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A Standard Operating Procedures Manual for the Louisiana - CLU-IN

1. SPRING CLAMP Figure 17 A typical RSET data collection schematic showing nine pins used to measure 90 8 1 Field Station Establishment The detailed method for establishing a RSET station is found in Chapter 2 Site Construction section 2 3 of this manual 8 2 Data Collection The LDNR CRD shall provide all the necessary data collection components needed for the collection of data associated with this technique To assure that the highest degree of accuracy is achieved it is imperative that all the components of an individual unit remain together Since the LDNR CRD will produce multiple units each one possesses its own unique serial number Therefore when a piece breaks or problems arise with the equipment the LDNR CRD must be informed so replacements can be obtained This equipment is manufactured through the specifications developed by this agency therefore any replacement pieces need to be coordinated with the LDNR CRD Each RSET unit shall contain the following components minimum 1 The surface elevation table 2 Minimum of nine 9 fiberglass rods numbered to correspond with respectively numbered holes on table 3 Minimum of nine 9 badge clips 4 Minimum of two 2 spring clamps 5 Aluminum metric measuring device capable of measuring in millimeters with the end being zero millimeters Due to some variabili
2. E ose SIGN BANKLINE Ee Se N A ences BAYOU OPEN WATER D E o dunes RECORDER NAVD88 W ELEVATION MARK Figure 3 Typical layout schematic of the constructed site features 10 7 Recommended tools hand saw or skill saw to cut boards cordless drill with various size wooden bits and screwdriver heads crescent wrenches socket wrenches sledge hammer tape measure gloves and hammer NOTE Personnel protection equipment PPE shall be worn during all phases of material handling 3 2 Sampling Platform Construction The main part of the boardwalk platform is called a tooth and is comprised of two 2 legs 2 x4 x8 or 10 attached to three 3 crosspieces with the stainless steel carriage bolts This part of the boardwalk can be assembled before constructing the boardwalk in the field If the water vessel is not large enough to safely handle the assembled teeth it is highly recommend that the teeth be disassembled A typical tooth construction is found in Figure 4 Using the pre approved site specific configuration provided by the LDNR CRD enter the site using the route access This will ensure that the site will not be compromised by the personnel constructing the site Other variables will be measured away from the boardwalk therefore the route access must be followed at all times Upon arrival at the beginning of the boardwalk the construction personnel shall begin the construction of the boardw
3. Figure 11 Schematic of distances needed to be measured for elevation calculations 35 Several measurements calibrations and readings must be obtained if they were not obtained during the installation process before the initial deployment The information obtained from these measurements calibrations and readings shall be documented on the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 4 which is provided by the LDNR CRD These measurements and readings include 1 Prior to initial deployment the Mark to Sensor Distance ft must be measured This is the distance between the nail which is placed on the wooden post or the top of the 4 hole on the stainless steel pole to the water level sensor on the continuous recorder do not confuse the water level sensor with the conductivity salinity sensor This measurement will allow the water level readings to be converted to a vertical datum NAVD 88 when the nail or top of V hole has been surveyed by a professional and licensed individual or company This measurement may be obtained several ways therefore the Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet Form 3 shall be completed 2 Calculate the Sensor Elevation NAVD 88 ft by using the Mark Elevation NAVD 88 ft provided by a professional surveyor and the Mark to Sensor Distance ft Record the Sensor Elevation NAVD 88 ft in the appropriate box of the Staff Gauge section of the Continuous Recorder Ca
4. LADEPTOF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux Boh LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux 156 Submerged aquatic vegetation data format PROJECT STATION GROUP DATE COMMUNITY SAMPLENUMBER SPECIES DEPTH A AA A CA A p A TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 1 Ceratophyllum demersum 100 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 2 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTu1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 3 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 4 Ceratophylumdemersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 5 Ceratophyllum demersum 100 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 6 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 7 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 8 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 9 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 10 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 1 Jj 70 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 12 Ceratophyllum demersum TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 13 TE 28 TE28 158 CTU1 10 31 2002 FRESHWATER 14 120 157 Marsh elevation survey data format
