Peachtree Creek WaterWatch, Atlanta, Ga. water monitoring site

Peachtree Creek at Atlanta (USGS 02336300) Water Monitoring Site

There are many pieces of equipment, both mechanical and electronic, that are installed at the Peachtree Creek monitoring site to measure, record, and transmit both water-quantity and water-quality information. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors "real-time" streamflow and water-quality conditions for thousands of streams nationwide and in Georgia. USGS has continously monitored streamflow at Peachtree Creek since 1958 and has recently begun monitoring water-quality parameters. It is important to monitor water quality not only to establish baseline water-quality information about Peachtree Creek, but also to allow for timely notification when water quality changes.

Water-quality monitoring instrumentation

Like other streams in urban settings, Peachtree Creek is affected by the pressures of urban development, and thus, the potential for water-quality problems are high. Possible sources of problems are:

• Sediment runoff from construction sites
• Potential pollution from runoff from roads and parking lots
• Inflow of warmer water from impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots)
• Fertilizer (nitrogen and phosphorus) runoff from yards and gardens
• Bacteria and pathogens from animal and human wastes
• Runoff containing pesticides and pharmaceutical residue
• Industrial wastes
• Trash