volunteer stream monitoring...julie lovelace cannon township watershed assistant (616) 884-2206...

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan

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A2. Table of Contents

A3. Distribution List………………………………………………………..4

A4. Program Organization………………………………………………….5

A5. Problem Definition/Background……………………………………….7

A6. Program Description…………………………………………………....8

A7. Data Quality Objectives………………………………………………...9

A8. Special Training/Certifications…………………………………………11

B1. Study Design and Methods…………………………………………….12

Map of Bear Creek Watershed…………………………………………14

Stream Study Project Time Table………………………………………15

B2. Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance…………19

B3. Inspection/Acceptance for Supplies and Consumables………………...19

B4. Non-Direct Measurements (if necessary)………………………………19

B5. Data Management……………………………………………………....20

C1. Assessments and Response Actions…………………………………....20

C2. Data Review, Verification, and Validation…………………………….20

C3. Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives…………………………..21

C4. Reporting……………………………………………………………….21

D1. Data Forms……………………………………………………………...23


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A3. Distribution List

Project Officer

Paul Steen, Ph.D. Watershed Ecologist

Huron River Watershed Council

1100 N. Main Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

[email protected]

GLC Administrative Contact

Laura Kaminski, Grants and Contracts Manager

Great Lakes Commission

2805 S. Industrial Hwy. Ste 100

Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6791

[email protected]

Financial Administrator

Bonnie Blackledge

6787 Belding Rd. NE

Rockford, MI 49341

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




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A4. Program Organization

Financial Administrator

Bonnie Blackledge

Cannon Township Clerk

(616) 884-2204

[email protected]

Bonnie, grant contact/grant financial advisor and Cannon Township Clerk, oversees the

Watershed Assistant. She is a well-known leader in the community who has worked for many

years educating citizens on watershed health and has led the way for Cannon Township’s Bear

Creek Overlay Protection District, Storm Water Ordinance, Fertilizer Ordinance, and Wetlands

Ordinance. She is the financial administrator of the MiCorps Start Up grant and is actively

involved in the project. Bonnie has received training through MiCorps, will have side-by-side

training with Paul Steen, and will be attending the fall conference. She will be working in the

field on sampling day and assisting with identification.

Project Manager

Julie Lovelace

Cannon Township Watershed Assistant

(616) 884-2206

[email protected]

Julie is the Watershed Assistant for Cannon Township. It is Julie’s job to educate the Township

citizens about watershed health. Julie overseas the Bear Creek Watershed Council, conducts

lake studies on Bostwick Lake (CLMP through MiCorps), organizes the annual Bear Creek

Waterfest, is a board member of Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds and the Rogue

River Watershed Council, attends to citizens’ water quality concerns, and attends conferences

and workshops on water quality. Julie has received training through MiCorps, will have side-by-

side training with Paul Steen, and will be attending the fall conference. She will be working in

the field on sampling day and assisting with identification. Julie is responsible for maintaining

the official, approved QA program plan and will be responsible for any corrective action

necessary to insure the integrity of the study.




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Program Organization Cont.

Technical Advisor

Nichol De Mol

Trout Unlimited

Rogue River Home Rivers Initiative

Project Manager

P: 231-557-6362

[email protected]

Nichol is our technical advisor. DeMol works as program director for Trout Unlimited’s Home

Rivers Program. She is in charge of the Rogue River project. DeMol has a master’s degree in

Aquatic Biology and worked ten years at the Annis Water Resource Institute at Grand Valley

State University. She will work as a consultant for Cannon Township and would be paid by

funds from the MiCorps grant. DeMol will be with our group on each stream study day and each

bug identification day. She would be available via email or phone for other technical questions.

Volunteers

Volunteers will be trained by Bonnie and Julie. The volunteers will be separated into team

leaders, stream collectors, specimen sorters, and specimen identifiers as befitting their experience

and education. Many of our volunteers have a science background. Approximately twenty five

volunteers have already been recruited to date.



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A5. Problem Definition/Background

Cannon Township has a population of 13,336 as of the 2010 census. Increased population has

introduced more development and higher volumes of runoff into Bear Creek and its tributaries.

