2014 Monitoring Results from Across the Alliance of Downriver Watersheds

February 2015

Outline Stream Discharge (Flow)

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Water Quality

Planning for 2015

Highly flashy stream

Moderately flashy stream

Low flashiness

Significant

increasing trend

R² = 0.088

0

10

20

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50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Spring SQI - Ecorse Creek

R² = 0.0081

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10

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30

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60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fall SQI - Ecorse Creek

Increasing trend for SpringR² = 0.1232

0

10

20

30

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50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Spring SQI - Combined Downriver

R² = 0.0021

0

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20

30

40

50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fall SQI - Combined Downriver

Improving Spring trend

R² = 0.0598

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Spring SQI - Lower Huron

R² = 0.0087

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20

30

40

50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fall SQI - Lower Huron

Stream Quality Index Summary

Watershed Season Trend slope p-value Trend2014 Average

Long-term Average Rating

Combined Downriver Spring 1.10 0.00 Positive 23.8 23.9 Fair

Ecorse Creek Spring 0.76 0.03 Positive 25.0 22.1 Fair

Lower Huron Spring 0.81 0.04 Positive 34.0 35.3 Good

Combined Downriver Fall -0.12 0.70 None 26.3 27.4 Fair

Ecorse Creek Fall -0.22 0.51 None 23.6 27.3 Fair

Lower Huron Fall -0.34 0.43 None 34.6 32.5 Fair

(Chemistry)

What was measured in 2014? 22 volunteers

144 sample sets collected

Nutrients (Phosphorus, Nitrogen)

Sediments (Total Suspended Solids)

Bacteria (E. coli)

Other (Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Temperature,

Conductivity)

71 flow measures

45 investigative sample sets

3 storm samples

Long-term sites

Investigative sites

Bacteria study sites

WQ Program:

3 counties

71 sites

28 creeks, 5 river sites

Long-term sites

Investigative sites

2014:

2 counties

27 sites (9 new)

9 investigative sites

Total Phosphorus in Wayne Co.(mg/L)

TSS in Wayne Co. (mg/L)

E.Coli in Wayne Co.

(cfu/100 ml)

Conductivity in Wayne Co. (µS)

Dissolved Oxygen in Wayne Co. (mg/L)

Summary Conclusions Macroinvertebrate diversity seems to be stabilizing

Phosphorus is high and stable throughout

Big September storm drove sediment runoff event

E. coli high and increased in 2014, except in Woods and Smith Creeks (Lower Huron)

Conductivity high and increasing (salts?)

Dissolved oxygen good except at Brownstown, Silver and Upper Ecorse Creeks

Investigatives and storms to come in report

Planning for 2015 Continue with 4th year of WQ monitoring and 11th year

of macroinvertebrate monitoring

Improve storm sampling frequency with remote controls (if possible)

Additional sampling by Wayne County at 20-30 sites

Plan for flow monitoring in 2016