United States
Environmental Protection
Agency __
Office of Research and Development E
Office of Environmental Information ,r~^
Washington, DC 20460
Delivering Timely—^
Water Quality Informati
'our Communif
III
E M P A C T
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
& Community Tracking
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Disclaimer
This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved for publication.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of their use.
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EPA/625/R-00/013
September 2000
Delivering Timely Water Quality
Information to Your Community
The Lake Access-Minneapolis Project
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
. Printed on paper containing at least
30% postconsumer recovered fiber.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Dan Petersen (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], National Risk Management Research
Laboratory) served as principal author of this handbook, and managed its development with the support of
Eastern Research Group, Inc., an EPA contractor. Contributing authors included the following:
Rich Axler, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth
John Barten, Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District
Jose Coin, Apprise Technologies, Inc.
Cindy Hagley Minnesota Sea Grant
George Host, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Barbara Liukkonen, University of Minnesota-Extension
Dr. Bruce Munson, Department of Education, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Chris Owen, Apprise Technologies, Inc.
Barb Peichel, Minnesota Sea Grant
Elaine Ruzycki, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth
Brian Vlach, Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District
Norm Will, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK 5
3. WATER QUALITY MONITORING 7
3-1 Water Quality Monitoring—An Overview 7
3.2 Designing a Time-Relevant Water Quality Monitoring Project 10
3.3 Selecting Your Sampling Frequency 13
3-4 Selecting Water Quality Parameters for Monitoring 14
3-5 Selecting Monitoring Equipment 16
3.6 Siting Monitors 20
3.7 Installing RUSS Units 23
3.8 Operating RUSS Units 27
3.9 Maintaining RUSS Units 29
3.10 Other Local Monitoring Efforts 32
4. COLLECTING, TRANSFERRING, AND MANAGING TIME-RELEVANT
WATER QUALITY DATA 41
4.1 System Overview 41
4.2 Getting Your Equipment and Software in Place 43
4.3 Programming Your System for Scheduled Transfers of Data 46
4.4 Managing Data at the Base Station 53
4.5 Troubleshooting Q&A 57
5. DEPICTING TIME-RELEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 59
5.1 What is Data Visualization? 59
5-2 Data Visualization Software 61
6. COMMUNICATING TIME-RELEVANT WATER QUALITY INFORMATION 71
6.1 Creating an Outreach Plan for Time-Relevant Water Quality Reporting 71
6.2 Elements of the Lake Access Project's Outreach Program 76
6.3 Resources for Presenting Water Quality Information to the Public 79
APPENDIX A
Glossary of Terms A-l
APPENDIX B
Lake Access Brochure B-l
APPENDIX C
Lake Access Survey C-l
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1. INTRODUCTION
People who spend time in, on, or close to lakes in and near your community
can use timely and accurate information about lake water quality to help
make day-to-day decisions about lake use and lake issues. For example, swim-
mers can use information about fecal coliform levels to protect their health when
levels of these bacteria near swimming beaches are high. Anglers can use water
quality information (e.g., temperature and oxygen levels) to help them decide
where and when to go fishing. Time-relevant information can help recreational
lake users, businesses, resource managers, lakeshore residents, and other landown-
ers located farther from the lakeshore understand how a lake's water quality is
affected by land use practices within its watershed.
This handbook offers step-by-step instructions about how to provide time-
relevant water quality data to your community. It was developed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) EMPACT program. EPA created
EMPACT (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community
Tracking) in 1996, at President Clinton's direction. The program takes advantage
of new technologies that make it possible to provide time-relevant environmental
information to the public.
EMPACT is working with the 86 largest metropolitan areas of the country to
help communities in these areas:
• Collect, manage, and distribute time-relevant environmental
information.
• Provide residents with easy-to-understand information they can use in
making informed, day-to-day decisions.
To make EMPACT more effective, EPA is partnering with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. EPA will work
closely with these federal agencies to help achieve nationwide consistency in
measuring environmental data, managing the information, and delivering it to
the public.
To date, environmental information projects have been initiated in 84 of the 86
EMPACT-designated metropolitan areas. These projects cover a wide range of
environmental issues, including groundwater contamination, water quality, smog,
ultraviolet radiation, and overall ecosystem quality. Some of these projects were
initiated directly by EPA. Others were launched by EMPACT communities
themselves. Local governments from any of the 86 EMPACT metropolitan areas
are eligible to apply for EPA-funded Metro Grants to develop their own
EMPACT projects. The 86 EMPACT metropolitan areas are listed in the table at
the end of this chapter.
Communities selected for Metro Grant awards are responsible for building their
own time-relevant environmental monitoring and information delivery systems.
To find out how to apply for a Metro Grant, visit the EMPACT Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/empact/apply.htm.
INTRODUCTION
-------
One such Metro Grant recipient is the Lake Access—Minneapolis project. The
project provides the public with time-relevant and historical water quality data for
lakes within the largest, most populated watershed districts in Minnesota.
The Lake Access Project team is using Remote Underwater Sampling System
(RUSS) devices to collect time-relevant water quality data from three locations—
two in Lake Minnetonka and one in Lake Independence. The Lake Access team
has developed an Internet interface for the RUSS units that allows data from the
RUSS sensors to be displayed in near-real time on the Lake Access Web site at
http://www.lakeaccess.org. The project is a cooperative effort of the Suburban
Hennepin Regional Park District, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, the
University of Minnesota Water on the Web Investigators (i.e., the Natural
Resources Research Institute, the University of Minnesota—Duluth Department of
Education, and Minnesota Sea Grant), and Apprise Technologies, which holds the
license to RUSS technologies. The project team also collects data from monitor-
ing stations established as part of other monitoring programs. The team integrates
data supplied by these non-RUSS sites with RUSS-generated data to track condi-
tions in area lakes. Many of the project Web site's key features, such as the
Limnology Primer and the Data Visualization Tools, were developed under a grant
from The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education
Program.
The Technology Transfer and Support Division of the EPA Office of Research and
Development's (ORD's) National Risk Management Research Laboratory initiat-
ed development of this handbook to help interested communities learn more
about the Lake Access Project. The handbook also provides technical information
communities need to develop and manage their own time-relevant lake water
monitoring, data visualization, and information dissemination programs. ORD,
working with the Lake Access Project team, produced this handbook to maximize
EMPACT's investment in the project and minimize the resources needed to
implement similar projects in other communities.
Both print and CD-ROM versions of the handbook are available for direct
on-line ordering from EPA's Office of Research and Development
Technology Transfer Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl. You can also
download the handbook from the Lake Access—Minneapolis Web site at
http://www.lakeaccess.org. You can also obtain a copy of the handbook by
contacting the EMPACT program office at:
EMPACT Program
U.S. EPA (2831)
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202 564-6791
Fax: 202 565-1966
We hope you find the handbook worthwhile, informative, and easy to use. We
welcome your comments, and you can send them by e-mail from EMPACT's
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/empact/comments.htm.
CHAPTER 1
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EMPACT Metropolitan Areas
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Albuquerque, NM
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA
Anchorage, AK
Atlanta, GA
Austin- San Marcos, TX
Bakersfield, CA
Billings, MT
Birmingham, AL
Boise, ID
Boston, AAA-NH
Bridgeport, CT
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
Burlington, VT
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-
SC
Cheyenne, WY
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI
Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KT-IN
Cleveland-Akron, OH
Columbus, OH
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Dayton-Springfield, OH
Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Ml
El Paso, TX
Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN
Fresno, CA
Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland,
Ml
Greensboro-Winston Salem-High
Point, NC
Greenville-Spa rtanburg-Anderson,
SC
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA
Hartford, CT
Honolulu, HI
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jackson, MS
Jacksonville, FL
Kansas City, MO-KS
Knoxville, TN
Las Vegas, NV
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange
County, CA
Louisville, KY-IN
Memphis, TN-AR-MS
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
Milwaukee-Racine, Wl
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
New York-Northern New Jersey-
Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport
News, VA-NC
Oklahoma City, OH
Omaha, NE-IA
Orlando, FL
Philadelphia- Wilmington-Atlantic
City, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, ME
Portland-Salem, OR-WA
Providence-Fall River-Warwick, Rl-
MA
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Richmond-Petersburg, VA
Rochester, NY
Sacramento-Yolo, CA
Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose,
CA
San Juan, PR
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, PA
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA
Sioux Falls, SD
Springfield, MA
St. Louis-E. St. Louis, MO-IL
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Syracuse, NY
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Toledo, OH
Tucson, AZ
Tulsa, OK
Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-
WV
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL
Wichita, KS
Youngstown-Warren, OH
INTRODUCTION
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2. HOW TO USE
THIS HANDBOOK
This handbook provides you with step-by-step information on how to develop
a program to provide time-relevant water quality data to your community,
using the Lake Access Project in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, area as
a model. It contains detailed guidance on how to:
Design, site, operate,
and maintain a
system to gather
time-relevant water
quality data.
Design, operate, and
maintain a system to
retrieve, manage,
and analyze your
time-relevant water
quality data.
Use data visualization
tools to graphically
depict these data.
Develop a plan to
communicate the
results of your
time-relevant water
quality monitoring
efforts to residents in
your community.
Chapter 3 provides information about water quality monitoring—the
first step in the process of generating time-relevant information about
water quality and making it available to residents in your area. The
chapter begins with an overview of water quality monitoring in fresh-
water systems and then focuses on the remote time-relevant water qual-
ity monitoring conducted as part of the Lake Access Project. It also
provides step-by-step instructions on how to install, operate, and main-
tain the Remote Underwater Sampling Station (RUSS) units used by
the Lake Access Project team to gather time-relevant water quality data.
Chapter 4 provides step-by-step instructions on how to operate and
maintain an automated system to transmit, store, retrieve, and analyze
the water quality data collected from the remote time-relevant water
quality monitors. The chapter focuses on the software used by the Lake
Access Project team from their RUSS units to their base station, and it
also contains information on data quality assurance and control.
Chapter 5 provides information about using data visualization tools
to graphically depict the time-relevant water quality data you have
gathered. The chapter begins with a brief overview of data visualization.
It then provides a more detailed introduction to selected data visualiza-
tion tools developed by the Lake Access team. You might want to use
these software tools to help analyze your data and in your efforts to
provide time-relevant water quality information to your community.
Chapter 6 outlines the steps involved in developing an outreach plan
to communicate information about water quality in your community's
lakes. It also provides information about the Lake Access Project's out-
reach efforts. The chapter includes a list of resources to help you
HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK
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develop easily understandable materials to communicate information
about your time relevant water quality monitoring program to a variety
of audiences.
This handbook is designed for decision-makers considering whether to imple-
ment a time-relevant water quality monitoring program in their communities and
for technicians responsible for implementing these programs. Managers and deci-
sion-makers likely will find the initial sections of Chapters 3, 4, and 5 most help-
ful. The latter sections of these chapters are targeted primarily at professionals and
technicians and provide detailed "how to" information. Chapter 6 is designed for
managers and communication specialists.
The handbook also refers you to supplementary sources of information, such as
Web sites and guidance documents, where you can find additional guidance with
a greater level of technical detail. Interspersed throughout the handbook are text
boxes that describe some of the lessons learned by the Lake Access team in devel-
oping and implementing its time-relevant water quality monitoring, data man-
agement, and outreach program.
CHAPTER 2
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3. WATER QUALITY
MONITORING
T
I his chapter provides information about water quality monitoring—the first
step in the process of generating time-relevant information about water qual-
ity and making it available to residents in your area.
The chapter begins with a broad overview of water quality monitoring (Section
3-1)- It then focuses on the remote time-relevant water quality monitoring con-
ducted as part of the Lake Access Project. It also provides information about
installing, operating, and maintaining the equipment used by the Lake Access
Project team to gather time-relevant water quality data. Section 3.2 discusses fac-
tors to consider when designing a remote time-relevant water quality monitoring
project. Sections 3.3, 3.4, and 3-5 explain how to select remote time-relevant
monitoring frequencies, parameters, and equipment. Section 3.6 describes how to
select the locations of your remote time-relevant water quality monitoring sta-
tions. Sections 3.7, 3.8, and 3-9 explain how you can install, operate, and main-
tain the remote time-relevant water quality monitoring equipment used by the
Lake Access Project. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of other water
quality monitoring projects conducted in the Twin Cities area (Section 3.10).
Readers primarily interested in an overview of water quality monitoring might
want to focus on the introductory information in Sections 3.1 and 3.2. If you are
responsible for the actual design and implementation of a monitoring project, you
should review Sections 3.3 through 3.9. They provide an introduction to the spe-
cific steps involved in developing and operating a remote time-relevant water
quality monitoring project and information on where to find additional guidance.
3.1 Water Quality Monitoring: An Overview
Water quality monitoring provides information about the condition of streams,
lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastal waters. It can also tell us if these waters are safe
for swimming, fishing, or drinking. The Web site of the U.S. EPA Office of Water
(http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/) is a good source of background
information on water quality monitoring. (The information presented in the fol-
lowing paragraphs is summarized from this Web site.)
Water quality monitoring can consist of the following types of measurements:
• Chemical measurements of constituents such as dissolved oxygen, nutri-
ents, metals, and oils in water, sediment, or fish tissue.
• Physical measurements of general conditions such as temperature, clari-
ty, flow, and water color.
• Biological measurements of the abundance, variety, and growth rates of
aquatic plant and animal life in a water body or the ability of aquatic
organisms to survive in a water sample.
You can conduct several kinds of water quality monitoring projects, such as those:
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
-------
• At fixed locations on a continuous basis
• At selected locations on an as-needed basis or to answer specific ques-
tions
• On a temporary or seasonal basis (such as during the summer at swim-
ming beaches)
• On an emergency basis (such as after a spill)
Many agencies and organizations conduct water quality monitoring, including
state pollution control agencies, Indian tribes, city and county environmental
offices, the U.S. EPA and other federal agencies, and private entities, such as uni-
versities, watershed organizations, environmental groups, and industries.
Volunteer monitors—private citizens who voluntarily collect and analyze water
quality samples, conduct visual assessments of physical conditions, and measure
the biological health of waters—also provide increasingly important water quali-
ty information. The U.S. EPA provides specific information about volunteer
monitoring at http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/vol.html.
Water quality monitoring is conducted for many reasons, including:
• Characterizing waters and identifying trends or changes in water quality
over time.
• Identifying existing or emerging water quality problems.
• Gathering information for the design of pollution prevention or
restoration programs.
• Determining if the goals of specific programs (such as the implementa-
tion of pollution prevention strategies) are being met.
• Responding to emergencies such as spills or floods.
EPA helps administer grants for water quality monitoring projects and provides
technical guidance on how to monitor and report monitoring results. You can
find a number of EPA's water quality monitoring technical guidance documents
on the Web at http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/techmon.html.
In addition to the U.S. EPA resources listed above, you can obtain information
about lake and reservoir water quality monitoring from the North American Lake
Management Society (NALMS). NALMS has published many technical docu-
ments, including a guidance manual entitled Monitoring Lake and Reservoir
Restoration. For more information, visit the NALMS Web site at
http://www.nalms.org. State and local agencies also publish and recommend doc-
uments to help organizations and communities conduct and understand water qual-
ity monitoring. For example, the Minnesota Lakes Association maintains a Web site
(http://www.mnlakesassn.org/main/resources/waterquality/index.cfm) that
lists resources for water quality monitoring and management. State and local organ-
izations in your community might maintain similar listings. The University of
Minnesota-Duluth's Water on the Web site also maintains a list of links for water
quality information and resources, including sampling and monitoring methods, at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow/under/links.html. (The Water on the Web project
CHAPTER 3
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provides on-line, time-relevant lake data as a tool for teaching basic and environ-
mental science.)
In some cases, special water quality monitoring methods, such as remote moni-
toring, or special types of water quality data, such as time-relevant data, are need-
ed to meet a water quality monitoring program's objectives. Time-relevant envi-
ronmental data are data collected and communicated to the public in a time
frame that is useful to their day-to-day decision-making about their health and
the environment, and relevant to the temporal variability of the parameter meas-
ured. Monitoring is called remote when the operator can collect and analyze data
from a site other than the monitoring location itself.
Remote Time-Relevant Water Quality Monitoring: The Lake Access Project
The Lake Access Project helps community lake management and research organ-
izations learn more about the characteristics of lakes in the Minnehaha Creek
Watershed District (MCWD) and the Suburban Hennepin Regional Park district
(Hennepin Parks) through remote time-relevant monitoring of lake water quali-
ty. In turn, the data gathered through the Lake Access Project are used to com-
municate time-relevant information about lake water quality to the local public.
The Lake Access Project team conducts remote time-relevant monitoring at two
locations in Lake Minnetonka and at one location in Lake Independence. At each
location, the project team operates a remote underwater sampling station
(RUSS™) unit, manufactured by Apprise Technologies, Inc. The RUSS unit con-
sists of a mobile underwater monitoring sensor tethered to a buoy and featuring
an onboard computer, batteries, solar panels, telemetry equipment, and other
optional monitoring equipment. Four times daily, each RUSS unit raises and low-
ers a tethered multiprobe water quality sensor manufactured by Yellow Springs
Instruments® (YSP) to collect a profile in 1 -meter intervals from the lake surface
to the lake bottom. The RUSS unit measures the following parameters:
• Temperature
• pH
• Dissolved oxygen
• Electrical conductivity
• Turbidity
• Depth
The Lake Access Project team uses a land-base station to communicate with the
RUSS units via cellular connection. Time-relevant data are remotely downloaded
from the RUSS units daily.
The diagram on page 10 illustrates some of the basic RUSS unit components, and
it shows how the RUSS unit communicates with the land-base station. This dia-
gram was taken from the RUSS System Manual, which is available from Apprise
Technologies. For more information about Apprise Technologies and the RUSS
unit, visit http://www.apprisetech.com.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
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Collular ,' Radio ! Satellite
tnlmrtmcm
Remote Station
(multiple sites)
Meteorological
OP*
Communication*
Module
BUOY
Dttwr
MuHJ
rd
Diagram showing some of the RUSS unit components and illustrating the
communication between the RUSS unit and the land-base station. (Taken
from the RUSS System Manual, available from Apprise Technologies at
http://www.apprisetech.com.)
The remainder of this chapter highlights the Lake Access Project. The text box
below provides some background information on the characteristics of the lakes
studied in the Lake Access Project, and it introduces some important technical
terms relevant to the study of these lakes. The information in this text box was
taken from the Lake Access Web site, which provides extensive online informa-
tion about lake ecology. For more information, visit these Web pages at
http://www.lakeaccess.org/ecology/lakeecology.html.
3.2 Designing a Time-Relevant Water Quality
Monitoring Project
The first step in developing any water quality monitoring project is to define your
objectives. Keep in mind that remote time-relevant monitoring might not be the
best method for your organization or community. For example, you would not
likely require a remote time-relevant monitoring capability to conduct monthly
monitoring to comply with a state or federal regulation.
1 0
CHAPTER 3
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Lake Stratification and Lake Mixing
This text box provides some basic information about the effects of seasonal temperature variations on the
types of lakes studied by the Lake Access Project team.
Lakes are directly influenced by fluctuations in seasonal air temperature. The following figure shows the
seasonal activities and characteristics of lakes, such as Lake Minnetonka and Lake Independence in the
Minneapolis area, with an annual pattern of two seasonal mixing periods. (Lakes with this pattern of mix-
ing are known as dimictic lakes.)
EARLYSUMMER LATE SUMMER EARL/FALL
SPRING MOVER WINTER FALLTURNOVER
Figure showing the activities and characteristics of the types of lakes
studied through the Lake Access Project. (Taken from the Lake Access Web
site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/ecology/lakeecologyprim4.html).
Seasonal air temperatures directly affect lake temperatures. Lake temperatures, in turn, affect lake water
densities. Water is most dense at about 4°C and becomes less dense at higher and lower temperatures.
The typical seasonal lake temperature and density characteristics seen in dimictic lakes are described
below:
Summer. During the summer, the lake surface is warmed by the sun, while the lake bottom remains cold.
These differing temperatures affect lake water density, causing the water in deeper lakes to separate into
layers. This process of separation is called stratification. The figure on page 1 2 shows the following three
layers of a typical stratified lake:
• The epilimnion is the upper layer. It is warm, well-mixed, and rich in dissolved oxygen.
• The mefa/imn/on is also called the thermodine region. The thermodine is the point of maximum tem-
perature change within the metalimnion. In this layer, water temperature declines and density increas-
es rapidly with depth. The drastic density change in this layer prevents the epilimnion and hypolimnion
from mixing.
• The hypolimnion is the bottom layer of cold water. Because this layer is isolated from the atmosphere
and the epilimnion, it becomes cmox/'c (i.e., the water does not contain any dissolved oxygen). Anoxic
conditions can result in many events, including the release of phosphorus, a nutrient, from the lake bot-
tom sediment into the hypolimnion.
Stratified layers develop different physical and chemical characteristics, and support different types of
aquatic life. Lake stratification usually persists until the fall.
(continued on next page)
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
1 1
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THERMAL STRATIFICATION
Figure showing the three distinct layers of a typical stratified lake.
(Taken from the Lake Access Web site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/ecology/lakeecologyprim4.html).
Fall. As air temperatures cool in the fall, the water temperature in the epilimnion cools and water density
increases. Fall winds mix the lake to greater depths, and the thermocline deepens. Then, when the tem-
perature and density of the epilimnion approach the temperature and density of the hypolimnion, fall
winds mix the entire lake. This mixing event is called a turnover.
Winter. During the winter, the water temperature in the epilimnion cools even further, until a layer of ice
forms on the lake surface. Under the ice, the lake again stratifies. Winter stratification differs from summer
stratification because the temperature in the epilimnion is lower than that of the hypolimnion, which stays
at about 4°C throughout the winter. The stratification is also less stable than in the summer, because the
temperature and density differences between the layers is not large. Because the ice isolates the lake from
wind mixing, however, stratification usually persists throughout the winter. Anoxia occurs at the bottom of
most lakes during the winter.
