Sierra Nevada Network Lake Monitoring Protocol Protocol Narrative
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Sierra Nevada Network Lake Monitoring Protocol Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/SIEN/NRR—2012/551 ON THE COVER Lake in the Upper Kern Watershed, Sequoia National Park. Photograph by: Bob Meadows Sierra Nevada Network Lake Monitoring Protocol Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/SIEN/NRR—2012/XXX Andrea M. Heard1, Leigh Ann Harrod Starcevich2, James O. Sickman3, Meryl Goldin Rose1, and Donald W. Schweizer1 1National Park Service, Sierra Nevada Network Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 47050 Generals Highway Three Rivers, CA 93271 2Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331 3University of California, Riverside Department of Environmental Sciences Room 2324 Geology Riverside, CA 92521 March 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal, high-level peer review based on the importance of its content, or its potentially controversial or precedent-setting nature. Peer review was conducted by highly qualified individuals with subject area technical expertise and was overseen by a peer review manager. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Sierra Nevada Network (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sien) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm). Please cite this publication as: Heard, A. M., L. A. H. Starcevich, J. O. Sickman, M. Goldin Rose, and D. W. Schweizer. 2012. Sierra Nevada Network Lake Monitoring Protocol: Narrative report. Natural Resource Report NPS/SIEN/NRR—2012/XXX. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. ii Revision History Log Previous Revision Reason for New Version Author Changes Made Date Change Version # # iii Contents Page Figures............................................................................................................................................ ix Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Appendices .......................................................................................................................................x Standard Operating Procedures..................................................................................................... xii Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................xv Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... xvii 1. Background and Objectives ......................................................................................................1 1.1. Sierra Nevada Network Lakes ...................................................................................... 2 1.2. Clean Water Act ........................................................................................................... 5 1.3. Rationale for Monitoring High-elevation Lakes .......................................................... 7 1.3.1. Importance and Value ........................................................................................... 7 1.3.2. Threats and Issues ............................................................................................... 10 1.3.3. Lake Ecosystems As Sensitive Indicators ............................................................ 12 1.4. Monitoring Questions and Measurable Objectives .................................................... 13 1.4.1. Monitoring Questions .......................................................................................... 13 1.4.2. Monitoring Objectives ......................................................................................... 13 1.4.3. Pilot Amphibian Monitoring ............................................................................... 14 1.5. Rationale for Selected Measures ................................................................................ 15 1.6. Management Decisions and Thresholds ..................................................................... 18 1.7. Important Data Sets and Monitoring Programs .......................................................... 19 2. Sample Design ........................................................................................................................21 2.1. Extensive Sites ............................................................................................................ 22 v Contents (continued) Page 2.1.1. Target Population and Sampling Frame ............................................................. 22 2.1.2. Membership Design............................................................................................. 26 2.1.3. Revisit Design ...................................................................................................... 27 2.1.4. Extensive Sampling Sites ..................................................................................... 28 2.2. Index Sites .................................................................................................................. 29 2.2.1. Target Population ............................................................................................... 29 2.2.2. Revisit Design ...................................................................................................... 30 2.2.3. Rationale Behind Index Site Selection ................................................................ 30 2.3. Sample Design Limitations ........................................................................................ 30 2.4. Sources of Nonsampling Error ................................................................................... 31 2.5. Minimum Detectable Difference ................................................................................ 31 2.6. Power Analysis ........................................................................................................... 32 2.6.1. Pilot Data ............................................................................................................ 32 2.6.2. Methods ............................................................................................................... 33 2.6.3. Results ................................................................................................................. 33 3. Field and Laboratory Methods................................................................................................35 3.1. Data and Sample Collection ....................................................................................... 35 3.1.1. Field Season Preparation.................................................................................... 36 3.1.2. Field Work ........................................................................................................... 37 3.1.3. Sample Handling and Shipping ........................................................................... 38 3.1.4. Quality Assurance and Quality Control .............................................................. 38 3.1.5. End-of-Season Procedures .................................................................................. 39 3.2. Field and Laboratory Analyses ................................................................................... 39 vi Contents (continued) Page 3.2.1. Quality Assurance and Quality Control .............................................................. 42 3.2.2. Analytical Laboratories....................................................................................... 43 3.3. Method Comparability ................................................................................................ 43 4. Data Management ...................................................................................................................45 4.1. SIEN Water Database ................................................................................................. 47 4.2. Data Quality Assurance and Quality