Water Quality Vital Signs: Developing Protocols and SOPs

Presented by Barry Long

Water Resources Division

National Water Quality Monitoring Council Meeting

July 24, 2007

Philadelphia, PA

NPS Vital Signs Networks

Water Quality Protocols Water Quality Protocols and SOPs - Good Examplesand SOPs - Good Examples

• San Francisco Bay Area: Freshwater San Francisco Bay Area: Freshwater Quality Protocol Quality Protocol Narrative:Narrative: Complete (All Complete (All Issues Well Organized), All QA/QC Issues, Issues Well Organized), All QA/QC Issues, Incorporated State GuidanceIncorporated State Guidance

• Northern Colorado Plateau: Freshwater Northern Colorado Plateau: Freshwater Water Quality Protocol Water Quality Protocol NarrativeNarrative and and SOPs: QA/QC, Data Analysis, Bias from SOPs: QA/QC, Data Analysis, Bias from ChangesChanges

• Applachian Highlands & Northeast Applachian Highlands & Northeast Temperate: Good example of plans that Temperate: Good example of plans that use USGS Protocolsuse USGS Protocols

More Good Examples of More Good Examples of Plans & Protocol NarrativesPlans & Protocol Narratives• Phase I, II, and III Reports (San Francisco Bay Phase I, II, and III Reports (San Francisco Bay

Area, Greater Yellowstone, Great Lakes)Area, Greater Yellowstone, Great Lakes)

• Certain Plan Chapters (Southeast Coast, Pacific Certain Plan Chapters (Southeast Coast, Pacific Island, Northeast Coastal & Barrier, Great Island, Northeast Coastal & Barrier, Great Lakes)Lakes)

• Great Lakes Rivers ProtocolGreat Lakes Rivers Protocol

• Greater Yellowstone Regulatory Water Quality Greater Yellowstone Regulatory Water Quality ProtocolProtocol

• Heartland Aquatic Invertebrates Sampling Heartland Aquatic Invertebrates Sampling DesignDesign

CODEsCODEs(to indicate status of WQ Protocol development)(to indicate status of WQ Protocol development)

• * Protocol Development Summary Completed* Protocol Development Summary Completed

• ** Draft Protocol Completed** Draft Protocol Completed

• *** Protocol Completed & WRD Reviewed *** Protocol Completed & WRD Reviewed (includes associated SOPs)(includes associated SOPs)

• ? Not Confirmed Yet But PDS in VS data base? Not Confirmed Yet But PDS in VS data base (http://www1.nrintra.nps.gov/im/monitor/vsdatabase.cfm)(http://www1.nrintra.nps.gov/im/monitor/vsdatabase.cfm)

Wadeable Stream ProtocolsWadeable Stream Protocols

• Northern Colorado Plateau***, San Francisco Northern Colorado Plateau***, San Francisco Bay Area***, Appalachian Highlands***, Bay Area***, Appalachian Highlands***, Northeast Temperate*** Northeast Temperate***

• Greater Yellowstone*** (Regulatory Protocol)Greater Yellowstone*** (Regulatory Protocol)• Others:Others: Cumberland Piedmont**, Sonoran Desert*, Northern Cumberland Piedmont**, Sonoran Desert*, Northern

Great Plains*, Gulf Coast**, Great Lakes*, Greater Great Plains*, Gulf Coast**, Great Lakes*, Greater Yellowstone*** (other), North Coast and Cascades**, Klamath*, Yellowstone*** (other), North Coast and Cascades**, Klamath*, Sierra Nevada*, Southeast Coast* Sierra Nevada*, Southeast Coast*

• Many Include Benthic MacroinvertebratesMany Include Benthic Macroinvertebrates (BMIs):(BMIs): Eastern Rivers and Mountains* Pacific Islands*, Pacific Islands*, Southern Colorado Plateau*, Mediterranean Coast*, Upper Southern Colorado Plateau*, Mediterranean Coast*, Upper Columbia Basin**, National Capital Region**, Mid Atlantic *, Columbia Basin**, National Capital Region**, Mid Atlantic *, Appalachian Highlands?, Rocky Mountain Integrated* Appalachian Highlands?, Rocky Mountain Integrated* (integrated w/ many eco-integrity indicators)(integrated w/ many eco-integrity indicators)

