ECCSCM completed its third round of water monitoring tests for our 2015 Water Monitoring Project on August 12, 2015. We are monitoring 8 sites in the Bear Cr./Black Cr./Raisin and lower (MI) Bean Cr./Tiffin/Maumee watersheds this year.
Please find the results on the spreadsheet attached. Numbers in bold either meet or exceed MI water quality standards or the EPA-recommended maximum levels. All eight sites had excessive phosphorus levels. Multiply the orthophosphate (PO4) result by .3262 to obtain P. Michigan does not have water quality standards for phosphorus for non-point sources, but it is <1 mg/L (ppm) for point sources (industry, municipal wastewater treatment plants). The safe level for aquatic life is <.05 mg/L, and the danger level is .1 mg/L. Four sites, Deline Dr. Extension, Durfee Cr., Shierson Dr., and Rice Lake Dr., had levels at or above 1,000 mg/L which is the MI limit for partial body contact - E. coli. Three sites, Carter Dr., Silver Cr., and Shierson Dr., had nitrate levels that were either at or above the MI water quality standard. Four sites, Rice Lake Dr., Bovee Dr., Durfee Cr., and Carter Dr. had dissolved oxygen levels that were below the MI water quality standard for warmwater streams, and two - Rice Lake Dr. and Durfee Cr. had levels that were too low to sustain aquatic life. Dead fish were reported at the Rice Lake Drain sampling site. This observation was reported on 8.12.15 to MDEQ, USF&W, and DNR. In addition to excessive E. coli, excessive phosphorus, and extremely low dissolved oxygen, the ammonia level at Rice Lake Drain was .3 mg/L. From the EPA: "Manure, and wastewater containing manure, can severely harm river and stream ecosystems. Manure contains ammonia which is highly toxic to fish at low levels. Increased amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus...can cause algal blooms which block waterways and deplete oxygen as they decompose.This can kill fish and other aquatic organisms, devastating the entire aquatic food chain." 
In fact, the test results at seven of our sites showed the presence of ammonia, and the highest level was at the Deline Drain Extension.
A picture of one of the dead fish at Rice Lake Drain
The results can be downloaded here.
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