# Confederated Tribes of the (2008)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aconfederated_clusi%3A6e214d045637daad

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

Confederated Tribes of the
Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
Water Quality Data Summary
(October 2007 to September 2008)

Grant Deliverable as Specified in
EPA Assistance # BG-96058901-4

Prepared By:
Confederated Tribes of the
Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
Department of Natural Resources
1245 Fulton Avenue
Coos Bay, Oregon

February 17, 2009

Background
The Environmental Division located within the Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources.
The mission statement of the Environmental Division is to research, monitor, assess,
manage, use, conserve, protect, and restore the natural resources of the Confederated
Tribes’ Ancestral Territory, consistent with Tribal values. In an effort to accomplish this
mission the Tribe’s established a Water Quality Program (WQP). The WQP is funded by
a grant provided by EPA through Section 106 of the Federal Clean Water Act. The WQP
works to assess and document the ecological health of the Tribe’s ancestral watersheds,
develops management plans and strategies, best management practices, water quality
standards, and ordinances in an overall effort to protect tribal water resources. In 2002,
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to treat the Tribes "in a manner
similar to a state" under the authority of the Clean Water Act. In 2003, the Tribes
completed an EPA approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP 1.8) for the water
quality monitoring program. Early in 2004, the Tribes initiated a water quality monitoring
program that targeted five core parameters: water temperature, turbidity, salinity, pH, and
dissolved oxygen. Data collection was conducted at spring high-high and low-low tides
which required data sampling to occur at all hours of the day and night. Data collection
was expanded in 2006 with the EPA-approval of QAPP 2.0. QAPP 2.0 described the
incorporation of YSI continuous data loggers at selected estuarine monitoring sites and
the addition of a new monitoring parameter, water bacteria. In 2007, the approval of
QAPP 3.0 expanded the WQP’s monitoring efforts with the addition of three new
parameters; nutrients, macroinvertebrates and basic habitat.

Purpose
EPA’s Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian Tribes under Section 106 of the Clean
Water Act requires tribes that receive funding under Section 106 of the Federal Clean
Water Act to report annually on collected water quality monitoring data. The following
annual Water Quality Assessment Report covers all tribal water quality data collected
within the 2007-2008 Water Year (October 2007-September 2008). In addition to this
report, all water quality data collected throughout the 2007-2008 Water Year by the WQP
has been uploaded into EPA’s STORET database.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

2

Atlas of Tribal Waters
The following table is an estimate of tribal waters (as of 1/1/2007) using our most current
GIS data.
Atlas of Tribal Waters
Total Number of Stream Miles
0.03 miles
Total Number of Lake Acres
54.4 acres
Total Number of Wetland Acres
3.34 acres
Total Number of Estuary Frontage 0.69 miles

Water Quality Parameters
EPA’s Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian Tribes under Section 106 of the Clean
Water Act for Fiscal Years 2007 and Beyond [EPA 832-R-06-003] requires that Tribes
include and annually report on the following nine water quality parameters:
1. Dissolved Oxygen
2. pH
3. Total phosphorus
4. Total nitrogen
5. Water temperature
6. Turbidity
7. Macroinvertebrates
8. E. Coli or fecal coliform
9. Basic habitat information
Since the approval of QAPP 3.0 in 2007, the WQP continues to collect water quality data
on all nine EPA recommended parameters.

Monitoring Methods and Frequency
Estuarine Continuous Monitoring
One data logger is deployed at each of the three permanent sonde monitoring sites. Sites
are accessed at high to mid-outgoing tide in a small skiff. During transport, each sonde is
wrapped in a tap water-soaked white towel and placed horizontally in a rubber bin for
insulation against jarring. To deploy, the data loggers are lowered by chain into
protective cases (constructed from 4"-diameter ABS plumbing pipe). The ABS cases are
drilled out to ensure adequate tidal flushing and exposure of the probes to ambient water
conditions. The ABS cases are affixed vertically to existing log pilings driven into the
channel substrate. A bolt prevents the data logger from descending beyond the ABS pipe
and ensures that the logger monitors at the same depth on every deployment.
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

3

During retrieval, the sondes are again wrapped in a water-saturated white towel and
placed in a rubber bin for transport to the lab. To record post-deployment Dissolved
Oxygen in 100% water-saturated air, at least two data points are recorded after the sonde
reaches ambient temperature and while it is wrapped in the towel. The other postdeployment calibrations are performed in the lab prior to cleaning to determine if
instrument drift has occurred and to evaluate the validity of the data. Sonde cleaning and
calibration of the DO, Conductivity, Depth, pH, Turbidity, and Chlorophyll probes are
performed as outlined in the YSI manual. For Conductivity and Salinity, YSI calibrator
solution (10,000 μS/cm) is used without dilution. For pH calibrations, pH 7 and 10
solutions are used. A two-point calibration is used for Turbidity using 0 NTU and 123
NTU. A one-point (0 NTU) Chlorophyll calibration is performed. The depth sensor is
calibrated in air at sea level. The DO membranes are replaced prior to every deployment,
calibrated, and allowed to stretch for 16-24 hours. The DO probes are re-calibrated before
deployment, if necessary.
As a quality assurance check, field calibrations are recorded during sonde deployment
and retrieval. As close to the 30-minute sonde recording time as possible, a hand-held
YSI 650 records DO, Salinity, Specific Conductivity, pH and Temperature both at the
surface and at the level of the sonde array. Surface grab samples of water for turbidity are
taken for bench top analysis.
The WQP staff complete data logger retrieval and deployment tasks approximately every
3 to 4 weeks depending on weather conditions.
Stream Discrete Monitoring
Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity/conductivity, pH, bacteria (E. coli and
Enterococcus), turbidity, macroinvertebrate and basic habitat data are collected during
the summer at the Tribes’ freshwater monitoring site. A combination of handheld meters
(YSI 650 multi-probe meter and Hach 2100-P Turbidimeter) and sample bottles are used
to measure and collect discrete samples. The target time of day for sample collection at
the Tribes’ freshwater site is 2:00 p.m. In addition, a water sample is collected for in
house analysis of E. coli and Enterococcus using IDEXX brand Colilert -18 and
enterolert reagent and the IDEXX QuantiTray 2000 analytical system. Calibrated and
audited Vemco or HOBO water temperature data loggers are deployed at the site from
June thru September and record data at 30 minute intervals.
Estuarine Discrete Monitoring
The WQP currently monitors estuarine water quality at three sites and has established
three long-term continuous monitoring stations within two estuaries (Siuslaw and Coos
Bay) along the central and south central Oregon coast. These sites were established to
collect essential baseline information and to improve the Tribes’ understanding of tidal
dynamics and watershed inputs occurring within tribal waters. YSI 6600 Extended
Deployment System data loggers (sondes) are deployed at each site so that the sensor
arrays are held 0.5 to 1.0 meter off the bottom of the tidal channels. The sondes are
programmed to record water quality parameter measurements every 30 minutes over 222008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

4

30 day periods. Parameters measured include Depth, Temperature, Salinity, Specific
Conductivity, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Turbidity, and Chlorophyll.
Bacteria Monitoring Research Methods
Water samples for microbiological analysis are collected at all sites for in house analysis
of E. coli and Enterococcus using IDEXX brand Colilert -18 and Enterolert reagent per
the IDEXX QuantiTray 2000 analytical system. Water samples of approximately 100ml
(with adequate head-space for mixing), are collected using disposable pre-sterilized
IDEXX sample bottles. All bacteria and ancillary grab samples are placed in a cooler on
ice while in transport to the lab.
Nutrient Sampling
Nutrient sampling was initiated in the 2007 Water Year. Water samples are collected
twice a year for determining total dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous. Samples are
processed by the University of Washington Oceanography and Technical services. The
single points of data are not included in this report but can be submitted upon request.

