king county stream monitoring program · current sampling locations (20) pre-2009 sampling...

King County Stream Monitoring Program

Deb LesterSpring 2010 - WLRD Science Seminar

Program Components

• Routine Stream Water Quality Monitoring• Wet Weather Stream Water Quality

Monitoring• Stream Sediment Contaminant Monitoring • Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate

Monitoring

Current Sampling Locations (20)

Pre-2009 Sampling Locations (56)

Routine Ambient Stream Water Quality Monitoring Stations

N

Stream Monitoring Questions

The stream monitoring program originally designed to answer four questions:

1. Has storm and/or base flow stream water quality changed over time?

2. Is there a spatial difference in storm and base flow water quality conditions?

3. What is the human health risk from stream water quality?

4. Do current (or future) King County facilities impact stream water quality?

Routine Ambient Stream Water Quality Monitoring – Analytical Parameters20 sites sampled monthly (56 sites pre 2009)

• Bacteria (Fecal Coliform)• Temperature• Nutrients (OP, TP, TN, ammonia, nitrate+nitrite)• Oxygen• pH• Turbidity• Conductivity• Total Dissolved Solids• Eliminated quarterly metals, silica, TOC/DOC, turbidity,

and E. coli analysis in 2009

Number of Streams with Increasing or Decreasing Trends -Based on Data for 56 Streams through 2007

Ort

ho-P

Tota

l-P

NH

4

NO

3

Tota

l-N

feca

l co

lifo

rm pH

Con

duct

ivit

y

TSS

Turb

idit

y

DO

Tem

pera

ture

Nu

mber

of

Str

eam

s

increasingdecreasing

44

31

11

1

36

16

25

8

27

4

39

18

16

3

45

2

39

16

19

2

34

2

55

35

Example of Water Quality Trend Analysis

Water Quality Index (WQI)• Integrates 8 water quality parameters into a

single number (FC, temp, pH, DO, TN, TP, TSS, Turbidity)

• Developed by EPA, modified by Ecology and calibrated for Puget Lowland Streams.

• Unit less number 1-100 (>80 low concern; 80-40 marginal

concern and <40 highest concern)

• WQI recently updated to reflect more stringent temperature WQC to protect salmon

• Some limitations to WQI- limited parameters, can over or underemphasize problems

Stream Water Quality

Index

2008-2009

0 40 80

Springbrook

Soos (Covington)

Soos (above hatchery)

Newaukum

Mill (Hill)

Longfellow (upstream)

Longfellow (footbridge)

Little Soos

Jenkins

Green R (at Allentown)

Green (up. Soos)

Green (up.Newaukum)

Green (Renton Junction)

Green (Fort Dent Park)

Crisp (upstream)

Crisp (mouth)

Increasing Water Quality ==> < 40 high concern, 40-80 moderate, > 80 low concern

0 40 80

Springbrook

Soos (Covington)

Soos (above hatchery)

Newaukum

Mill (Hill)

Longfellow (upstream)

Longfellow (footbridge)

Little Soos

Jenkins

Green R (at Allentown)

Green (up. Soos)

Green (up.Newaukum)

Green (Renton Junction)

Green (Fort Dent Park)

Crisp (upstream)

Crisp (mouth)

Increasing Water Quality ==> < 40 high concern, 40-80 moderate, > 80 low concern

WRIA 9 - WQI 2007-2008 WRIA 9 - WQI 2008-2009

0 40 80

Tibbetts - Thornton

Swamp (upstream) Swamp (mouth)

Sammamish (NE 145th) Sammamish (Marymoor)Sammamish ( Kenmore)

Pipers (Venema)Pipers (upstream)

Pipers (mouth)Pine Lk

North (upstream) North (mouth)

McAleer May Lyon

Little Bear (upstream) Little Bear (mouth)

Lewis Kelsey (west branch)

Kelsey (mouth)Juanita (mouth)

Juanita (at 124th)Issaquah (upstream)

Issaquah (N Fork) Issaquah (mouth)

Idylewood Forbes

Fairweather Evans (upstream)

