CLEAN WATER AND WATERSHED RESTORATION INITIATIVE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
WATER RESOURCES DIVISION
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
February 25, 1998
CLEAN WATER AND WATERSHED RESTORATION INITIATIVE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
INTRODUCTION
This plan describes the implementation of the National Park Service (NPS) Water Quality Assessment and Management Program Plan (NPS, 1997). This implementation plan responds to the Clean Water and Watershed Restoration Initiative before Congress which is expected to provide $2.5 million in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) budget in fiscal year 1999 to address the large backlog of NPS water quality monitoring and assessment needs. NPS water quality monitoring/assessment and mitigation project needs are identified in park-based natural resource management plans and are summarized in NPS (1997). About $15.1 million in unfunded water quality monitoring and mitigation needs have been identified from 1993-1996 in park-based plans.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The goal of the NPS Water Quality Assessment and Management Program is to develop necessary information on the status and trends of park water quality and to enable NPS to address its most critical water quality protection and management responsibilities. Specific program objectives are to:
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
The NPS Water Quality Assessment and Management Program will be implemented in part through the USGS Water Resources Division (USGS-WRD) NAWQA Program (approximately $1.0 million per year), and in part through the USGS-WRD Hydrologic Network and Analysis (HNA) Program (approximately $1.5 million per year). Funding of NPS program activities through the NAWQA or HNA Programs will depend on whether a NPS park requiring the services of USGS-WRD lies within or outside a NAWQA Study Unit. In either case, the bulk of technical assistance, intensive studies, synoptic studies, and fixed-station monitoring studies provided by USGS-WRD will be managed and conducted by USGS-WRD staff under the direction of the USGS District Chief.
Funding will be required by USGS and NPS for program administration and coordination of NPS needs.
Water Quality Assessment
Water Quality Assessment projects will consist of a mix of intensive and synoptic studies of short (1-2 year) duration, and long-term fixed-station monitoring studies of continuing duration. Assuming that project costs will be similar to those incurred during the 1992-1997 demonstration partnership between NPS and USGS-WRD NAWQA ($100,000 per year for an intensive study, and $50,000 per year for a synoptic or fixed-station monitoring study), a limited number of intensive studies, synoptic studies, and fixed-station monitoring studies can be implemented per year in parks in designated NAWQA study basins. Similarly, a limited number of intensive studies, synoptic studies, and fixed-station monitoring studies can be implemented annually in parks outside designated NAWQA study basins. Approximately $200,000 may be earmarked for technical assistance on management, compliance and mitigation issues. Larger and/or multi-park projects may be implemented if they are of high priority and importance to NPS. In addition, more or larger projects may be implemented if additional cost-share funds are made available by other agency partners.
Intensive Studies: Intensive studies will be designed to characterize the existence, severity and extent of known or suspected water quality problems. These studies also will focus on understanding the causes of water resource contamination and the implications of water quality impairment to aquatic biota. Most intensive studies will be strongly "issue-driven" and oriented towards the highest priority water quality management issues confronting the National Park Service.
The recent investigation of hormone-disrupting chemicals in Las Vegas Wash and Bay in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which was implemented as part of the NPS-USGS demonstration water quality monitoring partnership, is an excellent example of an "intensive" study. That study confirmed the existence of hormone disrupting chemicals in fish tissue, water and sediments and formed the basis for additional investigation and appropriate management involvement in the issue.
Other examples of potential intensive water quality studies in the National Park System, are identified in park natural resource management plans (Table 1; NPS, 1997). For example, intensive investigation of the sources and fate of metals contamination in Soda Butte Creek in Yellowstone National Park is critical for developing priorities for reclamation of historic mining impacts in watersheds contributing runoff to the park. Further comprehensive studies of nutrient and mercury contamination in Biscayne National Park is needed to characterize long-term implications to aquatic biota and to identify and prioritize management actions. As a final example, investigation of contaminant concentrations (e.g., selenium) in water and sediments in arid-land reservoirs is needed to identify long-term implications for management of aquatic resources.
