Meeteetse Conservation District

SURFACE WATER SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS PLAN

For

E. coli and Chemical Sampling

 Within the Meeteetse Conservation District

December, 2005

Steve Jones, Resource Management Coordinator

Emily Ewart, Resource Specialist

Meeteetse Conservation District

PO Box 237 , Meeteetse WY   82433-237

307.868.2484         (Fax 307.868.2489)

mcd@tctwest.net

Signature Approval Sheet

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.          Introduction                                                                                   4

            Background, Purpose, Updates, Disclaimer

II.        Personnel                                                                                         7

III.       Sampling Locations and Timing                                                   7

            Designated Primary Sampling Sites, Additional Sampling Sites, Timing                   

IV.       Sampling and Analysis                                                                    8

            Safety & Water Velocity, Sample & Data Collection, E. coli Analysis, Measurement of Physical and Chemical Parameters, Chemical Analysis

V.         Quality Assurance/Quality Control                                         11

            General, Field Log Book, Sample Identification (Modified SOP)^, Chain of Custody, Equipment Calibration, Data Quality Objectives, Corrective Actions

VI.       Data Management                                                                          15

            Data Validation, Data Storage, Data Availability, Reports

VII.      Abbreviations and Acronyms                                                         17

VIII.    References                                                                                       17

IX.       Distribution List                                                                             17

Figures

            Fig. 1 Location map                                                                               4

Tables

            Table 1. Qualifications and Training                                                         6

            Table 2. Surface Water Sampling Sites                                                      8

            Table 3. Sampling Timing Matrix                                                             8

            Table 4. Data Quality Objectives                                                             14        

Appendices

            A. Maps

                        Site GR2 Greybull River At Meeteetse

                        Site GR3 Greybull River at Road 3XQ

                        Site GR5 Greybull River above Wood River

                        Site GR6 Greybull River at Sheets Flat

Site WR1 Wood River Above Confluence With Greybull River

B. SOP’s And Methods

                        Critical DEQ SOP’s

                        Deviations from DEQ SOP, and Reasons for 

                        WDA Analytical Laboratory Methods as of August 30, 2005

C. Standard Forms

                        Colilert® Analysis Log

                        Field Data Sheet

I. Introduction

This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) is written to meet the Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) requirements of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Water Quality Division (WQD), Watershed Program for the State of Wyoming grants to Conservation Districts for water quality monitoring, to satisfy the requirements of the State of Wyoming Enrolled Act 47, known as the Credible Data Bill, and to meet the DEQ QA/QC requirements for volunteer water quality monitoring under the Credible Data Bill. 

The SAP is intended as a field guide for personnel who will be conducting the water quality monitoring activities for this project, as a QA/QC plan, and as a data management plan.  Supplemental watershed information not essential to field operations may be found in “Greybull River Watershed Information”, variously dated, compiled by the Meeteetse Conservation District (as amended), incorporated by reference in this SAP, and in other documents kept on file in the MCD office. 

Samples are to be collected using the methods, procedures and/or protocols in the Manual of Standard Operating Procedures for Sample Collection and Analysis, WDEQ/WQD, Water Quality Division, 2004 (http://deq.state.wy.us/wqd/watershed/Downloads/QA/4-1089.pdf ), and Natural Resources Conservation Service National Handbook of Water Quality Monitoring, USDA, May, 1998,, both incorporated by reference into this SAP.  Variances or deviations from referenced methods, procedures, protocols, and SOP’s are noted by referencing them as “modified” SOP’s, methods, procedures, etc. and by providing an explanation in Appendix B, “SOP’s and Methods, Deviations from DEQ SOP, and Reasons For”.

Within this SAP, the standard definitions of the terms shall, must, should and may, are used:

• shall, must - when the element is required and deviation from the specification will constitute nonconformance with the standard; conformance is measured by completion or implementation of the action specified.

• should - when the element is recommended.

• may - when the element is optional.

Background                                     Figure 1 - Location map

The Meeteetse Conservation District (MCD) encompasses most of the Greybull River watershed within Park County (Fig. 1).  This is approximately the western ¾ of HUC 10080009.  That portion of the Greybull watershed, easterly and downstream of the MCD, within Big Horn County and the South Big Horn Conservation District is referred to as the lower Greybull.  Minor headwaters portions of the watershed lie outside of the MCD.  Minor portions of the Gooseberry Creek and Fifteenmile watersheds (HUC 10080007) lie within the southerly portion of the MCD, and some of the Dry Creek watershed (HUC10080011) lies within the northeasterly portion of the MCD.

The 2004 Wyoming 305(b) State Water Quality Assessment Report states:

 “Headwaters of the Greybull Sub-basin are in the Absaroka Range within the Shoshone National Forest . The foothills portions of the sub-basin are a mix of BLM, state, and private lands, and the basin portions are primarily BLM, with private lands adjacent to streams. The sub-basin has three major irrigation reservoir projects. Summer flows in the [lower] Greybull River at the confluence with the Big Horn River are reportedly almost entirely irrigation return water and at some times there may be minimal to no flow, due to appropriations on the river (RPO, 1979). Livestock grazing and areas of oil and gas extraction are major land uses, with irrigated agriculture nearby and adjacent to the major tributary streams.  The Greybull River is on Table A of the 303(d) List because exceedences of the criteria for fecal coliform bacteria at Greybull indicate it is not meeting its use for contact recreation. Although high fecal bacteria counts have been occasionally recorded as far upstream as Meteetse [sic], samples were collected too infrequently to develop a valid geometric mean to compare with criteria upstream of Greybull. Meeteetse and South Big Horn Conservation Districts have monitored on the Greybull River . Analysis of their data sets indicate that the impairment may not extend above the Sheets Flat bridge, below Meeteetse. High water temperatures recorded during the recent drought raise concerns about the river’s ability to support its use as a cold water fishery during low flows in summer. Future monitoring is required to better understand the temperature regime and to determine sources of fecal bacteria.”

