Using IDEM’s Fixed Station Data

2012 IWLA Group ProjectKyle Vester, Krista Rose, & Gretchen Quirk

Project StatementPlan ways to put together data from IDEM’s

fixed station monitoring program, making it more accessible and user-friendly.

Give examples of how the data can be used by watershed groups to show trends and results.

Background on IDEM Fixed StationsStarted in 1957Objective: to reveal water quality trends and

provide data to surface water usersCurrently 176 stations – monthly monitoringParameters vary by site – can include Metals,

Nutrients, TSS, TDS, DO, pH, Temp, E.coli

Specific parameters are listed in the Indiana Water Monitoring Inventory

Water quality data are stored in IDEM’s Office of Water Quality's Assessment Branch AIMS Database

Data is in Geodatabase that requires most recent version of ArcGIS

Envision an interactive map that shows location of each fixed station, delineated by watershed.

When site is clicked on, an Excel database opens with all monitoring data for that site.

Could also include graphs that highlight specific parameters to show trends.

Fixed Station Watersheds

Fixed Station Watersheds

05/27/1999

09/27/1999

01/27/2000

05/27/2000

09/27/2000

01/27/2001

05/27/2001

09/27/2001

01/27/2002

05/27/2002

09/27/2002

01/27/2003

05/27/2003

09/27/2003

01/27/2004

05/27/2004

09/27/2004

01/27/2005

05/27/2005

09/27/2005

01/27/2006

05/27/2006

09/27/2006

01/27/2007

05/27/2007

09/27/2007

01/27/2008

05/27/2008

09/27/2008

01/27/2009

05/27/2009

09/27/2009

01/27/2010

05/27/2010

09/27/2010

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Rainfall and E.coli Levels at Fall Creek Station WWU100-0001

E.coli StandardPrecipitation Totals - 72 Hrs before sampling

CFU/

100

mL

Inch

es

01/27/2010

02/07/2010

02/18/2010

03/01/2010

03/12/2010

03/23/2010

04/03/2010

04/14/2010

04/25/2010

05/06/2010

05/17/2010

05/28/2010

06/08/2010

06/19/2010

06/30/2010

07/11/2010

07/22/2010

08/02/2010

08/13/2010

08/24/2010

09/04/2010

09/15/2010

09/26/2010

10/07/2010

10/18/2010

10/29/2010

11/09/2010

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Rainfall vs Nitrite + Nitrate for 2010

Nitrite + Nitrate Precipitation Totals - 72 Hrs before sampling

mg/

L

Inch

es

07/24/1998 12/06/1999 04/19/2001 09/01/2002 01/14/2004 05/28/2005 10/10/2006 02/22/2008 07/06/2009 11/18/2010 04/01/20120

1

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Trend in Nitrite + Nitrate Levels

mg/

L

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov-202468

101214

0

100

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Nutrients in Iroquois River, 2002

Ammonia Nitrate+Nitrate Total PhosphorusDO Monthly Mean Flow (cfs)

mg/

L

cfs

Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov02468

101214

02004006008001000120014001600

Nutrients in Iroquois River, 2003

Ammonia Nitrate+Nitrate Total PhosphorusDO Monthly Mean Flow (cfs)

mg/

L

cfs

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Monthly Mean Flow (cfs)

200220032004200520062007200820092010

cfs

Average Values of Parameters

  Ammonia Nitrate+Nitrite TKN DO Total Phosphorus

Jan -1.00 7.32 1.84 11.38 0.16

Feb -0.20 6.62 0.92 11.90 0.10

Mar -0.40 7.00 0.78 11.48 0.06

Apr -0.60 6.79 0.85 9.20 0.06

May -0.60 6.63 0.92 8.44 0.09

Jun -0.53 7.77 1.11 5.96 0.13

Jul -0.23 2.74 0.98 6.06 0.14

Aug -0.27 2.65 1.25 6.02 0.16

Sep -0.27 1.91 1.03 6.04 0.20

Oct -1.00 2.69 0.79 7.69 0.11

Nov -1.00 4.01 0.77 9.17 0.08

Overall (Jan 2002-Nov

2010)-0.55 5.10 1.02 8.49 0.12

Target 0.00-0.21 mg/L 1.00 mg/L 0.59 mg/L 4.00-12.00 mg/L 0.30 mg/L

Ammonia Nitrate+Nitrite TKN DO Total Phosphorus-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Parameter Averages and Target Value

Overall (Jan 2002-Nov 2010) Target

mg/

L

Parameter Target Reference/Other Information

Total Ammonia (NH3)

Range between 0.0 and 0.21 mg/L depending upon temperature and

pH

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Min: 4.0 mg/L Max: 12.0 mg/L

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

Min: 6.0 mg/L in cold water fishery streams

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1.5-8)

Nitrate+Nitrite Max: 1.0 mg/L Ohio EPA recommended criteria for Warm Water Habitat (WWH) headwater streams in Ohio EPA Technical Bulletin MAS//1999-1-1 [PDF]

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) Max: 0.591 mg/L U.S. EPA

recommendation *

Total Phosphorus Max: 0.3 mg/L IDEM draft TMDL target

Turbidity Max: 10.4 NTU U.S. EPA recommendation

ArcGIS OnlineCan upload data layers to create you own

maps

Limited amount of data can be uploadedEach item can only contain 1000 featuresOur dataset is way too largeCan upload each watershedCannot get Excel or Database uploaded

Limited type of data can be uploaded

SQLiteA quick and dirty way to allow for our data to

be more publically accessible

Purdue would need to set up a geodatabase server that could be linked to

The data for a particular point can be accessed, or all within a watershed, by using SQL to do query searches

A More Robust Set-upPurdue (or IDEM) sets up a geodatabase along with

a map systemSimilar to Driftwatch

A full service map as we envision could be createdSearch functionFull data access

Similar to SQL queries, the database could be accessed with data only for the site(s) the user is interested in

Ideas for the future?Steps needed to finish map

Semester project for an enterprising undergrad or side project for a grad student

Maintain databases, update quarterly/monthly?Incorporate Hoosier Riverwatch data, possibly other

monitoring data to consolidate in one location

Break data out from spreadsheets into sheets for each stationAllows users to look through a list of sites rather than

use a map that they may be uncomfortable using