Des Moines River Water Quality Network (DRWQM), Red Rock and Saylorville Reservoirs

Co-Principal Investigator:

• Donna Lutz, dslutz@iastate.edu (other projects)
• Say-Kee Ong, skong@iastate.edu (other projects)

Other Authors: M. Cummings

Project Status: In Progress

Start Date: 12/04/1998
End Date: 12/31/2005

Project Web Page: http://www.ccee.iastate.edu/research/lutz/dmrwqn/dmrwqn.html

Reports:

• 03/01/2003, http://www.cce.iastate.edu/research/lutz/dmrwqn/annual.htm

Research Objective: The Des Moines River Water Quality Network is a surface water quality project sponsored by the US Army Corps of Engineers that collects water samples year-round at locations along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers and Saylorville and Red Rock reservoirs. The purpose of the projects is to evaluate the affects of Saylorville and Red Rock dams on downstream river quality and to characterize upstream water quality. The project was initiated in 1967 as a pre-impoundment study of the Saylorville Reservoir reach and has evolved into a post-impoundment study of Saylorville and Red Rock reservoirs.

The Scope of Work under the current research contracts specifies that over 40 parameters be quantified at seven different sites on 22 separate occasions. The parameters examined include dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, hardness, ammonia, nitrite plus nitrate, phosphate, BOD, suspended solids, chlorophyll pigments, coliform bacteria and trace metals. Additionally, pesticide residues in fish will be examined.

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