Applied Water Quality Standards
The Tribes are developing tribal water quality standards. Until these water quality
standards are completed and approved by Tribal Council, the WQP compares water
quality data collected with the numeric standards within the State of Oregon’s water
quality standards. These water quality standards can be found on the Oregon State
Archive’s website (http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/rules/OARs_300/OAR_340/340_041.html).
The following table shows the numeric water quality standards that were applied to the
water quality data collected during this reporting period.
Water Quality Standards Applied to Tribal Water Quality Data
Parameter
Estuarine
Freshwater
Dissolved Oxygen
6.5 mg/L
6.0 mg/L
pH
6.5-8.5
6.5-8.5
Water Temperature
18°C (64º F)
18°C (64º F)
Turbidity
5 NTU Low Flow-50 3 NTU Low
NTU High Flow*
Flow-8 NTU
High Flow*
Salinity/Conductivity
None
None
st

th

st

th

*Low flow begins June 1 and ends September 30 ; high flow begins October 1 and ends May 30

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

5

Oregon Water Quality Standards for Each WQP Parameter Monitored
Dissolved Oxygen
(Rule No. 340-041-0016)
(2) For water bodies identified by the Department as providing cold-water aquatic life,
the dissolved oxygen may not be less than 8.0 mg/l as an absolute minimum. Where
conditions of barometric pressure, altitude, and temperature preclude attainment of the
8.0 mg/l, dissolved oxygen may not be less than 90 percent of saturation. At the
discretion of the Department, when the Department determines that adequate information
exists, the dissolved oxygen may not fall below 8.0 mg/l as a 30-day mean minimum, 6.5
mg/l as a seven-day minimum mean, and may not fall below 6.0 mg/l as an absolute
minimum.
(5) For estuarine water, the dissolved oxygen concentrations may not be less than 6.5
mg/l (for coastal water bodies);
pH (hydrogen ion concentration)
(Rule No. 340-041-0021)
(1) Unless otherwise specified in OAR 340-041-0101 through 340-041-0350, pH values
(Hydrogen ion concentrations) may not fall outside the following ranges:
(b) Estuarine and fresh waters: 6.5-8.5.
Water Temperature
(Rule No. 340-041-0028)
(1) Background. Water temperatures affect the biological cycles of aquatic species and
are a critical factor in maintaining and restoring healthy salmonid populations throughout
the State. Water temperatures are influenced by solar radiation, stream shade, ambient air
temperatures, channel morphology, groundwater inflows, and stream velocity, volume,
and flow. Surface water temperatures may also be warmed by anthropogenic activities
such as discharging heated water, changing stream width or depth, reducing stream
shading, and water withdrawals.
(c)The seven-day-average maximum temperature of a stream identified as having salmon
and trout rearing and migration use may not exceed 18°C.
Turbidity
(Rule No. 340-041-0036)
The current Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) turbidity standard
specifically states that “[n]o more than a ten percent cumulative increase in natural
stream turbidities may be allowed, as measured relative to a control point immediately
upstream of the turbidity causing activity.”
DNR staff interviewed ODEQ staff to determine whether an alternate turbidity standard
could be applied in the interpretation of our discrete grab sample turbidity data. ODEQ
recommended that DNR apply an ambient background standard of 50 NTU to high flow
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

6

and 5 NTU to low flow estuarine turbidity data. ODEQ staff explained that studies of the
short term exposure of fish (e.g. salmon and trout) to these seasonal NTU’s have been
cited by previous studies as impacting fish behavioral response and growth rate – relative
to the fish’s perception of itself as either predator or prey (e.g. impact to juvenile
response time to predator or diminished foraging opportunities). Fresh water analysis of
the Tribes’ Sixes River data was based on median ambient high flow (8 NTU) and low
flow (3NTU) conditions of Oregon’s rivers listed in Table 3.6 of ODEQ’s Oct. 2005
DRAFT ‘Technical Basis for Revising Turbidity Criteria’. Within the “Oregon Water
Quality Index Report: Water Years 1995 – 2004,” ODEQ defines low summer flow as
st

th

beginning June 1 and ending September 30 , and high seasonal flow as beginning
st

th

October 1 and ending May 30 .
Salinity/Conductivity
No standard exists for this parameter. This parameter is primarily used to detect fresh and
salt water mixing and can be used as an indicator parameter for other pollutants.

Coordination and/or Collaboration with Other Organizations
The WQP works with local watershed associations to share technical expertise, strategies,
and water quality datasets. During this reporting period, the WQP provided water quality
datasets to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to assist in the development
of a Mid-Coast TMDL (http://www.deq.state.or.us/WQ/TMDLs/midcoast.htm) and to the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff for a local clam study in the Coos Bay
Estuary (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/Seacor/index.asp).

Outside Lab Support
Nutrient samples were processed by University of Washington’s Oceanography
Technical Services.

Data Summarization and Management
Characteristics of Water Quality Monitoring Data – Source: USGS Statistical Methods
in Water Resources, Helsel and Hirsch
Data analyzed by our program have the following characteristics:
• A lower bound of zero. No negative values are possible.
• Presence of ‘outliers’, observations considerably higher or lower than most of the
data, which infrequently but regularly occur.
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

7

• Positive skewness. Skewness can be expected when outlying values occur in only
one direction.
• Non-normal distribution, due to skewness, presence of outliers, and the lower bound
of zero. Symmetry does not guarantee normality. Symmetric data with more
observations at both extremes (heavy tails) that occurs for a normal distribution
are also non-normal.
• Seasonal patterns. Values tend to be higher or lower in certain seasons of the year.
• Autocorrelation. Consecutive observations tend to be strongly correlated with each
other. For the most common kind of autocorrelation in water resources (positive
autocorrelation), high values tend to follow high values and low values tend to
follow low values.
• Dependence on other uncontrolled variables. Values strongly covary with water
discharge, hydraulic conductivity, sediment grain size, or some other variable.
The summarization and graphing methods chosen for the analysis of the WQMP data
presented in this report were selected to recognize these common characteristics while
facilitating a quick and easy to understand visual and tabular reference for potential
trends in water quality captured by our data.

Data Summarization and Analysis Methodology
The following sections describe the methods of data analysis and summarization
presented in this report and attempt to explain why they were chosen over other methods.
Outliers
Outliers, observations whose values are quite different than others in the data set, are not
deleted from our data set unless they fall outside of instrument specifications. For our
purposes, outliers may be the most important points in our data set and are signals for
what parameters should be further investigated. Outliers can have one of three causes:
1. A measurement or recording error – These data are deleted from the data sets during the
QA/QC procedures.
2. An observation from a population not similar to that of most of the data, such as an elevated
spike in turbidity caused by a construction project rather than precipitation.
3. A rare event from a single population that is quite skewed.

