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Watershed Assessment Section

Watershed Assessment Section. John Wirts Watershed Assessment Section March 17, 2009. Overview of monitoring activities Current and future monitoring Deployables, LiTMuS, and others Biology: bugs, fish, and algae. Watershed Branch Responsibilities :. Statewide Monitoring Program

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Watershed Assessment Section

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  1. Watershed Assessment Section John Wirts Watershed Assessment Section March 17, 2009

  2. Overview of monitoring activities • Current and future monitoring • Deployables, LiTMuS, and others • Biology: bugs, fish, and algae

  3. Watershed BranchResponsibilities: • Statewide Monitoring Program • Ambient Monitoring of Major Rivers (26 sites, 6 times / year) • Random Monitoring of Wadeable Streams (1st - 4th order; 75 sites annually) • Watershed Specific Monitoring Program • General Water Quality Screening – Targeted (single visit) • TMDL Monitoring (monthly) • TMDL Development • Preparation of 305(b), 303(d) and Watershed Reports • Support of other agency programs (ie. Permitting) Monitor, Assess and Report on WV’s Water Quality

  4. & 2006 & 2011 Upper Ohio North Cheat South Branch Shenandoah Youghiogheny Upper Kanawha

  5. & 2007 & 2012 Lower Kanawha Coal Elk Tygart North Branch

  6. & 2008 & 2013 Mid-Ohio North & South Lower Guyandotte Tug Fork Gauley Potomac Direct Drains

  7. & 2009 Monongahela Little Kanawha Upper & Lower New Greenbrier James

  8. & 2010 Upper Ohio South Dunkard West Fork Cacapon Lower Ohio Big Sandy Twelvepole Upper Guyandotte

  9. AmbientMonitoringProgram Monitor the state’s largest streams and rivers • Currently 26 sites on the major rivers. • bi-monthly samples for many parameters. • Long term data - many have been monitored for nearly 50 years. • Biology

  10. Ambient Monitoring Program

  11. Examples of available Ambient Data

  12. Examples of available Ambient Data

  13. Examples of available Ambient Data

  14. Probabilistic, Targeted, and Pre-TMDL Sampling Include similar assessment procedures. • Water Quality • Field parameters, Fecal Coliform • Others dependent on likely stressor • Habitat Assessments • Site maps, photos, & description • Physical measurements • Landuse activities and disturbances • Qualitative habitat evaluations • Biological • Benthic macroinvertebrates • Periphyton • Fish

  15. All ‘Stations’ sampled or visited since 1996

  16. Macroinvertebrates

  17. Family Level Macroinvertebrate IBI WVSCI West Virginia Stream Condition Index Developed in 1999/2000 with EPA and Tetra Tech. Includes 6 metrics. Can be utilized statewide. Impairment threshold is based on reference conditions. Sampling period limited to the dates from which the reference condition was developed. Mid-April thru Mid-Oct

  18. Family level tot taxa = 13 Genus level tot taxa = 27 Family level tot taxa = 21 Genus level tot taxa = 37

  19. All comparable Benthic Macroinvertebrate samples since 1996

  20. Probabilistic Sampling – ‘Randoms’ • Provides statistically valid estimates of condition. • There are over 10,000 streams identified in WV. • Between 30,000 and 50,000 stream miles. • We can’t sample them all.

  21. Probabilistic Sampling - continued Started random program in 1997, completed 1st round in 2001. Round 2: 2002-2006 Changed from rotating basin to statewide approach. Instead of getting all 30 or 35 sites from a specific watershed in one year, we’re getting 5 or 6 samples in each of the 5 years. In April we will be starting year 3 of the 3rd round

  22. Probabilistic Sampling - continued State of the Streams Report Data from 1st 2 5-yr rounds has been crunched • Condition estimates (% stream miles impacted) for: • Biologically impaired • Several habitat measures • WQ condition estimates (acid precip, AMD, ++) • Estimates completed for 8-dig HUC w’sheds, Level 3 Ecoregions, and statewide

  23. Example of random data crunch

  24. Probabilistic Sampling - continued Round Three – entering 3rd year of R3 • Fewer sites (75/yr instead of 150) • Will be able to report on condition at ecoregion level • Will include fish at ~30 sites / year

  25. TargetedMonitoring • Sites selected within appropriate watersheds • 4 main target categories: • Representative sites: including major tributaries & HW • Resample sites where use attainment questionable • Refine impairment spatially: go upstream until above likely source • Fill assessment “Gaps”

  26. Targeted sampling 2009 – after random season & 2009 Monongahela Little Kanawha Upper & Lower New Greenbrier James

  27. TMDL Sampling & 2008 & 2013 Mid-Ohio North & South Lower Guyandotte Tug Fork Gauley Potomac Direct Drains

  28. Current Pre-TMDL sampling ~ 300 sites – starting July 2008 Sites sampled mostly for bacteria, biology, TSS, and Iron

  29. Deployables • ContinuousMonitoring • Have utilized in order to better understand relationship between grab samples and real world variability. • Currently deployed in: • Acid precip impacted streams • Abandoned mining areas • Potomac River sites

  30. Acid Precipitation impacted sites / Limed Streams Project 2008 Added Otter Creek, Red Run

  31. Abandoned Mine Land Remediation Monitoring Recently deployed sondes in Abram Creek, Three Forks Creek, and Paint Creek. Also Sovern Run of Big Sandy (Cheat)

  32. Fish Tissue Analysis

  33. Selenium - Fish & WQ studies • Mercury Fish Tissue study • LTMS – “LITMUS” • Lakes – Restarted in 2006 • National Survey – streams, lakes, wetlands • Wetlands

  34. Above / below impoundment study • Chesapeake Bay – Non-Tidal Monitoring Network • Greenbrier algae / nutrient criteria development

  35. For more information or specific data Contact: John Wirts John.c.wirts@wv.gov 304-926-0499 x 1060

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