ECCSCM Water Monitoring Project 2001-2003

This 2-year monitoring project sampling E. coli bacteria and Dissolved Oxygen (see definitions) at sites near CAFOs was funded by a Community Action grant from Sierra Club.  Coordinated by Janet Kauffman and Kathy Melmoth, R.N., the ECCSCM Water Monitoring Project sampled 79 sites, for a total of 430 water samples.  E. coli samples were tested at a DEQ-certified lab; DO was tested using a hand-held digital YSI55 DO meter.

270 of the water samples from sites near CAFO facilities, or downstream from liquid manure application, violated Michigan's water standard for E. coli and/or Dissolved Oxygen.  The project was important in bringing to public attention the serious problem of liquid manure discharges through field drainage tiles to streams and documenting the degradation of several stream stretches.

Final Report of ECCSCM Water Monitoring Project, with details on individual sites and streams, findings of liquid manure discharges through field drainage tiles.

Click below to download Excel spreadsheet of total data, sortable by Water Body, Site, Sample Date, Poor Quality, Water Temp, DO, E. coli, and E. Coli Too Numerous To Count.
Water Monitoring Project Total Data 2001-2003 (Excel file)

Assorted Summaries of Total Data

The worst stream stretches, with most samples violating water standards, were:
Stream Stretch -- #of samples violating water standards for E. coli and/or DO:
   River Raisin Watershed:
Bear Cr  --                   65 (of 86 samples, at 7 sites)
    Bean/Tiffin Watershed:
Lime Cr/Lime Lk Inlets --  42 (of 82 samples, at 7 sites)
Medina Drain--               33 (of 43 samples, at 2 sites)
Toad Creek --                25 (of 40 samples, at 4 sites)
Durfee Creek--               18 (of 31 samples, at 4 sites)
Squawfield Drain --         10 (of 10 samples, at 1 site)

The worst individual sites sampled, with the most violations of water quality standards were:
Site -- # of samples violating water standards (highest E. coli counts, and/or lowest DO)
TNTC = E. coli Too Numerous To Count
South Medina Drain (Ingall Hwy) --      22 (TNTC 2 times;DO 1.8mg/L on 3-18-03)
Bear Creek (Beecher Rd)  --               22 (TNTC on 5-15-02; 27,720/100ml on 11-11-03)
Rice Lake Drain (Haley Rd)  --             20 (TNTC 4 times; 98,010/100ml on 9-17-03)
Lime Lake Inlet (Lime Lake Rd) --         18 (TNTC 3 times; 166,320/100ml on 4-2-02)
South Dr, Durfee Cr Ext (Dillon Hwy) -- 18 (DO 0.5mg/L on 6-24-02)
Toad Cr (Coman Rd) --                      12 (TNTC on 3-13-02)
Lime Lake Inlet East (Lime Lake Rd) --  12 (166,320/100ml on 4-2-02)
Medina Drain (Ingall Hwy) --               11 (TNTC 2-6-02; DO 3.8mg/L on 7-9-02)
Toad Cr (Mulberry Rd) --                    11 (TNTC 2 times; 297,000/100ml on 11-11-02)
Drain (Squawfield Rd) --                    10 (DO 0.2mg/L on 6-26-03)

Townships and number of samples violating water quality standards:
Township -- # of samples that violated water standards
Medina --   82
Wright --    67
Hudson --   49
Dover --     26
Pittsford -- 17
Rollin --       8
Seneca --    8
Wheatland-- 6
Rome--        4
Somerset--   3