Clean Water Program

Ambient Sites

Visit the site list.

We monitor 40 long-term or ambient sampling sites throughout Skagit County, spanning from Hamilton to the Swinomish Channel. Sites are visited every other week.

The County started the SCMP to determine the success of water protection rules in agricultural areas. Because of this, many sites are located in or around agricultural zoning. We chose other sites to support water clean-up efforts in Skagit County.

Sampling Methods

We measure multiple water quality parameters to assess the health of a waterway. On a bi-weekly basis we test for basic water quality parameters including temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, pH, and turbidity. We also collect samples to measure two types of bacteria: fecal coliform and E. coli. On a quarterly basis we collect nutrient samples that are tested for various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus.

For more information on our sampling methods and background on the program, please check out our Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and the SCMP Background and Methods document.

Bacteria Results

We upload our bacteria results on a frequent basis to the following online map that’s shared with our partners.

Reports

Archived Reports 2004 - 2023