Evans (mouth @ Bear) Eden

EbrightCoal

Cedar (mouth) Cedar (E Jones Rd)

Cedar (Boeing) Bear (Seidel Rd)

Bear (mouth) Bear (Cottage Lk Cr)

Bear (95th Ave)

Increasing Water Quality ==> < 40 high concern, 40-80 moderate, > 80 low concern

0 40 80

Yarrow Tibbetts - X630

Thornton Swamp (upstream)

Swamp (mouth) Sammamish (NE 145th) Sammamish (Marymoor)

Sammamish ( Kenmore) Pipers (Venema) Pipers (upstream)

Pipers (mouth)Pine Lk

North (upstream)North (mouth)

McAleer May

Lyon - 0430Little Bear (upstream)

Little Bear (mouth) Lewis

Kelsey (west branch)Kelsey (mouth) Juanita (mouth)

Juanita (at 124th)Issaquah (upstream)

Issaquah (N Fork) Issaquah (mouth)

Idylewood Forbes - 0456

Fairweather Evans (upstream)

Evans (mouth @ Bear) Eden

Ebright Coal

Cedar (mouth) Cedar (E Jones Rd)

Cedar (Boeing)Bear (Seidel Rd)

Bear (mouth)Bear (Cottage Lk Cr)

Bear (95th Ave)

Increasing Water Quality ==> < 40 high concern, 40-80 moderate, > 80 low concern

WRIA 8 - WQI 2007-2008 WRIA 8 - WQI 2008-2009

Stream Wet Weather Monitoring

• Sampling trigger - preferably ≥ 0.25″ rain with 24 hr antecedent dry period;

• Wet-weather samples collected from 20 streams; • Target 4 events (2 Nov - Mar; 1 Apr - Jun; 1 Aug - Oct)

• Analysis includes all parameters measured during routine sampling, as well as low-level metals and organic compounds.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

6-Feb-09 28-Mar-09 17-May-09 6-Jul-09 25-Aug-09 14-Oct-09 3-Dec-09 22-Jan-10 13-Mar-10 2-May-10

Samping Date

Cop

per C

once

ntra

tion

ug/l

Springbrook Creek

Neuwakum Crreek

Lyon Creek

Thornton Creek

Cedar River

May Creek

Juanita Creek

Swamp Creek

Little Bear Creek

Bear Creek

Sammamish River

Issaquah Creek

Green River

Sammamish NE 145

Big Soos

Pine Lake Creek

Green River up

Jenkins Creek

Exceedes Chronic WQC Wet Weather MonitoringDissolved Copper

0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

6-Feb 28-Mar 17-May 6-Jul 25-Aug 14-Oct 3-Dec 22-Jan 13-Mar 2-May

Samping Date

Mer

cury

Con

cent

ratio

n ug

/l

Springbrook Creek

Neuwakum Crreek

Lyon Creek

Thornton Creek

Cedar River

May Creek

Juanita Creek

Swamp Creek

Little Bear Creek

Bear Creek

Sammamish River

Issaquah Creek

Green River

Sammamish NE 145

Big Soos

Pine Lake Creek

Green River up

Jenkins Creek

Hg Water Qualtiy Critera

Wet Weather Monitoring Total Mercury

0

5

10

15

20

25

6-Feb-09 28-Mar-09 17-May-09 6-Jul-09 25-Aug-09 14-Oct-09 3-Dec-09 22-Jan-10 13-Mar-10 2-May-10

Samping Date

Zinc

Con

cent

ratio

n ug

/l

Springbrook Creek

Neuwakum Crreek

Lyon Creek

Thornton Creek

Cedar River

May Creek

Juanita Creek

Swamp Creek

Little Bear Creek

Bear Creek

Sammamish River

Issaquah Creek

Green River

Sammamish NE 145

Big Soos

Pine Lake Creek

Green River up

Jenkins Creek

Minimum Chronic WQC 34.6 ug/lWet Weather Montoring Dissolved Zinc

Stream Sediment Contaminant Monitoring Program

• Program initiated in 1987 – primarily measured metals at stream mouths

• 2003 trend analysis suggested program updates necessary

• 2004 - Program revised – Parameters added (organics, organic carbon, AVS/SEM)

– 10 Trend Locations– 27 Rotating Basin Characterization Streams –

sample approx. every river mile (approx. 20 samples yr 2004-08; 10 samples yr 2009)

Stream Sediment Monitoring Program Questions

• Do chemical concentrations in stream sediment exceed sediment quality guidelines or thresholds?

