This reconnaissance study of erosion and deposition of sediment in the Erie-Niagara basin indicates that the highest sediment yields, on the order of 1,000 tons per square mile per year, occur in streams that drain upland areas. In contrast, for example, from the lowland part of the Tonawanda Creek basin, the annual sediment yields are on the order of 100 tons per square mile per year. The estimated average annual sediment yields of streams in the basin range from 50 tons per square mile for Little Tonawanda Creek at Linden, to 1,500 tons per square mile for Cazenovia Creek at Ebenezer. These estimates are based on measured instantaneous sediment discharge at selected stream stations, the sediment loads of which ranged from 1,100 tons per year for Little Tonawanda Creek at Linden to 610,000 tons per year for Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda. The accuracy of the estimates of average annual sediment discharge could be considerably improved by the collection of additional data. Nevertheless, the estimates are believed to be indicative of the magnitude of sediment yields and provide a general description of stream-sediment movement in the study area. Peak suspended-sediment concentrations in the range of 2,600 to 5,300 ppm (parts per million) were observed at three stations in the Cattaraugus Creek basin, as well as at Buffalo Creek at Gardenville, Cazenovia Creek at Ebenezer, and Cayuga Creek near Lancaster.
