1

Oregon Association of Nurseries 

Meeting

DEQ/USGS Clackamas River Basin Pesticide 

Monitoring:

2005-2007 Findings

Kevin Masterson

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

(503) 229-5615

masterson.kevin@deq.state.or.us

JUNE 24, 2008

Overview

• Summary of Pesticide Stewardship 

Partnership approach

• DEQ Clackamas Pesticide Monitoring

– Where and when was monitoring conducted?

– Monitoring Results

• Next steps for monitoring and stewardship 

activities

Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships:

Overview

Monitor for current use pesticides in 

surface waters from drift & runoff

Identify streams with elevated pesticide 

concentrations

Collaborate to implement voluntary 

best management practices

Follow-up monitoring to determine water quality 

improvements over time

KEY STEPS IN PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS

Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships:

Historical Perspective

HOOD RIVER PILOT PROJECT

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

Chlorpyrifos (ug/L)

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Frequency of Detection

Average Frequency

Chlorpyrifos Monitoring: Lower Neal Creek 2000-2004

DEQ Pesticide Monitoring Overview

• What have we 

sampled for?

– Organophosphate 

(OP) insecticides and 

2 triazine herbicides

• Why sample for 

these?

– Current use products

– OP pesticides very 

toxic to aquatic life Fenvalerate + 

Esfenvalerate

Chlorpyrifos

(Lorsban, Dursban)

Malathion Oxygen Pyriproxyfen

Analog

Malathion Imidan

Methylparathion Diazinon

Azinphos-methyl 

Oxygen Analog

Atrazine

Azinphos-methyl 

(Guthion)

Simazine

Phosmet Oxygen 

Analog

Dimethoate

Ethoprop (Mocap) Chlorpyrifos oxon

USGS and DEQ Clackamas Study Area
2

Clackamas Pesticide Monitoring 

Locations

Sieben Creek

• At Hwy 212, 

adjacent to 

Shadowbrook Mobile 

Home Park

Rock Creek

• At 172nd, Stoney

Brook Court 

Trillium Creek

• At Andregg Street, 

near Damascus

Noyer Creek

• Off of Hwy 212, near 

St. Paul Lutheran 

Church between 

Damascus & Boring

North Fork Deep 

Creek

• In Boring, between 2nd

& 3rd electric tower from 

trailhead for 

Springwater Corridor

Rock Creek

Noyer Cr.

N. Fork Deep Ck

Deep Ck

Aerial view of DEQ monitoring locations

N. Fork 

Deep 

Creek

Nurseries

Golf 

Course

Mixed Land Use 

Agriculture

• Berries

• Christmas Trees

• Nurseries

• Strawberries 

“Urban”

• Housing Developments

• Shopping Centers

• Golf Courses

Forestry

• Private

• Federal 

2005 - 2007 Clackamas Pesticide 

Monitoring Activity

• Monitoring time frames and frequency

– Spring: March – June (weekly)

– Fall: September – November (3 x)

• 2005-2007 monitoring data comparison 

considerations

– “Grab” samples at times when pesticide application is 

likely to occur

– 197 samples collected and analyzed through June 2007

– 2007 results include spring, but not fall samples

– Analytical detection limit = 0.025 μg/l (parts per billion)

Differences Between DEQ and USGS Monitoring 

in Clackamas Basin

Subset of USGS pesticides 

(7)

Pesticides Analyzed 86 to 198 pesticides

Activity USGS DEQ

5 tributaries that were 

included in USGS study 

Tributaries plus Clackamas 

River & treated drinking 

water

Sample Locations

Grab samples

Spring: weekly 

Fall: 3X per year?

(total = 197 samples)

Tribs: 2 spring & 2 fall 

storms

Clackamas R/Treated 

Drinking Water: Fixed 

Interval & Storms

(total = 119 samples)

Sampling Schedule

Sample period 2000 - 2005 2005 - 2007
3

DEQ Clackamas Monitoring Results: 

General Findings

• All Sites

– 9 of 17 (53%) pesticides and breakdown products tested 

for were found at least once

– Two organophosphate (OP) insecticides were found at 

levels that exceed state water quality criteria

• Site-Specific

– The greatest number of pesticides and most WQ criteria 

exceedances were found in North Fork Deep Creek

– Multiple OP detections in Noyer Creek, including 

highest chlorpyrifos concentration

– The herbicide simazine was found most frequently and at 

the highest concentrations in Sieben Creek

Percent of Sampling Events that Pesticides Detected

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2005 2006 2007

Pesticides detected (%)

Clackamas Pesticide Detection Frequency: All Sites 2005-2007

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Azinphosmethyl

Chlorpyrifos

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine 

Dimethoate

Detection Frequency

North Fork Deep Creek at Springwater Trail 

Detection Frequencies

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Detection Frequency (%)

2005

2006

2007

Noyer Creek at St. Paul Church Hwy 212 

Detection Frequencies

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Detection Frequency (%)

2005

2006

2007

Rock Creek at 172nd Stony Brook Ct. 

Detection Frequencies

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Detection Frequency (%)

2005

2006

2007
4

Sieben Creek at Hwy 212 

Detection Frequencies

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Detection Frequency (%)

2005

2006

North Fork Deep Creek at Springwater Trail 

Average Pesticide Concentrations

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

0.300

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Mean (ug/L)

2005

2006

2007 Chlorpyrifos Chronic WQS (0.041 ug/l)

Chloryprifos Acute WQS (0.083 ug/l)

Azinphos-methyl WQS (0.01 ug/l)

Diazinon Acute WQ Guidance Value (0.08 ug/l)

Dizainon chronic WQ guidance value (0.05 ug/l)

North Fork Deep Creek at Springwater Trail 

Maximum Pesticide Concentrations

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

1.200

1.400

1.600

1.800

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Maximum (ug/L)

2005

2006

2007

Azinphos-methyl WQS (0.01 ug/l)

Chlorpyrifos Chronic WQS (0.041 ug/l)

Chloryprifos Acute WQS (0.083 ug/l)

Diazinon Acute WQ guidance value (0.08 ug/l)

Dizainon chronic WQ guidance value (0.05 ug/l)

Noyer Creek at St. Paul Church Hwy 212 

Average Pesticide Concentrations

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

0.300

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Mean (ug/L)

2005

2006

2007

Azinphos-methyl WQS (0.01 ug/l)

Chlorpyrifos Chronic WQS (0.041 ug/l)

Chloryprifos Acute WQS (0.083 ug/l)

Diazinon Acute WQ guidance value (0.08 ug/l)

Dizainon chronic WQ guidance value (0.05 ug/l)

Noyer Creek at St. Paul Church Hwy 212

Maximum Pesticide Concentrations

0.000

0.500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Maximum (ug/L)

2005

2006

2007

Azinphos-methyl WQS (0.01 ug/l)

Chlorpyrifos Chronic WQS (0.041 ug/l)

Chloryprifos Acute WQS (0.083 ug/l)

Diazinon Acute WQ guidance value (0.08 ug/l)

Dizainon chronic WQ guidance value (0.05 ug/l)

Sieben Creek at Hwy 212 

Maximum Pesticide Concentrations

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

0.900

1.000

Azinphosmethyl 

Chlorpyrifos 

Diazinon

Prophos

Simazine

Atrazine

Dimethoate

Maximum (ug/L)

2005

2006

2007
5

USGS Clackamas Monitoring Results

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Simazine

Atrazine

Metolachlor

Diuron 

2,4-D

Diazanon

Triflualin

Prometon

Triclopyr

Metalaxyl

Chlorpyrifos

Carbaryl

Dacthal

% Detections

USGS 2000 - 2005 Clackamas SW Monitoring 

% Detections (for n >90) 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Napropamide

Atrazine

Simazine

Diuron 

Diazanon

Metolachlor

Triflualin

Metalaxyl

Chlorpyrifos

Prometon

Ethoprop

2,4-D

Dacthal

Carbaryl

Triclopyr

% Detections

USGS 2000 - 2004 Clackamas SW Monitoring 

% Detections 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Metolachlor

2,4-D

Simazine

Glyphosate

Atrazine

Diuron 

Napropamide

Ethoprop

Triclopyr

Prometon

Carbaryl

Diazanon

Triflualin

Chlorpyrifos

Dacthal

Metalaxyl

% Detections

USGS 2005 Clackamas SW Monitoring 

Top % Detections (n = 33)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Atrazine 

Simazine

Metolachlor

Diuron

Triflualin

Diazanon

Metalaxyl

Chlorpyrifos

Prometon

Napropamide

Dacthal

Carbaryl 

2,4-D

Triclopyr

Ethoprop

Glyphosate

Number of Detections

2000-2004

2005

USGS Clackamas SW Monitoring 

Comparison 2000-04 vs. 2005 (# Detections)

Year cut off

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Metolachlor

2,4-D

Simazine

Glyphosate

Atrazine

Diuron 

Napropamide

Ethoprop

Triclopyr

Prometon

Carbaryl

Diazanon

Triflualin

Chlorpyrifos

Dacthal

Metalaxyl

% Detections

2000-2004

2005

USGS Clackamas SW Monitoring 

Comparison 2000-04 vs. 2005 (% Detections) 
6

Next Steps:

Monitoring and Stewardship Activities

• DEQ expanding list of pesticides to be included in lab 

analyses, such as:

– Phenoxy herbicides (e.g., 2,4-D)

– Carbamates (e.g., Carbaryl)

– Fungicides (eg. Chlorothalonil)

• Working towards more stable funding for monitoring efforts

• State agencies (DEQ, ODA, ODF, Health) working together 

on statewide pesticide water quality plan

– Clackamas may be focus of pilot project

• How do we build on existing partnerships and projects in 

the Clackamas to maximize effectiveness?

– Enlist all key player Æ Basin Council, grower groups, SWCD, OSU 

Extension, state agencies, water providers, local governments 

.......others?