In Reply Refer To:

Mail Stop 405

To: See Distribution

From: Catherine L. Hill

Associate Chief Hydrologist for Program Operations

Subject: PROGRAMS AND PLANS--Instrumentation Development Priorities for

Fiscal Years 1999-2003

During the month of July 1998, you were one of many persons asked to complete a field-instrumentation and equipment-needs survey for the Water Resources Division (WRD) Instrumentation Committee (ICOM). The ICOM received back about 95 percent of the completed survey forms. Thank you all for this outstanding response. It aided ICOM greatly in their instrumentation planning for the next 5 years. The purpose of this email is to:

• Present the results of the survey.
• Explain how the results are being and will be used.
• Explain what your reasonable expectations should be.
• Keep you aware of ICOM's work, and keep you thinking about the WRD's instrumentation needs. We need your insights and will continue to solicit your periodic input.

The survey went to the following individuals/groups:

The results of the survey appear in attachment 1 and an explanation of how the results were used and what your expectations should be are presented in attachment 2. Part of adequate instrumentation support that has needed more attention is assuring that WRD is not collecting hydrologic information with untested, undocumented, substandard, or outdated instruments. This aspect of instrumentation support is a concern for the division, and ICOM will continue to place additional emphasis on this issue over the next year as a part of its Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program. Information on this program was distributed March 26, 1999, by the ICOM Chair (see Attachment 3).

3 Attachments

Cc: WRD Senior Staff

District Chiefs

ICOM Members

ITAS Members

Pat McCurry, Water Survey Canada

Marvin Fretwell

WRD Gen., MS 403

WRD Chron., MS 441

BOS Chron, MS 405

USGS:WRD:WGShope:acdilandro:7/12/99:5364.

/home/acho/dilandro/Shope/ICOM.Survey.Results.1998

Attachment 1

The following three lists summarize the priorities for the field instrumentation and equipment development, as obtained from the Survey responses. The Instrumentation Committee (ICOM) provided to you an alphabetical listing of instrumentation needs and asked you to assign a priority to each. All responses were summed to obtain the priorities presented here. (Note: The highest priority is number 1, and priorities decrease as the numbers become larger.)

10. Ground Fault Interrupter

11. Regulator Charger

In addition to obtaining divisionwide priorities for the current list of ICOM field instrumentation and equipment needs, presented above, the Survey questionnaire also asked respondents to "write in" other instrumentation needs they considered very important but that were not included in the ICOM listings. Many valuable new ideas were obtained. The Instrumentation Technical Advisory Subcommittee (ITAS) of ICOM is reviewing these additional ideas. It is the ITAS’ task to formulate and update the prioritized list of instrumentation projects for ICOM’s review, approval, funding, and monitoring. Based on the ITAS reviews and contacts, the most needed and promising of these new ideas will be included on subsequent annual WRD Instrumentation Priority Lists. The "write in" instrumentation-needs are listed in appendices a and b to this attachment.

• More accurate instruments for measuring low velocities.
• Apparatus for measuring water-level gradients.
• Side looking doppler for permanent discharge stations.
• Application of PTV to streamgaging: Investigate the use of the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) for measuring streamflow. This technology has been developed at the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research (IIHR) and is currently being used in Japan. It may be related to the "Laser Velocity/Depth System" ICOM project, but this is more specific. IIHR is pursuing field tests and trials of the system. What is needed is to develop it into something that is more robust and operational.
• Remote-controlled boat for streamflow/bathymetry/water-quality measurements. Several remote- controlled boats have been developed, but are really just prototypes. In order to get our people off of bridges, use of this technology coupled with new ADCP’s should be a very high priority.
• Development of streamgaging equipment that is safer and easier to use. There is a strong emphasis on increasing the diversity of our workforce. One of the obstacles to this is the physical demands involved in streamgaging and the difficulty in using some of our "standard" streamgaging equipment. For example, getting a 4-wheel base in/out of a vehicle and set up is not only physically challenging but often results in strained backs, nicked fingers, etc. Also, I could never get all four wheels of my 4-wheel base to go the same direction! I think that it should be relatively simple to design equipment like this that is easier to set up and use.
• Remote-controlled boat.
• Low cost scanning or arrayed transducer fathometers for bathymetry.

