Volunteer Stream Monitoring:
A Methods Manual
Govt. Doc. No. EPA 841-B-97-003
Editor's Note: This is the
introduction to a manual written by the Environmental Protection Agency
for the benefit of volunteers who want to monitor the health of local
streams and rivers. The manual's table of contents is given below the
Introduction, along with links to .pdf and .html versions of this document,
which is too lengthy to reproduce here in its entirty. -SG
Introduction
As part of its commitment to volunteer monitoring, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has worked since 1990 to develop a series of guidance
manuals for volunteer programs. Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods
Manual, the third in the series, is designed as a companion document to
Volunteer Water Monitoring: A Guide for State Managers. The guide describes
the role of volunteer monitoring in state programs and discusses how managers
can best organize, implement, and maintain volunteer programs. This document
builds on the concepts discussed in the Guide for State Managers and applies
them directly to streams and rivers.
Streams and rivers are monitored
by more volunteer programs than any other waterbody type. According to
the fourth edition of the National Directory of Volunteer Environmental
Monitoring Programs (January 1994), three-quarters of the more than 500
programs listed conduct some sort of stream assessment as part, or all,
of their monitoring project.
As the interest in monitoring
streams grows, so too does the desire of groups to apply an integrated
approach to the design and implementation of programs. More and more,
volunteer monitors are interested in taking a combination of physical,
chemical, and biological measurements and are beginning to understand
how land uses in a watershed influence the health of its waterways. This
document includes sections on conducting in-stream physical, chemical,
and biological assessments as well as landuse or watershed assessments.
The chemical and physical measurements
described in this document can be applied to rivers or streams of any
size. However, the biological components (macroinvertebrates and habitat)
should be applied only to "wadable" streams (i.e., where streams are small
in width and relatively shallow in depth, and where both banks are clearly
visible).
The purpose of this manual
is not to mandate new methods or override methods currently being used
by volunteer monitoring groups. Instead, it is intended to serve as a
tool for program managers who want to launch a new stream monitoring program
or enhance an existing program. Volunteer Stream Monitoring presents methods
that have been adapted from those used successfully by existing volunteer
programs.
Further, it would be impossible
to provide monitoring methods that are uniformly applicable to all stream
watersheds or all volunteer programs throughout the Nation. Factors such
as geographic region, program goals and objectives, and program resources
will all influence the specific methods used by each group.
This manual therefore urges
volunteer program coordinators to work handinhand with state and local
water quality professionals or other potential data users in developing
and implementing a volunteer monitoring program. Through this partnership,
volunteer programs gain improved credibility and access to professional
expertise and data; agencies gain credible data that can be used in water
quality planning. Bridges between citizens and water resource managers
are also the foundation for an active, educated, articulate, and effective
constituency of environmental stewards. This foundation is an essential
component in the management and preservation of our water resources.
EPA has developed two other
methods manuals in this series. Volunteer Lake Monitoring: A Methods Manual
was published in December 1991. Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods
Manual was published in December 1993. To obtain any or all of these documents,
contact:
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Volunteer Monitoring (4503F)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Manual Organization
Chapter 2 Elements
of a Stream Study
2.1 Basic Concepts
2.2 Designing the Stream Study
2.3 Safety Considerations
2.4 Basic Equipment
Chapter 3 Watershed
Survey Methods
3.1 How to Conduct
a Watershed Survey
3.2 The Visual Assessment Watershed Survey Visual Assessment (PDF, 15.4
KB)
Chapter 4 Macroinvertebrates
and Habitat
4.1 Stream Habitat
Walk Stream Habitat Walk (PDF, 139.0 KB)
4.2 Streamside Biosurvey Streamside Biosurvey: Macroinvertebrates (PDF,
32.7 KB) Streamside Biosurvey:
Habitat Walk (PDF, 24.6 KB)
4.3 Intensive Stream Biosurvey Selecting Metrics to Determine Stream
Health Intensive Biosurvey: Macroinvertebrate Assessment (PDF, 92.7
KB) Intensive Biosurvey: Habitat Assessment (PDF, 82.8 KB)
Chapter 5 Water Quality
Conditions Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Quality Assessment
Measures
5.1 Stream Flow
Data Form for Calculating Flow (PDF, 9.7 KB)
5.2 Dissolved Oxygen and Biochemical Oxygen Demand
5.3 Temperature
5.4 pH
5.5 Turbidity
5.6 Phosphorus
5.7 Nitrates
5.8 Total Solids
5.9 Conductivity
5.10 Total Alkalinity
5.11 Fecal Bacteria Water Quality Sampling Field Data Sheet (PDF, 6.2
KB)
Chapter 6 Managing
and Presenting Monitoring Data
6.1 Managing Volunteer
Data
6.2 Presenting the Data
6.3 Producing Reports
Appendices
A. Glossary
B. Scientific Supply Houses
C. Determining Latitude and Longitude Worksheet for Calculating
Latitude and Longitude (PDF, 23.5 KB)
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