Water Chemistry
Parks where protocol will be implemented
- Big Hole National Battlefield
- City of Rocks National Reserve
- Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
- John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
- Nez Perce National Historical Park
- Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Importance / Issues
- Changes in stream water chemistry and temperature affect biotic communities and ecosystem processes. Because of the direct relationship between water chemistry and biota, water chemistry is typically a central component of any water quality monitoring program. More recently, monitoring of stream water temperatures has increased because of concerns over cold-water fish habitat (primarily salmonid fishes), the recognized influence of land- and water-use on stream thermal regime, and the need for baseline temperature information to monitor effects of climate change.
- Water chemistry will be monitored by sampling select waterbodies for a set of core water quality parameters (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity).
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state guidelines will be used to determine if water chemistry parameters exceed threshold indicating impaired water quality.
- Water chemistry monitoring will be conducted as part of the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Protocol.
Monitoring Objectives
- Are the core water quality parameters of streams in the UCBN with established TMDLs selected for sampling improving over time?
- What is the status and long-term trend of core water quality parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity) in UCBN streams selected for sampling?
Measures
Daily, seasonal and annual values for core parameters (include water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and turbidity).
Management Applications
Information gathered from this monitoring will be used to:
- Improve our understanding of aquatic and riparian health in the parks.
- Help assess progress toward water quality Government Performance and Results Act (GRPA) goal.
Protocol Development & Status
The protocol was approved in 2009, and monitoring is underway.
Contact Information
Eric Starkey
Aquatic Biologist
Upper Columbia Basin Network
University of Idaho
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Moscow, ID 83844-1136
Email
Document Links
- Integrated Water Quality Protocol and Standard Operating Procedures (link to Reports & Pubs page)
- Resource Brief (link to Reports & Pubs page)
- Integrated Water Quality Protocol Development Summary (link to IWQ Protocol page)