SEQUIOTA SPRING AND POND WATER QUALITY MONITORING STUDY IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

Karst systems generate persistent problems in water quality since the effects of land use are generally distributed over large underground cave systems but are released to surface waters via a spring outlet. This study monitors water quality – nutrients and bacteria – at Sequiota Spring in Springfield, Missouri, which has been the subject of water quality concerns since the 1970’s, but more recently due to bacteria from aging domestic sewer systems. This study compares results to previous monitoring data and government pollution criteria. This is done to develop a broader understanding of water quality trends and evaluates the influence of a pond below the spring outlet on expected water quality. Using water samples, we monitored the presence of bacteria both Escherichia coli and total coliforms over the study period. Stream discharge and water chemistry was taken each month at the spring site and downstream of the pond. Finally, total dissolved solids and chloride was evaluated at the spring site and downstream of the pond.

The implications of water quality trends on current and planned watershed and sewer system improvements are still on going with this study.