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Success Stories

Program monitoring and assessment helps improve water quality.

Pesticide Toxicity

Summary: Monitoring and assessment showed that two common pesticides, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, were causing toxicity in urban creeks. CCCWP partnered with municipal programs statewide to share that information with state pesticide and water quality regulators. The resulting toxicity problem went away. Currently, CCCWP monitors pyrethroids, which replaced diazinon and chlorpyrifos uses, and shares the information with a similar goal of helping state pesticide regulators implement policies to control pollutants of concern. The sequence of regulatory communications and scientific studies below shows how CCCWP identifies and helps correct water quality problems caused by legal pesticide uses.

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Mysterious Fish Mortality

Summary: For many years, going back to 2005, fish mortality was observed from time to time in Marsh Creek, in Eastern Contra Costa County. The exact cause could not be pinpointed, until in 2018 CCCWP executed a monitoring program using technology to continuously record and report key water quality metrics, such as dissolved oxygen, temperature, and water clarity. The project identified low dissolved oxygen as a likely cause, and pilot tested a potential creek flow augmentation remedy in partnership with the City of Brentwood Wastewater treatment plant and the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. 

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