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The Lake St. Clair Regional Monitoring Project has acquired new water quality data from over 75 locations in Lake St. Clair and watersheds of the Clinton, St. Clair, Belle, Black and Pine Rivers. Streamflow and water and sediment quality samples were collected during 2004 and 2005 sampling seasons, with emphasis on the effects of major storms.   Project samples were collected by continuous water quality monitoring at 12 fixed stations and by automatic and manual grab sampling during 10 rainstorms; and related data was acquired from continuous and manual streamflow monitoring at 23 locations and rainfall monitoring at 5 locations. In addition, the Project is utilizing 2004 and 2005 water and sediment data from the Macomb County Health Department’s ongoing Lake St. Clair Assessment Project from 36 locations in Lake St. Clair and 20 locations in the Clinton River watershed. Samples were analyzed for numerous physical, chemical and biological parameters.

 

The Lake St. Clair Regional Monitoring Project has acquired new water quality data from over 75 locations in Lake St. Clair and watersheds of the Clinton, St. Clair, Belle, Black and Pine Rivers. Streamflow and water and sediment quality samples were collected during 2004 and 2005 sampling seasons, with emphasis on the effects of major storms.

 

Project samples were collected by continuous water quality monitoring at 12 fixed stations and by automatic and manual grab sampling during 10 rainstorms; and related data was acquired from continuous and manual streamflow monitoring at 23 locations and rainfall monitoring at 5 locations. In addition, the Project is utilizing 2004 and 2005 water and sediment data from the Macomb County Health Department’s ongoing Lake St. Clair Assessment Project from 36 locations in Lake St. Clair and 20 locations in the Clinton River watershed. Samples were analyzed for numerous physical, chemical and biological parameters.

 

Despite environmental gains made in recent years, Lake St. Clair continues to experience water quality problems due to faulty sewerage and individual on-site sewage disposal systems, combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, nonpoint source pollution runoff, toxic contamination and invasive species. Closed swimming beaches, fish consumption advisories and toxic spills are indicative of water quality problems.

 

The Project implements a major recommendation of Macomb County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair; and results from the advocacy of the Macomb County Water Quality Board. In 1997, as a result of a growing concern about water quality issues, the Chairman of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair.  The Commission’s charge was to develop a plan of action - to identify what needed to be done and who needed to do it to assure that Lake St. Clair is a clean, safe and healthy.

 

The Blue Ribbon Commission identified water quality of the Clinton and St. Clair Rivers, both designated as Areas of Concern by the International Joint Commission, as having direct impact on the Lake. Its Report also stated that the public’s basic concerns were that the waters of Lake St. Clair should be safe to drink and safe to swim in, support fishing and hunting of animals that can safely be consumed, and be sufficiently free of weeds so as not to encumber boating. The Commission’s recommendation for development of a comprehensive water quality monitoring system became the basis for the Regional Monitoring Project.

 

The Project, with its website and the embedded database, is intended to be a valuable resource to environmental scientists, environmental and public health workers, community executives and elected officials and citizens. Information from Project data can be used for making decisions on prevention strategies and on priorities for remediation and for the protection of public health.

 

Analysis and interpretation contained in several project reports will examine historic and current water quality data relative to effects on the water quality of Lake St.Clair and its tributaries; will examine relationships between bed sediment contaminant Concentrations and aquatic life criteria; will determine contaminant loadings to the Lake and its tributaries; will describe the impact of land use on water quality and will identify data gaps and areas for future investigation.

 

This Project is being administered by the Macomb County Health Department; and is funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the United States Geological Survey, the Macomb County Board of Commissioners and in-kind contributions of the Project’s Partner Counties.