The Association has conducted a generally continuous collection of surface quality data from 1990 for the Bear Creek Watershed and reservoir.  Data collection includes specific chemical, physical and biological parameters.  Data is collected monthly and bi-monthly at Bear Creek Reservoir and along Turkey Creek and Bear Creek.  The Association meets water quality data sampling and analyses objectives established in the Bear Creek Reservoir Control Regulation # 74.

 

Monitoring Types

The Bear Creek Watershed Association maintains five types of water quality and other monitoring efforts to characterize water and environmental quality within the Bear Creek Watershed:

 

P1- Routine water quality monitoring at Bear Creek Reservoir (multiple vertical stations), Turkey Creek inflow to reservoir, Bear Creek inflow to reservoir, reservoir discharge into lower Bear Creek, and the lower edge of the watershed near Wadsworth. The P1 sites are long-term reference monitoring sites.

 

P2- Supplemental sampling of tributaries, problem areas, restoration or other project specific sites (e.g., Coyote Gulch in cooperation with the City of Lakewood). These types of monitoring efforts can be either of limited duration, or long-term on a site-specific basis, and generally these programs monitor for specific parameters of interest to the project.

 

P3- Watershed surface water monitoring along Bear Creek and Turkey Creek drainages for site-specific characterizations (e.g., temperature trends, nutrient loading, flow studies). These are interim and long-term monitoring sites for watershed characterizations. Watershed monitoring stations include both long-term reference sites where multi-year data is desirable, and target sites that may provide only a couple years of data. The nutrient monitoring is on a watershed basis that begins near Summit Lake and extents through Bear Creek Reservoir.

 

P4- Supplemental environmental characterizations of Bear Creek watershed including, but not limited to macroinvertebrates, flow analysis, habitat characterizations, fishery evaluations, system productivity, or other environmental factors that potentially affect fisheries or watershed health.

 

P5- Wastewater treatment facility nutrient sampling consistent with Regulation #85. The monitoring schedule for the watershed programs are maintained by the Association manager and are available on request.