Urban Stream Monitoring

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Beginning in April of 2001, staff of the Water and Pollution Control Department began periodic monitoring of the five major urban streams in Ames for fecal coliform bacteria. Monitoring takes place approximately every month during the warm weather months of April through October. If obvious signs of pollution are discovered, or if significant degradation is observed, City staff will conduct more detailed water quality investigations. The results of the ongoing City monitoring are shown below. Note: The results shown prior to August 14, 2018 are for fecal coliform bacteria. The results from August 14, 2018 going forward are E. coli.

Sample Date	Skunk River	IOWAY Creek	Clear Creek	College Creek	Worle Creek
August 21, 2024	331	1,553	---	4,106	---
July 17, 2024	5,172	1,046	1,019	---	1,616
June 19, 2024	1,935	8,164	15,531	24,196	>24,196
May 17, 2024	132	238	313	487	146
April 17, 2024	292	1,722	573	910	987
March 27, 2024	<10	31	---	---	---
February 29, 2024	41	41	---	---	---
November 15, 2023	84	---	---	---	---
October 18, 2023	238	1,314	---	---	---
September 20, 2023	1,515	7,270	15,531	14,136	---
August 16, 2023	327	816	820	15,531	---
July 26, 2023	135	---	1,785	---	---
June 21, 2023	573	1,850	1,333	2,603	1,396
May 17, 2023	313	771	414	504	345
April 19, 2023	30	336	20	355	96
March 22, 2023	<10	96	41	301	135
February 15, 2023	1,816	1,424	626	602	5,818
January 19, 2023	---	---	249	1,782	---
November 16, 2022	2,187	9,804	---	3,609	---
October 18, 2022	---	288	---	---	---
September 20, 2022	246	1,722	---	---	---
August 24, 2022	120	246	---	---	---
July 27, 2022	259	422	561	---	---
June 15, 2022	8,704	10,344	15,402	9,222	22,398
May 18, 2022	109	345	2,143	9,208	7,270
April 26, 2022	10	41	63	1,860	52
March 18, 2022	41	52	---	410	20
December 17, 2021	10	185	96	3,130	---
November 17, 2021	620	52	84	---	---
October 20, 2021	146	---	---	---	---
September 15, 2021	41	---	---	---	---
August 18, 2021	20	---	---	---	---
July 21, 2021	98	441	---	---	---
June 16, 2021	805	904	---	---	---
May 21, 2021	121	455	110	1,396	187
April 21, 2021	31	33	---	908	51
March 17, 2021	20	173	---	318	613
January 21, 2021	---	20	---	---	---
December 16, 2020	---	82	---	---	---
November 18, 2020	85	173	---	3,076	---
October 21, 2020	40	394	---	---	1,596
September 15, 2020	189	364	384	5,475	---
August 18, 2020	146	268	---	432	---
July 14, 2020	126	374	746	654	---
June 16, 2020	718	1,040	960	2,518	1,466
May 19, 2020	1,100	750	218	370	700
April 7, 2020	82	150	62	1,640	60
October 11, 2019	558	758	268	1,024	378
September 24, 2019	1,764	1,446	320	904	1,024
August 6, 2019	122	2,909	6,867	8,664	3,448
July 16, 2019	839	5,172	24,196	>24,196	2,098
June 11, 2019	173	374	414	583	594
May 16, 2019	63	231	189	265	384
April 9, 2019	122	158	85	2909	448
October 16, 2018	187	187	171	298	282
September 18, 2018	479	105	50	261	---
August 14, 2018	275	529	1439	2098	---
July 19, 2018	320	13000	1040	2000	1600
June 19, 2018	2600	35000	6400	9400	111000
May 15, 2018	90	155	180	540	80
April 17, 2018	65	370	50	590	70
October 12, 2017	350	1800	620	600	1040
September 21, 2017	135	940	---	1100	---
August 8, 2017	105	530	---	4900	---
July 12, 2017	250	1000	475	2600	760
June 13, 2017	410	630	800	2000	1500
May 23, 2017	470	360	560	630	540
April 20, 2017	1800	22000	290	250	200
October 4, 2016	470	390	400	500	450
September 27, 2016	600	500	630	90	1300
August 9, 2016	160	740	420	2300	---
July 21, 2016	1200	5200	1200	1500	10000
June 9, 2016	420	490	150	1800	700
May 19, 2016	120	140	40	460	400
April 14, 2016	57	170	100	300	40
September 1, 2015	1900	700	730	690	600
August 11, 2015	4000	4800	1700	2900	16000
July 14, 2015	170	600	1900	2300	1800
June 2, 2015	310	320	230	1100	270
May 19, 2015	160	290	450	580	280
April 14, 2015	20	200	66	2600	210
October 21, 2014	160	220	130	3000	360
September 4, 2014	470	1100	560	600	1400
August 5, 2014	220	210	1500	3500	---
July 22, 2014	180	220	1800	3300	1700
June 3, 2014	1500	540	470	1800	350
May 6, 2014	54	60	18	260	90
April 22, 2014	43	23	70	50	36
October 1, 2013	---	---	---	---	---
September 12, 2013	160	---	---	---	---
August 1, 2013	150	380	---	---	---
July 16, 2013	100	270	1800	4100	700
June 13, 2013	370	380	420	900	570
May 21, 2013	6100	1000	590	2800	4200
April 23, 2013	140	160	110	90	1000
October 11, 2012	10	---	---	190	---
September 5, 2012	500	33000	---	75000	68000
August 9, 2012	680	8000	5000	2000	2200
July 19, 2012	40	200	210	---	---
June 5, 2012	74	120	130	760	310
May 17, 2012	110	200	130	1100	240
April 17, 2012	470	2800	230	440	2700
October 18, 2011	300	660	---	600	---
September 13, 2011	150	310	---	1500	---
August 25, 2011	69	170	360	640	---
July 21, 2011	130	5200	9000	72000	2000
June 14, 2011	700	1300	3200	520	680
May 19, 2011	110	260	120	610	420
April 13, 2011	27	37	46	170	26
October 7, 2010	130	390	270	1000	650
September 23, 2010	700	800	600	1100	17000
August 19, 2010	620	240	1300	1100	300
July 20, 2010	5500	6500	1000	1900	21000
May 29, 2010	120	580	240	1100	290
June 10, 2010	420	490	510	1900	2100
April 22, 2010	52	76	80	460	56
October 13, 2009	90	150	2800	435	170
September 17, 2009	200	480	1180	-	-
August 20, 2009	800	2800	4100	6300	4400
July 16, 2009	700	800	6200	2200	1200
June 23, 2009	1700	1200	1300	700	2500
May 27, 2009	14800	25600	3100	3300	>40000
April 15, 2009	70	120	10	90	90

Samples are analyzed using the Membrane Filter Technique (SM 9222 D). The results of testing for fecal coliform when using this method are expressed in terms of the number of Colony-Forming Units (CFU) present in a 100 milliliter sample.

"Coliform density, together with other information obtained by engineering or sanitary surveys, provides the best assessment of the sanitary quality of water." -- Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater.