Washington State Department of Ecology

Publication Summary

Title

Freshwater Ambient Monitoring Report for Wateryear 1992

Month-Year Published

May 1994

Online Availability

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Short Description

The Washington State Department of Ecology collected monthly water quality information at 78 freshwater monitoring stations during Wateryear 1992 (October�1, 1991 to September 30, 1992). The primary goals of this ongoing monitoring program are to characterize the rivers and streams of Washington State and to track changes in water quality. Statewide water quality for Wateryear 1992 (WY 1992) was generally good with only occasional site-specific violations of Washington State Water Quality Standards (WWQS).

(Also see abstract below)

Publication Number

94-70

Author(s)

Hopkins, B.

Print Availability

Request from the Department of Printing.

Cost for Washington state residents is $12.00. Cost for non-residents is $12.00.

Number of pages

404 pp.

Keywords

ambient monitoring, bacteria, creek, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, goals, monitoring, pH, Puget Sound, report , river, silver, standards, stream, temperature, violations, water, water quality, water quality standards

Subject Waterbodies

Nooksack River, Chehalis River, Tucannon River, Silver Creek, Sumas River, Skagit River, Stillaguamish River, Snohomish River, Skykomish River, Snoqualmie River, Sultan River, Woods Creek, Tolt River, Patterson Creek, Raging River, Sammamish River, Green River, Puyallup River, Nisqually River, Deschutes River, Skokomish River, Humptulips River, North River, Willapa River, Cowlitz River, Kalama River, Naselle River, Coweeman River, Toutle River, Lewis River, Lewis River, E.F., Washougal River, Lake River, Gibbons Creek, Columbia River, Walla Walla River, Touchet River, Snake River, Lake Sacajewea, Palouse River, Palouse River, S.F., Paradise Creek, Rock Creek, Snake River, Yakima River, Wide Hollow Creek, Naches River, Tieton River, Little Naches River, Cle Elum River, Teanaway River, Wenatchee River, Methow River, Okanogan River, Spokane River, Pend Oreille River, Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Abstract

Long Description

Fecal coliform bacteria was the most frequently violated standard with 146 violations; temperature standards had 100 violations; and dissolved oxygen and pH standards violations were 52 and 41, respectively. Thirty-three of the 78 (42%) stations monitored in WY 1992 violated WWQS for fecal coliform bacteria at least twice. Of the 146 total fecal coliform violations, 103 were from rivers and streams west of the Cascade Mountains, and 75 of the 103 were in the Puget Sound Drainage Basin (PSDB) specifically. Two rivers in the PSDB in particular, the Sumas and the Sammamish River appear to have continuing fecal coliform problems. In-stream temperature levels for the summer months of June, July, and August showed a high number of violations of WWQS statewide, with 54 of the 78 total stations violating WWQS at least once. Violations of WWQS for dissolved oxygen in WY 1992 were generally infrequent and seasonal in nature, however, 18 of the 78 (23%) of the stations violated WWQS at least once in WY 1992. Three stations, Paradise Creek near the Idaho Border, Chehalis River at Porter, and Silver Creek near Brennan, do have chronically low dissolved oxygen and percent saturation levels. In WY 1992, 16 of the 78 stations or 21% of the stations monitored saw pH levels fall outside the numeric range of the WWQS. However, it was not possible to determine if these changes reflected natural conditions (photosynthesis) or anthropogenic violations.

This page last updated March 10, 2008