Fixed-station water-quality monitoring at Congaree National Park: 2013–2016 data summary.

Hynds, Mark; Starkey, Eric

In 2006, Congaree National Park (CONG) and the Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Inventory and Monitoring Program began collecting water-quality data on Cedar Creek as part of the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program. The current continuous-monitoring data station is located approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) south of the visitor’s center in Cedar Creek and and collects water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, turbidity and water-level data every 30 minutes following the methods by Wenner and Geist (2001). Congaree National Park is monitored using methods detailed in DeVivo et al. (2008) and Gregory et al. (2013). Information collected by this monitoring program is used to help managers make better-informed decisions by understanding trends and variability related to water-quality conditions in park waters. Summary data are presented in annual data reports published by the Southeast Coast Network. • The period of record is January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016. The station was not operational for all of 2014, 2015 and through July of 2016. • Water temperature ranged 5.7–29.9 °C (42.2–85.9 °F). The lowest monthly average water temperature of 9.8 °C (49.7 °F) occurred in February 2013, and the highest monthly average of 28.1 °C (82.5 °F) occurred in August 2016. • Specific conductance values ranged from 25 to 89 µs/cm. The mean monthly values ranged from 9.8 µs/cm in February 2013 to 28.1 µs/cm in August 2016. • Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from a low of 3.0 mg/L in July 2013 to a high of 11.2 mg/L in January 2013. For 2013, the average daily concentrations were below the South Carolina freshwater standard for daily averages of 5.0 mg/L (SCDHEC 2014) a total of thirty-three instances, but none in 2016. The lowest monthly average during the period of record for Conagree National Park was 5.2 mg/L in June 2013. The highest monthly average concentration was 9.4 mg/L in February 2013. • South Carolina does not set a daily or monthly average threshhold for pH, but has established an acceptable range of 6.0 to 8.5 (SCDHEC 2014). Mean monthly pH values ranged from a low of 5.6 in multiple months to a high of 6.2 in July 2013. The individual values ranged from 5.3 in October 2016 to 6.8 in January 2013. • The South Carolina standard for maximum turbidity values in freshwater is 50 NTUs, provided existing uses are maintained (SCDHEC 2014). Monthly mean turbidity values were lowest at 4.1 NTUs during November 2016. The highest monthly mean values were in October 2016 at 10.5 NTUs.The lowest individual turbidity reading for any given month was 2.2 NTUs in November 2016 and a maximum reading of 95.3 NTUs in September 2016. There were no values for turbidity in 2013. • During the period of record, the depth range at Congaree National Park was 3.68 meters (12.1 feet).

Fixed-station water-quality monitoring at Congaree National Park: 2013–2016 data summary.

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