Spring. During the spring, the water in the epilimnion is heated. As the temperature approaches 4°C, the
density increases. When the temperature and density of the epilimnion approach that of the hypolimnion,
very little wind energy is needed to mix the lake. After this turnover, the temperature and density of the
water in the epilimnion continue to increase until this layer becomes too warm and too buoyant to mix with
the lower layers.
Here are some questions to help determine if remote time-relevant monitoring is
appropriate to meet your monitoring objectives:
• What types of questions about water quality would you like to
answer, and do you need time-relevant data to answer these ques-
tions? For example, do you want to know more about how rapid
events, such as urban or agricultural runoff from rainstorms, might
affect water quality in your area by stimulating algal blooms?
• If you already have other water quality monitoring projects in place,
how would the addition of time-relevant data enhance them?
1 2
CHAPTER 3
-------
For example, would the frequent review of time-relevant data allow you
to tailor your other monitoring projects to yield more representative
water quality data or conserve your organization's labor and analytical
resources
• How would your community or organization benefit from a time-rel-
evant monitoring project? For example, would time-relevant data pro-
vide you with a better opportunity to communicate water quality issues
to your community?
Designing the Lake Access Project
The Lake Access Project team's decision to collect time-relevant water quality data
using RUSS units grew out of an interest to learn more about rapid, weather-relat-
ed mixing events in Lake Minnetonka. To do so, Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District (MCWD) and Hennepin Parks required time-relevant water quality data
and the capability to collect these data remotely. The box on page 14 provides
more information on the design of the Lake Access Project.
3.3 Selecting Your Sampling Frequency
The sampling frequency you select for your remote time-relevant water quality
monitoring project depends upon your project's objectives. For example:
• If you want to determine the effects of storm-related nonpoint sources
on water quality in your area, you could tailor your monitoring fre-
quency to collect data during storm events.
• If you want to study a water body affected by tidal flow, you could tai-
lor your monitoring frequency to collect data during tidal events.
It is appropriate to experiment with different monitoring frequencies to optimize
your ability to fulfill your project's objectives.
Lake Access Project Monitoring Frequency
The Lake Access Project team typically programs its RUSS units to collect lake
profile samples four times daily. This monitoring frequency enables team mem-
bers to observe short-term changes in lake stratification and water quality, and to
document day-to-night differences for the purpose of teaching basic and envi-
ronmental science through the Water on the Web curriculum. In order to provide
a high-quality data set for understanding and managing the lakes, the data's accu-
racy needs to be certified. See the box on page 1 5 for more information.
The Lake Access Project team can adjust the RUSS unit monitoring frequency
from the land-base station. For example, to allow for a more detailed analysis of
rapid lake mixing, Lake Access team members can program the RUSS unit to col-
lect samples at a greater frequency during severe storm or wind events.
With frequent review of the time-relevant data, the project team has been able to
tailor the frequency of its manual water quality monitoring projects to yield more
representative data. For example, the team can conduct manual monitoring in
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 13
-------
Using Remote Time-Relevant Monitoring to Study Rapid Lake Mixing
The remote time-relevant monitoring conducted using RUSS units has provided the Lake Access Project
team with new opportunities for data collection and analysis.
During several years of water quality monitoring, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and
Hennepin Parks personnel learned that water quality conditions in Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCAAA)
lakes varied on an annual basis. Although MCWD and Hennepin Parks personnel weren't particularly sur-
prised by this finding, they were quite surprised that the data showed no correlation between water quali-
ty in TCMA lakes and the characteristics of runoff from surrounding watersheds. Instead, the data showed
that mixing events occurring within TCMA lakes seemed to have a more significant impact on lake water
quality than the effect of watershed runoff.
In addition, water quality data collected from Lake Minnetonka during several summers showed highly
variable phosphorus concentrations at the lake bottom. Typically, lake-bottom phosphorus concentrations
increase steadily throughout the summer as decreased oxygen levels at the hypolimnion cause phospho-
rus to be released from bottom sediment. At first, MCWD and Hennepin Parks personnel assumed their
highly variable data were caused by sampling error. If they had accidentally hit the lake bottom during
manual sampling, they could have inadvertently collected sediment with high phosphorus concentrations.
However, several years of highly variable phosphorus data convinced them of the improbability of making
the same sampling mistake year after year!
MCWD and Hennepin Parks personnel began to suspect that weather events, such as strong winds or
storms, were causing rapid lake mixing events. They suspected these mixing events were similar to sea-
sonal mixing that typically occurs in the spring and fall, but that these events were occurring very rapidly—
often in one or two days. As a result, the phosphorous concentration near the lake bottom decreased, and
the phosphorous concentration in the upper layer of the lake, where sunlight penetrates, increased, there-
by promoting algae growth.
MCWD and Hennepin Parks personnel realized they could not test the validity of their theory using their
"traditional" methods for monitoring water quality for the following reasons:
• Rapid lake mixing events typically occur during strong winds or storms. Field personnel could not col-
lect manual water quality samples to document these rapid mixing events because of safety concerns
associated with working on lakes during severe weather.
• Lake mixing events can occur rapidly, and algae growth can double in one day under prime conditions.
MCWD and Hennepin Parks could not provide the laboratory or analytical resources to conduct water
quality monitoring at the short intervals required to fully document these types of rapid events.
As you will read in this chapter, remote time-relevant monitoring has allowed the Lake Access Project team
to document and study rapid lake mixing events in Lake Minnetonka.
Halsteds Bay immediately after documenting a rapid mixing event with time-rel-
evant data. The team can then use the data collected through manual monitoring
to determine the effect of the mixing event on the lake.
3.4 Selecting Water Quality Parameters for
Monitoring
Your selection of time-relevant monitoring parameters depends on your project's
objectives and on the remote time-relevant technologies available to you. To sat-
isfy the objectives of the Lake Access Project, the project team chose to monitor
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Data Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC)
QA/QC procedures ensure that data are accurate, precise, and consistent. QA/QC involves following
established rules in the field and in the laboratory to ensure that samples are representative of the water
you are monitoring, free from contamination, and analyzed following standard procedures. (Chapter 4,
section 4.4, provides additional information on standard QA/QC analysis procedures used by the Lake
Access Project.)
The Lake Access Project uses two types of water quality data:
1. Time-relevant data collected with a YSI multiprobe water quality sensor controlled by the RUSS unit.
2. "Conventional" data collected by trained field staff, including manual measurements with a YSI multi-
probe water quality sensor, as well as the collection of water samples analyzed at a laboratory.
Many state and federal monitoring projects use YSI multiprobe or similar water quality sensors. To ensure
the QA/QC of data collected with these sensors, the Lake Access Project team follows manufacturer's
instructions for sensor calibration and maintenance. (See Section 3.9 for more information on the calibra-
tion and maintenance procedures followed by the team.) To ensure the QA/QC of "conventional" data, the
Lake Access Project team follows guidelines set forth by the U.S. EPA and American Public Health
Association, in addition to those set forth by the Minnesota Department of Health.
The team also has several years of experience identifying systematic errors associated with sensor deteri-
oration, or biofouling, that occurs when algae, bacteria, and fungi grow on the sensor while it is continu-
ally submerged in water beneath the RUSS unit.
The Lake Access Web site provides more information about the team's QA/QC procedures
at http://www.lakeaccess.org/QAQC.html. EPA's publication The Volunteer Monitor's
Guide to Qualify Assurance Project Plans provides more information on QA/QC plans for monitoring
projects. For more information on this guide, visit http://www.epa.gov/owowwtrl/monitoring/
volunteer/qappexec.htm.
five basic water quality parameters on a time-relevant basis: temperature, pH, dis-
solved oxygen, electrical conductivity, and turbidity.
The Lake Access Project team uses time-relevant measurements of temperature,
dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity as indicators of lake stratification
and rapid mixing events. When summer lake stratification is stable, parameter
measurements typically show the following:
• Temperature at the lake surface is about 4° to 5° warmer than tempera-
ture at the lake bottom, and a thermocline region exists with a temper-
ature gradient of greater than 1 ° C per meter.
• Dissolved oxygen in the upper mixed layer is nearly saturated. Below
the thermocline, dissolved oxygen decreases very rapidly and most of
the hypolimnion is completely anoxic until fall overturn.
• Electrical conductivity tends to be higher below the thermocline, and it
increases as the summer progresses due to the release of carbon dioxide
and other ions from decomposing organic matter.
Immediately after a rapid lake mixing event, time-relevant measurements of tem-
perature, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity are nearly identical at the
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 15
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lake surface and the lake bottom. In addition, the Lake Access Project team usu-
ally observes increased turbidity measurements in the lake's upper layer, where
sunlight penetrates as algae growth increases because of the additional phospho-
rus mixed into the upper layer. The project team will often collect manual sam-
ples for laboratory analyses of additional parameters immediately after a mixing
event to learn more about the effects of the event on the lake.
The Lake Access Web site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/russ/ contains descrip-
tions of time-relevant water quality parameters measured through the Lake Access
project and the significance of their measurements. The descriptions are briefly
summarized in the box on page 17.
Making the Most of Your Time-Relevant Water Quality Data
Currently, your organization will find a limited number of cost-effective time-relevant monitoring technolo-
gies available. Also keep in mind that time-relevant data might not be as accurate, precise, or consistent
as "conventional" laboratory analytical data. You will want to carefully consider how your project will use
time-relevant data and make the most of the time-relevant monitoring parameters you select.
In designing your program, think about how you could use time-relevant measurements of certain param-
eters as indicators of the phenomena you wish to document. For example, depending on your water body's
characteristics and the location of your monitoring equipment, you could use turbidity and dissolved oxy-
gen measurements as indicators of an algae bloom. Then you could learn more about the bloom by con-
ducting manual monitoring of parameters that might not currently be available to you on a cost-effective,
time-relevant basis (e.g., chlorophyll-a, phosphorus, nitrogen). Another example might involve using
time-relevant measurements of turbidity and electrical conductivity to trace the influx of streams laden with
higher loads of particulate (as indicated by turbidity) and dissolved solids (as indicated by electrical
conductivity).
3.5 Selecting Monitoring Equipment
Your selection of remote time-relevant water quality monitoring equipment
depends on your project's objectives. When selecting monitoring equipment,
you should also consider equipment lifetime, reliability, and maintenance
requirements.
Lake Access Equipment Selection
The Lake Access Team selected the RUSS unit to provide the capability to collect
time-relevant water quality data remotely. This capability has provided the Lake
Access Project team with new opportunities for data collection and analysis:
• The daily collection of multiple depth profiles enables personnel to
view characteristics of lake stratification and metabolism on a daily
basis.
• Because the remote equipment can collect and analyze water samples
over frequent time intervals and during severe weather conditions, the
Lake Access Project team can document lake mixing episodes. In some
instances, some bays of Lake Minnetonka can completely mix in a 24-
hour period. Scientists had discussed the potential for this type of rapid
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mixing to occur, and other organizations had attempted to document
these events by conducting monitoring on a daily basis, but Lake
Access is the first project to successfully measure and document this
phenomenon in Lake Minnetonka.
Lake Access Time-Relevant Water Quality Parameters
Temperature. Temperature has a direct effect on biological activity and the growth of aquatic organisms
because most aquatic organisms are "cold-blooded" (i.e., they cannot regulate their core body tempera-
tures). Temperature also affects biological activity by influencing lake water chemistry. For example,
because warm water holds less oxygen than cold water, it might not contain enough oxygen to support
some types of aquatic life.
pH. pH is a measure of the acidity of the water. A pH of 7 is neutral. Values lower than 7 are acidic and
higher than 7 are basic. Many important chemical and biological reactions are strongly affected by pH. In
turn, chemical reactions and biological processes (e.g., photosynthesis and respiration) can affect pH.
Lower pH values can increase the amount of dissolved metals in the water, increasing the toxicity of these
metals.
Dissolved oxygen. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in water determines the number and type of
aquatic organisms that can live in the water. Dissolved oxygen must be present at adequate concentrations
to sustain these organisms.
Electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity is an estimator of the amount of total dissolved salts or total
dissolved ions in water. Many factors influence the electrical conductivity of lake water, including the water-
shed's geology, the watershed's size in relation to lake's size, wastewater from point sources, runoff from
nonpoint sources, atmospheric inputs, evaporation rates, and some types of bacterial metabolism.
Electrical conductivity is also a function of temperature; therefore, RUSS data are "standardized" to 25° C.
Turbidity. Turbidity describes the clarity of water. Turbidity increases as the amount of total suspended
solids in the water increases. Increased turbidity measurements might have several adverse effects on
lakes, including the following:
• If light penetration is reduced significantly, growth of aquatic plants and organisms can decrease.
Reduced photosynthesis can result in decreased daytime releases of oxygen into the water.
• Particles of silt, clay, and other organic materials can settle to the lake bottom, suffocate eggs and/or
newly hatched larvae, and fill in potential areas of habitat for aquatic organisms.
• Turbidity can affect fish populations. Increased turbidity can reduce the ability of predators, such as
northern pike and muskellunge, to locate prey—shifting fish populations to species that feed at the lake
bottom.
• Fine particulate material can affect aquatic organisms by clogging or damaging their sensitive gill struc-
tures, decreasing their resistance to disease, preventing proper egg and larval development, and poten-
tially interfering with particle feeding activities.
• Increased inputs of organic particles, either produced from plant growth in the lake or washed in from
the watershed, can deplete oxygen as the organic particles decompose.
• Increased turbidity raises the cost of treating surface water for the drinking water supply.
The RUSS unit, developed through a cooperative effort between Apprise
Technologies and the University of Minnesota, performs remote water quality
monitoring using commercially available monitoring sensors. The sensors
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 17
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The Lake Access Project: A Success Story
Prior to initiation of the Lake Access Project, a feasibility study was conduct-
ed to identify methods for improving Halsteds Bay's water quality. The study
concluded that a $5.5 million project focusing on watershed restoration
and improvement was necessary to accomplish this task. (This restoration
project was not implemented.) Since that study, the Lake Access Project has
shown that rapid weather-related mixing events cause the release of
approximately 10 times more phosphorus to the epilimnion than runoff
events from the surrounding watershed. The sediments are providing a
reservoir of phosphorus from historical pollution that will take decades to
flush out.
The Lake Access Project has provided valuable information—watershed
management alone will not improve the water quality of Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area lakes in all cases. With a greater understanding of the
characteristics and causes of phosphorus concentrations in these lakes, the
Lake Access Project team can apply appropriate lake management and
water treatment strategies to improve water quality, and apply them with a
much higher potential for success.
transmit time-relevant water quality data to a computer onboard the unit. Using
wireless communication, the RUSS unit can both receive programming and
transmit data to a land-base station.
The RUSS unit consists of a mobile underwater monitoring sensor tethered to a
module that floats on the water surface. The flotation module contains batteries;
solar panels; telemetry equipment; and a Remote Programming, Data
Acquisition, and Retrieval (RePDAR) unit. A diagram of the RUSS unit is pre-
sented on page 19. This diagram, which shows the flotation module, tethered pro-
filer, and three-line unit anchoring system, was taken from the RUSS System
Manual. For more information about Apprise Technologies and the RUSS unit,
visit http://www.apprisetech.com.
RePDAR Unit. The RePDAR unit allows for remote water quality monitoring
sensor operation, data storage, and data transmission. Each RePDAR unit con-
tains a central processing unit (CPU), power supply charging controls, and
telemetry modules enclosed in a watertight resin case. The RePDAR unit enables
the user to:
• Collect, process, and store data at user-specified intervals.
• Transmit data to the land-base station via wireless communication
systems, including cellular, radio, satellite, or 900 MHz.
• Program the RUSS Unit from the land-base station.
• Operate the RUSS Unit in the field with a portable computer.
• Call the land-base station or an emergency telephone number when a
water quality monitoring sensor parameter exceeds a user-specified
range.
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Diagram of RUSS unit, showing the flotation module, tethered profiler, and
three-line anchoring system. (Taken from the RUSS System Manual, available
from Apprise Technologies at http://www.apprisetech.com.)
Flotation module. The flotation module is a yellow, three-armed, floating buoy.
Profiler. The RUSS unit profiler is controlled by the RePDAR unit. The profiler
carries the water quality monitoring sensor to multiple depths within the water
column beneath the flotation module. A special profiler cable transmits power
and buoyancy-control protocols from the RePDAR unit to the profiler and trans-
mits data from the water quality monitoring sensor to the RePDAR unit.
An illustration of the profiler is presented on page 20.
Field controller. The field controller is used during the field service mode of oper-
ation. With the field controller, you can manually move the profiler and connect
a portable computer to the water quality monitoring sensor and the RePDAR
unit without removing the electronics hatch cover. The field controller consists of
a small patch box with a receptacle for the profiler cable and a connector plug for
the electronics hatch cover.
Software. The RUSS unit can be operated with two Apprise Technologies
software programs:
• RUSS-Base, which allows you to operate the RUSS unit remotely using
a computer at your land-base station. (See Chapter 4 for information
about using RUSS-Base software.)
• CONSOLE, which allows you to operate the RUSS unit using a
portable computer in the field.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
1 9
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Wet Cylinder Purge Valve
Wet Cylinder
Top Plate
Main Rods
Dry Cylinder
Screw Clamp
Bottom Plate
Ballast Rod
Ballast Weight
RUSS unit profiler. (Taken from the RUSS System Manual, available from
Apprise Technologies at http://www.apprisetech.com.)
3.6 Siting Monitors
You should select monitoring locations that best fulfill the objectives of your
remote time-relevant water quality monitoring project; however, you will need to
consider several factors when making your final siting decisions. Consider the
checklist of questions on page 21 when choosing your location:
Siting the Lake Access Project Monitoring Locations
The Lake Access Project team selected three locations for siting RUSS units:
• Halsteds Bay in Lake Minnetonka, which receives runoff from a large
watershed of both agricultural and urban residential land use. Because
of nutrient loading from the runoff, the water quality in Halsteds Bay
is poor. Halsteds Bay is subject to rapid weather-related mixing during
the summer because of its relatively shallow depth (about 9-10 meters).
• West Upper Lake in Lake Minnetonka, which is much deeper than
Halsteds Bay and has much better water quality. This basin receives
runoff only from the area immediately adjacent to its shoreline. Because
it is deeper than Halsteds Bay and has lower algal growth, West Upper
Lake does not experience the same types of rapid weather-related mix-
ing events.
20
CHAPTER 3
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Monitoring Site-Selection Checklist
Q Are the time-relevant data you collect at these locations likely to fulfill
your project's objectives? Specifically, what questions will you be able
to answer with your data, and how will the answers assist you with ful-
filling your objectives?
Q Will people in your community support equipment installation and
remote time-relevant monitoring at your locations?
Q Will monitoring equipment at your locations pose a potential danger
to the people in your community? For example, are your monitoring
locations near heavily trafficked areas of the water body?
Q Will monitoring equipment be safe at your locations? In other words,
will equipment be especially susceptible to vandalism, tampering, or
damage?
Q What local, state, or federal regulations will you need to consider when
choosing your locations?
Q Is flexibility important to your project? Would you like the option to
move your monitoring equipment to different locations, or would you
like to monitor at several locations concurrently?
Q Do you foresee any site-specific problems with installing, operating,
and maintaining your monitoring equipment at these locations? Do
these locations pose any safety hazards to your personnel?
Q Can you adequately survey and assess your locations? What equip-
ment-specific considerations will you need to make?
• Lake Independence, which lies within the metropolitan region but
receives primarily agricultural runoff. The water quality conditions in
Lake Independence are intermediate to the conditions in Halsteds Bay
and West Upper Lake.
The map below shows the locations of these three monitoring stations.
4 Miles
3
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
2 1
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The Lake Access Team selected these three locations for the following reasons:
• The team can study data spanning the range of water quality condi-
tions typically seen in Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA) lakes.
• MCWD conducts manual monitoring of the runoff to Halsteds Bay.
The combination of these data, historical watershed-based land use and
cultural data, and the Lake Access time-relevant water quality data from
Halsteds Bay allows MCWD to study the link between land use pat-
terns and bay water quality.
• Data from Halsteds Bay allow the Lake Access team to study the rapid
weather-related mixing events that transport phosphorus from the lake
bottom to the lake's upper layer.
• By comparing data from Halsteds Bay and West Upper Lake, the Lake
Access team is able to determine how differences in lake basin shape
and depth can produce dramatic differences in lake water quality,
which in turn affect watershed and lake management decisions.
Before making final siting decisions, the Lake Access Project team met with com-
munity members to ensure their approval of proposed monitoring locations. The
team decided against one proposed location because community members had
concerns that monitoring equipment might interfere with lake recreational
opportunities or adversely affect the lake's appearance.
The team also met with local agencies to ensure that the proposed monitoring
locations complied with local regulations. To comply with boater safety regula-
tions, the Lake Access team could not locate RUSS units in main lake traffic areas.
As a result, the locations are closer to shore than the project team would have pre-
ferred. The Lake Access Project team was required to obtain navigational buoy
permits from the county-level sheriff's office before installing the RUSS units.
The team also considered siting requirements specific to the RUSS units. The
RUSS System Manual provides guidance on properly siting these units. Before
installation, the manual recommends a site characterization survey consisting of
the following:
• Maximum depth measurement. You will need to make these measure-
ments when installing the RUSS unit profiler. The manual recom-
mends several depth measurements within a 6-meter radius of the
deployment location to account for local depth variations. If the water
body you are monitoring fluctuates in depth, you must update the
maximum depth in the profiler program. The profiler will sustain dam-
age from repeated contact with the bottom of the water body.
• Depth contour assessment. Depth contour measurements will assist you
with deploying the RUSS unit anchoring system. The manual recom-
mends depth measurements in concentric circles surrounding the
deployment location to generate a rough contour map of the anchoring
site.
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Bottom type assessment. You might need to assess the material at the
bottom of the water body to ensure proper anchoring of the RUSS
unit. Different types of anchor designs are available for different bot-
tom types.
