Protocols Chosenfor Watershed Assessment:

Process & Justifications By Mary P.

The hardest part is the choosing.

Where do I start?

Overwhelmed – Internet maze

Found reasonable procedures; Confused –

overlap; age group. Fit my plan?

Searched & ordered

fundamental kits & equipment

Read more; bought ancillaries

To choose protocols,

I had to have my overall plan and know some things about my stream already; and

I had to be aware of what equipment was available, affordable, and practical timewise.

Various kits included equipment that covered some procedures but not others;

so before I could order, I needed to know if those procedures fit into my plan;

which meant I had to refresh/learn about various procedures from several sources.

• So I found myself in a sort of loop . . .

Chosen! then mixed & tweaked as needed

• Macroinvertebrate collection & id

Simpler kick-net than other procedures Beautiful drawings by Jennifer Gillies Overall format & readability is nice. Thorough, yet straightforward

Carlsen, W., Trautmann, N., Krasny, M., & Cunningham, C. (2004). Watershed Dynamics, Student Edition and Teachers’ Manual. Arlington: NSTA Press.

• Protocol 9: Aquatic Chemistry

Mention of “time series” sampling plan: it’s rained so frequently lately + possible sewage contamination would make abefore-during-after rain series interesting.

Gave instructions for how to lower bottleduring dissolved oxygen procedure

Had nice Aquatic Chemistry Reference Sheet

• Good points, but I ultimately kit instructions

WVDEP. (2012). West Virginia Save Our Streams Program Level-One Standard Operating Procedures Manual. Charleston: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Available at http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Documents/SOPs/LevelOneSOPs.pdf

USEPA. (1997). Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual [modified by WV Department of Environmental Protection]. Washington, DC: United States Environmental Protection Agency. Available at http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Documents/Manual/EPAMethodsManual.pdf

• Chapter 5.1 Stream Flow

Was an easy go-to sheet to grab and go

Task 1 list just what I needed Width (for subsequent depth & cross-

sectional area) divided into quarters(significance explained in later

assignment)

After the protocols, chose some equipment:

A few things for water chemistry

String, tape measure, stakes, & scissors used to establish a transect.

Note to self:

Apply for a Scientific Collecting

Permit (WV Code 20-2-50)

Got it Oct. 7!

Now I can survey the benthos.