Sammamish River Water and Sediment Quality Assessment
Sampling and Analysis Plan
December 2004
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Sammamish River Water and Sediment Quality Assessment
Sampling and Analysis
Project:Sammamish River Water and Sediment Quality Evaluation
Project No.:423528, Phase 001, Subproject 050
SAP Prepared By:Jenée Colton and Deb Lester
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks
Water and Land Resources Division
Deb Lester, Project Manager
SammamishRiver Water and Sediment Quality Study
Tom Fox, Program Manager
Water Reuse Program
Jean Power, Environmental Laboratory Scientist
King County Environmental Laboratory
KatherineBourbonais, Laboratory Project Manager
King County Environmental Laboratory
Colin Elliott, QA Officer
King County Environmental Laboratory
Sammamish River Water and Sediment Quality Assessment Sampling and Analysis Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0. Project Background
1.1. Study Area Description
1.2. Summary of Previous Studies
2.0. Study Design
2.1. Station Locations
2.2. Chemical and Biological Testing
2.2.1. Chemical Testing
2.2.2. Field Parameters
2.2.3. Benthic Community Identification and Enumeration
2.2.4. Data Analysis
2.3. Data Quality Objectives
2.3.1. Precision, Accuracy, and Bias
2.3.2. Representativeness
2.3.3. Completeness
2.3.4. Comparability
3.0. Project Management and Schedule
4.0. Sample Collection Methods and Techniques
4.1. Station Positioning
4.2. Sample Collection Methodologies
4.2.1. Sediment and Benthic Community Samples
4.2.2. Surface Water
4.3. Sample Acceptability Criteria
4.3.1. Petite Ponar Sampler
4.3.2. Ekman Grab Sampler
4.3.3. PVC Core Tubes
4.4. Sample Processing
4.4.1. Chemistry Testing
4.4.2. Sample Compositing Procedures
4.4.3. Benthic Sample Analysis
4.5. Sampler Decontamination
4.6. Sample Documentation
4.6.1. Sample Numbers and Labels
4.6.2. Field Notes
4.6.3. Field Analytical Results
4.6.4. Station Coordinates
5.0. Sample Handling Procedures
5.1. Sample Containers and Labels
5.2. Sample Preservation and Storage Requirements
5.3. Chain-of-Custody Procedures
6.0. Laboratory Analytical Methods
6.1. Testing Requirements
6.1.1. Sediment
6.1.2. Surface Water
6.1.2.2. Microbiology
6.1.2.3. Trace Organics
6.1.2.4. Trace Metals
6.1.2.5. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
6.2. Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Practices
6.2.1. Sediment Chemistry
6.2.2. Benthic Taxonomy Sorting and Identification
6.2.3. Water Chemistry
6.2.4. Data Qualifiers
7.0. Data Analysis, Record Keeping, and Reporting
7.1. Interpretation of Chemistry Data
7.2. Interpretation of Biological Data
7.3. Record Keeping
7.4. Reporting
8.0. Health and Safety Requirements
8.1. General Vessel Safety
8.2. Grab Sampling
8.2.1. Boat Sampling
8.3. Chemical Hazards
9.0. References
FIGURES
Figure1. Study Area......
Figure 2. Sammamish River Sampling Stations......
Figure3. Field Sheet (Example)......
