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Water Quality Monitoring

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Water Quality Monitoring

Andrew Wilkinson collects samples on the Mettowee River, August 2005

The PMWP/District water quality monitoring program has measured streams for levels of E. coli, Total Phosphorus and Turbidity since 2003. The Partnership began monitoring only the Poultney River and has since included the Mettowee and several of its tributaries, the Castleton and the Hubbardton Rivers. The samples are collected by both staff and volunteers and analyzed by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) LaRosa Environmental Lab (LaRosa) in Waterbury, VT, as part of their Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Laboratory Services Partnership grant program.

Funding for our water quality monitoring program is provided through Lake Champlain Basin Program Organizational Support Grants and Vermont DEC Watershed Grants. This funding is essential to our program’s success.

Scientists at LaRosa analyze our water samples for E. coli, turbidity and total phosphorus. E. coli tests measure the number of bacterial colonies in the water sample, while turbidity is a measure of water clarity (or conversely sediment levels) in the water and total phosphorus indicates the nutrient levels in the water.

E.coli

Mandy Hullet collects samples near her farm in Pawlet, July 2005.

Bacteria monitoring is used to show if water contains human pathogens that could elevate the risk of contracting a swimming-related illness. The Partnership's monitoring project is looking for contamination from a bacteria called E. coli (Escherichia coli ). The presence of E. coli is attributed to fecal contamination from untreated sewage or the feces of pets and livestock. According to a Vermont Water Quality Division Report, although not usually life threatening, E. Coli is dangerous in high amounts because it can cause adverse health effects through bacterial infections. It is linked to increased gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract disorders.

Guidelines or standards for E. coli levels in streams fall under jurisdiction of State and Federal regulations. Vermont’s Water Quality Standard (WQS) for single samples collected from the rivers and streams similar to those found in our watershed is 77 colonies of E. coli per 100 ml of water. This number is one of the most protective of human health in the country.

(more information about the Vermont state standard can be found on our website or the Vermont DEC website).

Please refer to the Citizen’s Guide to Bacteria Monitoring in Vermont Waters. The US EPA standard for like waterbodies is set at 235 E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water. Vermont is governed by the more stringent 77 colonies per 100 ml of water; however, the US EPA standard can be used as a secondary benchmark against which to compare our results.

E. coli measurements have been high, according to State and Federal WQS, in all of the streams that we monitor. Sampling has shown that E. coli measurements in the watershed are particularly high after rain events. The PMWP is working to implement projects such as tree plantings (to act as buffers) and agricultural practice changes that we hope will decrease E. coli runoff to the water, and is continuing to assess streams for potential E. coli sources. Many of our partners are working directly with towns and agricultural producers to decrease E. coli in streams through projects that upgrade septic systems and exclude livestock from streams.

Even with relatively low (compared to past year’s) E. coli results this year, the majority of samples were above the Vermont Water Quality Standard for coliform concentrations. Of the 107 samples collected this season, only 19 samples (18%) were below Vermont’s
E. coli Water Quality Standard. Eighty-eight samples (82%) were above the Vermont standard and 22 samples (21%) were above both the Vermont standard and the US EPA standard.

2006 Data

2005 Data

2004 Data

2003 Data

Total Phosphorus

Total phosphorus is a measure of the concentration of all phosphorus types being carried in the water. Phosphorus is often the nutrient least available (and therefore most limiting) for plant growth. High phosphorus levels can lead to excess, or nuisance, plant growth in streams and this problem is magnified in lakes, where the nutrients can become concentrated. Phosphorus concentrations give us an idea of how enriched streams are that flow to Lake Champlain. Data results have shown that total phosphorous concentrations in the Poultney and Mettowee Watersheds are variable (though generally low) and dependent on water levels, or the type of runoff being received to the streams. The PMWP plans to monitor total phosphorus during storm runoff events to better quantify the levels of this nutrient reaching Lake Champlain.

According to Vermont DEC’s Water Quality Standards (WQS), there is no specific criterion for TP in streams, except for streams =2,500 ft (nominally Class A{1}), where the criterion is 10 ppb at low monthly median flow. Otherwise, the standard is that: “...loadings shall be limited so that they will not contribute to the acceleration of eutrophication or stimulation of the growth of aquatic biota in a manner that prevents the full support of uses.” (Vermont WQS). The Vermont WQS set 54 ppb as a goal for the South Lake B section of Lake Champlain (Vermont WQS and Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Sites on the Poultney River and the Mettowee River which have cobble and gravel as bottom substrates, have Total Phosphorus measurements between 10 ppb and 20 ppb. For the Castleton and Hubbardton Rivers, which have clay and silt as bottom substrates (phosphorus bonds with clay and sediment), we measure higher Total Phosphorus levels.

Turbidity

Beth Clarke collects a sample upstream of Pawlet in the Mettowee River, June 2006.

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity, or conversely, sediment levels carried in water. Turbidity measurements have been relatively low throughout the watershed. This indicates that sediment levels in the water are relatively low. The PMWP also plans to monitor turbidity during storm events. Measuring the turbidity levels in streams carrying storm-related runoff may give a better indication of the sediment load being transported to Lake Champlain.

Again, according to Vermont DEC’s Water Quality Standards (WQS), turbidity results “for class A(1) and A(2) waters, are not to exceed 10 NTU. For Class B waters designated warmwater reaches, they are not to exceed 25 NTU. For Class B waters in designated coldwater reaches, turbidity is not to exceed 10 NTU”. (Vermont WQS)

Based on the warmwater/coldwater fish habitat designations found in Vermont’s WQS, the only warmwater segments in the Poultney Mettowee watershed include the Poultney River below Carvers Falls and “all waters west of 22A”. The Castleton crosses 22A in Fair Haven, but no samples were collected in the section designated warmwater. The Hubbardton crosses 22A in southern Benson. The Hubbardton samples were collected in the section designated warmwater fish habitat.

Similar to phosphorus results, the Poultney River shows the lowest turbidity levels, with the Mettowee River and its tributaries not much higher. The Castleton River turbidity concentrations ranged between 0.65 and 3.94 NTU (based on 2006 measurements). In 2006, the highest turbidity concentrations occurred on the Hubbardton River (19.7-25.7 NTU). All of the turbidity results were within the Vermont DEC standards except for one sample on the Hubbardton collected on July 19th that measured 25.7 NTU.

2007 WATER QUALITY MONITORING REPORT (589KB PDF Document)

2006 WATER QUALITY MONITORING REPORT (469KB PDF Document)

2005 WATER QUALITY MONITORING REPORT (47KB PDF Document)

2004 WATER QUALITY MONITORING REPORT (46KB PDF Document)