Rather than eliminating actual (and possibly very important) data in order to use analysis
procedures requiring symmetry or normality, procedures resistant to outliers have been
employed in analysis of those data presented in this document. Computing the sample
mean alone may be of less value because an outlier observation, either high or low, has a
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

8

much greater influence on the overall mean than does a more typical observation. This
sensitivity to the magnitudes of a small number of points in the data set defines why the
mean is not a “resistant” measure of location (Fig. 1). It is not resistant to changes in the
presence of, or changes in the magnitudes of, a few outlying observations. The median,
however, is only minimally affected by the magnitude of a single observation, being
solely determined by the relative order of observations. This resistance to the effect of a
change in value or presence of outlying observations is the main reason we have chosen
to include the median in our summarization. In this case, we have chosen to let the data
guide which analysis procedures are employed, rather than altering the data in order to
implement analysis procedures that may be too restrictive for the informational purposes
of this report.
Graphical Data Analysis
Continuous Data
Exploratory analysis of our continuous water quality monitoring data has been applied to
these data in the form of box plots. This is an inductive procedure that has been used to
summarize, rather than test, these data. The results of the exploratory analysis of these
data will provide guidance toward the selection of appropriate deductive hypothesis
testing procedures implemented by CTCLUSI for future non-point source pollution
assessments and/or reports. According to USGS Book 4. Hydrologic Analysis and
Interpretation: Statistical Methods in Water Resources, the use of histograms for data
measured on a continuous scale is not the best method for graphical analysis of these
data. The process of forcing continuous data into discrete categories may obscure
important characteristics of the distribution. Histograms are best applied to data that have
natural categories or groupings (e.g., number of individual organisms found at a stream
site grouped by species type, or the number of water-supply wells exceeding some critical
yield grouped by geological unit). It is for this reason that we have chosen to graphically
display our continuous data with box plots.
Box plots provide visual summaries of:
1. The center of the data (the median)
2. The variation or spread (interquartile range – box height)
3. The skewness (quartile skew – the relative box halves)
4. Presence or absence of unusual values (outliers)

Although box plots do not present all of the data, presenting all of the data is more detail
than is necessary for the purposes of this report. Box plots presented in this report provide
concise visual summaries of essential data characteristics. The format of the box plots
presented herein is the ‘box-and-whisker plot’ consisting of a center point (the median)
splitting a rectangle defined by the upper and lower quartiles (Q3 and Q1). Whiskers of
the box are lines drawn from the ends of the box to the maximum and minimum of the
data. Thus a large amount of information is contained in a very concise illustration. Box
plots effectively illustrate the characteristics of data for a single variable, and accentuate
outliers for further inspection.
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

9

Discrete Data
Discrete water quality monitoring data is displayed in line graphs in an attempt to
facilitate the quick visual identification of potentially emerging baseline patterns
occurring within the 2008 water year and simultaneously comparing these data to 303(d)
and other ODEQ standards..
Coded Variable Code Definitions
Sampling Station:
North Fork Siuslaw Sonde
Mainstem Siuslaw Sonde
BLM Boat Ramp
Empire Dock Sonde
Sixes River Grab

Station Code
CTCNFWQ
CTCSIWQ
CTCEDWQ
CTCEMWQ
CTCSRWQ

The station code identifier is composed of a three letter code identifying our organization
CTC = CTCLUSI; a two letter code identifying the site NF = North Fork Siuslaw, SI =
Mainstem Siuslaw, ED = BLM Boat Ramp, EM = Empire Docks, SR = Sixes River; and
a two letter code identifying the type of data WQ = Water Quality.

Sonde Data Review and Editing Protocol
Our WQMP’s general philosophy for data acceptance or rejection is based on absolute
and discretionary factors.
(1) Absolute: In the first phase of data review and editing, values sometimes can be
rejected on the basis of absolute factors via software statements with no detailed analysis
of the study by the CTCLUSI data logger technician.
(2) Discretionary: In the second phase, we evaluate deployment data for site anomalies
to help determine whether these data should be migrated into the CTCLUSI water quality
data logger database.
Absolute data rejection (1)
The value recorded in the sonde memory is outside the listed range specifications of the
instrument.
The following criteria are based on the latest YSI 6-Series Environmental Monitoring
Systems Operating Manual sensor specifications in Appendix J and are what the
CTCLUSI error checking criteria are based on.
• Temperature: -5 to 45 °C
• Specific Conductivity: 0 to 100 mS/cm
• Salinity: 0 to 70 ppt
• Dissolved Oxygen (% Saturation): 0 to 200 and 200 to 500 % air saturation
• Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L): 0 to 20 and 20 to 50 mg/L
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

10

• Shallow Depth: 0 to 9.1m
• pH: 2 to 14 units
• Turbidity: 0 to 1000 NTU
Always reject data that are outside of the range of the probes; the only exceptions to
the absolute data rejection for out-of-range values are for the Shallow depth and
Turbidity probes. These exceptions are explained under their respective headings in this
document.
YSI Turbidity Probes
Contamination can cause the sonde’s Turbidity Probe zero calibration to be off by +5 to
+8 NTUs. So when the probe really experiences zero turbidity, the values are -5 to -8
NTU. Due to this known small calibration error possibility, small negative turbidity
values are kept in the data file and documented as anomalous due to this small calibration
error.

Site Location and Description
The following sections contain general watershed and water quality information for each
of the sites actively monitored by our program. Following each site description are graphs
displaying those data pertaining to current ODEQ standards and/or any 303(d) listings for
waters running through each monitoring location. This has been done in an attempt to
provide a quick identification of impairments potentially recorded in our monitoring data.
Tables summarizing water quality data collected at the site follow the graphical analysis.
1) North Fork Siuslaw River (WQE12) [43.978039, 124.080850 – Siuslaw
Watershed]
The North Fork Siuslaw sonde station is located in the Lower North Fork Siuslaw
watershed approximately 6 river miles from the mouth of the Siuslaw River and within
river mile one of the Lower North Fork Siuslaw River. Water quality at this site is both
tidally influenced and watershed driven. The Lower North Fork Siuslaw River is also
considered part of the Siuslaw Estuary. The North Fork Siuslaw River is 303(d) listed for
sedimentation and temperature beginning at river mile 0.4 to 27.3. The sedimentation
listing is based on the criteria of the formation of appreciable bottom sludge deposits or
the formation of any organic or inorganic deposits deleterious to fish or other aquatic life
and the impact to the beneficial use of resident fish and aquatic life. The temperature
listing is based on the salmon and trout rearing and migration beneficial use criteria
temperature not to exceed an 18°C 7-day average maximum. The North Fork Siuslaw has
also been listed as water quality limited for habitat modification. Of the parameters listed,
temperature is the only one cited by ODEQ as impacting the beneficial use of salmon and
trout rearing and migration year round and as a result ODEQ has identified this reach as
requiring a temperature TMDL.
North Fork Siuslaw Continuous/Sonde Data Analysis
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

11

The following box and whisker plots display sonde temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
pH data collected at this site. The graphs have been produced with the appropriate ODEQ
standards and/or 303(d) listing in an attempt to facilitate rapid visual understanding of the
trends occurring at the site. Those data presented in the temperature box plot (Box plot 1)
indicate that the majority of continuous temperature data collected at CTCLUSI’s North
Fork sonde station throughout July and August exceeded the salmon and trout rearing and
migration beneficial use criteria of 18°C 7-day average maximum temperature and
therefore support the 303(d) listing for temperature within the North Fork Siuslaw River.
In addition to supporting the 303(d) listing for the site, dissolved oxygen data collected at
the site indicate an additional impairment to water quality is occurring at the site.
Although the Mainstem Siuslaw River is 303(d) listed from river mile 5.7 to 105.9 as
st

impacting the designated beneficial use of anadromous fish for dissolved oxygen June 1
th

