The cleanup measures will include erosion control, stormwater treatment, and source control. The USGS, in cooperation with the City of Burlington and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, will be monitoring the effectiveness of the cleanup effort. Specifically, we will be assessing changes in water quality of the water flowing to Lake Champlain. The USGS monitoring station is close to the mouth of the stream where it enters Lake Champlain at Blanchard Beach. Stage is the depth of water in the pool created behind the weir.
Stage is related to discharge by a formula based on channel and weir geometry.
By measuring stage in the pool at 15-minute intervals, we have an almost continuous measure of discharge. The first is a meter which provides hourly pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and turbidity data. The second is an automated sampler which collects water samples into bottles for later analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Laboratory. The sampler is triggered to collect a sample when a specified water level or stage has been measured in the weir pool. The water quality and streamflow instruments talk to each other through a data logger.