Peyton.Adams@mail.state.ky.us;Henryco@kwc.edu;kingsol@kwc.edu;michelem@brescia.edu;SMR@muhlon.com brhammers129@aol.com;aloma.dew@sierraclub.org To: Tradewater-Green River Watershed Watch Science Advisory Panel Peyton Adams, KY DOW 270-824-7529 Henry Conner, KWC 270-926-3111 -5218 Rob Kingsolver, KWC 270-926-3111 -5212 Michele Morek, Brescia 270-686-4221 Wayne Rosso SMR Environmental 270-754-3737 RE: Amended Tradewater-Lower Green Watershed Watch Scientific Study Plan Version 2.0 February 20, 2000 Tradewater-Lower Green River Watershed Watch 2000 Scientific Study Quality Assurance-Quality Control Plan Draft version 2.0 February 20, 2000 Abstract: In order to provide high quality, scientifically defensible water quality measurements, the following set of recommendations are made for our basin's scientific study plan. I.) Monitoring Objectives: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1. To provide current data on general water quality conditions to local stream based organizations working to protect their watershed. 2. To provide wide spread screening for potential water quality problems to resource management agencies. 3. To provide auxiliary information to assist resource management agencies in meeting specific operational and management objectives. 4. To identify specific impacts to water quality through targeted observations and measurements. 5. To develop a better understanding of stream science and water quality issues among participants II.)Monitoring Parameters: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The following monitoring parameters are recommended: 1. General Field Observations A) May-June visual/photographic Field Surveys: 1. Stream Habitat Assessment (US EPA Protocol) Survey Items: -Latitude and Longitude for location sites. -Riparian zone, in stream Features, bank stability -Riparian and aquatic vegetation, vegetative zone width -Sediment substrate components odors, oils and deposits -Riffle quality, embeddedness, sediment deposition -Flow, Velocity depth combinations. -Photo documentation of riparian conditions -Stage or water level information 2. Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure (Flowing streams) Level I (group level field identification) by lay volunteers 3. Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure Level II (Family Level lab identification) by advanced teams: 1. Traveling Kick collection method where applicable 2. Use of plate collectors as artificial habitat 3. EPT Taxa Richness as a scoring metric. 4. Field Chemistry (all sites) a. Dissolved Oxygen (Lamotte Modified Winkler Method) b. pH (Lamotte colormetric wide range indicator) c. Temp +d. Turbidity Tubes to be tested with teams that have turbidity meters. 5. Discharge measurements, Stage information, or flow level. will be assessed at each time of sampling. B) Water quality "lab" Parameters 1)Herbicide/Pesticide Sampling (flowing streams) Teams will conduct water sampling for agricultural chemicals. These samples are for laboratory analysis (Immunoassay) of the more common herbicides applied at that time. These herbicides (and other relevant parameters) are listed below. Samples will be preserved by ice for transport to the lab with no more than a seven day holding time *a. Triazine (used as pre-emergent for corn) *b. Metolachlor (used on Soybeans) +c. 2,4-D (amine) Pastures and Lawn chemicals +e. Alachlor (used on soybean cultivation) 2)Microbiological testing (Flowing Streams and Lake Sites) Teams will be recruited to conduct microbiological sampling of *Fecal Coliform (colonies/100 ml) Where sites exceed a particular level we will retest for fecal coliform and fecal strep. The steering committee will decide what results level will trigger the retest after they have seen the numbers from the first test. Samples will be collected using EPA standard methods with no more than six hour holding time from sample collection to lab delivery. Samples will be held at 4 degrees centigrade in wet ice. Labs will use Membrane filtration method. 