Book Water quality monitoring Technical guide book

W ater Q uality M onitoring

G uidebook

O regon P lan for Salm on and W atersheds

W ater Q uality M onitoring G uidebook

U n d e rsta n d in g th e sta tu s a n d tre n d s in n a tiv e fish p o p u la tio n s a n d th e strea m a n d la n d sc a p e c o n d itions that affect th em are essentia l to th e su ccess of th e O regon P lan fo r Salm on and W a tersheds (O P S W ). H a ving a standard tool that help s lo cal groups, agency personnel and others determ in e th ese trends and conditio n s in a c o n sisten t a n d verifiable wa y is also essentia l. The use of standard m onito ring techniques provid es th e public with su ch a tool.

T h e data collected th rough m onito ring can be useful fo r developing plans to restore and protect a stream 's biological capacity, as well as determ in ing wh ether com p leted restoration projects achieved th eir in tended goals. W a tersh ed councils and other lo cal groups play a critica l ro le in id en tifyin g th e ca u ses o f d eclin e in a strea m ’ s

a b ility to su p p o rt sa lm o n a n d tro u t p o p u la tio n s a n d o th e r b e n e ficia l u se s, a s well a s d o c u m e n tin g resu lts o f restoration projects. The purpose of th is guidebook is to provid e technical guidance so wa tersh ed councils and other volunteers m a y achieve th eir restoration goals as partn ers in th e O P SW .

M a n y d ifferen t a g en cies, vo lu n teer g ro u p s, a n d p riva te c itizen s a re in vo lved in d a ta co llectio n , so h a vin g a

c o n sisten t m eth o d is im p o rta n t. T o a ssist in c o lle c tin g c o n sisten t a n d a c c u ra te d a ta , th e O P S W W a ter Q u ality M o n ito rin g T ea m h a s p rep a red g u id elin es to m ea su re wa ter q u a lity. T h ese g u id elin es a re d esig n ed fo r u se b y individual landowners, wa tersh ed councils, other citizen g roups, and agency personnel. These guidelin es

c o m p lem en t th e G W E B W a tersh e d A ssessm e n t M a n u a l (N E S , 1 9 9 9 ). T h e O re g o n W a tersh e d A ssessm e n t M a n u a l p ro v id e s a g u id e fo r c h a ra c terizin g c o n ditio n s in lo ca l wa tersh ed s a n d

provid es a strong base fo r id en tifyin g sp ecific resto ra tio n a n d p ro te c tio n o p p o rtu nities a n d m o n ito rin g n e e d s. T h e m o n ito rin g tech n iq u es, o r "p ro to co ls," p resen ted in th is g u id e d escrib e th e step s u sed fo r o b ta in in g sp ecific, field -b a se d d a ta a b o u t wa ter q u a lity. T h e W a tersh e d A ssessm e n t M a n u a l serv e s a s a b ro a d d ia g n o stic to o l. T h e W a ter Q u a lity M o n ito rin g G u id ebook is a verifica tio n to o l th a t ca n b e u sed to refin e th e p u b lic's u n d e rsta n d in g

a n d d ia g n o sis o f wa tersh e d a n d wa ter q u ality co n d itio n s. T h e in itia l ch a p te rs p ro v id e b a c k g ro u n d in fo rm a tio n , m o n ito rin g stra teg ie s a n d wa y s to d e v e lo p a m o n ito rin g

plan. A lso expla in ed in th ese chapters are criteria fo r selecting m onito ring sites, data quality g u id elin es, a n d m eth o d s to sto re a n d a n a ly ze wa ter q u a lity d a ta . R eferen ces and contacts are provid ed in each chapter to obtain m o re d e ta iled o r u p -to -d a te in fo rm a tio n . T h e su b se q u e n t c h a p te rs p ro v id e p ro to c o ls fo r m o n ito rin g :

_ strea m tem p era tu re _

d isso lved oxygen

_ tu rb id ity

_ pH _ m acro in vertebrates _ co n d u c tivity

_ p esticid es and to xic chem icals _ n itro g e n /p h o sp h o ru s c o n c e n tra tio n

E a c h o f th e se p ro to c o l c h a p te rs is d e sig n e d to b e a sta n d -a lo n e d o c u m e n t th a t p ro v id e s b a sic m o n ito rin g te c h n iq u e s fo r th a t p ro to c o l. In fo rm a tio n o n a d d itio n a l referen c e s is a lso p ro v id e d in e a c h c h a p te r. H o w e a c h in d iv id u a l, g ro u p , o r a g e n c y wo rks th ro u g h th e se p ro to c o ls will d ep en d o n th eir tech n ica l b a ckg ro u n d , experience, and what resu lts th ey hope to accom p lish. H o wever, th ese protocols wo rk best wh en in tegrated with E a c h o f th e se p ro to c o l c h a p te rs is d e sig n e d to b e a sta n d -a lo n e d o c u m e n t th a t p ro v id e s b a sic m o n ito rin g te c h n iq u e s fo r th a t p ro to c o l. In fo rm a tio n o n a d d itio n a l referen c e s is a lso p ro v id e d in e a c h c h a p te r. H o w e a c h in d iv id u a l, g ro u p , o r a g e n c y wo rks th ro u g h th e se p ro to c o ls will d ep en d o n th eir tech n ica l b a ckg ro u n d , experience, and what resu lts th ey hope to accom p lish. H o wever, th ese protocols wo rk best wh en in tegrated with