Rivers & Non-wadeble Rivers & Non-wadeble StreamsStreams

• Great Lakes***Great Lakes***• Greater Yellowstone** Greater Yellowstone** • Heartland**Heartland**• North Coast and Cascades**North Coast and Cascades**• Northern Great Plains*Northern Great Plains*• Southwest Alaska*Southwest Alaska*• Eastern Rivers and Mountains*• Sierra Nevada*Sierra Nevada*• Rocky Mountain* (Highly integrated, Rocky Mountain* (Highly integrated,

many indicators)many indicators)• Southeast Coast*Southeast Coast*

Lakes, Ponds and PoolsLakes, Ponds and Pools

• Great Lakes**Great Lakes**• Central Alaska** (Permafrost Lakes/Ponds)Central Alaska** (Permafrost Lakes/Ponds)• North Coast and Cascades** (Large Lakes, North Coast and Cascades** (Large Lakes,

Mountain Ponds/Lakes)Mountain Ponds/Lakes)• Southwest Alaska* (Large Lakes)Southwest Alaska* (Large Lakes)• Northeast Temperate** (Lakes/Vernal Pools)Northeast Temperate** (Lakes/Vernal Pools)• Sonoran Desert* (Desert Tinajas – Overland Sonoran Desert* (Desert Tinajas – Overland

Flow Fed Small Pools)Flow Fed Small Pools)• Greater Yellowstone* (Lakes/High Alpine Greater Yellowstone* (Lakes/High Alpine

Lakes)Lakes)• Klamath*, Sierra Nevada*, Rocky Mountain?Klamath*, Sierra Nevada*, Rocky Mountain?

Amphibians Amphibians

• Mediterranean Coast**Mediterranean Coast**• Heartland**Heartland**• Greater Yellowstone**Greater Yellowstone**• Northeast Temperate**Northeast Temperate**• National Capital Region** (Pools and National Capital Region** (Pools and

Ponds)Ponds)• Great Lakes*Great Lakes*• San Francisco Bay Area*San Francisco Bay Area*• Gulf Coast*Gulf Coast*• Southeast Coast*Southeast Coast*• Northern Coastal & Barrier?, Sierra Northern Coastal & Barrier?, Sierra

Nevada?Nevada?

Freshwater Stream Flow Freshwater Stream Flow (Quantity) (Quantity)

• National Capital Region**National Capital Region**• San Francisco Bay Area*San Francisco Bay Area*• Greater Yellowstone* Greater Yellowstone* • Mediterranean Coast*Mediterranean Coast*• Mid Atlantic*Mid Atlantic*• Eastern Rivers and Mountains*Eastern Rivers and Mountains*• Southeast Coast*Southeast Coast*• Rocky Mountain* (Highly integrated Rocky Mountain* (Highly integrated

with other stream-integrity indicators)with other stream-integrity indicators)• Appalachian Highlands?, Southwest Appalachian Highlands?, Southwest

Alaska?Alaska?

Seeps and Springs Seeps and Springs

• Heartland**Heartland**• Greater Yellowstone* Greater Yellowstone* • Southern Colorado Plateau* Southern Colorado Plateau* • Sonoran Desert* Sonoran Desert* • Northern Great Plains*Northern Great Plains*• Mojave Desert?Mojave Desert?

Wetlands and Wetland Wetlands and Wetland HabitatsHabitats

• Heartland**Heartland**• Northeast Temperate** Northeast Temperate** • Rocky Mountain** (Highly Rocky Mountain** (Highly

integrated with other wetland integrated with other wetland integrity indicators)integrity indicators)

• San Francisco Bay Area*San Francisco Bay Area*• Sonoran Desert*, Sierra Nevada*Sonoran Desert*, Sierra Nevada*• Northeast Coastal and Barrier?Northeast Coastal and Barrier?

