PROGRAMS AND PLANS--National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN): Fiscal Year 1996--October 1, 1995 to September 30,1996
In Reply Refer To March 1, 1996
Mail Stop 412
OFFICE OF WATER QUALITY TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 96.05
Subject: PROGRAMS AND PLANS--National Stream Quality Accounting Network
(NASQAN): Fiscal Year 1996--October 1, 1995 to September 30,
1996
This memorandum contains an outline of NASQAN II Program status and
funding for fiscal year (FY) 1996. Please provide a copy of this
memorandum to all personnel connected with this effort.
The NASQAN program was redesigned in FY 1995 to focus on the Nation's
largest river basins. Implementation of NASQAN II began in FY 1996 with
selection of the river basins and basin coordinators listed below. The
basin coordinators, led by Rick Hooper, are working with the District
staffs and the Office of Water Quality (OWQ) to develop workplans,
provide technical guidance, and oversee collection of data for the
program.
BASIN BASIN COORDINATOR
Coastal basins and Alaska Richard P. Hooper (rphooper)
770-903-9146
Colorado Basin Dean B. Radtke (dbradtke)
520-670-6307 x 269
Columbia Basin Valerie J. Kelly (vjkelly)
503-251-3244
Mississippi Basin Donald A. Goolsby
(dgoolsby)303-236-5950 x 209
Charles R. Demas (crdemas)
504-389-0281
Rio Grande Basin Frank C. Wells (fcwells)
512-873-3024
Details of the NASQAN II program, including sampling locations,
protocols and guidelines, funding, and various program development
documents are available on the internet at the NASQAN home page
(http://wwwga.usgs.gov/nasqan). This home page is restricted to internal
USGS viewing. Please address any comments or requests for additional home
page information to Rick Hooper.
Districts were recently asked to provide to the OWQ detailed cost
information for planned NASQAN II data collection. Costs were requested
for the following activities: stream gages (if necessary), labor required
for routine and event sample collection, travel costs for sample
collection, sediment analysescharges, equipment and supplies needed, data
review and publication costs and training needs. These data were reviewed
by the OWQ and the basin coordinators; the attached table lists the
planned allocations by station and by District. With the exception of
costs of training, data review and publication, and sediment analyses,
funds have been allocated as requested.
The OWQ has established a fund to reimburse Districts for training costs
associated with the Water-Quality Field-Methods Course for NASQAN
personnel. Districts that have NASQAN II personnel requiring training
should nominate through the standard process. In addition, please inform
the appropriate basin coordinator at the time of nomination. Once an
employee has been accepted for the course, notify the basin coordinator,
who will request that the OWQ reimburse the District for the equalization
fee via standard voucher.
Data review and publication cost requests varied widely among the
Districts; therefore, the OWQ has decided to make a standard allocation
for these costs on a per sample basis. This standard will cover both the
NASQAN II and Benchmark programs. Data review includes tracking NWQL
analyses, performing QA/QC checks, requesting reruns, and ensuring
correct data base storage. We assumed that each step of this analysis
would take two hours per station. Data publication involves retrieval of
tables for the annual report, preparation of station headers and other
text, and printing costs. We have allotted one hour for each of these
tasks. Although we recognize that Districts have a variety of various
grade levels involved in data collection, review, and publication, we
have made a general assumption that a salary rate of $35/hr, including
overheads, will approximate the mix of individuals involved (about a GS
10).
This formula translates into an allocation of $1,575 for each Priority 1
station (15 samples collected each year) and $420 for each Priority 2
station (4 samples per year). This decision will be reviewed based upon
experiences this year with data review and will be adjusted accordingly
next year.
Sediment lab costs are also extremely variable, and in some cases in
error because we failed to ask for the necessary level of detail. The
sediment costs shown in the funding table are what we received. We have
not, however, included sediment lab costs in the initial allocation
pending clarification of this item with Districts. Sediment lab costs
will be allocated upon completion of this step.
Planned allocations by station and District are available on the NASQAN
II home page. The columns of the funding table include:
District, Station ID, Name. Self-explanatory.
Number of planned samples. This is the average number of samples planned
for this site. The actual number may be higher or lower depending upon
weather conditions and other factors.
Basin. The river basin in which the station is located, or, if the
station is being operated only for off-continent flux, the designation
is "coastal." The basin coordinator for each basin is available on the
NASQAN II home page.
