Sugar Creek Method

Water Quality and Testing Along the Sugar Creek

G. Water Quality Analysis II   (next)   (return to Water Quality page outline)

Mean total solids and nutrient concentrations in the headwaters of the Sugar Creek watershed varied considerably among the different sampling points from May 2001 to June 2002 (Fig. 4).

• Mean total solids ranged from 278 to 576 mgL-1. Mean NH4 +-N concentrations were also high and ranged from 0.1 to a high of 2.1 mgL-1 at site 21.
• A similar pattern was observed with NO3 --N, except concentrations ranged from a low of 0.4 mgL-1 at site 9 and 2.2 mgL-1 at site 8 immediately below a groundwater fed spring and forested riparian area, respectively (Fig. 5).
• The highest mean NO3 --N concentrations were observed at site 21 (15.4 mgL-1). PO4 –P concentrations were similar across the sample points, ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 mgL-1, with the exception of site 1, which had an average concentration of 1.3 mgL-1. Finally, pH values ranged from 7.5 to 8.2 among the 21 water quality sampling sites.