We have initiated a water quality monitoring program in the vicinity of Odessa National, an approved,
and just starting construction, 615-acre site of residential/golf course development, adjoining a portion
of the Upper Blackbird Creek component of Delaware’s National Estuarine Research Reserve. 
This study was proposed based in part upon conversations with Dr. Robert Scarborough, Research
Coordinator, of Delaware’s National Estuarine Research Reserve and in answer to state, county, and
general public concern about the impact of a major suburban residential development on the local
watershed.  Given that the estuarine setting of the study area is comparable to numerous locations
in the Mid-Atlantic region, the results of this proposed study are directly applicable to, and can be
used in developing models of, the assessment of development impact on estuarine watersheds and
aid in the establishment of best management practices for development in this type of environment.
 

General Location Figure -                 Click on Figure for full-size image

Location of Sampling Sites - Click on Figure for full-size image

Under the direction of Drs. Madsen and Ritter, Anne Mundel, a MS-level graduate student in the
Department of Geology, is responsible for water quality field and laboratory measurements.
We are collecting at two-week intervals field measurements and samples for laboratory
analyses.  In addition, we are collecting a series (~2-3 per season) of storm-event field and
laboratory measurements at the sampling sites. Water quality measurements include field
measurements of conductivity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen and laboratory measurements
of particulate organic carbon,  suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved ammonium, nitrate+nitrite,
total dissolved nitrogen, phosphate, total dissolved phosphorus, silicate and dissolved organic carbon
from the three sampling sites in the study area.

Examples of Data Collected in this Project

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