water quality working Group
Water Quality Monitoring Sites- Clatskanie, Beaver, Scappoose,
and Milton Creek
New water quality information is being compiled by regional effort lead by Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District. A working group has been formed to discuss the implications of these findings for watershed health with our watershed neighbors the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council. Information will be used to develop partnerships and funding opportunities with local community groups and municipalities. Report link is here:
2020 Water Quality Monitoring Report
Water Quality monitoring efforts compliments Strategic Action Planning efforts to broaden understanding of overall watershed health. Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and Columbia Soil and Water are leading the sampling design, collection, and analysis. Parameters selected include temperature, turbidity, and bacteria. Initial results were analyzed and summarized in 2018 to establish baseline conditions. Effort continues to begin interannual variation in water quality conditions and seasonal variability especially during low flow periods. Summary report of these findings can be found here.
Results show July and October Upper Clatskanie and Carcus Creek 7-day average maximum temperatures (7dMAM) remained below the 18°C temperature threshold. In Little Clatskanie Creek and Middle Clatskanie temperatures exceeded 18°C in late July- Early August. The Lower mainstem Clatskanie river was only monitored from mid-August to early October and exceeded 18°C during August and early September. On average monthly temperatures for Carcus Creek, Little Clatskanie Creek, Upper Clatskanie, and Mid-Clatskanie River remained below 18°C during July-October.
