Stream Monitoring

 

The Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions annually monitor water quality in the lakes and stream of the watersheds.  The Commissions’ technical staff obtains most stream water quality data. 

 

Water quality is related to the volume of water flowing to and through the streams draining the watershed and is influenced by the amount of precipitation received and the type of precipitation events. 2006 was a below average precipitation year.  The timing of events and rainfall intensity also play a part in determining water quality.  This annual variability is why on-going, long-term monitoring is necessary to determine what is an actual trend and what is just natural variation.

 

The Commissions’ 2006 primary stream monitoring program was conducted in two locations.  The 2006 outlet-monitoring site was located on Shingle Creek at 45^th Avenue.  This site was designated as SC-0 and collects drainage from about 41 square miles, or 92% of the watershed.  The upper watershed site was designated Site SC-2 and collects drainage from about 22 square miles, or 50% of the watershed.  It was located on Shingle Creek upstream of Zane Avenue near the Brooklyn Park-Brooklyn Center border.

 

Site SC-1 is located on Shingle Creek at Queen Avenue near the border between Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center.  Site SC-1 collects drainage from about 31 square miles, or 70% of the watershed.  The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains this site as part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program.  The Commission and the USGS collected storm event samples at this location up until 1999 when water quality monitoring was discontinued.  The USGS continues to monitor flow at this site and monitored for chloride and conductivity in 2006.  Flow and other parameters at this site can be monitored real-time at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mn/nwis/uv?05288705.

 

 

 

The 2007 Water Quality Report provides more detail on the Commissions’ stream monitoring activites.