Montana Watercourse Guidebook

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Montana Watercourse Guidebook MONTANA WATERCOURSEH O Volunteer Water Monitoring 2 GUIDEBOOK Produced by Montana Watercourse of the Montana Water Center Graphic Design Emily Harrington, Kestrel Designs Editor Savannah Barnes Advisory Committee Janet Bender-Keigley, Montana Watercourse Mark Bostrom, Montana Department of Environmental Quality Tammy Crone, Gallatin County Local Water Quality District Dave Feldman, Montana Department of Environmental Quality Frances Graham, Montana Watercourse Rai Hahn, Fairfield Middle School Mark Holston, Flathead Basin Commission Andrew Jakes, Montana Department of Environmental Quality Tina Laidlaw, Environmental Protection Agency Mike Philbin, Bureau of Land Management Tom Pick, Natural Resources Conservation Service Robert Ray, Montana Department of Environmental Quality Alan Rollo, Sun and Teton Watershed Groups Rosie Sada, Montana Department of Environmental Quality Ted Sedell, Montana Watercourse Sean Sullivan, Rithron Associates Debbie Zarnt, Montana Watercourse Funded by The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency from the Federal Clean Water Act 319 grant program. To request additional copies Montana Watercourse (406) 994-6671 [email protected] To obtain an electronic copy, please access our web site at www.mtwatercourse.org. Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: Who Will Do It? ..................26 Deciphering the Data ...............62 INTRODUCTION .....................5 What Will You Monitor? .....27 Turning Data into Action ....62 History and Philosophy .............5 Which Parameters? ...........28 Evaluate Program Plan ......63 Why Monitor? ............................6 Where Will You Monitor? ...28 Statistics 101 .....................63 Trainings ....................................7 When Will You Monitor? ....29 Data Presentation ....................65 Starting a Program ....................8 How Will You Monitor? ......30 Graphs and Charts ............65 Ensuring Quality Data .............30 Graphing Tips ....................66 CHAPTER 2: Develop a Quality WATER & STREAMS ..............9 CHAPTER 7: Assurance Plan .................30 Hydrologic Cycle .......................9 SHARING DATA ....................67 Sample Analysis Plan ........30 The Fuss About Water .............10 Volunteer Monitoring Study Design Outline ........31 Water Properties................10 Database .................................67 Quality Control and Water Quality & Quantity ...11 Assurance .........................32 CREDITS ............................ 69 Ground Water ....................11 Data Management .............33 Photos & Images .....................69 Aquifers .............................12 Safety ......................................34 References ..............................70 Ground Water & Surface First Aid Kit ........................35 Water Interaction ...............12 APPENDICES ........................71 Chemicals..........................36 Stream Formation ....................13 A. Glossary ..............................71 Role of Climate ..................13 CHAPTER 5: METHODS & B. Acronyms ............................74 Role of Geology.................14 PROTOCOLS .........................37 C. Basic Equipment List ..........75 Stream Ecology .......................15 Physical Habitat ......................38 D. Resources for Monitoring ...76 Floodplains ........................15 Site Selection ....................38 E. Typical Values of Chemical Riparian Areas ...................16 Visual Survey .....................39 Parameters Found in Stream Characteristics ......16 Photo Survey .....................39 Healthy Streams ..................77 Classification ...........................17 Riparian Vegetation ...........39 F. Macroinvertebrate Key .......78 River Continuum Concept .......18 Cross-Section Profile ........40 G. Sample Analysis Plan .........79 Headwaters .......................18 Stream Flow ......................41 H. Project Information Sheet ...80 Middle Reach ....................18 Transparency & Turbidity ...42 I. Temperature Conversion ....81 Lower Reach .....................19 Substrate Composition .....43 J. HWHP Page Guide .............82 Biological Communities ....19 Temperature ......................44 K. Data Sheets ........................83 Site Identification .............83 CHAPTER 3: Chemical Composition ............45 Site Info and Summary ....84 THE WATERSHED ................21 pH ......................................45 Site Map Drawing ............85 Introduction .............................21 Alkalinity ............................47 Photographic ...................86 Know Your Watershed .............22 Dissolved Oxygen .............49 Water Quality ...................87 Topographical Maps ..........22 Conductivity ......................52 Cross Section ..................88 HUC Code .........................22 Nitrogen .............................53 Stream Velocity ................89 Climate and Water Data ....23 Phosphorus .......................55 Substrate Composition ....90 Watershed Inventory .........23 Hardness ...........................57 Macroinvertebrate ...........91 Data Objectives .......................24 Biological Community .............59 Macroinvertebrates ...........59 Macroinvertebrate Pollution CHAPTER 4: Tolerance Index ...............92 PROJECT PLANNING ............25 CHAPTER 6: L. Montana Water Laws and Scientific Method ....................25 MAKING SENSE OF DATA .....61 Regulations .........................93 Designing Your Program ..........26 Putting It All Together ..............61 Why Will You Monitor? ......26 Data Management ...................62 VOLUNTEER WATER MONITORING GUIDEBOOK | 3 INTRODUCTION History & Philosophy 1 The Montana Watercourse is a water education program whose mission is to foster Who are we? lifelong stewardship of Montana’s water by providing education, information, and resources for all water users. The aim of the Montana Watercourse’s Volunteer Water Monitoring (VWM) program is to promote knowledge and stewardship of aquatic resources by teaching local citizen volunteers the skills needed to gather accurate, non biased water quality information. The Volunteer Water Monitoring program (VWM) was launched in November 1996 with Purpose of this a grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental guidebook Protection Agency. Through funding resources, a guidebook was developed by Montana Watercourse. With additional support from the Department of Environmental Quality and support from an advisory committee, the guidebook has been revised in this Ninth Edition to reflect the most current water quality science and collection techniques. It has been reformatted and designed to serve both community and educational groups who are either initiating volunteer monitoring programs or expanding a well-established program. The Montana VWM program employs a non advocacy approach in teaching water This guidebook is designed to quality and water monitoring procedures, serve both community and focusing on providing citizens with tools educational groups who are either and training so that they may make initiating volunteer monitoring informed decisions regarding local water quality issues. Participants are encouraged programs or expanding a well- to collaborate with other groups in order established program. to form working partnerships in their communities whenever possible. The information gathered by participants is intended to increase awareness and enhance stewardship of Montana’s water resources. Additionally, it is a starting point for individuals to gather baseline information about their streams and rivers. By becoming more knowledgeable about the complex world of water quality, a constituency of educated stewards becomes an essential component in the management and protection of Montana’s water resources. VOLUNTEER WATER MONITORING GUIDEBOOK | 5 INTRODUCTION 1 Why Monitor? What is monitoring and why should I do it? Monitoring is the gathering of information or data on a regular basis. The data gathered can be analyzed and serve as an indication of the stream’s health, used to educate the community on the impacts of human activities (positive and negative), make important Do I have to watershed management decisions, and help understand the effects of these decisions. be a scientist A greater understanding of the stream ecosystem and an active community are necessary to monitor a elements of a healthy, productive watershed, as they often serve as building blocks for stream? stream improvement and protection projects. Stream monitoring activities can range from a simple visual observation to collecting complex chemical, physical, and biological attributes. simple complex visual observations chemical, physical, and biological analysis The activities your community or school group conducts will depend on the goals of your program. It is important to establish the goals of your monitoring program at the beginning as they will affect its structure. Communities monitor the health of their Goals can also be more specific: streams for a variety of reasons, which • Collect information to guide watershed can be general: management to understand what • Increase education and awareness community actions need to be taken • Foster community involvement to improve watershed health • Collect baseline data • Collect data for regulatory purposes BLUE WATER TASK FORCE In 1999 concern over potential water quality threats on the C OMMUN Gallatin River inspired
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