Analysis tool pack for STORET for biological assessment Erik W. Leppo Las Vegas, Nevada November 8, 2001

Five classes of environmental variables that affect water resource integrity and overall biological condition (modified from Karr et al. 1986). Flow Regime Volume Watershed Characteristics Runoff Velocity High-Low Extremes Precipitation Groundwater Ecosystem Health Chemical Variables Metals Nutrients Dissolved Oxygen Chemical Solubilities Organics Alkalinity Temperature Hardness Turbidity Biotic Interactions Disease Reproduction Competition Predation Feeding Parasitism Biological Condition Stressor Response Status Energy Source Nutrient Availability Organic Matter Inputs Primary and Secondary Production Seasonal patterns Sunlight Habitat Structure Sinuosity Current Riparian Vegetation Substrate Instream Cover Gradient Channel Morphology Bank Stability Canopy

Biological Monitoring Data Biological monitoring is becoming more and more widespread in the US in response to heightened emphasis on preserving the biological integrity of the nation’s waters under the CWA. Data produced through these monitoring efforts are: –incorporated into state’s 305(b) reports, –used to generate 303(d) lists, and –involved in the development and implementation of TMDLs.

Use STORET To Hold Your Data Desserobdella phalera Dero botrytis Heteroplectron americanum Anopsilana Nimbocera limnetica Beardius truncatus Tribelos atrum Apedilum Pagastiella orophila Goeldichironomus amazonicus Dicrotendipes thanatogratus Fittkauimyia serta Alotanypus Hydropsyche rossi Tyloderma capitale Ischnura hastata Epitheca princeps Stylurus ivae Hylogomphus geminatus Procloeon viridocularis Baetis alachua Acerpenna pygmaeus Baetis punctiventris Baetis armillatus Procloeon rubropictum Drunella walkeri Stenonema mexicanum integrum Gomphus Ectoprocta Stenochironomus Taxa List Field Data Sheets D.O. Turbidity Temperature See attached taxa list Substrate Availability Sinuousity Embeddedness Bank Vegetation % Impervious Area Land Use Station ID Waterbody Name Sample Date Field Team Channelized? Dam? NPS Sources? # of Sweeps per Habitat Flow Channel Width Max. Depth

Why Analyze Your Data Translate raw data into metric values. Hard to communicate species lists. Look for trends over time and patterns within your watershed. Identify new hotspots, and watch for change in water bodies of known impairment. Communicate interpreted results of your sampling efforts to the public. Easier to create understandable, graphic displays of metrics than raw data. Allows for QA/QC analysis of data. Ensures the reliability of your data.

Communicating Results DATA 12 EPT Taxa 78% Impervious Channelized 4.2 mg/l D.O. Obvious NPS sources 72% Chironomids 23 Total Taxa Substrate Availability 13 10% Collector-Filterers 13% Ephemeroptera

DATA 12 EPT Taxa 78% Impervious Channelized 4.2 mg/l D.O. Obvious NPS sources 72% Chironomids 23 Total Taxa Substrate Availability 13 10% Collector-Filterers Communicating Results 13% Ephemeroptera

POOR Yellow River MRW12 Displaying Your Data With GIS

Digestible Site Reports

Getting To The Analysis Step In the past have had to export data from STORET and format it for use in another program. The Analysis Tool Pack allows the user to skip formatting and query data directly from STORET. –Limited to benthic macroinvertebrates (for now). –Addresses one of the concerns from end-users of having to use multiple databases (i.e., one for storage and one for analysis).

Getting to The Reporting Step Data entry. –Input data into STORET. Organize your data for analysis purposes. STORET has no analytical capabilities, it wasn’t designed with any in mind. Through ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) can link to the data in STORET to do calculations.

Why STORET? More and more funding sources require that data collected be put into STORET. There is some resistance due to the view that a user sees little return on his/her investment of time and energies. Having an analysis tool can help to change this mindset (along with the import utility – SIM2).

How the Tool Pack Works Through the use of ODBC users will no longer have to spend time exporting their data from STORET to another database, but can access their data directly with the use of this utility. Based on Access 2000 this utility connects to a view specific benthic macroinvertebrate-specific view within STORET. All data necessary for metric calculations is incorporated into this view. It will have the same suite of metrics as EDAS, i.e., all of the metrics contained in the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (2nd Edition).

Parameters for BioView An EDAS-BioView within STORET. Linked in Access with the following restrictions: –Activity Community Benthic Macroinvertebrates –Activity Intent Taxon Abundance –Result Unit Count –Result Value Status Final (Can be changed to Preliminary) –Bio Group Type Multi-Taxon Population Census

Future Functionality Just as the SIM module will simplify the import of data into STORET, the EDAS Analysis Tool Pack will simplify analyzing data in STORET. It is planned to build in the capability to analyze other data types (biological, chemical, and physical). Also planned is the ability to allow users to input their biocriteria endpoints and output assessment reports. Move toward a more stable platform, Oracle, and away from the constant “upgrades” of MS Access.

Analysis Tool Pack Advantages The Tool Pack will encompass most of the functions that are built into some other databases, e.g., EDAS. Data being analyzed will always be current. Can easily share data. Built in reports based upon data analysis.