Because intensive studies are designed to address site-specific water quality management issues, they may or may not directly support the basin-scale design priorities of the NAWQA program, and they may or may not be relevant to similar issues in other parks. However, the most serious water quality management issues in parks generally stem from fairly ubiquitous sources of water quality degradation (e.g., mining, agriculture, atmospheric deposition, grazing, urbanization), and in most cases, there will be strong linkages between site-specific intensive water quality investigations in parks and related issues elsewhere. Hence, a NPS management needs-driven program should generally be compatible with USGS program needs, and may provide opportunities for broader multi-park projects which address common NPS issues.
Synoptic Studies: Synoptic studies are short-term investigations of water quality or biology from several sites during selected seasonal periods or hydrologic conditions (usually sampled on a one-time or two-time basis). Synoptic monitoring studies will be designed to focus on park specific issues which may or may not have broader regional implications. Synoptic studies are intended to provide a quick assessment of aquatic conditions in relation to spatial relationships and contributions. Synoptic studies also provide baseline data and information where little or none exists for a given resource.
An example of a synoptic monitoring study occurred under the demonstration NPS-USGS partnership at Yosemite National Park. In response to a request by the park for baseline data to evaluate ongoing river restoration activities in Yosemite Valley, invertebrate and algae sampling was conducted at 6 sites in the Merced River drainage during a two-year period. In addition to this sampling, water parameters were measured and habitat surveys were conducted.
Fixed-Station Monitoring: Fixed-station monitoring studies will document long-term trends in water quality and will determine if management actions are achieving water quality objectives. Fixed-station monitoring will be designed to enable park managers to: (1) Know the health of the most nationally-significant water bodies under NPS jurisdiction; (2) Know the effects of actions taken to remediate known high-priority water pollution problems in parks; and (3)Document whether activities external to parks adversely affect, whether individually or cumulatively, park water quality. Fixed-station monitoring will be designed to quantify water quality in terms consistent with what is required to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal water quality standards.
An excellent example of fixed-station water quality monitoring is occurring under the demonstration NPS-USGS water quality monitoring partnership at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway in Minnesota-Wisconsin. Continuous monitoring at multiple sites is documenting the long-term effects of watershed land use on water quality, is helping pinpoint sources (on a tributary basis) of contamination to the river, and is providing data critical to determining growth conditions for zebra mussels within the park. The data also will be able to assure that applicable state water quality standards are being maintained for designated "outstanding waters".
Another example of fixed-station water quality monitoring is occurring under the demonstration NPS-USGS partnership at Curecanti National Recreation Area and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. Fixed-station monitoring on the Delaware River in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is occurring under partnership with the Delaware River Basin Commission.
Other examples of potential long-term monitoring studies in parks are identified in park natural resource management plans (Table 1; NPS, 1997). For example, changes in livestock grazing and wildlife management are proposed to be implemented at Channel Islands National Park in response to a water pollution clean-up or abatement order. Monitoring will document whether management changes result in achieving water quality standards. At Yellowstone National Park, as part of a buy-out of private mining claims by the government, a major investment in remediating water quality impacts from historic mining will be implemented. Monitoring will document the long-term benefits to water quality achieved by these actions. As a final example, urbanization (and sub-urbanization) of watersheds at many eastern parks (e.g., Cape Cod National Seashore) threaten to affect the quality of park surface and ground water. Monitoring can establish the effects of land-use activities on park water quality and can form the basis for intervening in state water quality permitting actions.
Long-term, fixed-station monitoring is intended to be implemented using a "site rotation" concept. Under a site-rotation program, a given number of water bodies would be subject to monitoring in any one year. Monitoring might continue at those sites for 2-3 years after which time monitoring would move to another set of sites for another 2-3 year period, and so forth. After a 6-10 year period, monitoring would return to the first set of water quality monitoring sites. This rotating pattern would continue until the information needs of a site are achieved. By implementing fixed-station monitoring using site-rotation, it will be possible to sustain monitoring at a large number of NPS sites, even though only a limited number of sites will be sampled during any single year.
Although long-term, fixed-station monitoring studies are designed to meet the information needs of existing or potential water quality management issues, there will be some flexibility in designing and prioritizing studies. Their results can be used to assess the status of park water quality on a service-wide basis and to understand factors influencing park water quality on a basin-scale basis. Thus, implementation of long-term water quality monitoring in parks will help address the GPRA reporting needs of NPS.
