Kempton Run

Kempton Run flows into the Olentangy at River Mile 8.59 and drains about 1.2 square miles. It is classified as "non-attaining" for a warm water habitat. High levels of bacteria, phosphorus, and nitrogen are the primary reasons for this designation. These pollutants are mostly coming from urban run-off and other non-point sources.

FLOW water stewards have been sampling Kempton Run since 2015 at two locations three times a year (spring, summer and fall). The location sampled are in Antrim Park and near Sycamore Hills swim club. They monitor water chemistry parameters such as total dissolved solids, conductivity, salinity, hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, phosphates and others. The overall water quality is fair, with average total dissolved solids 554 mg/l (just above the desired <500 for healthy streams), conductivity 765 uS, healthy salinity levels of 382 ppm, total hardness 187 ppm and total alkalinity 226 pm. The nitrates are mostly less than <0.5 ppm which indicates healthy levels, but a couple of times elevated nitrates were measured (5 ppm). Phosphates are sometimes elevated as well, up to 10 ppm. Water stewards also monitor macroinvertebrate diversity in water and though their results mostly indicate fair water quality (SQM index average of 15), volunteers spotted crayfish on several occasions, mayfly and stonefly nymphs and riffle beetles (indicators of good water quality), scuds, damselfly nymphs, sowbugs and other organisms. Our water stewards' data can be found below in excel spreadsheet named Kempton Run data.