Shrickers Slough IA 01-MAQ-1

Assessment Comments

Monitoring by LTRMP staff, Bellevue station.

Basis for Assessment

[NOTE: For the 2002 report, Shrickers Slough was separated from the assessment for Rock Creek.   In previous reports, both waterbodies had been assessed as one assessment unit.   Thus, the following assessments for Shrickers Slough for the 1996, 1998, and 2000 reports have been developed from the respective assessments originally developed for the combined "Rock Creek/Shrickers Slough" waterbody.   In order to make these assessments specific to Shrickers Slough, several deletions and additions were necessary; however, no substantive changes were made.   For the unedited original assessments developed for the combined Rock Creek/Shrickers Slough waterbody, see assessment information for lower Rock Creek, segment IA 01-MAQ-0010-1).]

Continued monitoring by Gritters and Gould (DNR, LTRMP, Bellevue) strongly suggests that a local industry is the source of much of the high levels on nitrate and ammonia in the middle and lower reaches of Rock Creek, including Shrickers Slough.   DNR Water Quality, Land Quality, and Field Office 6 met with industry representatives in June 1998 and discussed alternatives to reduce nitrogen levels in Rock Cr.  and Shrickers Slough.   Industry will begin implementation of corrective measures and monitoring of surface and groundwater in the near future and report back to DNR in one year on progress.   Due to results of continued upstream/downstream monitoring by LTRMP/Bellevue staff that show excessively high levels of nitrogen in Rock Creek and excessively high levels of chlorophyll-a in Shrickers Slough, continue to assess Rock Creek and Shrickers Slough as partially supporting their designated aquatic life uses.  For additional information, see assessment for the lower segment of Rock Creek (segment IA 01-MAQ-0010-1).