5. a2 23555sseoeliseaiieii oeloelolololo o oj oj o 5 olo e o vo oj o e o o G G a o 4 1 10 4 1 10 x o 1 10 Soil porewater data format Station Date Time Group Depth Water Temperature Specific Conductance Salinity mow eamm m Wem PP CRMS0395 3 15 2004 10 06 CRMS0395 3 15 2004 1007 B 10 va 296 014 CRMS0395 3 15 2004 1010 B 30 14 J 29 J Of 153 Surface elevation table SET data format Date Time Establishment Date mm dd yyyy hh mm mm dd yyyy 1 CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 3 32 12 1 1995 CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 32 125 1995 1520 N 2 223 LONR 1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 32 121 1998 1520 amp N 3 23 LDNR LADEPTOF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 32 12 1 1995 amp 1520 N 4 23 J LDNRf LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 33 121 1995 1520 amp N 5 231 LDNR LADEPTOF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 33 125 995 1520 N 6 231 LDNRf LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 33 125 1955 1520 N 7 2335 LDNR1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 33 125 1995 1520 amp N 8 234 LDNR LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 34 12
6. B 137 Form 6 Example of a discrete hydrographic data sheet Discrete Hydrographic Data Sheet Date Project Instrument Serial No Calibration Solution Personnel Agency Company Station CST Time Staff Gauge Depth Temp Salinity ft ft C Surface Ma ee deem as as ENT BNET NNI ey EET NET EI o O O O O O O om O O O O Oo O 138 Form 7 Example of a monthly hand held salinity meter calibration sheet Monthly Hand held Salinity Meter Calibration Data Sheet Calibration us pearance If the instrument is dirty it should be indicated and then it should be cleaned to prevent any damages If cuts are found on the cable then the instrument needs to be sent in for repairs unless the cuts do not penetrate the exterior coating 139 Form 8 Example of a generic QA QC checklist QA QC CHECKLIST DATA TYPE RSET Accretion __ Discrete Soil Porewater PROJECT __ Herb Natural Vegetation Herb Planted Vegetation Forst SAV Data Collection Date s SITE STATION S Date Received Data Collection Personnel Data Entry Personnel 2 4 5 Date QA QC Completed Was a field trip report generated Did the field trip report have the required information the correct information and the proper format QA QC Initials DATE PAS reject MA og o ip or E B Basin oS qo _ IC Purpose o qoo o D
7. Ruppia maritima Ca Cabomba caroliniana Na Najas guadalupensis V Vallisneria americana Ch Chara Ch1 sp 1 etc Ne Nelumbo lutea Z Zannichellia palustris Ce Ceratophyllum demersum O Ottelia alismatoides haris E1 sp 1 etc P Potamogeton P1 sp 1 etc Transect Species Honi Water Sp Cond Salinty f Transect Sample Species Depth Water Sp Cond Salinty Present Temp C uS cm ppt No No Present cm Temp C uS cm ppt 148 APPENDIX A DATA DELIVERABLE FORMATS The data deliverable formats contained in this appendix provides the column headings and order in which the LDNR CRD requires the final deliverable product Static marsh mat recorder data forest vegetation data and soil properties data formats are still under development 149 Continuous salinity and water level data format Station Date Time Raw Water Temp Adjusted Water Temp Raw Specific Conductance Adjusted Specific Conductance Raw Salinity Adjusted Salinity Adjusted Water Level Raw Water Elev To Marsh Raw Water Elev To Datum Adjusted Water Elev To Datum Adjusted Battery Marsh Elevation To Datum MM DD YYYY HH MM SS c c uS cm uS cm ppt ppt ft ft ft ft V ft TE28 07R 01 01 2003 00 00 08 14 75 14 75 351 10 351 10 0 17 0 17 1 95 1 47 12 00 TE28
8. The following procedures were developed by the LDNR CRD to ensure the collection of data remains acceptable l Qv 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Using the procedures specified in the owner s manual calibrate the YSI 30 or equivalent using a solution concentration that is close to the conditions in the field Record the solution concentration in the comments section of the data sheet NOTE Discard the calibration solution after use Place the board next to the instrument if it does not exist From the board unlock the brass lock and remove the hitch pin and cap Connect the field display unit to the cable of the YSI 600XLM or equivalent Stop the YSI 600XLM or equivalent from logging In the date and time box on the calibration sheet record the date and time Central Standard Time 24 hour from a watch In the sonde date and time box on the calibration sheet record the date and time from the YSI 600XLM NOTE If the two times vary by more than 5 minutes then the time on the YSI 600XLM shall be adjusted using the proper procedures outlined in the owner s manual Complete the top section of the data sheet as it relates to the project name station basin location instrumentation field personnel and agency Download the file from the YSI 600XLM to the field display unit Record the downloaded file name and the number of samples in the file in the appropriate boxes on the top section of the calibration sheet When
