The Coalition currently monitors water quality and flow at 27 sites along the entire length of the river—from the headwaters to the confluence of the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers. SMWC actively solicits input from river stakehlders and specialists to inform the location and parameters of testing sites.
The goal of the program is to monitor long-term trends in general watershed health and defined areas of concern while addressing the needs of our funding entities, government regulators, and watershed communities. In addition, the program will identify specific impairments and total maximum daily loads that can be mitigated by nonpoint source pollution implementation projects. The program will identify sites that are impacting, or could potentially impact, water quality in the river due to mining legacy, development, agriculture, industry, or other miscellaneous impairments.
The San Miguel Watershed Coalition has maintained eighteen years of water quality monitoring in the San Miguel River Basin. It is critical to continue this legacy of long-term water quality and flow monitoring in order to: identify pollution hot spots; quantify water discharge trends to inform municipal, environmental, recreational and agricultural water supply decisions; assist in the creation of source water protection plans; and provide baseline data for water supply and water quality improvement projects.