Federal and State In-Stream
Water Quality Monitoring
Clean Waters Initiative
April 1, 2015
Jenny Oakley
Environmental Scientist
Environmental Institute of Houston
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Environmental Institute of Houston
• The mission of the Environmental Institute of Houston is to
advance understanding of the environment through
interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach.
• University of Houston-Clear Lake
• Research – Outreach – Education
• Partnerships
Overview
• History of the Clean Waters Act
• Why and How to Monitor Instream Water Quality
• Federal Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of National Rivers and Streams Assessment
• State Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of Wet Weather Monitoring for WPP
History of the Clean Waters Act (CWA)
• Water Pollution Control Act (1948):
• Authorized Surgeon General to prepare
programs for reducing the pollution of
interstate, surface, and ground waters.
• Water Pollution Control Act of 1956
(Amendment):
• Conduct comprehensive study of the effects
of pollution in the estuaries of the U.S.
• Sewage control infrastructure grant program
• Water Quality Act (1965):
• Required states to establish water quality
standards
Cuyahoga River Fire
• Cleveland, OH
• Not the first time the River had
burned
• 1969 Fire – Publicity that
demanded stronger action
• Time Magazine:
• “River that oozes rather than flows”
• “Where a person does not drown but
decays”
Cuyahoga River Fire of 1952, $1.3 million in damages
History of the Clean Waters Act cont.
• Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970
• Created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Development of regulations for oil spills and other
hazardous substances.
• Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of
1972:
• Issuance of state water quality standards for point and
non-point sources, and requirements for water quality
inventory.
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES)
• Clean Waters Act of 1977:
• Development of “Best Management Practices”
• Corps of Engineers to issue general permits
• Water Quality Act of 1987:
• Funds for States to develop nonpoint source management
on a watershed basis (Section 319).
Overview
• History of the Clean Waters Act
• Why and How to Monitor Instream Water Quality
• Federal Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of National Rivers and Streams Assessment
• State Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of Wet Weather Monitoring for WPP
Why Monitor Water Quality?
• Identify water quality problems
• Determine suitability for use
• Check compliance with standards
• Quantify changes in water quality over time
• Independent variable in biological work
• Maintain public confidence
• Monitor “the bad AND the good”
• Index sites
How to Monitor Water Quality/Stream Health
•Chemical condition
• Basic water quality
• Nutrients
• Suspended solids
• Bacteria
• Toxic Substances
How to Monitor Water Quality/Stream Health
•Physical condition
• Habitat
• Watershed
Characteristics
• Flow
•Biological condition
• Nekton
• Benthic Invertebrates
Overview
• History of the Clean Waters Act
• Why and How to Monitor Instream Water Quality
• Federal Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of National Rivers and Streams Assessment
• State Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of Wet Weather Monitoring for WPP
Federal Water Quality Monitoring
• National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)
•
•
•
•
Lakes (NLA)
Rivers & Streams (NRSA)
Coasts (NCCA)
Wetlands (NWCA)
• Satisfy section 305(b) of CWA
• Probability-based surveys
• National Information Gap (monitoring disconnect)
Example of Federal In-Stream Monitoring
• National Rivers and Stream Assessment (08-09)
• 55% in poor condition, with phosphorus and nitrogen pollution
and poor habitat the most widespread problems.
• 23% in fair condition.
• 21% in good condition and support healthy biological
communities.
• EIH conducted NRSA for Texas in 2013-2014
• Sub contract through TCEQ
NRSA Site Locations
1,800 Sites
Some sites were missing a key ingredient…
Boatable Site Layout
Wadeable Site Layout
Samples Collected
• Water
• Periphyton
• Physical Habitat
• Benthic Macroinvertebrates
• Fish Assemblage
Water Sample Collection
Periphyton
Collection:
- Composite from 11 transects
Samples:
- Periphyton Assemblage
- Chlorophyll
- Biomass
Physical Habitat Characterization
-
Thalweg Profile
Large Woody Debris
Substrate Type
Chanel Classification
Bank Characteristics
Canopy Cover
Instream Fish Cover
Human Influence
Physical Habitat Characterization
- Slope & Bearing
- Flow
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Fish Assemblage
Site Characterization
Fish Assemblage & Tissue Collection
National Rivers and Stream Assessment
• EPA’s Report will be available in 2017
• EIH’s Graduate Student’s (Michael Lane) thesis:
• “Spatial Patterns in Texas Lotic Fish Communities”
Overview
• History of the Clean Waters Act
• Why and How to Monitor Instream Water Quality
• Federal Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of National Rivers and Streams Assessment
• State Instream Water Quality Monitoring
• Example of Wet Weather Monitoring for WPP
Water Quality Monitoring in Texas
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Texas Clean Rivers Act (1991):
• Clean Rivers Program
• Integrated management of water quality within a river basin or
watershed.
• Funded by fees from permit holders for water use and wastewater
discharges.
• Surface Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM)
• Monitoring:
• Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Network
• Ambient Water Quality Monitoring (Coordinated Monitoring)
• Special Projects
• Texas Integrated Report (mandated by section 305(b) and 303(d) of CWA).
Water Quality Monitoring in Texas cont.
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
• Established 1939  216 soil and water conservation
districts (SWCD)
• Planning, management, and abatement of agricultural and
forestry nonpoint source water pollution
• Funded by CWA section 319
• Texas Water Development Board
• River Authorities
• Research and University Groups
• NGOs
Example of State In-Stream Monitoring
•San Bernard WPP Monitoring
•EIH conducted monitoring in 2013-2014
• Sub contract through H-GAC (TSSWCB)
• Three Types of Monitoring:
• Ambient
• Wet Weather
• Waste Water Treatment Facility
San Bernard Wet Weather Monitoring
What is “Wet Weather” Monitoring?
•Rain Influenced Water
• Increased discharge
• Increased water level
• Turbid water
• Debris
• Water lines
• Familiarity with site
Sampling the Hydrograph
Peak discharge
Rising Limb
Discharge
Falling Limb
Rainfall Event
Lag Time
Base flow
Time
• Timing
• Magnitude
• Duration
• Frequency
Timing
Discharge
Long Term Event
Time
Short Term Event
Location Within the Watershed
Discharge
Upstream Watershed
Time
Downstream Watershed
How do you know when to sample?
• Trial and Error
• Helpful Landowners
• Remote camera or
pressure sensor
• Sample with the flow
• DSLSR
• Magnitude & Timing
San Bernard Watershed Protection Plan
• http://www.h-gac.com/community/water/watershed_protection/san-bernard-river.aspx
What resources are available to me?
• EPAs: A QUICK Guide to Developing
Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect
Our Waters.
• http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/upload
/watershed_mgmnt_quick_guide.pdf
• Watershed Plan Builder
• http://java.epa.gov/wsplanner/#
What data are available to me?
• EPA’s NRSA Data:
• http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/index.cfm
What data are available to me?
• TCEQ Surface Water Data:
• https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/clean-rivers/data/samplequery.html
What data are available to me?
• HGAC Clean Rivers Program Data:
• http://arcgis02.h-gac.com/wrim/
QUESTIONS
Jenny Oakley
Oakley@uhcl.edu
www.eih.uhcl.edu
References
• EPA Clean Waters Act:
• http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/history-clean-water-act
• National Aquatic Resource Surveys (EPA):
• http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/monitoring/aquaticsurvey_index.cfm
• Texas Clean Rivers Program:
• http://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/clean-rivers