tables
Table1. Historical Chemistry and Biological Data for Sammamish River
Table2. Project Team Members and Responsibilities
Table3. Sampling Station Coordinates
Table4. Sediment Sample Containers, Preservation, and Holding Times
Table5. Water Sample Containers, Preservation, and Holding Times
Table6. Conventional Analytical Methods and Detection Limits
Table7. Metals Analytical Methods and Detection Limits
Table8. Organic Analytical Methods and Detection Limits
Table9. Conventional Parameters Methods and Detection Limits
Table10. Microbiology Parameters Methods and Detection Limits
Table11. Trace Organic Parameters Methods and Detection Limits
Table12. Trace Metal Parameters Methods and Detection Limits
Table13. Miscellaneous Endocrine Disrupting Compounds and Detection Limits (μg/l)
Table14. Chemistry QC Samples for Sediment Analysis
Table15. Recommended Chemistry QC Limits for Sediment Samples
Table16. Conventional QC Requirements
Table17. Microbiology QC Requirements
Table18. Trace Organics QC Requirements
Table19. Trace Metals QC Requirements
Table20. Trace Organic Laboratory QC Samples and Control Limits
Table21. Laboratory Data Qualifiers
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Sammamish River Water and Sediment Quality Assessment Sampling and Analysis Plan
1.0. Project Background
King County plans to conduct a sediment and water quality assessment of the Sammamish River. Sediment, surface water, and benthic community samples will be collected for analyses during the summer/early fall of 2001 and 2003. Additionally, surface water samples will be collected in 2002 to broadly characterize potential changes between years. KingCounty may continue the sampling program into 2004 and beyond depending on the results of a comprehensive review of SammamishRiver monitoring data and/or specific data needs. This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) describes the planned scope of work for 2001-2003, including field sampling procedures, and laboratory analytical requirements for the project. A SAP addendum will be prepared as necessary to document the scope of work for 2004 and beyond.
Currently, little or no concentration data exist for metals, pesticides, and/or organic compounds that may be present in the water column or sediments of the Sammamish River. It is unknown if water or sediment quality conditions limit reproduction and/or survival of aquatic life, especially endangered salmon, which reside in or use the river as a migration corridor to reach rearing or spawning areas (e.g., Bear Creek, Issaquah Creek). A variety of land uses currently exist in the river corridor that likely contribute to the overall contaminant loading to the river (e.g., agriculture, suburban, light industrial). Recently, research conducted by NMFS (Scholz etal. 2000) suggests short-term exposure to low levels (i.e., 0.1ppb) of diazinon (one of many pesticides used in the basin) can interfere with the homing behavior of endangered Chinook. Diazinon concentrations within the Lake Washington watershed tributaries have been found to exceed 0.1ppb (USGS 1999, King County 2002a). Based on the current land use activities in the Sammamish basin (e.g., suburban residential, agriculture, golf courses), it is likely diazinon along with other pesticides and contaminants are present in the river. It is unknown, however, if aquatic life, especially endangered salmon, are exposed to harmful levels of these compounds that result from non-point source runoff in the basin.
Before restoration, salmon recovery, and/or other efforts (e.g., water reuse implementation) within the Sammamish Corridor can be designed and implemented, it is critical to develop a thorough scientific understanding of the current chemical and biological conditions of the river. This project will provide some of the information necessary for decision-makers to better identify problem areas and assist with management decisions regarding water reuse, the Endangered Species Act issues, and watershed management. These data will also be used in a number of modeling applications as part of the Sammamish and Washington Assessment and Modeling Project (SWAMP). The models will be able to simulate potential conditions associated with various reuse options and compare predicted sediment and water quality under these options to baseline conditions.
Finally, the data collected in this sampling program will be used to develop a long-term monitoring plan for Sammamish River. Various King County sampling programs have generated chemical and biological data for Sammamish River over multiple years. All of the data, including that generated from the activities described in this SAP, will be evaluated to assess the specific needs for long-term monitoring in the Sammamish River.
1.1. Study Area Description
From LakeSammamish, the SammamishRiver flows in a north and then westerly direction for approximately 15 miles (~22km) to the confluence at the north end of Lake Washington(Figure1). Several tributaries enter the SammamishRiver including Bear, Little Bear, North, and Swamp Creeks and several smaller named and unnamed creeks.
Figure1. Study Area
The Sammamish River Corridor can be divided into two reaches, based on topography and, to a lesser extent, land use. The upper river corridor extends from the head at river mile (RM) 15.3 north to RM4.9 through a floodplain valley that is more than one-mile wide in places. Two salmon-bearing tributaries are located in the upper reach: Bear Creek, at RM13.7, and Little Bear Creek at RM5.5. Land use includes open space and recreational areas at MarymoorPark, urban commercial and residential development in the City of Redmond, Willows Run Golf Course, Sammamish Valley Agricultural Production District (which includes large turf farms and smaller nurseries and crop farms) and urban development again in the City of Woodinville. The lower corridor extends from RM4.9 to RM0.0 at Lake Washington. The lower corridor is narrow, topographically constrained, and includes the downtown core areas of the cities of Bothell and Kenmore. However, there are some open space areas, including the Wayne and Inglemoor Country Club golf courses, Bothell parkland along the Sammamish River Trail, and King County-owned parcels at the mouth of Swamp Creek and the mouth of the river. The lower reach includes two large salmon-bearing tributaries, North Creek, at RM4.4 and Swamp Creek, at RM0.6. A major KingCounty sewer line runs underneath portions of the Sammamish River Trail, which is adjacent to most of the river.
