Section 4: Water Quality Monitoring and Research Programs of Allied Agencies Relevant to Klamath Network Park Units

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This section describes past and ongoing research or monitoring programs in the Klamath Network region. Many of these programs could provide funding, protocols, or partnership opportunities for the Klamath Network as it develops its water quality monitoring program.

A. US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) - Surface Waters - Western Pilot Study, USEPA (with collaborators). Project Dates: 2000–2005: The Western Pilot study is the Surface Waters component of the USEPA Western Geographic Study through the EMAP Program. The program goal is to answer questions about the importance of stressors and the extent of their effects on ecological condition of wadeable streams; the objective is to develop monitoring tools to estimate the ecological condition of surface waters across the Western US. Project methodology includes sampling of water chemistry, stream discharge, periphyton, sediment, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, and physical habitat characteristics. Contact: David Peck, USEPA, Corvallis, OR. Phone: 541-754-4426, E-mail: peck.david@epa.gov.

B. US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) – National Coastal Assessment, USEPA (with collaborators). Project Dates: 1990–2003: The USEPA National Coastal Assessment has conducted estuarine monitoring in all 23 coastal States and Puerto Rico (accounting for 99.8% of estuarine acreage in the continental US and Puerto Rico). Data from several regional and national programs conducted by NOAA, USGS and the USFWS are included in the assessment of coastal condition. The West Coast of the US was assessed in 1999 and 2000, and the assessment was extended in 2003 to cover the continental shelf. Marine biota (plankton, benthos, and fish) and environmental parameters associated with water quality, sediment quality, and tissue bioaccumulation were sampled. The first and second Coastal Assessment Reports can be accessed using the following website link:

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr2/index.html. Contact: J. Kevin Summers, US EPA. Phone: 850-934-9201, summers.kevin@epamail.epa.gov.

C. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the Western Regional Climate Center (Desert Research Institute). Climate Reference Network. Project Dates: implemented in 2004: The Climate Reference Network is a network of climate stations being established, with the help of the Western Regional Climate Center, as part of a NOAA initiative. The goal of this project is to monitor long-term precipitation and temperature observations to investigate present and future climate change. If fully implemented, the network will have about 250 sampling stations nationwide. Many of these stations are being established in national parks. Contact: John Jensen, Program Manager, NOAA. Phone: 828-271-4475, E-mail: John.A.Jensen@noaa.gov.

D. US Geological Survey (USGS), Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), with NPS, FWS, BLM. Project Dates: 2000–ongoing: In response to growing awareness of amphibian declines and malformations, the USGS ARMI program was initiated by the United States Congress in 2000 to monitor trends in amphibian populations on Department of Interior (DOI) lands; and to research the cause of amphibian declines. While intensive monitoring will be focused on DOI lands, ARMI will also provide a framework for other agencies outside of DOI lands for incorporating amphibian monitoring data. Partnerships with other DOI agencies include a nationwide Fish and Wildlife Service survey for contaminants that may induce malformations in amphibians on 48 National Wildlife Refuges in 31 states. Contact: Mike Adams, Wildlife Biologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Corvallis, OR. Phone: 541-758-8857, E-mail: Michael_adams@usgs.gov.

E. US Geological Survey (USGS), National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) – Sacramento River Basin Study. Project Dates: 1994–1998: The Sacramento River water quality assessment, covering the river’s nearly 75,000 sq km (27,000 sq mi) drainage basin, is the largest within the State of California. The study was divided into 5 physiographic provinces: the Sacramento Valley, the Sierra Nevada, the Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range and the Modoc Plateau. The major use of Sacramento River water is for agriculture (58%), environmental management (32%), urban land use (6%), and other (4%). A suite of water quality parameters were measured including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, major cations and anions, metals, suspended sediment, bed sediment, discharge, and fish tissue samples for contaminants. The major issues within the basin are elevated concentrations of trace metals, especially from abandoned mines (WHIS); pesticide contamination of surface water and potential contamination of ground water (LABE, LAVO, WHIS); nitrate contamination of ground water (LABE, LAVO, WHIS); and urban runoff and volatile-organic-chemical contamination. Contact: Joseph Domagalski, USGS, Sacramento, CA. Phone: 916-278-3077, E-mail: joed@usgs.gov.