Water Quality Management: Technical Assistance
The Water Quality Management component of this program, addressed in part by technical assistance from USGS, will consist of special analyses and assistance in evaluating NPS watershed management, engineering, maintenance or regulatory actions to protect, mitigate or restore park water quality conditions. Water quality management needs will be driven both by the information generated by the water quality assessment component of this program, but also through participation in and review of park, local and regional land use plans, and by active participation in the triennial review of state water quality standards required under the Clean Water Act. Participation by USGS in park and regional land use planning will enable park natural resource specialists to identify future land use proposals which have potential to enhance or degrade park water quality. Similarly, active participation by USGS-WRD in the evaluation of applicable state standards for park water quality will help ensure that appropriate levels of legal and regulatory protection exist of water of the National Park System.
Watershed Management: NPS watershed management actions often consist of "Best Management Practices" which help control runoff, sediment delivery and non-point source contaminants from Watersheds. Watershed management actions are taken to manage such things as upland soil and vegetation, riparian and wetland resources, and non-point source pollution loading. Revegetation, the use of streamside buffer strips, control of livestock grazing, and construction of runoff and erosion control structures are examples of watershed management actions which, when properly implemented, can improve water quality and subsequently aquatic habitat. For example, at Channel Islands National Park improved livestock grazing management is viewed as the key to enabling the park to achieve compliance with state water quality standards for sediment and bacteria in park streams. At Buffalo National River, a stream-side vegetation buffer strip between the river channel and adjacent farm fields is being implemented to help reduce riverbank erosion and the associated delivery of sediment to the river.
The USGS-WRD technical assistance role in such activities could consist of analyses of various land-management scenarios, design of data-collection strategies to evaluate the results of land management, and implementation of water-quality data collection.
Engineering: NPS engineering actions to improve water quality involve structural approaches to controlling point and non-point sources of pollution. Constructing sewage treatment facilities, paving previously unpaved roads, relocating contaminating facilities such as maintenance yards and septic systems, replacing polluting facilities and equipment with less-polluting facilities or technologies, all may be viewed as engineering or structural approaches to managing water quality. At Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, for example, relocation and regionalization of municipal sewage treatment facilities is viewed as a potential solution to serious park water quality problems. At Biscayne National Park, improved design and construction of landfill contamination cells is viewed as part of the solution to contamination from a municipal landfill. On a smaller scale specific clean-up, decontamination and restoration actions can mitigate water quality contamination of former oil and gas development sites, abandoned landfills and other development sites.
As with Watershed Management actions, the USGS-WRD role in providing technical assistance to NPS personnel for their engineering actions can consist of analyses of alternative solutions, water-quality data network design, and water-quality data collection.
PROJECT IDENTIFICATION, PRIORITIZATION AND SELECTION
Project prioritization under the NPS Water Quality Assessment and Management Program will be driven by the water quality information and management needs of individual parks. As part of the NPS Natural Resources Directorate Unified Program Call for Fiscal Year 1999 projects, sub-categories will be established for USGS-WRD water quality projects for:
1. Intensive/Synoptic Studies
2. Fixed-Station Monitoring Studies
3. Technical Assistance
The Unified Program Call generally occurs in the winter/spring of each year preceding the fiscal year for which the call is soliciting projects. Each NPS Region, based upon input from parks and park Clusters will identify its highest priority needs both within and outside designated NAWQA basins under these three categories and submit them as part of the overall NPS Natural Resources Directorate Unified Program Call. It is intended that identified water quality assessment and technical assistance needs be documented in park planning documents and supported by approved project statements. The NPS Water Resources Division will be available to work with park Clusters and Regions in defining and prioritizing intensive and synoptic study needs. Additionally, parks are strongly encouraged to contact early-on the local USGS office in the preparation of project statement proposals. Proposals must be signed by the USGS District Chief indicating that the project is feasible and the time-table and costs are appropriate.
Project prioritization at the Regional level will consider such things as the significance of the resource, ability to effectively influence the management of water quality, severity of the water quality threat, relationship to related issues in other parks, efficiency related to multi-park issues, cost effectiveness, partnership opportunities with other organizations and other factors. The NPS Water Resources Division will consolidate the package of project statements and submit them to a NPS-USGS water quality monitoring work group (described below). The water quality monitoring work group will rate the project statements and make a final prioritization of projects.
