Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) Active
The issue:
Stormwater runoff often carries pollutants that degrade water quality in receiving waters. A regional-scale monitoring program is necessary to objectively measure and track progress in reducing stormwater impacts on environmental health.
How USGS will help:
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are monitoring water quality and watershed health for urban and urbanizing areas throughout the Puget Sound region. Results from the study will help determine whether water conditions are getting better or worse.
Problem:
Stormwater runoff is water that flows off developed surfaces such as roadways, parking lots, and rooftops. The water picks up pollutants including nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, oil, and trash. When these pollutants enter receiving waters, they can contaminate drinking water, damage fish habitat, and degrade water quality. Population growth in the Puget Sound region is increasing urban development which in turn increases stormwater runoff. Managers in the region are taking action to improve water quality, however, the Washington State Department of Ecology needs monitoring data to determine the effectiveness of these management actions.
Objectives:
This study monitors how the health of streams changes over time in urban, urbanizing, and rural areas of the Puget Sound region. The study is looking at the full range of urban development conditions to track how stormwater runoff affects water quality and habitat conditions in small, wadable streams.
Relevance and Benefits:
The USGS is collecting a large dataset of baseline water quality conditions. Repeated monitoring will allow for comparison of conditions between years and across streams throughout the Puget Sound region. Partners will use these results to evaluate the effectiveness of a broad suite of management actions.
Approach:
The regional-scale monitoring program is designed for statistical robustness and trend detection. A probabilistic approach is used to select 33 sampling sites each year, representing a range of urban and urbanizing conditions based on the total impervious cover. Sites will be sampled three times at five-year intervals, enabling trend detection.
Scientists collect several types of data at each site including:
- Water quality
- Sediment chemistry
- In-stream and riparian habitat information
- Benthic macroinvertebrate and periphyton samples
Sensors are also deployed to continuously monitor water level and temperature.
Learn more about this study from the Washington State Department of Ecology
Access data through Washington State Department of Ecology’s database.
Regional Stormwater Monitoring Program Sampling
The issue:
Stormwater runoff often carries pollutants that degrade water quality in receiving waters. A regional-scale monitoring program is necessary to objectively measure and track progress in reducing stormwater impacts on environmental health.
How USGS will help:
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are monitoring water quality and watershed health for urban and urbanizing areas throughout the Puget Sound region. Results from the study will help determine whether water conditions are getting better or worse.
Problem:
Stormwater runoff is water that flows off developed surfaces such as roadways, parking lots, and rooftops. The water picks up pollutants including nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, oil, and trash. When these pollutants enter receiving waters, they can contaminate drinking water, damage fish habitat, and degrade water quality. Population growth in the Puget Sound region is increasing urban development which in turn increases stormwater runoff. Managers in the region are taking action to improve water quality, however, the Washington State Department of Ecology needs monitoring data to determine the effectiveness of these management actions.
Objectives:
This study monitors how the health of streams changes over time in urban, urbanizing, and rural areas of the Puget Sound region. The study is looking at the full range of urban development conditions to track how stormwater runoff affects water quality and habitat conditions in small, wadable streams.
Relevance and Benefits:
The USGS is collecting a large dataset of baseline water quality conditions. Repeated monitoring will allow for comparison of conditions between years and across streams throughout the Puget Sound region. Partners will use these results to evaluate the effectiveness of a broad suite of management actions.
Approach:
The regional-scale monitoring program is designed for statistical robustness and trend detection. A probabilistic approach is used to select 33 sampling sites each year, representing a range of urban and urbanizing conditions based on the total impervious cover. Sites will be sampled three times at five-year intervals, enabling trend detection.
Scientists collect several types of data at each site including:
- Water quality
- Sediment chemistry
- In-stream and riparian habitat information
- Benthic macroinvertebrate and periphyton samples
Sensors are also deployed to continuously monitor water level and temperature.