North Dakota Department of Health Division of Water Quality Surface Water Quality Management Program ______________________________________________________________________________ North Dakota’s Water Quality Monitoring Strategy for Surface Waters 2008-2019 Final Revision 2 January 2014 North Dakota’s Water Quality Monitoring Strategy for Surface Waters 2008-2019 John Hoeven, Governor Terry Dwelle, M.D., State Health Officer North Dakota Department of Health Division of Water Quality 918 East Divide Avenue Bismarck, North Dakota 58501 701.328.5210 North Dakota’s Water Quality Monitoring Strategy: 2008-2019 Revision 2 Date: January 2014 Page ii of vii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 1 B. North Dakota’s Surface Water Resources .......................................................................... 1 C. Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................. 2 II. TYPES OF MONITORING .................................................................................................. 2 III. MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES ....................................... 4 IV. MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES .................................. 5 A. Monitoring and Assessment Goal ...................................................................................... 5 B. Monitoring and Assessment Objectives ............................................................................. 5 V. MONITORING PROGRAM DESIGNS .............................................................................. 8 A. Fixed Station Designs ........................................................................................................ 8 B. Probability-Based Designs ................................................................................................. 9 C. Source Identification and Environmental Response........................................................... 9 VI. CORE AND SUPPLEMENTAL WATER QUALITY INDICATORS ............................... 9 VII. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES ............................. 10 VIII. DATA MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................... 13 A. Current Systems ................................................................................................................. 14 1. Sample Identification Database (SID) ............................................................................ 14 2. Ecological Data and Application System (EDAS) ......................................................... 14 3. STORET/Water Quality Exchange ................................................................................ 14 4. Assessment Database (ADB) ......................................................................................... 15 5. Geospatial Data/GIS ....................................................................................................... 16 IX. DATA ANALYSIS, ASSESSMENT, AND REPORTING ................................................. 16 A. Clean Water Act Assessment and Reporting ..................................................................... 16 B. General Reporting .............................................................................................................. 17 X. MONITORING PROGRAM COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION .................... 18 A. State Monitoring Council ................................................................................................... 19 XI. PROGRAM EVALUATION................................................................................................ 19 A. External Program Review .................................................................................................. 20 B. Internal Program Review .................................................................................................... 20 XII. GENERAL SUPPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING ..................................... 20 A. Current Program Support and Infrastructure ...................................................................... 20 B. Resource Needs and Priorities ............................................................................................ 21 North Dakota’s Water Quality Monitoring Strategy: 2008-2019 Revision 2 Date: January 2014 Page iii of vii XIII. NORTH DAKOTA MONITORING PROGRAM, PROJECTS, AND STUDIES ............. 23 A. Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Network for Rivers and Streams .............................. 23 1. Monitoring Objective ..................................................................................................... 23 2. Monitoring Design ......................................................................................................... 23 3. Quality Assurance .......................................................................................................... 26 4. Core and Supplemental Indicators ................................................................................. 26 5. Data Management .......................................................................................................... 26 6. Data Analysis and Assessment ....................................................................................... 27 7. Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 27 8. Program Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 27 9. Implementation Plans and Schedule .............................................................................. 28 10. General Support and Infrastructure Planning ................................................................ 29 B. Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program for Rivers and Streams ......................... 30 1. Monitoring Objective ..................................................................................................... 30 2. Monitoring Design ......................................................................................................... 30 3. Quality Assurance .......................................................................................................... 33 4. Core and Supplemental Indicators ................................................................................. 34 5. Data Management .......................................................................................................... 34 6. Data Analysis and Assessment ....................................................................................... 35 7. Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 36 8. Program Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 36 9. Implementation Plans and Schedule .............................................................................. 37 10. General Support and Infrastructure Planning ................................................................ 38 C. Ecoregion Reference Station Network ............................................................................... 40 1. Monitoring Objective ..................................................................................................... 40 2. Monitoring Design ......................................................................................................... 41 3. Quality Assurance .......................................................................................................... 41 4. Core and Supplemental Indicators ................................................................................. 42 5. Data Management .......................................................................................................... 42 6. Data Analysis and Assessment ....................................................................................... 42 7. Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 43 8. Program Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 43 9. Implementation Plans and Schedule .............................................................................. 45 10. General Support and Infrastructure Planning ................................................................ 45 D. Lake Water Quality Assessment Program ......................................................................... 46 1. Monitoring Objective ..................................................................................................... 46 2. Monitoring Design ......................................................................................................... 46 3. Quality Assurance .......................................................................................................... 49 4. Core and Supplemental Indicators ................................................................................. 50 5. Data Management .......................................................................................................... 51