From SDCK Watershed Wiki

Contents 1 Enterococci Bacteria 1.1 Temporal Variation 1.2 Summary of Exceedances 1.3 Watershed Data 1.3.1 2008 2 Total Coliform Bacteria 2.1 Temporal Variation 2.2 Summary of Exceedances 2.3 Watershed Data 2.3.1 2008 3 Escherichia Coli Bacteria 3.1 Temporal Variation 3.2 Summary of Exceedances 3.3 Watershed Data 3.3.1 2008 4 Nitrate 4.1 Temporal Variation 4.2 Summary of Exceedances 4.3 Watershed Data 4.3.1 2009 4.3.2 2008 5 Phosphate 5.1 Temporal Variation 5.2 Summary of Exceedances 5.3 Watershed Data 5.3.1 2009 5.3.2 2008 6 Dissolved Oxygen 6.1 Temporal Variation 6.2 Summary of Exceedances 6.3 Watershed Data 6.3.1 2009 6.3.2 2008 7 Water Temperature 7.1 Temporal Variation 7.2 Summary of Exceedances 7.3 Watershed Data 7.3.1 2009 7.3.2 2008 8 pH 8.1 Temporal Variation 8.2 Summary of Exceedances 8.3 Watershed Data 8.3.1 2009 8.3.2 2008 9 Conductivity 9.1 Temporal Variation 9.2 Summary of Exceedances 9.3 Watershed Data 9.3.1 2008 10 Air Temperature 11 Spreadsheet Data 11.1 Comments

Enterococci Bacteria

Enterococci is a specific strain of bacteria associated with public health impacts for contact recreation, and is one of the Water quality indicators monitored as a part of San Diego Coastkeeper's Water Quality Monitoring Program. Enterococcus indicates pathogens in salt water and is the type of bacteria that is measured to indicate whether a beach should be closed or not. Bacteria is measured in counting the Most Probable Number (MPN). Exceedances are based upon the AB 411 Standards. This action level also correponds with the San Diego Basin Plan requirement for protection of the Beneficial Uses, in particular REC-1 (contact recreation), which states that In fresh water, the geometric mean of Enterococci shall not exceed 33 colonies per 100 ml.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Total Coliform Bacteria

Coliform Bacteria are the type of bacteria used to understand the overall sanitary conditions of the water. Coliforms are a specific type of bacteria that can be used to indicate the presence of sewage. Total coliform is used as an indicator for the protection of the following beneficial uses: contact Recreation (REC-1), Non-contact Recreation (REC-2) and Shellfish Harvesting (SHELL). Exceedances are based upon the AB 411 Standards.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Escherichia Coli Bacteria

Escherichia Coli, commonly referred to as E. Coli, specifically refers to the bacteria coming from the intestines of warm blooded animals (including birds, which have recently become categorized by taxonomists as reptiles). That's right, chickens are now reptiles - and bird feathers are modified scales! Anyways, E. Coli bacteria have the ability to survive outside of the intestinal tract for a short while, making them ideal indicators for sewage spills. E. Coli is used as an indicator for the protection of the following beneficial uses: contact Recreation (REC-1), Non-contact Recreation (REC-2) and Shellfish Harvesting (SHELL). Exceedances are based upon the AB 411 Standards.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Nitrate

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant and animal life. Nitrate is the form of nitrogen that is regularly available for use by aquatic plants. In saltwater streams, nitrate is usually the nutrient in shortest supply (limiting nutrient), causing a large impact on aquatic plant growth when added. It can be an indicator of fertilizer run-off, sewage, animal manure, and other types of contamination. Under certain circumstances, nitrates are toxic to aquatic life and nutrients. Since no specific action level has been identified in the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plan for all watersheds, an action level of 2.25 is used based upon the City of San Diego Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program's stormwater action levels for their dry weather storm drain monitoring program.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2009

San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Carlsbad Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed
actual size	actual size

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Phosphate

Phosphate is an essential and often limiting nutrient for aquatic plants and alga. Since phosphate is a nutrient in short supply usually, even slight increases can dramatically increase plant and algal growth (leading to algal “blooms”). For example, heavy growth of algae in streams may form dense mats on the water surface or on the stream bottom. These algal mats reduce the amount and diversity of shelter and nursery areas for small fish and aquatic invertebrates, such as mayflies and crayfish. Algae floating in the water may shade the bottom, thus reducing the growth of important submerged plants rooted on the bottom. Certain algae can also coat the leaves of the bay grasses (i.e., eel grass – Zostera marina), further reducing the amount of light that reaches these plants. Eel grass beds are essential because they provide food, shelter, and nursery areas for sea turtles, fish, blue crabs, and other marine species.