Prior to Euro-American settlement, the SammamishRiver had a complex, highly sinuous, meandering channel and abundant “swampy” areas filled with peat and diatomaceous earth. Prior to lowering Lake Washington, there was approximately an 8.5-foot elevation difference between Lakes Sammamish and Washington (KingCounty 2002a). However, after the lowering of Lake Washington, the river lost much of this elevation in its’ upper reach; backwater effects associated with Lake Washington appear to have extended beyond the confluence with Little Bear Creek. This area included extensive forested wetlands, especially at the mouth of North Creek (KingCounty 2002a). Historically, the SammamishRiver was approximately twice as long as it is today and frequently overflowed its banks. Its corridor was densely forested with cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir, with willows and deciduous vegetation dominating close to the river banks (Stickney and McDonald, 1977).
The river corridor was heavily logged from the 1870s through the early twentieth century, by which time it had been essentially cleared of its old growth areas. Small-scale farming was attempted in the floodplain, but became more feasible on a much larger scale after the Chittenden Locks opened in 1916, which as previously mentioned, lowered Lake Washington and drained most of the sloughs and wetland habitat within the corridor (Stickney and McDonald 1977; Martz etal. 1999). LakeSammamish was lowered by this action as well, which increased the elevation difference between the lakes to about twelve feet, likely increasing river flow. Around this time, Sammamish Valley farmers formed a drainage district, which began to significantly straighten the upper reach of the river (King County 2002a). Lowering of the lake level, channelization of the river and construction of drainage ditches in the river valley eliminated much of the floodplain complexity, including wetlands, side-channels and many spring-fed streams that flowed into the river from adjacent hillsides. Beginning in 1962, the Corps of Engineers systematically dredged and channelized the river into its current form, primarily to prevent flooding of adjacent farmland during high spring flows. This action deepened the river five feet throughout the valley and hardened the river’s banks along much of its length, dramatically decreasing any remaining connection with the floodplain and cutting off most of the smaller tributaries as refuge or forage area (Martz etal. 1999).
1.2. Summary of Previous Studies
Previous studies of water and sediment quality in the SammamishRiver are limited. Little or no work has been conducted to characterize the sediment quality or benthic community structure within the river. In general, previous water quality evaluations have been limited to analysis of conventional parameters and nutrients. While some metal analysis has been conducted, it has been limited both spatially and temporally. Select reaches of the Sammamish River have frequently been on the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE)303(d) list for temperature, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliform. Table1 provides an overview of the available data.
Table1. Historical Chemistry and Biological Data for Sammamish River
Project / Sampling Period / Media / # Stations / AnalysesSammamishRiver Storm Sampling / 1993-1995 / Surface water / 19 / Conventionals, metals, bacteria
Water Quality Monitoring of Northern Lake Washington Streams / 1979-2002 / Surface water / 5 / Conventionals, metals, bacteria
2.0. Study Design
The primary objective of this study is to provide data to assess water and sediment quality in the Sammamish River. Few studies have been designed to assess the overall water and sediment quality conditions in the SammamishRiver. Other than a limited number of sediment samples collected at the outlet of LakeSammamish, the mouth of Lake Washington, and the mouths of some tributaries limited to mainly metals analysis, no sediment quality data are available for the SammamishRiver. This lack of information has made it difficult to assess the potential effects of sediment-associated chemicals on the aquatic organisms that reside in the river. The limited water quality data available for the Sammamish River have also made it difficult to assess overall water quality conditions and their potential impact on aquatic life residing or migrating through the river. As previously noted, available data indicate a number of conventional parameters frequently exceed water quality criteria, resulting in placement on the 303d list. However, there is very limited data on concentrations of metals and organic compounds in the river and if any of these chemicals may be having an adverse impact on aquatic life. KingCounty will be collecting chemistry and benthic community data and will use a weight-of-evidence approach to evaluate potential risks to aquatic organisms.