– September 14 (based on the criteria of cold water no less than 8.0 mg/l or 90% of
saturation) and impacting the designated beneficial use of salmonids fish spawning for
th

st

dissolved oxygen September 15 to May 31 (based on the spawning criteria not less than
11.0 mg/l or 95% saturation), the North Fork Siuslaw is not. However, our initial analysis
of the continuous data collected by our program at this site indicate that impairments to
dissolved oxygen similar to those listed for the Mainstem Siuslaw River are occurring
within the North Fork Siuslaw River (Box plot 2). A trend of low pH (Box plot 3) was
noted in November through April although the monthly median never fell below the DEQ
minimum of 6.5 for estuaries.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

12

Siuslaw River, North Fork Temperature Trend: Water Year 2008
25

20

Temperature °C

DEQ Upper Limit for Salmon and Trout Rearing and Migration: 18°C

15

Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

10

5

0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 1.
Siuslaw River, North Fork Dissolved Oxygen Trend: Water Year 2008
16.00

14.00

Dissolved Oxygen mg/l

12.00
DEQ Spawn Standard: 11 mg/l
10.00
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

8.00
DEQ Cold Water Standard: 8.0 mg/l

6.00

DEQ Estuarine Standard: 6.5 mg/l

4.00

2.00

0.00
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 2.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

13

Siuslaw River, North Fork pH Trend: Water Year 2008
9.0

8.5
DEQ Upper pH Limit for Estuaries: 8.5
8.0

pH

7.5
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

7.0

6.5
DEQ Lower pH Limit for Estuaries: 6.5
6.0

5.5

5.0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 3.
Monthly North Fork Siuslaw River Temperature C°: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
13.30
15.70
12.80
9.10
11.80
12.57
1.08
1488

Nov07
10.50
11.60
10.20
8.90
9.80
10.16
0.48
942

Dec07
8.10
10.70
7.40
5.70
6.90
7.61
0.97
1218

Jan08
7.40
9.40
6.50
3.10
5.50
6.45
1.41
1488

Feb08
8.40
10.20
8.00
6.10
7.40
7.94
0.76
1392

Mar08
9.20
10.90
8.70
6.80
8.30
8.69
0.72
1488

Apr08
11.40
13.60
9.70
6.80
8.90
10.03
1.44
1440

May08
15.90
20.40
14.10
9.70
12.40
14.20
2.26
1488

Jun08
16.70
21.00
14.90
9.90
13.50
15.16
2.12
1440

Jul08
19.40
22.30
18.30
11.70
16.40
17.76
2.23
1488

Aug08
18.90
21.40
18.00
11.40
16.80
17.77
1.63
1488

Sep08
16.93
19.40
15.60
11.80
14.70
15.79
1.55
1440

Monthly North Fork Siuslaw River Dissolved Oxygen Concentration mg/l: Water Year
2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
9.40
10.80
8.30
5.60
7.50
8.43
1.14
1488

Nov07
10.20
11.30
9.60
8.50
9.30
9.78
0.60
942

Dec07
12.40
13.50
11.90
9.70
11.50
11.85
0.78
1218

Jan08
12.80
14.00
12.20
9.80
11.60
12.21
0.77
1488

Feb08
12.10
12.80
11.80
10.10
11.40
11.74
0.48
1392

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Mar08
12.20
12.90
11.90
9.80
11.50
11.83
0.53
1488

Apr08
12.00
12.80
11.60
8.70
11.20
11.58
0.58
1440

May08
10.50
12.90
9.90
6.20
9.30
9.89
0.91
1488

Jun08
10.20
14.10
9.50
3.30
8.80
9.56
1.20
1440

Jul08
8.30
11.70
7.10
1.80
6.30
7.21
1.66
1488

Aug08
7.40
10.80
6.50
2.60
5.80
6.57
1.21
1488

14

Sep08
8.10
10.70
7.40
3.30
7.00
7.55
0.96
1440

Monthly North Fork Siuslaw River pH: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
7.70
8.00
7.40
6.50
7.20
7.40
0.34
1488

Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
19.00
30.60
13.40
0.10
5.70
12.66
7.81
1488

Nov07
7.60
7.90
7.50
6.60
7.10
7.36
0.36
942

Dec07
6.90
8.00
6.70
5.80
6.40
6.75
0.42
1218

Jan08
6.90
8.00
6.70
6.20
6.50
6.78
0.38
1488

Feb08
7.00
7.90
6.70
6.20
6.50
6.80
0.40
1392

Mar08
7.10
7.80
6.70
6.10
6.40
6.77
0.44
1488

Apr08
7.20
8.10
6.90
6.30
6.60
6.94
0.41
1440

May08
7.40
7.90
7.10
6.10
6.80
7.09
0.42
1488

Jun08
8.00
8.60
7.60
6.50
7.20
7.60
0.46
1440

Jul08
7.50
8.20
7.20
6.50
6.90
7.23
0.37
1488

Aug08
7.30
7.80
7.10
6.50
6.80
7.07
0.30
1488

Sep08
7.30
7.70
7.10
6.50
6.90
7.09
0.25
1440

Aug08
23.10
31.00
19.00
2.90
14.30
18.49
6.06
1488

Sep08
24.00
30.90
20.50
7.70
15.90
19.86
5.37
1440

Monthly North Fork Siuslaw River Salinity ppt: Water Year 2008
Nov07
18.08
27.90
12.50
0.00
4.50
11.65
8.02
942

Dec07
0.98
21.70
0.10
0.00
0.10
1.89
4.28
1218

Jan08
0.20
26.10
0.10
0.00
0.00
1.58
4.38
1488

Feb08
1.30
26.00
0.10
0.00
0.00
2.07
4.53
1392

Mar08
2.63
25.90
0.20
0.00
0.10
2.50
4.76
1488

Apr08
3.40
22.90
0.50
0.00
0.10
2.47
3.90
1440

May08
13.63
27.00
7.35
0.00
1.90
8.55
7.25
1488

Jun08
16.80
30.50
10.95
0.10
5.30
11.58
7.67
1440

Jul08
22.03
31.30
17.60
2.40
12.90
17.47
6.35
1488

Monthly North Fork Siuslaw River Turbidity NTU: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
6.00
338.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
5.39
16.61
1488

Nov07
4.00
45.00
2.00
0.00
1.00
4.09
6.29
941

Dec07
9.00
996.00
6.00
0.00
4.00
9.03
38.90
1217

Jan08
7.00
998.00
5.00
1.00
3.00
9.82
52.81
1480

Feb08
6.00
443.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
7.78
25.40
1386

Mar08
6.00
956.00
4.00
0.00
2.00
8.08
35.69
1488

Apr08
5.00
580.00
3.00
1.00
3.00
5.67
25.50
1439

May08
5.00
658.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
9.10
44.31
1487

Jun08
5.00
971.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
9.77
46.72
1386

Jul08
4.00
773.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
9.42
38.55
1480

Aug08
5.00
391.00
4.00
0.00
2.00
24.00
57.89
1485

North Fork Siuslaw Bacteria Data
CTCLUSI began collecting water samples for microbiological analysis of E.coli and
Enterococcus in May 2006. Because the data set for this parameter is relatively small, no
statistical analysis has been applied to these data. The following tables list all bacteria
data collected by our program for water year 2008. Our program currently compares
single grab samples to ODEQ and EPA established numeric criteria for Freshwaters and
Estuarine Waters of either 1) no single sample exceeding 406 E.coli organisms per 100
milliliters (406 MPN) or 2) The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommendation of the safe standard for Enterococcus to be no more than 158 colony
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

15

Sep08
4.00
20.00
2.00
-1.00
1.00
2.48
1.95
1440

forming units (158 MPN) per 100 milliliters of marine water. No samples collected by
our program during water year 2008 at this site have exceeded either of these criteria.

