Water and Pollution Control Department

Urban Stream Monitoring

Beginning in April, 2001, staff of the Water and Pollution Control Department began periodic monitoring of the 5 major urban streams in Ames for fecal coliform bacteria. Monitoring takes place approximately every other month during the warm weather months of April through October. If obvious signs of pollution are discovered, or if significant degradation is observed, City staff will conduct more detailed water quality investigations. The results of the ongoing City monitoring are shown below.

Sample Date
Sample Date	Skunk River	Squaw Creek	Clear Creek	College Creek	Worle Creek
2010
August 19, 2010	620	240	1300	1100	300
May 29, 2010	120	580	240	1,100	290
June 10, 2010	420	490	510	1,900	2,100
2009
August 20, 2009	800	2,800	4,100	6,300	4,400
July 16, 2009	700	800	6,200	2,200	1,200
June 23, 2009	1,700	1,200	1,300	700	2,500
May 27, 2009	14,800	25,600	3,100	3,300	>40,000
April 15, 2009	70	120	10	90	90
2008
Oct 22, 2008	350	1,080	1,800	5,400	1,180
Sep 10, 2008	50	150	240	520	575
Aug 5, 2008	365	620	800	920	2,300
July 15, 2008	360	880	1,600	1,700	1,300
June 24, 2008	280	410	800	1,240	800
May 20, 2008	160	210	430	1,100	140
April 23, 2008	210	160	10	10	80
2007
Oct 3, 2007	3,500	3,700	6,200	5,400	>6,000
Sep 13, 2007	180	390	1,400	1,200	1,260
Aug 2, 2007	110	660	240	1,000	No Flow
Jul 10, 2007	120	530	210	9,200	9,000
Jun 6, 2007	560	1,100	2,400	11,000	2,300
May 15, 2007	250	600	270	740	330
Apr 12, 2007	430	710	130	1,000	1,300
2006
Oct 5, 2006	510	390	360	1,200	380
Sep 19, 2006	1,400	1,400	400	590	4,400
Aug 21, 2006	370	1,100	500	4,600	1,000
Jul 13, 2006	12,000	5,100	1,700	2,400	11,000
Jun 15, 2006	260	610	620	2,300	1,200
May 9, 2006	490	480	125	1,500	470
Apr 4, 2006	200	267	15	29	68
2005
Oct 20, 2005	75	550	210	3,500	400
Sep 29, 2005	380	820	560	1,150	4,300
Aug 25, 2005	91	400	150	540	1,144
Jul 19, 2005*	230	2,900	3,200	20,000	5,100
Jun 13, 2005	280	530	510	5,100	210
May 26, 2005	350	520	360	1,120	380
Apr 13, 2005	2,300	6,700	72	240	3,800
	*Approximately 1.5" of rain fell in the area on July 17.
2004
Oct 21, 2004	50	100	100	9,900	80
Sep 16, 2004	380	450	130	2,700	430
Aug 11, 2004	660	820	160	150	820
Jul 28, 2004	460	1,545	260	2,800	1,400
May 26, 2004 *	2,200	3,000	500	910	5,000
Apr 6, 2004	30	220	164	173	136
	* Note: The samples collected on May 26, 2004 were influenced by storm runoff from heavy rains on May 22nd and 24th. At the time of sample collection, stream levels were falling after cresting at or near flood stage.
2003
Oct 21, 2003	No Flow	118	No Flow	1,045	No Flow
Sep 02, 2003	110	420	No Flow	4,100	No Flow
Jun 18, 2003	490	480	480	4,000	2,100
Apr 15, 2003	30	82	100	30	90
2002
Oct 16, 2002	109	390	89	1,818	200
Aug 1, 2002	118	500	1,450	110	2,400
Jul 02, 2002	191	550	5,100 (Minimal flow)	240	770
Jun 13, 2002 *	5,400	9,800	7,200	21,000	26,000
Apr 25, 2002	30	430	18	106	380
	* Note: The samples collected on June 13, 2002 were influenced by storm water runoff, as there was approximately 0.75" of rain in the 12 hours preceding sample collection. Follow-up sampling was conducted on July 2 to confirm that coliform counts had dropped back to more typical, "dry-weather" levels.
2001
Sep 20, 2001	500	40	671	3500	8,667
Aug 14, 2001	460	975	No Flow	14	No Flow
Jun 28, 2001	270	1,800	543	3,000	5,300
Apr 18, 2001	84	119	57	57	210

Samples are analyzed using the Membrane Filter Technique (SM 9222 D). The results of testing for fecal coliform when using this method are expressed in terms of the number of Colony-Forming Units (CFU) present in a 100 milliliter sample.

"Coliform density, together with other information obtained by engineering or sanitary surveys, provides the best assessment of the sanitary quality of water." -Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater.

The above aerial photo shows current stream monitoring locations within Ames that City staff are monitoring for fecal coliform. To view a detailed description of each sampling location, click on the colored circles above.

You can also access volunteer monitors' data from the IOWATER web page. The IOWATER site, which has an on-line database of monitoring data, can be reached by following this link: www.iowater.net.

Questions about the Urban Stream Monitoring program
can be addressed to jdunn@city.ames.ia.us