Signal strength assessment for the data telemetry device. You will need
to ensure that cellular signal strength is reliable or radio telemetry is
possible at the location.
Temporary site marking. You should mark the assessed location to
ensure that the RUSS unit is deployed in the proper location.
The Lake Access Project: Looking Ahead
Hennepin Parks would like to conduct future remote time-relevant monitor-
ing with a RUSS unit in a shallow area of Lake Minnetonka where boating
occurs. Lake Minnetonka is one of the most heavily used lakes for boating
in the United States. Hennepin Parks would use the time-relevant data to
study the magnitude at which boat traffic stirs up bottom sediments and the
impact these events have on the lake's water quality. If data indicate that
boat traffic adversely affects lake water quality, Hennepin Parks would
advocate no-wake zones in near-shore areas to maintain ecosystem health.
3.7 Installing RUSS Units
This section summarizes some of the basic RUSS unit installation procedures.
These procedures were taken from the RUSS System Manual, available from
Apprise Technologies at http://www.apprisetech.com. You will need to consult
this manual for detailed step-by-step installation guidance.
Unpacking and inspecting the RUSS unit
The first step to installing a RUSS unit is unpacking and inspecting the unit. You
should follow these procedures when receiving the unit:
1. Remove the packing material surrounding the flotation module. Take
care when removing the packing material, as some items might have
shifted during shipment.
2. Remove the solar panels and solar panel blank (if included) from each
arm of the flotation module.
3. Remove the electronics hatch cover to access the dry compartment
inside one arm of the flotation module, and remove all items located in
the compartment.
4. Using the enclosed packing slip, perform an inventory of all items. If
you are missing any items, contact Apprise Technologies.
5. Conduct a thorough visual inspection of all items. If you observe any
damage, contact Apprise Technologies and the carrier.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 23
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Preparing and assembling the RUSS units
You will need to conduct a series of preparation and assembly activities on land,
on shore, and at the RUSS unit deployment location. Complete the following
activities on land:
• Ensure your battery(ies) is charged.
• Assemble and connect the arms of the flotation module.
• Install the light and antenna.
• Attach the barrier float anchoring cables.
• Secure an appropriately sized line for towing the unit to the deploy-
ment site.
• Calibrate your water quality monitoring sensor according to manufac-
turer's instructions.
• Install the Apprise Technologies RUSS-Base software program on your
land-base station computer.
• Install the Apprise Technologies CONSOLE software program on your
field portable computer.
Once you have completed the on-land assembly of the RUSS unit, you will need
to transport it to a shore-side location suitable for working on the unit. Complete
the following activities on shore:
• Position your battery(ies) and the RePDAR unit within the dry com-
partment.
• Position and connect the two solar panels.
• Assemble the electrical system.
• Connect the RePDAR unit to the electrical system.
• Connect the profiler.
• Place the unit in the field service mode of operation and perform elec-
trical testing. For more information on the field service mode of opera-
tion, see section 3.8.
When you have completed your electrical tests, you should disconnect the profil-
er and field controller and install your remaining solar panel or solar panel blank
on the arm with the dry compartment. You are now ready to tow the RUSS unit
to your monitoring location. When you tow the unit, take the water quality mon-
itoring sensor, the profiler (with its ballast weights), and the field controller with
you in the boat.
Anchoring the RUSS unit
When you reach the deployment location, you will anchor your RUSS unit. Your
anchoring system must meet the following requirements:
24 CHAPTERS
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• The system must maintain the flotation module in a fixed location and
prevent excessive drifting.
• Anchoring lines must maintain proper tension in all water conditions.
• Anchoring lines should not enter the water column below the flotation
module (i.e., the working area of the profiler).
Apprise Technologies recommends a three-line anchoring system to provide
dynamic control of the flotation module while maintaining proper orientation at
the deployment location. A diagram of the recommended anchoring system's
components is presented below.
Flotation Module
Barrier Float Anchor Cable
Variable Buoyancy Anchoring Cable
Variable Buoyancy Anchor
*7\ ,
\
/
•
1 A
.
Terminus Anchoring Cable
hea of Operation
of the
Profiler
Terminus
Anchor
Diagram of the recommended anchoring system components (only one of the three lines is illustrated).
(Taken from the RUSS System Manual, available from Apprise Technologies at http://www.apprisetech.com.)
Each anchoring line of the recommended system contains the following
components:
• Barrier float anchoring cable—A 5-foot stainless steel cable of 3/16-
inch diameter or greater connecting the flotation module to the barrier
float.
• Barrier float—A small flotation buoy connecting the barrier float
anchoring cable and the variable buoyancy anchoring cable. The three
barrier float buoys (one on each line) can be essential for locating the
RUSS unit during rough wave conditions.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
25
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Variable buoyancy anchoring cable—A cable connecting the barrier
float to the variable buoyancy anchor.
Variable buoyancy anchor—Located between the barrier float and the
terminus anchor. The variable buoyancy anchor provides tension in
both the variable buoyancy anchoring cable and the terminus anchor-
ing cable.
Terminus anchoring cable—A cable connecting the variable buoyancy
anchor to the terminus anchor.
Terminus anchor—A device used to fix the end of the terminus anchor-
ing cable to the bottom of the water body. The type of terminus anchor
you use depends on the type of material at the bottom of the water
body. As part of the survey and assessment of the monitoring location
you conduct before installation and deployment, you determine this
type of material and select a suitable anchor.
Anchoring the Lake Access Project RUSS Units
The Lake Access Project team experienced difficulty with its RUSS unit
anchoring system during the first year the units were deployed. The system
allowed the RUSS units to drift, and the anchoring lines tangled with one
another and with the profiler unit. In addition, the terminus anchors were
too heavy to move by hand, so field personnel had to use a barge and
crane to move and retrieve them. As a solution, the team installed a three-
line anchoring system.
The Lake Access Project team is pleased with the current recommended
three-line anchoring system. RUSS unit drifting has been minimized. The
anchor lines remain tense and have not tangled with one another or inter-
fered with the profiler operation. In addition, the terminus anchors are sized
so team members can move them by hand. The Lake Access Project team
has also replaced the steel anchoring cables with suitably sized rope
because personnel have cut their hands on the steel cables while moving
the anchors.
Deploying the profiler
When your RUSS unit is anchored, you will connect your water quality moni-
toring sensor to the profiler and deploy the profiler by following these general
steps:
1. Measure the length of profiler cable to match the maximum depth of
the deployment site plus two meters. As part of your survey and assess-
ment of the monitoring location before installation and deployment,
you will have determined the maximum depth. If the water body fluc-
tuates in depth, you must update the maximum depth in the profiler
program. The profiler will sustain damage from repeated contact with
the bottom of the water body.
26 CHAPTERS
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2. Connect the profiler cable to the profiler and the electrical system.
3. Fill the profiler's wet cylinder with water and place ballast weights on
the ballasting rods to achieve zero profiler buoyancy and vertical sus-
pension.
4. Place the unit in the field service mode of operation and test the profil-
er movement. For more information on the field service mode of opera-
tion, see section 3.8.
Once your profiler testing is complete, your RUSS unit is ready for operation!
3.8 Operating RUSS Units
Although RUSS units are designed for remote operation from a land-base station,
you can also operate them in the field. (See Chapter 4, section 4.2, for more infor-
mation about communicating with your RUSS unit from the land-base station.)
This section summarizes the basic procedures for operating your RUSS unit in
field service mode. These procedures were taken from the RUSS System Manual,
available from Apprise Technologies at http://www.apprisetech.com. You
will need to consult this manual for detailed step-by-step field service operation
guidance.
Field service operation
The RUSS unit's field service mode of operation allows you to monitor the unit
during deployment and in emergency situations. You will need the following
equipment to operate your RUSS unit in field service mode:
• The key to the RUSS unit's electronics hatch cover
• The field controller
• A portable computer running Apprise Technologies CONSOLE
software
• A null-modem computer cable
Follow these steps to enter the field service mode of operation:
1. Connect the field controller to the RePDAR unit.
2. With the null-modem cable, connect your portable computer to the
field controller.
3. Set the field controller rotary switches to enable communication
between the RePDAR unit and your portable computer, and to enable
automatic movement of the profiler.
4. Turn the electronics hatch cover key to SERVICE to provide power to
the RePDAR unit.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 27
-------
Your portable computer, with the CONSOLE software running, will act as your
window to the RePDAR unit. Shortly after you provide power to the RePDAR
unit, it will initialize. You will notice a 10-second pause after the initialization.
You have two options during this pause:
Option 1. If you need to perform an emergency download of data in the
RePDAR unit's memory, you can press M during the pause.
(You will not need a password for this emergency download,
but you will need to send the binary data file to Apprise
Technologies or an authorized service site to have the file con-
verted to standard format.)
Option 2. You can press L to log in during the pause. If you do not pro-
vide a password, you will be able to perform only deployment
and hardware setup functions. If you enter the Level 1 pass-
word, you will have access to stored data. If you enter the
Level 2 password, you will be able to make changes to the
profiler and telemetry setup. If you do not log in during the
pause, the software will prompt you for the appropriate pass-
word when you try to access any protected information.
After the 10-second pause, the RePDAR unit will enter the Main Setup menu. In
this menu, you can access, review, and enter the following information:
• Current time and date
• Profiler schedule and depth
• Water quality monitoring sensor type
• RS-232 baud rate
• Modem baud rate and initialization strings
• RUSS unit call sign and location
• Data access and programming passwords
Under the main menu's Data Access option, press A to see a screen display of the
stored data. As you view this display, the CONSOLE software will automatically
capture these data to a file identified by the RUSS unit's call sign.
Under the main menu's Proceed to Hardware Init option, you can initialize the
RUSS unit hardware according to the configuration you selected. When the ini-
tialization is complete, you will see a brief status report for each RUSS unit sub-
system (e.g., the profiler, the water quality monitoring sensor, the modem) on
your portable computer screen. The status report screen will allow you to do the
following:
• View the programmed configuration, including the time, date, and the
RUSS unit's call sign and location.
• View the battery voltage.
28 CHAPTERS
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• View the results of the RePDAR unit's attempts to establish a link with
the water quality monitoring sensor.
• Test profiler operation by pressing (P)ark, (S)tartprofile, or (H)alt.
m View modem information and test commands.
• Test the modem link quality by calling a preprogrammed telephone
number. You will be able to view a modem status message of the call's
progress.
Setting up the water quality monitoring sensor
In addition to properly calibrating your water quality monitoring sensor accord-
ing to manufacturer's instructions, you will need to take the following steps to
ensure your equipment operates properly:
• In the RUSS unit field mode of operation, confirm the programmed
water quality monitoring sensor type and proper units of measurement
and ensure that sensor operation is enabled.
• You should set the interval between sampling to a minimum of 3 sec-
onds to ensure reliable profiler operation.
• Water quality monitoring sensors usually have two distinct modes of
operation: the menu system is used for calibration and setup, and the
data string mode is used during monitoring. You will need to make
sure your sensor is in the proper operation mode.
Lake Access Project RUSS unit operation
The Lake Access Project team programs its RUSS units to collect sample profiles
at 1-meter intervals four times daily. Profiles begin at the lake surface at 12:00
p.m., 6:00 p.m., 12:00 a.m., and 6:00 a.m. Data are typically transferred to the
land-base station each morning.
Apprise Technologies has altered the internal program for the Lake Access Project
RUSS units to allow for a 5-minute delay between profiler movement and sam-
ple collection. This delay allows the YSI multiprobe water quality sensor to equil-
ibrate to the different water temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions at each
depth. Once the sensor has equilibrated, parameter measurement takes about 3
minutes.
When the sampling profile is complete, the profiler parks at a depth programmed
by the Lake Access Project team. Parking depth is selected to place the sensor in
the area of lowest light without placing it in the anoxic water layer.
3.9 Maintaining RUSS Units
You will likely focus most of your scheduled equipment maintenance on cleaning
and calibrating your water quality monitoring sensors to meet your project's
QA/QC protocols. The required effort and frequency for this maintenance will
depend on the types of sensors you use and the water quality conditions at your
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 29
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monitoring locations. In addition to water quality monitoring sensor cleaning
and calibration, you might need to perform scheduled maintenance on your
RUSS unit. Required maintenance will depend on factors specific to your proj-
ect, your community, and your monitoring locations.
Lake Access Project Maintenance Activities
Lake Access Project maintenance activities include cleaning and calibrating the
YSI multiprobe water quality sensors, maintaining a RUSS-unit bird deterrent
system, removing the RUSS units during lake freezing and thawing conditions,
reinstalling the units following these conditions, and repairing damaged or van-
dalized RUSS units.
Monitoring sensor maintenance and calibration
The Lake Access Project team cleans and calibrates the YSI multiprobe water
quality sensors on the three RUSS units every 1 to 4 weeks. The accuracy and pre-
cision of data derived from water quality monitoring instruments depend on
sound instrument calibration procedures. (Accuracy is the extent to which meas-
urements represent their corresponding actual values, and precision is a measure-
ment of the variability observed upon duplicate collection or repeated analysis.)
Sensor cleaning and calibration is a multistep activity that begins with the fol-
lowing steps:
1. Traveling to the monitoring location.
2. Collecting a manual water quality profile near the unit using a YSI
multiprobe water quality sensor identical to the one used on the RUSS
unit.
3- Placing the RUSS unit in the field service mode of operation and man-
ually moving the profiler to collect a water quality profile.
4. Manually moving the RUSS profiler to the surface.
5. Removing the sensor from the profiler and manually moving the profil-
er to its parking depth.
6. Transporting the sensor to the laboratory.
At the laboratory, a set of known parameter standards are measured with the sen-
sor. By comparing these sensor measurements with the known standards and by
comparing the two manual water quality measurements taken in the field, the
Lake Access Project team can more accurately estimate the amount of error asso-
ciated with recent sensor measurements and determine the quality of recently col-
lected data.
Lake Access Project personnel clean, calibrate, and inspect the multiprobe sensors
according to detailed instructions provided by YSI. The sensors are carefully and
thoroughly cleaned to remove algae and other organisms that cause sensor
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biofouling. The pH, conductivity, and turbidity meters are calibrated against
known standard solutions. To ensure accurate calibration, the team selected these
standards in ranges at which the parameters are typically detected in the field. The
temperature meter is calibrated against the temperature in the laboratory. The dis-
solved oxygen meter is calibrated using a YSI calibration cup. The depth probe is
calibrated out of water to a depth of zero.
CjPTip. Although cleaning and calibration activities can occur in the field,
Lake Access Project personnel prefer to calibrate the monitoring
sensors within the laboratory's controlled environment. Because of
temperature changes in the field, the sensors can take a long time
to equilibrate—even if they are submerged in a bucket of water.
Overall, the Lake Access Team has found that the entire cleaning
and calibration activity takes longer in the field than in the
laboratory.
Lake Access personnel complete the cleaning and calibration activity by:
1. Traveling to the monitoring location.
2. Placing the unit in the field service mode of operation and manually
moving the profiler to the surface.
3. Connecting the sensor to the profiler, placing the RePDAR unit in the
ON position, and removing the key to the electronics hatch cover.
When the key is removed, the RePDAR unit will move the profiler to
its parking position and resume normal RUSS unit operation.
Lake Access Project personnel are able to complete sensor cleaning and calibration
activities on the three RUSS units on Lake Minnetonka and Lake Independence
in 1 day, unless a sensor component requires repair or replacement.
Resolving Calibration Issues
Because of water quality conditions in Lake Minnetonka and Lake Independence, the Lake Access Project
team has had some difficulty maintaining the calibration of the units' dissolved oxygen meters. During
summer months, the team noticed significant errors in dissolved oxygen measurements. Sometimes the
team had to calibrate the dissolved oxygen meters every 7 to 10 days.
The Lake Access Project team had typically parked the RUSS unit profilers at 5 meters deep—below the
sunlit layer of the lake—to reduce the rate of algae growth and subsequent biofouling of the sensors. Lake
stratification can make Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA) lakes anoxic below 3 meters deep. In the
anoxic area, the level of hydrogen sulfide in the water increases. Lake Access team members began to sus-
pect that the hydrogen sulfide in the anoxic zone was reacting with the potassium chloride in the dissolved
oxygen probe, causing the calibration to rapidly decay. The team raised the profiler parking depth to 3
meters—out of the anoxic zone, but still deep enough to reduce the rate of sensor biofouling during the
summer months.
During the winter, the Lake Access Project team typically reprograms the profilers to park at 5 meters deep
because, during these months, this level of the lake is dark but remains well oxygenated.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 31
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Bird deterrence
Some birds love to land on RUSS units! So many birds landed on the Lake Access
Project units that guano covered the solar panels, preventing adequate battery
charging. Team members sometimes had to clean the solar panels daily.
To prevent this nuisance and ensure adequate battery charging, the Lake Access
Project team experimented with bird deterrent systems. First, the team placed
coiled wires over the solar panels. Although the wires stopped birds from landing
on the solar panels, they prevented field personnel from working comfortably
with the RUSS units. The team replaced the coiled wires with chicken-wire cov-
ers that fit over the solar panels. The chicken wire is easier to handle and keeps
birds off the panels just as well.
Lake freezing and thawing conditions
The Lake Access team temporarily removes its units from the lakes during freez-
ing conditions in the late fall and thawing conditions in the early spring because
the units could be severely damaged if left on the ice during these conditions.
Freezing conditions. Just prior to lake freezing conditions, the team removes the
RUSS units from the lakes. The team retrieves all portions of each unit (includ-
ing the buoys, anchors, and anchoring lines), brings the profiler to the surface and
detaches it, and tows the unit to shore. The RUSS units are stored intact in a large
shed. When the lakes have frozen over, the project team erects an ice house at each
monitoring location. The team does not use the RUSS unit flotation module dur-
ing the winter months. The solar panels are mounted on top of the ice shed,
which is oriented to allow for maximum solar exposure and angled to minimize
snow accumulation. The RePDAR unit and batteries are stored inside the ice
shed, and the profiler is deployed through a hole in the ice.
Thawing conditions. Just prior to lake thawing conditions, the Lake Access Project
team removes the icehouses and the RUSS unit components. During winter mon-
itoring, the ice hole cut for the profiler freezes around the cable. Although the ice
does not adversely affect the operation of the profiler, personnel have to chip
through the ice to remove the cable and the profiler. When the lakes have thawed
completely, the project team redeploys the complete RUSS units at the monitor-
ing locations.
3.10 Other Local Monitoring Efforts
This section provides information about additional water quality monitoring
efforts being conducted in the Minnehaha Creek Watershed and Hennepin Parks
district. Minnesota researchers and natural resource managers are conducting
these projects to learn more about the characteristics of Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area (TCMA) lakes, detect water quality trends and recreational use impairments,
develop lake management strategies and determine their effectiveness, and ensure
the safety and health of lake users. Some of these monitoring methods might help
satisfy your community's water quality monitoring objectives. For example, there
may be times when you are unable to conduct remote time-relevant monitoring
(e.g., due to equipment malfunction; during lake freezing and thawing condi-
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tions; when remote time-relevant monitoring technology is not available for a
particular location or analytical parameter; or when required resources are insuf-
ficient). In these instances, you could use the data collection methods described
in these projects to supplement time-relevant data.
Specific monitoring efforts conducted by Minneapolis community lake manage-
ment and research organizations include:
• Monitoring for water quality trends
• Nutrient budget monitoring
• Health and safety monitoring
• Project-specific monitoring
Monitoring for Water Quality Trends
For more than 5 years, MCWD and Hennepin Parks have conducted water qual-
ity monitoring on approximately 15 lakes throughout the two districts and on
nearly 20 bays in Lake Minnetonka. By measuring four water quality parameters
(chlorophyll-a, total and soluble reactive phosphorous, and nitrogen), MCWD
and Hennepin Parks personnel can determine how changes in lake nutrient con-
centrations affect the growth of algae and how the growth of algae affects lake
water quality:
• Chlorophyll-a measurements show how much algae is present in the
water.
• Total and soluble reactive (i.e., dissolved) phosphorus measurements
indicate the amount of phosphorus available for algae growth. Very lit-
tle phosphorus is needed to dramatically change lake water quality; one
pound of phosphorus entering a lake from the surrounding watershed
can grow 300 to 500 pounds of algae in the lake.
• The relationship between the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in a
lake can help personnel determine whether phosphorous or nitrogen is
the limiting nutrient for algae growth.
Collectively, MCWD and Hennepin Parks staff use these data to detect water
quality trends. These trends can indicate if impacts such as recreational use or
urbanization are impairing water quality, or if management initiatives such as
public education or stream, lake, and wetland restoration are leading to improved
water quality.
MCWD and Hennepin Parks staff travel to each monitoring location biweekly to
collect water quality samples. Before collecting samples, personnel determine
Secchi disk depth (see the box on page 34) and use a YSI multiprobe water qual-
ity sensor to gather time-relevant data on temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen,
electrical conductivity, and depth in a profile of 1-meter intervals from the sur-
face to the bottom of the lake. Personnel use these data in the field to determine
the water depth and locate the lake's thermocline.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 33
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What is a Secchi Disk?
A Secchi disk is a tool used to measure the water's clarity. It is a weighted,
round metal plate about 8 to 1 2 inches in diameter with an alternating
black-and-white pattern like the one shown below.
Field personnel lower the disk into shaded water (because sunlight can
affect the measurement) until it is no longer visible. Then they raise the disk
until it is barely visible. The average of these two depths is the Secchi disk
depth, which provides a measure of the water's clarity or transparency.
(For more information on Secchi disks, see the Lake Access Web site at
http://www.lakeaccess.org/russ/index.html.
Staff collect a 2-meter surface composite sample, a grab sample at the thermocline
depth, and a grab sample one-half meter from the bottom. The table below sum-
marizes the purposes and techniques for collecting these types of samples.