• Improve reliability and functionality of all instrumentation in cold weather (to -40 degrees), including meters.
• Electronic instrumentation, interface devices (laptops, electronic measurement loggers, etc.).
• Field-durable lap top computer.
• Stationary doppler stage/flow (K. Oberg).
• Non-contact surface water stage sensor (optical/laser technology).
• The Missouri District has spent many hours and dollars trying to solve the ADCP moving bed problem with little support from ICOM.
• HIF should be in the testing and recommendation business and not in development, as private industry is moving so fast in this arena that HIF could test and then recommend equipment for USGS use.
• HIF is too expensive for us. We were buying an antenna for approx. $220 and then HIF tested, approved, and stocked the same antenna for $350.
• Surveying-total stations software for DEM to obtain cross sections.
• Before worrying about exotic instrumentation, it should be noted that the availability of BASIC instruments which we have to use NOW has reached a CRISIS level. Case in point is not just the cups for the AA meter; but getting some replacement meters, period. THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE SHORT-TERM PROBLEM WHICH MUST BE ADDRESSED. THIS DISTRICT WILL BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF MANAGEMENT DOESN'T ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM SOON.

• HIF should stick to what they do best--which is search out and test commercially available equipment, warehouse it, and get it repaired in a timely fashion.
• HIF should NOT develop instruments since they are usually obsolete by the time they are ready for the user and MUCH more expensive, fragile, and harder to use than off-the-shelf commercially available items.
• Database input from the streambank.
• Improved low-cost conoflow system (on QW list; should be here).
• Low-cost, reliable potentiometer/shaft encoder.
• Enhanced HIF equipment and maintenance services.
• Equipment/instrumentation for measurements under ice cover.
• Equipment/instrumentation that will work to - 40 degrees.
• Improved Conoflow System.
• Integrated remote-control boat and ADCP.
• Analysis of ground-based or low-angle oblique photos for quantitative channel changes.

• Communicate the need for more robust and accurate pressure transducers for long-term, untended, water-level measurement to developers in the private sector and be very active in providing test beds and evaluating utility.

• Communicate the need for a robust, accurate and effective nitrate probe for long-term, untended, concentration measurement to developers in the private sector and be very active in providing test beds and evaluating utility.

• Develop less time consuming, less labor intensive methods for sampling and analysis for microbes (bacteria and virus), preferably yielding data on site.
• Well depth sounders.
• Pressure gages for determining head on flowing wells.
• Portable calibration unit for pressure transducers.
• CD-ROMS of GWSI/QWDATA for field use while canvassing, etc.
• Electronic forms and digital cameras for site canvassing.
• Regarding 1-stop shopping: Reference materials from manufacturers and from USGS personnel on products and their modifications for use.

• Investigation of recently developed techniques for directly sensing ground-water velocity using temperature/pressure sensors.
• Self contained (memory) pressure transducers for small diameter wells.
• Develop state-of-the-art, in-situ measurement instrumentation (1) that uses fiber optics and laser technology, and (2) that improves the use of surface and borehole geophysical techniques.
• Develop borehole geophysics for completed wells.
• Develop equipment for cleaning out completed wells.
• Develop or identify reliable (long-term, low-drift) submersible pressure transducers.
• Review performance of commercial well drillers.
• Develop and test transducers for long-term gw monitoring (> 1 mo.).
• Document the reliability, performance, and required maintenance of ground-water equipment (for example, pumps and water-quality meters) for comparative analysis. For example, determine which sampling pumps are most appropriate at various depths and varying rates of pumping.
• Develop acoustic technology for measuring horizontal gw velocities.
• Need an inexpensive GPS that determines altitude to 0.1 ft. in the field and 0.01 ft. with post-processing.
• Neutron borehole logging equipment for determination of porosity.
• Improved methods for continuous water-level monitoring of ponds.
• Alternative technology for measuring ground-water levels (e.g.--laser).
• Develop a cheap acoustic downhole water level measuring device--the Echometer Co. oil field product costs $8,600.