In freshwater, the decomposition byproducts of dead algae may also affect the pH of water.

When algae die (by depletion of nutrients or other factors) they settle to the bottom and are decomposed by bacteria, which consume oxygen (anaerobic decomposition). If the demand of oxygen by anaerobic decomposition exceeds oxygen re-supply the latter may lead to decreased dissolved oxygen levels and potentially to fish kills. We measure phosphate in micrograms per liter (μg/L, mg/L or ppm).

Since no specific action level has been identified in the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plan for all watersheds, an action level of 0.12 is used based upon the levels that are strictly adhered to in the Central Coast Region, which look at phosphates specifically because of the agricultural levels in that region.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2009

San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Carlsbad Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed
actual size	actual size

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Dissolved Oxygen

Streams gain oxygen from exchange with the atmosphere and photosynthesis, and lose oxygen from the respiration of aquatic organisms, decomposition of oxygen demanding wastes, and various chemical reactions (i.e., formation of iron oxides and other compounds).

As we see, dissolved oxygen is a balance between oxygen production and consumption. If more oxygen is being consumed than produced, aquatic organisms will likely eventually die or weaken as a result from suffocation. Dissolved oxygen concentrations below 4-mg/l are not optimal, also at lower oxygen concentrations anaerobic decomposition leads to the production of toxic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. Dissolved oxygen is affected by temperature: the higher the temperature, the lower the amount of dissolved oxygen. Salinity and sea surface elevation are other factors that affect dissolved oxygen. We measure dissolved oxygen in milligrams per liter (mg/L). You may also see dissolved oxygen expressed as percent saturation with is based on the solubility of oxygen at different temperatures and conductivities.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2009

San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Carlsbad Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed
actual size	actual size

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Water Temperature

Water temperature is a constuent that is closely linked with dissolved oxygen and also with conductivity. As water temperature increases, the ability for water to hold dissolved oxygen decreases, and the levels drop at a corresponding rate (linear relationship). Water temperature creates an increase in the ability for the inorganic compounds dissolved within the water to be able to conduct electricity - thus resulting in an increasing conductivity reading with increasing temperatures. Alone, water temperature does not give much of a picture, but combined with dissolved oxygen and conductivity, a picture of water quality will begin to emerge. Anything above 22 C is a cause for concern, particularly in consideration of bilogical beneficial uses.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2009

San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Carlsbad Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed
actual size	actual size

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

pH

The pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a material when dissolved in water. pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in relation to hydroxide ions. A hydrogen ion plus a hydroxide ion equals a water molecule. The pH scale ranges from 1 (lowest value, most acidic) to 14 (highest value, most basic). When both hydrogen and hydroxide ions are in equal concentration, the pH is 7 or neutral. The pH of pure dionized water is 7. Below 7, the water is acidic (there are more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions). Above 7, the water is basic (there are more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions). pH affects organisms’ ability to survive and reproduce, and much like temperature there are optimal ranges, usually 6.5 to 8.5. The pH of ocean water is around 8.5. pH is represented on a logarithmic, as opposed to linear, scale.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2009

San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Carlsbad Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed
actual size	actual size

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Conductivity

Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to carry an electrical current. It is affected by the presence of certain inorganic dissolved solids such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate anions (ions that carry a negative charge) and sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and aluminum cations (ions that carry a positive charge). Conductivity is affected by water temperature: the warmer the water the higher the conductivity, which has to do with the solubility of ions at higher temperatures.

Temporal Variation

Summary of Exceedances

Watershed Data

2008

Santa Margarita Watershed	San Luis Rey Watershed	Carlsbad Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
San Dieguito Watershed	Los Penasquitos Watershed	San Diego Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Pueblo Watershed	Sweetwater Watershed	Otay Watershed
actual size	actual size	actual size
Tijuana Watershed
actual size

Air Temperature

Air temperature, as you probably know, is a measure of the relative molecular motion of the gas molecules that composes our atmosphere. This motion is driven by the molecular adsorption of direct solar radiation, conduction from the earth’s surface and convection of large air masses. Faster motion results in higher temperatures, slower motion results in lower temperatures. The main constituents are nitrogen and oxygen, which compose roughly 78% and 21% of the total atmospheric gases respectively. We measure air temperature mainly to give as accurate a picture of the sampling conditions as possible, as it may help in explaining some of the following sampling results we obtain. We use degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Spreadsheet Data

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