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River Monitoring

River Water Monitoring

MCES operates an automatic monitoring network that continuously measures dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and specific conductance of the river water. These variables are good indicators of river water quality and the effectiveness of MCES's treatment plant operations. The data are reported to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, as required by NPDES permits.

Extensive conventional pollutant monitoring is also conducted to complement automatic monitoring. The monitoring results are used to characterize water quality and to determine specific sources of pollution, as well as the extent and nature of problems that may exist.

Automatic Monitoring Sites

Automatic monitoring sites are located at:

• Minnesota River near Fort Snelling (river mile 3.5)
• Mississippi River above the Metro WWTP (river mile 836.8)
• Mississippi River near Newport (river mile 831.0) Mississippi River near Grey Cloud Island (river mile 826.7)
• Mississippi River above Lock & Dam No. 2 (river mile 815.3) Vermillion River near Empire (river mile 15.6)

Automatic Monitoring Equipment

Automatic monitoring sites consist of a shelter where river water is continuously pumped and dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and specific conductance are measured.

Conventional Pollutant Monitoring Sites

• Mississippi River: 11 monitoring sites between Anoka and Red Wing
• Minnesota River: monitored at five locations from Jordan to Fort Snelling
• St. Croix River: monitored at two sites, near Stillwater and near the river mouth at Prescott, WI
• Vermillion River: monitored at three sites to gauge the impact of the Empire Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Rum River: monitored at one site just prior to its confluence with the Mississippi River in Anoka
• Cannon River: monitored at one site near Harliss

 

Mississippi River

(Measured from the intersection of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers near Cairo, IL)

• *Near Anoka (river mile 871.6)
• Near Fridley (river mile 862.8)
• *Above Lock and Dam No. 1 (river mile 847.7)
• *Near St. Paul (river mile 839.1)
• *Near Newport (river mile 831.0)
• *Near Grey Cloud Island (river mile 826.7)
• Near Grey Cloud Daymark (river mile 821.8)
• *Above Lock and Dam No. 2 (river mile 815.6)
• At Hastings Bridge (river mile 813.9)
• Below Hastings bridge (river mile 812.8)
• *Above Lock and Dam No. 3 (river mile 796.9)

Minnesota River

(Measured from the downstream end or mouth of the river)

• *Near Jordan (river mile 39.4)
• Near Shakopee (river mile 25.1)
• Near Savage (river mile 14.3)
• *Near the Black Dog Power Plant (river mile 8.5)
• *Near Fort Snelling (river mile 3.5)

St. Croix River

(Measured from the downstream end or mouth of the river)

• *Near Stillwater (river mile 23.3)
• *Near Prescott (river mile 0.3)

Vermillion River

(Measured from the railroad bridge farthest downstream of Hastings)

• *Near Farmington (river mile 20.6)
• *Near Empire (river mile 15.6)
• Near Hastings (river mile 2.7)

Rum River

(Measured from the downstream end or mouth of the river)

• Near Anoka (river mile 0.6)

Cannon River

(Measured from the downstream end or mouth of the river)

• Near Harliss (river mile 4.0)

 

Conventional Pollutant Monitoring Field Equipment

• Van Dorn water sampler or stainless steel sampling bucket
• Sampling bucket suitable for metals sample collection
• YSI multi-parameter meter (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and specific conductance)
• BOD bottles and chemical reagents for Winkler dissolved oxygen method (use as backup and in winter)
• Cooler with ice for sample transport
  
• Various sample bottles and containers
  
• Equipped boat and transport vehicle (samples are collected either by boat or from shore during summer)
  
• Ice auger or chisel (winter)

Conventional Pollutant Monitoring Variables Analyzed

(*= analyzed at "starred" (*) sites only)

Weekly (March-October) Semi-Monthly (November-February)	Semi-Monthly *	Monthly *
Ammonia Nitrogen Dissolved Oxygen Fecal Coliform Bacteria pH Temperature Turbidity Secci Depth	BOD 5-day CBOD 5-day Chlorophyll-a, Total Chloropyll-a, Pheophytin-corrected Total Phosphorus Total dissolved phosphorus Ortho Phosphate as P Total Particulate Phosphorus Total Suspended Solids Volatile Suspended Solids Total Dissolved Solids Total Nitrite/Nitrate Nitrogen	Chloride Conductivity Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Particulate Kjeldahl Nitrogen

Bi-Monthly *	Quarterly *	Semi-Annually *	Annually *
Hardness Cyanide Phenols Total Metals: Ag Fe Al Hg As Mn B Ni Be Pb Cd Sb Cr Se Cu Tl Zn	Dissolved: Chloride Sodium Sulfate Calcium Magnesium Potassium Total Alkalinity Bicarbonate Carbonate Total Organic Carbon Dissolved Organic Carbon Dissolved Silica	Oil and Grease BOD Ultimate CBOD Ultimate	Soluble Metals: Ag Fe Al Hg As MN B Ni Be Pb CD Sb Cr Se Cu TL Zn Total Organics: Volatile Acid-Extractable Base-Neutral Pesticides

For further information on river water monitoring, please contact Scott Schellhaass.

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