Nutrient Budget Monitoring
Each year, MCWD and Hennepin Parks conduct nutrient budget monitoring in
two to three streams that feed Lake Minnetonka. This type of monitoring
includes analyses for the following parameters:
• Total phosphorus
• Total nitrogen
• Total suspended solids
• Total solids
• Soluble reactive phosphorus
• Ammonia
• Nitrate
• Temperature
• pH
• Electrical conductivity
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Sample Type Purpose
Collection Technique
Two-meter
surface
composite
This type of sample represents the
strata of biological activity (e.g.,
algae growth) in the lake's upper
layer, where sunlight penetrates.
MCWD and Hennepin Parks collect 2-
meter surface columns because sun-
light typically penetrates the upper 2
meters of TCMA lakes. This is also the
standard surface water sampling pro-
tocol used by the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency.
Samples are collected using a PVC pipe 3
inches in diameter and 2 meters long. Field
personnel submerge this pipe vertically to
collect a column of water from the upper 2
meters of the water body. Each composite
sample is brought to the surface, poured
into a composite container, mixed, and
divided into subsamples for laboratory
analyses.
Thermocline
grab
A lake thermocline typically deepens
during the summer as the upper,
wind-mixed layer of the lake (the
epilimnion) rises in temperature. The
thermocline grab sample indicates
how much phosphorus will be avail-
able to algae if storms mix the lake
below the thermocline depth.
Using a rope, personnel lower a special
sampling device (typically a Van Dorn or
Kemmerer water bottle) to the thermocline
depth. The sampling device consists of a
tube with spring-loaded closures on each
end. When the device has reached the ther-
mocline depth, personnel send a weight
(called a messenger) down the rope. When
this weight contacts the sampling device, the
spring-loaded closures seal both ends of the
tube. The grab sample is brought to the
surface and divided into subsamples for lab-
oratory analyses.
Bottom grab
This sample indicates how much
phosphorus is located at the lake bot-
tom (and how much phosphorus
would be available to algae if the
lake were to mix completely).
Field personnel collect the bottom grab by
lowering the same type of sampling device
used for the thermocline grab to a depth of
one-half meter from the bottom. The grab
sample is brought to the surface and divid-
ed into subsamples for laboratory analyses.
By measuring these parameters, MCWD and Hennepin Parks can characterize
total annual nutrient loading from the monitored stream into a lake.
Total phosphorus and total nitrogen measurements indicate the amounts of phos-
phorus and nitrogen—in particulate and dissolved forms—that enter the lake
from the inflow stream.
Measurements of total solids and total suspended solids help MCWD and
Hennepin Parks determine the amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen that exist in
particulate form. Best management practices (BMPs) such as sediment detention
ponds or constructed wetlands are typically designed to remove nutrients in par-
ticulate form.
The soluble reactive phosphorus measurement indicates the amount of phospho-
rus dissolved in the water. The nitrate and ammonia measurements describe the
major forms of nitrogen available to algae that are present in the water. These
measurements are important because they indicate how much phosphorus and
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
35
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nitrogen are present in the forms most available for algal growth and most diffi-
cult to remove by BMPs.
Temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity measurements further describe
water quality of the inflow stream. (See Section 3.4 for more information about
monitoring for these parameters.)
To conduct nutrient budget monitoring, field personnel install automated flow
meters on lake inflow streams to measure and electronically log flow. Automatic
samplers are linked to the flow meters to collect flow-weighted composite sam-
ples. Composite samples are made up of individual volumes collected over time.
At a predetermined stream-flow interval, the flow meter sends a signal to the sam-
pler to collect each volume of the composite sample. At the conclusion of the
composite period (which typically spans a storm event, plus one hour), field per-
sonnel retrieve, mix, and divide composite samples into subsamples for analysis at
the Hennepin Parks water quality laboratory.
Health and Safety Monitoring at Swimming Beaches
Hennepin Parks manages nine swimming beaches. At three of these beaches,
Hennepin Parks uses rubber beach curtains that encompass 1 to 1.5 acres of lake
area for swimmers and restrict water movement between the swimming area and
the lake. These curtains reduce the volume of lake water Hennepin Parks must
manage for swimmers. For example, algae blooms can be quite severe on some
lakes, but Hennepin Parks has several options for managing blooms within beach
curtains. These include pumping fresh water into the swimming area, using foun-
tains to prevent buildup of algae scum on the water surface, and applying alu-
minum sulfates (alum) to remove phosphorous and algae within the swimming
area.
During the swimming season, personnel monitor swimming waters to ensure they
are safe for the public. Lifeguards determine the Secchi disk depth of swimming
waters three times daily. By comparing Secchi disk depths in water within the
beach curtain to water outside the curtain, Hennepin Parks can demonstrate that
the beach curtains provide the public a better swimming experience.
Hennepin Parks monitors recreational waters for fecal coliform bacteria weekly.
Samples are analyzed at the Hennepin Parks water quality laboratory. Hennepin
Parks adheres to national and state guidelines to maintain fecal coliform counts
lower than 200 colonies per every 100 mL of water. Studies have shown that the
probability of human health risk is minimal if fecal coliform counts are kept
below this level. When Hennepin Parks personnel detect coliform levels greater
than the guideline level, they immediately analyze a water sample for the bacteri-
um E. coli. This tells personnel what percentage of fecal coliform can actually
pose a health risk to swimmers. Fecal coliform bacteria data are posted weekly the
Web at http://www.hennepinparks.org.
36 CHAPTERS
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Making Lake Waters Safe for Swimmers
Hennepin Parks personnel take immediate action to reduce fecal coliform levels when they exceed the
guideline level for human health and safety. Typically, high fecal coliform levels in Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area lakes can be directly attributed to local goose populations. Each morning, lifeguards patrol the
beaches with strainers to remove goose droppings. If a few geese have become particularly fond of a
swimming beach, lifeguards attempt to chase the geese away. If a large number of geese descend upon
a swimming beach, Hennepin Parks uses a border collie service to herd the geese off the beach.
When fecal coliform sources have been minimized, Hennepin Parks treats the swimming water, if neces-
sary. Personnel have used the following strategies to lower the fecal coliform level in swimming waters:
• Flushing the swimming area within the beach curtain with city drinking water, which contains a small
amount of chlorine for disinfection.
• Flushing the swimming area with fresh ground water.
• Raising sections of the beach curtain at deep swimming sites to pull in lake water to flush the swimming
area. Lake water is pulled from the bottom to minimize the amount of algae and swimmer's itch organ-
isms pulled into the swimming area.
• Because fecal coliform bacteria are typically associated with solids, using small amounts of aluminum
sulfate to settle any solid material in the swimming area can reduce health risks.
If every available strategy has been used and fecal coliform levels are still above the guideline for 2 to 3
consecutive days, Hennepin Parks closes the beach until the waters reach safe levels again.
Project-Specific Water Quality Monitoring
MCWD and Hennepin Parks also conduct water quality monitoring on project-
specific bases. A few examples of these projects are described below.
Monitoring Sediment Detention Pond Effectiveness. When one district lake's water
quality began to decline, Hennepin Parks monitored the effectiveness of a sedi-
ment detention pond designed to remove nutrients from the lake's inflow stream.
Hennepin Parks personnel suspected the sediment detention pond had filled with
too much sediment to remain effective. To confirm this suspicion, personnel used
the nutrient budget monitoring method to measure flow and collect samples at
monitoring locations located upstream and downstream of the sediment deten-
tion pond. By comparing the parameters measured at each monitoring location,
Hennepin Parks determined that the sediment detention pond was not effective-
ly removing nutrients from the inflow stream. The pond was dredged of excess
sediment, and Hennepin Parks conducted additional monitoring to ensure that
the dredging increased the pond's effectiveness.
Lawn Fertilizer Runoff Study. Hennepin Parks conducted a series of lawn fertiliz-
er runoff studies. To determine the number of lawns requiring phosphorus fertil-
izer, Hennepin Parks collected and analyzed soil samples from approximately 200
suburban lawns. Although most suburban home owners use fertilizers with phos-
phorus, Hennepin Parks found that only about 15 percent of the lawns actually
required the addition of phosphorus for healthy turf.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 37
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Using sampling devices designed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Hennepin Parks
monitored runoff from about 30 suburban lawns, some of which were fertilized
and some of which were not. Each sampling device consisted of two 5-foot long,
1 -inch diameter PVC pipes with slits cut lengthwise. These pipes were placed hor-
izontally on each lawn to form a "V" pointing down the lawn's slope toward its
storm water drainage area. Where the pipes met, personnel attached a cup and
placed an 8-inch long, 6-inch diameter PVC pipe (vertically) into the cup. In this
pipe, personnel placed a sample bottle. During a rainfall event, runoff water
flowed into the slits, through the "V" pipes, and into the sample bottle.
Because most of the monitored lawns were small and because most district rain
events are brief, the samplers typically collected all runoff from each rainfall event.
By comparing the concentrations of phosphorus measured in the runoff from fer-
tilized and unfertilized lawns, personnel determined that much of the phospho-
rus fertilizer applied to the lawns not needing additional fertilizer runs off.
Golf Course Runoff Study. To determine the characteristics of runoff that TCMA
lakes typically receive from golf courses, Hennepin Parks conducted runoff stud-
ies using the nutrient budget monitoring method. In addition to these parame-
ters, personnel also analyzed samples for any pesticides and fungicides used by the
golf course.
Hennepin Parks and many community golf courses are cooperating to help
improve the quality of local lakes. During the past several years, district golf
courses have saved money, maintained suitable turf, and improved the quality of
runoff water to TCMA lakes by using the following management strategies:
• Reducing the use of all fertilizers, especially those containing
phosphorus.
• Reducing the use of pesticides and fungicides by eliminating preventa-
tive treatments. District courses now use these agents to treat only
problem areas.
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Using Monitoring to Help Meet Lake Water Quality Goals
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) conducts a variety of water quality monitoring projects
in Minneapolis lakes. The MPRB undertakes some of this monitoring to measure progress toward meeting
water quality goals set by the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Citizen Committee. In 1993, the Committee
developed water quality goals for Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake, and Lake of the Isles. The
Committee hopes, over the long term, to restore the water quality of these lakes to conditions as close as
possible to those that existed before urbanization. To achieve its goals, the Committee has recommended
reducing in-lake phosphorus concentrations and managing influent pollutant loads to each lake with a
unique scheme of in-lake manipulations and watershed best management practices (BMPs). The MPRB
uses monitoring data to measure changes in water quality and evaluate the effectiveness of the BMPs used.
The MPRB also conducts monitoring in other Minneapolis lakes to measure long-term water quality trends,
establish water quality goals and lake management plans, and compare the water quality trends in these
lakes with trends measured in the Chain of Lakes.
Lake Water Quality Monitoring
The Environmental Operations Section of the MPRB conducts long-term water quality monitoring in
Minneapolis lakes. The MPRB plans to conduct this type of monitoring for about three to five years to ensure
that water quality changes in city lakes are not masked by annual variations in weather patterns. The long-
term monitoring program includes analyses for the following parameters:
• Dissolved oxygen • Total dissolved phosphorus • Chloride
• pH • Soluble reactive phosphorus • Hardness
• Conductivity • Total nitrogen • Chlorophyll
• Temperature • Silica • Phytoplankton
• Total phosphorus • Alkalinity • Zooplankton
The MPRB selected these parameters to allow for a detailed characterization of the in-lake processes that
affect water quality. The MPRB's year-round sampling frequency increases during the lake growing season
(May through September), when in-lake conditions are rapidly changing.
Field personnel from the MPRB's Environmental Operations section conduct water quality monitoring at the
deepest point of each lake. These points are determined using bathymetric maps and located using shore-
line landmarks and depth sounding equipment.
At each monitoring location, field personnel use a Hydrolab© sensor to conduct field measurements of dis-
solved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and temperature at 1 -meter intervals through a vertical column of water.
Field crews also collect manual samples for total phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, and soluble
reactive phosphorus at predetermined intervals in the water column. Personnel collect zooplankton sam-
ples by hauling a net vertically through the water column at a rate of 1 meter per second and washing the
net with distilled water to remove the contents for preservation and analysis. Surface composite samples
for all other parameters are collected in a column of water from the upper two meters of the lake.
Personnel also determine Secchi disk depth and perform a survey of vascular plants during sampling.
(continued on next page)
WATER QUALITY MONITORING 39
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Storm Water Runoff and Best Management Efficiencies Monitoring
The MPRB conducts monitoring of stormwater runoff and best management efficiencies to determine the
actual pollutant removal achieved through the use of structural BMPs (e.g., wetlands, street cleaning, and
grit chambers) and to study long-term pollutant loading trends in Minneapolis lakes. These monitoring
data are used to determine if changes in BMPs are required. Monitoring locations are selected based on
the following requirements:
• The location should be influenced by only one BMP
• No area of the watershed should drain to a sanitary treatment system
• The location should not be affected by a major sewer or street construction project
• The entire watershed should fall within Minneapolis city limits
This type of monitoring includes analyses for the following parameters:
• Total suspended solids
• Total phosphorus
• Dissolved phosphorus
• Total nitrogen
Field personnel use automated flow meters and samplers to conduct stormwater runoff and best manage-
ment efficiencies monitoring. Automatic flow meters allow personnel to record continuous flow measure-
ments at each monitoring location. Automatic samplers provide the following three sampling options:
• Time-weighted composite sampling, where composite samples are made up of individual volumes col-
lected over a predetermined interval of time.
• Flow-weighted composite sampling, where the automatic sampler is electronically linked to a flow
meter. At a predetermined flow interval, the flow meter sends a signal to the sampler to collect each vol-
ume of the composite sample.
• Time- or flow-weighted discrete sampling, where the automatic sampler is retrofitted to collect 1 2 sam-
ples in individual bottles at a predetermined time or flow interval.
Because the monitoring equipment cannot be operated in below-freezing conditions, the MPRB installs the
equipment as early as possible in the spring and removes the equipment as late as possible in the fall to
prolong monitoring time and avoid freezing conditions.
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4. COLLECTING, TRANSFERRING,
AND MANAGING TIME-RELEVANT
WATER QUALITY DATA
To effectively assess the water quality of a lake or river, it is necessary to collect
representative field samples over a time span that takes into account as many
influences on the water body as possible. However, conducting a compre-
hensive manual sampling program that covers different times of the day, as well
as different seasons and seasonal events, presents distinct challenges. As a result,
many water quality monitoring programs, such as the Lake Access Project, rely on
automated systems in which remote water sampling units collect data at pro-
grammed intervals and then transmit the data to a land-based station for storage,
retrieval, and analysis.
Using the Lake Access Project as a model, this chapter provides you and your
community with "how-to" instructions on how to operate and maintain such
data collection systems. If you are responsible for or interested in implementing
this system, you should carefully read the technical information presented in the
sections on setting up and using RUSS-Base software for data collection and
transfer, and managing the data at the base station (Sections 4.2 through 4.5).
Readers interested in an overview of the system should focus primarily on the
introductory information in Section 4.1 below.
4.1 System Overview
A data collection, transfer, and management system can benefit your community
in two ways: It enables you to automate the collection of water quality samples,
and it enables you to control the resulting data flexibly and easily. By using the
system's software, you can program your remote in-water sampling units (in this
case, RUSS units) to collect water quality data at specified intervals. Then you can
call the sampling units as needed for data transmission or program your system to
call for transmissions of data at specified times. Once the data arrive, the infor-
mation can be formatted and stored or otherwise prepared for export to another
database, or it can be analyzed using geographical information system (GIS) or
data visualization software.
The data collection, transfer, and management system used in the Lake Access
project consists of two main parts (see the figure on the following page):
• Remote Underwater Sampling Station (RUSS) units, which are deployed
in the water and programmed to collect water quality data in the water
column at specified depths and intervals.
• A land-based station, which is basically a computer equipped with two
main parts:
• RUSS-Base software. You use this software to create profile schedules
of sampling parameters and to communicate with the RUSS units to
transmit schedules and receive sampling data.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 41
-------
A database management system. You use this system to format, quality
check, and store collected data.
Land-Base Station
Remote
sampling
stations
Level One
Base Station
RUSS-Base System
Software
Schedule profiles for
data collection
Transfer data
Level Two
Base Station
Data Management
System
Perform QA/QC
Convert data
Manage data
Archive data
End User
for Data
Visualization
Model data
Analyze data
Display data
The RUSS units and the base station computer are equipped with communica-
tions hardware featuring either a modem/cell phone or modem/radio transceiver.
This equipment allows the RUSS units and computer to "talk" to each other over
long distances. Because of this communication ability, each RUSS unit becomes
part of a remote data acquisition system controlled from the land-base station. At
the base station, an operator runs the RUSS-Base software to connect to the
RUSS units for data collection and transfer.
The system's flexibility enables you to establish sampling and data transfer proto-
cols based on your specific monitoring needs. For example, you might program
your RUSS units to sample every 4 hours, 7 days a week, to monitor general
trends. You might also want to conduct sampling specific to certain events, such
as storms or heavy rainfalls, during which you might monitor water quality at a
single depth on an hourly basis.
The system can collect and store data for future use, or it can retrieve and trans-
mit collected data in near-real time. Each RUSS unit stores collected data in its
on-board computer (RePDAR), making the data available for download on
demand by the base station. The RUSS unit can hold up to 3 weeks of collected
data (assuming average sampling intervals) in its on-board computer. The unit
also can serve as a temporary archive by retaining a copy of all transmitted data
files. Once the unit runs out of space, it will overwrite data as necessary, begin-
ning with the oldest files.
A single base station can control an array of RUSS units, and an individual RUSS
unit can transmit data to more than one base station.
The remainder of this chapter provides information on how to program a data
collection and transfer system and how to manage the collected data, using the
system used by the Lake Access project as an example.
42
CHAPTER 4
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How often should data be collected?
The Lake Access team generally collects samples every 4 to 6 hours to
observe daily changes in water quality parameters (see Chapter 3, section
1). The RUSS units collect samples at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 6:00 p.m.
and 12:00 midnight, and the data are transmitted to the land-based sta-
tion at 7:30 a.m. the following morning. The team also collects intermittent
samples to determine the effect of storm events on lake stratification and
nutrient mixing.
4.2 Getting Your Equipment and Software in Place
In addition to deploying your RUSS units for data collection and transfer, you
will need to assess whether your base station computer equipment meets mini-
mum technical requirements. Once you have determined that it does, you will be
ready to obtain and install the software needed to communicate with your RUSS
units. Before you receive the software from Apprise Technologies, you will need
to determine which type of telemetry equipment should be used on the RUSS
units.
Minimum Requirements
To use a land-based computer as a base station, you will need:
• An IBM-compatible PC with a Pentium II processor (300 megahertz
[MHZ])
• Windows 95, 98, or 2000 or Windows NT
• 16 megabytes of RAM
• 10 megabytes of free disk space
• An industry standard internal or external dial-up modem
Telemetry Equipment
As a next step, you will need to determine what kind of data communication or
telemetry equipment to install on your RUSS units. Telemetry equipment enables
data to be transferred from a remote sampling station (i.e., the RUSS unit) to a
receiving station (i.e., the base station). You can choose between a cellular tele-
phone modem (CTM) and a 900-MHZ transceiver. To make this choice, you
should consider the following factors:
• The initial expense associated with CTM units is relatively low. (They
generally cost about $1,000 each.) However, CTM unit connection
costs can be somewhat higher than transceiver unit connection costs.
In contrast, the up-front costs for transceiver units is relatively high
(generally about $3,000 each), but connection costs are likely to be
much lower. In addition, maintenance costs tend to be lower for
transceivers.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 43
-------
• Establishing a connection between a CTM unit and RUSS units can be
problematic at times if local circuits are overloaded or if tower-switch-
ing issues arise.
Even when a connection is established, the signal strength might not be strong
enough to allow data transmission. A signal strength of less than 50 MHZ is usu-
ally too weak, while a signal strength between 50 and 60 MHZ is marginal.
CjPTip. To test the connection between a CTM unit and a RUSS unit, you
can call the test line maintained by Apprise Technologies, which is
usually pre-programmed into the CTM. (Before you dial, be sure to
switch the unit to the proper pre-programmed number by using the
key pad.) On certain CTMs, you can call the test line by pressing
"C" on the key pad. The status of the call will be displayed in the
phone's message window, as follows:
• "No service" indicates insufficient signal strength
• "System busy" indicates overloaded local cell capacity
• "No carrier" or "busy" or "dropped call" indicates call
interruption
• "Connect" indicates successful connection
(Note: Apprise Technologies does not guarantee the
accessibility of its test line.)
• Transceiver unit communications can be affected by radio interference
on the transmission channel. The channel's path also can be inadequate
to maintain the connection. In such cases, it might be possible to
switch to a different channel. Using a dedicated or leased line can help
ensure the reliability of data transmission.
• Depending on the distance between the land-based station and a RUSS
unit, you may need to deploy a sequence of transceivers. Transceivers can
transmit and receive over a distance of no more than 5 miles. The figure
below shows different transceiver deployment configurations based on the
distance between the land-based station and the RUSS unit.
Base Station \ Transceiver
Smiles ^^J 10 miles Smiles m
RUSS Unit RUSS Unit
k with Transceiver / N with Transceiver /
X / \ \ S
44 CHAPTER4
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Installing Level 1 Base Station Software
Once you have determined that your computer meets minimum technical require-
ments and you have selected and set up your telemetry system, you are ready to
obtain and install RUSS-Base, the level 1 base station software. RUSS-Base enables
you to create profile schedules with sampling parameters, transmit the schedules to
your RUSS units, and receive transmissions of sampling data. Additional software
(discussed below) allows you to run RUSS-Base automatically.
RUSS-Base Software
RUSS-Base, a DOS-based software program available from Apprise Technologies,
is provided as part of a RUSS unit's data collection and transfer system.
To install RUSS-Base:
1. Copy R-Base.exe from the disk or CD-ROM to a directory on your
computer.
2. Double click on the executable file. This will load the program onto
your computer and create an icon to access RUSS-Base from your desk-
top. It will also create two directories on your hard drive. One directo-
ry, C:\RUSS, contains the RUSS-Base program. The other directory,
C:\RUSSdata, is the default directory in which downloaded data from
the RUSS unit will be automatically placed.