3)(Fall Low Flow Grab Sample Collection) (Flowing streams, Lakes) Teams will conduct water sampling during low flow periods for laboratory analysis of a wide range of water quality parameters. Parameters may vary depending on the site and the land use activity in the watershed. Watershed Parameter Suggested EPA Method # ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +Total suspended solids 160.1 +Total organic carbon 415.2 *Phosphorus, total 365.2 *Conductivity (Lab) 120.1 *Nitrate 300.0 +Phosphorus, ortho 300.0 *Chloride 300.0 *Sulfate 300.0 *Iron 200.7 +*Alkalinity 310.1 +*Magnesium 200.7 +*Calcium 200.7 +*Ammonia-nitrogen 350.1 +*Total Kjeldhal nitrogen 351.2 +dissolved volatile solids +total volatile solids +Nitrite 300.0 +Hardness, total 130.2 +Bromide 300.0 +Fluoride 300.0 +Aluminum 200.7 +Antimony 200.7 +Arsenic 200.9 +Barium 200.7 +Beryllium 200.7 +Cadmium 200.9 +Chromium 200.9 +Cobalt 200.7 +Copper 200.9 +Lead 200.9 +Manganese 200.7 +Mercury 245.1 +Molybdenum 200.7 +Nickel 200.7 +Potassium 200.7 +Selenium 200.9 +Silver 200.7 +Sodium 200.7 +Strontium 200.7 +Tin 200.7 +Vanadium 200.7 +Zinc +Turbidity 6) Standard Methods of Collection and Analysis: Samples are to be gathered using (EPA) Standard Methods of collection, preservation and analysis under full chain-of-custody using scientifically trained volunteers. Sample analysis will performed by a laboratory using standard methods of analysis. Sample splits may be provided to the State Division of Environmental Services Lab. 7. Field blanks for Nutrient and Metal testing will be used. Sample Runners will carry one H2SO4 one liter container with DI water for a nutrient blank, and one Nitric acid one liter container with DI water for Metal Scans. The blanks will show if the lot number of the acid that the preservative, DI, and container lot # were free of contamination for the study. 8) Resampling will be conducted on 10% of collection sites for Habitat and Biological Monitoring. A random selection of sites will be revisited by volunteers to check comparability of results. C) Sampling Site Selection Parameters: 1. Habitat Assessment/Biological Monitoring Volunteers will be asked to seek out the highest quality habitat for biological screening sites. They could also locate sites below any significant discharges or land use features for comparison purposes. Habitat assessments need only be completed once per site unless significant changes take place at the site. 2. Grab Sample Sites "Monitoring Stations" Sites should be distributed as evenly as possible among the 11 digit hydrologic units in the watershed. Before a site can be considered, the volunteer group should submit a Site Characterization Form describing the area. (This is part of the spring habitat assessments) Once a sample site is selected it will be given a unique "Monitoring Station Code" consisting of the River Basin Project Letter and a number from 1-1000. T will be used to identify all samples taken in our basin. Should a site be retired from monitoring, that site's identification code will be retired as well. D) Sampling Schedule: Date ranges suggested, our project has freedom pick specific dates and to alter schedule) 1. Herbicide/Pesticide May (19-20) 2. Fecal Coliform/Strep (July 7-8-9) 3. Fecal Coliform Resample August 11-12 4. Fall "low flow" samples (30-1) 5. Field Surveys (April-May) E) Training Schedule: Saturday May 6, 2000, Rochester Community Center Sunday May 7, 2000 Madisonville, KY Friday May 12, 2000 Rough River area Saturday May 13, Brescia University, Owensboro D) Selecting Labs: Labs used for the project should provide assurances of their ability to follow Standard Methods for Water and Wastewater Analysis. Their credibility is essential. Below is a list of labs used that would meet this criteria: Ogden Environmental Laboratory C/0 Rose Hullet Western Kentucky University 1 Big Red Way 270-745-0111 Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576 SMR Environmental Services P. O Box 761 Central City Kentucky 42330 270-754-3737 EKU Geological Chemistry Lab Dr. Melissa Dieckman 103 Roark Bld Dept. of Geology Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY 40475-3129 Kentucky Geological Survey Labs (At UK) Dr. Henry Francis, 606-257-5500 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Bldg University of Kentucky Lexington, KY40506-0107 Envirodata Group (formerly Commonwealth Technology Inc) 2520 Regency Road Lexington, 40503 Att: Randy Shelley, rshelley@envirodatagroup.com 606-276-3506 University of Louisville Dept. of Biological Sciences. Tina Montgomery, Microbiologist Rich Schultz, Chem Services Dr Bukavacus 852-3726 pabuka01athena.louisville.edu Center for Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292. Beckmar Environmental Lab Inc. 3251 Ruckriegel Parkway Louisville, KY 40299 502-266-6533 Contacts: Paul Barker Dave Tracy beckmarlab@aol.com Kentucky Division of Environmental Services Bill Davis, 502-564-6120 East West Connector Frankfort, KY 40601 Hankock Biological Station Murray State University 561 Emma Drive Murray, KY 42071 NOTE: This is a partial list of labs used in the past. This does