9. 107 b If Step 4 is false proceed to the next potential vegetation station using the next number from the random number set 5 Continue step 2 until all 10 random numbers in the primary set have been used Ten 10 stations shall be established at each site Depending on the number of stations established from the first set additional stations will be chosen from the secondary set to supplement the first set until a total of 10 vegetation stations have been established Alternative GIS Method for Station Establishment Using ArcView or ArcGIS the 200 m x 200 m square can be positioned over a DOQQ for each site From the Graphics menu the position in UTM NAD83 Meters of each side of the 200 m x 200 m square is provided Therefore coordinates UTM NAD83 Meters for the NW and NE corner of the 200 m x 200 m square are easily determined by simply recording the two width values Easting and the greater of the two height values Northing The NE corner s coordinates are the greater of the two width values and the height value while the NW corner s coordinates are the lesser of the two width values and the height value After the starting coordinates are determined and orientation of the diagonal transect i e from NE to SW or from NW to SE is randomly chosen the coordinates for each vegetation plot can be calculated using the trigonometric function that sin 0 opposite side length hypotenuse length or d 0 7071r Where r is a r
10. 8 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process the original data sheets the field trip report the QA QC packet and all the associated electronic files shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process Within one month after the third data collection effort for the twelve month period the summary statistics and graphs shall be delivered to LDNR CRD in both the hardcopy and electronic format 95 9 ACCRETION Accretion erosion will be measured by the establishment of three half meter by half meter marker horizon stations systematically placed around a boardwalk The marker horizon is white feldspar clay that is evenly sprinkled on the surface of the wetland At six and twelve months after establishment the stations will be sampled using a cryogenic method developed by Cahoon et al 1996 After the data have been collected a two phase approach has been implemented by the LDNR CRD for the insurance that the field data will be 10096 correct when using for analysis and report writing Three systematically placed half meter by half meter stations will be established at each site during a two month period February and March A materials list and procedures for station establishment are as follows Materials List minimum Feldspar G 200 white feldspar clay from the Feldspar Corporation Mins
11. Data Processing Data processing for the floating marsh mat system is very similar to the process used for the continuous water level and salinity recorders However the main difference is that the floating marsh system uses the data from a near by continuous recorder that is deployed in a deep water channel and possesses an elevation mark Unlike the continuous recorder station in the deep water the floating marsh mat system does not possess an elevation mark consequently the water elevation data is used to convert the water level data to a datum and to calculate the elevation of the marsh surface by knowing the difference between the marsh surface and the water level sensor The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in 10096 agreement with the data collected during the field sampling procedure The procedures in this section are very similar to the water level and salinity chapter procedures however this procedure utilizes data from another instrument Consequently detailed procedures have been described to eliminate confusion Data Entry Phase I The data entry phase includes entering all water temperature specific conductance salinity and water level data since the instrument collects each of these variables
12. Deliverables Upon completion of a project a GPS Survey Report shall be provided to the LDNR CRD as outlined in Section G Deliverables of the Contractor s Guide to Minimum Standards These deliverables have been established for the installation of deep rod secondary monuments however the contents shall be applied to the surveys required for the collection of water level and marsh elevations The packet shall consist of a completed copy of the Continuous Recorder and Staff Gauge Surveying Data Sheet Form 2 120 13 SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION SAV Three techniques are commonly used by researchers to estimate submerged aquatic vegetation SAV cover and relative composition In many fresh and intermediate areas water is extremely clear and SAV abundance is high and thus SAV cover and relative abundance of SAV can be visually estimated However in more saline areas turbidity is extremely high and SAV abundance is low In such areas frequency of SAV can be estimated from grab samples that are obtained at regularly spaced intervals on transects by dragging a garden rake as an airboat idles across the pond Chabreck and Hoffpauir 1962 Nyman and Chabreck 1995 A third technique uses a 1 m aluminum throw trap which is commonly used to sample aquatic organisms Kushlan 1981 Rozas and Odum 1987 After the trap is pushed into the sediment the SAV is harvested Castellanos 1997 or the water can be pumped out and SAV cover and abund
13. Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 LIST OF FIGURES Example ofa site 38 pic soos aD tU f eai palio inepta d eo ttn 4 Typicalschematic of a boardwalk iesu E Oe t ei Dae Sua asegs s tesi edu Gene nds 6 Typical layout schematic of the constructed site features sse 10 Tooth construction diagram ses ee co doen o er tint asin onan A ba i ares 12 Detail construction drawing of a typical RSET station eee cecceeceeceeeseeceseeeeeeeeeeenseees 14 dee is codi Sae O O peat gees acaaanes 15 Typical construction diagram of a stainless steel mono pole sees 18 Typical construction diagram for a staff gauge installation eee 21 Typical wooden post continuous recorder station sess 28 Schematic of distances needed to be measured for the calculations of elevations 32 Schematic of distances needed to be measured for elevation calculations 35 Construction diagram for the floating marsh mat recorder system sssss 61 Construction drawing for the instrument housing unit 74 Schematic of a static marsh mat continuous recorder station sess 75 Construction drawing of a soil porewater SipPOT oooooccnnoccnococonoconoconnnoonncnonocnnn cono ccoo nccononnnos 84 Construction drawing of a surface elevation table used on a 9 16 benchmark rod 89 A typical RS
14. In association with the data collected in the project boundary areas in the immediate vicinity and similar in nature were selected as reference sites By comparing data collected within the project boundary and the reference sites the project features were evaluated for their effectiveness with respect to the goals and objectives set forth in each project s monitoring plan This project specific approach was very effective for small scale projects but was not effective for studying and evaluating larger cumulative effects or broad scale ecosystem effects at the hydrologic basin or coast wide scale In the late 1990 s the LDNR CRD began investigating the implementation of the Coast wide Reference Monitoring System Wetlands CRMS Wetlands program The CRMS Wetlands approach randomly selects stations throughout the coastal zone in accordance with the vegetative community from Visser and Sasser 1998 consequently the monitoring will be associated with the entire coastal region of Louisiana This program will allow the LDNR CRD to better understand problems associated with the loss of coastal marshes as well as provide a valuable long term ecological data set for southern Louisiana make available reference data to determine overall trends and serve as reference sites to test the effectiveness of different restoration enhancement measures Concurrent with this new approach the LDNR CRD decided the Standard Operating Procedures SOP needed updat
15. Just as important this measurement will be used to correlate the water level data from this instrument with the water level data from the continuous recorder in the channel to obtain an elevation datum with respect to the water level and marsh surface 6 1 1 Deployment and Servicing Deployment The owner s manual must be read carefully for the use of the YSI 600XLM or equivalent While reading the manual the following sections should be read carefully probe installation battery installation cable installation software set up enabling the sensors setting the features with respect to instrument going to sleep between readings and calibrations how to deploy the instrument properly to take unattended readings how to service the instrument and troubleshooting The LDNR CRD requires specific documentation and has implemented its own procedures with respect to the field deployment of the instrument To facilitate these procedures and documentation 63 the LDNR CRD has developed a field data sheet Floating Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 9 that shall be used for the deployment and servicing of the continuous recorder This data sheet electronic and hardcopy shall be provided in the form of a template Before arriving at the site to deploy the instrument the instrument must be assembled according to the instructions in the owner s manual Once the instrument has been assembled correctly the sensors shall be activated to c
16. MM DD YY HH MM LD uE Volts L Battery Changed L Desiccant Changed Duration Interval days minutes 136 Form 5 Example of a QA QC Hydrologic data checklist HYDROLOGIC QA QC CHECKLIST Project Site Number Date discrete data collected QA officer Data Collector Time period for continuous data Date approved QA Officer s Initials and Date Was a field trip report generated Were all data entered in datasheets correctly i e data entered in correct columns all data in correct units Were discrete data entered correctly into Excel Were any data missing Were continuous recorder calibration sheets entered correctly into Excel Were continuous data entered correctly into Excel e g time date hydrographic data Were specific conductance data shifted for biofouling If not list station and recorder id Were all water level data converted to a known elevational datum outside of Oracle Were data graphed Was there a normal transition between the last datum record and the present datum record Were different recorders deployed than retrieved If so was the Excel Recorder Deployment file updated Were discrete data entered correctly into SONRIS Were any data missing Were continuous data entered correctly into SONRIS Were any data missing Final QA Officer s Initials and Date Were water level data shifted for biofouling If not list station and recorder id
