Water Quality Monitoring
The Water Quality Control Program (WQCP) monitors the ambient water and groundwater on the Bishop Paiute Reservation as per the EPA Clean Water Act Section 106. The WQCP does not monitor drinking water on the Reservation; please refer to the Tribe’s Public Works Department for information on drinking water.
Groundwater
Staff monitor groundwater levels regularly within the Bishop Paiute Reservation. For more information about our groundwater monitoring efforts, please contact the Water Quality Program Coordinator.
Surface Waters
The Water Quality Control Program (WQCP) monitors the surface waters of Bishop Creek, within the Bishop Paiute Reservation. Four water quality monitoring stations are programmed to continuously collect physical parameters. There are additional investigative sites on the Reservation that are tested weekly to monthly.
Bacteria Levels
During irrigation season (April 1st - October 31st), WQCP collects weekly surface water samples at six sites to determine the coliform bacteria levels. A geometric mean value is calculated for each site from the analyzed E. coli data and compared to the Tribe's adopted E. coli criteria. Above is a graph of the most recent E. coli data.
Discharge Data
Discharge data of Bishop Creek is recorded at Southern California Edison’s Plant 6 and the data is available on Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s L.A. Aqueduct Northern District Daily Report. Above is a summary graph of Bishop Creek’s discharge from 2017-2024.