Upper Columbia Basin Network integrated water quality annual report 2008: Nez Perce National Historical Park (NEPE) and Whitman Mission National Historic Site (WHMI)

Starkey, Eric

The Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) has identified 14 priority park vital signs, indicators of ecosystem health, which represent a broad suite of ecological phenomena operating across multiple temporal and spatial scales. Our intent is to monitor a balanced and integrated “package” of vital signs that meets the needs of current park management, but will also be able to accommodate unanticipated environmental conditions in the future. Water quality is a particularly high priority vital sign for six of the nine UCBN parks. The UCBN contains more than 34 rivers, streams, ponds and reservoirs located in nine park units spread over four large western states. Unlike many National Parks that are large and often encompass entire watersheds, most UCBN parks and water bodies are small and embedded in large watersheds with diverse land use. Water quality in most UCBN water bodies has not been directly assessed, though most streams are listed as impaired by states for at least one parameter. This annual report details the status of key indicators of water quality obtained from the first season of monitoring in NEPE and WHMI, 2008. Note that several of the appendices in this report are primarily intended for UCBN internal reference. This season was considered a pilot year, and we tested a draft protocol that was submitted for peer review in spring 2008. The protocol was accepted with minor revisions and was re-submitted for review in January 2009. Water chemistry and macroinvertebrate results indicate that Lapwai Creek (NEPE) is in fair condition, with the primary concern being elevated water temperatures and occasional low dissolved oxygen content. Based on macroinvertebrate results, Jim Ford Creek (NEPE) is in poor-fair condition. Both water chemistry and macroinvertebrate results indicate that Mill Creek (WHMI) is in poor to fair condition, with the primary concerns being elevated water temperatures, pH, occasional low dissolved oxygen content, and hydrologic alterations. Macroinvertebrate and water chemistry monitoring was not completed in Doan Creek (WHMI) due to stream conditions. The status of water quality for Lapwai Creek (NEPE) and Mill Creek (WHMI) relative to state regulatory thresholds is given in the summary tables on the following page. UCBN water quality monitoring is conducted on a 3 year rotating panel. As a result, conditions in Lapwai, Jim Ford, Mill and Doan Creeks will be re-evaluated in 2011.

Upper Columbia Basin Network integrated water quality annual report 2008: Nez Perce National Historical Park (NEPE) and Whitman Mission National Historic Site (WHMI)

Series

Collections