17. Moreover it provides sufficient information for quality assurance and quality control with respect to the water elevations between the two gauges if both exist Beneath the table each individual column is explained with respect to where the elevation or measurement between two points shall be acquired 12 3 RSET The elevation for the top of the rod Figure 5 shall be determined in NAVD 88 Feet and a measurement to the top of the collar shall be documented No data sheet exists for this variable 119 however a drawing of the station the elevation of each point and the elevation determination points shall be recorded with clarity in the surveyor s field notebook 12 4 Static Floating Marsh Elevation An elevation shall be established on the static floating marsh recorder at the top of the 4 hole that was established during installation No data sheet exists for this variable however a drawing of the station and the elevation of the hole shall be recorded with clarity in the surveyor s field notebook 12 5 Marsh Elevations Marsh elevations used to determine the depth and duration of flooding with respect to the continuous water level data shall be determined at a minimum of 20 points that are separated by 20 to 40 feet Marsh elevations shall be taken where there is no influence of spoil banks levees or any other human induced alterations unless otherwise stated by the LDNR CRD Patterns for the elevation determinations shal
18. Nail used as elevation TE d Stainless steel or equivilant wall Hexagonal screw Mean High Water line e 29 x o sees x e de Data logger with cable 3 4 Holes in PVC pipe d 29 eS e e bo ooo n Treated timber post ES SR Se 9l gt T PO Oe Se oe SR o 20 SS ES x vo S lt gt e ie is Ph Stainless steel Hexagonal bolt o pvc pipe nit SSS RRRS Mud line x Figure 9 Typical wooden post continuous recorder station 28 NOTE The timber industry has recently changed the process for treating lumber to resist rot due to environmental conditions With these changes it may be necessary to use other metal treatments 1 e stainless steel instead of galvanized Additional Materials Needed For the Installation Process l Z0 9 NDAARYWN Widow maker a cylindrical steel device that is approximately 36 inches in length has an outside diameter of 7 inches and weighs approximately 60 pounds used for driving post Wrenches Cordless drill and bits minimum wood bit and various size screw driver adaptors Saw Wood and PVC Hammer Socket set and driver Various size screw drivers Level Measuring device a surveyors rod capable of measuring feet tenths and hundredths Personal protective equipment minimum of gloves and eye protection Installation The foll
19. This provides an estimate of how much of the pipe will be above the water and provides an estimate of when the plate will rest on the bottom 4 Place the mono pole over the side of the water vessel in a plumb position 5 Using the vibracore vibrate the mono pole to refusal or until the load plate rests on the bottom of the water body If refusal is met before the load plate rests on the bottom then the widow maker should be used to try and get the mono pole deeper into the substrate 6 Atthe end of installation the mono pole shall be plumb 33 7 Ifthe top of the pipe was damaged during installation the pipe shall be cut just below the damaged portion A 27 hole for the hitch pin and a 1 4 hole for the elevation mark shall be drilled 8 Document the following measurements on the Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet Form 3 by referring to Figure 11 Top of the 14 hole to the top of the pipe Top of the 1 4 hole to the bottom of the continuous recorder Top of the 4 hole to the water level sensor Top of the 14 hole to the water line Top of the 14 hole to the substrate Water depth Penetration depth Total pole length Mud line to the load plate 1f not resting on bottom of water body Amount of casing removed if damage was done during installation Tp ho aos p NOTE The measurements must be transferred to the Excel Site History file provided by LDNR CRD 9 Atta
20. e g any notable ecological biological attributes nutria herbivory in area noticeable causes of degradation such as salt water intrusion etc 9 When determining an area that will be suitable for the water level and or salinity continuous recorders field personnel must consider if the water level will be maintained above sensors the entire sampling year and if not recommend another water level sensor e g ultrasonic water level sensor Be sure to consider the season when recommending both placement and type of water level sensor e g dry season vs wet season Use a DGPS unit to document the coordinates of this station and record these coordinates on the Site Characterization Data Sheet Document the reason a specific water level recorder was recommended 10 Before leaving the site briefly describe any potential problems that may arise during initial site construction or during routine sampling of the site and make any recommendations for subsequent site visits Recommend if this site can be used as a secondary benchmark and describe why or why not One secondary benchmark can be utilized with more than one site if each site is established within a 3 mile radius of the benchmark Complete the Site Characterization Data Sheet with as much detail deemed necessary for the construction field crew to establish the stations in the appropriate places NOTE The impact to the area must be minimal for all phases for the site usage U