F. US Geological Survey (USGS), National Stream-gaging Program (NSP), with Federal, State, and Local agencies. Project Dates: variable and ongoing: The USGS has been collecting streamflow information since 1887. The NSP, which partners with many agencies, monitors flows on major and minor streams at nearly 7,000 stations throughout the US. Streamflow gaging stations provide data that can be used for planning and operating water resources projects, flood warning and control operations, and long-term background information about changes in streamflow in response to climate and changes in land use. Contact: Mike Norris, USGS, Phone
703-648-5304, E-mail: mnorris@usgs.gov.

G. US Geological Survey (USGS), Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), Project: Development of monitoring protocols for mountain lakes and ponds at North Cascades National Park Service Complex: This project began in 2001 with the purpose of developing a sampling protocol for mountain ponds and lakes. The NPS North Coast and Cascades Network is the project partner and this protocol has been developed for all park units in this network. The protocol also has been written as a document that can be used by any agency, institution or group (e.g., KLMN) interested in sampling montane lentic ecosystems. The protocol is in press and will be published as stand-alone chapter of a USGS Techniques and Methods document (Techniques and Methods 2-A2). Contact: Robert Hoffman, USGS FRESC (Phone: 541-750-1013, E-mail: robert_hoffman@usgs.gov) and Gary Larson, USGS FRESC (Phone: 541-750-1032, E-mail: gary_l._larson@usgs.gov).

H. US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Watershed Analyses. Approximately 1995–present: Watershed analyses have been conducted by the USFS National Forests and BLM Districts throughout the KLMN region. These analyses are part of the process of implementing ecosystem management as directed by the Northwest Forest Plan. USFS National Forests include: Fremont-Winema, Klamath, Rogue River-Siskiyou, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers; BLM Districts include: Coos Bay, Lakeview, and Medford. Over 76 watersheds have been analyzed since 1995. Each watershed analysis includes the characterization of current and reference conditions in 14 basic categories: (1) human uses; (2) roads; (3) climate; (4) erosion processes; (5) soil productivity; (6) vegetation density and vigor; (7) plant species and habitats; (8) fire; (9) terrestrial wildlife species and habitats; (10) hydrology; (11) stream channel; (12) water quality; (13) riparian areas; and (14) aquatic wildlife species and habitats. Many of the watershed analyses reports are available at each USFS National Forest and BLM District internet web site.

I. Northwestern California/Klamath Bioregion Environment Information Sources: This is an internet website hosted by the Humboldt State University Library at http://library.humboldt.edu/~rls/NorCalEnv.htm#water. The site provides clickable links to environmental data made available by various entities throughout the Klamath Region. Water resources/water quality site links include: (1) California Data Exchange Center; (2) California Nevada River Forecast Center; (3) EPA – Established TMDLs; (4) Hydro-Climatic Data Network; (6) Klamath Resource Information System (KRIS) Web Bibliography; (7) National Water Information System (NWISWeb) Data for California (USGS); (8) Regional Assessment of Stream Temperatures Across Northern California and Their Relationship to Various Landscape-Level and Site-Specific Attributes; (9) Surf Your Watershed; (10) Water Data Library (California Department of Water Resources); and (11) Water Resources Data: California (USGS).

J. California Department of Fish and Game Stream Bioassessment Procedure: The mission of the California Department of Fish and Game’s Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory is to use biology in the management and assessment of California water quality. This procedure utilizes aquatic invertebrates for the rapid bioassessment of stream water quality. Background information and the bioassessment procedure are available at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/cabw/cabwhome.html.

K. California North Coast Watershed Assessment Program: The development of this interagency program was initiated in 1999 by the California Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency. The California agencies participating in this program are (1) Department of Fish and Game, (2) Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, (3) Division of Mines and Geology, (4) Department of Water Resources, and (5) North Coast Water Quality Control Board. The program purpose is “to develop consistent, scientifically credible information to guide landowners, agencies, watershed groups, and other stakeholders in their efforts to improve watershed and fisheries conditions.” Detailed information about this program is available at http://www.ncwatershed.ca.gov.