G. Lang
NOAA/GLERL
734-741-2250
gregory.lang@noaa.gov
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created 10/24/2003

ERIE_WTP.raw.txt (daily observed)

Erie, PA's Chestnut Street Water Treatment Plant
Latitude=42.11 N (est. G.L.)
Longitude=80.20 W (est. G.L.)

Period of Record:
1916-1955,1958-2001

Parameters:
wt

Column format:
Station   Year   DOY   Water Temp (C)

-999.0 = missing data

Original data in /Users/lang/Projects/LakeErie/Raw_Data/Water_Intake
Compiled and Submitted by Jarrod Dalton

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Misc Notes:

Data is from the following publication:

ftp://ftp.glerl.noaa.gov/publications/tech_reports/glerl-094/tm-094.pdf

McCORMICK, M.J. Lake Erie Water Temperature Data: Erie, PA 1916-1992. NOAA Technical 
Memorandum ERL GLERL-94, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 
Ann Arbor, MI 
(NTIS# PB96-197991/XAB) 42 pp. (1996). 


From the McCormick Paper...

Water temperature data from several sites around the Great Lakes were obtained to
determine if any regional climatic changes or trends could be detected based upon these
data sets. The study was partially supported by the NOAA Office of Global Programs. Site
selection was based upon location and reasonable data access.

This technical memorandum contains data for Erie, PA from 1916-1992. Water temperature
data are from Erie, Pennsylvania's Chestnut Street plant. The plant superintendent, Mr.
John Presogna, facilitated data collation by arranging for some of his staff to enter the
data into a computer compatible format.

Data are available from 1916 to 1992. However, no data are available for 1956. A 60' pipe
extends about 1.25 miles offshore from the Chestnut Street plant; the intake depth is
27-30' below the surface. Originally, the intake pipe was located in the Bay, but a new
pipe was built in the early part of this century because of water quality concerns with
respect to cholera. In 1908, the pipe was tunneled under the peninsula that forms the
bay.

Water temperatures are taken in the plant six times a week (never on Sunday) between
08:00 and 09:00 h. However, this was not the case for 1959-1963 and 1979-1981 when
significantly more data were available. All data were checked for consistency, and all
questionable values were deleted. All missing data are denoted by -999.

Although the data are reported to the nearest 0.1 deg C, a more reasonable estimate 
of their accuracy is 0.5 deg C given all the uncertainties with the raw data.

All data are available in a simple ASCII format. The original data files are available 
from GLERL's anonymous FTP site, 
ftp://ftp.glerl.noaa.gov/publications/tech_reports/glerl-094.

Although great care has been used in checking these data, mistakes may still be present.
If errors are found, please contact the author at mccormick@glerl.noaa.gov.
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