North Fork E. coli Data: Water Year 2008
Sample Date
11/1/2007
11/20/2007
12/17/2007
3/27/2008
5/1/2008
6/4/2008
7/8/2008
8/13/2008
9/9/2008

Sample
ID
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1

Analyte
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.

MPN/100mL
20.2
62
354.5
20.2
20.2
133.6
10
< 10.0
< 10.0

North Fork Enterococcus Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
11/1/2007
11/20/2007
12/17/2007
3/27/2008
5/1/2008
6/4/2008
7/8/2008
8/13/2008
9/9/2008

Sample
ID
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1
NF 1

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Analyte
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci

MPN/100mL
< 10.0
10
110
< 10.0
< 10.0
10
< 10.0
< 10.0
10

16

2) Siuslaw River Mainstem [43.974167, 124.071111–Siuslaw Watershed]
The Siuslaw River sonde station is located in the Siuslaw River Mainstem approximately
7 river miles from the mouth of the Siuslaw River. Water quality at this site is both tidally
influenced and watershed driven. This sonde station is also located within the Siuslaw
Estuary. The Siuslaw River is 303(d) listed from river mile 5.7 to 105.9 as impacting the
st

designated beneficial use of anadromous fish for dissolved oxygen June 1 – September
th

14 . This listing is based on the criteria of cold water no less than 8.0 mg/l or 90% of
saturation. This reach of the Siuslaw River is also 303(d) listed as impacting the
designated beneficial use of salmonids fish spawning for dissolved oxygen September
th

st

15 to May 31 . This listing is based on the spawning criteria not less than 11.0 mg/l or
95% saturation. The Siuslaw River is 303(d) listed as impacting the year round (nonspawning) beneficial use for salmon and trout rearing and migration for temperature from
river mile 0 to 106. This listing is based on the salmon and trout rearing and migration
temperature criteria not greater than an 18.0 ° C 7-day average maximum. In addition to
the adverse impacts to water quality associated with low dissolved oxygen and high water
temperature, water quality in the Siuslaw River Mainstem and Estuary is also 303(d)
listed as impacting the year round beneficial use of shellfish for fecal coliform from river
mile 5.7 to 105.9. This listing is based on the criteria for the fecal coliform median of 14
organisms per 100ml or no more than 10% of samples greater than 43 organisms per 100
ml. Of the parameters listed, ODEQ cites the need for fecal coliform and temperature
TMDLs within the Siuslaw River Mainstem and Estuary.
Siuslaw River Mainstem Continuous/Sonde Data Analysis
The following box and whisker plots display sonde temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
pH data collected at this site. The graphs have been produced with the appropriate ODEQ
standards and/or 303(d) listing in an attempt to facilitate rapid visual understanding of the
trends occurring at the site. Data collection for this site was discontinued and the sonde
dismantled on 2/21/08. This site has previously been noted as impaired in the summer
months for DO and temperature but no supporting data was collected for water year
2008. A low winter pH trend similar to the North Fork was noted in the Mainstem (Box
plot 6) with very low numbers observed in January. The exceptionally low pH numbers
in January corresponded with a low battery error in the sonde and the data may be
ultimately rejected after closer scrutiny.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

17

Siuslaw River, Main Stem Temperature Trend: Water Year 2008
25

20

Temperature °C

DEQ Upper Limit for Salmon and Trout Rearing and Migration: 18°C

15

Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

Data collection discontinued 2/21/08
10

5

0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 4
Siuslaw River, Main Stem Dissolved Oxygen Trend: Water Year 2008
16.00

14.00

Dissolved Oxygen mg/l

12.00
DEQ Spawn Standard: 11 mg/l
10.00
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

Data collection discontinued 2/21/08
8.00
DEQ Cold Water Standard: 8.0 mg/l
6.00

DEQ Estuarine Standard: 6.5 mg/l

4.00

2.00

0.00
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 5

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

18

Siuslaw River, Main Stem pH Trend: Water Year 2008
9.0

8.5
DEQ Upper pH Limit for Estuaries: 8.5
8.0

7.5
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

pH

Data collection discontinued 2/21/08
7.0

6.5
DEQ Lower pH Limit for Estuaries: 6.5
6.0

5.5

5.0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 6
Monthly Mainstem Siuslaw River Temperature C°: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
13.40
15.40
12.70
10.50
11.90
12.66
1.00
1488

Nov07
8.90
10.90
8.00
5.20
6.80
7.96
1.46
543

Dec07
8.10
10.20
7.60
6.00
7.10
7.86
1.06
961

Jan08
7.80
8.70
7.10
3.30
6.50
7.16
0.87
1073

Feb08
7.90
8.50
7.40
6.90
7.20
7.53
0.41
286

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08

Sep08

Monthly Mainstem Siuslaw River Dissolved Oxygen Concentration mg/l: Water Year
2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
9.50
10.70
8.60
6.80
8.20
8.82
0.88
1488

Nov07
11.80
12.90
11.30
8.90
10.40
11.12
1.00
543

Dec07
12.00
12.60
11.80
10.30
11.40
11.72
0.42
961

Jan08
12.10
12.80
11.60
9.30
11.30
11.64
0.62
1073

Feb08
12.50
13.30
12.25
10.30
11.30
11.94
0.71
286

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08

19

Sep08

Monthly Mainstem Siuslaw River pH: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
7.80
8.10
7.60
6.90
7.30
7.57
0.31
1488

Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
22.70
31.80
16.90
0.10
10.80
16.01
8.44
1488

Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
4.00
32.00
2.00
0.00
2.00
3.56
3.26
1488

Nov07
7.80
8.00
7.50
6.30
6.90
7.38
0.44
543

Dec07
6.60
7.90
6.40
6.10
6.30
6.59
0.43
961

Jan08
6.50
7.80
6.10
5.60
5.90
6.27
0.51
1073

Feb08
7.80
8.00
7.20
6.70
7.00
7.35
0.41
286

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08

Sep08

Aug08

Sep08

Aug08

Sep08

Monthly Mainstem Siuslaw River Salinity ppt: Water Year 2008
Nov07
19.20
29.90
9.00
0.00
0.80
10.77
9.52
543

Dec07
0.10
24.20
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.62
4.24
961

Jan08
0.20
29.80
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.73
6.40
1073

Feb08
14.10
26.80
2.35
0.00
0.10
6.97
8.41
286

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Monthly Mainstem Siuslaw River Turbidity NTU: Water Year 2008
Nov07
9.00
36.00
6.00
0.00
3.00
6.54
4.51
543

Dec07
14.00
150.00
8.00
0.00
5.00
13.25
17.97
961

Jan08
9.00
24.00
5.00
1.00
4.00
6.69
3.73
1073

Feb08
4.00
9.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
3.22
1.31
286

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Siuslaw Mainstem Bacteria Data
CTCLUSI began collecting water samples for microbiological analysis of E.coli and
Enterococcus in May 2006. Because the data set for this parameter is relatively small, no
statistical analysis has been applied to these data. The following tables list all bacteria
data collected by our program for water year 2008. Our program currently compares
single grab samples to ODEQ and EPA established numeric criteria for Freshwaters and
Estuarine Waters of either 1) no single sample exceeding 406 E. coli organisms per 100
milliliters (406 MPN) or 2) The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommendation of the safe standard for Enterococcus to be no more than 158 colony
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

20

forming units (158 MPN) per 100 milliliters of marine water. A single water sample
collected on 12/17/07 exceeded both the E. coli and Enterococci criteria.
Siuslaw Mainstem E. coli Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
11/1/2007
11/20/2007
12/17/2007
1/29/2008
3/10/2008

Sample
ID
MS 1
MS 1
MS 1
MS 1
MS

Analyte
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.

