Monitoring Water Quality in Streams

We collect water samples at 18 stream locations every three months to monitor stream health and how streams change over time. Each location is a major tributary or stream that flows to the Neuse River. We use water quality meters to take samples and read chemical data. Stream monitoring is also a requirement of our stormwater permit.

See where we're monitoring | You can help us monitor streams!

Watch our stream monitoring video below!

Tracking Stream Health in Raleigh

Staff checks on 18 stream locations throughout the year. See what they look for at each visit.

What We Measure	What's Analyzed at the Lab
Water temperature Conductivity Salinity pH Dissolved oxygen	Total suspended solids Nitrogen and phosphorus Turbidity Total hardness E. coli Metals (calcium, copper, magnesium, zinc)

Aquatic Insect Samples

Stormwater staff in a stream collecting bug samples with a net — Staff using a kick net to collect insect samples.

Benthic macroinvertebrates are insects that live in streams. They include worms, snails, clams, and crayfish. Insect samples are taken at 22 stream locations once a year. We use kick nets and D-nets to collect and study the insects.

Did You Know?

Benthic macroinvertebrates are large enough to see without a microscope. Here's a breakdown of the meaning:

Benthic = bottom of a waterbody
Macro = large
Invertebrate = animal without a backbone

Water Quality Indicators

Aquatic insects are important to the food chain and don’t survive without clean water. All living creatures rely on each other and a healthy environment to live.

Mayflies eat leaves, algae, decomposing plants, and other smaller organisms in a stream.
Larger aquatic organisms, like darter fish, feed on these insects.
Larger fish or fish-eating birds, like great blue herons, eat darter fish.
As adults - mayflies are food for insect-eating birds, amphibians, and mammals that live near a stream.
Larger predators, like the red-shouldered hawk, eat these animals.

Protect Critters Living Near Streams

An image of the four mosaic panels attached to the community center

There’s a lot of wildlife that call streams – and the area around them – their home. It's important to keep this habitat clean. Animals and plants need clean water to survive an streams can't support healthy ecosystems if water is polluted.

Water pollution happens when stormwater runoff picks up plastics, chemicals, oil, dirt, paint, litter, and other hazardous materials as it flows to nearby streams.

Wildlife in the Streams

Aquatic insects (mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies)
Worms
Snails
Clams
Crayfish
Fish, like darter fish

Wildlife Around Streams

Mammals, like raccoons, grey foxes, beavers, and deer
Turtles
Snakes
Lizards
Frogs
Salamanders
Birds, like Blue Herons
Insects

Resources

Stormwater Management Plan

Find Your Watershed

Become a Stormwater Volunteer

Contact

Joyce Gaffney
Environmental & Sustainability Specialist
joyce.gaffney@raleighnc.gov
919-996-4184

Department:: Engineering Services

Related Services:: Stormwater Volunteering Spot, Report, and Stop Water Pollution

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