Agricultural Water Quality 

From May 2006 - September 2006 field crews conducted field work twice a month, which consisted of:

• Taking one liter water samples from each site
• Measuring dissolved oxygen
• Taking water & air temperature readings
• Checking onsite temperature loggers
• Measuring water depth, width, & flow

• Taking site photos

  Once a month, toxicity and metals samples were taken at the bottom of each valley. In July & October macroinvertebrate samples were collected from each site, as another way to test how healthy the creeks are. A sediment toxicity sample was taken at the bottom sites in each valley in October.

  Constituent Monitored	Water Quality Limit
  Total Nitrogen	NA
  Nitrate-N	10 mg/L
  Ammonia-N	25 mg/L
  Total Phosphorous	NA
  Phosphate-P	NA
  Dissolved Organic Carbon	NA
  Dissolved Oxygen	7 mg/L (coldwater fisheries)
  Temperature	NA; (For Rainbow Trout <75°F)
  Electrical Conductivity	150 Feather River; 700-900 for Ag. Program
  pH	6.5-8.5
  Turbidity	NA (relative to background)
  Total Suspended Solids	NA (relative to background)
  E. coli	235 cfu/100mL
  Metals	B (700ug/L); Al; Fe; Ni (100ug/L); Cu (10ug/L); Zn (5000 ug/L); As (10ug/L); Se; Cd; Pb
  Toxicity	determined as % survivability

  Lab results from water and sediment samples in 2005-2006  show no significant pesiticide, metal, or nutrient water quality concerns related to irrigated ag in the UFRW. E. coli exceedances (>235 cfu/100mL) at a few locations at different times throughout irrigation season. Later in season, when flows were low & slow DO levels were below the standard of (7mg/L).