The populace of the MCD is dependent on the Greybull watershed and its water primarily for domestic and industrial purposes, recreation, agricultural production, for intangible values such as those derived from scenic beauty and wildlife, and for its effects on local custom and culture.  In response to concerns of individuals, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), MCD proactively initiated qualitative water quality monitoring in the fall of 1995.  MCD’s continuing water quality monitoring operations evolved from that beginning.

As stated in the MCD Plan of Work, 2005, hereby incorporated by reference, “…MCD remains committed to maintaining and improving the water quality of groundwater, streams, rivers, reservoirs and lakes within the boundaries of the District.” 

Purpose

MCD’s overall objective, as stated in the MCD Plan of Work, 2005, is to continue to provide an effective water quality/watershed management and improvement program.  MCD will continue to use proper science to merge the wise management and use of natural resources with the District’s custom, culture, and socioeconomic needs in order to provide for the integrated and comprehensive management of our natural resources.  MCD’s commitment to this objective is ongoing and will continue in the future.  The water quality/watershed management and improvement program will itself be monitored and revised through time.  The surface water quality monitoring conducted under this SAP will provide credible surface water quality data that will be a key component of our continuing water quality/watershed management and improvement program:

¨        A database of credible data acquired over a long period of time is critical to defining and understanding natural processes and their effects on the surface water quality of the Greybull River watershed.  Acquiring the database is therefore a significant part of the overall objective.

¨        The results of systematic long-term data collection will be used to address the contact recreational use impairment listed on the DEQ 303(d) list.

¨        The results of the surface water monitoring program will be used to develop cost-effective and functional best management practices (BMPs) that can be implemented by all users of the watershed and the water resource, preventing needless regulation and unachievable goal-setting.

¨        MCD seeks to assist DEQ in achieving the goal of all of the statewide Watershed Program monitoring: to produce comparable data of known and documented quality.

¨        The MCD seeks to work cooperatively with other Conservation Districts, on a watershed basis, to address mutual concerns.

This Sampling and Analysis Plan is covered by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, Watershed Program Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), 2001.  This water quality monitoring complies with state law, Wyoming Statute (W.S.) 35-11-103(b) and (c) and W.S. 35-11-302.

Updates

Analytic and sampling methods change frequently. Either entire SOP’s or individual pages may be revised.  Variances or deviations from referenced methods, procedures, protocols, and SOP’s are noted in the body of this SAP by reference in an explanation in Appendix B, SOP’s and Methods, “Deviations from DEQ SOP, And Reasons for”.  Original Document pages are dated December, 2005 on the lower left hand side of the page. Revised pages will say Revised (date). From time to time, there may be a need for additional SOP’s. New SOP’s will have a date different from December, 2005.  The Distribution List herein will be used to coordinate the delivery of any revisions. Both this SAP and the revisions will be available electronically on the MCD’s web site (http://meeteetsecd-wy.gov) and/or revised pages will be printed and distributed. Persons who need to know whether a revision is in progress on an SOP or a new SOP has not yet been released should contact the MCD Resource Management Coordinator (RMC), using the information on the cover page. Persons, groups or organizations which collect data on behalf of the MCD for the WYDEQ-WQD, Watershed Program, under contracts, assistance agreements (cooperative agreements, grants), or interagency agreements, in response to statutory or regulatory requirements are responsible for knowing and applying the information this manual contains, and for maintaining an up to date manual.

Disclaimer

This document has been reviewed, approved and released in compliance with Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, Watershed Program policy. Reference to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark or manufacturer does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the Meeteetse Conservation District.  Every reasonable effort is made to accurately describe the actual technical and administrative activities and to check for errors in the descriptions, methods and chemical reagents. However, users should read each SOP carefully and question any possible errors. The Meeteetse Conservation District does not claim that this document is free of mistakes.

II. Personnel

Steve Jones, District Resource Management Coordinator reports to the MCD Board of Supervisors and has primary responsibility for all operations under this SAP.  Emily Ewart, Resource Specialist (RS) for the Meeteetse Conservation District, may perform any task under this SAP unless specified otherwise.  Other personnel or contract services may be utilized as necessary.

III. Sampling Locations and Timing                               

Designated Primary Sampling Sites

The locations shown in Table 2 are the designated primary sampling sites for the Greybull River watershed.  Private property access requires permission from landowners at all sites except GR6.  If for some reason a sample cannot be collected at the designated site, a notation will be made on the data sheet and/or the Field Log Book.  See Appendix A for site maps.

Additional Sampling Sites

The MCD’s sampling program would best be described as using a reconnaissance-based sampling methodology and may be modified based on interpretation of the acquired data.  MCD may conduct additional sampling in cooperation with other Conservation Districts and/or as requested by Cooperators within the District.  Single and replicate samples may be collected throughout the watershed to provide additional information as needed.

For addition or deletion of primary sampling sites refer to “QA/QC - Corrective Actions”.

Timing

Samples may be taken in months shown in Table 3.  Blanked months indicate sampling is not currently planned: