Ambient Monitoring – Long Term Monitoring Network (LTMN)

MSD has monitored Jefferson County streams for approximately 15 years. After 11 years of monitoring, an analysis of the data was performed. The analysis indicated that the elimination of small package wastewater treatment plants, in conjunction with sewering, resulted in significant pollutant load reductions to streams during low flow conditions.

In an effort to better characterize stream impacts, the monitoring program was revised to include high temporal (every 15 minutes) and spatial resolution (28 monitoring locations within a 375 square mile County) monitoring for fewer parameters and increased wet weather sampling. By developing this network, MSD has a better understanding of water quality impacts within Jefferson County streams. By the year 2003, the network consisted of 28 stream locations, each with a minimonitor (pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, percent dissolved oxygen) and stream flow gauge. This data will be supplemented with wet weather sampling for fecal coliform, solids, nutrients and metals. Wet weather samples are also collected at wet weather point sources. Macro invertebrates and fish are sampled bi-annually for each stream site, weather-permitting. Algae are sampled annually with a frequency of every three days throughout the critical dissolved oxygen period. Habitat evaluations are conducted for each stream monitoring location. These are done every two years, weather permitting.

View Summary of Water Quality Violations (, 18Kb)

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