A n a d d itio n a l b e n efit in fo llo win g th e m a n u a l's re c o m m en d a tio n s is p ro v id in g c re d ib le d a ta fo r a sta te -wid e

d a ta b a se . T e c h n iq u e s fo r c a lib ra tin g in stru m en ts, sele c tin g a p p ro p ria te sites, a n d m a n a g in g d a ta a re in c lu d e d in th e g u id e b o o k a n d , if u se d , will h elp a g en cy p ersonnel develop su ch a database. T h e database would eventually su p p o rt th e O P S W ’ s e ffo rt to resto re a n d p ro te c t fish h a b ita t a n d wa tersh e d h e a lth th ro u g h o u t O re g o n . B u t th e rea l v a lu e in u sin g th e m o n ito rin g te c h n iq u e s d e scrib e d in th is m a n u a l is p ro v id in g wa tersh e d c o u n c ils a n d o th e r lo c a l v o lu n te e rs with relia b le m eth o d s fo r m o n ito rin g wa ter q u a lity in n ea rb y strea m s wh ich th ey ca n th en u se to m a ke th eir own assessm ents. A ccura te m onito ring data can help in fo rm lo cal decisions about how to best m anage fo r fish a n d wa tersh e d s.

T h e p a rticip a tio n o f lo ca l citizen s in th is effo rt is essen tia l. C o rrectly co llected d a ta is u sefu l to la n d o wn e rs, co n cern ed citizen s, a n d a g e n c y p e rso n n e l. P o o rly c o lle c te d d a ta o f u n k n o wn q u ality ca n resu lt in lo ss o f tim e a n d m oney. It is th e in tent of th is guidebook to share data collection techniques that will h elp everyone wo rk to wa rd a so lu tio n to resto re fish p o p u la tio n s. W h ile c o n ta c ts fo r e q u ip m e n t m a n u fa c tu rers a n d m o d e ls o f in stru m en ts a re discussed in th is guidebook, th ese references do not constitu te a n en d o rsem en t o f a n y p ro d u c t.

C redits

T h is set of protocols w as developed by a W ater Q uality M on itorin g T eam form ed durin g th e O PSW M on itorin g Plan Scopin g Session s (Jan uary 1997). T h e w ork group w as m ade up of represen tatives from th e U n ited States

E n viron m en tal Protection A gen cy (E PA ), U n ited States B ureau of L an d M an agem en t (B L M ), O regon D epartm en t of A griculture (O D A ), O regon D epartm en t of E n viron m en tal Q uality (D E Q ), O regon D epartm en t of Forestry (O D F), N ation al C oun cil of th e Paper In dustry for A ir an d Stream Im provem en t (N C A SI), B oise C ascade

C orporation , an d th e M id-C oast W atersh ed C oun cil. K ey con tributors to th ese guidelin es in cluded: D r. G eorge Ice, L iz D en t, Jen n y W alsh , R ick H afele, D ave W ilkin son , L an a B rodziak, L arry C aton , T ravis H un t, E llen H am m on d, an d Paul M easeles. T h e protocol relies h eavily on protocols developed by th e O regon D epartm en t of

E n viron m en tal Q uality (D E Q 1996) an d th e O regon D epartm en t of Forestry (O D F). V aluable review com m en ts on earlier drafts w ere received from K en B ierly, D r. B ob B esch ta, D r Sh erri Joh n son , D r. B ill B raum w orth , D r.

A lan H erlih y, Sue M auger, Steph an ie G un ckel, K ristoph er W righ t, A n drew T alabere, G eoffrey H abron , C h ristian T orgerson , D an a H icks an d oth ers. T h eir recogn ition in n o w ay in dicates an en dorsem en t of th is guidebook.

Version 2.0

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Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

C h a p te r 1

B ack grou n d

m easure and often w ater quality m ay not be M any factors influence the health of aquatic

degraded at the source site. Instead, the ecosystem s and the plant and anim al life that accum ulated im pacts of m ultiple sources of depend on them . T hese factors include physical pollution can cause the w ater quality problem . A n habitat, riparian function, w ater quantity, exam ple of nonpoint source pollution is fine w atershed health, and w a ter q ua lity . T his sedim ent deposition in a stream bed. T he stream guidebook focuses on m ethods for m onitoring w ater

m ay flow through a new housing developm ent, quality. agricultural operations, and forested areas w ith

M onitoring involves a series of observations, roads. A ll of these activities contribute various m easurem ents, or sam ples collected and analyzed

quantities of sedim ent to the stream channel in over tim e. W ater quality varies naturally w ith

addition to the natural level of sedim ent the stream location and tim e. For exam ple: the headw aters of

contains.

stream s at high elevation tend to be cooler than

E m phasis has increased on controlling nonpoint w ide stream s at low er elevations; solar radiation source pollution because w ater quality cannot be influences stream tem perature fluctuations protected or restored by focusing on point sources throughout the day; natural differences in clim ate alone. M onitoring is an essential com ponent of this and the riparian vegetative cover cause differences

effort. T he strategy for controlling nonpoint source in stream tem perature. D isturbances such as fires, pollution includes the developm ent of B est w indthrow or even debris torrents can influence M anagem ent Practices (B M Ps) to achieve w ater stream tem perature, turbidity, and other w ater quality criteria and m eet non-degradation quality param eters. G eology, geom orphology, and

requirem ents.

clim ate also influence w ater quality.

B M Ps are defined as practices selected by an Pollution can be defined as the fouling or m aking agency that are practical and effective in reducing unclean air or w ater w hich harm s beneficial uses. pollution from nonpoint sources to levels W ater pollution is generally characterized as com patible w ith w ater quality goals. O nce an originating from either “ point” or “ nonpoint” agency’s B M Ps are approved by the state w ater sources. Point source pollution is associated w ith a

quality regulatory agency, they m ay becom e a part particular site on a stream and typically involves a of the w ater quality m anagem ent plan (W Q M P) for know n quantity and type of pollutant that can be those landow ners that im plem ent them . controlled at the site. A n exam ple of point source

pollution is effluent from a factory outlet (an end-

A n approved W Q M P includes descriptions of the of-pipe discharge) delivered directly to a stream .

actions or activities that w ill allow a landow ner to Point sources are regulated under the C lean W ater

achieve acceptable w ater quality. For exam ple, the

A ct w ith N ational Pollution D ischarge E lim ination O regon D epartm ent of E nvironm ental Q uality System (N PD E S) perm its.