not exclude any lab from consideration for bids on project work nor imply an endorsement of a lab listed. III.) Data Management: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A) Observational data Reports from the stream surveys shall be compiled in flat-record file in MS Excel 97 with photographs referenced by site code. Key photographs may be scanned in JPEG format if resources permit. Fields for observational data should include: Collector's identification Hydrologic Unit Nature of Observation Observation Elements Comments Reference to external material (photo's, maps Etc...) B) Reports from contracted labs should be requested in electronic spread sheets containing the following fields: ID#, Watershed# Stream_Name, Site_Description, Sample_Time, Sample_Date, Sampler_Name, followed by the results. C) Monitoring station results will be incorporated in a relational data base (Microsoft Access) then imported into E.S.R.I. Arcview 3.X for GIS applications. Copies of the maps will be made available on the World Wide Web. D) Hard copy field records generated by the project will be stored at Kentucky Water Watch Offices, 14 Reilly Road, Frankfort, KY and made available to the public during regular business hours. Evening and weekend access by appointment. E) The Steering Committee will appoint a "Data Manager" to coordinate with other basins on compatibility of the table and field structure of project data. Each project is encouraged to adopt the data storage structure as called for in the Watershed Watch Data management System found at: http://kywater.org/watch/2000/ib_datasystem.txt IV) Review of Literature ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A) Where possible, electronic copies of current professional research studies shall be obtained for inclusion in Watershed Watch Summary Reports. Executive Summary level information will be obtained where possible for all reports available. Reports shall be maintained in MS Word Format. B) Reports, data and information shall be made available to volunteer participants in hard copy, with electronic archives available via World Wide Web at this web address: http://water.nr.state.ky.us/watch/tg.htm ============================================================ V.) Conclusions and Data Analysis: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A) Preliminary reports will simply include the raw data with sufficient background for interpretation. Users will be cautioned not to draw hasty conclusions from single data points that may lie outside the norm. Further review and discussion will be warranted before specific conclusions and calls for action are made. We do want the volunteers to have access to the raw data as soon as it is available. B) Roundtable meetings will allow for professionals and lay participants to discuss findings and conclusions. An effort to involve all the members of a community interested in water quality will be made. Including representatives from industry, the scientific community, agricultural businesses and local officials. The conclusions from these meetings will then be turned over to the agencies active in the basin, such as the Kentucky Division of Water, The United States Geological Survey, The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority. The United States Department of Agriculture, NRCS, The Kentucky agriculture Water Quality Authority and any other organization that offers to comment and respond to the reports. C) The raw data will be available to any party that wishes to review and comment on the information via the Web Site but it must be marked "Provisional: Subject To Review". Each basin steering committee is responsible for approval and issuance of the official set of results or conclusionary statements from monitoring work in its area. A minority report is allowed should there be different interpretations of the data. VI.) Adoption of this plan ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ a) The Tradewater-Lower Green Watershed Watch Steering Committee Scientific Advisory Group will present their plan to the steering committee at their March 2000 meeting for adoption. The plan will be reviewed before each season of study. We hope that the Watershed Project will consider this set of recommendations in development of that plan. But, each watershed should have maximum flexibility to adjust its plan of work to meet the needs of its participants and to address the unique nature of the waters in its area. END Draft Version 2.0 February 20, 2000 +++ Send Comments Via E-mail to: kywwp@igc.org (Ken Cooke)