STREAM WATER-QUALITY MONITORING ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE LAKE ERIE DRAINAGE BASIN, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

The purpose of this stream water quality project was to collect basic baseline data on total dissolved solids, salinity, conductivity, pH, temperature, velocity, depth, discharge, and organic compounds in Fourmile and Eightmile Creeks. The Fourmile and Eightmile watersheds drain glacial uplands and a narrow coastal plain along the southern edge of the Lake Erie drainage basin in NW Pennsylvania. The watersheds are traversed by major highway and railroad corridors, and are dominated by urban and rural/agricultural development, respectively. Each of the measured chemical water-quality parameters may be expected to change over time, due to changes in runoff from roads, farms, and potential future drill sites producing hydrocarbons from the Marcellus or Utica Shales. By collecting baseline data, generalizations and conclusions can be made about the background environmental quality of these small 3^rd order streams and the sources and impacts of any possible future pollution events.

In the field, a La Motte Pocket Tester was used to measure salinity, conductivity, TDS, and temperature; pH test strips were used to determine pH; a flow meter was used to determine water velocity and stream cross sections were surveyed using a tape and rod. In the laboratory, 1.5 liter samples of stream water were rotary-evaporated to concentrate samples; liquid-liquid extraction was used to remove the organic compounds; and a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer was used to identify and determine the concentration of organic compounds present. From fall 2012 to fall 2013, the water-quality of streams decreased slightly as levels of total dissolved solids and organic compounds increased. Some of the organic compounds found were common components in fuel, paint thinners, and soap. The pH of both streams remained stable (between 6.5 and 7.5), and the stream temperatures and discharges showed no significant changes over the course of the observation period.