• E-tape that doesn't get stuck in pump wiring.
• Testing of commercially available software.
• Develop software for field laptops that will (1) store the selected well location, measuring point, and the last recorded, and the measured water levels for the field visit (2) calculate depth to water below land surface for each tape measurement and calculate the datum correction (3) plot the recorder data retrieved from the data logger and flag data that are inconsistent with other date in the same data set and (4) provide an interface with GWSI and ADAPS that will allow entry of the measured water level into GWSI and the datum correction into ADAPS.
• Develop new instruments to meet our needs if not commercially available.
• Generally develop equipment to assist in collection of very low level concentrations of VOC’s and trace metals to maintain the quality of the samples collected but make the process faster and less expensive. Could include:

• Develop Teflon pump for trace-metal sampling (blanks show signature of stainless steel pump)
• Polyethylene or polypropylene y-valve (able to adjust flow) with hose barbs (there are none commercially available)
• Development of equipment to make equipment decontamination easier (for both trace metals and VOC’s).

• Low cost geophysical logger (caliper, electric, and gamma log).
• Chemically resistant down-hole equipment (acid mine drainage).
• Pumps--people are floundering on this issue.
• Reels--recommend, or rely on Geotech?
• Manifolds--turn key by HIF?

• Tubing--recommend a supplier.
• Field computer/data collection system: A rugged PC that integrates GPS input, displays topo map images (DRG) and DOQ’s, provides input forms for various field data collection activities, and downloads directly to GIS and/or NWIS. Uploads from NWIS and field data recorders.
• Noninvasive instrument for measurement of ground-water levels in wells.
• Shallow (<12') drilling/coring equipment for project work.
• Low cost geophysical logger (caliper, electric, and gamma log).
• Accurate, inexpensive, reliable, noninvasive pipe flow meter.
• A data logger with exponentially increasing time steps for aquifer tests.
• Instrument to measure (estimate) lengths of PVC well casings; must be low cost and easily used by a single individual.
• Modular components for g-w level monitoring that are plug-and-go set up with minimum field assembly or settings. Ed. Note: Response included a diagram showing separate modules for depth sensors (transducers or floats), power sources (line, solar, or battery), data retrieval (phone, satellite, or manual), data base processing, and home-page processing.
• This may be a pipe dream (no pun intended) but there is a real need for a fast and accurate method to measure water levels in wells where the water level is too deep to measure with a conventional steel tape (>500 ft.). Problems with well plumbness and alignment would be major obstacles to overcome.

• Yellow Springs Instrument or Hydrolab sensors with flow-through cells to enable monitoring of water being purged from wells.
• Advanced surveying and GPS equip. for easier well location and leveling.
• Improved mini-piezometers for use in ground-water/surface-water interaction studies, including development of microsensors for temperature and specific conductance.
• Non-invasive flowmeters to measure flow in pipes.
• Calibrated flow meters for use in aquifer tests.
• Rental of Paroscientific or equivalent transducers for aquifer tests.
• Alternative to chalk for use in deep (>1000') wells. Chalk and paste dry before retrieved to the surface. Salt may add unwanted chemicals to the water in the wells.
• Aquifer-test "kits", with calibrated transducers, data logger, packers, and cables (if necessary) for deep (>1000') wells.

• A churn splitter spigot replacement is still needed.
• Better filtration apparatus for DOC (larger volumes w/o clogging).
• Electronic clipboard for field activities: This clipboard (a more portable laptop) would be patterned after a similar device currently in use by the UPS delivery folks. Their device has a display, keyboard, bar-code scanner, and an area to accept a signature input. It is a powerful tool because it can upload data via satellite to their central computer and is ruggedly constructed. The WRD clipboard would also withstand harsh environmental conditions (can be used in rain, but not dropped in waterbody). Data from the field could be downloaded into our system from the field at near real time, thus eliminating repetitive data entry and providing better data availability to our cooperators.
• In-situ fiber-optic analysis of contaminants in ground water.
• Evaluate ion-specific probes and other field screening tools, such as immunoassay tests, and test kits for selected constituents.
• Suspended sediment monitoring with acoustical sensor. See www.olemiss.edu/depts/ncpa/aqua/sed/suspend.htm
• "Clean" device for making holes in ice for inorganic/organic sampling.
• Teflon churn splitter alternative for organic and inorganic samples.
• Improved ampoule sealing process for CFC sampling in the field. Current method catches things on fire, can take 5-6 times per sample to get one right, ruins a lot of ampoules, ampoules roll of the table, and wind makes the flame too hard to control.