• How does sediment quality change over time?

• Does sediment quality differ within or between stream basins?

Stream Sediment Monitoring -Annual Trend Locations

• Little Bear Creek• Big Bear Creek• Thornton Creek• Issaquah Creek• McAleer Creek• North Creek• Newaukum Creek• Soos Creek• Springbrook Creek • Mill Creek

Sediment Basin Characterization Streams - Rotating Locations

• Little Bear Creek• Big Bear Creek• Thornton Creek• Issaquah Creek• McAleer Creek• North Creek• Newaukum Creek• Soos Creek• Springbrook Creek• Mill Creek• Coal Creek (Lake WA)• Forbes Creek• Juanita Creek• Lyon Creek

• May Creek• Kelsey / Mercer• Swamp Creek• Lewis Creek• Pine Lake, Eden, Ebright Creeks • Tibbets Creek• Taylor Creek (Cedar River)• Covington Creek• Des Moines Creek• Jenkins Creek• Judd Creek• Crisp Creek• Longfellow Creek

Italics – completed basins

Stream Sediment Monitoring Sampling Locations

•Data compared to freshwater sediment guidelines

Data up to 2007

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling Locations• ~ 140 Sampling locations;

• Samples collected annually from ~10 randomly-selected sites in each of 15 sub basins in WRIAs 8 and 9;

• Sampling initiated in 2002 -present (except 2004);

•Puget Lowland Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (BIBI) used for primary data analysis tool;

•Data presented in Kingstat.

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Questions

1. Do watershed sub-basins within the Greater Lake Washington Watershed (e.g. Bear Cr, Issaquah Cr, Lower Cedar Tribs etc.) and Greater Green-Duwamish (e.g. SoosCr, Newaukum Cr, Jenkins/Covington Cr, etc.) differ in terms of biological condition?

2. Is the biological condition improving (or declining) over time? Is the trend significant?

3. Do land use patterns measured at the sub-basin level affect biological conditions differently within the watershed

Puget Sound Stream Benthos Website

•Multi-jurisdictional database

•Stores data and provides tools for analysis

•Full access to others, including the public

•Data are directly downloaded from the taxonomy labs

Cedar/Lake Washington Sub-basin 2009 BIBI

Scores

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Maplewood Cr.

Molasses Cr.

Madsen Cr. - S Fork

Cedar R. - Lower trib (0311)

Rock Cr. (Lower Cedar)

Walsh Lk Diversion

Hotel Cr. (0342)

Rock Cr. - (Upper Cedar)

Webster Cr. - Upper (0341)

Lake WA trib. (Mercer Is.)

Denny Cr.

May Cr. (1964)

May Cr. (2058)

May Cr. (2631)

Forbes Cr. (0242)

Kelsey Cr.

Coal Cr. (Lake WA)

Coal Cr. (Lake WA) trib. (0273)

Sunset Cr.

Ravenna Cr.

Maple Leaf Cr.

McAleer Cr.

Lyon Cr.

Mapes Cr. (1036)

Mapes Cr. (1037)

Lake WA trib.(0056)

Taylor Cr. (W Lake WA)

Lake WA trib.(0464B)

Lake WA trib.

2008 BIBI Score

Sammamish River Basin – BIBI Scores 2008

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Vasa Cr.

Idylwood Cr.

Pine LK Cr.

Ebright Cr.

Eden/George Davis Cr.

Laughing Jacobs Cr.

Many Springs Cr.