MPN/100mL
20.2
52.1
1075.8
52.1
30.6

Siuslaw Mainstem Enterococcus Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
11/1/2007
11/20/2007
12/17/2007
1/29/2008
3/10/2008

Sample
ID
MS 1
MS 1
MS 1
MS 1
MS

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Analyte
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci

MPN/100mL
< 10.0
20.1
291.7
10
< 10.0

21

3) BLM Boat Ramp [43.398019, 124.286034 – Coos Watershed]
The BLM Sonde station is located approximately 6 river miles from the mouth of the
Lower Coos Bay Estuary. This is a marine dominated site. The Coos Estuary and its
watershed are located in the lowlands of the southwestern Oregon Coast Range. It is the
largest Oregon estuary completely contained within state boundaries and is the fifth
largest estuary in the Pacific Northwest (South Slough National Estuarine Research
Reserve (SSNERR) Management Plan, 13). The Coos River and its estuary are
considered to be a “drowned river mouth” system. ODEQ lists 303(d) impairments to
water quality in the upper bay and jetty inlet/ South Slough area of Coos Bay. The lower
jetty inlet/ South Slough (river mile 0 to 5.3) and upper bay (river mile 7.8 to 12.3) are
currently listed for fecal coliform year round. Additional listings of potential concern for
the upper bay are heavy metals (tributyltin, copper, lead, chromium, lead, and nickel) and
st

temperature (Oct 1 to May 31 ). Although surface waters immediately adjacent to the
BLM Boat Ramp sonde station are not 303(d) listed, the monitoring of potential impacts
to water quality from non point sources located upbay and downbay of this site are within
tribal interest due to the historic association with tribal subsistence resources within the
bay such as shellfish harvesting and fishing.
BLM Boat Ramp Continuous/Sonde Data Analysis
The following box and whisker plots display sonde temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
pH data collected at this site. The graphs have been produced with the appropriate ODEQ
standards and/or 303(d) listing in an attempt to facilitate rapid visual understanding of the
trends occurring at the site. Data collected at the BLM Boat Ramp site do not indicate
impairments to water quality have been or are occurring at the site.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

22

Coos Bay, BLM Temperature Trend: Water Year 2008
25

20

Temperature °C

DEQ Upper Limit for Salmon and Trout Rearing and Migration: 18 °C
15

Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

10

5

0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 7
Coos Bay, BLM Dissolved Oxygen Trend: Water Year 2008
16.00

14.00

Dissolved Oxygen mg/l

12.00
DEQ Spawn Standard: 11 mg/l
10.00
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

8.00
DEQ Cold Water Standard: 8.0 mg/l
6.00

DEQ Estuarine Standard: 6.5 mg/l

4.00

2.00

0.00
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 8
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

23

Coos Bay, BLM pH Trend: Water Year 2008
9.0

8.5
DEQ Upper pH Limit for Estuaries: 8.5
8.0

pH

7.5
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

7.0

6.5
DEQ Lower pH Limit for Estuaries: 6.5
6.0

5.5

5.0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 9
Monthly Coos Bay BLM Temperature C°: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
13.30
14.40
12.90
9.80
12.20
12.63
0.97
1488

Nov07
10.70
11.80
10.30
8.00
9.70
10.22
0.76
1440

Dec07
9.40
10.90
8.60
6.90
8.10
8.80
0.90
1488

Jan08
8.60
9.20
8.00
5.60
7.30
7.91
0.85
1487

Feb08
8.80
9.70
8.70
6.10
8.20
8.44
0.66
1391

Mar08
9.70
10.70
9.50
8.20
9.30
9.53
0.38
1487

Apr08
10.60
12.30
10.00
8.10
9.58
10.10
0.77
1440

May08
13.30
16.50
11.80
8.30
10.80
11.97
1.74
1488

Jun08
13.30
16.00
12.40
8.50
10.90
12.15
1.55
1440

Jul08
14.90
17.00
13.50
8.30
11.70
13.24
2.03
1488

Aug08
15.30
17.60
14.10
9.00
12.60
13.86
1.92
555

Sep08
14.10
15.70
12.90
9.20
11.70
12.82
1.44
941

Monthly Coos Bay BLM Dissolved Oxygen Concentration mg/l: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
8.50
9.60
8.20
6.90
8.00
8.24
0.41
1488

Nov07
9.30
9.90
9.10
7.20
8.80
8.99
0.43
1440

Dec07
10.10
11.00
9.80
8.40
9.60
9.83
0.39
1488

Jan08
10.40
11.50
10.00
8.20
9.70
10.01
0.54
1487

Feb08
10.60
12.00
10.30
8.30
10.00
10.33
0.51
1391

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Mar08
10.50
11.30
10.10
8.50
9.90
10.17
0.46
1487

Apr08
10.00
11.20
9.70
5.90
9.30
9.63
0.64
1440

May08
9.30
11.70
8.60
3.70
8.00
8.63
0.98
1488

Jun08
8.80
12.10
8.20
2.70
7.70
8.23
1.00
1440

Jul08
9.40
12.70
8.60
1.60
7.88
8.64
1.14
1488

Aug08
9.00
11.90
8.20
3.40
7.60
8.36
1.23
555

Sep08
8.80
10.40
8.20
5.60
7.80
8.31
0.71
941

24

Monthly Coos Bay BLM pH: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
7.90
8.10
7.60
7.40
7.50
7.67
0.19
1488

Nov07
7.70
7.80
7.60
7.00
7.30
7.51
0.19
1440

Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
32.20
33.60
31.30
20.50
29.60
30.43
2.43
1488

Nov07
31.33
33.70
29.60
9.10
26.60
28.17
4.71
1440

Dec07
7.70
7.80
7.30
7.00
7.30
7.44
0.21
1488

Jan08
7.80
7.90
7.80
7.20
7.70
7.70
0.15
1487

Feb08
7.70
7.80
7.60
6.80
7.40
7.53
0.21
1391

Mar08
7.80
8.00
7.80
7.60
7.70
7.78
0.09
1487

Apr08
8.10
8.30
8.00
7.50
7.90
8.02
0.13
1440

May08
8.00
8.20
7.90
7.50
7.80
7.90
0.12
1488

Jun08
8.00
8.20
7.90
7.40
7.80
7.89
0.11
1440

Jul08
7.80
8.20
7.40
6.70
7.30
7.52
0.30
1488

Aug08
7.30
7.50
7.20
6.80
7.10
7.20
0.12
555

Sep08
7.50
7.70
7.50
7.20
7.40
7.48
0.07
941

Jul08
33.00
33.90
32.40
28.40
31.60
32.26
0.96
1488

Aug08
32.10
33.10
31.60
30.40
31.30
31.71
0.59
555

Sep08
33.00
33.60
32.70
31.70
32.30
32.66
0.44
941

Monthly Coos Bay BLM Salinity ppt: Water Year 2008
Dec07
28.00
33.40
23.70
6.60
18.70
23.22
5.87
1488

