See the Latest Water Quality Monitoring Data from the FoRR Monitoring Team!

FoRR took to the river on July 10 and 24 to monitor five sites in the Reedy River watershed. Site #2: Reedy River at Unity Park was monitored on July 10 and all other sites were monitored on July 24.

We have re-numbered the sites to better reflect their location in the watershed, with Site #1 now being Swamp Rabbit Cafe, the upstream-most site, and Site #5 now being the Mauldin Road site, which is the downstream-most site monitored by FoRR at this time: 

• Site #1: Reedy River just downstream of Swamp Rabbit Café 
• Site #2: Reedy River at Unity Park Auro Bridge - Not monitored in May and not included in analysis
• Site #3: A small tributary of the Reedy River in Falls Park 
• Site #4: Reedy River in Cleveland Park near the confluence of Richland Creek with the Reedy River
• Site #5: Reedy River on Mauldin Road upstream of ReWa's headquarters

The pH results at all sites monitored on July 24 (all sites but Unity Park) rose slightly from their last sample event. This indicates slightly less acidic conditions this month. The pH result at Unity Park remained the same from its sampling event in mid-June.

July’s air and water temperatures averaged 27.9°C and 24.4°C, respectively. Air temperatures ranged from 27 – 29°C (about 80 - 85°F) and water temperatures ranged from 24 – 25°C (about 75 - 77°F). The air temperatures increased at all sites this month when compared to the last sampling events and the water temperature rose at all sites with the exception of Falls Park, where the water temperature remained the same.

The E. coli bacteria results in July were relatively low at sites # 1, 2, 4,  and 5 with results for these sites falling within the range of 133 – 233 CFU/100mL. There was one outlier in the sampling results, however, with the Falls Park E. coli results coming in a bit higher at 667 CFU/100mL. While 667 CFU/100mL falls above the “high” bacteria threshold of 349 CFU/100mL, it is still well below the “problematic” threshold of 1,000 CFU/100mL as dictated by the SC State Standards. One possible explanation for the slightly elevated E. coli levels at Falls Park could be the increased presence of migratory waterfowl, like geese, that are present in the Falls Park area during this time of year. The tributary we sample in Falls Park is also significantly smaller than the other sites that we sample on the main stem of the Reedy River. Increased pressure from waterfowl, combined with the lower water quantity in the tributary could provide a possible explanation to Falls Park’s slightly elevated E. coli levels. With less water to dilute pollution and more waterfowl contributing additional E. coli to the water, plus warm water temperatures due to the warm weather in July, we are not surprised to see increased E. coli levels as this is a typical pattern for this time of year at the Falls Park site. While we do not expect the levels to significantly fall again until water temperatures drop and migratory waterfowl pressure lessens, we will continue to keep an eye on these results in coming months to ensure that results stay within the State Standards. If at any point they rise above the State Standards, will work with local entities to resolve any potential issues. 

July’s dissolved oxygen (DO) results ranged from 6.3 mg/L at Unity Park to 7.3 mg/L at Cleveland Park. Most sites showed decreased DO levels compared to their most recent sample dates with only the Swamp Rabbit Café and Mauldin Road sites showing very slight increases of 0.1 mg/L. The Unity Park site showed the largest decrease in DO levels, dropping 1.5 mg/L compared to last month, which we can attribute to the summer heat and increased aquatic vegetation. The downward trend of DO levels is typical for this time of year due to the inverse relationship between water temperature and DO: As water temperatures increase, DO levels decrease. DO levels in July were typical for this time of year and were all still significantly higher than the SC State Standard average of 5 mg/L.

July’s turbidity levels remained the same as the last sampling events for all sites except the Swamp Rabbit Café site, which only increased by 1 NTU for a result of 7 NTUs. All other sites had only 5 NTUs, which indicates very low turbidity (very clear water).

July’s results and the SC state standards are included for comparison below. All results were within SC state standards. 

• pH is a way of measuring the H+ ions in a water sample, or if the sample is acidic or basic. pH is influenced by the concentration of acids in rain, and the types of soils and bedrock present in the watershed. Ideally, rivers will have a neutral pH, or a value of 7. The available dissolved oxygen (DO) in a water sample is important for fish health and life within a body of water. DO can increase in lower temperatures, turbulence in the water, photosynthesis in the stream, and diffusion from the atmosphere. DO can decrease in higher temperatures, in slow-moving and deep water, and in the presence of decaying organic matter. E. coli Bacteria counts are found by incubating a water sample that was placed on a medium, then counting the number of coliform forming units. These values are higher in areas where animals are present so always remember to pick up after your pets and don't feed the geese in the park! Turbidity, the cloudiness of water, is quantified with the unit of measurement “NTU,” which stands for “Nephelometric Turbidity Units”. Low NTU readings indicate clearer water and high readings indicate very turbid, or cloudy, water. NTU readings typically range from 1 to 4,000, with 1 being clear water and 4,000 having very little transparency and high turbidity (think of the cloudiness of milk).

  Sign up to join the FoRR monitoring team HERE! Find an SC Adopt-a-Stream event near you to become certified HERE!

  The FoRR Monitoring Team uses SC Adopt-a-Stream techniques and has its own monitoring kits, thanks to Ivy Salon and The Greenville Zoo Conservation Fund.