Water Quality Vital Signs: Developing Protocols and SOPs

1. 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

2. NPS Vital Signs Networks

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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)

7. 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*

8. 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?

9. 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?

10. 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?

11. Seeps and Springs • Heartland** • Greater Yellowstone* • Southern Colorado Plateau* • Sonoran Desert* • Northern Great Plains* • Mojave Desert?

12. 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?

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

14. Estuaries and/or Marine • Northeast Coastal and Barrier*** (Eutrophication Indicators) • Pacific Island** • Southeast Coast** • Gulf Coast* • South Florida/Caribbean* (includes Invertebrates) • Southwest Alaska?

15. 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?

16. 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?

17. Toxic Contaminants • Great Lakes* • Southeast Coast* • South Florida/Caribbean? • Southeast Alaska? • Sonoran Desert? • Mediterranean Coast? • Appalachian Highlands?

18. 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

19. 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.