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Summary of Water Quality Monitoring Data

Currently, the majority of water quality monitoring in the McKenzie Watershed is conducted by Partner agencies, volunteer groups, and/or local high school students, with most of the data housed with Partner agencies. The MWC has historically been involved with five main monitoring projects. Information about who collects and stores data, and about what data may need to be included in the MWC Projects Database is summarized below.

1. Ambient – The ambient water quality monitoring program was formed with the goal of establishing the long-term water quality trends for the McKenzie River and some of its tributaries. Supported by financial assistance from several council Partners, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) agreed to conduct the monitoring. This monitoring program has been underway since November 1, 1995 and samples seven sites on the McKenzie River and three key tributaries – the Mohawk River, the Blue River, and the South Fork of the McKenzie. Several MWC partners, including Eugene Water & Electric Board, Willamette National Forest, US Bureau of Land Management, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, are currently providing funding for the cost of sampling and analysis at four monitoring stations (DEQ, 2001). DEQ provides funding for sampling and analysis at the remaining three stations. The most recent ambient water quality report is the McKenzie Watershed Water Quality Report: Water Years 1992-2001 (Curtis Cude, DEQ, 2002).

2. Storm Event –The storm event monitoring program was a one-year pilot program initiated as a result of the 1996 floods. The pilot program was designed to test an approach for assessing water quality throughout the McKenzie Watershed during storm events. MWC staff, in collaboration with Forest Service and other agency personnel evaluated the findings from three storm event monitoring periods (1998 Storm Event Monitoring, April 2001). The program was cancelled because the range and variability within the watershed is so great that the results did not meet objectives.

3. Macroinnvertebrate – The MWC Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Program conducts macroinvertebrate sampling based upon DEQ protocols. Over a period of 4 years (1997 to 2001), MWC performed macroinvertebrate sampling to establish baseline conditions (Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Program 4-Year Comprehensive Report, 2001). The MWC stores the data for this project in an Excel table formatted for the DEQ’s WOWSA model. Currently, sampling continues in the Mohawk Watershed, but is on hold in the lower and middle parts of the McKenzie Watershed until further funding is secured. The U.S. Forest Service continues to monitor their sites. Monitoring is expected to resume – perhaps through the EWEB Carmen/Smith relicensing project.

Macroinvertebrate sampling has also occurred for the last two years on the main stem of the McKenzie River through a project with the Army Corps of Engineers. This project uses a margin sampling protocol. The Corps samples sites on the upper main stem near Cougar Dam, while the MWC samples 4 sites on the middle and lower mainstem. The Corps and MWC each maintain their own data for the sites they sample. Although information is exchanged, no formal joint database has been established. Currently, the Corps and MWC need to discuss a plan for future monitoring, and funding needs to be secured.

4. Mohawk – Students of Springfield High School conduct sampling on two tributaries of the Mohawk River, McGowan and Parsons Creeks. The students enter the data into an Excel database at the school and report findings to the Mohawk Watershed Partnership (MWP). On the main stem of the Mohawk a volunteer group of MWP conducts monthly sampling and reports the data to the MWP. The MWP coordinates these projects, stores the data, and reports it to DEQ.

5. Cedar Creek – Monitoring on Cedar Creek is in its ninth year. For the first five years (1996-2001) the MWC coordinated the monitoring and data is stored at the McKenzie Watershed Council (Cedar Creek Monitoring Program, The First Five Years, January 2002). After the 2001 report, the MWC voted not to be responsible for water quality monitoring or data collection in Cedar Creek. Since 2002, Thurston High School students are the primary collectors of data and EWEB stores the data.

6. Potter Creek – Monitoring on Potter Creek is conducted by students at Walterville Middle School who monitor Parsons Creek twice a month. This is the second year of the project. Students collect and analyze the data. The goals of this program are educational - teaching the students about water quality monitoring. Therefore, the data does not meet standards for use in scientific purposes.

In summary, most of the McKenzie Watershed water quality data is collected, housed, and updated by Partner organizations, which provide reports to the MWC, with exception of the macroinvertebrate sampling and the voluntary Mohawk River sampling effort. The MWC recently obtained ArcGIS, and is working to obtain copies of GIS layers from the U of O Infographics Lab and other organizations. Once this is accomplished, the MWC will work to create comprehensive maps of water quality monitoring sites throughout the watershed.

McKenzie Watershed Council Water Quality Page