Monitoring surface water quality is one of the best ways to protect streams and lakes. It helps identify problems, determine whether streams and lakes are improving or declining over time, and most importantly it helps protect quality of life and public health.
Each year, a wide range of surface water quality monitoring data is collected from streams and lakes throughout the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
- Almost 15,000 water samples are collected per year and over 20 different parameters are routinely screened
- Automated samplers at 35 locations measure five parameters per hour, 24 hours a day. This equals approximately 1.5 million measurements a year
- Fish communities are assessed at five locations
- Macroinvertebrate communities are assessed at 34 locations
To learn about techniques used to monitor local streams and lakes, please see the following videos:
This webpage is organized into four interest areas related to Surface Water Quality Monitoring. Please view any of the following links for more information about these topics.
There are several technical terms used on the monitoring pages above. Please see our Glossary of Monitoring Terms(PDF, 62KB) for help understanding some of the most common ones used.
Additional Monitoring Programs
Monitoring of stormwater outfalls, industrial and municipal facilities, septic systems, and Stormwater Control Measures is also conducted to improve stormwater quality and help keep our streams and lakes healthy. Information about these programs can be found as part of the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program and Pilot Stormwater Control Measures Program.
Questions?
Contact:
Olivia Edwards
Mecklenburg County Environmental Supervisor
980.314.3213
Olivia.Edwards@mecknc.gov
Monitoring Data
Monitoring data being collected currently and in the past is available. Please scroll down for more information.
- Request for data records
- Data collected every hour/ 24 hours a day
Request for data records
The following records are available upon request and at no cost. Only electronic versions of data are available from 1985 to present.
- 1969 – 1984: Handwritten into logs. Many are still on file.
- 1984 – 1993: Lotus database
- 1994 – 2004: FoxPro based data management network
- 2004 – Present: Custom water quality database application.
We welcome you to submit a request for surface water quality data. A minimum of two weeks is required for staff to process the request form and release the data. To submit a request, please fill out the Water Quality Request Form.
Staff follows strict Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) practices when collecting field measurements or surface water quality samples. When samples are delivered to a laboratory, the laboratory is required to provide finalized data electronically and in hard copy to the QA/QC officer within forty-five days. All field and laboratory data received by the QA/QC officer is compiled, reviewed, verified, validated, and warehoused.
Questions about data management and QA/QC?
Contact:
Robert Sowah
Mecklenburg County Environmental Analyst
Robert.Sowah@mecknc.gov
Continuous Monitoring - Data collected every hour 24 hours a day
The Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network (CMANN) is comprised of a network of automated monitoring stations where data is being collected throughout Charlotte and Mecklenburg County every hour, 24 hours a day! Please see our CMANN website to see where and what data are being collected and to use its powerful data management tools. Our CMANN website contains a wealth of stream data and reporting tools that can help you better understand all the stream data being collected. Staff uses CMANN data and this website to identify both short and long-term changes in water quality.
Questions about CMANN?
Contact:
Ryan Spidel
Mecklenburg County Environmental Supervisor
Ryan.Spidel@mecknc.gov
Monitoring Techniques
Staff performs six different types of monitoring in local streams and lakes. Information about what is monitored, how it's done, and where it occurs is organized as follows. Please scroll down for more information about these topics.
- Fixed Interval Monitoring
- In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring
- Lake Monitoring
- Biological Monitoring
- Stream surveys
- Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network
Rain and water levels in streams and lakes across Mecklenburg County are also monitored with 71 rain gauges, 3 lake gauges, and 50 stream gauges. Please see gauges and hydrologic data in and around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County for more information.
Fixed Interval Monitoring
For Fixed Interval Monitoring (FIM), staff either collects a surface water sample ("grab sample") for analysis in the lab or they test the water right at the stream or lake with a hand-held meter. See this map of FIM locations(PDF, 703KB) where the following parameters are measured monthly.
- Temperature
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Enterococcus Bacteria
- Ammonia Nitrogen
- USGS Suspended Sediment Test (SSC)
- Zinc (dissolved)
- Arsenic
- Nickel
- Silver
- Chromium
- Beryllium
- Conductivity
- Fecal Coliform Bacteria
|
- pH
- E-coli Bacteria
- Nitrite and Nitrate
- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
- Total Phosphorous
- Suspended Solids (TSS)
- Suspended Solids
- Turbidity
- Hardness
- Copper (dissolved)
- Lead (dissolved)
- Cadmium
|
In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring
For In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring, automated samplers collect several samples during a storm event. As the flow of a stream increases, the number of samples being collected increases too. This provides information about pollutant levels during the ENTIRE storm. Samples are combined into a composite sample and tested for the following parameters. See this map of In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring locations(PDF, 702KB). The following parameters are measured at each location:
- Temperature
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Enterococcus Bacteria
- Ammonia Nitrogen
- Turbidity
- Chromium
- Zinc
- Lead
- USGS Suspended Sediment Test (SSC)
|
- Conductivity
- Fecal Coliform Bacteria
- pH
- E-coli Bacteria
- Nitrite and Nitrate
- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
- Total Phosphorous
- Suspended Solids (TSS)
- Copper
|
Lake Monitoring
For Lake Monitoring, staff collects surface water samples and information about lake conditions six times a year across three lakes: Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, and Lake Wylie. See this map of Lake Monitoring locations. The following parameters are measured at each location:
- Secchi Disk depth
- Conductivity
- Alkalinity
- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
- Nitrate + Nitrite
|
- Temperature
- Dissolved Oxygen
- pH
- Fecal Coliform Bacteria
- Ammonia Nitrogen
|
Biological Monitoring
For Biological Monitoring, staff assesses fish and macroinvertebrate, or "bug", communities twice a year. Different types of fish and macroinvertebrates are more sensitive or tolerant to pollution than others. Staff can assess the health of a waterbody by the types of fish and macroinvertebrates they find. Fish and macroinvertebrates can be one of the best holistic indicators for assessing water quality. See this map of Biological Monitoring locations(PDF, 702KB).
Stream Walks
For Stream Walks, approximately 20% of all streams in watersheds over 50 acres throughout Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are walked by staff in an effort to find illicit discharges and document watershed conditions. This equals an average of approximately 270 miles per year. This allows staff to walk all these streams every five years. During these walks, the following activities are performed:
- Documentation of the location, condition, and flow of all outfalls (aka pipes) that are over 12 inches in diameter.
- Testing of water flowing from an outfall during dry weather. (Stormwater outfalls should typically not have flow during dry weather)
- Testing surface water quality at stream junctions and documentation of watershed conditions.
Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network
The Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network (CMANN) is a network of automated samplers across the County where data is collected once per hour, 24 hours per day. This network provides an automated system that can be especially helpful for identifying problems that need a quick response. The faster staff can respond to a pollution incident, the less potential damage to a stream or lake. A map of current locations is available on our CMANN website.