Little Bear Cr. (2488)

Little Bear Cr. (2585)

Little Bear Cr. (2602)

Little Bear Cr. (2603)

Little Bear Cr. (2682)

Little Bear Cr. (2692)

Little Bear Cr. (2692)

Little Bear Cr. (2781)

Cuttrhoat Cr. (0083)

Swamp Cr. (1362)

Swamp Cr. (1370)

N Creek (1750)

N Creek (1750)

Silver Cr.

N Creek tributary

N Creek (2306)

Peters Cr.

Samm.R. trib.(0068)

Samm. R. trib.(0096D)

Samm. River trib. (0101)

Samm. R. trib. (0090)

Gold Cr.

Samm. R. trib. (0102)

Samm. R. trib. (0095F)

Samm.R. trib. (0095D)

2008 BIBI Score

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Bear Cr. Trib. (0119)

Cold Cr.

Bear Cr.(3474)

Mackey Cr.

Cottage LK Cr.

Bear Cr.(3650)

Seidel Cr.

Bear Cr. (3747)

Struve Cr.

Evans Cr.

Evans Cr. Trib.(0111E)

Evans Cr. Trib.(0108)

Evans Cr. Trib.(0107)

Evans Cr.trib (0108A)

Rutherford Cr.

Issaquah Cr.

Cabin Cr.

Issaquah Cr.- Lower

Fifteenmile Cr.

Issaquah Cr. Trib. (0203)

High Point Cr.

Carey Cr.

Holder Cr.

Holder Cr. Trib.

Issaquah Cr.- E Fork (4748)

Issaquah Cr.- E Fork (4884)

Tibbetts Cr.

Tibbetts Cr.- Lower

2008 BIBI Score

Duwamish-Green Basin - BIBI Scores 2008

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Lower Green R. trib. (0036B)

Mullen Slough

Olson Cr.

Green R. - L. trib. (S 277th St.)

Green R.- L. trib. (0069)

O'Grady Cr.

Crisp Cr. (1495)

Crisp Cr. (1537)

Green R. - Middle trib.

Christy Cr. (1744)

Christy Cr.(1817)

Icy Cr.

Green R.- Middle trib.

Mill Cr. (Auburn)

Newaukum Cr. (1657)

Newaukum Cr. (1875)

Newaukum Cr. (1911)

Newaukum Cr. - N Fork

Newaukum Cr. (2102)

Newaukum Cr. - N Fork

Newaukum Cr. (2151)

Stonequarry Cr.

Big Soos Cr. (0943)

Big Soos Cr. (1144)

Soosette Cr.

Meridian Valley Cr.

Soos Cr. (1130)

Soos Cr. (1134)

Little Soos Cr. (1209)

Little Soos Cr. (1283)

2008 BIBI Score

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Mill Cr. (Kent) (0675)

Mill Cr. (Kent) (0716)

Garrison Cr. - S Fork

Mill Cr. (Kent)

Springbrook Cr.

Panther Cr. (0771)

Panther Cr.(0772)

Panther Cr. Trib.

Springbrook Cr. Trib.(0006B)

Covington Cr. (1165)

Covington Cr. (1418)

Covington Cr. (1756)

Covington Cr.(1798)

Rock Cr. Trib. (Covington)

Rock Cr. Trib. (Covington)

Deep Cr. (2163)

Deep Cr.(2211)

Coal Cr. (Green R.)

Coal Cr. (Green R.)

Duwamish R. trib. (0001E)

Hamm Cr.

Duwamish R. trib. (0003)

Riverton Cr. (003D)

Jenkins Cr.(1318)

Jenkins Cr.(1357)

Jenkins Cr.(1358)

2008 BIBI Score

Acknowledgements!Freshwater Stream Team• Debra Bouchard• Curtis Degasperi• Sally Abella• Dean Wilson• Jo Wilhelm • Numerous interns!

Environmental Lab Staff • Jean Power• Stephanie Hess• Christopher Barnes• Colin Elliott• Katherine Bourbonnais• Brian Prosch• Diane McElhany• Mike Doubrava• Eric Thompson• And MANY other KCEL

staff!

Questions?