UCR RIFS Surface Water Study

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UCR RI/FS Surface Water Study
Overview of the QAPP

• Lake Roosevelt Forum
• April 14, 2009

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Why Conduct a Surface Water Study?

• Are the levels of COIs in surface water from the
  UCR Site greater than benchmarks for the
  survival, growth and reproduction of aquatic
  receptors?
• Do COI concentrations in surface water pose
  unacceptable risk to aquatic life and wildlife
  through direct contact and ingestion?
• Do COI concentrations in surface water pose
  unacceptable risk to aquatic life and wildlife
  through food chain transfer?
• Do COI concentrations in surface water pose
  unacceptable risk to people? (EPA will assess
  risk to human health)

(COI chemical of interest)
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Historic Data Sets

• Northport, WA
• USGS from 1995 to 2000
• Ecology from 2001 to present
• Other UCR
• Paulson et al. 2006
• Scofield and Pavlik-Kunkel (2007)
• Tributaries
• Ecologys Environmental Information Management
  (EIM) System database (for Kettle and Sanpoil
  Rivers) http//apps.ecy.wa.gov/eimreporting
• USGSs National Water Information Syste (NWIS)
  for Spokane River at Long Lake)
  http//nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/qwdata
• British Columbia
• Environment Canadas online database
  http//www.waterquality.ec.gc.ca/EN/navigation/sea
  rch.htm

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Data Gaps

• Spatially representative data
• COIs
• Metals/metalloids
• Organics
• Information on variability
• Longitudinal, lateral, vertical
• Temporal
• Data for other water quality parameters to help
  interpret the COI data

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Locations of Sample Transects

• Above Trail, BC
• At Waneta, BC (near-shore only)
• Within each physiographic reach
• Within areas that have different sediment COI
  concentrations
• Within EPA Focus Areas where other data (fish,
  plankton) data will be collected
• Above and below confluence with Spokane River

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Station Placement along Transects

• 8 samples per transect
• Nearshore
• 2 stations, 1 along each shoreline
• Target 0.5 m water depth
• Disturbed water, undisturbed water
• Offshore
• 3 near-surface (1 m below water surface)
• 3 near-bottom (1 m above sediment surface)
• Thalweg, river benches

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Example of Station Placement (Transect TC7)
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Station Placement at Transect TC7
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Sampling Equipment Go-Flo Bottle
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Sampling Equipment Peristaltic Pump
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Analytes

• TAL metals/metalloids, conventionals, nutrients,
  and major ions field measurements (continuous
  profile)
• All samples
• Stable isotopes all samples within UCR
• Other metals along representative transects
• Birchbank, BC (CAN1)
• Northport (TC1)
• Marcus Flats (TC3)
• Inchelium (TC4)
• Below Spokane River (TC6)
• Organic compounds
• All samples along CAN1
• Three samples/UCR transect near-surface and
  near-bottom samples at the thalweg and one
  near-shore sample

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How Will the Information Be Used?

• Evaluate variability
• Within transect (near-surface samples,
  near-bottom samples)
• Among transects
• Over time
• Compare to benchmarks
• EPA chronic AWQC
• Ecology chronic WQC
• Colville Confederated Tribes aquatic life chronic
  criteria
• Spokane Tribe of Indians aquatic life chronic
  criteria
• Canadian Council of Ministry of Environment water
  quality guidelines
• Human health benchmarks (EPA will assess risks to
  human health)
• For COIs exceeding conservative benchmarks,
  evaluate in the risk assessment

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When Will Sampling Occur?

• Multiple field surveys to reflect differing river
  flows and pool elevations
• September
• April
• June

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Monthly Mean Flow At U.S.-Canadian Border
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Daily Pool Elevations 1995 - 2005
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Questions?