3. Verify that the RUSS-Base program is working by double clicking on
the desktop icon or navigating to the C:\RUSS directory and double
clicking on R-Base.exe.
Note that Apprise Technology provides customers with update notifications by
telephone or e-mail and delivers the actual updates via e-mail, disk, or CD-ROM.
We suggest that you implement these updates as you receive them.
Additional Software
ClockerPro and Clocker are personal/network program schedulers for use on the
Windows platform. They are designed to schedule programs (or reminders)—
such as the upload and download of data from RUSS units—to run at specified
times. Registration for a single copy of these schedules costs $24.95-
To obtain and install ClockerPro or Clocker:
1. Download ClockerPro and Clocker from
http://www.winnovation.com/clocker.htm.
2. Click on the file clkpr311.zip (for ClockerPro) or clk2403.zip (for
Clocker) and save it to a temporary directory on your computer (such
as C:\tmp).
3. Navigate to the location of clkpr311.zip or clk2403.zip.
4. Run setup.exe and follow the instructions provided. For instructions on
using ClockerPro or Clocker, select Help from the software's main screen.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 45
-------
Anticipating Support Needs
As with any computer system, you will need to ensure the availability of techni-
cal support to attend to software, hardware, and security needs. A staff person
who is familiar with providing general computer support should be able to main-
tain your system. You should enlist the services of a technical support person
before you deploy the system so that guidance is available when you need it.
4.3 Programming Your System for Scheduled
Transfers of Data
Now that the components of your system are in place, you are ready to program
the system components for data collection and transfer using RUSS-Base software
and Clocker/ClockerPro. The RUSS-Base software application is relatively easy to
use, particularly if you have some experience with DOS programs and telemetry
equipment. This section focuses primarily on:
• Using RUSS-Base to program your RUSS units for sample collection.
• Programming your land-base station to automatically call the RUSS
units for scheduled data feeds.
The first time you perform these functions, you will need to be attentive to a vari-
ety of details. Once you have established the appropriate protocol, however,
implementing these functions should be quick and easy.
The figure below provides an overview of the data collection and transfer process.
RUSS Unit
Collect Data at
Specified Times
and Depths
Store Data for
Download
Send Collection Profile
Base Station Initiated
Transfer Data
Base Station Initiated
End User
Base Station
R-Base Data
Collection
and Transfer
Incoming Data
Data Conversion
I
QA/QC
Database
(archived)
Outgoing Data
46
CHAPTER 4
-------
The following instructions provide an orientation to the system using a combi-
nation of screen shots and descriptive information.
Getting Familiar with the RUSS-Base Startup Screen
With RUSS-Base installed on your land-based computer, you can launch the pro-
gram by double clicking on either the desktop icon or the R-base.exe file in the
C:/RUSS directory. This will open the program to the startup screen, which serves
as the gateway to program functions.
The startup screen orients you to the overall format of screens throughout the
program. The screen content is organized into four main areas, as shown in the
screen below and described in the legend that follows.
Re-note Lncte,-wat*r samp ing Station
unit call Si-ii : Dip>T2 *:cnt into* -acnoose another* ease station: BASE «sc-tup*
Locati-on: Halsted Bay Last poll on: 05-07-200018:14:53
•dial*, site at #1-612 749 1006 Poll for data since Q5-07-200C 18:14:53
Programming password:
Profil-e froif. 1 bt.-'p 1 to 6 every 06:00:00 since 11-01-1999 00:00:00
Set minirauif 0.5 maxi-ium 8 and parking 4 depth
collect R*al time data *very 10 seecmds far 1 •inutss and hang up -«exi»
sect;n 1
s^rf-n :•
*-.:! ::n *
>..':-i'.t :n 4
]-ai (O 1998
Techno! i
Legend
Section 1:
Section 2:
Section 3:
Section 4:
Displays the header, date, time, and error messages
Presents information on navigating the program (highlighted in green)
Presents the main menu of functions
Displays component-specific information (e.g., water quality sample values)
Using the main menu on the startup screen (Section 3 in the screen shown above),
you will select and use a variety of RUSS-Base program functions. For reference,
these include:
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
47
-------
Function Short Cut Key Screen Name Description
Setup
Real-time data
Poll for data since
Call sign
Edit info
Choose another
Dial
Exit
Alt-S
Alt-R
Alt-P
Alt-C
Alt-E
Alt-C
Alt-D
Alt-X
RUSS-Base Setup
RUSS-Base Setup
RUSS-Base Setup
RUSS Unit Setup
RUSS Unit Setup
RUSS Unit List
Dialing Status
Enter base station call sign, time zone, parameters of your modem, and data
collection information
Enter "real-time data" parameters
Enter "poll for data since" parameters
Enter the call sign
Enter information for each RUSS unit including call sign, location, modem
connection, password, and data folder
Select one or more RUSS units from a list of RUSS units
Dial the RUSS unit for profile upload and data download
Display dialing status
Exit RUSS-Base
Before you proceed, we suggest that you view the startup screen and locate these
functions so you will be ready to select them as directed in the section below.
Setting Up Your Base Station
You are now ready to use RUSS-Base to configure your base station to commu-
nicate with your RUSS units. In doing so, you will initialize your modem and
dial-up specifications and create profile schedules for water quality sampling per-
formed by individual RUSS units. (You will create a configuration file for each
RUSS unit in your system.)
To start, select Setup from the main menu or press Alt-S on your keyboard. The
Setup screen (reproduced below) will appear on your computer screen.
* anoTrcr* sn« station: 3A£C *«tu
L«4tion: Ha'jTed Say L4S? f^' I •••n: fif,-ri7-2fTi0 18lM:5v
•eialr iiie at (ri-ftl*'?4if-LCi06 full for diti since OS"0?-2000 18:14:U
PrcorjBtrinq pass'nord:
Profll* frc* 1 step 1 t& B «v«ry Q5:QO:QC' sine* 11-01-1W9 COiOOiOO
Set niniBje O.i lavinjn B and pirking 4 depth
riiii>,-r F.^I rid* data *^r i *inut*s *nd *)Vig up *x1i»
~ 11 Sign: BASf
line Jore: L; IL LDI
6Aud »i«t 1200
In it string: ATS ?
P-BASE v.1.2 Sue EtdElEn
iniih Editing
i« Techno!coles
48
CHAPTER 4
-------
On the Setup screen, enter the information requested for various parameters,
explained in the table below:
Parameter Description
Base station call sign
Time zone
Modem CDM#
Baud rate
Init string
Dial prefix
Dial suffix
Last poll on
Profile from...
Collect real time data...
Poll for data since
Set minimum...
maximum...
and parking depth
Enter name of the base station computer. This function will track which computer is calling a RUSS unit.
Enter in Standard UNIX format: EST5EDT for Eastern time, CST6CDT for Central time, MST7MDT for Mountain time, and
PST8PDT for Pacific time.
Enter modem CDM#. The default value will work with most modems.
Enter the proper baud rate for your modem: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, or 38400. The default value will work with
most modems.
Enter the initialization string for your modem. The default value will work with most modems.
If necessary, enter a dial prefix. For example, your organization might require you to dial "9" to reach an outside line.
If necessary, enter a dial suffix. For example, your organization might require you to enter a project charge code.
This date and time tells you the last time your base station called data from a particular RUSS unit. It also keeps track of the
last data point downloaded from the RUSS unit, so only new data will be downloaded.
This sets the depth and time at which the RUSS unit will collect data. The screen shot on page 48 shows the following profile:
Profile from 1 Step 1 to 8 every 05:00:00 since 1 1-01-99 00:00:00
This means that data will be collected from 1 to 8 meters at 1 -meter intervals. The RUSS unit will collect data every
5 minutes from November 1, 1999, starting at midnight.
Note: The more frequently the data are collected, the more battery power is used by the RUSS unit. To conserve battery
voltage, you might want to limit sampling frequency.
This sets the time when real-time data will be downloaded from the RUSS unit to the base station. The screen shot on
page 48 shows the following parameters:
Collect Real Time data every 10 seconds for 1 minute and hang up,
In this example, real-time data will be sent by the RUSS unit every 10 seconds for 1 minute. This process provides the base
station operator with a sample of real-time data measurements and the ability to QA/QC the data.
This sets the time when both stored and real-time data will be downloaded from the RUSS unit to the base station.
The screen shot on page 48 shows the following parameters:
Poll for data since 05-07-2000 18:14:58
Data will be downloaded from May 7, 2000 at 6:14 p.m. (and 58 seconds) to the present time.
This sets the minimum and maximum depths of the profiler in the lake or river. It also sets the parking depth at which
the profiler will remain when inactive. The screen shot on page 48 shows the following parameters:
5e/ minimum 0.5 maximum 8 and parking 4 depth
In this case, the profiler will not ascend above 0.5 meters and will not descend below 8 meters. When inactive, it will hold at
4 meters. The minimum and maximum depths are a fail safe method for preventing potential accidents. For example,
suppose you accidentally programmed the profiler to collect data from 1 to 1000 meters. If you had entered 10 meters as
the maximum depth that the profiler can descend to, the system will catch this error and the profiler will remain inactive.
Before sending the profile information to a RUSS unit, you must first
enter an authorized programming password in RUSS-Base. The
RUSS unit operator will have previously programmed this password
into the RUSS unit, and you will enter this same programming pass-
word into RUSS-Base. The RUSS unit will reject the profile unless this
programming password has been entered in RUSS-Base.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
49
-------
Setting Up Your RUSS Unit
Now that you have set up a configuration file, you need to provide additional
information for each deployed RUSS unit. To enter this information, access the
RUSS unit setup screen shown below, by selecting Edit Info, or by hitting Alt-E.
(IT'*
Locailwi; misted Hay
•eial*- site at «.-6l2-74&-10Q6
Programming password:
Profll* froi 1 '-.rff, 1 -
S*t nWfufliO.5 «ajr**ui 8
>«r* ease CTKICB!
_ :. ' • • :l •. 05 "I-"" r: :.--:r
Poll for data since 05-07-2030 !8:l4;iS
fvfry 06:00:00 sine* n-'31-1999 CO:CO:00
and part;!ng 4 depth
s<:ords for 1 ninute^ ind hang up 4E-it»
: 1 I Sign: B»»T2
Locaticn: Hoisted Bay
Phone -wmber: 1-6L2-749-10C4
Pas si«rd:
ir , - .•-;
Cellular Mode* Sehedul'
Cr it: b
off at: 20
P-E*SE v.l 2 EdLi
*"inis*i editi
IMS. 1999
"rise "echnolraiei Inc.
Using this RUSS unit Setup screen, enter information about the various RUSS
unit parameters:
Parameter Description
Call sign
Location
Phone number
Redial attempts
Reconnect attempts
Password
Data folder
Cellular modem schedule
Name of the RUSS unit.
Location of the RUSS unit.
The phone number previously programmed in the RUSS unit cellular phone or transceiver. The base station phone
number is not required if your system is not configured for calls initiated by remote stations.
The maximum number of "Redial attempts." This value specifies how many times the base station will try to redial the
programmed phone number until a connection is established.
The maximum number of "Reconnect attempts." If the RUSS unit answers but connection is broken before all stored data
are downloaded, the base station will hang up and call the unit again.
This password allows a caller to establish a remote connection with the RUSS unit and download real-time and
stored data. (Level 1 access priority.)
The name of the folder that the RUSS data will be downloaded to on the base station computer. You can also use the
default directory C:\RUSSdata originally created when you installed RUSS-Base.
The time when the cellular telemetry is turned on and off. This is to promote power conservation.
You have now set up your system with profile schedules and RUSS unit informa-
tion—so that you can control your RUSS unit data collection activities. You are
now ready to direct your RUSS units to collect data according to the profile
schedules and to transfer back the collected data.
50
CHAPTER 4
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Uploading the Profile Schedule and Downloading Data
To direct your RUSS units to collect data, you must upload your sampling pro-
file schedules to your RUSS units. To do this, use the unit list screen (shown
below) to select a unit for profile upload. Access the unit list screen by selecting
Choose another or Alt-C on your keyboard. After selecting a unit from the list, call
the unit for profile upload.
06-19-2000 1!
IP: Btf /
sccd Bay
bkt dL tl-Kl- -749- 1006
s* another*. LMi* :;taficn: BASE *etu
List pc" 1 on: OS 0?<2QGO lB:14:j
f.'l r., listd iir.L* Qi-fflT-ZMQ IB J 14. SB
j fr-cfl 1 Step 1 ttf 6 «v«Py 06:00:00 Sine* 11-01-1999 CO;DQ:QO
Set irininun 0.5 naxiouB fi and parking 4 Oepth
C*H«ct R«a'' tic* iSica ew?ry 10 se-:er;fc r'liutes afn hang up *e>.n>
Call Sign: M/4 Location: Unknown
Call Sl^jn; N/* Locitlwii unkflow
Call sign: EHP~i Location: Half ted Cay
Cal 1 S'fln: N/» Location: Unkntnn
Call Sign; N/A Location: Unknown
Call 5lfln! N/* Locaclon; unkno«n
Call Sign: N/» Location: 'Jnknomn
Call Sign: N/A Location: Unknown
Call Sign: N/* Loc-atlcm; unkno**i
Tall 'ign: N/A I rir,il-iitn: Unknown
Lall Sign: N/4 L....ation: Unknomi
Call Sign: M/A Location: Unknown
... |- .„ 1 . ., • . ,, ., ^_ ,',-•, 1 I'M 11*9 i»~..-l" T^h.^l*-^, T»,
To call the unit, select dial (Alt-D), which initiates the call and accesses the screen
shown below.
Locatiwi: msp*r S* LMndro Last poll on: &?-2?-l?3» 1
-dm!*- silir H.( »i 510 /W 616* foil for data since &t ?l WM l
Proynminip pdHsnord:
Profile frufi 1 step 1 lo 27 every &(:efl:fle since I)* 63 IW^1 Q
Set nmipim 1 IMHIIII« 29 arid parkinu 10 depth
Collect ftcttl line dalH nvnrv 10 sei:onds fur 1 ninutc!i cmd lidng up
Ini1i«Li>riiw HU'^H un CW?: flTS7-9flflK4£C14ft? OK (loric.
OidHng : ftflWiit 5l6 7?» 6H&6 COHtfCT *6W/rtfhO/V34/I flfTN/V4?BTS Ban*.
R BIISL v.1.1 Ba=« Station Pr&graa (Cj
prisc I echnn logics Inc.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
-------
If the connection established is too weak for transmission, RUSS-Base will dis-
connect and redial. If the modem initialization fails, terminate the connection
attempt by pressing the ESC key and check to see if another program is using the
modem.
CjPTip. Using ClockerPro or Clocker software, you can automatically
schedule RUSS-Base to call RUSS units in a predetermined order at
different times. These software programs are personal/network
program schedulers for Windows designed to schedule programs
(or reminders)—such as the upload and download of data from the
RUSS unit(s)—to run at specified times. Use the instructions provid-
ed with these programs to run the desired schedules.
Once a connection is established, the RUSS unit will first validate the program-
ming password if you are loading a new profile schedule. If the programming
password is valid, the RUSS unit will report back the time of the next scheduled
sample collection and data transmission, as well as profile parameters.
After the unit receives the new profile, its on-board computer will run a valida-
tion routine on the profile, checking for logic errors or any conflicts with existing
programs. If any questionable data elements are found, the system will prompt
you to review and resolve the issue. Once any issues concerning the profile are
addressed, the unit will store the profile parameters and implement sampling
based on the profile's schedule information. You can then proceed in a similar
fashion through the unit list screen to upload profiles to other units in your sys-
tem.
When collecting a water quality sample, the RUSS unit deploys a device called a
Profiler to a specified depth in the water column below the unit. Before data are
collected, the sensors will stabilize at the correct depth, which can take 3 to 5 min-
utes. Collected information is then transmitted to the unit's on-board computer
via an underwater cable. The computer has the capacity to store up to 3 weeks of
collected data (assuming average sampling intervals).
The collected monitoring information is then automatically transmitted from the
RUSS units to the base station at intervals specified in unit-specific profile sched-
ules. After this transmission, you can access the data as needed for analysis.
Even when the system is set up to automatically transmit collected data, you can
implement manual downloads using the unit list screen to connect with specific
RUSS units (as discussed above). To avoid downloading duplicate data, RUSS-
Base tracks the last data point for data transmitted from each unit. In addition,
you can download near real-time data from a unit at the same time the unit is
transmitting data from a scheduled sampling. As information is transmitted, it
will display on screen (as shown in the screen shot on page 53). An "End of data"
message will be displayed when the transmission is complete.
52 CHAPTER4
-------
I1H HAM !• » ' * m
SHBIM irrg Station
fl7 ?5 1999 13:16:59
Itonn loud inn ddld.
RUSS CdIL sign: FHPTl -fdit LuTo*
Inotlion: Ursl llpm-r
-Dirtl" sils d1 NI 61? 749 IH87
haasm anolhcr* Busc slaliwi: HTPRS -Seli*i-
Usl pall an: B7 ?0 HOT flO:W flD
Poll far
-------
Date Time Depth Temp°C
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
7/25/00
0:02:13
0:03:40
0:05:07
0:06:22
0:08:13
0:09:40
0:11:31
0:13:34
6:02:16
6:03:55
6:05:07
6:06:34
6:08:37
6:09:52
6:11:55
6:13:46
12:02:40
12:08:15
12:10:51
12:12:18
12:13:57
12:15:36
12:17:51
12:19:18
18:06:42
18:08:33
18:10:12
18:11:51
18:13:30
18:14:57
18:17:00
18:18:51
1.17
1.89
2.83
3.86
4.97
5.89
6.81
7.85
1.16
1.92
2.88
3.9
4.88
5.84
6.86
7.84
1.14
2.18
2.85
3.91
4.82
5.89
6.9
7.83
0.99
1.96
2.86
3.81
4.8
5.81
6.83
7.95
24
24
23.9
23.8
23.5
22.6
22.1
20.5
23.8
23.8
23.8
23.7
23.5
22.9
22.1
21
23.9
23.8
23.7
23.5
23.3
22.8
21.8
20.8
24.5
24.5
24.4
23.7
23.3
22.8
21.7
20.8
pH
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.2
7.6
7.4
7.2
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.3
8.1
7.7
7.4
7.3
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.3
8.1
7.7
7.3
7.2
8.6
8.6
8.5
8.3
8
7.5
7.3
7.2
Cond
382
382
383
384
388
396
409
457
383
382
382
384
387
393
409
444
382
382
383
384
386
394
423
450
380
380
381
386
388
395
423
449
DOppm
8.23
8.49
8.37
7.92
6.17
0.83
0.11
0.11
7.6
8.29
8.19
7.4
6.45
2.36
0.13
0.11
8.01
7.96
7.76
7.06
6.13
2.52
0.12
0.12
9.71
9.85
9.58
7.15
5.79
2.81
0.15
0.12
DOsat
97.8
100.9
99.4
93.8
72.7
9.6
1.2
1.2
90
98.2
97
87.4
75.9
27.5
1.5
1.2
95
94.2
91.8
83.1
71.9
29.3
1.4
1.3
116.4
118.1
114.7
84.5
68
32.7
1.7
1.4
Turb
31.2
38.2
32.8
50.8
20.8
27.8
23.3
57.1
41.4
113.3
96.1
56.5
55.5
38.2
47.2
64.4
233.5
108.3
108.3
97
103.9
93.5
120.4
111
92.4
112.4
109.3
90.9
113.9
96.8
123.7
113.3
ORP
11.9
9.7
11.9
13.8
20
36.8
48.2
57
13.5
8.8
13
14.7
19.6
30
43.6
52.6
11.3
11.2
8.5
16.1
21.8
36.3
46
54.1
2.6
3.8
6.2
13.7
24.4
40.9
49.6
52.3
Checking for Data Quality
After your data have been delivered, you will want to make sure that they meet
acceptable quality criteria. The Lake Access team uses both automated and man-
ual data quality checks to ensure accurate and representative measurements of
water quality parameters. At all stages of data management, the information is
subjected to previously established and documented quality assurance protocols.
Performing quality checks on Lake Access data can take from a few days to weeks
or months, depending on the amount of data streaming into the project's base
54
CHAPTER 4
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station. The Lake Access team's data quality checks focus on subtle trend differ-
ences, data that are out of range, data with unusual rates of change, outliers, data
gaps, and the data's consistency with weather patterns and season. An overview of
these checks is provided below. For more detailed information, refer to the Lake
Access Quality Assurance Protocols document, which is available on the Lake
Access Web site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/QAQC.html.
The Lake Access team performs QA/QC on the data using the methods outlined
below:
• The team compares manually collected samples with RUSS unit data
prior to recalibrating the RUSS unit. This check provides assurance that
the previous period's data are accurate. If the data pass for the previous
period, they are considered acceptable. If the data do not pass, team
members examine the results in the context of their understanding of
the individual lake's limnology and other data (e.g., nutrients, chloro-
phyll, trends). They then decide to either delete the data from the data-
base and/or save the information in a different place. The team is espe-
cially careful not to delete anomalous data that might reveal actual
dynamic changes in lake water quality.
• The team generally performs routine, biweekly maintenance and
calibration of the sensors. At the same time, the team also conducts
manual sampling with an independent instrument. The following table
provides information on quality assurance criteria for the RUSS unit
sensors.
Sensor Relative Percent Difference (RPD) Delta
Temperature
Dissolved Oxygen
EC (25° C)
pH
Turbidity
< 5 percent
< 1 0 percent
< 1 0 percent
< 1 0 percent
< 1 0 percent
< 0.2°C
< 0.5 mg02/L
< 5 uS/cm
< 0.2 units
< 5 NTUs
See Chapter 3, Section 3.9 for detailed information on calibration and
quality assurance of the RUSS sensors.
The team has developed sophisticated data visualization programs that
allow quick review of the data as they are transmitted from RUSS units.
