Stream Monitoring
At all streams/rivers we sample for the following:
- Dissolved Oxygen - the amount of diatomic oxygen, or gaseous oxygen (O2), dissolved in the water.
- Specific Conductance – the water’s ability to conduct electricity. This measures the water’s ionic activity and content.
- Turbidity – measures the cloudiness of the water caused by suspended solids.
- pH – this measures the acidity or basicity or the water.
- Temperature – a fairly obvious measurement, but also very important to a stream or river’s well being.
- Transparency – measured by using a transparency tube. The greater the transparency reading in centimeters, the clearer the water.
Water samples are taken to a certified laboratory and tested for the following parameters:
- E. Coli Bacteria
- Total Phosphorus
- Ortho-Phosphorus
- Ammonia Nitrogen
- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
- Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen
- Total Suspended Solids
- Chloride
If you are interested in learning more about these parameters, please visit the following link: http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/streams/QA_QC.html#DataTypes
Zach Moore at Beaver River, 2010
The SLRA compiles field data and lab results and sends all information to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for processing. This data is then housed on the Environmental Data Access (EDA) System for Surface Water. To search for stream information by name, click here.
What sites are we testing?
Ten North Shore Sites
map modified from: lakesuperiorstreams.org
Click on the links below for SLRA stream specific information:
Eight Duluth Trout Streams:
Miller Creek at Lake Superior College
Miller Creek at Chambersburg Road
Chester Creek
Tischer Creek
Four St. Louis River Tributaries:
St. Louis River: