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Updated 7/3/08
Surface Water Monitoring Program
for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams
2007 Sampling Period
Fact Sheet
Final Report
2006 Sampling Period
Fact Sheet
Final
Report
Summary 2003 - 2005 Sampling Periods
Fact Sheet
Summary Report
2004 Sampling Period
Fact Sheet
Final
Report
2003 Sampling Period
Fact Sheet
Final
Report
Quality Assurance Project Plan
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BACKGROUND
WSDA and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) are conducting a multi-year monitoring study to evaluate pesticide concentrations in surface waters. The study was designed to address pesticide presence in Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed, salmonid-bearing streams during typical pesticide use periods. Monitoring is conducted weekly in selected salmonid-bearing streams from March through October.
The data collected will allow WSDA, EPA, and the National Atmospheric and
Oceanic Administration (NOAA) - Fisheries to refine exposure assessments for
pesticides registered for use in Washington state. Understanding the fate
and transport of pesticides used in Washington state allows regulators to
make appropriate decisions to protect ESA-listed species while minimizing
the economic impacts to agriculture.
Ecology's Environmental
Assessment Program (EAP) conducts the sampling program and laboratory
analyses. A wide range of pesticides including organochlorines,
organophosphates, carbamates, as well as historical use pesticides and
breakdown products, are included in this study. The samples are analyzed at
or through Ecology's Manchester Laboratory.
EAP also enters the data
into Ecology's
Environmental Information Management database.
2007 Sampling Period
FACT
SHEET - July 2008
WSDA has developed a fact sheet summarizing the sampling activities and results and includes a brief description of the future direction of the Surface Water Monitoring Program. The fact sheet may be downloaded and reproduced.
For complete results from the surface water monitoring study, refer to the report, Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2007 Data Summary.
FINAL REPORT - SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAM FOR PESTICIDES IN
SALMONID-BEARING STREAMS, 2007 DATA SUMMARY
The results from the 2007 study are reported in Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2007 Data Summary.
Five watersheds were monitored for the 2007 study because they support several salmonid populations, produce a variety of agricultural commodities, and have a high percentage of cultivated land area. The monitoring locations were 1) Thornton Creek — WRIA 8, 2) Lower Skagit-Samish — WRIA 3, 3) Lower Yakima — WRIA 37, 4) Wenatchee — WRIA 45, and 5) Entiat — WRIA 46.
Year 2007 is the first in a three-year study cycle to investigate pesticides in the Wenatchee and Entiat watersheds, second in a three-year cycle in the Skagit-Samish watershed and the fifth in a six-year cycle in the Cedar-Sammamish and Lower Yakima watersheds.
The study analyzed 152 registered and historical-use pesticides, including organochlorine, organophosphorous, and carbamate pesticides. Conventional water quality parameters – total suspended solids, pH, conductivity, temperature, and flow – were also measured to better understand factors influencing pesticide toxicity, fate and transport, and general water quality.
During 2007, 64 currently registered pesticides, historical-use pesticides and degradates were detected. The majority of pesticide detections where close to analytical detection limits. Herbicides were the most commonly detected class of pesticides. However, regional differences in pest pressures are illustrated by the different percentages of pesticide classes detected in each basin.
In the urban basin, dichlobenil (Casoron®) was the most
frequently detected pesticide.
Tebuthiuron, atrazine and DDE (a degradate of DDT) were the
most commonly detected compounds in the agricultural basins –
Skagit,
Azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, DDT, DDE and endosulfan exceeded either a state water quality standard or recommended water quality criteria at least once in 2007.
2006
Sampling Period
FACT SHEET - July 2007
WSDA has developed a fact sheet summarizing the sampling activities and results and includes a brief description of the future direction of the Surface Water Monitoring Program. The fact sheet may be downloaded and reproduced.
For complete results from the surface water monitoring study, refer to the report, Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2006 Monitoring Data Summary.
FINAL REPORT - SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAM FOR PESTICIDES IN SALMONID-BEARING STREAMS, 2006 MONITORING DATA SUMMARY
The
results from the 2006 study are reported in
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams, 2006 Monitoring Data Summary.
In 2006, pesticide concentrations were measured in three watersheds representing urban and agricultural land-use patterns. The monitoring locations and watersheds that were chosen had a likely combination of off-site pesticide transport and use by salmonids.
Thornton Creek in the Cedar-Sammamish watershed was selected as the urban watershed. The Lower Skagit-Samish Watershed and the Lower Yakima watershed were selected to represent western and eastern agricultural land-use practices, respectively.
Laboratory analyses were conducted for 165 pesticide, herbicide, and degradate compounds. These compounds were selected based on the use of the pesticide, toxicity to non-target organisms, transport potential, and cost of analysis. Conventional water quality parameters - total suspended solids, pH, conductivity, temperature, and flow - were measured to better understand factors influencing pesticide toxicity, fate and transport, and general water quality.
Concentrations of all pesticide detected were generally low and close to analytical detection limits. When pesticides were detected, the most commonly found general pesticide category for both the urban and agricultural basins was herbicides. Dichlobenil (Casoron) was the most frequently detected compound in the urban watershed. Atrazine was the most frequently detected compound in the eastern agricultural basins while 2,4-D was the most frequently detected compound in the western basins.
Azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, and DDE exceeded either a state water quality standard or a recommended water quality criteria at least once during 2006.
Summary:
2003 - 2005 Sampling Periods 
FACT SHEET 2003-2005
WSDA has developed a
fact sheet summarizing the first three years (2003 - 2005) of
the Surface Water Monitoring Program. This summary contains a
synopsis of the sampling activities and results, and discussion of
the findings. The fact sheet may be downloaded and reproduced.
For detailed information about the first three years of the
surface water monitoring study, refer to the report
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams, 2003 - 2005.
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SUMMARY REPORT - SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAM FOR PESTICIDES IN SALMONID-BEARING STREAMS, 2003 - 2005
The summarized results for the first three years (2003 - 2005) of the study are reported in Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing Streams, 2003 - 2005.
From 2003 to 2005, approximately 160 currently registered and historical-use pesticides, as well as degradates were included in the study. These compounds were selected based on the use of the pesticide, toxicity to non-target organisms, transport potential, and cost of analysis. Conventional water quality parameters - total suspended solids, pH, conductivity, temperature, and flow - were also measured to better understand factors influencing pesticide toxicity, fate and transport, and general water quality.
During this 3-year period, a total of 453 samples were collected from an urban and agricultural watershed. A total of 51 currently registered pesticides, historical-use pesticides, and/or degradates were detected in the urban and agricultural watersheds. The majority of the pesticide detections were low and close to analytical detection limits.
Ten of the 51 pesticides detected exceeded either water quality criteria or risk quotients for acute or chronic toxicity to fish or for aquatic invertebrates. These 10 pesticides are 4,4-DDE, 4,4-DDT, azinphos-methyl, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, disulfoton, endosulfan sulfate, malathion, and oxyfluorfen.
The azinphos-methyl and malathion detections occured at the same time summer maximum temperatures may restrict summer steelhead (ESA-listed) occupation of monitored stream reaches. If summer steelhead are present, elevated water temperatures outside of their optimal range may make the steelhead more susceptible to pesticide toxicity.
The assessment criteria used for the 3-year report are based on assessing the effects of a specific chemical on an organism and do not take into account the additive or possibly synergistic effects of mixtures or sub-lethal effects.
2004 Sampling Period
FACT SHEET - September 2005
WSDA has developed a
fact sheet summarizing the sampling activities and results and
includes a brief description of the future direction of the Surface
Water Monitoring Program. The fact sheet may be downloaded and
reproduced.
For complete results from the surface water
monitoring study, refer to the report,
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams, April through October 2004.
FINAL REPORT - SURFACE WATER
MONITORING PROGRAM FOR PESTICIDES IN SALMONID-BEARING STREAMS APRIL
TO OCTOBER, 2004
The
results from the second year (2004) of the study are reported in,
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams, April through October 2004.
Two index watersheds, representing urban and agricultural land-use patterns, were sampled from March through October 2004. Thornton Creek in the Cedar-Sammamish watershed was chosen as the urban drainage. Marion Drain, Spring Creek, and Sulphur Creek Wasteway in the Lower Yakima watershed represented agricultural land-use patterns. Unfiltered water samples were collected weekly at downstream sites and every other week at upstream sites.
Conventional parameters including discharge, temperature, pH, conductivity, and total suspended solid (TSS) were collected to characterize water quality of the streams and to investigate pesticide fate and toxicity.
Concentrations of all pesticide detected were generally low and close to analytical detection limits. In the agricultural basin, 2,4-dichlorophenylacetic acid (2,4-D) was the most commonly detected pesticide; however, dichlobenil was most commonly detected in the urban watershed.
Pesticide detections were compared to Washington State promulgated and EPA recommended aquatic life criteria. Detections were also compared to EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Fate and Effects Division acute and chronic toxicological endpoints used for pesticide registration.
Five pesticides - azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon,
malathion, and 4,4'-DDE - were above the numeric component of
various standards, but the weekly sampling frequency of this study
does not allow for assessment of the temporal component of these
standards. A single detection of malathion (3.05 g/L) approached the
acute LC50 for rainbow trout (4 g/L) in the Marion Drain.
2003 Sampling Period
FACT SHEET - November 2004
WSDA has developed a
fact sheet summarizing the sampling activities and results and
includes a brief description of the future direction of the Surface
Water Monitoring Program. The fact sheet may be downloaded and
reproduced.
For complete results from the surface water
monitoring study, refer to the report,
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams April to December, 2003.
FINAL REPORT - SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAM FOR PESTICIDES IN SALMONID-BEARING STREAMS APRIL TO DECEMBER, 2003
The
results from the Year One of the monitoring effort (April through
December 2003) are presented in the report,
Surface Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides in Salmonid-Bearing
Streams, April to December, 2003.
Overall, the sampling results were
positive. Both the agricultural and urban sampling resulted in approximately
96 percent non-detections with the remaining 4 percent split between
validated numerical results and estimated detected values. Refer to the
report for a complete discussion of the sampling results.
Year One of
the study assessed the occurrence of pesticides in surface water in two
index watersheds that represented agricultural and urban land-use patterns.
Three drainages in the Lower Yakima Watershed Resource Inventory
Area 37 (WRIA 37)
were selected to represent agricultural land use patterns: Spring Creek,
Sulphur Creek Wasteway, and Marion Drain. These sub-basins were selected
because they have the highest percent area cropped and a diversity of
agriculture within the drainage.
Thornton Creek, located in the
Cedar-Sammamish Water Resource Inventory Area 8 (WRIA
8), was selected as the urban watershed due to prior salmon habitat
enhancement efforts and the occurrence of pre-spawning mortality in Coho
salmon.
In both the agricultural and urban watersheds, ambient
surface waters were sampled for 87 registered pesticides. The surface waters
were also sampled for degradates and some historically used compounds such
as DDT. In addition to pesticides, sampling for semi-volatile organic
compounds (SVOC) was included in the urban basin.
Fieldwork for Year
One began the second week of April 2003. Sampling occurred weekly at all
sites throughout the spring (April through June 2003). In the agricultural
watershed, bi-weekly sampling at the mouths of the three sub-drainages
continued through the summer. Semi-volatile organic compounds were measured
in Thornton Creek bi-weekly April through June and also during three storm
events in the fall of 2003.
QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN
To assure the data for the project accurately and precisely represented conditions existing at the time of sample collection, WSDA and the Ecology Environmental Assessment Program developed a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The objective of the QAPP is to provide valid data of known and documented quality for identifying pesticides that do and do not pose a risk to salmonids.
WWSDA and Ecology have amended the QAPP to add the Entiat and Wenatchee watersheds (WRIAs 45 & 46 in the Upper Columbia Basin) and the Lower Skagit-Samish watershed (WRIA 3) to the monitoring program.
If you have additional questions regarding the Surface Water Monitoring Program, please contact Jim Cowles at (360) 902-2066 or by e-mail at jcowles@agr.wa.gov.
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