Water Quality Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network

Northern Great Plains Network

The overall goal of NGPN’s water resource monitoring is to provide information that will allow park managers to make better informed decisions and to work more effectively with other agencies and entities for the benefit of park resources (Gitzen et al. 2010). The primary focus is on park-level inference, although opportunities for NGPN-wide syntheses may be explored as a secondary priority in the future. The goals of the NGPN water monitoring plan are to (1) implement a scientifically sound and temporally balanced monitoring design that documents the current status of selected waterbodies; (2) assess the current overall ecologic condition and health of selected waters relative to water resource indicators; and (3) provide a baseline for assessing long-term trends. Parameters measured include dissolved oxygen, water temperature, specific conductivity, and pH. A 3- yr rotating panel of sites ensures sites are monitored every three years. USGS conducts the water quality monitoring and is a steward of the data. A total of 8 sites are monitored including Little Missouri River at THRO, Knife River at KNRI, Belle Fourche River at DETO; the Niobrara River at AGFO, NIOB, and MNRR; Bow Creek at MNRR and the Laramie River at FOLA.

Water Quality Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network

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