I would have to think that crayfish in the reservoir systems would
be cleaner/safer to eat than those in waters surrounded by homes
and such.
Yeah, but Amawalk and Cross RIver has homes all along Lake Street where the DEP boat ramp is...I see landscapers working on the lawns all day during the spring and summer months...Croton Falls should be OK but I really havent seem any crayfish...let alone SMBs.
I don't know if fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide runoff is a problem in the NYC reservoir system.
It seems that contaminants are reasonanly well contained. It is after all the basis of drinking water.
In the case of nitrates, according to the DEP issued water quality report for 2010 the found average of 0.11 seems well below the NYS Dept of Health Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 and the USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of 10.
Nothing in the report suggests levels of anything high enough to to cause amy particular alarm outside
of the DEC fish consumption warnings.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate10.pdfNitrate (mg/L nitrogen)
CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
NYSDOH MCL 10
USEPA MCLG 10
CATSKILL/DELAWARE SYSTEM SOURCES IN DRINKING WATER
# SAMPLES 315
RANGE 0.06 - 0.15
AVERAGE 0.11
Sources in Drinking water: Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage;
