Water Quality > Tributary and Waterfront Data > Wallkill River > Rifton- Cow Hough Road fishing access

Rifton- Cow Hough Road fishing access

Physical/Chemical Data

Physical, chemical and biological properties of the surface water that are measured continuously while the patrol boat is underway.

Entero Count (fecal indicator) and Rainfall

48 Samples taken

Sample Date [i] Enterococcus Count

Entero Count

Enterococcus (“Entero”) is a fecal indicating bacterium that lives in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals. It is the EPA preferred indicator for sewage contamination.

Quality Rain, day of (in) Prior Day 2 Days Prior 3 Days Prior Rain 4 Days Total Rain
Sort Sort Sort Sort Sort Sort Sort Sort
10/05/2019 1046 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.7
09/14/2019 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.3
08/10/2019 135 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3
07/13/2019 411 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/15/2019 163 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3
05/11/2019 345 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/13/2018 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.1 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.1
09/08/2018 236 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
08/11/2018 1553 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 0.9
07/14/2018 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/09/2018 517 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/12/2018 139 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/14/2017 32 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/09/2017 921 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.6
08/12/2017 2420 Beach Advisory 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.5
07/08/2017 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2
06/10/2017 727 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/13/2017 38 Acceptable 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2
10/15/2016 78 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/17/2016 59 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/20/2016 141 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
07/16/2016 435 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5
06/18/2016 85 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/21/2016 25 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/31/2015 2420 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/26/2015 140 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/29/2015 22 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/25/2015 46 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/27/2015 89 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/30/2015 104 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3
11/01/2014 14 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/27/2014 152 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/30/2014 1300 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/26/2014 208 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/28/2014 1414 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/31/2014 179 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/26/2013 13 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/28/2013 76 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/24/2013 46 Acceptable 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
07/27/2013 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/29/2013 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.5 0.7 0.0 1.3
06/08/2013 >2420 Beach Advisory 0.3 2.0 0.1 0.0 2.5
10/27/2012 84 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/29/2012 1541 Beach Advisory 0.2 1.7 0.0 0.1 2.0
09/01/2012 687 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/28/2012 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.7
06/30/2012 45 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/26/2012 397 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Entero Count (fecal indicator) and Rainfall Correlation

48 Samples taken

Water Quality*

Acceptable (0–60) Beach Advisory (61+)

*Single sample thresholds;
Enterococcus count per 100mL

Prior Four Day Rainfall
(in inches)

Dry Weather (0–0.25) Wet Weather (0.25+)

Enterococcus is an EPA-approved fecal contamination indicator.

Samples taken by citizen scientists trained by Riverkeeper, and processed on the Riverkeeper vessel, according to the 2014 Quality Assurance Project Plan.

Rainfall data comes from wunderground.com. Wet weather is a common trigger of fecal contamination.

What do the Numbers Mean?

Water Quality scoring is based on the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for safe swimming. Learn More

About this location:

This area, heavily used for fishing, is located at the pool downstream of the Dashville hydroelectric dam. A small, unnamed tributary joins the Wallkill at this pool. (Samples are collected upstream of the confluence.)

Agencies Responsible:

Ulster County Dept. of Health: 845-340-3010; NYSDEC Region 3: 845-256-3000

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