Surface and Ground Waters Monitoring Strategy Little Miami R. Near Morrow @ Stubbs Mill Rd DST Division of Surface Water April 2021 AMS/2021‐TECHN‐1 Surface and Ground Waters Monitoring Strategy April 2021 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Ohio’s Water Resources ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 I. U.S. EPA Water Monitoring Strategy Framework ................................................................................................................... 4 II. Ohio EPA Water Monitoring Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 4 A. Monitoring Program Strategy ................................................................................................................................................... 4 A.1 Headwaters, Streams and Rivers ..................................................................................................................................... 5 A.2 Inland Lakes and Reservoirs ........................................................................................................................................... 12 A.3 Lake Erie – Rivers, Harbors, Shoreline and Open Waters ................................................................................... 13 A.4 Ohio River ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15 A.5 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 A.6 Ground Waters ...................................................................................................................................................................... 16 B. Monitoring Objectives................................................................................................................................................................ 17 B.1 Surface Waters (Headwaters, Streams, Rivers, and Inland Lakes/Reservoirs) ......................................... 17 B.2 Lake Erie – Rivers, Harbors, Shoreline and Open Waters ................................................................................... 21 B.3 Ohio River ............................................................................................................................................................................... 22 B.4 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 B.5 Ground Waters ...................................................................................................................................................................... 23 C. Monitoring Design ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24 C.1 Surface Waters (Headwaters, Streams, Rivers, and Inland Lakes/Reservoirs) ......................................... 24 C.2 Lake Erie – Open Waters, Nearshore, Lacustuaries, and Harbors ................................................................... 27 C.3 Ohio River ................................................................................................................................................................................ 29 C.4 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 C.5 Ground Waters ...................................................................................................................................................................... 29 D. Core and Supplemental Water Quality Indicators .............................................................................................................. 30 D.1 Surface Waters ........................................................................................................................................................................... 30 D.1.1 Water Quality Indicators - General ........................................................................................................................... 30 D.1.2 Supplemental Indicator Selection - Lotic and Lentic Water Bodies ............................................................ 35 D.1.3 Supplemental Indicator Selection – Lake Erie Specific .................................................................................... 36 D.2 Ground Waters ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3 6 E. Quality Assurance ............................................................................................................................................................................. 37 E.1 Division of Surface Water ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 E.1.1 General Procedures and Requirements .................................................................................................................. 37 E.1.2 Project Manager Responsibilities .............................................................................................................................. 38 E.1.3 Data Quality Manager (DQM) Responsibilities .................................................................................................... 38 E.1.4 DSW QAPP Review Procedure .................................................................................................................................... 38 E.1.5 DSW Management Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................... 39 E.1.6 DSW Technical Staff Responsibilities ....................................................................................................................... 39 E.1.7 QAPP Reviews of Follow-up QAPPS Submitted for Ongoing Projects ........................................................ 39 E.1.8 Existing Division of Surface Water Monitoring Programs and the QAPP Process ................................ 39 E.1.9 DSW Quality Management Plan (QMP) ................................................................................................................... 40 E.2 Division of Drinking and Ground Waters ........................................................................................................................ 40 I Surface and Ground Waters Monitoring Strategy April 2021 E.2.1 Public Drinking Water Beneficial Use ...................................................................................................................... 40 F. Data Management ............................................................................................................................................................................. 41 F.1 Surface Water Data ................................................................................................................................................................... 41 F.2 Ground Waters Data ................................................................................................................................................................. 42 F.3 Public Drinking Waters Data ................................................................................................................................................ 42 G. Data Analysis/Assessment ........................................................................................................................................................... 43 G.1 Surface Waters (Headwater, Streams, Rivers, and Inland Lakes/Reservoirs) ................................................ 43 G.1.1 Aquatic Life Uses .............................................................................................................................................................. 43 G.1.2 Recreation Uses ................................................................................................................................................................. 43 G.1.3 Public Drinking Water Supply Use ............................................................................................................................ 43 G.1.4 Fish Consumption ............................................................................................................................................................ 44 G.2 Lake Erie - Open Waters, Nearshore, Lacustuaries, and Harbors ......................................................................... 44 G.2.1. Bioassessment and Biocriteria Development ...................................................................................................... 44 G.2.2 Lake Erie Quality Index .................................................................................................................................................