Members of the Bear Creek Watershed Council have established a pro-active stance to watershed

health. Cannon Township wishes to address macro-invertebrate stream health on Bear Creek for

the purpose of comparing it to similar studies done in the early 1990’s and to track any changes

that may occur in the future. The township is concerned about the quality of Bear Creek,

particularly run off due to increased development over the past 15 years. While the township has

seen a lull in development in the past several years it is anticipated that, once Michigan’s

economy improves, development will continue. The township would like to have data available

that will help guide homeowners, developers, and township officials in future decisions

regarding development, planning, ordinances, and recreation. The township believes that high

quality surface and groundwater will, among many things, retain property value for citizens of

the township. It will also provide safe, clean water for drinking, fishing, and swimming.

Balancing high water quality and development is challenging, but having stream data on hand

will help guide the township’s future.


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A6. Program Description

While taking water samples from Bear Creek would give us an idea of water quality, it would

only show us the water quality at that exact point in time. To get a better understanding of our

overall water quality, we will study a sample of the creek’s inhabitants, specifically its macro-

invertebrates, and we will also assess the stream habitat. By studying stream habitat and macro-

invertebrates, Cannon Township will see if stream habitat changes have occurred and if

sedimentation has affected macro-invertebrate health. The goal will allow the township to better

understand Bear Creek quality and therefore shape planning in the township. This sampling will

be done twice a year, spring and fall. Sampling will be done at five designated sites along Bear

Creek. Macro-invertebrate identification will be done by trained personnel and volunteers.

Although we are not sure what data we will find, we do hope that over the course of time, the

data will reveal what state of health the creek is in. The data will be added to the soon-to-be

updated Bear Creek Watershed Management Plan (WMP). The WMP will guide the township’s

planning commission when it forms policy. The data from the stream study may be useful in

obtaining grants. If the data indicates a problem in the creek, the data would make a strong

argument for policy change and for grant funding. Data results will be featured in an article in

The Rockford Squire newspaper and the Cannon Township newsletter and website.

Cannon Township is committed to continuing stream monitoring after the project is complete. It

will do so by maintaining its volunteer base. The township will also continue to conduct lake

studies on Bostwick Lake. Cannon Township is committed to maintaining volunteer monitoring

activities for the two years of the grant and after the grant has ended. Since most of the basic

equipment will be in place after the grant ends, the township is willing to take on the minor costs

of maintaining the program: Office supplies, communication, food for volunteers, space for

volunteers to meet, space for samples to be stored, and replacement of supplies as needed.


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A7. Data Quality Objectives

Precision/Accuracy

The following techniques will be reviewed during training and in retraining of team leaders

every three years:

1) Collecting style (must be thorough and vigorous).

2) Habitat diversity (must include all habitats present and be thorough in each one).

3) The transfer of collected macro-invertebrates from the net to the sample jars (thoroughness is

critical).

Since there is inherent variability in accessing the less common taxa in any stream site and

program resources do not allow program managers to perform independent (duplicate)

collections of the sampling sites, our goal for quality assurance is conservative. A given site’s

Stream Quality Index (SQI) score or total diversity (D) measure across macro-invertebrate taxa

will be noted as “preliminary” until three spring sampling events and three fall sampling events

have been completed. At least two of these six measures will be collected by different volunteer

teams to avoid consistent errors. The resulting measures of D and SQI for each site will be

compared to the composite (median) results and each should be within two standard deviations

of the median.

In addition, the program manager will seek opportunities to compare results with those from an

external sampling group, such as MDEQ. Every attempt will be made to collect duplicate

samples in such a situation. Sample results that exceed these standards should be then noted as

“outliers” and examined to determine if the results are likely due to sampling error or a true

environmental variation. If sampling error is determined the data point should be removed from

the data record. Volunteer teams that generate more than one outlier should be observed by the

program expert(s) (Bonnie and Julie) at the next sampling event and be considered for retraining.

The program expert will make the final identifications for each sample. MiCorps staff will

conduct a method validation review with the designated program expert to ensure his or her

expertise, preferably prior to the first training session held by the program expert. This will be

conducted with each new program expert added to a MiCorps monitoring program.


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This review will consist of a joint sampling event, with MiCorps staff jointly collecting, sorting

and identifying the macroinvertebrates with the program expert. Any monitoring issues will be

addressed on site. If no major concerns remain, the program expert will be considered “certified”

by MiCorps.

Bias/Systematic Error

Sites will be sampled by different team leaders at least once every three years in each season

(two events among six sampling events, if conducted twice per year) to examine the effects of

bias in individual collection styles. The new measure should be within two standard deviations of

the median of past measures. Sites not meeting this DQO will be evaluated as above by the

program expert.

Completeness

Following a QA review of all collected and analyzed data, data completeness will be assessed by

dividing the number of measurements judged valid by the number of total measurements

performed. The data quality objective for completeness for each parameter for each sampling

event is 90%. If the program does not meet this standard, the program manager will consult with

MiCorps staff to determine the main causes of data invalidation and develop a course of action to

improve the completeness of future sampling events.

Representativeness

Study sites are selected to represent the full variety of stream habitat types available locally,

emphasizing the inclusion of riffle habitat. All available habitats within the study site will be

sampled and documented to ensure a thorough sampling of all of the organisms inhabiting the

site. Resulting data from the monitoring program will be used to represent the ecological

conditions of the contributing subwatershed. Since limited resources are available to allow the

program to cover the entire watershed, some subwatersheds will not initially be represented.

Additional subwatershed sites will be added as resources and volunteers allow.


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Comparability

To ensure data comparability, all volunteers in the watershed will follow the same sampling and

site selection methods and use the same units of reporting. Program directors and trainers will

learn the standard MiCorps monitoring methods at annual trainings by MiCorps staff and will

train their volunteers to follow those methods to ensure comparability of results among all

MiCorps programs. To the extent possible, the monitoring of all study sites will be completed on

a single day. For each sampling event that is not completed on a single day, monitoring by

volunteers will be completed within the same two week period. If a site is temporarily

inaccessible, such as due to prolonged high water, the monitoring time may be extended for two

additional weeks. If the issue concerning inaccessibility is continued beyond the extended dates,

then no monitoring data will be collected during that time and there will be a gap in the data. If a

team is unable to monitor their site during the specified time, the team leader will contact the

program manager as soon as possible and no later than the end of the first week in the sampling

window in order for the manager to arrange for another team to complete the monitoring. If no

team is available, the program manager will, if feasible, sample the site. Otherwise, the site will

go unmonitored for that season.

A8. Special Training/Certifications

Five volunteers will be trained as team leaders. When one of these volunteers decides to no

longer participate in the program, another interested volunteer will be asked to assume this role.

The other volunteers in the program will be asked if they would like to be trained collectors and

identifiers. Trainings for the leader, collector, and identifiers will take place between 1-4 weeks

before the collection event as needed. With the exception of the program’s first collection event,

first time volunteers will be assigned to sorting and picking the specimens and will be

encouraged to take the leader/collector/identifier training before the next collection event.


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B1. Study Design and Methods

Sampling Equipment

Each site will be supplied with the following supplies:

(1) 3½ gal. buckets

(2) D-Nets (handles will be marked as yard sticks)

(1) tarp

(2) sorting trays

(4) forceps

(4) 2 oz. jars with lids prefilled with ethanol for specimens

(1) water bottles for rinsing specimens

(1) 100’ reel-style measuring tape

(2) pencils

Pre-made labels with site number printed

12 pairs of lug-sole waders were purchased for volunteer. Many volunteers have their own.

Map of site, clipboard with data sheets, and pencils will be provided.

Sampling Sites

Our volunteer group will study Bear Creek, a major watercourse in Cannon Township that runs

east to west for approximately 17 miles. The headwaters are located near Bostwick Lake, a

highly developed recreational lake in the northeastern part of the Township. Bear Creek is joined

by flows from McCarthy and Ratigan Lakes, which are located in Grattan Township to the east.