(D E Q ) approved the O regon State Forest Practices

A ct as an acceptable B M P program . It is the N onpoint source pollution is m ore difficult to responsibility of the O regon D epartm ent of Forestry m anage and m onitor than point source pollution.

(O D F) to m onitor effectiveness of these B M Ps in N onpoint source pollution typically results from achieving w ater quality standards. m ultiple contam inant sources in the vicinity w here

w ater quality has been im paired. T he volum e or “ load” from individual sources is difficult to In O regon, agricultural activities in w atersheds

W hile there are a num ber of w ater quality w ith w ater quality lim ited w aterbodies can com e

param eters regulated by D E Q , this guidebook

Background

1-1

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

fish and fish habitat or are im portant in the (O D A ) to help reduce w ater pollution from

listing of w ater quality lim ited stream s (stream s agricultural sources. U nder the guidance of the

identified on D E Q ’s 303d list). Param eters for O D A , local com m ittees develop a W Q M P for the 1 T otal M axim um D aily L oad (T M D L )

agricultural portion of the basin. assessm ents, or param eters that are part of source area assessm ents for m unicipal w ater supplies

W ater quality standards have been developed are also included. T hese include stream under the leadership of D E Q and can be used in

tem perature, dissolved oxygen, pH , conductivity, assessing the effectiveness of B M Ps. W ater

nitrogen and phosphorus, sedim ent, quality standards involve three elem ents: 1) a

m acroinvertebrates, and pesticides and toxins. narrative that explains w hat the goals of the standards are; 2) the num eric criteria; 3) and a

Standards for each of these param eters have been non-degradation policy.

established in order to protect a stream ’s beneficial uses. T hese standards have been

T he num eric criteria are set to protect the m ost developed after lengthy public review and sensitive beneficial uses. T hese standards are

involvem ent and are based on the latest scientific available on the w eb at

know ledge.

< http://w aterquality.deq.state. or.us/w q/w qrules.htm > . T he non-degradation policy dictates that if a stream has better w ater quality than the defined standards, that stream shall not be degraded to a low er standard (unless there are com pelling reasons).

1 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDLs) is a tool used to meet water quality standards in those streams that do not meet such standards. TMDLs are

based on a scientific method that uses extensive water quality data to identify locations and times of water quality impairment and the sources and volumes (loads) of the contributing pollutants. The TMDL process is rigorous enough that it can be duplicated by other parties using the same techniques.

Background

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Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

C h a p te r 2

M on itorin g S trategy an d P lan

A m onitoring plan describes the m onitoring strategy Q uestions such as these w ill help focus the that w ill be used. It is developed before starting a

m onitoring efforts and give a better idea of w here m onitoring project. A m onitoring plan provides a

and for how long m onitoring is needed. B egin by guide for w hy, how , w hen, and w here to m onitor

listing all relevant questions about the aquatic w ater quality param eters. T he m onitoring plan can

system . Priorities can then be established in their

be referred to throughout the course of a m onitoring order of im portance and a tim etable for the project to help m aintain consistency and provide

necessary m onitoring projects developed. docum entation to others. In general, m onitoring projects m ay provide

W hy M o nito r?

inform ation to address historical, current, or desired M any reasons exist for m onitoring w ater quality.

future conditions. M onitoring projects can also M onitoring can be used to identify areas w here

describe ecological trends that m ay or m ay not w ater quality standards are not being m et and

result from the effects of m anagem ent practices. resources such as salm on and trout are being

M onitoring can also describe the im pacts from im paired. M onitoring can also be used to identify

m anagem ent activities, as w ell as interpret the the sources and loads of pollutants that are causing

effectiveness of m anagem ent actions such as B M Ps. these declines. O nce the areas and causes of these

A dditionally, som e problem s cannot be addressed w ater quality problem s have been identified, then

through m onitoring w ater quality param eters and m onitoring can be used to m easure the overall

m ay need a research approach. M onitoring can effectiveness of the w ater quality protection efforts

help identify these problem areas, as w ell. T he and individual practices. M onitoring is also

O PSW M onitoring T eam has developed a im portant w hen know ledge of the effects from past

M onitoring Fram ew ork that depicts these areas of restoration treatm ents or past m anagem ent practices

m onitoring (A ppendix A ).

are desired in order to help design future m anagem ent actions. R esource m anagers need

T y p es o f M o nito ring

m onitoring data to im prove practices and to better M onitoring strategies m ay be organized by different protect fish and fish habitat. T he m onitoring

m onitoring types. T he type chosen depends on the process and the data generated can also provide a

project’s objectives. R efer to A ppendix B for an valuable educational tool for a w ide variety of user

in-depth discussion on m onitoring types. groups, such as w atershed councils, school groups,

Identifying the m onitoring type is useful w hen researchers, and other interested people.

coordinating w ith other m onitoring efforts and understanding how to interpret and apply results.

