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Summary of Urban Stormwater Quality in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003–12

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Summary of Urban Stormwater Quality in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003–12 Prepared in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and the University of New Mexico Summary of Urban Stormwater Quality in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003–12 Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5006 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: Top, July 2006 stormwater flow; view oriented upstream at streamgage 083299375, Mariposa Diversion of San Antonio Arroyo site (photograph by Todd M. Kelly, retired, U.S. Geological Survey). Bottom, September 2002 stormwater flow; view oriented upstream at streamgage 08329870, Bear Arroyo at Jefferson Street site (photograph by Todd M. Kelly, retired, U.S. Geological Survey). Summary of Urban Stormwater Quality in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003–12 By Erik F. Storms, Gretchen P. Oelsner, Evan A. Locke, Michael R. Stevens, and Orlando C. Romero Prepared in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and the University of New Mexico Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5006 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Storms, E.F., Oelsner, G.P., Locke, E.A., Stevens, M.R., and Romero, O.C., 2015, Summary of urban stormwater quality in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003–12: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5006, 48 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155006. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Acknowledgments The authors thank and acknowledge the valuable contributions of time, resources, and technical guidance from the many individuals who assisted in this study, including Kathy Verhage, Kevin Daggett, and Roland Penttila of the City of Albuquerque and Karen Stearns, John Kelly, and Jerry Lovato of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority. Field and technical assistance was provided by Scott Anderholm, Jack Veenhuis, Todd Kelly, Michael Jimenez, and Kent Blankenship of the U.S. Geological Survey. v Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................................1 Description of Study Area ..................................................................................................................2 Drainage Basins and Outfalls ...................................................................................................2 Comparison of Outfall Discharge With Rio Grande Discharge ...........................................5 Stormwater Sampling Procedures ............................................................................................................5 Water-Quality Constituents ................................................................................................................7 Sample Collection ................................................................................................................................8 Quality Assurance and Quality Control ............................................................................................8 Sample Processing ..............................................................................................................................9 Laboratory Methods .....................................................................................................................................9 Quality Assurance of Urban Stormwater Data ........................................................................................9 Data Compilation ..................................................................................................................................9 Quality Assurance of the Data .........................................................................................................13 Data Analysis Methods ..............................................................................................................................14 Boxplots ...............................................................................................................................................14 Comparison to New Mexico Water-Quality Standards ...............................................................14 Determination of Data Outliers ........................................................................................................14 Comparison to Published Stormwater Data ..................................................................................14 Data Summary .............................................................................................................................................17 Selected Physical and Chemical Characteristics ........................................................................17 pH .................................................................................................................................................17 Specific Conductance ..............................................................................................................17 Dissolved Solids ........................................................................................................................19 Suspended Solids .....................................................................................................................19 Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand ........................................20 Nutrients ..............................................................................................................................................20 Nitrogen-Based Nutrients .......................................................................................................20 Phosphorus ................................................................................................................................23 Major Ions ...........................................................................................................................................23 Metals ..................................................................................................................................................23 Organic Compounds ..........................................................................................................................27 Volatile Organic Compounds ...................................................................................................35 Semivolatile Organic Compounds ..........................................................................................35 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons .......................................................................................37 Pesticides ...................................................................................................................................39 Polychlorinated Biphenyls ......................................................................................................39 Bacteria ...............................................................................................................................................40 Comparison of Quality of Albuquerque Urban Stormwater With That of Stormwater From Other Western U.S. Cities ............................................................................................................42 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................46 References Cited .........................................................................................................................................47 vi Appendixes [available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2015/5006/] 1. Standard Operating Procedures for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority Laboratory 2. Standard Operating Procedures for the State of New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division 3. Stormwater-Quality Data Collected in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area, New Mexico, 2003–12 Figures 1. Map showing the study area and locations of sampling sites and streamgages, Albuquerque metropolitan area, New Mexico, 2003–12 .......................................................3 2. Boxplots showing dissolved solids concentrations in urban stormwater samples from five outfalls in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, New
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