Water Quality
Water Quality > Tributary and Waterfront Data > New York City Waterfront > Gowanus- Gowanus Canal, 2nd Street Sponge Park

Gowanus- Gowanus Canal, 2nd Street Sponge Park

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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

117 Samples taken

Sample Date [i] Enterococcus Count
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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
09/21/2023 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 1.5
09/14/2023 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.2 1.6
09/07/2023 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2
07/27/2023 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3
07/06/2023 3873 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.1 1.1
06/29/2023 73 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.3
06/15/2023 84 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.4
06/02/2023 481 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/25/2023 199 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/18/2023 74 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/29/2022 235 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/22/2022 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1
09/15/2022 426 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2
09/08/2022 336 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
09/01/2022 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
08/25/2022 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2
08/18/2022 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3
08/11/2022 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/04/2022 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/28/2022 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0
07/21/2022 457 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 1.9
07/14/2022 51 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/07/2022 74 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
06/30/2022 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3
06/23/2022 3255 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
06/16/2022 1090 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/09/2022 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
06/02/2022 6294 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.7
05/26/2022 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/01/2020 537 Beach Advisory 0.0 1.1 0.5 0.0 1.6
09/24/2020 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/17/2020 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/10/2020 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/03/2020 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.4
08/27/2020 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.4
08/20/2020 84 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5
08/13/2020 41 Acceptable 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 1.8
08/06/2020 52 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.5 1.1
07/30/2020 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/23/2020 336 Beach Advisory 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 1.4
07/16/2020 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/09/2020 318 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.6
07/02/2020 1785 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.6
06/25/2020 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/03/2019 15,531 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/26/2019 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
09/19/2019 98 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/12/2019 74 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/05/2019 959 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3
08/29/2019 121 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
08/22/2019 712 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
08/08/2019 12033 Beach Advisory 0.2 1.2 0.0 0.0 1.4
08/01/2019 185 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.4
07/18/2019 1,720 Acceptable 0.5 1.8 0.0 0.0 2.3
07/11/2019 754 Beach Advisory 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8
06/27/2019 75 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.9
06/20/2019 504 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.7 0.0 0.8
06/13/2019 98 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.6 1.1
06/06/2019 294 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/30/2019 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.8 0.2 0.0 1.0
05/23/2019 213 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/04/2018 272 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.7
09/27/2018 96 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.2 2.0 0.0 2.2
09/20/2018 408 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.0 1.2
09/13/2018 9208 Beach Advisory 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.9 1.2
09/06/2018 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/30/2018 31 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/23/2018 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.8
08/16/2018 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.8 0.7 0.0 1.5
08/09/2018 15531 Beach Advisory 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.9
08/02/2018 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.4 0.5
07/26/2018 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.2 0.9
07/19/2018 199 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 2.2 0.0 2.2
07/12/2018 331 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/14/2018 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/07/2018 52 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2
05/31/2018 201 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/24/2018 30 Acceptable 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.6
09/28/2017 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/21/2017 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
09/14/2017 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
09/07/2017 211 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.4
08/31/2017 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
08/24/2017 110 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3
08/17/2017 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5
08/10/2017 112 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.8
08/03/2017 85 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
07/27/2017 98 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.7
07/20/2017 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/13/2017 122 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/06/2017 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5
06/29/2017 145 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
06/22/2017 426 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 1.4
06/15/2017 241 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3
06/08/2017 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
06/01/2017 31 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2
05/25/2017 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.7
05/18/2017 31 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/29/2016 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
09/15/2016 241 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6
09/08/2016 31 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/01/2016 10 Acceptable 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5
08/25/2016 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/18/2016 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2
08/11/2016 74 Beach Advisory 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2
08/04/2016 109 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/28/2016 161 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0
07/21/2016 122 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4
07/14/2016 10 Acceptable 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6
07/07/2016 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.5 1.2
06/30/2016 336 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.6
06/23/2016 161 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/16/2016 145 Beach Advisory 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2
06/09/2016 199 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5
06/02/2016 426 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 1.7
05/26/2016 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
05/19/2016 52 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Entero Count (fecal indicator) and Rainfall Correlation

117 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 and processed at laboratories that aren't directly affiliated with Riverkeeper, using methods and study designs that are consistent with Riverkeeper's Hudson River and Citizen Testing programs.

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:

Site coordinator: Josephine Pho. Site sponsor: Empire Dragon Boat Team NYC. There are major CSO outfalls at this location. These samples are processed by Queens College (Gregory O'Mullan).

Agencies Responsible:

NYCDEP: 212-639-9675; NYSDEC Region 2: 718-482-4933

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