Gaging Cost (Column A). Allocation supplied by the NASQAN II program to
operate the surface water gage. Generally other programs pay for gage
operation, and only under extreme circumstances does NASQAN pay for
the gage. Where possible, NASQAN II stations have been relocated to
avoid gage costs.
Sample Collection-Initial Allocation (B). For stations that are
scheduled for 15 samples, the Districts are paid for 10 routine samples
and 2 event samples (which may have different collection costs) "in
advance." In the future, this will be part of the amount transferred at
the beginning of the year. For stations that are only scheduled for
four trips, the cost of three collections are included in this column.
Event Sample Contingency (C). For 15-sample stations, the cost of 3 event
samples (data collection and sediment lab costs) are being held in a
contingency fund for use at those sites at which the target hydrologic
conditions occur. Depending upon weather conditions, the Basin
Coordinators may shift these samples to other stations to capture
unusual conditions such as floods. (For the St. Lawrence site, the cost
of one boat sample is held in the contingency fund.) For four-sample
stations, the cost of one sample is held in a contingency fund for this
year only due to some sites' late starts. On July 15, 1996, the Basin
Coordinators will inform the OWQ of all stations where additional
samples have been collected so that additional funds can be transferred
to those Districts by August 1, 1996. Any additional event collections
that could not be predicted by August 1 will be paid for September 1,
and again prior to the close of the fiscal year, if necessary.
Therefore, it is critical to keep the basin coordinators informed of
all sample collections to ensure proper payment. Districts should
designate one person for each station who is responsible for informing
the basin coordinator of sample collection.
QC Collection Cost. (D) In NASQAN II, concurrent field replicates will be
collected 5 times per year at 15-sample stations and once per year at
4-sample stations, as well as annual field blanks and pesticide spikes.
To compensate for the additional time required for the field
replicates, 10% of the labor charge for sample collection is added for
each field replicate.
Data Review and Publication. (E) A fixed cost per station, as described
above, is allocated for the costs of data review and publication. The
Districts are responsible for all review of both environmental and
quality assurance data and must request any necessary re-runs from the
NWQL (National Water Quality Laboratory).
Sediment Lab Charges. (F) Based upon estimates provided by the
Districts, at 15-sample stations, funds are shown for 12
cross-sectional composite samples and for 2 samples where individual
verticals are analyzed (one at high flow and one at low flow) to assess
the cross-sectional variability in concentration. Analyses are to
include suspended sediment concentration and a sand/silt split. At
four-sample stations, funds are shown for three cross-sectional
composite samples and two samples for individual verticals. No initial
allocations for sediment costs are being made until costs are revised
as discussed above.
Initial Station Allocation. (G) This is the sum of columns A,
B, D, and E, and represents the initial funding allocation for this
station, without additional contingency funds or sediment lab costs.
Equipment. (H) This is District request for equipment and supplies.
Because it was expressed on a District basis, and not by station, this
amount is on the District line. The large amount for Missouri District
arises from a re-fitting of their boats to enable boat sampling and
discontinue bridge sampling.
Initial District Allocation (I). The total initial allocation by District
is the sum of the initial station allocation(s) (column G) and
equipment requests.
For the NASQAN II program, we anticipate the following FY 1996
expenditures:
______________________________________________________________________
Activity Percentage of Program Funds
______________________________________________________________________
Sample Collection (Initial District 53%
transfer and contingency funds)
Lab Analyses (Environmental and 25%
Quality Assurance samples)
Network Design and Data 16%
Interpretation (Basin coordinators)
Program Administration 4%
Training for District Samplers and 2%
Misc. Services
______________________________________________________________________
The OWQ appreciates the interest and cooperation that all have
contributed to the redesign of NASQAN and to this year's implementation
of the new program. We anticipate some additional changes as the program
matures. We will make every effort to make final decisions on FY 1997
program and planned allocations for FY 1997 by September 1996, within WRD
budget constraints.
Distribution: A, AO, B, S, FO, PO
District Water-Quality Specialist
Program Officer NR, SR, CR, WR
Regional Water-Quality Specialist NR, SR, CR, WR
Regional Hydrologist NR, SR, CR, WR
Key words: basin coordinator, FY 1996, NASQAN, water quality