M onitoring w ithout a defined purpose provides

H ow ever, identifying the type of m onitoring is not little benefit, so the first step to ask is, "W hat are

as im portant as identifying the im portant resource the goals of the m onitoring effort?" T ypically,

questions and properly preparing a m onitoring plan specific questions need to be answ ered. T he

to answ er them .

questions vary depending on the aquatic resource(s) of interest. For exam ple, asking if the stream m eets

T he M o nito ring P la n

the D E Q w ater quality standards for tem perature

A plan usually consists of a few im portant sections. and dissolved oxygen, or w hether the B M Ps are

B y using this guide as a tem plate and inserting effectively reducing sedim ent inputs to the stream

site-specific needs and objectives, a m onitoring plan channel, leads to different m onitoring approaches.

can be developed for an individual stream or stream

Monitoring Strategy and Plan

2-1

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

project to resolve w hether the experim ental structures it so that a reliable set of data can be

hypothesis can be confirm ed or refuted. Sim ply developed w hich answ ers the initial set of

m onitoring tem peratures at different stations in D ry questions. W ithout a m onitoring plan to collect

C reek m ay not answ er this question because it does data that answ ers specific questions about the

not dem onstrate w hy the tem perature pattern w atershed, the data collected could be of lim ited

occurs. Patterns that can be tied to a cause-and- value.

effect response support experim ental hypotheses m ore strongly.

M o nito ring P la n sectio ns includ e the fo llo w ing :

In the D ry C reek exam ple, one approach m ight be to stop w ater w ithdraw als during periods w hen

Problem definition m axim um tem peratures are occurring and com pare T his section defines the problem . For exam ple: stream tem perature w ith periods w hen w ithdraw als P e o p le a re c o n c e rn e d th a t tem p e ra tu re s in D ry occur. T he null hypotheses (a statem ent that

C re e k e x c e e d w a ter q u a lity sta n d a rd s a n d a re assum es no direct relationship exists) for the

h a rm in g fish . experim ental design could be: There is no

d ifferen ce in th e h o u rs th a t D ry C re e k e x c e e d s T he goal states the purpose for m onitoring. W hat

G oal

6 4 ° F fo r d a y s w ith o r w ith o u t w a ter w ith d ra w a l. inform ation and/or analysis is anticipated from m onitoring? For exam ple: The goal of this Plan is

N atural variations in the tem perature response of to d e term in e if tem p e ra tu re s a re e x c e e d in g w a ter

D ry C reek w ill exist because no day is exactly the q u a lity sta n d a rd s in D ry C re e k a n d if m a n a g e m en t

sam e as another, but the experim ental and p ra c tic e s a re c o n trib u tin g to e le v a ted

m onitoring design can test w hether the null te m p e ra tu re s .

hypothesis is accurate or not (assum ing that the O bjectives

quality and variations of the data are w ithin O bjectives usually are structured in the form of a

acceptable tolerances). A s the im portance of these specific question. For exam ple: A re stream

questions increases, collecting high quality data and tem p era tu res a b o ve th e sta te w a ter q u a lity

a sufficient num ber of sam ples (for statistical credibility) m ay be needed both to have confidence

sta n d a rd o f 6 4 ° F a n d does irrigation withdrawal fro m D ry C re e k resu lt in d o w n stre a m

in w hether this null hypothesis can be accepted or tem p e ra tu re s th a t e x c e e d th a t sta n d a rd ? T he kind

rejected and to m inim ize differences in interpreting of questions asked w ill determ ine the type of

results.

m onitoring and am ount of resources required.

H ypotheses Identifying the objective leads to creating an "experim ental hypothesis" that tests w hether a relationship exists betw een an action or activity and the w ater quality param eter of concern. T he experim ental hypothesis for the D ry C reek exam ple could be: Irrigation withdrawal from D ry C reek resu lts in d o w n stre a m tem p e ra tu re s th a t a re

g re a ter th a n 64° F. T his experim ental hypothesis

Monitoring Strategy and Plan 2- 2 Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

Site D escription T hey provide evidence that the data is accurate and T his section describes the physical characteristics

precise enough to address the questions being of the sam pling site(s) and places the m onitoring

asked. T hese elem ents are addressed in detail in site in the context of other w atershed sites. For

C hapter 4.

exam ple, channel gradient, elevation, vegetative cover, landuse, region, soils, and geology can be

D ata Storage and A nalysis

described. Providing stream reach locations using T hinking through this section is critical early in the latitude and longitude allow s com parisons to be

m onitoring process in order to have the support m ade to data sam pled nearby or in other areas w ith

necessary to store, transport, or analyze the data. If sim ilar site conditions, using a geographic

the data are to be used w ith the O PSW , know ing inform ation system (G IS).

how to transport the data to local w atershed councils, D E Q offices, or other public data

D ata G athering Strategy repositories in the agreed-upon form at is im portant. T his section describes the physical location, date

D E Q has developed a data storage tem plate that and tim e of data gathering, the types of data to be

can be used to form at data records (See C hapter 5, gathered and m inim um and optim um data needs.

D a ta S to ra g e a n d A n a ly sis ).T he m onitoring team T he locations of data sites should include

w ill also w ant to establish its ow n database for the consideration of ecoregion, stream netw ork, or

stream s it is m onitoring. Planning ahead can save other variables depending on the scale of the

tim e, m oney, and avoid the agony of lost data. question to be answ ered (see C hapter 3, Selecting S ites ). T he tim ing for gathering data should reflect

T im etable and Staff R equirem ents the hydrologic processes suspected of influencing

E ach m onitoring project w ill have a unique w ater quality. For exam ple, if the data to be

schedule of activities w hich m ust occur for it to be gathered is related to storm events, low flow s, or

successful. Planning and im plem enting these other seasonal variables, these should be identified.

activities take tim e. Figure 2-1 and T able 2-1 are T he need for m onthly, daily, hourly or continuous

provided as general exam ples of the sequencing of data gathering should be identified both to

steps and tim e requirem ents for a tem perature determ ine the level of effort or equipm ent necessary

m onitoring project.

and to establish the level of confidence in the data.

