Long-Term Discrete Water Quality Monitoring at Big South Fork

Long-Term Discrete Water Quality Monitoring at Big South Fork

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Long-Term Discrete Water Quality Monitoring at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Obed Wild and Scenic River Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/APHN/NRR—2018/1840 ON THE COVER Morning mist rising from the Big South Fork near Pine Creek. Photograph by Evan Raskin. Long-Term Discrete Water Quality Monitoring at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Obed Wild and Scenic River Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/APHN/NRR—2018/1840 James Hughes1, Robert Emmott2, Evan Raskin2, and Brian Witcher2 1Appalachian Highlands Inventory and Monitoring Network c/o Big South Fork NRRA 4564 Leatherwood Road Oneida, Tennessee 37841 2Appalachian Highlands Inventory and Monitoring Network c/o Blue Ridge Parkway 67 Ranger Drive Asheville, North Carolina 28805 December 2018 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. These reports are 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 comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. 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 peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. 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 in digital format from the Appalachian Highlands Network website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Hughes, J., R. Emmott, E. Raskin, and B. Witcher. 2018. Long-term discrete water-quality monitoring at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Obed Wild and Scenic River: Protocol narrative. Natural Resource Report NPS/APHN/NRR—2018/1840. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 179/149956, 601/149956, 645/149956, December 2018 Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables .................................................................................................................................................... ix Standard Operating Procedures ............................................................................................................. xi Revision Log .......................................................................................................................................xiii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. xv Background and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 1 Development of the APHN Discrete Water-quality Monitoring Protocol ..................................... 1 Environmental Setting and Overview of Water Resources ............................................................ 3 Geology and Soils...................................................................................................................... 4 Water Resources of APHN Parks .............................................................................................. 6 Park Water-quality Issues and Rationale for Monitoring ............................................................. 11 Blue Ridge Parkway ................................................................................................................ 11 Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area .............................................................. 12 Obed Wild and Scenic River ................................................................................................... 15 Significant Aquatic Resources ..................................................................................................... 17 Status of Blue Ridge Parkway, Big South Fork NRRA and Obed WSR Waterbodies (Stream Classifications under the Clean Water Act) .................................................................... 17 303(d) Classification ............................................................................................................... 18 Outstanding National Resource Waters ................................................................................... 20 Applicability to Management ....................................................................................................... 23 Integration with Other Monitoring Protocols ............................................................................... 24 Monitoring Objectives .................................................................................................................. 25 Sampling Design .................................................................................................................................. 31 Level I: Core Sampling Stations ................................................................................................... 31 Level II: Rotating Sampling Stations ........................................................................................... 31 Site Selection ................................................................................................................................ 33 Contents (continued) Page Blue Ridge Parkway ................................................................................................................ 33 Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area .............................................................. 39 Obed Wild and Scenic River ................................................................................................... 47 Detectable Level of Change ......................................................................................................... 52 Field Methods and Analytical Schedules ............................................................................................. 55 Fixed Station Discrete Water Resource Monitoring..................................................................... 55 Equal Width Increment Sampling ................................................................................................ 55 Single vertical at centroid-of-flow (VCF) method ....................................................................... 56 Timing of Sampling ...................................................................................................................... 56 Stream Discharge and Stage ......................................................................................................... 57 Analytical Schedules .................................................................................................................... 57 Schedule 1: Field Analyses ..................................................................................................... 57 Sample Handling and Preservation of Samples submitted for Laboratory Analytical Schedule ....................................................................................................................................... 61 Laboratory Analytical Schedules (Inorganic Chemistry) ............................................................. 62 Schedule II: Solids ................................................................................................................... 62 Schedule III: Routine Anions/Cations ..................................................................................... 62 Schedule IV: Nutrients ............................................................................................................ 64 Schedule V: Metals/Metalloids ............................................................................................... 64 Bacteriological Analyses .............................................................................................................. 65 Escherichia coli (E. coli) ........................................................................................................

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