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ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM-SURFACE WATERS WESTERN PILOT STUDY: FIELD OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR WADEABLE STREAMS
Citation:
PECK, D. V., A. T. HERLIHY, B. H. HILL, R. M. HUGHES, P. R. KAUFMANN, D. KLEMM, J. M. LAZORCHAK, F. H. MCCORMICK, S. A. PETERSON, P. L. RINGOLD, T. MAGEE, AND M. CAPPAERT. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM-SURFACE WATERS WESTERN PILOT STUDY: FIELD OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR WADEABLE STREAMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
This document describes field procedures that were used during the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Western Pilot Study, conducted from 1999 through 2004.
Description:
This document describes field procedures that were used during the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Western Pilot Study, conducted from 1999 through 2004. Objectives for EMAP involve developing appropriate scientific and technical tools for evaluating ecological condition on regional and national scales. The procedures in this document are based on previously published EMAP procedures, modified to adapt them to the specific requirements of the Western Pilot Study. Procedures are described for collecting field measurement data and/or acceptable samples for several response and stressor indicators, including aquatic vertebrate assemblages, benthic macro¬invertebrate assemblages, periphyton assemblages, water chemistry, physical habitat, invasive riparian plants, and fish tissue contaminants. Additional information on data management, safety and health, and other logistical aspects are integrated into the procedures and overall operational scenario. Flowcharts and other graphic aids summarize specific field activities required to visit a stream site and collect data for these indicators. Tables give step-by-step instructions for each procedure. These figures and tables are designed to be extracted and bound separately to make a convenient reference guide for field teams. The manual also includes example field data forms for recording field measurements and sample tracking information. Checklists of all supplies and equipment needed for each field task are included to help ensure that these materials are available when required. These procedures should be considered for future use in field studies sponsored by EMAP, related research projects such as the Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP), and possibly in other stream monitoring programs designed to assess the ecological condition of wadeable streams.