C onfidentiality and L andow ner M ethods

Perm ission/R elations

T his section describes the technical portion of the O b ta in in g p rio r p e rm issio n fro m p riva te m onitoring project. It explains to readers the data

la n d o w n e rs fo r m o n ito rin g sites th a t c o u ld b e collection techniques used, equipm ent calibration

lo c a ted o n th e ir p ro p e rty is e ssen tia l . T he O PSW and use (see pages 16-18), w hat types of data w ere

is based on cooperation, so all m onitoring efforts collected, and w hen. T he m ethods section

need to m aintain good w ill w ith the affected essentially creates a contract regarding how the

landow ners. C reating an agreem ent w ith the data w ill be gathered, w hat types of data w ill be

landow ner about how the data collected on his/her collected, and how the equipm ent’s accuracy w ill

property w ill be used and reported is also

be m aintained for those conducting the m onitoring im portant. In som e cases, specific locations m ay and for others w ho m ay be depending on the data.

not be reported to m aintain confidentiality. It is also useful to provide landow ners w ith preview s of

D ata Q uality inform ation collected. T hey m ay have insights Q uality A ssurance and Q uality C ontrol (Q A /Q C )

about the data and are often interested in using the are essential elem ents of any m onitoring plan.

data to adjust their m anagem ent decisions .

Monitoring Strategy and Plan 2- 3 Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

T ab le 2-1. E stimated p erson n el time for a stream temp eratu re-mon itorin g p roject.

A ctivity

H ou rs

P lan develop m en t *

4 0 h ou rs

T em p eratu re recorder calib ration P re-dep loym en t

4 h ou rs/b atch

P ost-dep loym en t

4 h ou rs/b atch

Field site selection * *

h ou r/site + travel tim e

U n it p lacem en t in stallation

0 .5 h ou rs/u n it + travel tim e

Field au dits

0 .2 5 h ou rs/u n it + travel tim e

A n cillary data collection

1 -2 h ou rs/u n it + travel tim e

U n it retrieval

0 .5 h ou rs/u n it + travel tim e

D ow n load data

0 .2 5 h ou rs/u n it

D ata storage * * *

0 .2 5 h ou rs/u n it

D ata an alysis/in terp retation * * * *

4 -8 h ou rs/site T otal: M in im u m of 6 0 h ou rs p er p roject p lu s 1 0 -2 0

h ou rs p er each stu dy site.

Monitoring Strategy and Plan

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Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

Collecting Field Data

Analyzing Data & Ordering

Reports Equipment

Checking Equipment

Figure 2-1. Stream tem perature m onitoring tim e line. T he chart show n above depicts the steps one needs to com plete during a typical season. Shaded boxes refer to steps w hich w ould norm ally be perform ed the first year and every succeeding year of a long-term study. Steps in unshaded boxes usually need to be com pleted only the first year of a long-term study.

Monitoring Strategy an Plan

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook Version 2.0

2-5

* T h e tim e required to com plete a plan w ill vary **** T em perature recorders produce th ousan ds of w ith th e com plexity of th e project an d experien ce

data poin ts. T h e data m ust be sum m arized to of th e person n el. Forty h ours is a good estim ate,

provide a useful in terpretation of th e data. T h e tim e but m ore or less tim e could easily be n eeded. T h e

to com plete th is step w ill vary w ith th e com plexity of m ost im portan t con sideration is to allocate

th e project an d level of experien ce of th e person n el sufficien t tim e to com plete th is step.

T h is in troduction to th e basic structure of a ** Site selection begin s w ith th e project plan an d

m on itorin g plan is in ten ded to h elp provide project prelim in ary iden tification of sites on m aps. T h e

volun teers w ith an un derstan din g of a typical plan ’ s field tim e in volves w alkin g plan n ed study sites

com pon en ts. A s a plan is developed for a specific an d fin din g a suitable location to in stall each

stream or stream reach , m ore detailed description s of tem perature recorder.

th e project’ s objectives w ill be n eeded. Please refer to th e V olunteer M onitor’ s G uide to Q uality

*** D ata storage can turn in to a tim e drain in g

A ssu rance P roject P lans (1996) by E PA , th e task if it isn ’ t plan n ed at th e begin n in g of th e N a tio n a l H a n d b o o k o f W a ter Q u a lity M o n ito rin g project. D eterm in e th e softw are to be used (on e

(1996) by N R C S, an d oth er m on itorin g guides com patible w ith th e tem perature recorder’ s

(C allah am 1990; D issm eyer 1994; an d M acD on ald, softw are), th e data fields n ecessary, an d th e Sm art, an d W issm ar 1991) for furth er h elp. For h elp person n el respon sible for both settin g up th e

or assistan ce at th is stage, con tact th e m on itorin g softw are an d uploadin g th e data. A suggested

m en tor for th e O PSW sh ow n in each protocol data form at is sh ow n in th e data an alysis section

ch apter, th e local O D FW office, or th e region al D E Q of th is ch apter an d can be obtain ed from th e

m on itorin g coordin ator sh ow n below . cooperatin g state agen cies (O D F & D E Q ).

Statew ide D E Q V olun teer M on itorin g C oordin ator:

W estern R egion :

K aren W illiam s: (503) 229-5983

D en n is A des, (503) 229-5983

E m ail: ades.den n is@ deq.state.or.us N orth w est R egion :

E m ail: w illiam s.karen @ deq.state.or.us

E astern R egion :

L arry C aton : (503) 229-5983.

