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TRIBUTARY
MONITORING MANUAL
for
2002
For several years LOPA has been monitoring the water quality
in
The data you gather is going to be used not only by LOPA but
also by local and state agencies and groups interested in water quality in the
For the four main tributaries, we will be monitoring monthly and during at least one storm event for each tributary. The monthly monitoring will provide a baseline for these tributaries and allow us to compare the tributaries to each other as well as to data collected by the Housatonic Valley Association on other streams in the Housatonic River Watershed.
SAFETY:
The most important thing is your SAFETY! Please don’t monitor if you do not think it is safe to do so. Do NOT monitor if there is thunder or lightning. Always monitor with at least one other person. Tell someone who is not monitoring where you will be, when you intend to return, and what to do if you are not back on time.
Be sure to keep any emergency telephone numbers with you when you are monitoring including whom to call in case you get hurt.
Never wade in swift or high water. Be sure to put your keys and wallet in a safe place if there is any chance of your dropping them in the water or your pants getting wet.
Again, your safety is the most important thing!
TIMING:
We will be monitoring on the fourth Tuesday of every month from April through October to get a baseline of our tributaries’ health.
We will also monitor during storm events. Because of this, exact timing will be variable. The important considerations for the time of day are: Can you do the monitoring with in the first half hour of the start of the storm, and can you then get the samples to the lab within six hours? The storm event monitoring will be during a hard rain, after three days of no rain.
QUALITY
CONTROL:
The field quality assurance/quality control procedures include:
* Field Blanks. These should be collected at 10 percent of the sample sites along with the regular samples. At a predetermined sample site, the sampler fills the usual sample container with distilled water. This is labeled as a regular sample, but with a special notation on the Field Data Sheet to indicate that it is a Field Blank. It is then analyzed with the regular samples. Blanks are used to identify errors or contamination in sample collection and analysis.
* Internal Field Duplicates. These should be collected at 10 percent of your sampling sites along with the regular samples. A field duplicate is a duplicate sample collected at the same time and at the same place either by the same sampler or by another sampler. This is labeled as a regular sample, but with a special notation on the Field Data Sheet that indicates it is a duplicate. It is then analyzed with the regular samples. Lab analysis should result in comparable result for samples collected at the same site. Duplicates are used to estimate sampling and laboratory analysis precision.
What
and why we are testing:
NITRATE-NITROGEN
We are testing Nitrate-Nitrogen to find out how much of this nutrient is entering our lake through the storm drain system. Nitrates are essential plant nutrients, but in excess amounts they can cause significant water quality problems. Together with phosphorus, nitrates in excess amounts can accelerate eutrophication, causing dramatic increases in aquatic plant growth and changes in the types of plants and animals that live in the lake. This, in turn, affects dissolved oxygen, temperature, and other indicators. Excess nitrates can cause hypoxia (low levels of dissolved oxygen) and can become toxic to warm‑blooded animals at higher concentrations (10 mg/L) or higher) under certain conditions. The natural level of ammonia or nitrate in surface water is typically low (less than 1 mg/L).
Sources of nitrates include wastewater treatment plants, runoff from fertilized lawns and cropland, failing on‑site septic systems, and runoff from animal manure storage areas.
Nitrates from land sources end up in rivers and streams more quickly than other nutrients like phosphorus. This is because they dissolve in water more readily than phosphates, which have an attraction for soil particles. As a result, nitrates serve as a better indicator of the possibility of a source of sewage or manure pollution during dry weather.
TOTAL PHOSPHORUS
We are testing Total Phosphorus to find out how much of this nutrient is entering our lake through the storm drain system. According to the EPA Monitoring Manual “Both phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrients for the plants and animals that make up the aquatic food web. Since phosphorus is the nutrient in short supply in most fresh waters, even a modest increase in phosphorus can, under the right conditions, set off a whole chain of undesirable events in a stream including accelerated plant growth, algae blooms, low dissolved oxygen, and the death of certain fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals.” Phosphorus is probably the limiting nutrient for most of our weed growth.
There are many sources of phosphorus, both natural and human. These include soil and rocks, wastewater treatment plants, runoff from fertilized lawns and cropland, failing septic systems, runoff from animal manure storage areas, disturbed land areas, drained wetlands, water treatment, and commercial cleaning preparations.
Monitoring phosphorus is challenging because it involves measuring very low concentrations down to 0.01 milligram per liter (mg/L) or even lower. Even such very low concentrations of phosphorus can have a dramatic impact on streams. We are monitoring for total phosphorus which measures all the forms of phosphorus in the sample (orthophosphate, condensed phosphate, and organic phosphate). If we find problems with phosphorus, we may add tests for other forms.
TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS
High concentrations of suspended solids can serve as carriers of toxics, which readily cling to suspended particles. Total suspended solids decrease water clarity, decrease light available to plants and animals, decrease the aesthetic value of the water, clog fish gills, and increase the temperature of the water. Sources of Total Suspended Solids include sewage, fertilizers, road run off, and soil erosion.
Total solids are dissolved solids plus suspended and settleable solids in water. In stream water, dissolved solids consist of calcium, chlorides, nitrate, phosphorus, iron, sulfur, and other ions particles that will pass through a filter with pores of around 2 microns (0.002 cm) in size. Suspended solids include silt and clay particles, plankton, algae, fine organic debris, and other particulate matter. These are particles that will not pass through a 2‑micron filter.
The concentration of total dissolved solids affects the water balance in the cells of aquatic organisms. An organism placed in water with a very low level of solids, such as distilled water, will swell up because water will tend to move into its cells, which have a higher concentration of solids. An organism placed in water with a high concentration of solids will shrink somewhat because the water in its cells will tend to move out. This will in turn affect the organism's ability to maintain the proper cell density, making it difficult to keep its position in the water column. It might float up or sink down to a depth to which it is not adapted, and it might not survive.
Higher concentrations of suspended solids can serve as carriers of toxics, which readily cling to suspended particles. This is particularly a concern where pesticides are being used on irrigated crops. Where solids are high, pesticide concentrations may increase well beyond those of the original application as the irrigation water travels down irrigation ditches. Higher levels of solids can also clog irrigation devices and might become so high that irrigated plant roots will lose water rather than gain it.
A high concentration of total solids will make drinking water unpalatable and might have an adverse effect on people who are not used to drinking such water. Levels of total solids that are too high or too low can also reduce the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants, as well as the operation of industrial processes that use raw water.
Total solids also affect water clarity. Higher solids decrease the passage of light through water, thereby slowing photosynthesis by aquatic plants. Water will heat up more rapidly and hold more heat; this, in turn, might adversely affect aquatic life that has adapted to a lower temperature regime.
Sources of total solids include industrial discharges, sewage, fertilizers, road runoff, and soil erosion. Total solids are measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Total solids measurements can be useful as an indicator of the effects of runoff from construction, agricultural practices, logging activities, sewage treatment plant discharges, and other sources. As with turbidity, concentrations often increase sharply during rainfall, especially in developed watersheds. They can also rise sharply during dry weather if earth‑disturbing activities are occurring in or near the stream without erosion control practices in place. Regular monitoring of total solids can help detect trends that might indicate increasing erosion in developing watersheds. Total solids are related closely to stream flow and velocity and should be correlated with these factors. Any change in total solids over time should be measured at the same site at the same flow.
The measurement of total solids cannot be done in the field. Samples must be collected using clean glass or plastic bottles and taken to a laboratory where the test can be run.
FECAL BACTERIA
What are fecal bacteria and why are they important?
Members of two bacteria groups, coliforms and fecal streptococci, are used as indicators of possible sewage contamination because they are commonly found in human and animal feces. Although they are generally not harmful themselves, they indicate the possible presence of pathogenic (disease‑causing) bacteria, viruses, and protozoans that also live in human and animal digestive systems. Therefore, their presence in streams suggests that pathogenic microorganisms might also be present and that swimming and eating shellfish might be a health risk. Since it is difficult, time‑consuming, and expensive to test directly for the presence of a large variety of pathogens, water is usually tested for coliforms and fecal streptococci instead. Sources of fecal contamination to surface waters include wastewater treatment plants, on‑site septic systems, domestic and wild animal manure, and storm runoff.
In addition to the possible health risk associated with the presence of elevated levels of fecal bacteria, they can also cause cloudy water, unpleasant odors, and an increased oxygen demand.
The most commonly tested fecal bacteria indicators are total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, fecal streptococci, and enterococci. All but E. coli are composed of a number of species of bacteria that share common characteristics such as shape, habitat, or behavior; E. coli is a single species in the fecal coliform group.
Total coliforms are a group of bacteria that are widespread in nature. All members of the total coliform group can occur in human feces, but some can also be present in animal manure, soil, and submerged wood and in other places outside the human body. Thus, the usefulness of total coliforms as an indicator of fecal contamination depends on the extent to which the bacteria species found are fecal and human in origin. For recreational waters, total coliforms are no longer recommended as an indicator. For drinking water, total coliforms are still the standard test because their presence indicates contamination of a water supply by an outside source.
Fecal coliforms, a subset of total coliform bacteria, are more fecal‑specific in origin. However, even this group contains a genus, Klebsiella, with species that are not necessarily fecal in origin. Klebsiella are commonly associated with textile and pulp and paper mill wastes. Therefore, if these sources discharge to your stream, you might wish to consider monitoring more fecal and human‑specific bacteria. For recreational waters, this group was the primary bacteria indicator until relatively recently, when EPA began recommending E. coli and enterococci as better indicators of health risk from water contact. Fecal coliforms are still being used in many states as the indicator bacteria.
E. coli is a species of fecal coliform bacteria that is specific to fecal material from humans and other warm‑blooded animals. EPA recommends E. coli as the best indicator of health risk from water contact in recreational waters; some states have changed their water quality standards and are monitoring accordingly.
Fecal streptococci generally occur in the digestive systems of humans and other warm‑blooded animals. In the past, fecal streptococci were monitored together with fecal coliforms and a ratio of fecal coliforms to streptococci was calculated. This ratio was used to determine whether the contamination was of human or nonhuman origin. However, this is no longer recommended as a reliable test.
Enterococci are a subgroup within the fecal streptococcus group. Enterococci are distinguished by their ability to survive in salt water, and in this respect they more closely mimic many pathogens than do the other indicators. Enterococci are typically more human‑specific than the larger fecal streptococcus group. EPA recommends enterococci as the best indicator of health
risk in salt water used for recreation and as a useful indicator in fresh water as well.
BASIC
EQUIPMENT:
Waterproof boots (and good rain gear for storm event monitoring)
Watch to know when samples were taken
Latex gloves to guard against contamination
Clipboard
Field Data Sheets
Pens
Monitoring Manual with sampling instructions/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)sheet for each test, safety instructions, site location
Cooler with ice or koolits and empty bottles for sampling
Sealed, sterile sample bottle for Fecal Coliform Bacteria
Brown plastic bottle for Nitrate-Nitrogen and Phosphorus combined
Nalgene bottle for Total Suspended Solids
Insect repellent
First aid kit
Plastic bag to pick up any trash you see
Sample with a partner.
Tell someone where you will be and when you expect to return.
Take a note with who to contact in an emergency.
Before leaving the field:
Be sure all bottles
are labeled with the date, time, sample number, and type of test.
Be sure the field
data sheet is filled in completely.
Be sure all bottles
are in the cooler and no trash is left behind.
Field
Sampling Procedures:
Before you begin sampling, fill in as much of the Field Data Sheet as possible with the sampling location, date, time, samplers, weather conditions, and anything interesting that you see.
Using a yardstick, measure the depth of the tributary in the same place every time. Pick a place that can be easily identified, easily reached, and always has water flowing except when there is no water flowing in this tributary.
Meter
Grabbing the sample: (The
procedure is the same for each kind of sample, except fecal bacteria
where you DO NOT RINSE the sterile bottle.)
1. FIRST, label the bottle with the DATE, TIME, kind of sample (e.g. TP & NN), and SAMPLE NUMBER. Be sure to use the right kind of bottle for each kind of sample, and be sure the sample number is filled in on both the bottle and the appropriate field data sheet. This is important because it tells the lab coordinator which bottle goes with which site.
2. Wading. (If the tributary is too high or too fast to wade, pick a spot on the bank where you can reach out into the flowing water. All samples should be collected in flowing water. You may also tape your bottle to an extension pole to sample from deeper water.) Try to disturb as little bottom sediment as possible. In any case, be careful not to collect water that has sediment from bottom disturbance. Stand facing upstream. Collect the water sample on your upstream side, in front of you.
3. Remove the cap from the bottle just before sampling. Avoid touching the inside of the bottle or the cap. If you accidentally touch the inside of the bottle, use another one.
4. Fecal bacteria skips this step. All other tests - Rinse the bottle three times by catching some water, capping the bottle and shaking, and emptying the bottle down stream, being careful not to touch the inside of either the bottle or the cap.
5. Hold the bottle near its base and plunge it (opening downward) below the water surface. If you are using an extension pole, remove the cap, turn the bottle upside down, and plunge it into the water, facing upstream. Collect a water sample 8 to 12 inches beneath the surface or mid‑way between the surface and the bottom if the stream reach is shallow.
6. Turn the bottle underwater into the current and away from you. In slow‑moving stream reaches, push the bottle underneath the surface and away from you in an upstream direction.
7. Wait for the bottle to fill, then turn it upright and bring it out of the water. The bottle should be filled to about the shoulder of the bottle. If it is all the way full, pour out a little.
8. Squeeze the bottle slightly and, while squeezing, cap it tightly. This, plus the air space, will allow the water to expand while freezing without cracking the bottle.
9. Immediately place the sample in the cooler for transport to the lab.
Nitrate-Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus:
Use the acid-washed brown plastic bottle. It is very important that you DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THESE BOTTLES OR THEIR CAPS! One bottle full is sufficient for testing both nitrogen and phosphorus. Label the bottle with the DATE, TIME, “TP & NN”, and SAMPLE NUMBER. Be sure the sample number is also filled in on the appropriate field data sheet.
Total Suspended
Solids and Alkalinity:
Use the Nalgene bottle (1 liter clear-ish plastic bottle). One bottle full is sufficient for testing both Total Suspended Solids and Alkalinity. Label the bottle with the DATE, TIME, “TSS & ALK”, and SAMPLE NUMBER. Be sure the sample number is also filled in on the appropriate field data sheet.
Fecal Bacteria:
Use the sterile brown bottle. Label the bottle with the DATE, TIME, “Fecal Bacteria”, and SAMPLE NUMBER. Be sure the sample number is also filled in on the appropriate field data sheet.
Before leaving the field:
Be sure all bottles are labeled
with the date, time, sample number, and type of test.
Be sure the field data sheet
is filled in completely including sample numbers.
Be sure all bottles are in the cooler and no trash is left behind.