Jan08
27.15
33.10
22.50
6.30
16.45
21.71
6.71
1487

Feb08
27.80
33.10
23.90
3.70
17.95
22.74
6.78
1391

Mar08
28.60
33.20
25.70
13.70
21.30
24.94
4.90
1487

Apr08
27.93
32.90
24.75
15.80
22.60
25.26
3.56
1440

May08
30.50
33.60
28.40
19.50
26.40
28.23
3.02
1488

Jun08
32.10
33.80
30.50
25.80
29.10
30.47
1.92
1440

Monthly Coos Bay BLM Turbidity NTU: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07
4.00
1063.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
8.02
52.61
1486

Nov07
4.00
15.00
2.00
0.00
1.00
2.76
1.93
1440

Dec07
5.00
29.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
4.06
2.74
1488

Jan08
5.00
44.00
4.00
1.00
3.00
4.68
3.82
1487

Feb08
5.00
58.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
4.06
4.10
1391

Mar08
2.00
10.00
2.00
0.00
1.00
1.76
1.26
1487

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Apr08
4.00
286.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
3.74
10.12
1438

May08
3.00
1055.00
2.00
1.00
2.00
3.57
27.32
1488

Jun08
3.00
308.00
2.00
0.00
1.00
2.54
8.52
1440

Jul08
5.00
618.00
3.00
0.00
2.00
4.33
16.11
1486

Aug08
6.00
19.00
4.00
1.00
3.00
4.68
2.86
555

25

Sep08
2.00
9.00
1.00
-1.00
1.00
1.34
1.03
941

BLM Boat Ramp Bacteria Data
CTCLUSI began collecting water samples for microbiological analysis of E.coli and
Enterococcus in Coos Bay in May 2006. Because the data set for this parameter is
relatively small, no statistical analysis has been applied to these data. The following
tables list all bacteria data collected by our program for this site during water year 2008.
Our program currently compares single grab samples to ODEQ and EPA established
numeric criteria for Freshwaters and Estuarine Waters of either 1) no single sample
exceeding 406 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters (406 MPN) or 2) The federal
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendation of the safe standard for
Enterococcus to be no more than 158 colony forming units (158 MPN) per 100 milliliters
of marine water. A single water sample collected on 11/19/07 exceeded the Enterococci
criteria.
Coos Bay BLM E. coli Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
10/30/2007
11/19/2007
12/20/2007
1/28/2008
3/10/2008
4/3/2008
5/5/2008
6/4/2008
7/9/2008
8/12/2008
9/11/2008

Sample ID
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM

Analyte
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.
E. coli.

MPN/100mL
20.2
196.7
10
10
< 10.0
< 10.0
10
< 10.0
10
< 10.0
< 10.0

Coos Bay BLM Enterococcus Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
10/30/2007
11/19/2007
12/20/2007
1/28/2008
3/10/2008
4/3/2008
5/1/2008
6/4/2008
7/9/2008
8/12/2008
9/11/2008

Sample ID
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM 1
BLM

Analyte
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci
Enterococci

MPN/100mL
< 10.0
184.9
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0
< 10.0

4) Empire Docks [43.394219, 124.280394 – Coos Watershed]
The Empire Docks sonde station is a new site installed on 8/22/08. The Empire Docks
Sonde station is located approximately 5 Miles from the mouth of the Lower Coos Bay
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

26

Estuary. This is a marine dominated site. The Coos Estuary and its watershed are located
in the lowlands of the southwestern Oregon Coast Range. It is the largest Oregon estuary
completely contained within state boundaries and is the fifth largest estuary in the Pacific
Northwest (South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR) Management
Plan, 13). The Coos River and its estuary are considered to be a “drowned river mouth”
system. ODEQ lists 303(d) impairments to water quality in the upper bay and jetty inlet/
South Slough area of Coos Bay. The lower jetty inlet/ South Slough (river mile 0 to 5.3)
and upper bay (river mile 7.8 to 12.3) are currently listed for fecal coliform year round.
Additional listings of potential concern for the upper bay are heavy metals (tributyltin,
st

copper, lead, chromium, lead, and nickel) and temperature (Oct 1 to May 31 ). Although
surface waters immediately adjacent to the BLM Boat Ramp sonde station are not 303(d)
listed, the monitoring of potential impacts to water quality from non point sources located
upbay and downbay of this site are within tribal interest due to the historic association
with tribal subsistence resources within the bay such as shellfish harvesting and fishing.
Empire Docks Continuous/Sonde Data Analysis
The following box and whisker plots display sonde temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
pH data collected at this site. The graphs have been produced with the appropriate ODEQ
standards and/or 303(d) listing in an attempt to facilitate rapid visual understanding of the
trends occurring at the site. The initial data collected at the Empire Docks site do not
indicate impairments to water quality have been or are occurring at the site.

Coos Bay, Empire Docks Temperature Trend: Water Year 2008
25

20

Temperature °C

DEQ Upper Limit for Salmon and Trout Rearing and Migration: 18°C

15

Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

Data collection initiated 8/22/08

10

5

0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Boxplot 10
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

27

Coos Bay, Empire Dock Dissolved Oxygen Trend: Water Year 2008
16.00

14.00

Dissolved Oxygen mg/l

12.00
DEQ Spawn Standard: 11 mg/l
10.00
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

Data collection initiated 8/22/08
8.00

DEQ Cold Water Standard: 8.0 mg/l

6.00

DEQ Estuarine Standard: 6.5 mg/l

4.00

2.00

0.00
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 11

Coos Bay, Empire Dock pH Trend: Water Year 2008
9.0

8.5
DEQ Upper pH Limit for Estuaries: 8.5
8.0
Data collection initiated 8/22/08

pH

7.5
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1

7.0

6.5
DEQ Lower pH Limit for Estuaries: 6.5
6.0

5.5

5.0
Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Date

Box plot 12

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

28

Monthly Coos Bay Empire Docks Temperature C°: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07

Nov07

Dec07

Jan08

Feb08

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08
16.13
17.60
15.30
10.30
14.10
14.93
1.71
460

Sep08
13.20
15.60
12.20
9.20
11.30
12.24
1.29
1440

Monthly Coos Bay Empire Docks Dissolved Oxygen Concentration mg/l: Water Year
2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07

Nov07

Oct07

Nov07

Dec07

Jan08

Feb08

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08
8.40
9.20
8.10
6.30
7.40
7.91
0.64
460

Sep08
9.10
10.60
8.40
6.50
7.90
8.49
0.76
1440

Jul08

Aug08
7.90
8.00
7.90
7.60
7.80
7.84
0.10
460

Sep08
7.70
7.90
7.60
7.40
7.60
7.64
0.08
1440

Aug08
32.50
33.30
32.20
31.10
32.00
32.21
0.45
460

Sep08
33.90
34.40
33.50
31.70
33.00
33.38
0.61
1440

Monthly Coos Bay Empire Docks pH: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Dec07

