Pesticides in Suspended Sediment of the Alamo and New Rivers

Project Chief: James Orlando

Previous studies have detected current-use pesticides and DDT metabolites in water and suspended sediments from the Alamo and New Rivers. Additional studies have found water samples from both rivers to be toxic to aquatic organisms in laboratory bioassays, and implicated certain current-use pesticides as the source of this toxicity. Recent requirements under the Clean Water Act for the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), Colorado River Region, to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for contaminants indicate the need for a more complete understanding of the occurrence and transport of pesticides in the Alamo and New Rivers.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a study to determine the occurrence, transport, and fate of legacy and current-use pesticides in the Alamo and New Rivers. A major component of this effort will be to determine the distribution of pesticides between water and suspended sediments.

This project will provide the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and State Water Resources Control Board with information necessary to assess the fate and transport of pesticides in surface water within the Salton Sea watershed. This study will also address several USGS priority water-resource issues such as collecting water-quality data related to aquatic-health issues and estimating loadings of contaminants from non-point sources for calculation of TMDLs.

The proposed project approach consists of four main tasks with their associated deliverables; Task 1: Project Management and Administration, Task 2: Preparation of Quality Assurance Project Plan, Task 3: Sampling and Analysis of Water and Suspended Sediments, Task 4: Data Compilation and Final Report.

Contact Information

James Orlando
Office phone: 916-278-3000

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