Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services' (CMSWS) staff conducts the following six different types of surface water quality monitoring in local streams and lakes:
Stream Surveys
In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring
Biological Monitoring
Fixed Interval Monitoring
Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network
Lake Monitoring
Biological Monitoring
Monitoring fish communities and macroinvertebrates can provide crucial information on water quality, as certain species reflect levels of pollutants present. This video shows how CMSWS staff monitor benthic macroinvertebrates to gauge water quality and see if local streams are improving or worsening. CMSWS annually samples macroinvertebrates from 35 locations, and this data highlights where future water quality improvement projects should be focused. Mentioned in the video is a kick net, which is a square mesh net with pole handles on both sides. The net is placed below a riffle area in a creek, and as the staff gently disturbs the rocks in the riffle, organisms begin to flow into the net. These organisms are carefully emptied into a sieve bucket, and individual organisms are separated into jars for future identification in a laboratory.
Also shown in the video is CMSWS staff using a dip net along the edges of the creek, which typically provide crucial habitat areas with organic debris and bank vegetation. The collected debris is also placed in a sieve bucket and individual organisms are picked out for future identification. Macroinvertebrates or bugs, as referred to in the video, are put through a biotic index. Each bug has a tolerance value, and using a formula, a rating is given to the stream. Based on the video, Little Sugar Creek has improved drastically since 1985. The diversity of fish species has increased, and for the past 20 years, a new pollution sensitive macroinvertebrate species has been observed roughly every 3 years on average. The small tessellated darter fish, an indicator of clean water, has reportedly returned to urban streams in Charlotte after 50 years of absence (Rozzelle, 2020).
Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network
CMSWS’s Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network (CMANN) employs automated YSI samplers at 35 monitoring stations throughout Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to provide staff with continuous data to better understand and improve lakes and streams. These automated stations monitor and provide water quality data directly to CMSWS every hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Automated continuous monitoring allows staff to observe seasonal changes in water quality, and they can observe whether water quality is improving or worsening over time. The stations gather continuous data every hour across five parameters: conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and turbidity. Three monitoring stations are found along Little Sugar and one is located along Briar Creek.
Each station consists of an in stream multi-parameter data sonde with protective layering which continuously collects data through specialized sensors that measure water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity (Shull, 2013). CMSWS added EXO Sondes to every station for short-term pollution detection, which also provides crucial data for long-term assessments of water quality trends (Higgins, 2013). The data sonde is connected to a data logger near the stream which is powered through a solar panel. The data logger transits the data to the CMANN website hourly, where data from each station can be viewed by the public.
References:
Charlotte- Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, Monitoring: https://www.charlottenc.gov/Services/Stormwater/Surface-Water-Quality/Monitoring
Higgins, P. (2013, January 29). Monitoring Water Quality Interactions with Multiparameter Sondes. YSI. https://www.ysi.com/ysi-blog/water-blogged-blog/2013/01/monitoring-water-quality-interactions-with-multiparameter-sondes
Rozzelle, R. (2020). Ten Entities Partner on Stormwater Permit Compliance [PowerPoint slides]. Charlotte- Mecklenburg Stormwater Services. https://www.seswa.org/assets/Services/Seminars/2020/Session%204%20-%20Rozzelle.pdf
Shull, Dustin & Lookenbill, Michael. (2013). Continuous Instream Monitoring Protocol. 10.13140/RG.2.1.2500.3926.
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