These programs enable the team to identify problems almost immedi-
ately. Using the data visualization tools described in Chapter 5, the
team can visually inspect the graphical displays to ensure that the data
flow in categorical increments and accurately reflect changes in water
quality. The team also can visually check for data gaps and outliers. An
example of questionable data might be a reading that is inconsistent
with the lake's depth. Additionally, the Profile Plotter and Color
Mapper tools described in Chapter 5 contain calibration flags that
allow the user to keep track of calibration dates as the data stream is
being viewed.
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
55
-------
• Once the data are transferred to the base station, they are run through
an importer program. This program converts the data to a standard for-
mat and also checks for errors. (The importer program is described in
more detail in the following subsection on converting and managing
data.)
The Lake Access team uses data from manual sampling to fill in data gaps and
address anomalous data. If the team determines that the anomalies are large and
cannot be resolved, or if large amounts of data are missing, the data will not be
used or released to the public. If the team determines that the data meet QA/QC
requirements, the data are considered valid and reportable.
Converting and Managing the Data
After you collect data from the RUSS units, you must convert it to the correct
format for input into your data management system and visualization tools
(described in Chapter 5)- The Lake Access team uses an importer program to con-
vert the RUSS unit data to a standard format. This program reads data files that
have been created or changed since the last time the program was run. It then con-
verts the data to the format required by the visualization tools and checks the data
for integrity.
The importer first tests the RUSS unit's name, site name, and column descrip-
tions to ensure they correspond to the anticipated parameters for that unit. If they
do not correspond, the importer generates an error and no further action is taken
with the data file. For example, an error will be generated if a data file from
Halsteds Bay was accidentally placed in the Lake Independence directory.
The importer then reads each individual data line and converts it to a reading that
presents measurements taken at the same depth at the same time. A set of read-
ings is combined to form a "profile" in the database. The importer also flags and
rejects data that fall outside a specified range. The following table shows the cor-
relation between water quality parameters and unacceptable data ranges.
Parameter Unacceptable data range
Temperature
pH
EC at 25° C
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
DO percent Saturation
Turbidity*
< -1 or > 35° Celsius
<5or> 10
< 1 or > 600 uS/cm
< -1 or > 20 mg02/L
< -5 or > 200 percent
<-5or>1000NTU
"Turbidity values between -5 and 0 are set to equal 0.
After the importer has read the data, it stores the information in an object-ori-
ented storage format. In this format, each line of text represents an object. The
conversion method you employ will depend on the type of system you use for
data storage or visualization. However, the Lake Access importer program is rec-
ommended for ease of use, compatibility with RUSS unit data, and for its ability
56
CHAPTER 4
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to conduct quality checks. For additional information on the importer program,
please read the Lake Access Quality Assurance Protocols document on the Lake
Access Web site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/QAQC.html.
Retrieving the Data
As you set up your system, you can develop your own protocols for retrieving
data. To retrieve its data, the Lake Access team directly links its data visualization
tools (DVTs) described in the next chapter to its object-oriented database. If you
decide to store your data instead in MS Access or another database management
system, you can develop simple queries to access data. If you decide to store the
data in an Oracle database, you might want to develop a user-friendly interface to
retrieve the data. For example, you could make use of drop-down lists to select
time periods, check boxes to choose parameters, radio buttons to select output file
format, or graphical versus text displays.
Storing and Archiving the Data
It is recommended that you store and archive all sample records, raw data, quali-
ty control data, and results. A variety of media are available for archiving data
(e.g., CD-ROMs, Zip disks, floppy diskettes, and hard copy). The server storing
the data should also be backed up daily to prevent data loss.
4.5 Troubleshooting Q&A
This section contains information about common troubleshooting issues.
Q: Is technical support available for hardware and software installation?
A: Apprise Technologies will work with each client to ensure that the RUSS units
and associated software are properly installed. Also, the company can tailor
system setup to individual customers. Additionally, Apprise technologies
offers telephone and onsite support. Apprise also offers onsite training on top-
ics such as assembling and disassembling RUSS units, deploying the units,
installing and operating RUSS-Base software, and system troubleshooting.
Q: Is technical support available for operating the data collection, transfer,
and management systems?
A: Apprise Technologies offers telephone and on-site support for its systems.
Many communities take advantage of on-site training, which includes ses-
sions focused on data collection, transfer, and management.
Q: What should I do when the data will not download?
A: If you are unable to download data, your communications protocol or RUSS
unit battery power might have failed. As a first step, make sure that your
RUSS unit has enough battery power to transfer the data. Review the data file
you downloaded previously, because this file will contain information about
the battery voltage.
Voltage should be in the range of 12.5 to 14.5 Volts during daytime hours.
Lower voltages indicate that the RUSS unit solar panel is not recharging the
TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 57
-------
battery due to excessive power drain, loose cables, or a shadowed or damaged
panel. A RUSS unit will be fully functional with battery power as low as 11.5
Volts. The more frequently the data are collected, the more battery power is
used by the RUSS unit. To conserve battery voltage, you might want to con-
sider limiting sampling frequency.
Q: What should I do when I cannot log in or connect to the RUSS unit from
the base station?
A: If you are unable to connect to the RUSS unit, first check that your password
entry is correct. For example, be sure not to include leading or trailing spaces.
If you cannot determine the cause of the failure, place a test call to Apprise
Technology's computer (see Section 4.3) to test the communications system
and ensure that it is working properly.
Q: Can I automatically collect data without being present at the base station?
A: Using ClockerPro or Clocker software, you can automatically schedule
RUSS-Base to call RUSS units in a predetermined order at different times
without anyone being present. (See Section 4.3 for additional information
about Clocker and ClockerPro software.)
Q: How can I adjust the time interval that the profiler maintains at each
sampling depth?
A: If you would like to adjust the time interval, contact Apprise Technologies
and they will program a new time interval for you. Apprise Technologies orig-
inally programs the RUSS-Base software to allow for between 3 to 5 minutes
at each sampling depth. For example, if your profiler is programmed to col-
lect measurements every meter for 20 meters, it will remain at each meter
depth for between 3 and 5 minutes. This interval allows sufficient time for the
profiler to stabilize at the given depth. Intervals greater than 6 minutes can
drain the RUSS unit battery power too quickly.
58 CHAPTER4
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5. DEPICTING TIME-RELEVANT
WATER QUALITY DATA
ow that your water quality monitoring network is in place and you have col-
lected the resulting data, you can turn to the next step in providing your
community with time-relevant water quality information: using data visual-
ization tools to graphically depict this information. By using the types of data
visualization tools described in this chapter, you can create graphic representations
of water quality data that can be used on Web sites, in reports and educational
materials, and in other outreach and communication initiatives.
Section 5-1 provides an overview of data visualization. Section 5-2 contains an
introduction to selected data visualization tools used by the Lake Access Team. If
you are interested in a basic introduction to data visualization, you might only
want to read the initial section. If you are responsible for choosing and using data
visualization software to model and analyze data, you should also consult Section
5.2.
5.1 What is Data Visualization?
Data visualization is the process of graphically depicting data in ways that are
meaningful to you. When data are visualized effectively, the resulting graphical
depictions can reveal patterns, trends, and distributions that might otherwise not
be apparent from raw data alone. This enables you to "see" and "understand" the
data much more easily and meaningfully. The results of your efforts can then be
communicated to a broader audience, such as residents in your community.
Data visualization can be accomplished with a variety of software tools, ranging
from standard spreadsheet and statistical software to more advanced analytical
tools such as:
• Two- and three-dimensional graphic plotters
• Animation techniques
• Geographic Information Systems
• Simulation modeling
• Geostatistical techniques
By applying these tools to water quality data, you can help your community's res-
idents gain a better understanding of factors affecting water quality in area lakes
and streams. Once you begin using data visualization tools, you will immediately
be impressed with their ability to model and analyze your data for a variety of pur-
poses, from making resource management decisions to supporting public out-
reach and education efforts. For example, you can use data visualization tools to:
• Explore links between land use patterns within watersheds and the type
and magnitude of nonpoint pollutant sources affecting local streams
and lakes.
DEPICTING TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 59
-------
Calculate acreage of the various land uses within your watershed, and
use this information, in conjunction with models, to predict sediment
and phosphorous loadings to lakes from inflow streams and nonpoint
sources.
• Create daily, monthly, and annual lake water quality profiles.
As explained in Chapter 3 of this handbook, the Lake Access team is using data
collected by Remote Underwater Sampling Station (RUSS) units and manual
sampling to determine the impact of pollutant loadings on Lake Minnetonka and
Lake Independence. The raw data collected from the RUSS units provide infor-
mation about current water quality conditions and short- and long-term water
quality trends. The Lake Access team then uses a number of data visualization
tools to analyze and convey information about water quality data. The Lake
Access team is using data visualization and interpretation techniques to analyze
water quality data and provide information to support resource management and
land use planning decisions within the watershed.
A variety of commercially available data visualization tools exist that allow you to
graphically represent real-time data, manipulate variables, compare temporal
trends, and even depict changes over time. Section 5-2 focuses on the following
data visualization tools listed in the table below.
Tool Group
DVT Data Visualization
Tools
Lake Access Live: Near Real-Time
Display of Numeric Data; Profile Plotter;
Color Mapper; Depth versus Time (DxT)
Profiler
Primary Uses
• Explore lake data as it varies with
depth and overtime
• Create animated water quality
profiles
• Feed real-time data to Internet site
• Investigate correlations between
water quality variables and trends
Spreadsheet Programs
Microsoft Excel; Lotus 123
1 Display raw data
1 Investigate correlations between
water quality variables and trends
1 Create summary graphs of data
Geographic Information
Systems
Several, including Arclnfo; ArcView;
GeoMedia; and Maplnfo Professional
Integrate and model spatial data
(e.g., water quality and land use)
Develop Internet mapping
applications
60
CHAPTER 5
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5.2 Data Visualization Software
This section provides information about the three data visualization software
groups described in Section 5-1:
• DVT data visualization tools
• Spreadsheet programs
• Geographic Information Systems
After reviewing this section, you should have a good idea when and why you
might want to use these tools and what you need to do to obtain, install, and use
them.
DVT Data Visualization Tools
DVT data visualization tools are user-friendly interactive programs that the Lake
Access team uses to depict and manipulate water quality profiles collected by
RUSS units and from manual sampling. The four tools listed below were devel-
oped originally for the team's Water on the Web project and are designed to work
with data sets generated by RUSS technology, but they could also be adapted to
work with other data sets from other water quality monitoring systems your com-
munity chooses to put in place. These tools are:
• Lake Access Live: Near Real-Time Display of Numeric Data
• Profile plotter
• Color mapper
• Depth versus Time (DxT) Profiler
These tools provide the ability to:
• Feed real-time data to the Web for data sharing.
• Compare water quality profiles over time and depth.
• Create animations of profiles to illustrate how water quality parameters
change daily, monthly, and annually.
You can obtain the DVT tools by contacting Apprise Technologies at 218-720-
4341. They are available individually, or as a package called the DVToolkit. The
tools are easy to install and are appropriate for a wide variety of platforms, includ-
ing Windows 95/98/NT, Unix/Linux, and Macintosh. You can run these appli-
cations directly from your computer or over the Web.
For additional information on these tools, consult the Lake Access Web site at
http://www.lakeaccess.org and the article Interactive Technologies for Collecting
and Visualizing Water Quality Data, co-authored by the Water on the Web team
and Apprise Technology. This article is published in the journal of the Urban and
Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and is available on the Web
at http://www.urisa.org/Joumal/accepted/host/interactive_technologies_
for_collecting_and_visualizing_water_quality_data.htm (Host et al., 2000).
DEPICTING TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA 61
-------
The subsections below present brief overviews of each DVT tool, focusing main-
ly on what each is used for (i.e., when/how you might use each tool). This will
help you decide if you want to obtain and employ these tools.
Lake Access Live: Near Real-Time Display of Numeric Data
This is a simple program that can be used to provide near real-time data feeds,
such as oxygen level and temperature, to Web sites for public access and data shar-
ing. The program automatically retrieves water quality data from your database,
embeds the data in a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) image, and posts the
image to a Web site. The screen below, taken from the Lake Access Web site,
shows how this program is used to display near real-time data.
Lake Minnelc ih*. - ali:?tK E a\' tt?d 3S'11'UQ 05:00
monj Temppiatur?: E3'F 0*vnen S.OITJIL
Mmnetonka. West Upper LaKe Man OSfl 1 (OB 06 00
Lake Inaepenaente Wed Q9ni'3G Q6DCI
Deplri 1 m (31TJ
8 rn (2* flj
Deplli I m (3 fTj
Tempefatiure: TO 'F
t; ;i -F
Temperature £3'F
H'F
Onyrjen
Unvyeii 7 7 fr,yL
Profile Plotter
The Profile Plotter program enables users to create static and animated line plots
of the profiles of lakes and other water bodies revealing how water quality vari-
ables change over time and depth. Animated profiles help users observe how lake
profiles change daily, monthly, and annually. Users can choose from a number of
different variables to plot. For example, the screen at the top of page 63 shows
how users can select from a variety of water quality parameters (i.e., temperature,
pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity) to plot and animate.
This particular graph displays temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen concentra-
tions at various depths in Lake Independence at 6:00 a.m. on June 12, 2000, in
the form of a lake profile line plot. By plotting temperature as a function of depth,
you can show how the thermocline location varies with time, and you can illus-
trate events such as spring and winter turnover.
Color Mapper
The Color Mapper is similar to the Profile Plotter, except that it enables you to
map two water quality variables simultaneously. A user interested in understand-
ing the correlation between two variables might want to use this tool.
Using Color Mapper, you can map one parameter as color contours and then
overlay another variable over the color contours in the form of a line plot. For
example, in the graph shown below, the background depicts temperature using
color contour, and a superimposed line plot shows oxygen concentrations. This
display shows that oxygen is depleted below the thermocline.
62
CHAPTER 5
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independent on Men.«-12-2000 Q*:DO CDT |L;^e lr,dep£.,-,l]ei|i;e
Pumler mitoc -j j« Li
T«mp i
0 S n: 15
Waning *^ntWindow
:c
Profile Plotter
West Upper LkMdia
-•1. ni
jeir J
Color Mapper
The temperature data shown in the screen above was originally collected by the
RUSS units as point data. To display the data as color contours, the Color Mapper
estimates temperatures in areas where there are no measurements (i.e., in the areas
between point samples). This process of estimating measurements—in this case,
temperature—is called interpolation.
DEPICTING TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
63
-------
Once the data have been interpolated, the Color Mapper automatically draws
color contours representing a range of temperatures. These ranges and colors are
chosen based on predetermined break points keyed to changes in temperature. In
this case, the red colors represent warmer temperatures and the blue colors repre-
sent cooler temperatures.
Depth Versus Time (DxT) Profiler
This program graphically depicts how the lake data collected by RUSS units
change over time. The DxT Profiler allows users to display and analyze data in
two or three dimensions. As shown in the display below, this program allows you
to select the time period for which you want to display data; select the parameter
you wish to analyze or illustrate; add grid lines; show the actual data points; and
interpolate data by depth and time. You can also output the graphs in GIF for-
mat to post to Web sites or incorporate into reports.
-
tm .....
Mm •» - ufr- -
The screen above shows the changes in oxygen concentrations over time in
Halsteds Bay, which is highly eutrophic. The color contours used to display oxy-
gen are based on biological breakpoints that are important to fisheries manage-
ment. The green colors represent acceptable oxygen levels for fish populations.
The change from dark green to brown (at approximately 5 mg/L oxygen) shows
the point at which oxygen levels are too low to support cold-water fish popula-
tions. The map's colors change from blue to black (at approximately 1 mg/L oxy-
gen) to indicate the break point at which oxygen concentrations are too low to
support any fish populations.
64
CHAPTER 5
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Spreadsheet Programs
Simple spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123 can also be
used to visually characterize lake data. These programs can be used to create
graphs and tabular summaries of various water quality parameters plotted over
time or versus depth. The resulting graphs and tables can be used to help analyze
surface trends, heat and oxygen budgets, water chemistry, and morphometry
Because these software programs are readily available and easy to use, they can be
used effectively in the classroom to introduce students to the basics of modeling
and interpreting data. Both Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123 can be purchased at
most stores that sell computer equipment and software, and they are easy to
install. Both run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows 3.1, 95,
98, 2000, and NT.
For example, the screen below shows how the Lake Access Team uses Microsoft
Excel to illustrate the surface trends of lake parameters using RUSS unit data. The
screen presents a time course plot that shows the average pH values in Lake
Independence's surface layer (the upper 3 meters of the water column), for the
period beginning April 6, 1998, and ending April 6, 2000. The vertical bars
straddling each data point represent the range of values measured for that partic-
ular day.
Lake Independence Top Layer - pH
Dailv max.Vnin/avg readings in the 0 - 3 n layer Red lines indicate calib'sfon dates.
10.0
9.5
9.0
8.5
8.0
7.0
6.5
.
.—
Note: The pH data shown in the graph above are still undergoing several rounds of quality
assessment by the Lake Access team. As a result, some of these data might be subsequently
modified.
You can also create other types of graphics using spreadsheet programs. For exam-
ple in the screen shown below, the Lake Access team has used Microsoft Excel to
show the Secchi depth data for Lake Independence over a 7-month period. (See
page 34 for a detailed explanation of Secchi depth data.)
DEPICTING TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
65
-------
Like independence Mean Monthly Seeehi (3E)
*& ^JL.
•£L djT *? ty <£J $ (^
n n <
u.u
0,9
1.0 -
£ IS
3 ?n
^ Z.O
E 5 & .
£.3
30
3.5
4J1 -
"
••^
'— "J ^^
**J |^^
TT"
Geographic Information Systems (CIS)
GIS is a software and hardware system that helps scientists and other technicians
capture, store, model, display, and analyze spatial or geographic information.
This technology offers powerful tools for analyzing and visualizing spatial pat-
terns and trends in environmental data. (The U.S. Geological
Society's (USGS's) Web site contains a user-friendly introduction to GIS at
http://info.er.usgs.gov/research/gis/title.html.
GIS includes a varied range of technologies. To choose, obtain, and use them, you
will need to understand the various technologies available and which might be
appropriate for your needs and situation. By using GIS technology, you can pro-
duce a wide range of graphical outputs, including maps, drawings, animations,
and other cartographic products. To create these outputs, you can use GIS to per-
form a range of powerful functions, including:
• Interactive visualization and manipulation of spatial data
• Integration of spatial analysis and environmental modeling
• Integration of GIS and remote sensing
• Simulations modeling
• Creation of two and three-dimensional models
• Internet mapping
To choose, obtain, and use GIS software, you will need to understand the various
technologies available and which might be appropriate for your needs and situa-
tion. For more information on specific GIS software packages, you can consult
manufacturers' Web sites, including:
• ESRI (http://www.esri.com), whose suite of tools includes Arclnfo,
ArcView, and ArcIMS internet mapping software
66
CHAPTER 5
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• Intergraph (http://www.intergraph.com/gis/), whose software includes
GeoMedia and GeoMedia Web Map
• Maplnfo (http://www.mapinfo.com/), whose products include
Maplnfo and Maplnfo Xtreme (an Internet mapping software)
Although GIS is more complex and expensive than other data visualization tools
described in this chapter, it also provides more power and flexibility—both in
terms of the data you can use and what you can do with the data. You can use GIS
technologies from data originating from a variety of sources, including satellite
imagery, surveys, hardcopy maps, and environmental readings on variables such
as water depth or chemistry. Key data layers in the Lake Access project include
RUSS data, manual sampling data, land use data, transportation data, watershed
boundaries, elevation, and hydrography. Having these data, you can use GIS to
illustrate how land use changes affect water quality. You might also want to use
GIS to model the relationships between watershed characteristics and lake water
quality. By using GIS, you can combine different types of data layers to predict
how quickly sediments or contaminants might move through a stream system.
The following graphic was created by the Lake Access team using Arclnfo soft-
ware to display land use in the Lake Independence and Lake Minnetonka water-
sheds. The map is color coded to distinguish the land uses surrounding the lake
(e.g., agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, forest, and wetland).
^
'
Maps of this type can help inform the public and local officials about connections
between local water conditions and current land uses in their communities.
GIS Features on the Lake Access Web site. The Lake Access team has developed a
user-friendly and engaging map-based product for the land use page of its Web
site at http://www.lakeaccess.org/landuse.html. This Web-based capability is a
DEPICTING TIME-RELEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
67
-------
powerful way to distribute GIS data, allowing thousands of interested parties to
simultaneously display and access data. Maps are displayed on the
Web site using the ARCVIEW Internet Map Server (IMS) developed
by ESRI. Users can zoom in and out of maps and perform queries to gather
information about different map elements. Site visitors can generate maps, query
data, and retrieve information by simply clicking on the map feature.
IMS allows the user to turn different kinds of map layers (e.g., roads, land use,
water bodies) on or off to create their own customized maps. For more
information on using IMS, visit the ESRI Web site at
http://www.esri.com/software/arcview/mapcafe/index.html.
The screen below shows the IMS display for land use in the Lake Independence
watershed. The screen has three primary sections:
• A toolbar for performing various map operations
• An interactive legend that allows different layers to be turned on or off
• A map viewing frame that shows the map itself
The status bar at the bottom of the screen provides information about map coor-
dinates, a map scale, a link to a help site, and information on the status of current
operations.
Pai k DbLitcl
BU»UD Descriptions
68
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LAKE INDEPENDENCE
BATHYMETRY
BATHYMETRY (FEET)
8T010
11 TO 20
21 TO 30
31 TO 40
41 TO 50
5H
/ u 200
METERS
The Lake Access Project also creates other GIS products, including two-dimen-
sional representations of various lake parameters. For example, depth (i.e.
bathymetry) is shown in the graphic above.
GIS and other data visualization tools offer the ability to better support and com-
municate observations, conclusions, and recommendations to resource managers,
the public, students, and regulators. These audiences can then use displays and
analyses to help make day-to-day decisions that can affect the quality of their lakes
and streams.