A call for intensive/synoptic studies will occur every year of this program. The number of projects which can be started in any one year will depend, in part, on budget carry-over commitments from previous years. Most fixed-station monitoring projects will be initiated in the first 1-3 years of this program (assuming that the site-rotation concept will be applied to many fixed-station monitoring projects). At a minimum, every three years after that point there will be a formal program review to determine that park information needs are being effectively met, that the current monitoring sites remain program priorities, and that the budget remains properly proportioned between fixed-station studies and intensive and synoptic studies.
Project Design
Prior to project implementation, a detailed project study plan will be required which clearly states project objectives, background methods, reporting, deliverables, implementation approach (including project management), scheduling, key personnel and budget. The plan will be received and approved by NPS and USGS prior to project implementation.
Projects will be designed using an approach similar to that employed for the NPS-NAWQA demonstration projects, where the park or NPS Water Resources Division will facilitate discussions among candidate parks and USGS-WRD Districts, and initiate a standardized process to develop and negotiate project study plans (or scopes of work) which are prepared by the USGS in coordination with NPS. Prior to the study design, a meeting(s) will take place at each park with all partners in attendance.
The park, with the assistance (as desired) of the NPS Water Resources Division, will take the lead in securing a project study plan or scope of work, and will be responsible for negotiating project deliverables and budget.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN
National Coordination and Administration
Coordination and administration of the NPS Water Quality Assessment and Management Program will be carried out by the NPS Water Resources Division. The NPS Water Resources Division, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the program, including identification of agency needs. The NPS Water Resources Division will make decisions for the overall program of work in parks in consultation with a NPS-USGS water quality monitoring work group, which will make decisions about specific projects.
NPS-USGS Water Quality Monitoring Work Group
A NPS-USGS water quality monitoring work group will be formed to oversee the program and to provide advice and guidance to NPS and USGS in the administration of the program, and to conduct the program reviews. The water quality monitoring work group will consist of five to seven members, and will be co-chaired by the NPS Water Resources Division and USGS-WRD. Representatives from both NPS and USGS will form the water quality monitoring work group. NPS national, regional and park staff, will participate as members of the work group. USGS-WRD NAWQA, Office of Water Quality and District staff will participate as members of the work group. Membership in the work group may change from year to year, depending on interest and availability of members. Logistical and funding support for work group members will be provided by the respective agencies.
DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING
Final and progress reports will be prepared by USGS for all projects funded under this program as specified in the project proposals. Reports will document all significant accomplishments, report all relevant information collected (i.e., streamflow, water column bed sediment and tissue, macroinvertebrates, algae, fish, habitat), and provide interpretive analysis of the information as specified in the project proposals. Water quality data from each project will be provided in digital and hard-copy format, and digital data will be uploaded into a national database. Reports will range from professional reports, fact sheets, posters, brochures, to administrative memorandums. Report style, content, and product will be negotiated and specified in the project proposals. In some cases, style and content of report products may be tailored for NPS interpretative uses.
The NPS and USGS may also prepare separate reports and other products which highlight and/or analyze results form the NPS-USGS water quality monitoring program; this may include rolling up park-based information into national synthesis-type analyses. The follow-on reports will be prepared at the separate expense of NPS and USGS unless approved through an approved, amended or new proposal.
Program outputs may include:
1. Baseline characterizations of water quality and aquatic biological resources.
2. Assessments of park water quality in relationship to Clean Water Act standards.
3. Identification and evaluation of specific proposed NPS management actions to achieve water quality condition objectives.
4. Assessments of whether actions taken (or party to) to resolve water quality problems are successful.
5. Regional (ecosystem-scale) analyses of park water quality.
6. Assessments of causes of changes in park water quality.
7. A database from which improved Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) standards related to park water quality can be established.
REFERENCES
National Park Service, 1997. National Park Service Water Quality Assessment and Management Program Plan. Draft, December 5, 1997. National Park Service Water Resources Division, Fort Collins, CO 49 p.