L arry M arxer, (503) 229-5983

E m ail: caton .larry@ deq.state.or.us

E m ail: m arxer.larry@ deq.state.or.us

R eferences

M acD on ald, L .H ., Sm art, A .W ., an d W issm ar, R .C . 1991. M onitoring guidelines to evaluating effects of

C allah am , R .Z . 1990. G uidelines for m anagem ent fo restry a ctivities o n strea m s in th e P a cific o f wild la n d wa tersh e d p ro je c ts. R eport 23.

E PA 910/9-91-001 . W ildlan d R esources C en ter, U n iversity of C aliforn ia:

N o rth we st a n d A la sk a .

U .S. E n viron m en tal Protection A gen cy, R egion 10:

B erkeley, C A .

Seattle, W A .

D issm eyer, G .E . 1994. E valuating the effectiveness of fo rest best m anagem ent practices in m eetin g wa ter q u a lity g o a ls o r sta n d a rd s . M iscellan eous Publication 1520. U SD A Forest Service: A tlan ta,

GA.

Monitoring Strategy and Plan

2-6

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

N a tio n a l H a n d b o o k o f W a ter Q u a lity M o n ito rin g . M eth o d s in S trea m E co lo g y . 1996. F. R . H auer an d 1996. Part 600. N ation al W ater Q uality H an dbook.

G . A . L am berti. E ditors. A cadem ic Press, H arcourt N atural R esources C on servation Service:

B race & C om pan y. San D iego. 674 pages. W ash in gton , D .C .

T h e V o lunteer M onito r’ s G u id e to Q u a lity

A ssu rance P roject P lans. 1996. E PA 841-B -96-003. U .S. E n viron m en tal Protection A gen cy, O ffice of W etlan ds, O cean s, an d W atersh eds: W ash in gton ,

D .C .

Monitoring Strategy and Plan

2-7

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

C h a p te r 3

S electin g S ites

Selecting the appropriate site or sites for m onitoring w ater quality depends on the desired objectives.

S a m p le P o int C o nsid era tio ns

T here are three geographic scales to consider in T he sim plest and m ost specific geographic scale is selecting the appropriate m onitoring site: (1) the

a sam pling point. H ere, focus should be on sa m p le p o in t 2 provides representative data at that

selecting a location that w ill result in the m ost spot, (2) the reach approach uses m ultiple sites to

representative m easure of the w ater quality reflect conditions and trends for a segm ent of

param eter at that site.

stream , and (3) the basin scale uses m ultiple reaches to reflect conditions and trends throughout

W hen selecting a sam ple point, rem em ber that if

a w atershed. sam ples are collected w here em erging groundw ater or isolated eddies exist, the data w ill not represent

In addition to the “ scientific” considerations for the m ain portion of the stream . In order to collect m onitoring sites (e.g. using standard data gathering

representative data, sam pling site selection m ust techniques for consistency, m aintaining data

m inim ize the influence of potential confounding quality, etc.), there are also “ practical”

factors. Som e exam ples of confounding factors considerations. E asy access (such as road

include:

crossings) and landow ner perm ission are tw o of these practical considerations. “ Sam pling stations

• the confluence of tributaries should be accessible for all flow conditions that

• groundw ater inflow s

w ill be sam pled” is a good w orking rule w hen • channel structure or "m orphology" selecting sites (Stednick 1991). If equipm ent is

(particularly conditions that create isolated being installed for a long period of tim e, recognize

segm ents or pools)

that flow w ill change throughout the year. • springs, w etlands, w ater w ithdraw als, effluent

E quipm ent that w as not designed to be subm erged

discharges

can be flooded. C onversely, equipm ent that needs • beaver ponds and other im poundm ents to be subm erged can be left “ high and dry” .

B y sam pling in a section of a stream channel w ith Precautions against vandalism , theft, and accidental

good w ater m ixing, the data w ill represent the site’s disturbance should be considered w hen locating

average w ater quality condition. H ow ever, special equipm ent. In areas frequented by the public,

cases can exist w here m onitoring should include securing or cam ouflaging equipm ent is advisable.

sites containing these confounding factors. In these

V isible tethers and equipm ent stations are not cases the objective of the m onitoring m ay be to advisable since they attract attention. W hen

determ ine their influence on overall w ater quality. equipm ent cannot be protected from disturbance, an

alternative m onitoring site should be considered. Reach Scale

A m onitoring project can be expanded to docum ent consideration for som e equipm ent.

A ccess to electrical pow er can also be a

w ater quality trends of a stream reach and/or effects of m anagem ent practices on those trends. T his is accom plished by m onitoring the w ater quality param eter at m ultiple sam ple points. If the

2 "Representative data" refers to the degree to which the data objective is to understand m anagem ent im p acts

represents the actual environmental conditions at the time of

o n w ater q u ality, o r w ater q u ality treatm ent

monitoring. In this case, it should reflect the water quality integrated across and through the water column and not isolated elements.

effects, then the m o st p o w erfu l and m eaningfu l

Selecting Sites

3-1

Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook Water Quality Monitoring Guidebook

co nd itio ns w ill b e m o nito red . T w o , o r p referab ly three, sam p le p o ints sho u ld b e

F o r exam p le, if the o b jective is to d eterm ine p laced slightly u p stream and o ne slightly ho w a lo gging o p eratio n affects stream

d o w nstream fro m the harvest u nit (F igu re 3 -1 , tem p eratu re, then m u ltip le sam p le p o ints w ill

p o ints 2 and 3 ).

b e need ed . Id eally, these sho u ld b e estab lished p rio r to the lo gging activity o ver the sam e

✩ = Sample Point

F igu re 3-1. S amp le p oin t an d reach -scale location s.

Furtherm ore, in order to understand the observed m anagem ent or other effects from trends that m ay trends (e.g. any m easured change in tem perature)

occur regardless of m anagem ent or other im pacts. through the unit, sam ple points around “ control”

In figure 2-1, the reaches betw een points 3 and 4 reaches w ill be needed. A control is designed to

and betw een 1 and 2 can act as controls. If these m easure the param eter of concern at sites that are

reaches have intact riparian areas, then observed not im pacted by m anagem ent or other effects.

tem perature trends through the harvest unit can be T hese control sites are designed to help isolate the

com pared to these “ control” reaches. T hese com pared to these “ control” reaches. T hese

Source Solutions, 1999). T his analysis involves re c o g n ize th a t w ith o u t p re -tre a tm e n t d a ta ,

developing hypotheses about how the w atershed in feren c e s a b o u t m a n a g e m en t e ffe c ts c a n b e w e a k .

conditions and m anagem ent activities on the landscape are linked to the riparian and stream

M any docum ents and protocols recom m end response. G ood basin-scale m onitoring involves establishing a “ reference reach” to help provide

recognizing these linkages and developing com parisons and context betw een the stream reach

m onitoring that can be extended from a few sites to of concern and a sim ilar stream reach w ith less

a m ore general representation of the w atershed intensively m anaged conditions. (D issm eyer 1994).

response.

Stream and riparian conditions for reference reaches represent the best available conditions.

A basin approach is m ore than m erely a strung- T he reference reach for a forested area w ould m ost

together series of sites or reach-level m onitoring likely have good w ater quality, com plex fish

activities. A lim ited num ber of m onitoring sites habitat, high quality spaw ning gravels, shade,

m ust be identified w hose inform ation can represent cover, and rearing habitat for salm onids, am ple

conditions across the entire w atershed. Stratifying large w oody debris in the stream , and future

the basin into sim ilar environm ental and land-use supplies from the upstream adjacent riparian areas.

conditions is one w ay of identifying candidate In som e cases, the reference stream is the “ least

m onitoring sites. D efining the basin by "ecoregion" im pacted” reach available for m onitoring

is another classification that can be useful in (Plotnikoff 1992).

identifying w here factors such as geology or clim ate are relatively uniform . (E coregions are

H ow ever, lim itations to the reference-reach areas of relative ecosystem hom ogeneity containing approach exist. For instance, a w ide range of

essentially sim ilar characteristics such as conditions result from “ natural” disturbances. Fire,

vegetation, geology, hydrology, soils, and clim ate). floods, and w indstorm s can cause m ajor changes in stream s and w ater quality. T he occurrence or lack

B asin-scale m onitoring program s should also of occurrence of one of these events shapes stream

consider the m ost sensitive or critical sites, both for characteristics. T herefore, caution is needed w hen

sources of pollutant loads and w ater quality com paring stream reaches w ith different

im pacts. For exam ple, roads built near stream s on disturbance histories. In addition, not all stream

slopes w ith a high risk of landslides represent a ecosystem s should look alike. A n

potential source of sedim ent. C ritical stream estuary-influenced reach w ill not look like a

reaches, such as high value spaw ning or rearing headw ater stream , and a high gradient, forested

habitat for salm on, m ay be identified as sensitive to reach w ill not look like a m eadow -dom inated, low -

sedim ent deposition. A gain, these sites m ay have a gradient stream (see O regon W atershed A ssessm ent

high priority for m onitoring to understand the M anual discussion of channel habitat types).

w atershed response.

B a sin S ca le C o nsid era tio ns

A n exam ple of the value of basin-w ide m onitoring com pared to an assessm ent from individual

A t the basin scale, landscape and stream patterns sam pling points is a study of tem perature patterns becom e the focus of m onitoring. B asin-scale in the Steam boat C reek W atershed of O regon by m onitoring represents the m ajor dilem m a facing any

H oladay (1992). H oladay found that despite the sam pling project— it is im possible to m onitor recovery of riparian vegetation in Steam boat C reek everything, everyw here, all the tim e. W hile every from 1969 to 1990, no m easurable change in the location and stream reach in a w atershed is unique, stream tem peratures at the m outh of Steam boat general patterns can be identified that help in

C reek during sum m er extrem es had occurred. Y et understanding and m anaging w atersheds. w ater tem perature reductions of 1° to 11° F w ere “ W atershed analysis” is a process that resource m easured for every m ajor tributary to Steam boat professionals use based on identifying these

C reek. T he w atershed-w ide pattern, show ing that should be representative of the larger study area. increased shade w as reducing m axim um tributary

Physical and geographic characteristics like tem peratures, w as clear. H ow ever, if tem perature

vegetation, soils, geology, land use, gradient, m easurem ents at the m outh of Steam boat C reek

riparian characteristics, and substrate type need to w ere the only m easurem ent taken, then it w ould

be considered to assure that sam ple sites are appear that w ater tem perature had not im proved.

representative of the larger population. For Including tributary tem peratures in the m onitoring

exam ple, sam ple sites should not be directly project m ore accurately reflected the w atershed-

dow nstream from anom alies such as culverts, w ide tem perature pattern..

bridges, roads, landslides, or w aterfalls unless these are the conditions that the m onitoring program is

C ho o sing S ites

evaluating.

