September 2019

September 19, 2019 – or the palindrome 9/13/19 (it reads the same backwards as forwards). It’s actually a bit cooler, finally. 27 of the 31 days of August were 100+ (I’m sure the other 4 just reached 99). So far we’ve had 49 100+ degree days this summer, mostly without a break. I’m definitely ready for fall weather!

We did get an inch of rain 3 days ago, after none at all during the last 6 weeks. The stream has a good flow and is its normal level. I was easily able to walk all the way upstream to the “sometime island” rocks in the middle of the stream with dry feet. I saw some gambusia (minnows) upstream and by the sample site we saw a turtle and more gambusia. Again, no pigeons or other birds – notable since pigeon poop is a possible ecoli source. The water in the culvert/creek that flows from the street is still rather scummy.

The inlet above the waterfall was dry; even so there was enough water that the waterfall had water flowing across most of its length. I was able to walk into the middle of the stream under the bridge on the upstream side as the water easily fit in the small channel near the south bank. This also left the bridge columns with most dry feet.

Downstream by the trail crossing, someone added rocks so that hikers can cross with (mostly) dry feet. The gravel bar that has been there for so many months/years is finally history. It’s been replaced by a muddy extension of grasses by the trail crossing, north bank. The recent rain also turned everything green. I noticed that some plants have grown noticeably. However, in the stream there was no surface algae and very little submerged algae.

This was the first time the water in the bucket wasn’t completely clear; it had a definite yellowish cast to it. Possibly this was due to the dissolved solids from the recent rain.

This site has always had gang activities; the wall under the bridge often has graffiti that is eventually painted over. Then more graffiti is added which is painted over… This visit we also noticed something else: about a half  dozen needles left on the rocks by the sample site.

E-coli at 3 ML averaged 100 colonies at the control site and 232 colonies at the sample site. Acceptable for an urban stream.

Observations

air temp 26.5 C
water temp 25.5 C
dissolved oxygen 4.5
pH 7.0
specific conductance 454
transparency .85 meter
nitrates < 0.3

sample site and downstream from streamside

sample site and downstream

sample site from north bank

stream under bridge to trail crossing from sample site

trail crossing closeup

mud bank and under bridge

downstream bridge side of water

abandonded needles near sample site

abandonded needles closeup

downstream view from under bridge

stream under bridge

low stream under bridge

water channel upstream bridge side near south bank

upstream view from under bridge

view of north bank from middle of streambed

view upstream of bridge from middle of streambed

downstream view from above culvert

view of stream from above culvert

waterfall and below

waterfall area

waterfall and above

dry inlet above waterfall

upstream near sometime island rocks

some underwater algae

some submerged algae near sometime island rocks

downstream view from above inlet

dry sometime island rocks

dissolved oxygen 4-5