Only One Change Suggested for Forms

Changes to NRSA Field Methods

WATER CHEMISTRY Changes to Boatable Method

1. In Situ measurements are taken at 1 location, mid-channel at the X site (middle transect if reach has not been moved). 2. Secchi depth measurements are taken at 1 location, mid-channel at the X site ( Transect F if reach has not been moved). 3. Water chemistry samples are taken at 1 location, mid-channel at the X site ( Transect F if reach has not been moved).

BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES Changes to Boatable Method

1. Three sweeps are no longer taken at each sampling location. One sweep of 1 linear meter is done at 1 sampling location in the dominant habitat at each transect within the 15mx10m littoral plot.

Changes to both methods

1. 10% buffered formalin is listed as the field preservative. Crews are instructed to use in a well ventilated place (outside), wear vinyl or nitrile gloves, and safety glasses. 2. The MSDS for 10% buffered formalin was added as an Appendix 3. Only 1 netter is to be used at all sites, wadeable and non-wadeable. 4. A process for laboratory identification/verification by field crews was added. 5. The vouchering section was changed to include fish that were identified in the laboratory. 6. A laboratory bench sheet for fishes was included in each section. 7. Fish tags numbers for each species should be kept throughout the entire reach. For example, if a large mouth bass is collected at transect B and assigned tag number 005, every subsequent large mouth bass must be assigned tag number 005. Changes to Wadeable Method

1. The subsampling procedure for large wadeable streams (>12.5 m wetted width, meaning >500 m reach length) has been changed to one that uses time for subsampling effort (700 seconds per transect) with a sampling width of approximately 8 m. 2. Crews must sample at least 20X wetted width. If 500 fish are captured at 20X, the crew stops. If not, the crew continues until 500 fish are captured (same as boatable method). 3. When subsampling large wadeable sites, data is recorded on the “Fish Collection Form –Large Wadeable/Boatable/Raftable”. Each transect is recorded separately as it is for boatables. Time and Distance fished, and habitat is also recorded (as they are in boatables).

Changes to Boatable Method

1. Crews are instructed to sample each transect for 700 seconds – not “in its entirety”. CLARIFICATIONS/TIPS FOR THE FIELD

2008: Fed Ex will not deliver at all on July 4, so there should be no shipping on July 3 (Thursday), or else the samples will sit until the following Monday or Tuesday. If a crew is sampling next week and can't ship by Wednesday (7/2), they should hold the samples and ship them the following Monday.

CHEMISTRY  Be sure to wear a pair of clean nitrile gloves when collecting your chemistry sample.  After collection place your sample immediately on ice, in a cooler.  Ship your sample ASAP to the water chemistry lab ( no later than 48 hours sent overnight).  No carboy is needed to collect the samples, the water can be poured from the beaker directly into the cubitainer and chlorophyll a bottle.  Make sure that the beaker and chlorophyll a bottle are thoroughly cleaned and dried between each site.  Collect the water sample below the surface, with the beaker slightly angled as you pull it to the surface.

PERIPHYTON  Keep on a cooler on ice in-between transects.  Record the total volume collected as accurately as possible on the field sheet.  Send AFDM samples to Dynamac with the water and chlorophyll a samples.  Only use 50ml for the APA samples so that the vials do not crack in the field.

FISH COMMUNITY  Voucher information has been updated in the manual  Only one netter per crew, additional crew members can be used for taxonomy  Remember to send in your fish taxonomist schedule and the fish expertise evaluation form.

FISH TISSUE  Fish Tissue is only collected at boatable sites. If wadeable methods are used, do not collect fish tissue samples.  For the majority of sites, fish tissue will be sent to Great Lakes Environmental Center.  At pre-selected urban sites, fish tissue will be sent to the EPA lab in Cincinnati.

ENTEROCCOCCI  Four samples are required for this survey. Biomarkers as well as enterococci will be analyzed.  Filter blanks are taken on the first visit at each of the repeat sites. The filter blanks should be collected before the actual sample. 10ml of buffer solution should be run through each of four filters, which should be placed in individual tubes and labeled as blanks.  If samples are going to be batched, filters must be stored at -20C. If this is not possible, samples must be kept on refreshed dry ice for up to one week.

SEDIMENT ENZYMES  At each transect, a sediment enzyme sample should be taken. If no fine/ organic/ muck is at the transect, the sample can be taken at any point moving toward the next transect location. The goal is 500 ml, collected throughout the sample reach.  At each transect, take one spoonful of sediment from the top 5cm of soil.