There are multiple purposes for the data generated in this study. The objectives of the Sammamish River Sediment and Water Quality Assessment are to:
- conduct an overall assessment of sediment and water quality conditions in the SammamishRiver using chemical and biological data;
- provide a baseline dataset of water and sediment quality for the reclaimed water program (i.e., water reuse) for use in future planning and activities;
- provide data for SWAMP modeling and assessment efforts; and
- provideadditional data for development of a long-term monitoring plan for SammamishRiver.
There will also be an opportunity to coordinate with the Small Streams ToxicityStudy, which will provide analytical results for over 150 pesticides as well as water column toxicity data for several locations within the SammamishRiver study area. Methods for this study can be found in Small Streams Toxicity Study 2001 SAP Addendum (King County 2001).
2.1. Station Locations
Sediment and water samples will be collected from ten locations in the SammamishRiver for chemical analysis (Figure2). Sediment samples will also be collected from the same locations for analysis of benthic community structure. In addition, water samples will be collected from two irrigation returns that drain into the Sammamish River (i.e., at 124thStreet and 145thStreet). The sampling locations were located below all major tributaries and in the vicinity of potential contaminant sources(e.g., golf course, turf farm, boat launch etc.).
Figure 2. Sammamish River Sampling Stations
2.2. Chemical and Biological Testing
Sediment
Sediment samples will be collected for chemical and biological testing using standardized equipment and procedures. Sediment samples will be collected from the top 10 centimeters (cm) of the sample where possible enabling characterization of the biologically active zone. Each sediment sample collected for chemical testing will consist of a composite of at least threeindividual grab samples. At some stations, the limiteddepth of penetration obtained may require that additional grabs be collected to obtain adequate volume of sediment for analyses. For benthic community analysis, three individual replicate sediment samples will be collected from each station.
Water
Water samples will be collected as grab samples from the surface for chemical and pathogen testing using standardized equipment and procedures.
2.2.1. Chemical Testing
Sediment
Sediment samples collected from the SammamishRiver will be analyzed for the conventional, metal, and organic parameters listed below:
- Conventionals - acid volatile sulfides (AVS), ammonia nitrogen, particle size distribution (PSD), percent solids, total organic carbon (TOC), extractable phosphorus, total phosphorus, and total sulfides;
- Metals - simultaneously extractable metals using AVS extract (AVS/SEM for cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc), and total metals analysis for antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, manganese, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium, and zinc; and
- Organics –low level base/neutral/acid extractable semivolatile compounds (LLBNAs), butyltin isomers, chlorinated herbicides, chlorinated pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and petroleum hydrocarbons.
Surface Water
Surface water samples collected from the SammamishRiver will be analyzed for bacterial, conventional, metal and organic constituents listed below:
- Bacteria – Escherichia coli, fecal coliform, and enterococcus.
- Conventionals – Ammonia nitrogen, fluoride, nitrate nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite nitrogen, orthophosphorus, and total suspended solids.
- Metals (total and dissolved) – aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium, and zinc. Hardness by calculation. Additional metals may be reported when results are available.
- Organics – BNALLs including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated herbicides, chlorinated pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides and PCBs.
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) – bis(2ethylhexyladipate), bisphenolA, estradiol, estrone, ethynylestradiol, methyltestosterone, 4nonylphenol, progesterone, testosterone, and vinclozolin. Estradiol and ethynylestradiol analyzed by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and GC/MS in 2002 and 2003. The collection and analysis of water samples for EDCs was subcontracted to the USGS in 2001. USGS developed their own methodology (Wastewater method) which is described by Zaugg etal. 2002. The target analyte list for the USGS method overlaps but is not identical to that of the King County Environmental Laboratory (KCEL).
2.2.2. Field Parameters
The following field parameters will be collected during surface water sample collection: conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature.