Protocol narrative: Long-term continuous water-quality monitoring at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Obed Wild and Scenic River

Hughes, Jim; Emmot, Robert; Murdock, Nora; Flaherty, Patrick; Raskin, Evan

doi:10.36967/2255929

This protocol describes the background, rationale, and sampling design for monitoring water quality using continuous sampling at two Appalachian Highlands Inventory and Monitoring Network (APHN) parks: Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (BISO), and Obed Wild and Scenic River (OBRI). The main goals of this document are: (1) to outline an overall strategy for time series water-quality monitoring that is credible and scientifically rigorous, and (2) to provide a specific set of instructions in the form of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are sufficiently detailed to ensure consistent and comparable data collection for current and future practitioners. The structure of this protocol follows the recommended framework and suggestions of Oakley et al. (2003). This document also describes important aquatic resources within the affected parks, and briefly summarizes characteristics of geology, soils, climate and hydrology that must be considered when monitoring water quality at Big South Fork NRRA and Obed WSR. A case is made for the relevancy of this effort by highlighting known water-quality issues in the parks, as well as describing some of the important linkages between water quality and park resources that may help provide early warning of changing conditions or issues of concern in the future. The objective of this long-term monitoring project is to determine annual status and long-term trends for five core water-quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, pH and turbidity) at selected index sites using fixed station continuous data loggers at Big South Fork NRRA and Obed WSR. Continuous water-quality monitors (YSI 6920 datasondes) are deployed year-round at five U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow gauges located in the parks’ major streams, upstream of their most sensitive aquatic resources. Water-quality parameters are measured at 30- minute intervals, allowing for eventual determination of trends at daily, monthly, seasonal and annual time scales. Water-quality data is broadcast to the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) available on the Internet in near real-time, providing park managers, partners and the public with early warning of upstream disturbances, which enables APHN staff to conduct repairs efficiently, to avoid long disruptions in the data record. Data collected using this protocol will be stored in NWIS and analyzed using Aquarius software. Two primary emphases of the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program are to ensure that results and knowledge obtained from monitoring are communicated in a timely manner and to maximize understanding in order to best meet park needs. Where appropriate, monitoring results are shared as broadly as possible with park partners, NPS staff, and the public. Water-quality status is summarized in annual reports and resource briefs at the end of each calendar year. Longer-term trends and synthesis reports are written every three to seven years, depending on the needs of the parks. The synthesis reports will include information from a regional perspective in order to look at landscape-scale changes. Water-quality data collected using this protocol will provide a scientific foundation for evaluating water quality in the parks’ major tributaries.

Protocol narrative: Long-term continuous water-quality monitoring at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Obed Wild and Scenic River

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