Quality Assurance Project Plan: Water Quality and Sediment Chemistry, and Bioassessment Monitoring of the North Branch Chicago River Watershed Lake County and Cook County, Illinois North Branch Chicago River Watershed Workgroup 500 W. Winchester Rd. Libertyville, IL 60048 Quality Assurance Project Plan North Branch Chicago River Monitoring Program April 3, 2019 Table of Contents Group A: Project Management Elements A1. Title and Approval Page ...................................................................................................... 1 Chris O. Yoder, Principal Investigator, Midwest Biodiversity Institute..................................... 1 Peter A. Precario, Executive Director, Midwest Biodiversity Institute ...................................... 1 Michelle Rousey, Illinois EPA, Quality Assurance Officer ....................................................... 1 Brandon Janes, President, North Branch Chicago River Watershed Workgroup (NBWW) ...... 1 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 7 Group A: Project Management Elements .................................................................................... 7 A.3: Distribution List ................................................................................................................. 7 A.4: Project/Task Organization ................................................................................................. 8 A.5: Problem Definition and Background ................................................................................. 9 A.6: Project Description............................................................................................................. 9 A.7: Quality Objectives and Criteria ....................................................................................... 11 Data Attributes - Fish Assemblage: ...................................................................................... 11 Data Attributes - Macroinvertebrate Assemblage: ................................................................ 11 Data Attributes – Field Water Quality: ................................................................................. 12 Data Attributes – Water Column and Sediment Chemistry: ................................................. 12 Representativeness:............................................................................................................... 28 Precision and Accuracy: ....................................................................................................... 29 Measurement Range and Comparability: ............................................................................. 31 Bias: ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Completeness: ....................................................................................................................... 31 Sensitivity: ............................................................................................................................. 32 A.8: Training and Certification ................................................................................................ 34 A.9: Documents and Records .................................................................................................. 34 Field Data Recording: .......................................................................................................... 35 Reporting: ............................................................................................................................. 41 Group B: Data Generation and Acquisition .............................................................................. 41 B.1: Sampling Process Design ................................................................................................. 41 B.2: Sampling Methods ........................................................................................................... 41 Fish Assemblage Methods: ................................................................................................... 41 2 Quality Assurance Project Plan North Branch Chicago River Monitoring Program April 3, 2019 Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Methods: ............................................................................ 47 Water Column Chemistry Methods:...................................................................................... 49 Benthic Periphyton Sampling: .............................................................................................. 51 Sediment Chemistry Methods: .............................................................................................. 51 B.3: Sample Handling and Custody ......................................................................................... 52 B.4: Analytical Methods .......................................................................................................... 53 B.5: Quality Control................................................................................................................. 53 Laboratory Quality Control:................................................................................................. 55 B.6: Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance ......................................... 56 B.7: Instrument/Equipment Calibration and Frequency .......................................................... 56 B.8: Inspection/Acceptance of Supplies and Consumables ..................................................... 56 B.9: Non-direct Measurements ................................................................................................ 56 B.10: Data Management .......................................................................................................... 56 Group C: Assessment and Oversight .......................................................................................... 57 C.1: Assessments and Response Actions ................................................................................. 57 C.2: Reports to Management ................................................................................................... 57 Group D: Data Validation and Usability ................................................................................... 57 D.1: Data Review, Validation, and Verification ...................................................................... 57 D.2: Verification and Validation of Methods .......................................................................... 58 D.3: Reconciliation with User Requirements .......................................................................... 58 References .................................................................................................................................... 59 Figures and Tables Table 1: NBWW Monitoring Contact Information Table 2: Precision, accuracy, and measurement range for field parameters Table 3: Precision, accuracy, and limit of sensitivity for water column chemistry parameters Table 4: Precision, accuracy, and limit of sensitivity for sediment chemistry parameters Table 5: Minimum measurement criteria, minimum measurement objectives, method MDLs, and laboratory RLs for selected parameters Table 6: Fish assemblage sampling method and gear specifications for the North Branch Chicago River biological assessment Table 7: Macroinvertebrate assemblage sampling method and gear specifications for the North Branch Chicago River biological assessment Table 8: Water column sampling containers, parameters, preservation, and holding time 3 Quality Assurance Project Plan North Branch Chicago River Monitoring Program April 3, 2019 Table 9: Sediment sampling containers, parameters, preservation, and holding time Table 10: North Shore Water Reclamation District reportable qualifiers for water column and sediment samples Figure 1: Functional organization for project implementation and management Figure 2: Field data sheet for recording electrofishing collection data and for entry into the database Figure 3: QHEI field sheet Figure 4: Water column chemistry field data sheet Appendices Appendix A: Monitoring Strategy for the North Branch Chicago River Watershed Appendix B: Methods for Assessing Habitat in Flowing Waters: Using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) Appendix C: IDNR Fisheries Stream Sampling Guidelines (2001) Appendix D: Methods of Collecting Macroinvertebrates in Stream Appendix E: Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life: Volume III. Standardized Biological Field and Laboratory Methods for Assessing Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities Appendix F: Sediment and Surface Water Sample Collection SOP (2018) Appendix G: Continuous DO Monitoring SOP Appendix H: Benthic Periphyton Sampling SOP Appendix I: Stream Nutrient Assessment Procedure 4 Quality Assurance Project Plan North Branch Chicago River Monitoring Program April 3, 2019 List of Acronyms BCG – biological condition gradient CFR – Code of Federal Regulations CPUE – catch per unit effort CV – coefficient of variation CWA – Clean Water Act DC – direct current DELT – deformities, eroded fins and body parts, lesions, and tumors DO – dissolved oxygen EB – Executive Board EDD – Electronic Data Deliverable GPP – Generator Powered Pulsator