Indicator
Nitrogen Concentration (Tributaries)
Basics
Nitrogen Concentration (Tributaries)
Nitrogen Concentration in Streams
Outcome
Program
Milligram Per Liter (mg/L)
WQ15: ADOPTED STANDARD: TRPA: attain applicable state standards for concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. California does not have a standard for dissolved inorganic nitrogen, but does for total nitrogen: 0.15 milligram per liter (mg/L) for General and Ward Creeks, and 0.19 mg/L for Blackwood and Trout Creeks, and the Upper Truckee River. Nevada has water quality standards for nitrate for Incline Creek and Third Creek: a single value must be less than or equal to 10 mg/L. There are no exceedances of this standard. Nevada does not have a water quality standard for beneficial uses for total nitrogen for Incline Creek and Third Creek.
The indicator is annual average total nitrogen concentration measured over a water year (October 1 to September 30). Annual average total nitrogen concentration is based on samples collected during each water year from each of the five monitored California streams. The number of individual samples collected at each monitoring station in a given water year varied over the period of record from three to 91. Total nitrogen concentration is determined by adding the measured concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and dissolved nitrate plus nitrate (as nitrogen). All annual average total nitrogen concentrations are reported in milligrams per liter (mg/L).
This Indicator is reported in the following LT Info areas:
Status

Annual average total nitrogen concentrations for 2014 Water Year and status determinations relative to standard for each of the five regularly monitored California streams. The total nitrogen standard is a not to exceed standard, where percent to target values below 100% indicate the standard is in attainment.

Name Options
Nitrogen Concentration - Streams
General

Program Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program Stream Monitoring

Approach

The Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP) stream monitoring program was first developed in 1979 to assess sediment and nutrient input from tributaries to Lake Tahoe, and to support research that aims to understand the drivers affecting the transparency of Lake Tahoe. The tributary monitoring focuses on both event-based conditions (large runoff events associated with rainfall and snowmelt) and baseline conditions (low inflow during summer when precipitation is negligible). Up to 10 streams have been monitored since the early 1990s; five in California (Upper Truckee River, and Trout, General, Blackwood and Ward Creeks) and five in Nevada (Third, Incline, Glenbrook, Logan House, and Edgewood Creeks). Six of these streams have been monitored since water years 1980 or 1981. In water year 2012 the number of streams routinely monitored was reduced to seven (see map above), and all streams have primary monitoring stations at or near the point of discharge to Lake Tahoe. Sampling pr

Partners

Associated Programs data not provided.