Comparison of wetland and agriculture drainage as sources of biochemical oxygen demand to the San Joaquin River, California

For many years, the San Joaquin River (SJR) has had low dissolved oxygen conditions intermittently during the late summer and early fall. The low dissolved oxygen conditions are impacting critical fish habitat and the SJR is being regulated under a state of California remediation plan that includes the development of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) allocation for oxygen demanding substances. In support of the development of a scientific TMDL allocation, studies are being conducted to characterize water quality in the many tributaries of the SJR. This study identified the sources of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in two western tributaries of the SJR, Mud Slough and Salt Slough, and measured the loads of BOD, algae, and ammonia entering the SJR from wetland and agricultural sources.