July 2018 monitoring

July 18 – this will be the 13th 100+ degree day this summer, but sadly not the hottest of the next 5 days. We’re forecast to reach up to 106! Actual temperature, not the heat index. Triple yuk. I’m ready for cooler weather, but that won’t happen for a looooong time.

The stream shows the results of no recent rain. We had about 1.2 inches a week ago but the results of that are long gone. As usual for this time of year, the stream is low: the “feet” of two of the bridge columns are dry, and I could have easily crossed to the hike and bike trail on the south bank with dry feet on the upstream bridge side. The waterfall only had a small area flowing and the inlet above the waterfall was completely dry. And the “Sometime island” rocks further upstream were also dry.

The creek in the culvert that leads from the parking lot was still flowing into the main stream but not as strongly as usual. And part way up that creek/culvert was partly blocked with trash etc. resulting in a pool with a scummy surface.

The surface algae was sparse but as usual, the submerged algae had grown extensive.

The good news: based on 3 ML samples, the e-coli is very low. There was non in the control samples by the waterfall, and at the sample site there were only 50 colonies, far below the acceptable limit for an urban stream.

Observations:
Air temp: 30 C
water temp: 26.5 C
dissolved oxygen 6.0
specific conductance 420
pH 7.0
transparency: 1.05 meters

 

 

sample site from north bank

sample site and downstream from streamside

trail crossing from streamside

view of under bridge from north bank

stream under bridge 2 columns dry

upstream side of bridge very low water

stream from above culvert

view of upstream of bridge from under bridge

waterfall are and above

dry inlet and low stream

waterfall area and below

closeup of waterfall-low flow

low stream above inlet

downstream view from inlet

dissolved oxygen 6.0