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Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Monitoring
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) monitoring began in 1994, after two (2) incidents of severe water quality impairment in White River between the Belmont Avenue and Southport Road Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) plants. The impact of the impairment seemed to be centered in and around the Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) Stout generating station above the IPL Dam. This program consists of two parts:
1) Critical DO Monitoring Program
This program tracks field parameters that are indicative of water quality impairment in these areas, such as DO, temperature, specific conductivity, and pH. Monitoring takes place based on stream flow and weather conditions, usually encountered from July to the end of October when low stream flows, short and/or intensive rainstorms and warm water temperatures have the potential to adversely impact DO in the water, dropping it below biological tolerance limits.
2) Continuous DO Monitoring Program
This program was implemented in 1997 during periods of weather (usually mid-April/early May into November) that facilitate access to in-stream monitoring locations. OES specifically monitors for DO, pH, temperature, and specific conductivity, recording data at 15-minute intervals. Continuous DO monitoring provides the ability to observe long-term patterns of DO changes at a specific location. Locations include sites on White River (4), Fall Creek (2), and Pleasant Run (1). Four of these sites have been improved to include remote downloading/real-time access to data. OES also monitors the stream gage height using the on-line United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream level monitoring network.
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