Water Quality Monitoring
Jefferson County Conservation District has been monitoring water quality in eastern Jefferson County since 1993. Watersheds monitored include: Chimacum, Discovery Bay, Ludlow, and Hood Canal. JCCD also assists Jefferson County Public Works by monitoring groundwater at the county landfill.
Parameters Monitored: E. coli, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, conductivity, and turbidity.
JCCD worked jointly with Jefferson County Environmental Health to monitor 31 stations in the Chimacum Watershed as part of the Hood Canal Priority Basins Project. For more information and data requests, please contact us at info@jeffersoncd.org.
With the aid of volunteers, we also monitor juvenile salmon and other fish species.
Effects of Canarygrass Removal on the Water Level and Dissolved Oxygen Level in Chimacum Creek
This report explores the Effects of Canarygrass Removal on the Water Level and Dissolved Oxygen Level in Chimacum Creek. Reed canarygrass was removed from 10,745 feet of Chimacum Creek’s main stem from September 4 to September 25, 2024. Prior to that, the last major reed canarygrass removal effort occurred in 2020. In 2024, the water level dropped 0.9 feet from September 3 to October 2 and maintained that level through November 5 despite over 3 inches of rainfall and increasing stream flow. A downstream beaver dam probably prevented the level from dropping more. Canarygrass removal has both negative and positive effects on dissolved oxygen. In the short term, its removal causes organic matter to be suspended in the water column for several hours. The biological oxygen demand of the sediment results in a lowering of the dissolved oxygen level. In the long-term, removing a large quantity of canarygrass makes less organic matter available for decomposition.
Microbial Source Tracking in the Chimacum Creek Watershed
In 2023, the report Microbial Source Tracking in the Chimacum Creek Watershed was completed. In 2021-22, 19 stations were monitored for E. coli bacteria and DNA markers specific to cattle and humans. Samples were collected in four wet months and four dry months. E. coli failed the state standard at four stations in the wet months and at eleven stations in the dry months. E. coli concentration was positively correlated to water temperature (E. coli concentrations increased with water temperatures). Human DNA markers occurred 2-3 times more frequently than cattle markers. In October of this year, the District and Jefferson County Environmental Health began a two-year study of E. coli in the Chimacum Watershed.
Trends in Temperature and Juvenile Coho Abundance in Chimacum Creek
Link to a recording of Glenn Gately’s June 1st, 2022 Presentation, “Trends in Temperature and Juvenile Coho Abundance in Chimacum Creek”.
Water Quality Reports
Effects of Canarygrass on Dissolved Oxygen and Fish in Chimacum Creek
Microbial Source Tracking in the Chimacum Creek Watershed
Discovery Bay Comprehensive Report 2020
Glenn Gately, Fish Biologist and Water Quality Specialist, has authored a detailed and comprehensive review of water quality and fish data collected in the Discovery Bay Watershed from 1988 to 2019. This report also includes the best managements practices that were implemented during this time period. If you have any questions regarding the report, please e-mail Glenn at gately@jeffersoncd.org.
Chimacum Comprehensive Report 2015
In 2015, the District completed a comprehensive review of water quality and fish data collected in the Chimacum Watershed over the past several decades.