Several types of sites m ay be selected for m onitoring surveys:

R eference and study stream s should be in the sam e ecoregion or ecologically sim ilar area (w atershed or

• Study sites are selected to answ er specific basin) and be w ithin an acceptable range of

questions. T hese could include questions about elevation, gradient, and stream order (G allant, et al the effects of certain land uses, im provem ent

1989). Sim ilar stream s in the sam e ecoregion follow ing restoration w ork, or the effectiveness

w ould be expected to have sim ilar w ater chem istry of B est M anagem ent Practices, am ong others.

and habitat conditions, and support sim ilar • biological com m unities. D ifferences betw een w ell R eference sites reflect the best available

conditions present w ithin a specific stream , chosen reference and study sites should be due to w atershed basin or ecoregion. A n ideal

hum an or natural disturbance and not due to natural reference site w ould be in a pristine, natural

differences betw een the stream s. condition. A realistic reference site usually

represents the best attainable conditions and L ocating m inim ally im pacted reference stream s in has experienced som e level of hum an effect.

the sam e ecoregion can som etim es prove difficult, Ideally m ore than one reference site is used.

especially at the low er elevation sections of Five to ten reference sites should be sam pled

stream s. In cases w here unim paired reference sites for studies that include several stream s over a

are not available, one should select the least range of habitats.

im paired areas possible. G enerally, im pacted and reference site selection is done in three stages:

• R andom ly selected sites are chosen completely at random , w ithout regard to the level of hum an

• O ffice R econnaissance: using maps, aerial disturbance. In m ost cases, random sites are

photos, published reports, and other m aterials, grouped, or stratified, according to certain

the m onitoring area is studied and likely factors such as stream order, land use, or

stream s are identified.

ecoregion. R andom site selection provides an

C onsult the E xperts: federal and state resource unbiased assessm ent of the range of conditions

m anagem ent agency personnel are very present w ithin a study area. (Note: In

know ledgeable of the natural characteristics Oregon, the EPA Research Lab in

and hum an im pacts in the areas they Corvallis can provide a list of randomly

adm inister. T hey can also provide inform ation selected sites for specific projects.

on w ork planned for the future in the basins Contact Phil Larson at 541-754-4362 .)

being considered for study, such as proposed tim ber sales or stream im provem ent w ork. L ocal fisheries biologists are a particularly

O nce potential sites have been identified, the actual

good resource.

locations w here data w ill be collected need to be identified. E xcept for random sites, w hich are

• Field R econnaissance: the streams identified in picked independent of other factors, sam ple sites

the previous tw o steps are visited and visually the previous tw o steps are visited and visually

how ever.

stream reaches for sam pling.

R eferences

H o w M a ny S ites P er S trea m ?

D issm eyer, G .E . 1994. E valuating the T he location and num ber of sites per stream

e ffe c tiv e n e ss o f fo rest B est M a n a g e m en t P ra c tic e s depends on the objectives of the study, the type of

in m eetin g w a ter q u a lity g o a ls o r sta n d a rd s. im pacts, and the resources available. G enerally,

M iscellaneous Publication 1520. U SD A Forest program designs are of three types:

Service: A tlanta, G A .

1) Paired stream approach, w ith several sites per

G allant, A .L ., T .R . W hittier, D .P. L arsen, J.M . stream . A study stream is paired w ith a nearby

O m ernik, R .M . H ughes. 1989. R egionalization as a unim pacted (or least im pacted) reference

T ool for M anaging E nvironm ental R esources. stream w here several sites are also selected.

U SE PA R esearch L aboratory. E PA /600/3-89-060.

2) U pstream /downstream approach, w ith several

C orvallis, O R .

sites along a single stream . Selected sites

H oladay, S.A . 1992. Sum m ertim e water upstream of som e disturbance, w ith the best

tem p e ra tu re tre n d s in S te a m b o a t C re e k B a sin , available conditions, are used as the reference

U m p q u a N a tio n a l F o rest . M S T hesis. O regon sites. Sites are then selected w ithin and/or

State U niversity: C orvallis, O R . dow nstream from the area of concern.

Plotnikoff, R .W . 1992. Tim ber/Fish/W ildlife

3) E coregion approach. A num ber of least

b io a ssessm e n t p ilo t p ro je c t . W ashington D ept. of im pacted reference sites w ithin a single

E cology, E nvironm ental Investigations and physiographic type or ecoregion are selected to

L aboratory Services: O lym pia, W A . determ ine the natural reference condition. A

Stednick, J.D . 1991. W ildland water quality num ber of sites of concern are then selected sa m p lin g a n d a n a ly sis . A cadem ic Press, Inc.: N ew w ithin the sam e or a sim ilar ecoregion.

Y ork, N Y .

W hichever approach is used, it is im portant to N onPoint Source Solutions, 1999. O regon sam ple enough sites to determ ine the inherent

G overnor’s variability w ithin and betw een different sites,

W a th e rsh e d A ssessm e n t M a n u a l.

W atershed E nhancem ent B oard: Salem , O R because w ater quality param eters vary in both

space and tim e. G athering additional data collected by other agencies or groups can im prove the

effectiveness of m onitoring to detect differences betw een sites. T he collection and analysis m ethods

C h a p te r 4

D ata Q u ality

B a ckg ro und

6. W rite a draft project plan that includes sam pling m ethods and project objectives.

T he goal of data gathering is to produce data of a know n quality w hich is adequate for the intended

7. G et feedback on the draft plan from other use. E nvironm ental m onitoring often requires large

professionals such as state agency m onitoring investm ents of resources. Instituting techniques

staff.

w hich protect that investm ent and insure that the data is valuable to other users is im portant.

8. R evise the project plan based on review

com m ents.

T he m ethods used to elim inate flaw s and errors

9. Im plem ent m onitoring w ork as described in the before they com prom ise the quality of the data

final m onitoring plan.

collected are generally referred to as “ quality assurance” (see next page). T o insure that the data

10. E valuate and refine the project over tim e as are credible, procedures m ust be docum ented,

know ledge is acquired during the project. regular evaluations of precision and accuracy

should be conducted, and regular, independent

K ey D a ta Q ua lity C o ncep ts