Lower Truckee River
Bioassessment
Symposium
Kathy Sertic
Bureau of Water Quality Planning
Nevada Division of
Environmental Protection
January 5, 2009
Bureau of Water Quality Planning
~ Truckee River Basin Activities ~
• Monitoring
• Water Quality Standards
• Total Maximum Daily
Loads
• Bioassessment
~ Truckee River Basin Monitoring ~
• Main stem—DRI and TMWRF
• Tributary streams
• Evans, Dry, Thomas, Brown, Whites,
Galena, Ophir, Franktown, Winters,
Steamboat, Lagomarsino Creeks
• Truckee River Snapshot Day
• Memorandum of Understanding
•
•
•
Directive of Legislative Oversight
Committee for Western Regional Water
Commission
Develop coordinated monitoring plan
Make data accessible to public
~ Truckee River Basin
Water Quality Standards ~
•
2008 NAC Reorganization
• Dismantled Class Waters format
• Established separate table for each
waterbody
•
Establish/Revise standards for
tributary streams
• Evans, Dry, Thomas, Brown, Winters
Galena, Ophir, Franktown, Steamboat,
Lagomarsino Creeks
• Potentially revise select TR WQS
~ Truckee River Basin
Total Maximum Daily Loads ~
•3
rd
party review of existing N & P
TMDLs initiated by Reno, Sparks,
Washoe County and Truckee Meadows
Water Authority
• Workplan to guide process being
developed by 3rd parties, NDEP and
USEPA
• Extensive stakeholder input
~ BWQP Bioassessment Program ~
•
•
•
•
Program started in 2000 to collect data
to better evaluate aquatic life
beneficial use attainment
Initiated in Truckee, Carson and
Tahoe Basins
Ramped up by 2003 to 300+ sites
statewide
Collected macroinvertebrates and
limited physical habitat measurements
using EPA/California Riffle Protocols
~ BWQP Bioassessment Program ~
• In 2005 began using Multi-Habitat
Monitoring Protocols
• Consistent with EPA National Rivers and
Stream Assessment Protocols and revised
California Protocols
• Reach length = 40x wetted width
• 11 transects within each reach
• Collect
• Macroinvertebrates
• Periphyton
• Water chemistry
• Sediment metals
• Fish at some sites
• Expanded physical habitat parameters
~ Truckee River Basin
Bioassessment Program ~
• Established Sites
• Above Verdi (2005 & 2008)
• Below Verdi
• Patagonia (2005 & 2008)
• McCarran Bridge
• Lockwood (2005 & 2008)
• Painted Rock
• Below Tracy-Clark (2005 & 2008)
• PLPT Reservation
• 2005/2008 used Multi-Habitat
•
Monitoring Protocols at select sites
(limited p-hab)
Continue to monitor current sites and
incorporate historic sites if possible
~ Truckee River Basin
Bioassessment Program ~
• In 2005 developed Indices of Biological
Integrity (IBIs)
• Macroinvertebrates (Tetra Tech)
• Periphyton (Desert Research Institute)
• Fish (Dynamac Inc.)
• 2007 Recalibration of
Macroinvertebrate IBI by Tetra Tech for
the Truckee, Carson and Walker Rivers
~ Truckee River Basin
Bioassessment Program ~
• Evaluate potential of using the
Observed/Expected Macroinvertebrate
Model (RIVPACS) in combination with
the Macro IBI
• Coordinate with USEPA, PLPT and
other agencies to conduct a Stressor
Identification Case Study using the
Causal Analysis Diagnosis Decision
Support System or CADDIS
~ Truckee River Basin
Bioassessment Program ~
• Coordinate with PLPT and other
agencies on a pilot project to develop
and test a Tiered Aquatic Life Use
Model
• Extend knowledge obtained and tools
developed from all these Truckee River
projects to other river basins in
Nevada
~ Bureau of Water Quality Planning
Truckee River Activities ~
• Commend all the local, state and
federal agencies and other entities
working to address the multitude of
environmental issues that exist in the
Truckee Rive Basin
• We look forward to continuing and
completing these collaborative efforts
to improve water quality and
watershed health for all uses and
users of the Truckee River
~ Bureau of Water Quality Planning
Truckee River Activities ~
• Contact Information
Kathy Sertic 687-9455
ksertic@ndep.nv.gov
Glen Gentry 687-9448
ggentry@ndep.nv.gov
Karen Vargas 687-9457
kvargas@ndep.nv.gov
Randy Pahl 687-9453
rpahl@ndep.nv.gov
Birgit Widegren 687-9550
bwidegren@ndep.nv.gov