 

 lake water increased. The high oxygen saturation in 

 the presence of known pollution was due in all prob- 

 ability to the extensive weed beds which covered a 

 large area in the west side of the harbor. 



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In September station 11 was normal with a 



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