Water Quality Vital Signs: Developing Protocols and SOPs

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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
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NPS Vital Signs Networks
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Water Quality Protocols and SOPs - Good Examples

• San Francisco Bay Area Freshwater Quality
  Protocol Narrative Complete (All Issues Well
  Organized), All QA/QC Issues, Incorporated State
  Guidance
• Northern Colorado Plateau Freshwater Water
  Quality Protocol Narrative and SOPs QA/QC, Data
  Analysis, Bias from Changes
• Applachian Highlands Northeast Temperate Good
  example of plans that use USGS Protocols

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More Good Examples of Plans Protocol Narratives

• Phase I, II, and III Reports (San Francisco Bay
  Area, Greater Yellowstone, Great Lakes)
• Certain Plan Chapters (Southeast Coast, Pacific
  Island, Northeast Coastal Barrier, Great Lakes)
• Great Lakes Rivers Protocol
• Greater Yellowstone Regulatory Water Quality
  Protocol
• Heartland Aquatic Invertebrates Sampling Design

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CODEs(to indicate status of WQ Protocol
development)

• Protocol Development Summary Completed
• Draft Protocol Completed
• Protocol Completed WRD Reviewed (includes
  associated SOPs)
• ? Not Confirmed Yet But PDS in VS data base
  (http//www1.nrintra.nps.gov/im/monitor/vsdatabase
  .cfm)

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Wadeable Stream Protocols

• Northern Colorado Plateau, San Francisco Bay
  Area, Appalachian Highlands, Northeast
  Temperate
• Greater Yellowstone (Regulatory Protocol)
• Others Cumberland Piedmont, Sonoran Desert,
  Northern Great Plains, Gulf Coast, Great
  Lakes, Greater Yellowstone (other), North
  Coast and Cascades, Klamath, Sierra Nevada,
  Southeast Coast
• Many Include Benthic Macroinvertebrates (BMIs)
  Eastern Rivers and Mountains Pacific Islands,
  Southern Colorado Plateau, Mediterranean Coast,
  Upper Columbia Basin, National Capital
  Region, Mid Atlantic , Appalachian Highlands?,
  Rocky Mountain Integrated (integrated w/ many
  eco-integrity indicators)

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Rivers Non-wadeble Streams

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

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Lakes, Ponds and Pools

• Great Lakes
• Central Alaska (Permafrost Lakes/Ponds)
• North Coast and Cascades (Large Lakes, Mountain
  Ponds/Lakes)
• Southwest Alaska (Large Lakes)
• Northeast Temperate (Lakes/Vernal Pools)
• Sonoran Desert (Desert Tinajas Overland Flow
  Fed Small Pools)
• Greater Yellowstone (Lakes/High Alpine Lakes)
• Klamath, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountain?

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Amphibians

• Mediterranean Coast
• Heartland
• Greater Yellowstone
• Northeast Temperate
• National Capital Region (Pools and Ponds)
• Great Lakes
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Gulf Coast
• Southeast Coast
• Northern Coastal Barrier?, Sierra Nevada?

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Freshwater Stream Flow (Quantity)

• National Capital Region
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Greater Yellowstone
• Mediterranean Coast
• Mid Atlantic
• Eastern Rivers and Mountains
• Southeast Coast
• Rocky Mountain (Highly integrated with other
  stream-integrity indicators)
• Appalachian Highlands?, Southwest Alaska?

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Seeps and Springs

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

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Wetlands and Wetland Habitats

• Heartland
• Northeast Temperate
• Rocky Mountain (Highly integrated with other
  wetland integrity indicators)
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Sonoran Desert, Sierra Nevada
• Northeast Coastal and Barrier?

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Groundwater

• Pacific Island
• Northern Great Plains
• Sonoran Desert
• Rocky Mountain (includes some wetlands dynamics)
• Southeast Coast
• Northeast Coastal and Barrier?

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Estuaries and/or Marine

• Northeast Coastal and Barrier (Eutrophication
  Indicators)
• Pacific Island
• Southeast Coast
• Gulf Coast
• South Florida/Caribbean (includes Invertebrates)
• Southwest Alaska?

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Fish

• National Capital Region
• Heartland
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Pacific Island, South Florida/Caribbean
  (Marine/Estuarine)
• Sonoran Desert?
• North Coast and Cascades (Lake)?
• Central Alaska?

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Nutrients

• Pacific Island (includes Marine/Estuarine)
• National Capital Region
• Southeast Coast(includes Marine/Estuarine)
• Northern Coastal and Barrier Loading (includes
  Marine/Estuarine)
• South Florida/Caribbean (includes
  Marine/Estuarine)
• North Coast and Cascades?, Mediterranean Coast?,
  Northeast Temperate?

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Toxic Contaminants

• Great Lakes
• Southeast Coast
• South Florida/Caribbean?
• Southeast Alaska?
• Sonoran Desert?
• Mediterranean Coast?
• Appalachian Highlands?

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Information Exchange

• Small Streams, Big Rivers, Lakes and Ponds,
  Wetlands, Nutrients, BMIs, Amphibians, etc.
• Make a listserv or use NPS SharePoint to edit
  shared text.
• Eva DiDonato (Southeast Coast) has Volunteered
  for Marine/Estuarine.
• http//inpserosecn/marinewq/default.aspx
• Dave Thoma (Northern Colorado Plateau) has
  Volunteered for Upland Freshwater.
• http//inp2300fcsirma/water_quality_monitoring

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Monitoring Program Outreach Opportunities

• National NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program
  Annual Coordination Meeting
• NWQMC National Monitoring Conference
• May 18-22, 2008, Atlantic City, NJ
• WRD hopes to sponsor a full conference
  session for NPS Vital Signs Networks.
• WRD Aquatic Professional's Meeting
• February 11-14, 2008, Fort Collins, CO
• Vital Signs network presentations and breakout
  sessions.

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(No Transcript)