GroundwaterGroundwater

• Pacific Island*Pacific Island*• Northern Great Plains*Northern Great Plains*• Sonoran Desert*Sonoran Desert*• Rocky Mountain* (includes some Rocky Mountain* (includes some

wetlands dynamics)wetlands dynamics)• Southeast Coast*Southeast Coast*• Northeast Coastal and Barrier?Northeast Coastal and Barrier?

Estuaries and/or MarineEstuaries and/or Marine

• Northeast Coastal and Barrier*** Northeast Coastal and Barrier*** (Eutrophication Indicators)(Eutrophication Indicators)

• Pacific Island**Pacific Island**• Southeast Coast** Southeast Coast** • Gulf Coast*Gulf Coast*• South Florida/Caribbean* (includes South Florida/Caribbean* (includes

Invertebrates)Invertebrates)• Southwest Alaska?Southwest Alaska?

FishFish

• National Capital Region**National Capital Region**• Heartland*Heartland*• San Francisco Bay Area*San Francisco Bay Area*• Pacific Island*, South Pacific Island*, South

Florida/Caribbean* (Marine/Estuarine)Florida/Caribbean* (Marine/Estuarine)• Sonoran Desert?Sonoran Desert?• North Coast and Cascades (Lake)?North Coast and Cascades (Lake)?• Central Alaska?Central Alaska?

NutrientsNutrients

• Pacific Island** (includes Marine/Estuarine)Pacific Island** (includes Marine/Estuarine)• National Capital Region**National Capital Region**• Southeast Coast**(includes Southeast Coast**(includes

Marine/Estuarine)Marine/Estuarine)• Northern Coastal and Barrier* Loading Northern Coastal and Barrier* Loading

(includes Marine/Estuarine)(includes Marine/Estuarine)• South Florida/Caribbean* (includes South Florida/Caribbean* (includes

Marine/Estuarine)Marine/Estuarine)• North Coast and Cascades?, Mediterranean North Coast and Cascades?, Mediterranean

Coast?, Northeast Temperate?Coast?, Northeast Temperate?

Toxic ContaminantsToxic Contaminants

• Great Lakes*Great Lakes*

• Southeast Coast*Southeast Coast*

• South Florida/Caribbean?South Florida/Caribbean?

• Southeast Alaska?Southeast Alaska?

• Sonoran Desert?Sonoran Desert?

• Mediterranean Coast?Mediterranean Coast?

• Appalachian Highlands?Appalachian Highlands?

Information Exchange Information Exchange

• Small Streams, Big Rivers, Lakes and Small Streams, Big Rivers, Lakes and Ponds, Wetlands, Nutrients, BMIs, Ponds, Wetlands, Nutrients, BMIs, Amphibians, etc.Amphibians, etc.

• Make a “listserv” or use NPS “Make a “listserv” or use NPS “SharePointSharePoint” ” to edit shared text.to edit shared text.

• Eva DiDonato (Southeast Coast) has Eva DiDonato (Southeast Coast) has Volunteered for Marine/Estuarine.Volunteered for Marine/Estuarine.http://inpserosecn/marinewq/default.aspx

• Dave Thoma (Northern Colorado Plateau) Dave Thoma (Northern Colorado Plateau) has Volunteered for Upland Freshwater.has Volunteered for Upland Freshwater.http://inp2300fcsirma/water_quality_monitoring

Monitoring Program Monitoring Program Outreach OpportunitiesOutreach Opportunities• National NPS Inventory and Monitoring National NPS Inventory and Monitoring

Program Annual Coordination MeetingProgram Annual Coordination Meeting

• NWQMC National Monitoring ConferenceNWQMC National Monitoring ConferenceMay 18-22, 2008, Atlantic City, NJMay 18-22, 2008, Atlantic City, NJ WRD hopes to sponsor a full conference session WRD hopes to sponsor a full conference session

for NPS Vital Signs Networks.for NPS Vital Signs Networks.

• WRD Aquatic Professional's MeetingWRD Aquatic Professional's MeetingFebruary 11-14, 2008, Fort Collins, COFebruary 11-14, 2008, Fort Collins, CO

Vital Signs network presentations and breakout Vital Signs network presentations and breakout sessions.sessions.