Bear Creek’s major tributaries are Arch, Armstrong, Stout, and Waddell Creeks. Five sites along

Bear Creek will be studied for the full stream study grant. Formal permission slips for access to

properties have been mailed to owners.


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Site 1 The headwaters of Bear Creek near Bostwick Lake. This is private property of one of our

stream study volunteers). This site is especially important since a member of the Bear Creek

Watershed Council has recently raised concerns about the outflow of Bostwick Lake (chemically

treated) into Bear Creek near this site.

Site 2 Located approximately 1.5 miles down from Site 1 at a road crossing on Kreuter Rd. This

site is a mid-way point of the creek and is surrounded by emergent wetlands. The stream at this

site has a buffer strip of trees and vegetation, but is also surrounded by agricultural fields and a

site condominium (ten units, three private roads, and all parcels are at least 2 acres in size).

Site 3 Located about 2 miles from site 2 and is in Townsend Park (owned by Kent County).

This site allows the group easy access. Areas of the creek at this site have some buffer strips and

some areas do not (lawn mowed up to edge of creek). Foot traffic at this site from park users

could pose the potential for variability of our data.

Site 4 About 2.5 miles downstream from site 3 and is located at Cannonsburg Ski Area on

Cannonsburg Rd. The stream in this area travels through forest and is surrounded by emergent

and forested wetlands. However, the ski area has cleared a substantial amount of forest and

vegetation for recreational purposes.

Site 5 Located off Chauncey Dr. near where Bear Creek enters the Grand River. This site is

several miles from the ski area and travels under Cannonsburg Rd. two times before it reaches

the Grand River. From the ski area to its confluence with the Grand River, Bear Creek is

surrounded by emergent, forested, and scrub-shrub wetlands.


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The project manager will provide a map of sampling sites to volunteers. On-site flags will be

placed prior to sampling date. The length of the creek to be sampled will also be marked.

Site 1

Site 5

Site 4 Site 3

Site 2


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Cannon Stream Study Project Time Table

Quarter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Item #

Task June-Aug ‘11

Sept –Nov ‘11

Dec ’11-Feb ‘12

March-May ‘12

June-Aug ‘12

Sept-Nov ‘12

Dec ‘12-Feb ‘13

March-May ‘13

1.1 Develop and submit QAPP

X

1.2 MiCorps Training Session

X

1.3 Side-by side w/MiCorps

X

1.4 Attend MiCorps conference

X X

1.5 Quarterly Reports X X X X X X X X

1.6 Final Report X

1.7 Submit Release of Claims Statement

X

1.8 1.9

Develop and maintain volunteer database. Develop and maintain monitoring data

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

1.10 Submit hardcopy of data collected

X X X X

1.11 Submit data exchange to MiCorps Data Exchange Network

X X X X

2.1 Develop training program and materials for volunteers

X

2.2 Develop sampling/training/ evaluation forms.

X

2.3 Volunteer training X X X X

2.4 Articles in Rockford Squire

X X X X X X X X

3.1 Publicize program and recruit volunteers

X X X X X X X X

3.2 Confirm volunteers

X X X X

3.3 Stream Study X X X X

3.4 Bug ID X X X X

3.5 QAPP Review, data analysis

X X X X

3.6 Review evaluation forms

X X X X

3.7 Publicize results X X X X


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Sampling the benthic community: Multiple collections will be taken from each habitat type

present at the site, including riffle, rocks or other large objects, leaf packs, submerged vegetation

or roots, and depositional areas, while wading and using a D-frame kick net. If more than one

site is sampled per team the team will inspect nets to ensure they are clean before proceeding to

the next site. The trained collector will transfer the material from the net into white pans. The

remaining volunteers (pickers) will pick out samples of all different types of macro-invertebrates

from the pans and place them into jars of 70% ethyl alcohol for later identification. During the

collection, the collector will provide information to the team streamside leader in response to

questions on the data sheet that review all habitats to be sampled, the state of the creek, and any

changes in methodology or unusual observations. Data is summarized using the MiCorps Stream

Quality Index (SQI) located on the macroinvertebrate data sheet. The streamside leader will

instruct and assist other team members in detecting and collecting macro-invertebrates in the

sorting pans, including looking under bark and inside of constructions made of sticks or other

substrates. Potential sources of variability such as weather/stream flow differences, season, and

site characteristic differences will be noted for each event and discussed in study results. There

are places on the data sheet to record unusual procedures or accidents, such as losing part of the

collection by spilling. Any variations in procedure should be explained on the data sheet.

