In the last decade, the County and the Saw Mill River Coalition have continued to monitor water quality in the watershed which has public health, aquatic habitat and recreational impacts. With EPA funding, a 4-year water quality study was carried out with Manhattan College to assess 15 sites from the headwaters to the mouth of the river focusing on fecal coliform (bacteria), conductivity (road salt), total phosphorus (fertilizer), pH (acid), and turbidity (suspended sediments). In 2015, Coalition members Riverkeeper and the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) launched a new round of sampling at the same 15 sites. It focused primarily on Enterococcus (“Entero”), which is an indicator of fecal coliform. Prior studies were conducted by the USGS and the Army Corps as well. Using this existing data, and as part of the development of a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan, the County and the Coalition will narrow down the source of key pollutants and propose specific projects, policies, and programs to address them at “hot spot” sites.
Check out the most recent data on water quality in the Saw Mill here.