• A single use, discardable bag compositer to replace churn.
• He says he is totally unqualified to evaluate the short-term list. He says he does not think the long-term list needs prioritization. He says we should keep an eye on methods development for bacteria and other potential pathogens, and consider evaluation of these technologies for our lab and field deployment.
• Portable, automated sampler for large bridges.... Current market samplers...have a lift limitation of 20-26 feet, which would exclude many bridge locations....
• We need a portable sampler which includes a submersible pump, both of which would be activated by streamflow and data logging equipment already installed at gage locations. This system must also meet PPB protocols with Teflon tubing and a minimum of 1-Liter sample containers.
• Sample splitting device that can be easily used in the field (to replace churn/cone splitters.
• Autoclavable compositing device (for microbiological sampling).
• Bed-sediment sampler for large rivers.
• Development of a small-bore coring device for surficial bed sediments, particularly in streams.
• Evaluation of field redox methods.
• Continuous monitoring of suspended sediment concentration. Ranked to include the Laser T&E project plus other technologies.
• Improved technique for clean, quick filtering DOC samples.
• Evaluation of mesocosm (test enclosure) designs
• Pesticide, Trace Element, and VOC automatic sampler.
• Event sampler.
• Non-contaminating ice auger.
• Bank operated sampler.
• Remote communications systems.
• Precipitation sampler for VOC’s.
• In-situ downhole probe measurements of chemical parameters.
• Downhole samplers that maintain ambient water conditions while the water is raised to the surface (deep borehole application, must maintain CO2 pressure).

• Evaluation and streamlining of ELISA techniques should be part of objective 2.
• Evaluation and adaptation of highly advanced downhole chemical analysis and geophysical techniques developed by the petroleum industry (primarily for--but not limited to--directional drilling) should be included as parts of several of the above objectives.
• Micro pumps.
• (Portable?) real-time telemetered head and chemistry data.
• Collapsible doppler flow meters to fit in small diameters.
• Chambered sampling hose for point sampling.
• Improved sediment sampler for chemical quality.
• Improved instrumentation/techniques for biological sampling.
• Improved methods and equip. for sampling and analysis of biological tissues.
• Total clean system to replace churn/cone splitter, processing and preservation bag.
• New technology for leveling sw stations and establishing common datum between.
• Develop equipment for cleaning out completed wells.
• Develop acoustical methods for determination of suspended sediment in cooperation with USDA/ARS National Sediment Laboratory, Oxford, MS, and the National Center for Physical Acoustics.
• Solid-phase analytical techniques requiring small sample sizes. An example is proton- induced x-ray emission which can work on small samples (e.g.--tree rings from small cores, coatings on rocks or sediment particles, or small tissue samples like aquatic insects).
• Application of PTV to streamgaging: Investigate the use of the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) for measuring streamflow. This technology has been developed at the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research (IIHR) and is currently being used in Japan. It may be related to the "Laser Velocity/ Depth System" ICOM project, but this is more specific. IIHR is pursuing field tests and trials of the system. What is needed is to develop it into something that is more robust and operational.
• Remote-controlled boat for streamflow/bathymetry/water-quality measurements. Several remote-controlled boats have been developed, but are really just prototypes. In order to get our people off of bridges, use of this technology coupled with new ADCP’s should be a very high priority.
• Develop a combined down-hole pump and water-quality monitor unit.
• Develop a down-hole DOC probe so a water sample does not need to be taken.
• Continue development of borehole radar technology and tomographic methods.
• Transducer as part of pumping system for determining changing wls while pumping.
• Small, mobile, linked, telemetered, routine event samplers for typical constituents such as pH, temperature, specific conductance, discharge, and additional constituents over time as technology develops.
• Develop safer, less expensive means of collecting streamflow measurements and water quality samples under ice cover.
• One critical measurement we are not able to do well is gage height and streamflow in ephemeral streams. Many times when we have a large flow event there is scour and fill during the event. This can significantly affect stage measured using transducers or other available equipment. We need to be able to measure bed elevation and stage of the water surface.