Potential resource/time constraints: The timing of the event (taking unpredictable weather into

consideration) can affect the availability of volunteers. It may be difficult to find an “ideal”

sampling date in our two-week window.

At the collecting site, all invertebrate sample jars receive a label written in pencil, stating date,

location, name of collector, and number of jars containing the collection from this site. The data

sheet also states the number of jars containing the collection from this site. The collection jars

will be pre-labeled. The team leader is responsible for returning all jars and all equipment to the

Cannon Township office. Upon return to the program building, the collections are checked for

labels, the data sheets are checked for completeness and for correct information on the number of

jars containing the collection from the site, and the jars are secured together with a rubber band

and site label and placed together in one box.


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They are stored in Julie’s office until they are examined and counted on the day of identification

(one or two weeks later). The data sheets are used on the identification day, after which they

remain on file indefinitely.

At the time of identifying the sample, the sample identifier checks the data sheet and jars to

ensure that all the jars, and only the jars, from that collection are present prior to emptying them

into a white pan for sorting. If any specimens are separated from the pan during identification, a

site label accompanies them. For identification, volunteers sort all individuals from a single jar

into look-alike groups, and then are joined by an identification expert who confirms the sorting

and provides identification of the taxa present. These identifications are then verified by the

program expert. When identification of a sample is complete, the entire collection is placed in a

single jar of fresh alcohol with a poly-seal cap and a printed label inside the jar and stored in

Julie’s office indefinitely. The alcohol is carefully changed (to avoid losing small specimens) in

the jars every few years. Samples will be stored in a cool, dry, closed cabinet at room

temperature.

Parameters

Macro-invertebrate community will be monitored and identified to order level at least annually,

preferably in both April and September. Habitat will be monitored at least every five years in the

summer or fall.

Timing

The benthic population is sampled within a two-week period in mid-April and mid-September.

Most sites are sampled on a single day, although additional population samples may be collected

within a two-week period. The physical characteristics of the sites are measured once every

three to five years during the summer or fall.


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Equipment Quality Control

• Check to make sure equipment is in working order and not damaged

• Clean equipment before and after taking it into the field

• Label equipment with their dates of purchase and dates of last usage

• Check the expiration date of chemical reagents prior to each use

Field Procedures Quality Control

• Collect replicate samples.

• Conduct repeat and/or side-by-side tests performed by separate field crews.

• At least once every three years in each season: Change the composition of the field

crews to maintain objectivity and minimize individual bias.

• Review field records before submitting for analysis to minimize errors.

Since our evaluation is based on the diversity in the community, we attempt to include a

complete sample of the different groups present, rather than a random sub-sample. We do not

assume that a single collection represents all the diversity in the community, but rather we

consider our results reliable only after repeated collections spanning at least three years. Our

results are compared with other locations in the same river system that have been sampled in the

same way. All collectors attend an in-stream training session, and most sites are sampled by

different collectors at different times to diminish the effects of bias in individual collecting

styles. Samples where the diversity measures diverge substantially from past samples at the same

site are re-sampled by a new team within two weeks. If a change is confirmed, the site becomes a

high priority for the next scheduled collection. Field checks include checking all data sheets to

make sure each habitat type available was sampled, and the team leader examines several

picking trays to ensure that all present orders have been collected. All lab sorting is rechecked by

an expert before completing identification.


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B2. Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance

All supplies and equipment were purchased in August 2011. Julie Lovelace will be responsible

for their upkeep, storage, and replacement.

Waders – If any waders are reported damaged after use they will be replaced. Wader hangers

were also purchased so that they can be hung upside down. Waders will be hung in a closet just

outside Julie’s office where temperature and humidity are regulated.

Nets – Nets will be inspected after each use. Nets will be stored in the Cannon Twp storage

room where temperature and humidity are regulated.

