May 2016 monitoring

Posted by: upperwalnutcreekaustin | May 15, 2016

May 2016 monitoring

May 14 – after some cooler than normal (and thoroughly enjoyable) temperatures earlier this week, today was very humid and within the normal temperatures, with a predicted high in the mid 80s. The sky was completely cloudy and as we were ending our monitoring, the rain began. Things were mostly as expected, with one exception: a distinct smell of sewage as we approached our setup site under the bridge. Yuk. It seems to emanate from a trail of water under the bridge that appeared to come from nowhere – a leak or seep from the recent rains?

There were no noticeable changes to the trail crossing and gravel bar from last month. It’s possible to cross the stream without getting wet feet but you need either a very long stride or great balance.

At the site the water had a bit of foam, dotting the surface. And while getting the sample bucket filled, a small water snake slithered away. We saw a few water walkers but not much else in the way of aquatic life. And we didn’t hear any pigeons. Good timing – as we left, we began hearing thunder and the rain that had begun became heavier.

There was no surface algae, and a couple of puddles under the bridge hinted at fairly recent rain. Upstream by the inlet there was a rolled up red sleeping bag, its owner was nowhere around.

Observations:

Air temp 25 C (77 F though it became noticeably cooler as the rain began)
Water temp 23 C (73 F)
Dissolved oxygen 5.73
specific conductance 510
pH 7.0
transparency .97 meters
nitrates 0.5