• Refined instruments to measure anthropogenic tracers simply and accurately.
• Close to microbe size transmitters, to trace gw in fractures and karst settings.
• The ability to not only measure depth to water in wells, but also depth to bottom.
• Acoustic technologies for depth to water in wells, and also depth to bottom.
• A quicker, easier field method for measuring alkalinity and pH of water.
• More reliable, easier to use instrument for determining discharge from wells.
• Continuous monitoring of suspended sediment concentration.
• Develop telemetry equipment for enhanced data collection, transmission, and reception that is less expensive and more reliable.
• Solid-phase analytical techniques requiring small sample sizes. An example is proton-induced x-ray emission which can work on small samples (e.g.,--tree rings from small cores, coatings on rocks or sediment particles, or small tissue samples like aquatic insects).
• Rigorous evaluation of low-flow sample collectors in a variety of environments and testing to accomplish such collection if it is technically defensible.
• Portable field gas chromatograph.
• Improved sampler (over Isco or Manning) with capacity of greater than 100 samples, that uses 12 volt batteries, and is computer programmable.
• Calibrated, reliable gage transducers for use in deep (>1000') wells.
• Wind generator/charger for batteries in remote locations.
• Low-stretch cables for communicating with transducers or other down hole equipment in deep (>1000') wells.

Attachment 2

The Survey Results give the Instrumentation Committee (ICOM) the best "snapshot" its members can reasonably obtain of the "real" needs and interests of all sectors of the Division, as related to instrumentation and equipment development. By using the Survey results to develop priority weightings, ICOM has a clearer picture of what the Division's scientists feel are the emerging instrumentation and equipment needs, beyond this 5-year planning horizon.

The Survey Results were given to Instrumentation Technical Advisory Subcommittee (ITAS) for a "reality" interface. While the Survey results give a good understanding of the Division's needs and priorities, it does not consider the many other factors critical to meeting those needs and priorities. The other factors that must be considered in establishing priorities include:

• The annual funding allotment for instrumentation/equipment development (which controls how fast the priorities can be fulfilled);
• Does the Instrument provide a safer means to collect data;
• The ability of existing technology to meet the need;
• The scope or magnitude of the need;
• Industry’s interest in undertaking a new development effort; (First priority for instrument development is to obtain the cooperation of the private sector. Internal development is attempted as a last resort in cases where the private sector has no interest in the project.)
• If the private sector does not want to become involved, the current and future scheduling of WRD's instrumentation developers; that is, how soon each person will be completing ongoing work, and will be freed up to start on a new, high priority development project;
• The expertise of WRD's instrumentation developers; that is, it is of little benefit to have an instrumentation developer's time freed up if the developer does not have the needed expertise for the new, high priority development project;
• The expertise and availability of alternative instrumentation developers, whether in a District, NRP, or a private firm.

Thus, it should be apparent that the needs and priorities expressed in the Survey results cannot simply be implemented from highest to lowest. Certainly the Survey results strongly influence the ultimate prioritization, but funding availability, and the timing and level of availability of critical expertise are no less important to the final WRD Instrumentation Priority List submitted by ITAS to ICOM for approval.

This final priority list, submitted by ITAS to ICOM, is updated once per year. The one that was established November 1998 for fiscal year 1999 appears in appendix a to this attachment. When the list is updated for a new fiscal year, it is stored in the ICOM Web Page at URL: http://wwwhif.er.usgs.gov/uo/icom/priority_index/current_priority_list.html

Because field instrumentation and equipment development is a close-to-unique process for each item, it is difficult to give precise projections of where we will be 1, 3, or 5 years from today. Our past history, however, is probably a conservative guide. That is, we think we can do better now than in the past, by some increment. In the long term it seems reasonable to expect four to six development projects to be completed and taken off the priority list each year. Thus, in

5 years we might expect to see 20 to 30 instrument development projects completed. Recent accomplishments of ICOM, Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, Federal Interagency Sediment Project, and the Hydraulics Laboratory as of March 1999, appear in appendix b to this attachment. After each update, the new list is stored in the ICOM Web Page at URL: http://wwwhif.er.usgs.gov/uo/icom/complete_index/current_complete_list.html

