Water Quality > Tributary and Waterfront Data > East River > Flushing Creek- Whitestone Expressway

Flushing Creek- Whitestone Expressway

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

31 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
10/25/2019 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
09/13/2019 41 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/08/2019 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.1
07/19/2019 8704 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.8
06/27/2019 63 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
05/22/2019 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10/09/2018 119 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/19/2018 24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
09/14/2018 109 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.3
08/17/2018 805 Beach Advisory 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6 1.2
07/31/2018 10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
07/26/2018 4,198 Acceptable 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.1 0.9
06/26/2018 156 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/25/2018 30 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1
06/08/2018 75 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
05/30/2018 20 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5
10/09/2017 677 Beach Advisory 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.5
09/27/2017 110 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/15/2017 414 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/26/2017 134 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
08/09/2017 631 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.4
07/25/2017 >24196 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.9 0.1 0.5 1.5
07/20/2017 185 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
06/26/2017 1198 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
06/23/2017 373 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
06/06/2017 82 Beach Advisory 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2
05/10/2017 842 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
11/03/2016 84 Beach Advisory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
09/10/2016 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1
08/02/2016 30 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.2 0.8
07/07/2016 <10 Acceptable 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.5 1.1

Entero Count (fecal indicator) and Rainfall Correlation

31 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:

This site near the mouth of Flushing Creek and beneath the Whitestone Expressway, is situated close to a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outfall that empties into the creek.

Agencies Responsible:

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

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