Water Quality Monitoring PRRIP

• File Number: 8461.250
• Description: Water Issues
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 8/22/2008
• Author: EA Engineerin, Science, And Technology, Inc.
• Title: Water Quality Monitoring PRRIP
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

?
GA Enginecring, Science,
and Technology, Inc.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Technical Memorandum
22 August 2008
221 Sun Valley Blvd, Suite D
Lincoln, NE 68528
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.eaest.com
Overview:
The purpose of this technical memorandum is to provide the Platte River Recovery Implementation
Program (Program) a summary of the technical approach for the Water Quality Monitoring Program.
The technical approach was developed based on our initial approach presented in our original
proposal with modifications based on information collected from the Water Quality Focus Group.
EA contacted the individuals identified by the Executive Directars (ED) office as members of the
Water Quality Focus Group (WQFG) to provide feedback on the development of a Water Quality
Protocol. The group included Mark Czaplewski - Central Platte NRD, Don Anderson - USFWS,
Mike Besson - Water Development Office - State of Wyoming, Kevin Urie - Denver Water, Pat
O'Brien - NDEQ, and Rodney Verhoeff - LPRCA. Members of ED's office were also contacted to
discuss the Water Quality Protocol and included Jerry Kenny, Beorn Courtney, and Chad Smith.
After discussions with the ED's office and the WQFG, EA revised the technical approach for the
monitoring program to focus more on the central Platte for the collection of new data and utilize other
agencies existing data for the lower Platte. The revised technical approach reduced the number of
monitoring locations for stage and discharge, increased the water quality monitoring locations, and
increased the monitoring period. Feedback from the WQFG supported the addition of selenium,
mercury, cadmium, and arsenic to the analytical analysis. Additional information was collected to
provide a basis for the metals that will be included in the analytical analysis. Calcium and
magnesium (hardness) were also included to relate the metals to criteria listed in Title 117 - Nebraska
Surface Water Quality Standards. However, the frequency of analytical analysis was reduced.
Nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus) and herbicides were discussed but were not included in the
analytical analysis.
The following provides a summary of the proposed Water Quality Protocol.
Monitoring Locations and Periods:
Table 1 and Figure 1 illustrate the proposed monitoring locations. The technical approach
includes collecting discharge and stage data, water quality data, and analytical data from nine
monitoring locations in the central Platte and Lower Platte. The monitoring equipment for
stage/discharge and water quality are either existing or will be installed prior to protocol
implementation in the spring of 2009. Stage/discharge and water quality data will be collected
for the entire period from late March through early October during each year.
A summary of the locations are:
• Central Platte
o The Platte River at Lexington, Overton, Cottonwood Ranch, Odessa, Kearney, Shelton
and Grand Island (seven stations). EA would install a water quality stations at
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program - WQ Technical Memorandum Page 1 of 2