Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 135 



"zone of recovery" below Throopsville. One further case of 

 stream contamination caused by Auburn sewage is the pollution of 

 Coldspring brook (North brook) for 4% miles by the partially 

 treated effluent of the sewage disposal plant located there. Thus 

 Auburn sewage pollutes approximately 21% miles of the stream, 

 the greater part of which would be suitable for fishing streams. 



The city of Canandaigua is responsible for the pollution of 

 Canandaigua outlet for some considerable distance as may be seen 

 by reference to the appended tables. No small part of this is due 

 to the partially untreated effluent from the sewage disposal plant. 



It seems regrettable that where provision is made for the dis- 

 posal of sewage and the rendering innocuous of the effluent, that 

 often those facilities are not utilized to their utmost. Instead, 

 either through ignorance or carelessness, partially treated effluents 

 are allowed to run into, and grossly pollute, desirable fishing 

 streams. 



Because of the fact that many polluting substances, other than 

 domestic sewage are mixed with sewage it is difficult to state just 

 how many miles of streams are thus polluted but approxi- 

 mately 41 miles are directly affected by sewage pollution, of which 

 32 would be fishing streams. 



Milk Pollution. — It is rather surprising that in so large an area 

 as that covered by the Oswego watershed there should be such a 

 small amount of milk pollution. Apparently not more than a total 

 of 17 miles of streams have become polluted from milk wastes. 

 Most of the milk plants have adopted means whereby the by- 

 products are utilized or else treated before they are allowed to 

 enter fresh water streams. There is however one case of pollution 

 which is so extremely bad that it deserves mention here. The milk 

 plant at Pennellville, which manufactures casein, sugar and albu- 

 men, empties its wastes untreated into Potts creek and pollutes the 

 stream to the extent of killing all fish and fresh water life. The 

 entire stream for a distance of about 4 miles has become unsightly 

 and foul and presents a distinct nuisance. Blood worms, sludge 

 worms and tolerant snails are the only animal forms present and 

 blue-greens, tolerant Potamogetons, and sewage fungus the only 

 plants. This stream, if free from pollution, would support fish 

 life. 



Paper Mill and Woolen Mill Wastes. — These factories are 

 centered largely along the outlets of Keuka lake, Otisco lake, 

 Skaneateles lake and along the Seneca river. The wastes from 

 these plants consist largely of waste fibers, dyes and the various 

 glues and chemicals used in the process of manufacture. The dyes 

 apparently do not produce any very deleterious effects upon fish 

 life but due to the fact that a small amount of dye stuff will color 

 a large volume of water there is a popular belief that this is very 

 harmful to fish life. Our observations indicate that the dye itself 

 does not materially affect the stream except when it is introduced 

 in very large quantities. 