DEPICTING TIME - RE LEVANT WATER QUALITY DATA
69
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6. COMMUNICATING
TIME-RELEVANT WATER
QUALITY INFORMATION
As your community develops its time-relevant water quality monitoring and
reporting systems, you will want to think about the best ways to communi-
cate the information these systems will yield. This chapter of the handbook
is designed to help you do so:
• It outlines the steps involved in developing an outreach plan.
• It profiles the outreach initiatives implemented by the Lake Access
Team.
• It also provides guidelines for effectively communicating information
and includes resources for water quality monitoring and promoting
awareness, which you can incorporate into your own communication
and outreach materials.
6.1 Creating an Outreach Plan for Time-Relevant
Water Quality Reporting
Outreach will be most effective if you plan it carefully, considering such issues as:
Who do you want to reach? What information do you want to disseminate? What
are the most effective mechanisms to reach people? Developing a plan ensures that
you have considered all important elements of an outreach project before you
begin. The plan itself provides a blueprint for action.
An outreach plan does not have to be lengthy or complicated. You can develop a
plan simply by documenting your answers to each of the questions discussed
below. This will provide you with a solid foundation for launching an outreach
effort.
Your outreach plan will be most effective if you involve a variety of people in its
development. Where possible, consider involving:
• A communications specialist or someone who has experience develop-
ing and implementing an outreach plan.
• Technical experts in the subject matter (both scientific and policy).
• Someone who represents the target audience (i.e., the people or groups
you want to reach).
• Key individuals who will be involved in implementing the outreach
plan.
As you develop your outreach plan, consider whether you would like to invite any
organizations to partner with you in planning or implementing the outreach
effort. Potential partners might include shoreline and lakeshore property owner
associations, local businesses, environmental organizations, schools, boating asso-
ciations, local health departments, local planning and zoning authorities, and
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA 71
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other local or state agencies. Partners can participate in planning, product devel-
opment and review, and distribution. Partnerships can be valuable mechanisms
for leveraging resources while enhancing the quality, credibility, and success of
outreach efforts.
Developing an outreach plan is a creative and iterative process involving a num-
ber of interrelated steps, as described below. As you move through each of these
steps, you might want to revisit and refine the decisions you made in earlier steps
until you have an integrated, comprehensive, and achievable plan.
Whom Are You Trying To Reach?
Identifying Your Audience(s)
The first step in developing an outreach plan is to clearly identify the target
audience or audiences for your outreach effort. As illustrated in the sample goals
above, outreach goals often define their target audiences. You might want to refine
and add to your goals after you have specifically considered which audiences you
want to reach.
Target audiences for a water quality outreach program might include, for exam-
ple, the general public, local decision makers and land management agencies,
educators and students (high school and college), special interest groups (e.g.,
homeowner associations, fishing and boating organizations, gardening clubs, and
lawn maintenance/landscape professionals). Some audiences, such as educators
and special interest groups, might serve as conduits to help disseminate informa-
tion to other audiences you have identified, such as the general public.
Consider whether you should divide the public into two or more audience cate-
gories. For example: Will you be providing different information to certain
groups, such as citizens and businesses? Does a significant portion of the public
you are trying to reach have a different cultural or linguistic background from
other members? If so, it likely will be most effective to consider these groups as
separate audience categories.
Profiling Your Audience(s)
Outreach will be most effective if the type, content, and distribution of outreach
products are specifically tailored to the characteristics of target audiences. Once
you have identified your audiences, the next step is to develop a profile of their
situations, interests, and concerns. This profile will help you identify the most
effective ways of reaching the audience. For each target audience, consider:
• What is their current level of knowledge about water quality?
• What do you want them to know about water quality? What actions
would you like them to take regarding water quality?
• What information is likely to be of greatest interest to the audience?
What information will they likely want to know once they develop
some awareness of water quality issues?
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• How much time are they likely to give to receiving and assimilating the
information?
• How does this group generally receive information?
• What professional, recreational, and domestic activities does this group
typically engage in that might provide avenues for distributing outreach
products? Are there any organizations or centers that represent or serve
the audience and might be avenues for disseminating your outreach
products?
Profiling an audience essentially involves putting yourself "in your audience's
shoes." Ways to do this include consulting with individuals or organizations who
represent or are members of the audience, consulting with colleagues who have
successfully developed other outreach products for the audience, and using your
imagination.
What Are Your Outreach Goals?
Defining your outreach goals is the next step in developing an outreach plan.
Outreach goals should be clear, simple, action-oriented statements about what
you hope to accomplish through outreach (For example, a goal might be to
encourage the public to improve its shoreline management practices.) Once you
have established your goals, every other element of the plan should relate to those
goals.
What Do You Want To Communicate?
The next step in planning is to think about what you want to communicate. In
particular at this stage, think about the key points, or "messages," you want to
communicate. Messages are the "bottom line" information you want your audi-
ence to walk away with, even if they forget the details.
A message is usually phrased as a brief (often one-sentence) statement. For
example:
• The Lake Access Web site allows you to track daily changes on Lake
Minnetonka and Lake Independence.
• You can improve water quality in area lakes by reducing the amount of
fertilizer you apply to your lawn.
Outreach products will often have multiple related messages. Consider what mes-
sages you want to send to each target audience group. You might have different
messages for different audiences.
What Outreach Products Will You Develop?
The next step in developing an outreach plan is to consider what types of outreach
products will be most effective for reaching each target audience. There are many
different types of outreach: print, audiovisual, electronic, events and novelty
items. The table below provides some examples.
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA 73
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Outreach Products
Print
Audiovisual
Electronic
Events
Novelty Items
Brochures
Educational curricula
Newsletters
Posters
Question-and-answer sheets
Cable television programs
Exhibits and kiosks
E-mail messages
Web pages
Briefings
Fairs and festivals
One-on-one meetings
Public meetings
Banners
Buttons
Floating key chains for boaters
Magnets
Editorials
Fact sheets
Newspaper and magazine articles
Press releases
Utility bill inserts or stuffers
Public service announcements (radio)
Videos
Subscriber list servers
Community days
Media interviews
Press conferences
Speeches
Bumper stickers
Coloring books
Frisbee discs
Mouse pads
The audience profile information you assembled earlier will be helpful in select-
ing appropriate products. A communications professional can provide valuable
guidance in choosing the most appropriate products to meet your goals within
your resource and time constraints. Questions to consider when selecting prod-
ucts include:
• How much information does your audience really need to have? How
much does your audience need to know now? The simplest, most effec-
tive, most straightforward product generally is most effective.
• Is the product likely to appeal to the target audience? How much time
will it take to interact with the product? Is the audience likely to make
that time?
• How easy and cost-effective will the product be to distribute or, in the
case of an event, organize?
• How many people is this product likely to reach? For an event, how
many people are likely to attend?
• What time frame is needed to develop and distribute the product?
• How much will it cost to develop the product? Do you have access to
the talent and resources needed for development?
• What other related products are already available? Can you build on
existing products?
• When will the material be out of date? (You probably will want to
spend fewer resources on products with shorter lifetimes.)
• Would it be effective to have distinct phases of products over time? For
example, a first phase of products designed to raise awareness, followed
74
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at a later date by a second phase of products to encourage changes in
behavior.
How newsworthy is the information? Information with inherent news
value is more likely to be rapidly and widely disseminated by the
media.
How Will Your Products Reach Your Audience?
Effective distribution is essential to the success of an outreach strategy. There are
many avenues for distribution. The table below lists some examples.
Examples of Distribution Avenues
Your mailing list
Partners' mailing list
Phone/Fax
E-mail
Internet
Journals or newsletters of partner organizations
TV
Radio
Print media
Hotline that distributes products upon request
Meetings, events, or locations (e.g., libraries, schools, marinas, public beaches, tackle shops, and sailing clubs)
where products are made available
You need to consider how each product will be distributed and determine who will
be responsible for distribution. For some products, your organization might man-
age distribution. For others, you might rely on intermediaries (such as the media or
educators) or organizational partners who are willing to participate in the outreach
effort. Consult with an experienced communications professional to obtain
information about the resources and time required for the various distribution
options. Some points to consider in selecting distribution channels include:
• How does the audience typically receive information?
• What distribution mechanisms has your organization used in the past
for this audience? Were these mechanisms effective?
• Can you identify any partner organizations that might be willing to
assist in the distribution?
• Can the media play a role in distribution?
• Will the mechanism you are considering really reach the intended audi-
ence? For example, the Internet can be an effective distribution mecha-
nism, but certain groups might have limited access to it.
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA
75
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• How many people is the product likely to reach through the distribu-
tion mechanism you are considering?
• Are sufficient resources available to fund and implement distribution
via the mechanisms of interest?
What Follow-up Mechanisms Will You Establish?
Successful outreach might generate requests for further information or concern
about issues you have made the audience aware of. Consider whether and how
you will handle this interest. The following questions can help you develop this
part of your strategy:
• What types of reactions or concerns are audience members likely to
have in response to the outreach information?
• Who will handle requests for additional information?
• Do you want to indicate on the outreach product where people can go
for further information (e.g., provide a contact name, number, or
address, or establish a hotline) ?
What Is the Schedule for Implementation?
Once you have decided on your goals, audiences, messages, products, and distri-
bution channels, you will need to develop an implementation schedule. For each
product, consider how much time will be needed for development and distribu-
tion. Be sure to factor in sufficient time for product review. Wherever possible,
build in time for testing and evaluation by members or representatives of the tar-
get audience in focus groups or individual sessions so that you can get feedback
on whether you have effectively targeted your material for your audience. Section
6.3 contains suggestions for presenting technical information to the public. It also
provides information about online resources that can provide easy to understand
background information that you can use in developing your own outreach
projects.
6.2 Elements of the Lake Access Project's
Outreach Program
The Lake Access team uses a variety of mechanisms to communicate time-rele-
vant water quality information—as well as information about the project itself—
to the affected public in Hennepin County and the nearby area. The team uses
the project Web site as the primary vehicle for communicating time-relevant
information to the public. Their outreach strategy includes a variety of mecha-
nisms—among them, a brochure, kiosks, and teacher training—to provide the
public with information about the Lake Access project. Elements of the project's
communication program are highlighted below.
Bringing together experts. As a first step, project coordinators brought
together a group of naturalists, museum officials, teachers, and other experts to
discuss ways to implement the Lake Access Project's outreach efforts. The group
identified target audiences, discussed the key points and messages that they felt
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needed to be communicated, the types of outreach products they thought should
be developed, and what mechanisms should be used to distribute the information.
Designing attractive, user-friendly brochures. The team developed an
attractive 2-page, 4-color brochure, entitled Seeing Below the Surface, which fea-
tures basic, easy-to-follow information about the Lake Access project. The target
audience is the general public. A reproduction of the brochure is contained in
Appendix B.
Survey. Before moving further ahead with project outreach, the Lake Access
team needed to know how much general knowledge the public had about water
quality and land use issues in the Hennepin County area. To do so, they con-
ducted a survey intended to help the team target its outreach efforts and tailor
products to be most useful to lake users and community residents. The survey
included a cover page that provided easy-to-understand information about the
Lake Access project, and it contained questions about lake use, level of concern
about lake water quality, interest in learning more about local lakes, and preferred
mechanisms for receiving Lake Access project information. Appendix C contains
the entire survey text.
Hennepin County Taxpayer Services provided the team with 450 randomly
selected addresses throughout the county. The team sent surveys to these address-
es, along with a cover letter, the project brochure, and a postcard that residents
returned if they wanted to participate in a focus group. They sent the surveys out
again to those who did not initially respond, and in the end, approximately 40
percent of recipients completed the surveys. The survey results revealed a general
concern and curiosity about the lake, as well as interest in many aspects of water
quality.
Web site. The Lake Access Web site, http://www.lakeaccess.org, is the
Project's centerpiece for conveying time-relevant water quality data to the public.
The site is organized to present information to four target audiences: swimmers,
boaters, anglers, and land owners. Users can retrieve water quality data in various
forms, as well as background information on water quality. The site's design
includes a rolling banner that presents time-relevant information from the three
RUSS unit sites in Lake Minnetonka and Lake Independence. The Web site
includes an interactive GIS mapping capability (described in Chapter 5, Section
5.2) as well as other user-friendly features, such as a "Frequently Asked
Questions" page and a "What's New" page.
In addition, one of the project's partners, Water on the Web (WOW),
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu, has created an interactive educational Web site with
National Science Foundation funding. The site provides teachers with online
lessons on water quality issues and provides high school and college students with
study guides on various water quality subjects.
Kiosks. The Lake Minnetonka Regional Parks Visitor's Center, the Eastman
Nature Center, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Great Lakes
Aquarium in Duluth have installed touch-screen computer kiosks that feature the
same information as the Lake Access project Web site. Kiosk users can access
time-relevant water quality data from the three Lake Access Project RUSS units.
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA 77
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Kiosks provide a mechanism for people without ready access to the Internet to
view the time-relevant data generated by the project.
Training teachers. The project team trained a group of local school teachers on
the RUSS unit and the project through a number of workshops, including a two-
week summer workshop held at the lake.
Piggybacking on existing events. The team found it simple and efficient to
promote the project in conjunction with pre-existing events. The team has found
that one of the most effective ways to reach a large number of people is to pro-
mote the project at local summer festivals, which attract large crowds.
Developing the Lake Access Web Site
Experience Gained and Lessons Learned
The Lake Access Web site, http://www.lakeaccess.org, is the principal vehicle the Lake Access team uses
to disseminate the time-relevant water quality data gathered by the RUSS units. The site's development was
initiated through a partnership with Water on the Web, and for the most part, the same people were
involved in developing both sites. So by the time the Lake Access Project Web site was designed, many team
members had learned valuable lessons from their work on the Water on the Web site
(http://wow.nrri.umn.edu).
Team members started from scratch when they developed the Water on the Web site. Using Microsoft
FrontPage (a website development and management software tool), they designed and built the site's first
release and maintained it for 1 8 months. Eventually, the team decided to hire a graphic designer to help
"spruce up" some of the site's design features. Nine months later, they launched a completely redesigned
and rebuilt Water on the Web site. With many individuals working simultaneously to rebuild the structure
and content of the site, the team learned that they needed to frequently back up the site to another com-
puter to avoid accidentally overwriting one another's content.
The team followed a very similar process to create the Lake Access Web site. They started with an initial
"shell" that has emerged into the full structure and content of the current site. The project team feels that
the best features of the site are the time-relevant data it conveys, the solid information base it provides,
including the limnological primer, and the data visualization tools it features. (These are described in detail
in Chapter 4.) Now that the Web site is fully up and running, the Lake Access Project team plans to add
"focused" studies to the site. In other words, the team plans to take portions of time-relevant and manual-
ly collected water quality data and, using data visualization tools, explain what lake activity the data are
illustrating and what they mean in the context of lake management. The team hopes that these focused
studies will help community members become more aware of the factors that affect lake water quality.
The Lake Access Project team recommends having a graphic designer on hand, if your project's resources
allow, from the onset of your Web site design and construction process. Using any number of Web-based
applications, an experienced Web designer can help you design, develop, and maintain a Web site that
most effectively communicates your time-relevant data and the associated messages you want to convey.
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6.3 Resources for Presenting Water Quality
Information to the Public
As you begin to implement your outreach plan and develop the products select-
ed in the plan, you will want to make sure that these products present your mes-
sages and information as clearly and accurately as possible. You also might want
to review the available resources on the Internet to help you develop your out-
reach products, or serve as additional resource materials (e.g., fact sheets).
How Do You Present Technical Information to the Public?
Environmental topics are often technical in nature, and water quality is no excep-
tion. Nevertheless, this information can be conveyed in simple, clear terms to
nonspecialists, such as the public. Principles of effective writing for the public
include avoiding jargon, translating technical terms into everyday language the
public can easily understand, using the active voice, keeping sentences short, and
using headings and other format devices to provide a very clear, well-organized
structure. You can refer to the following Web sites for more ideas about how to
write clearly and effectively for a general audience:
• The National Partnership for Reinventing Government has developed a
guidance document, Writing User-Friendly Documents, that can be
found on the Web at http://www.plainlanguage.gov/.
• The Web site of the American Bar Association
(http://www.abanet.org/lpm/writing/styl.html) has links to important
online style manuals, dictionaries, and grammar primers.
As you develop communication materials for a specific audience, remember to
consider what the audience members are already likely to know, what you want
them to know, and what they are likely to understand. Then tailor your informa-
tion accordingly. Provide only information that will be valuable and interesting to
the target audience. For example, environmentalists in your community might be
interested in why dissolved oxygen levels are important to aquatic life. However,
it's not likely that school children will be engaged by this level of detail.
When developing outreach products, be sure to consider any special needs of the
target audience. For example, if your community has a substantial number of peo-
ple who speak little or no English, you will need to prepare communication mate-
rials in their native language.
The rest of this section contains information about online resources that can pro-
vide easy to understand background information that you can use in developing
your own outreach projects. Some of the Web sites listed contain products, such
as downloadable fact sheets, that you can use to support your education and out-
reach efforts.
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA 79
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Federal Resources
EPA's Surf Your Watershed
http://www.epa.gov/surf3/
EPA provides this service to locate, use, and share environmental information on
watersheds. One section of this site, "Locate Your Watershed," allows the user to
enter the names of rivers, schools, or their zip code to learn more about the water
resources in their local watershed. Users can also access the Index of Watershed
Indicators (IWI) from this site. The IWI is a compilation of information on the
"health" of aquatic resources in the U.S. The index uses a variety of indicators that
point to whether rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and coastal areas are "well" or
"ailing."
EPA's Office of Water Volunteer Lake Monitoring: A Methods Manual
http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/lake/
EPA developed this manual to present specific information on volunteer lake
water quality monitoring methods. It is intended both for the organizers of the
volunteer lake monitoring program and for the volunteer who will actually be
sampling lake conditions. Its emphasis is on identifying appropriate parameters to
monitor and setting forth specific steps for each selected monitoring method. The
manual includes quality assurance/quality control procedures to help ensure that
the data collected by volunteers are useful to States and other agencies.
EPA's Non Point Source Pointers
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/
This Web site features a series of fact sheets on nonpoint source pollution. The
series covers topics including: programs and opportunities for public involvement
in nonpoint source control, managing urban runoff, and managing nonpoint pol-
lution from various sources (e.g., agriculture, boating, households).
EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/about.html
EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office Web site includes information about
topics such as human health, monitoring, pollution prevention,
and visualizing the lakes. One section of this site
(http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/gl2000/lamps/index.html) includes the
Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) for each of the Great Lakes. A LaMP is an
action plan to assess, restore, protect and monitor the ecosystem health of a Great
Lake. It is used to coordinate the work of all the government, tribal, and non-gov-
ernment partners working to improve the Lake ecosystem. The program uses a
public consultation process to ensure that the LaMP is addressing the public's
concerns. LaMPs could be used as models to assist interested parties in develop-
ing similar plans for their lakes
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/quailty/frame/wqam/
Go to this site and click on "Guidance Documents." The resources there include
a simple tool to estimate water body sensitivity to nutrients, a procedure to eval-
uate the conditions of a stream based on visual characteristics, plus information
on how to design a monitoring system to observe changes in water quality asso-
ciated with agricultural nonpoint source controls.
Education Resources
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
http ://www. monta na. ed u/wwwwet/
The goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation,
knowledge, and stewardship of water resources by developing and disseminating
classroom-ready teaching aids and establishing state and internationally sponsored
Project WET programs. This site includes a list of all the State Project WET
Program Coordinators to help you locate a contact in your area.
Water Science for Schools
http://wwwga.usgs.gov/edu/index.html
The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS's) Water Science for School Web site offers
information on many aspects of water quality, along with pictures, data, maps,
and an interactive forum where students can give opinions and test their water
knowledge.
Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN)
http://www.earthforce.org/green/
The Global Pvivers Environmental Education Network (GPvEEN) helps young
people protect the rivers, streams, and other vital water resources in their com-
munities. This program merges hands-on, scientific learning with civic action.
GPvEEN is working with EcoNet to compile pointers on water-related resources
on the Internet. This site (http://www.igc.apc.org/green/resources.html)
includes a comprehensive list of water quality projects across the country and
around the world.
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Adopt-A- Watershed
http://www.adopt-a-watershed.org/about.htm
Adopt-A-Watershed is a K-12 school-community learning experience. Adopt-A-
Watershed uses a local watershed as a living laboratory in which students engage
in hands-on activities. The goal is to make science applicable and relevant to stu-
dents' lives.
National Institutes for Water Resources
http://wrri.nmsu.edu/niwr/niwr.html
The National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) is a network of 54 research
institutes throughout the U.S. They conduct basic and applied research to solve
water problems unique to their area and establish cooperative programs with local
governments, state agencies, and industry.
Other Organizations
North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) Guide to
Local Resources
http://www.nalms.org/resources
This is a one-stop resource for local lake-related resources. NALMS's mission is
to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster the
management and protection of lakes and reservoirs. NALMS's Guide to Local
Resources contains links to state and provincial agencies, local offices of federal
agencies, extension programs, water resources research centers, NALMS chapters,
regional directors, and a membership directory.
The Watershed Management Council
http://watershed.org/wmc/aboutwmc.html
The Watershed Management Council is a nonprofit organization whose members
represent a broad range of watershed management interests and disciplines.
Membership includes professionals, students, teachers, and individuals whose
interest is in promoting proper watershed management.
Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN)
http://www.great-lakes.net
The Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) is a partnership that provides on-
line information about the bi-national Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region of North
America. GLIN provides data about the region's environment, including issues
related to water quality, diversion of water out of the Great Lakes basin, and the
introduction of nonindigenous species and airborne toxins into the basin.
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APPENDIX A
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Algae: Simple single-celled, colonial, or multi-celled aquatic plants. Aquatic
algae are (mostly) microscopic plants that contain chlorophyll and grow by pho-
tosynthesis. They absorb nutrients from the water or sediments, add oxygen to the
water, and are usually the major source of organic matter at the base of the food
web in lakes. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Algal blooms: Referring to excessive growths of algae caused by excessive
nutrient loading. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Aluminum sulfate: A compound, A12(SO4)3, used in water purification and
sanitation that adsorbs phosphate and small silt and algal particles that settle to
the lake bottom.