In Reply Refer To:

Mail Stop 405

March 26, 1999

To: Data Chiefs

From: John F. Harsh

Chair, Instrumentation Committee

Subject: Pilot Program for Quality Assurance/Control of Hydrologic Field Instrumentation

This memorandum is being sent to all data chiefs to announce the development of (1) a prototype relational data base, and (2) the start of a pilot study for a National Instrumentation Calibration Data Base program sponsored by the Field Instrumentation Quality Assurance/Quality

Control (QA/QC) Subcommittee of the Water Resources Division (WRD) Instrumentation Committee (ICOM). The purpose of the study is (1) to document procedures for evaluation, acceptance testing, and calibration testing for a few representative instruments, and (2) to determine the added cost of QA/QC procedures and implementation of a QA/QC plan throughout the WRD. The actual period of study will be from April 12 to October 4, 1999.

Instrument data collected during this period will be stored, reviewed, and analyzed, and a summary report will be provided to the ICOM group for review and submission to the WRD Senior Staff.

We would like to emphasize that this study is the field instrument phase of a "pilot." As the study progresses, the pilot will be modified as needed to accommodate new methods, procedures of QA/QC, different types of instrumentation, and incorporation of changes to the database to improve its effectiveness and application. The "pilot" study will look at QA/QC for four classes of instrumentation: tipping-bucket rain gages, water-quality monitors (in-situ), submersible pressure transducers used for ground-water applications, and non-submersible pressure transducers used for measuring water levels.

A user-friendly relational computer data base has been constructed by the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility to act as a repository for basic instrument information (brand, model, serial number, parameters monitored, field location, etc.) as well as QA/QC procedure data (time, material costs, ease of use, calibration frequency, etc.). Please take time to review the database at the following URL address:

http://1stop.usgs.gov/qa

Please take a look at the field form presented and send any comments to

Dennis Myers, Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, at 228-688-1518 or send e-mail to drmyers. We encourage you to try entering information into the database and to test its features, including data retrieval. All pre-pilot data will be erased before the pilot begins on April 12,

1999. It is important to note that the database will only be accessible if you use NETSCAPE or Internet EXPLORER as your web browser. All comments on the database will be greatly appreciated.

At present, the following districts have volunteered to participate in the pilot. The districts and the instrumentation to be included in the pilot are:

Colorado submersible transducers

Florida tipping bucket rain gages, submersible transducers

Illinois tipping bucket rain gages, water-quality monitors

Maryland non-submersible transducers

Missouri water quality monitors

North Carolina tipping bucket rain gages, water-quality monitors

Puerto Rico submersible transducers

South Dakota submersible transducers

Texas non-submersible transducers, water-quality monitors

Washington non-submersible transducers, tipping bucket rain gages

Wisconsin non-submersible transducers, tipping bucket rain gages

The subcommittee would welcome the participation of any other district desiring to input data. If you have any of the following numbers of instruments, feel free to use the database.

Submersible transducers 10 or more

Non-submersible transducers 25 or more

Tipping bucket rain gages 10 or more

Water-quality monitors (in-situ) 1 or more

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the pilot, I encourage you to contact one of the QA/QC Subcommittee members listed in the attachment.

Attachment

Distribution: A,B,S,FO,PO

Field Instrumentation Quality Assurance/Quality Control Subcommittee Membership List

Name Location email Telephone Number

John F. Harsh Tampa, FL <jfharsh> (813) 884-9336x123

Robert W. James, Jr. Baltimore, MD <rwjames> (410) 238-4205

Emitt C. Witt Rolla, MO <ecwitt> (573) 308-3679

Stephen S. Howe Raleigh, NC <sshowe> (919) 571-4022

Kevin A. Oberg Urbana, IL <kaoberg> (217) 344-0037x3004

Peter E. Hughes Middleton, WI <pehughes> (608) 821-3833

Thomas H. Chaney Denver, CO <thchaney> (303) 236-5050x281

Dennis R. Myers Stennis Space <drmyers> (228) 688-1518

Center, MS