U.S. Department of the Interior

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Water-Quality Monitoring Data Collection and
Analysis Strategies for Designing Program
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological
Survey
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Measuring the Success of Best Management
Practices (BMP) Implementation
presented by Miya N. Barr Hydrologist/Water-Qualit
y Data Base Administrator [phone]
mnbarr_at_usgs.gov
Missouri Water Science Center Rolla, Missouri
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BMP Project Goal

• The most common goal is to improve the water
  resources in the watershed
• How can project success or failure be measured?

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Watershed Natural Resource Issues
Involves a mix of

• Ecological, physical, and chemical variables
• Social, economic, and ethical issues

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Evaluation Strategy

• Involves systematic collection of information
  about
• The needs the project should address
• The most effective ways to meet those needs
• The extent to which the project met those needs
  and project goals

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Ways to Measure Project Success
Evaluation strategy should include physical and
social aspects of project impacts

• Water-quality monitoring to detect changes in
  water quality
• Evaluate change in the human dimension, i.e., the
  application of the project and the impact of the
  project on people

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Barriers to BMP Project Evaluation

• Poor planning
• Failure to collect baseline data to measure
  change against
• Selection of ineffective evaluation methods
• Reliance on single evaluation method

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Barriers to BMP Project Evaluation, contd

• Failure to consider both physical water-quality
  parameters and social/human indicators of change
• Insufficient time, financial resources, and staff
  expertise
• Overlooking the obvious, i.e., existing data

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Physical Indicators of Water-Quality Changes
Water-Quality Monitoring

• Water chemistry
• Macroinvertebrates
• Algae
• Fish population
• Habitat measures

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Water-Quality Monitoring

• Water chemistry
• Early planning essential
• Target constituents (nutrients, suspended
  sediment, indicator bacteria, etc.)
• Importance of baseline data collection
• Long-term (5-10 years) monitoring may be
  necessary
• Monitoring can be costly
• Complicated process consult the experts

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U.S. Geological Survey Mission
The USGS provides the Nation with reliable,
impartial information to describe and understand
the Earth
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Purpose of the USGS Water-Quality Program
To provide a long-term data base so that the
general water quality of the hydrologic system is
known to allow for proper planning and management
of potential concerns in the State
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Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network
Stations USGS/MODNR (Missouri Department of
Natural Resources)
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Federal Program Water-Quality Stations
National Stream Quality Accounting Network
(NASQAN) U.S. Forest Service
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St. Louis USGS/MSD (Metropolitan Sewer District)
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Special Studies Water-Quality Monitoring of the
East Fork of the Black River and the Black River
(Taum Sauk project)
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Sample Collection
Monthly to biannually by hydrologic technicians
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Typical Constituents Measured

• Field parameters
• Nutrients
• Major ions
• Trace elements
• Pesticides
• Indicator bacteria (Fecal coliform and E. Coli)

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Sampling Goals

• Obtain a representative sample
• Use clean sampling and processing techniques
• Measure unstable physical properties and chemical
  constituents at site
• Determine streamflow at time of sample collection
• Quality-assurance practices

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What is a representative water-quality sample?
A water-quality sample that represents the
physical characteristics and chemical composition
of the flow of a stream at the sampling point
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Sampling Methods of the USGS
Purpose To obtain a sample that is
representative of the stream cross section

• Weighted bottle
• Equal-width increment
• Equal-discharge increment

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Equal Width Increment
Sampled at equal widths in cross section
verticals will have different volumes
Sampling points
Stream cross section
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Equal Discharge Increment
Sampled at equal discharge increments each
vertical will have equal volume
Sampling points
Stream cross section
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Sampling Equipment Isokinetic and Clean
8-Liter Bag Sampler
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Clean Sampling Techniques
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Clean Processing Techniques
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Why are some physical properties and chemical
constituents measured in the field?

• Unstable and change with time
• Preservation is not feasible
• Change cannot be accurately predicted

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Field Measurements

• Temperature
• Specific conductance
• pH
• Dissolved oxygen
• Alkalinity
• Indicator bacteria

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Why is streamflow important?
Chemical constituent concentration must be
related to stream discharge

• To compute constituent transport loads
• To understand discharge-constituent relations

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Quality Assurance Practices

• Instrument calibration
• Equipment blanks
• Replicate samples
• Clean techniques
• National Field Quality Assurance Program

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After Sample Collection

• Measure field parameters
• Process sample for shipment to laboratory
• Laboratory analysis
• Retrieve data and review
• Store in data base

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Continuous/Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring

• Use YSI brand equipment
• Provide customers and public with web-based,
  real-time data (http//nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov)
• Continuous collection of data for up to five
  different parameters simultaneously
• Data stored in USGS database

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Real-time view of data
Data updated hourly
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Continuous WQ Monitor Quality Assurance

• Standard guidelines set by USGS for installing
  and calibrating monitors, as well as reporting
  monitor data
• Monitor sites visited frequently and data watched
  online daily to detect issues
• Calibrations are checked for each parameter and
  documented
• Must correct for monitor fouling and drift in
  data set

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Continuous WQ Monitor Fouling Before and After
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Ancillary Activities

• Maintain a quality-assurance plan
• Review quality-assurance data
• Maintain data bases
• Participate in National Water-Quality Assurance
  program
• Replace and repair sampling and measuring
  equipment
• Continuing education

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USGS Water-Data Collection

• Experts in the field
• Continuous methods development
• Standardized sample collection, processing, and
  analysis protocols
• Centralized storage of data with links to other
  data bases
• Not biased, non-regulatory
• Quality motivated, not profit motivated

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Conclusions

• Early planning essential
• Select effective evaluation methods
• Consider both physical water-quality parameters
  and social/ human indicators of change
• Allow sufficient time for monitoring 5-10 years
  may be necessary to detect change

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Conclusions, contd

• Collect baseline data to measure change against
• Careful selection of target constituents
• Be sure of financial resources monitoring is not
  cheap!
• Monitoring is a complicated process consult the
  experts!