Anoxia: Condition of being without dissolved oxygen (O2). (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Anoxic: Completely lacking in oxygen. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
B
Baud: A unit of speed in data transmission equal to one bit per second.
Best Management Practices (BMPs): Methods that have been determined
to be the most effective, practical means of preventing or reducing pollution from
non-point sources.
Biofouling: The deterioration of instrumentation when it becomes covered with
organisms. For example, biofouling of the RUSS unit sensors occurs when algae,
bacteria, and/or fungi grow on the sensor while it is submerged in water beneath
the RUSS unit.
Chlorophyll: Green pigment in plants that transforms light energy into chemi-
cal energy in photosynthesis. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Clarity: Transparency or light penetration. Clarity is routinely estimated by the
depth at which you can no longer see a Secchi disk. The Secchi disk is a weight-
ed metal plate 8 inches in diameter with alternating quadrants painted black and
white. The disc is lowered into water until it disappears from view. It is then raised
GLOSSARY OF TERMS A-l
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until just visible. An average of the two depths, taken from the shaded side of the
boat, is recorded as the Secchi depth. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Clocker/ClockerPro: Software designed to schedule programs (or reminders)
to run at specified times (e.g., the upload and download of data from the RUSS
units).
Color Mapper: A data visualization tool that enables the user to map one
parameter as color contours and then overlay another variable over the color con-
tours in the form of a line plot.
CONSOLE: Software that enables operation of a RUSS unit using a portable
computer in the field.
CTM: Cellular telephone modem. Can be used to transfer data from the RUSS
unit to the land-base station.
Depth versus Time (DxT) Profiler: A data visualization program that allows
users to display and analyze data in two or three dimensions.
Dimictic: A type of lake that has two mixing periods, typically in spring and fall.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Dissolved oxygen (DO): The concentration of oxygen dissolved in water, usu-
ally expressed in milligrams per liter, parts per million, or percent of saturation (at
the field temperature). Adequate concentrations of dissolved oxygen are necessary
to sustain the life offish and other aquatic organisms and prevent offensive odors.
DO levels are considered the most important and commonly employed measure-
ment of water quality and indicator of a water body's ability to support desirable
aquatic life. Levels above 5 milligrams per liter (mg O2/L) are considered optimal
and most fish cannot survive for prolonged periods at levels below 3 mg O2/L.
Levels below 1 mg O2/L are often referred to as hypoxic and when O2 is totally
absent anoxic (often called anaerobic which technically means without air).
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Dissolved oxygen profile: A graph of the amount of dissolved oxygen per unit
depth, where the depth is on the z (vertical) axis and dissolved oxygen is on
the x (horizontal) axis. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
DVT data visualization tools: A suite of four interactive data visualization
programs used by the Lake Access team to depict and manipulate water quality
profiles collected by RUSS units and from manual sampling, specifically, Lake
Access Live: Near Real-Time Display of Numeric Data; Profile Plotter; Color
Mapper; and Depth versus Time (DxT) Profiler.
A-2 APPENDIXA
-------
E
E. CO//: A bacteria (Escherichia coli) normally found in the gastrointestinal tract
and existing as hundreds of strains, some of which can cause diarrheal disease. E.
coli can be a water-borne pathogen.
Electrical conductivity: A measure of the water's ability to conduct an electri-
cal current based on its ion content. It is a good estimator of the amount of total
dissolved salts or total dissolved ions in water. The electrical conductivity in a lake
is influenced by many factors, including the watershed's geology, the watershed's
size in relation to lake's size, wastewater from point sources, runoff from nonpoint
sources, minor atmospheric inputs, evaporation rates, and some types of bacteri-
al metabolism. Lake Access Project values are standardized to values that would
be measured at 25° C to correct for the effect of temperature. (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Epilimnion: The upper, wind-mixed layer of a thermally stratified lake. This
water is turbulently mixed throughout at least some portion of the day, and
because of its exposure, can freely exchange dissolved gases (such as O2 and CO2)
with the atmosphere. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Eutrophic lake: A very biologically productive type of lake due to relatively
high rates of nutrient input that cause high rates of algal and plant growth.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Eutrophication: The process by which lakes and streams are enriched by nutri-
ents (usually phosphorus and nitrogen) which leads to excessive plant growth.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
G
Geographic Information System (GIS): A computer software and hardware
system that helps scientists and other technicians capture, store, model, display,
and analyze spatial or geographic information.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): A common format for image files,
especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color.
Guano: A substance composed mostly of the dung of sea birds.
Hypolimnion: The bottom, and most dense layer of a stratified lake. It is typi-
cally the coldest layer in the summer and warmest in the winter. It is isolated from
wind mixing and typically too dark for much plant photosynthesis to occur.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA A-3
-------
I
Inflow: Water flowing into a lake. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
J
K
L
Lake Access Live: Near Real-Time Display of Numeric Data: A data
visualization program used to provide near real-time data feeds, such as oxygen
level and temperature, to Web sites.
Lake profile: A graph of a lake variable per depth, where the depth is on the z-
axis (vertical axis) and the variable is on the x-axis (horizontal axis). Depth is the
independent variable and the x-axis is the dependent variable. (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Limnology: The study of the life and phenomena of fresh water systems, espe-
cially lakes and ponds; freshwater ecology; a limnologist is to lakes as an oceanog-
rapher is to oceans.
M
Metdlimnion: The middle or transitional zone between the well mixed epil-
imnion and the colder hypolimnion layers in a stratified lake. This layer contains
the thermocline, but is loosely defined depending on the shape of the tempera-
ture profile. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Modem: A device that converts data from one form into another (e.g., to a form
useable in telephonic transmission).
Morphometry: Relating to the shape of a lake basin; includes parameters need-
ed to describe the shape of the lake such as volume, surface area, mean depth,
maximum depth, maximum length and width, shoreline length, shoreline devel-
opment, depth versus volume, and surface area curves. (Adapted from Water on
the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
A-4 APPENDIXA
-------
N
Nonpoint source: Diffuse source of pollutant(s); not discharged from a pipe;
associated with agricultural or urban runoff, contaminated groundwater flow,
atmospheric deposition, or on-site septic systems. (Adapted from Water on the
Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Nutrient loading: The discharge of nutrients from the watershed into a receiv-
ing water body (lake, stream, wetland). Expressed usually as mass per unit area per
unit time (kg/ha/yr or Ibs/acre/year). (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Organic: Substances that contain carbon atoms and carbon-carbon bonds.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Outflow: Water flowing out of a lake. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Outliers: Data points that lie outside of the normal range of data. (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Parameter: Whatever it is you measure—a particular physical, chemical, or bio-
logical property that is being measured. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
pH scale: A scale used to determine the alkaline or acidic nature of a substance.
The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 1 being the most acidic and 14 the most basic.
Pure water is neutral with a pH of 7. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Phosphorus: Key nutrient influencing plant growth in lakes. Soluble reactive
phosphorus (PO^) is the amount of phosphorus in solution that is available to
plants. Total phosphorus includes the amount of phosphorus in solution (reac-
tive) and in particulate form. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants convert carbon dioxide
(CO2) dissolved in water to sugars and oxygen using sunlight for energy.
Photosynthesis is essential in producing a lake's food base and is an important
source of oxygen for many lakes. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
ppb: Parts-per-billion; equivalent to a microgram per liter (ug/1). (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
ppm: Parts-per-million; equivalent to a milligram per liter (mg/1). (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA A-5
-------
Profile: A vertical, depth by depth characterization of a water column, usually at
the deepest part of a lake. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Profile Plotter: A data visualization tool that enables users to create static and
animated line plots of the profiles of lakes and other water bodies.
Profiler: A component of the RUSS unit that carries the water quality monitor-
ing sensor to multiple depths within the water column beneath the RUSS Unit
flotation module. The profiler is controlled by the RePDAR unit.
Q
Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC). QA/QC procedures are
used to ensure that data are accurate, precise, and consistent. QA/QC involves
following established rules in the field and in the laboratory to ensure that sam-
ples are representative of the water you are monitoring, free from contamination,
and analyzed following standard procedures.
RUSS-Base: Software that enables the user to remotely operate the RUSS unit
using a computer at the land-base station. RUSS-Base creates profile schedules of
sampling parameters and communicates with the RUSS unit via telemetry equip-
ment to transmit schedules and receive sampling data.
Remote Underwater Sampling Station (RUSS™): Monitoring equipment
used to remotely collect time-relevant water quality data. The RUSS unit, manu-
factured by Apprise Technologies, Inc., consists of a mobile underwater monitor-
ing sensor tethered to a a buoy and featuring an onboard computer, batteries,
solar panels, telemetry equipment, and other optional monitoring equipment.
RePDAR (Remote Programming, Data Acquisition, and Retrieval) unit.
A component of the RUSS unit that allows for remote water quality monitoring
sensor operation, data storage, and data transmission. Each RePDAR unit con-
tains a central processing unit (CPU), power supply charging controls, and
telemetry modules.
s
Secchi disk: A disk, typically 8 inches in diameter, divided into 4 equal quad-
rants of alternating black and white colors. (Some states use totally white Secchis.)
It is lowered into a section of shaded water until it can no longer be seen and then
lifted back up until it can be seen once again. Averaging the two depths gives a
measure of the water's clarity. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
A- 6 APPENDIXA
-------
Sedimentation: The process of settling inorganic and organic matter on the
lake bottom. This matter may have been produced within the lake or washed in
from the watershed. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Solubility: The ability of a substance to dissolve into another. (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Spring turnover: Period of complete or nearly complete vertical mixing in the
spring after ice-out and prior to thermal stratification. (Adapted from Water on
the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Stormwater discharge: Precipitation and snowmelt runoff from roadways,
parking lots, and roof drains that collects in gutters and drains; a major source of
nonpoint source pollution to water bodies. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Stratification: An effect where a substance or material is broken into distinct
horizontal layers due to different characteristics such as density or temperature.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Stratified: Separated into distinct layers. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Swimmer's itch: An itching inflammation of the skin caused by parasitic larval
forms of certain schistosomes that penetrate into the skin, occurring after swim-
ming in infested water.
Substrate: Attachment surface or bottom material in which organisms can
attach or live within; such as rock substrate or sand or muck substrate, or woody
debris. (Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Suspended solids: (SS or Total SS [TSS]). Very small particles that remain dis-
tributed throughout the water column due to turbulent mixing exceeding gravi-
tational sinking. (Adapted from Water on the Web at
http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Telemetry: The science of automatic measurement and transmission of data by
wire, radio, or other methods from remote sources.
Temperature profile: A graph of the temperature per depth; where the depth
is on the z-axis (vertical axis) and temperature is on the x-axis (horizontal axis).
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Thermal stratification: Existence of a turbulently mixed layer of warm water
(epilimnion) overlying a colder mass of relatively stagnant water (hypolimnion) in
a water body due to cold water being denser than warm water coupled with the
damping effect of water depth on the intensity of wind mixing. (Adapted from
Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
COMMUNICATING T I M E - R E L E V A N T WATER QUALITY DATA A-7
-------
Thermocline: The depth at which the temperature gradient is steepest during
the summer; usually this gradient must be at least 1°C per meter of depth.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Topography: Configuration of physical surface of land; includes relief imprints
and locations of all man-made and natural features. (Adapted from Water on the
Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Total dissolved solids (TDS): The amount of dissolved substances, such as
salts or minerals, in water remaining after evaporating the water and weighing the
residue. (Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Turbidity: The degree to which light is blocked because water is muddy or
cloudy. (Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Turnover: Fall cooling and spring warming of surface water act to make density
uniform throughout the water column. This allows wind and wave action to mix
the entire lake. Mixing allows bottom waters to contact the atmosphere, raising
the water's oxygen content. However, warming may occur too rapidly in the
spring for mixing to be effective, especially in small sheltered kettle lakes.
(Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
u
w
Water column: A conceptual column of water from lake surface to bottom sed-
iments. (Adapted from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
Watershed: All land and water areas that drain toward a river or lake. (Adapted
from Water on the Web at http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow.)
YSI multiprobe water quality sensor: The component of the RUSS unit,
manufactured by Yellow Springs Instruments (YSI), that is raised and lowered to
collect a water quality profile in specified intervals from the lake surface to the
lake bottom.
A- 8 APPENDIXA
-------
APPENDIX B
LAKE ACCESS BROCHURE
LAKE ACCESS BROCHURE B-l
-------
-------
Seeing
Below the
^Surface
Lake Data Comes Alive in Minnesota!
Thanks to technological advances, all of us, not
just scientists, can see below the surface!
Lake Access allows you to:
• Track daily changes on Lake Minnetonka and
Lake Independence.
• Study how choices we make on the shoreline
and in the water affect the health of our
lakes.
• Witness the way storms and seasonal changes
mix lake water and impact fish and fishing.
• Gauge how our lakes have changed over time.
Lake Access was made possible by a two-year grant from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EMPACT
(Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and
Community Tracking) initiative. Lake Access partners
include: Hennepin Parks, the Natural Resources Research
Institute, UM-Duluth Department of Education, University
of Minnesota Sea Grant, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District, Minnesota Science Museum, and Apprise
Technologies, Inc.
Lake Access cooperators welcome your comments and suggestions.
For more information contact: George Host, (218) 72O-4264,
Natural Resources Research Institute, ghost®sage.nrri.umn.edu.
www.nrri.umn.edu/empact
LAKE ACCESS BROCHURE
B-3
-------
Seeing Below the Surface
Remote Underwater Sampling System (RUSS)
units are the yellow platforms anchored in Lakes
Minnetonka and Independence. Beneath the
platform, an underwater sensor package cycles
between the surface and the lake bottom to
gather data on turbidity, acidity, conductivity,
dissolved oxygen, and temperature.
Transmitting Daily Data
Every six hours, RUSS units transmit the data
they have gathered to an on-shore base station
over a cellular phone.
Accessing Information
You can access the continual stream of data from
the RUSS units over the World Wide Web site:
www.nrri.umn.edu/empact Soon, Lake Access
kiosks linked to the RUSS units will be con-
structed at Lake Minnetonka Regional Parks
Visitor's Center, Richardson Nature Center, and
other locations around Minneapolis.
Understanding the Data
The Lake Access Web site and kiosks will contain
interactive tools and informational links that
allow you to interpret easily data through maps,
graphics, and text.
Making a Difference
What you and resource professionals learn from
the RUSS units could change the way we man-
age our shorelines. Lake Access information may
encourage lakeshore owners to landscape with
more native plants and fewer chemicals. City
planners may use RUSS information to develop
lake-friendly practices. You may decide how deep
to fish or when to swim based on the day's data.
B -4
APPENDIX B
-------
APPENDIX C
LAKE ACCESS SURVEY
LAKE ACCESS SURVEY C-l
-------
-------
west metro lake survey
ccciMr: Rnn\A/Tuc CIIDCATC nc mrAi i AI^CC^
.
SEEING BELOW THE SURFACE OF LOCAL LAKES'
WEST METRO RESIDENT:
WHAT IS LAKE ACCESS?
WHO ARE WE?
WHY YOU?
WHY FILL IT OUT?
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This is a survey to find out your perceptions,
uses and ways you get information about your
local lakes. Please help us find the best way to
reach you with the facts you need to enjoy your
favorite West Metro lakes.
Do you know what is happening in your favorite lake?
We would like to tell you, but we don't know the best
way to reach you and your neighbors. Please help us
by filling out the enclosed, 7-minute survey about your
use of West Metro lakes, your perceptions about their
"health," and the best ways to reach you with new
information.
The goal of Lake Access is to provide you with timely,
accurate and understandable information about your
local lakes. We want to supply you with the facts you
need to make informed, day-to-day decisions about
your West Metro lakes.
Partners in this project include Minnesota Sea Grant,
Hennepin Parks, Natural Resources Research Institute,
University of Minnesota Duluth Department of
Education, Apprise Technologies Inc., and the Minnehaha
Creek Watershed District. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency funds Lake Access through their
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and
Community Tracking Initiative.
We randomly selected your name as part of a small
group of people to complete this confidential survey.
We value your answers, time and privacy.
This is your chance to make Lake Access easily
available, understandable and useful to you and
your neighbors in the West Metro.
See the enclosed brochure and browse our Web site
at: http://www.nrri.umn.edu/empact.
Thank you in advance for your time and effort in
completing this survey.
return survey by november 22
LAKE ACCESS SURVEY
C-3
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survey
P Approximately how many days per year do you use lakes in
the Woct Motrn area? (zee mart\
the West Metro area? (see map)
1 0
] 1-5
6-10
11-20
J >21
IF YOU DO NOT VISIT WEST METRO LAKES,
PLEASE GO TO QUESTION 6.
Please check the ONE West Metro lake you currently use most.
pAuburn _ Langdon _ Sarah
Bryant Libbs _ Schutz
Christmas _ Little Long _ Spurzem
Cleary Long _ Steiger
Eagle _ Medicine _ Stone
Fish Minnetonka Virginia
Forest _ Minnewashta _ Waconia
Independence Parley Weaver
Hyland [j Rebecca Zumbra
OTHER SPECIFY
In your opinion, which THREE items have the greatest impact on water quality in the lake you currently use most?
Failing septic systems
Aquatic plant removal
Shoreland plant removal
Lawn fertilizers and chemicals
Urban, road or parking lot runoff
Livestock manure
OTHER SPECIFY
Damage to aquatic plants and lake bottom by watercraft
Introduction of exotic species invasions (Eurasian water milfoil)
Agricultural fertilizers and chemicals
Municipal waste water discharges
Fuel leakage from motorized watercraft
Soil erosion from building or road construction sites
Please check your impression below for the West Metro lake you currently use most.
OVERALL BEAUTY/AESTHETIC VALUE
OVERALL HEALTH OF LAKE
QUALITY OF FISHING
EXCELLENT
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
DON'T KNOW
Please mark your opinion below for the West Metro lake you currently use most.
NUMBER OF LAKE USERS
NUMBER OF CABINS/ HOMES
TOO FEW
JUST ABOUT RIGHT
TOO MANY
DON'T KNOW
How concerned are you about the quality of lakes and shoreland areas in the West Metro area?
Very concerned
H Somewhat concerned
Not concerned
Please estimate your level of general knowledge about the following subjects.
J Lake water quality
iHigh
Medium
Low
[j Proper care of shoreline property
High
Medium
Low
C-4
APPENDIX C
-------
r
Are you interested in learning more about lakes in the West Metro area?
Yes
No
Please check the item(s) you would like to learn more about West Metro lakes.
Effects of weather on lakes Nutrient levels (nitrogen/phosphorus^
Fisheries
Control of algae
Control of aquatic plants
User conflict resolutions
Hshoreland restoration with native plants
Change in water quality over time
Actions that improve lake water quality
Factors that influence lake water quality
Water conditions for swimming
Basic understanding of how lakes work
Non-native plant control efforts
^ Real time lake measurements (oxygen
profiles, mixing depths, lake temperature)
OTHER SPECIFY.
THE INTERNET IS AN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK THAT CONNECTS COMPUTER NETWORKS AND FACILITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
P Would you use the Internet to learn more about West Metro lakes?
DYes
vvu
0
No
r
P
Please check the item(s) below that would make it worth your time to visit our Web site, http://www.nrri.umn.edu/empact.
Live camera coverage of lakeshore conditions
Information about the bacterial contamination of swimming beaches
Current water temperature
Current dissolved oxygen levels
Water clarity measurements
Regional weather
Weekly fishing reports
OTHER SPECIFY _
I do not have computer access
AN INTERACTIVE KIOSK IS AN INFORMATION BOOTH WITH A COMPUTER TOUCH SCREEN.
Would you use an interactive kiosk to learn more about lakes in the West Metro area?
Yes
H
No
Pjease check the THREE most convenient locations for you to use a kiosk?
Beach
Grocery store
Library
Mall
Museum
School
Visitor center
Boat launch
OTHER SPECIFY
As new facts become available about West Metro lakes, which TWO ways would be most convenient for you to access in-depth news
and information about your lakes?
Classes/workshops
Interactive kiosk
Organizations
Internet
OTHER SPECIFY
Please check TWO ways you would most likely notice a brief announcement about West Metro lakes.
Signs
Public radio
Commercial radio
Network television
Cable television
Direct mail
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Other newspapers SPECIFY_
Newsletters SPECIFY
Magazines SPECIFY
PLEASE
CONTINUE
LAKE ACCESS SURVEY
C-5
-------
THE NEXT SECTION OF THIS SURVEY WILL HELP US FIND GENERAL PATTERNS.
REMEMBER THAT YOUR ANSWERS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
Do you care for a lawn?
LI No
Have you ever had your soil tested?
~Yes
No
How many times per year do you add fertilizer?
" 0
1-2
3-4
>5
What do you do with your grass clippings and leaves?
Burn
Compost
Leave on lawn
Place in trash bin
Put in gutter
OTHER SPECIFY
Do you own/lease shoreland property?
lYes
INo
J What is the name of the lake where
you own or lease shoreland property?
;
r
Which best describes your property at the
Concrete, steel or wood retaining wall
Mowed lawn
Natural landscape
Rock/rip-rap added for stabilization
Sand beach
OTHER SPECIFY
of the water?
If you have a private septic system, how
frequently do you inspect and maintain it?
Once a year
1-3 years
>3 years
Do not know
Jl What is your zip code?
£J What is your gender? Female
^ What is your age group?
<25
25-45
45-65
1 >65
Male
SEQUENCE NUMBER
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY.
PLEASE TAPE THE SURVEY CLOSED AND DROP IN THE MAIL.
BUSINESS REPLY MAIL
FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 692 DULUTH, MN
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
MINNESOTA SEA GRANT PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
2305 E 5 ST RM 208
DULUTH MN 55812-9953
C-6
APPENDIX C
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