Ambient Biological Monitoring in Rivers and Streams: Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Periphyton
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Quality Assurance Monitoring Plan Ambient Biological Monitoring in Rivers and Streams: Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Periphyton August 2010 Publication No. 10-03-109 Publication Information This plan is available on the Department of Ecology’s website at www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/1003109.html. Data for this project will be available on Ecology’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) website at www.ecy.wa.gov/eim/index.htm. Search User Study IDs: WHM_WAM0, WHM_ERR0, WHM_SEN, WHM_BIO, WHM_WAM0_P, WHM_ERR0_P, WHM_SEN_P, WHM_BIO_P. Ecology’s Activity Tracker Code for this study is 01-610. Author and Contact Information Karen Adams P.O. Box 47600 Environmental Assessment Program Washington State Department of Ecology Olympia, WA 98504-7710 For more information contact: Communications Consultant Phone: 360-407-6834 Washington State Department of Ecology - www.ecy.wa.gov/ o Headquarters, Olympia 360-407-6000 o Northwest Regional Office, Bellevue 425-649-7000 o Southwest Regional Office, Olympia 360-407-6300 o Central Regional Office, Yakima 509-575-2490 o Eastern Regional Office, Spokane 509-329-3400 Any use of product or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the author or the Department of Ecology. To ask about the availability of this document in a format for the visually impaired, call 360-407-6834. Persons with hearing loss can call 711 for Washington Relay Service. Persons with a speech disability can call 877- 833-6341. Quality Assurance Monitoring Plan Ambient Biological Monitoring in Rivers and Streams: Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Periphyton August 2010 Approved by: Signature: Date: June 2010 Karen Adams, Author / Project Manager, EAP Signature: Date: July 2010 Tighe Stuart, Field Investigator, Eastern Regional Office, EAP Signature: Date: June 2010 Dan Dugger, Field Investigator, Central Regional Office, EAP Signature: Date: June 2010 George Onwumere, Author’s Unit Supervisor, EAP Signature: Date: June 2010 Robert F. Cusimano, Author’s Section Manager, EAP Signature: Date: July 2010 Gary Arnold, Section Manager for the Field Investigators, EAP Signature: Date: July 2010 Will Kendra, Section Manager for the Project Area, EAP Signature: Date: July 2010 Wease Bollman, Taxonomist, Rhithron Associates, Inc. Signature: Date: August 2010 Stuart Magoon, Director, Manchester Environmental Laboratory, EAP Signature: Date: July 2010 Bill Kammin, Ecology Quality Assurance Officer Signatures are not available on the Internet version. EAP - Environmental Assessment Program. EIM - Environmental Information Management system. Page 1 Table of Contents Page List of Figures and Tables....................................................................................................4 Abstract ................................................................................................................................5 Background ..........................................................................................................................6 Study Area and Surroundings ........................................................................................6 History of Ambient Biological Monitoring in Washington State ..................................9 Project Description.............................................................................................................12 Goals and Objectives ...................................................................................................12 Organization and Schedule ................................................................................................15 Budget ................................................................................................................................17 Quality Objectives .............................................................................................................18 Field Quality Assurance ...............................................................................................18 Sampling Process Design (Experimental Design) .............................................................20 Field Operations ...........................................................................................................20 Site Verification ...........................................................................................................24 Data Management and Common Applications ..................................................................27 Data Storage .................................................................................................................27 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................27 Data Preparation...........................................................................................................27 Audits and Reports .............................................................................................................29 Data Verification ................................................................................................................29 Data Verification ..........................................................................................................29 Data Usability Assessment ..........................................................................................30 Acceptance Criteria for Existing Data .........................................................................31 Corrective Actions for Inadequate Data ......................................................................31 References ..........................................................................................................................32 Appendix A. Glossary, Acronyms, and Abbreviations ......................................................41 Appendix B. Measurement Procedures..............................................................................50 B-1. Site Verification and Layout for Wadeable Streams ...........................................50 B-2. In-Situ Measurements in Wadeable Streams ......................................................61 B-3. Estimating Discharge in Wadeable Streams .......................................................64 B-4. Water Sampling in Wadeable Streams ...............................................................71 B-5. Sediment Chemistry Sampling ...........................................................................78 B-6. Bank Measurements at Major Transects in Waded Streams ..............................84 B-7. Substrate and Depth Measurements at Major Transects in Waded Streams ......88 B-8. Shade Measurements at Major Transects in Waded Streams .............................92 B-9. Estimating Fish Cover at Major Transects in Waded Streams ...........................95 B-10. Human Influence at Major Transects in Waded Streams .................................97 Page 2 B-11. Riparian Vegetation Structure at Major Transects in Waded Streams ...........100 B-12. Measuring Thalweg Depth in Waded Streams ...............................................104 B-13. Large Woody Debris Tally for Waded Streams of Western Washington ......106 B-14. Habitat Unit Descriptions Along the Main Channel Thalweg ........................109 B-15. Side-Channel Descriptions..............................................................................113 B-16. Width and Substrate Measurements at Minor Transects in Waded Streams ..115 B-17. Measuring Slope and Bearing in Wadeable Streams ......................................118 Appendix C. Sampling Procedures .................................................................................121 C-1. Field Sampling Benthos in Wadeable Streams .................................................121 C-2. Taxonomic Lab Sampling Benthos from Wadeable Streams ...........................126 C-3. Field Sampling Periphyton in Wadeable Streams ............................................128 Quality Control ..........................................................................................................138 C-4. Taxonomic Lab Sampling Periphyton from Wadeable Streams.......................143 Appendix D. Quality Control Procedures .......................................................................146 D-1. Quality Control for In-Situ Meters ...................................................................146 D-2. Quality Control for Laboratory Analysis – Benthos.........................................153 D-3. Quality Control for Laboratory Analysis – Periphyton ....................................155 Appendix E. Field Forms for Ambient Biological Monitoring in Washington. .............156 Appendix F. Field Equipment Checklist .........................................................................166 Appendix G. Standard Taxonomic Effort (except Chironomidae) ................................168 Appendix H. Taxonomic Effort for Chironomidae.........................................................173 Appendix I. Aggregation of Taxa ...................................................................................175 Appendix J. Standard Chain of Custody Form ...............................................................176 Page 3 List of Figures and Tables Page Figures Figure 1. Washington State Ambient Biological Field Sites (1993-2006) and Ecoregions as defined by Omernik and Gallant (1986). ........................................................................ 7 Figure 2. Schematic sampling design for reach-wide