BENTHOS . Don’t use your net as a shovel! . Try to limit the amount of sample collected at each site to 5 1L Nalgene bottles. Remove as much material in the field ( i.e. rocks, woody debris, etc) as possible, ensuring that no organisms are removed from the sample. . Only fill each jar 1/3-1/2 of the way full of sample material, and 95% ethanol is used to fill the rest of the jar. . Only ship your samples with ethanol if you or someone in your office is a certified hazardous materials shipper and follow all shipping requirements! If no one in your office is able to ship ethanol, please contact the EPA HQ’s leads to determine your best options for shipping. This could involve decanting your sample and filling the bottles with water, sending a certified shipper to your office to ship the samples, or bringing them to your regional office.

PPCP SAMPLES:

 Appendix E has been added to describe sampling methodologies at selected urban sites.

DUPLICATE AND REPEAT SAMPLES  At each repeat site, the first visit all samples should be collected as well as a filter blank for enterococci ( see enterococci section) and a duplicate for fish tissue.  On the second visit, no fish tissue sample should be taken. Again, on the first visit take a duplicate for fish tissue.  On the second visit, the site should be treated as a new site and all transects relaid out. If the site is dry on the second visit, mark it as “Dry Channel, Non Target”.  On the second visit, duplicate samples should be taken for water chemistry, sechi depth, in situ measurements, chlorophyll a, benthos, periphyton, sediment enzymes, and enterococci. These can be taken at an adjacent location to the primary sample. A new set of field forms, with duplicates indicated should be filled out.  Repeat sites are the first two boatable sites and the first two wadeable sites on the state list. This is the first two sites where these methods are employed, not by stream order. SHIPPING  On the WRS tracking/sample status form, there is an option to check a box "All Samples Collected", you can use this to avoid having to check the individual sample types. This means ALL samples listed on the page, not just all the samples you were supposed to collect. So if the crew is never collecting PPCP or FTIS samples by design, they would NOT be able to check that box, but they would need to check the boxes for each sample type individually. We need this to be filled out accurately in order to pass appropriate information to labs.  The shipping flowchart has been revised (Appendix C). PLEASE be sure to refer to this revised chart.  Tracking information has been added to the Appendix C.  Crews now have the option of filling out electronic tracking forms. The forms will be sent via email to the crew leaders.  The crews must submit a status report after every sampling event. If the crews have access to a computer and are able to submit the electronic tracking form, then that will serve as the status report. If they are unable to email the form, they will need to fill out a paper tracking form and call in the information to the number listed on the form.

Tracking Forms

If you have access to a computer, fill out the electronic tracking forms . Be careful to fill out all information accurately and completely . If you do not have a printer, you will need to include the paper form in the cooler

3 Forms

1 - Tracking and Sample Status – WRS

. This form is filled out for the samples that are shipped immediately after each sampling event (water chemistry, AFDM, and both chlorophyll samples) . All of these samples will go together in one cooler to the EPA Corvallis lab . Save form according to the file naming convention on the bottom of form . Email to address on bottom of form and print form to include in the shipping cooler

*Emailing the electronic WRS form serves as the “status report” for that sampling event

2 - Tracking (Batched and Retained Samples)

. BATCHED samples are held & shipped within 2 weeks. Send form when SHIPPED. . RETAINED samples are stored over a month at a holding facility. Send form when COLLECTED and when SHIPPED . Do not combine both BATCHED and RETAINED samples on the same form . Use one tracking form for each laboratory . Save form according to the file naming convention on the bottom of form . Email to address on bottom of form and print form to include in the shipping cooler 3 - Tracking – NERL – Cincinnati

. A subset of urban non-wadeable sites will be sampled for PPCP contaminants . Both of the PPCP samples (water and fish tissue) will go to the EPA NERL Cincinnati lab . Save form according to the file naming convention on the bottom of form . Email to address on bottom of form and print form to include in the shipping cooler

If you cannot use a computer before shipping:

. Fill out the paper version of the tracking form . Notify the Information Management Center (contact info on bottom of form) – FAX form or leave voice message with ALL info from the form . Include the form in the shipping cooler . Make sure to FAX or leave a voice message BEFORE the form is sealed in the cooler!

Status Report

. After each site, the Field Team Leader must file a status report with the Information Management Center and the Field Logistics Coordinator to track visits/samples and to describe activities, problems, and requests . Emailing the electronic WRS form serves as the status report! . If the form cannot be emailed, faxing or phoning the information serves as the status report