Jan08

Feb08

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Monthly Coos Bay Empire Docks Salinity ppt: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07

Nov07

Dec07

Jan08

Feb08

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

29

Monthly Coos Bay Empire Docks Turbidity NTU: Water Year 2008
Statistics
Q3
Max
Median
Min
Q1
Mean
Std Dev
N

Oct07

Nov07

Dec07

Jan08

Feb08

Mar08

Apr08

May08

Jun08

Jul08

Aug08
4.00
8.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
2.96
1.07
460

Sep08
3.00
109.00
2.00
-1.00
1.00
2.14
3.18
1439

Empire Docks Bacteria Data
CTCLUSI began collecting water samples for microbiological analysis of E.coli and
Enterococcus at this site in September 2008. Because the data set for this parameter is a
single point, no statistical analysis can be applied. The following tables list all bacteria
data collected by our program for this site during water year 2008. Our program currently
compares single grab samples to ODEQ and EPA established numeric criteria for
Freshwaters and Estuarine Waters of either 1) no single sample exceeding 406 E. coli
organisms per 100 milliliters (406 MPN) or 2) The federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) recommendation of the safe standard for Enterococcus to be no more than
158 colony forming units (158 MPN) per 100 milliliters of marine water. No samples
collected as this site during water year 2008 have exceeded either of these criteria.
Empire Docks E. coli Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
9/11/2008

Sample
ID
EMP 1

Analyte
E. coli.

MPN/100mL
< 10.0

Empire Docks Enterococcus Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
9/11/2008

Sample
ID
EMP 1

Analyte
Enterococci

MPN/100mL
< 10.0

5) Sixes River [42.810972, 124.445361 – Sixes Watershed]
The Sixes River stream monitoring site is located approximately 7 river miles from the
mouth of the river. This is a freshwater site and as such water quality at the site is likely
watershed and/or storm event driven. This is a discrete monitoring site (see Stream
Discrete Monitoring under Monitoring Methods and Frequency). The Sixes River
headwaters in the Klamath Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean north of Cape
Blanco near Sixes, Oregon, draining approximately 85,645 acres of land. This basin is
one of the largest occurring in the southern Oregon coast. The land uses in the watershed
are dominated by forestry, ranching, and rural residences. The water quality of the Sixes
River and many of its tributaries is 303(d) listed by ODEQ as impaired by elevated
temperature in the summer.
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

30

CTCLUSI deploys an automated HOBO temperature datalogger at this site during the
summer months. The HOBOs are used for long – term deployment and record the
temperature at the site at 30 minute intervals. HOBO data collected by our program in the
summer of 2008 were viewed and summarized using an ODEQ developed MS Excel
macro called HYDROSTATSimple203.xls.

Sixes River Summer 2008 HOBO Temperature Analysis

30.0

Temperature degrees (C)

25.0

20.0

DEQ Upper limit for Salmon and Trout Rearing and Migration: 18 °C
7-Day Avgs

15.0

10.0

5.0

10/19/08

10/05/08

09/21/08

09/07/08

08/24/08

08/10/08

07/27/08

07/13/08

06/29/08

06/15/08

06/01/08

0.0

Dates

The above chart generated from the automated HOBO temperature datalogger shows
summer temperatures above the 18 °C DEQ upper limit for salmon and trout rearing and
migration. This agrees with the ODEQ 303(d) listing as impaired by elevated
temperature in the summer.
Sixes River Basic Habitat and Macroinvertebrates
CTCLUSI began collecting macroinvertebrate samples and basic habitat data in 2007.
Macroinvertebrate samples are taken at the beginning of the low flow season (mid June –
mid July) and again at the end of the low flow season (mid July-mid Sept). The
macroinvertebrate sampling site is a riffle 37.6 meters in length, 8.7 meters wide, 20 cm
deep with a surface velocity of 1.47 m/sec. The bottom substrate is approximately 75%
cobble, 20% gravel and 5% sand with about 2% sticks and other plant material and no
large woody debris. A brownish diatomaceous and filamentous alga covers the bottom
substrate. The site is partially shaded with trees and shrubs with the shoreline dominated
by grasses. The surrounding area is predominately forested with scattered residences.
2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

31

Sixes River Macroinvertebrate Samples: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
10/3/07

Sample
ID
Sixes

D-net
composites
4

6/24/08

Sixes

4

Notes
End low flow season
Beginning low flow
season

Preliminary sorting and examination of the macroinvertebrates samples reveals an
abundance of stoneflies, mayflies and caddisflies including some sensitive species. The
presence of sensitive species is indicative of low impacts caused by human disturbance.
The final sorting and identification of species in the preserved macroinvertebrate samples
is in process.
Sixes River Bacteria Data
The WQP began collecting water samples for microbiological analysis of E. coli and
Enterococcus at this site in April 2006. Because the data set for this parameter is small,
no statistical analysis has been applied to these data. The following tables list all bacteria
data collected by our program for this site during water year 2008. Our program currently
compares single grab samples to ODEQ and EPA established numeric criteria for
Freshwaters and Estuarine Waters of either 1) no single sample exceeding 406 E. coli
organisms per 100 milliliters (406 MPN) or 2) The federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) recommendation of the safe standard for Enterococcus to be no more than
158 colony forming units (158 MPN) per 100 milliliters of marine water. No samples
collected as this site during water year 2008 have exceeded either of these criteria.
Sixes River E. coli Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
5/13/2008
6/24/2008

Sample
ID
Sixes 1
Sixes 1

Analyte
E. coli.
E. coli.

MPN/100mL
30.6
< 10.0

Sixes River Enterococcus Data: Water Year 2008
Sample
Date
5/13/2008
6/24/2008

Sample
ID
Sixes 1
Sixes 1

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

Analyte
Enterococci
Enterococci

MPN/100mL
< 10.0
< 10.0

32

Issues of Tribal Concerns
Tribal water quality issues of concern continue to be the impairments listed on EPA’s
Clean Water Act 303 (d) Lists. These impairments are more than likely attributed to
multiple non-point sources contributions and land use practices within the watersheds.
While there is no indication that the CTCLUSI are contributing to these impairments,
CTCLUSI holdings in the lower portions of these watersheds are bearing the brunt of
these impairments. Being traditionally centered in the estuarine and lower freshwater
portions of the watershed, the CTCLUSI and our traditional natural/cultural resources
including subsistence foods such as shellfish are particularly at risk from impairments
originating in upper portions of the watershed. Point source contributions that may be
attributed to these impairments have not been assessed by the WQP. An inventory of
known point sources would be valuable information in addressing tribal water quality
issues. Detailed information on the types of impairments found at each monitoring site
can be found under the Site Description and Location section of this report.

Conclusion
The work summarized in this report represents the continuing successful partnership
between the EPA and the CTCLUSI DNR. The WQP continues to evolve to meet new
program requirements found within EPA’s Final Guidance on Awards of Grants to
Indian Tribes under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act for Fiscal Years 2007 and
Beyond. With the continued support of EPA, the WQP will continue to assess, protect,
and improve water quality within the Tribe’s Ancestral Watersheds.

2008 Tribal Water Quality Data Summary
02/17/2009

33

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aconfederated_clusi%3A6e214d045637daad. Public record. Not legal advice.