Washington State Department of Ecology

Publication Summary

Title

Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2010 Data Summary

Month-Year Published

April 2011

Online Availability

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Short Description

This report presents 2010 pesticide results for two urban basins (Thornton Creek in the Cedar-Sammamish basin and Longfellow Creek in the Green-Duwamish basin) and four agricultural basins (lower Skagit-Samish, lower Yakima, Wenatchee, and Entiat).

Changes during 2010 include purchase of a new laboratory instrument that allowed for better sensitivity and has significantly reduced identification uncertainty, thus decreasing the potential for false positive and negatives.

During 2010 very few pesticide detections were above (did not meet) water quality criteria or standards. An intensive triennial review of pesticide results will be conducted after the 2011 monitoring season.

(Also see abstract below)

Publication Number

11-03-021

Author(s)

Sargeant, D., D. Dugger, P. Anderson, and E. Newell

Print Availability

Request from the program.

Number of pages

Keywords

agriculture, basin, creek, monitoring, pesticide, river, salmon, Skagit Basin, stream, surface water, urban, Wenatchee River, Yakima Basin

Subject Waterbodies

Samish River,
Indian Slough,
Browns Slough,
Thornton Creek,
Longfellow Creek,
Spring Creek,
Marion Drain,
Sulphur Creek Wasteway,
Wenatchee River,
Mission Creek,
Peshastin Creek,
Brender Creek

Related Publications

Title

Relationship

Quality Assurance Project Plan: Washington State Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid Habitat for Two Index Watersheds: A Study for the Washington State Department of Agriculture by the Washington State Department of Ecology

supporting publication

Addendum to Quality Assurance Project Plan: Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid Bearing Streams: Addition of Wenatchee and Entiat Watersheds in the Upper Columbia Basin.

supporting publication

Addendum 3 to Quality Assurance Project Plan: Washington State Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid Habitat in Two Index Watersheds

supporting publication

Appendices C-E: Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2010 Data Summary

appendix

Abstract

Long Description

Since 2003 the Washington State Departments of Agriculture and Ecology have been conducting a multi-year monitoring study to characterize pesticide concentrations in selected salmon-bearing streams during a typical pesticide-use period.

Monitoring is conducted in six basins:

Thornton Creek in the Cedar-Sammamish basin and Longfellow Creek in the Green-Duwamish basin, representing urban land use.

Lower Skagit-Samish basin, representing western Washington agriculture.

Lower Yakima basin, representing eastern Washington irrigated agriculture.

Wenatchee and Entiat basins, representing central Washington tree fruit agriculture.

This report summarizes data collected during the 2010 monitoring season. In 2010 surface water samples were analyzed for over 170 pesticides and pesticide degradates, as well as total suspended solids. Field measurements were collected for streamflow, temperature, pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen.

During 2010 only a few pesticide detections did not meet water quality criteria or standards:

The urban sites and the Skagit-Samish sites met all available pesticide criteria.

In the lower Yakima basins, one chlorpyrifos detection and one malathion did not meet a chronic pesticide criteria.

In the Wenatchee-Entiat basins, the Wenatchee River and Mission Creek pesticide detections met all available criteria. One endosulfan detection in Peshastin Creek and in Brender Creek did not meet the endangered species level of concern for fish. The Entiat River had one detection of a legacy DDT degradate that did not meet chronic criteria. As in previous years, Brender Creek also had a number of detections of DDT and degradates that did not meet chronic criteria.

An intensive triennial review of pesticide results will be conducted after the 2011 monitoring season.

Link to EIM data for User Study ID DSAR0004

This page last updated August 17, 2011