Small equipment – Forceps, droppers, etc. will be stored in Julie’s office.

Large equipment – Buckets, sorting trays, tarps, etc. will be stored in the Cannon Twp.

basement.

B3. Inspection/Acceptance for Supplies and Consumables

Supplies such as Ethanol (from Carolina Biological Supply), glass jars with poly seal lids (from

M Jacob & Sons), etc. will be inspected after each sampling date. Low supplies will be

replenished immediately after sampling date to insure they will be ready for next event. All

supplies will be stored in Julie Lovelace’s office.

B4. Non-direct Measurements

Not applicable.


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B5. Data Management

Raw data will be entered and managed in Microsoft Excel workbooks. Data will be stored on

Cannon Township's computer system and backed by ITRight. Computer passwords provide data

security. Data will be entered from data sheets directly into the online MiCorps database by

Julie Lovelace for storage within the MiCorps data exchange system. Data sheets will be

filed in Julie’s office for a period of at least five years. Macroinvertebrates: Data are

summarized for reporting into four metrics: All taxa, insects, EPT (Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera

+ Trichoptera), and sensitive taxa. Units of measure are orders counted in each metric. A

Stream Quality Index (SQI) is also computed. Habitat: specific measures are used from habitat

surveys to investigate problem areas at each site. The percentage of stream bed composed of

fines (sand and smaller particles) is calculated and changes are tracked over time as an indicator

of sediment deposition.

C1. System Assessments and Response Actions

Not applicable.

C2. Data Review, Verification, and Validation

After each sampling/ID event, a review and verification of the data will occur. During that time

Bonnie and Julie will review the hard copies of the sampling forms to make sure each is filled

out correctly. Following that, the corresponding data entered into the database (by Julie) will be

checked against its respective hard copy of the form. Upon that review the SQI will be evaluated

to determine its similarity to previous samples from the same site and/or same water body. Spot

checking of ID of the macro-invertebrates will be performed by the Bonnie and Julie. If a

sample is found to be outside of the accepted two standard deviations around the median from

previous samples, the site will be re-sampled by experts to verify or discard such unusual results,

which could be the result of less-than-thorough sampling. Any abnormalities to the process set

forth in this QAPP will be immediately communicated to MiCorps staff. In addition to that

notification, all processes and events surrounding the volunteer monitoring efforts of this project

will be reported regularly to MiCorps by Julie based on the reporting frequency and requirements

set forth in the contract.


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C3. Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives

Data will be reviewed either on identification day or soon thereafter. If the DQOs are not fully

met, corrective actions will begin immediately. Any limitations discovered in the data will be

identified and reported by Julie to MiCorps and data users.

C4. Reporting

Informal reports from volunteers will be highly encouraged after the sampling event. Time will

be given to speak to volunteers on the day of the event after volunteers return. We also

encourage input via E-mail. Quarterly reports will be written and submitted to MiCorps (see

distribution list). Any issues in quality control will be included in these reports. Reports will

also be submitted to the township to help guide homeowners, developers, and township officials

in future decisions regarding development, planning, ordinances, and recreation.


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Collector Checklist

1. With your leader, make sure you are at the right location.

2. With your leader, scout out a nice set-up place for the team.

3. With your leader, talk to the other team members and make sure they know what they are

doing.

4. Quickly grab something for the team to look through (rock, leaves, net full).

Collection Methods

1. Start on the downstream end and work your way against the current. Site is 300 feet.

2. Collect in many different kinds of habitat (leader will direct you).

3. Be aggressive in your sampling.

4. Use a squirt bottle.

5. Do not collect crayfish or large clams and snails, but tell your team leader if you saw

some.

6. Do not overload the trays.

7. Squirt a little bit of water in the trays. Bugs are easier to see if they can move around in

water.

8. With your leader overseeing, try to shoot for about 100 insects. The most important thing

is to try to find as many different types as possible.

9. Have your net in the water for 30 minutes. This does not include walking back and forth

to banks.


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volunteer stream monitoring...julie lovelace cannon township watershed assistant (616) 884-2206...

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