12/21/2023
WT Staff
HAPPENING NOW
Winter solstice HAB grows larger
St Clairsville BWA
Up to the minute water news for Thursday, December 21, 2023 - last updated 1150 am EST
Drinking Water matters
Belmont County, St. Clairsville has issued a BWA in effect for customers connecting on N. Butler Street impacting lots 109 and 111; N. Marietta Street-104, 104 1/2, 111, and 115; W. Main Street- addresses numbered 147 to 199, odd numbers only. The advisory issued yesterday will be in effect until further notice.
Hocking County, Logan BWA remains in effect for customers connecting on North Orchard Street, Orchard Place and North Culver Street north of Hunter Street.
Harmful Algal Bloom update based on the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) satellite monitoring program
The latest satellite snap of the west Lake Erie basin reveals a glowing mass of hazardous algae bloom running in a band along shore from Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge to the Toussaint River outlet. The image captured December 20 at undetermined wind speed shows the band of bloom spotted two days ago has grown wider, up to four miles in places, grown more dense and increased in concentration. The HABs we have been reporting have been 100 thousand cells per 100 ml or less, it appears to be increasing in concentration, up to 200 thousand cells per 100 ml, an interesting effect to observe at solstice, coming from the prehistoric cyanobacteria colony.
Streamflow Situation from USGS Waterwatch based on real-time flow monitors across Ohio
Much below normal streamflows dominate the map in west Ohio again Thursday with a low flow recorded in Tymochtee Creek at Crawford for a fourth day running. The flow volume has dropped more than fifty percent overnight to a record low level of .11 cubic feet per second.
Mostly normal flows are recorded in central and east state Thursday with a dozen stations reporting below normal.
Drought situation from USGS Waterwatch 7-day average streamflow compared with historic flow for today's date
Auglaize River watershed remains the dry leader statewide, rated severe hydrologic drought with adjacent Blanchard River watershed in moderate drought since yesterday. Tiffin River, Upper and Lower Maumee River, St Marys, St Josephs watersheds all remain rated below normal. Grand River watershed is the lone area of the east Lake Erie basin rated below normal.
South of the divide, Ohio River minor tributaries are rated below normal all the way around the east and south state boundary with the drainage area of the Little Muskingum River watershed the only normal rated ground adjacent to Ohio River. The Mahoning River, Little Beaver Creek, Wheeling Creek watersheds are rated below normal. Shade River watershed is rated moderate hydrologic drought, with adjacent Ohio minor tributaries Raccoon-Symmes, Brush -Whiteoak and Laughery watersheds all rated below normal.
The entire Great Miami basin and adjacent Scioto basin's Paint River and Tygarts watersheds are likewise rated below normal.
The height-of-land divide in Ohio runs from Mercer County in the west angling northeast up to Ashtabula County on the east state border. Streamflows north of the divide feed Lake Erie, flows south of the divide run to the Ohio River, part of the Mississippi River basin that drains the majority of interior North America to the Gulf of Mexico.
As the drought conditions shift and change in the Ohio River basin, track the effects south down the Mississippi River into to Louisiana, rated "Exceptional Drought", the highest category on the National Drought map. Visit WTLA.us for more information on downstream effects.
Hazardous Spills Hotline records as reported to OEPA 1-800-282-9378
Dec 16 an incident involving unknown amount of crude oil spilled in Valley View, Cuyahoga County. No impact to water noted. An unknown amount human sewage has been reported spilled impacting an unnamed water body from an address on St Ives Pl in West Chester Township, Butler County last Friday.
See the pink tags on the map for more hazardous material spills reported in Ohio.
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