Tracking Phosphorus in Rocky Ford Creek: A Collaborative Watershed Study

On April 2nd, partners from the Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD) and Aspect Consulting conducted field sampling for the Upper Crab Creek and Rocky Ford Spring Phosphorus Transport Study. Britton Baker (CBCD) and Stephen Bartlett (Aspect) were out in the field gathering data to support this important effort.

(Left: Britton Baker, CBCD Program Manager. Right: Stephen Bartlett, Aspect Consulting, conducting fieldwork at Rocky Ford Creek.)

This ongoing study uses deuterium and Oxygen-18 isotopes of water to trace sources of phosphorus entering the Rocky Ford Creek drainage. By identifying these sources, the partnership, composed of CBCD, the Department of Ecology (DOE), Washington State University (WSU), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), aims to better understand nutrient pathways and support long-term water quality improvements in the Columbia Basin.

(Rocky Ford Fish Hatchery Raceways)

(American White Pelicans at Rocky Ford Creek, photo courtesy of Ron Sawyer)

During recent site visits, two American White Pelicans were observed on Rocky Ford Creek. Once listed as endangered in Washington, this species has been downlisted to threatened as its population continues to recover. Their return shows the critical role healthy watersheds play in supporting diverse wildlife and maintaining ecological balance.