Chemical Monitoring
Ditch 67
| Monitoring Location | at Highway 22, East Bethel STORET SiteID = Ditch67_Hwy22 |
| Monitored By | ACD Staff |
| Years Monitored | 2001 and 2003 |
| Background: Ditch 67, also known as Crooked Brook, has a watershed that lies on both the east and west sides of Highway 65. The watershed includes a substantial area of sod farms with associated ditches, and scattered upland with residential development. The ditch empties into Cedar Creek about 1.2 miles north of the monitoring site. The stream carries moderate water volumes, with typical flows ranging from 2-9 cfs. | |
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| Results: This ditch has elevated conductivity and chlorides (Tables 3-4 and 3-5). The source or exact type of pollutant is unknown as these parameters can indicate a number of pollutant types including certain fertilizers, road salts, chemicals from road runoff, failing septic systems, agricultural sources, and other chemical sources. The fact that phosphorus is also elevated suggests that road salts from the nearby major highways (Hwys 22 and 65) are not the only source. Some other possible sources include a livestock and sod operation just upstream, among others. Current levels do not exceed general tolerances for most stream life, but depending upon the specific pollutant source could be having measurable negative effects on Ditch 67, and further downstream to Cedar Creek and the Rum River, especially if spikes occurred during spring melt. In-depth study of this issue is recommended. | |
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