21. soil profile Small piston coring devices such as those developed by Swenson 1982 and Hargis and Twilley 1994 or hydraulic coring samplers sensu Meriwether et al 1996 and Phillips 2002 have been specifically designed for taking marsh soil samples Each of these corers consist of a sharpened tube or cutting head to facilitate insertion into the soil and to easily cut through below ground vegetative growth a sharp serrated knife could also be used to make a vertical cut through the root mat around the circumference of the core tube Internal pistons in the Swenson and Hargis corers create suction at the top of the core to virtually eliminate compaction while inserting the corer into the marsh These pistons or the water filled headspace in the hydraulic coring sampler prevent the loss of any liquid or material upon extraction of the core from the marsh Intact cores or other pre specified sample preparations shall be delivered to a LDNR CRD contracted laboratory within 24 hours of collection Soil sampling storage transportation and sample preparations shall follow methods prescribed by the LDNR CRD contracted soils laboratory A torvane strength tester shall be used to determine the shear strength in flotant marsh soils or similar saturated cohesive soils either in the laboratory or the field McGinnis 1997 These instruments measure the torque kg cm required to shear through or deform the soil known as failure A torvane is compo
22. while maintaining plumb 4 Using a widow maker or similar device drive the post into the substrate until resistance is met NOTE A protective cap or covering shall be used on the post to prevent any damages from the pounding If any damage has occurred during the installation process cut the damaged portion off but it must be cut squarely so that the platform will rest perpendicular on the post 74 1 SCH 40 ALUMINUM PIPE 6 x6 x1 4 ALUMINUM BASE PLATE A HOLE USED 14 PULLEY AS AN ELEV SURVEY POINT 1 x1 x1 8 COUNTERWEIGHT ALUMINUM ANGLE 3 SCH 40 ALUMINUM N a ul Oe 5 C ma c n lt x Figure 14 Schematic of a static marsh mat continuous recorder station 75 Once the post is secured and remains a minimum of four feet above the boardwalk drill a 14 hole in the pipe closes to the boardwalk approximately 8 10 from the top This hole will serve as an elevation mark for the instrument Attach 4 brackets to the top of the pipe in a manner that allows the housing to mount flush on the top of the pipe Secure the housing to the pipe using the brackets and bolts according to the schematic NOTE The housing shall be secured to facilitate the ease of servicing the instrument while also placing the cable and auger th
23. 07R 01 01 2003 01 00 08 14 65 14 65 356 40 356 40 0 17 0 18 1 95 1 47 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 02 00 08 14 53 14 53 359 80 359 80 0 17 0 18 1 95 1 47 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 03 00 08 14 39 14 39 358 20 358 20 0 17 0 18 1 95 1 47 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 04 00 08 14 22 14 22 352 40 352 40 0 17 0 17 1 94 1 46 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 05 00 08 14 03 14 03 345 00 345 00 0 17 0 17 1 94 1 46 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 06 00 08 13 87 13 87 335 50 335 50 0 16 0 16 1 93 1 45 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 07 00 08 13 73 13 73 322 90 322 90 0 16 0 16 1 91 1 43 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 08 00 08 13 58 13 58 315 10 315 10 0 15 0 15 1 90 1 42 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 09 00 08 13 51 13 51 308 50 308 50 0 15 0 15 1 89 1 41 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 10 00 08 13 54 13 54 304 30 304 30 0 15 0 15 1 88 1 40 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 11 00 08 13 63 13 63 300 00 300 00 0 14 0 15 1 85 1 37 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 12 00 08 13 67 13 67 297 60 297 60 0 14 0 14 1 84 1 36 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 13 00 08 13 80 13 80 295 1
24. 2001 09 03 00 155 Emergent vegetation data format 1 of 3 Avg Height i Dominant Community SampleType y cm TE24 75 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Planted TE24 75 Bay 4 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Planted TE24 75 Bay 4 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Random Planted 20 TE24 76 Bay 4 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Random Planted 30 100 TE24 76 Bay 4 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Random Planted 30 100 TE24 76 Bay 4 8 26 1999 Barrier Island Random Planted 30 100 TE24 76 Bay 4 18 26 1999 Barrier Island Random Planted 30 Emergent vegetation format continued 2 of 3 Braun Blanquet ScientificName CommonName Cover Rank Spartina patens Ait Muhl Cynodon dactylon L Pers Bare Ground Bare Ground 80 Sesbania herbacea P Mill McVaugh bigpodsesbania J Spartina patens Ait Muhl Cynodon dactylon L Pers Bare Ground Bare Ground OT Additional Species Description Organization Personnel tel tel LADEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux pTLA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux Boh 16 13 LADEPT OF NAT RES CRDT L Aucoin J Young C Thibodeaux Boh
25. DBH point has been shifted up or down The use of an aluminum tag or an aluminum nail is recommended by most foresters as aluminum will not harm trees or saws c Trees may be marked with tree marking paint chalk to keep track of which ones have been measured 4 The herbaceous stations are recorded using the same technique and same data sheet as the herbaceous marsh community See procedure above There are two substations per 20 m by 20 m stations These substations are located at the southeast and northwest corner of the 20 m x 20 m station 10 3 Data Processing The samples collected in the field that were not positively identified must be examined by a qualified individual a botanist or plant taxonomist The plants shall be provided to the person as soon as possible before the integrity of the sample diminishes The data sheets must be examined for the proper spelling of each plant species If the spelling in the field was done incorrectly then the spelling needs to be corrected This procedure is accomplished by drawing a single line through the name of the plant written in the field and the correct spelling placed adjacent to the misspelled name The authors name shall be written in the correct form behind the name The standard botanical name shall follow the USDA Plants Database on the web available at http plants usda gov Since the cover percentage was recorded in the field for each species the corresponding rank may not ha
26. Day Jr 2002a A device for high precision measurement of wetland sediment elevation I Recent improvements to the sedimentation erosion table Journal of Sedimentary Research Vol 72 No 5 pp 730 733 Cahoon D R J C Lynch and R M Knaus 1996 Improved cryogenic coring device for sampling wetland soils Journal of Sedimentary Research 66 1025 1027 Cahoon D R J C Lynch B C Perez B Segura R Holland C Stelly G Stephenson and P Hensel 2002b A device for high precision measurement of wetland sediment elevation II The rod surface elevation table Journal of Sedimentary Research Vol 72 No 5 pp 734 739 Chabreck R H and G Linscombe 1997 Louisiana Coastal Marsh Vegetative Type Map Louisiana State University and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Feijtel T C R D DeLaune and W H Patrick Jr 1988 Seasonal pore water dynamics in marshes of the Barataria Basin Louisiana Soil Science Society of America Journal 52 59 67 Ferguson M 1997 GPS Land Navigation Glassford Publishing Idaho 255 pp Gagliano S M K J Meyer Arendt and K M Wicker 1981 Land loss in the Mississippi River deltaic plain Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies 31 295 300 Hargis T G and R R Twilley 1994 Improved coring device for measuring soil bulk density in a Louisiana deltaic marsh Journal of Sedimentary Research 3 681 683 Kent M and P Coker 1995 Vegetation Descr
27. Field Personnel ooo 0 E_ Date s ofTrip TT E Weather Conditions ooo S IG Logistical Information _____l_____l __________ ___ H Biological Information o ooo E Forme lll E e Were the data sheets filled to completion YES NO If no then add comments or indicate on the copied data sheets Were the data entered into the Excel spreadsheet correctly YES NO If no then add comments or indicate on the copied data sheets Were the data entered into SONRIS correctly YES NO If no then add comments or indicate on the copied data sheets 140 Applicable YES NO a Applicable YES NO Form 9 Example of a floating marsh mat recorder calibration data sheet Floating Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet m ect amp Name Station Basin Location Date amp CSTime Constant Recorder Serial Number Dirty Battery Volts Sonde Date amp Time E Deployed Date amp Time Collected By Download Filename No of Samples Agenc C Log Successful Dirty Readin g Temp SpCond Salinity Depth Depth Out SpCond C uS cm ppt ft of Water Difference Calibration Instrument Serial Number Difference Clean Reading Temp SpCond Salinity Depth Depth Out SpCond C uS cm ppt ft of Water Difference A Difference Staff Gauge Water Level Difference Difference Mat to Sensor O Marsh Elevation NAVD Distance ft Staff Gauge NAVD p AAA C calibra
28. Fill out all the information in the Clean Readings section 14 Calculate the marsh elevation if the elevation of the top of the 14 hole has been surveyed by a professional surveyor 15 Record the staff gauge reading in the Elevation section 16 Fill out the Deployment section once the instrument has been completely set up for the data collection Servicing The minimum amount of equipment that is needed to service the instrument is as follows data sheet pencil watch field notebook surveyor s measuring rod tape measure field servicing instrument tools to replace the instrument if a problem occurs calculator and boards The following procedures are recommended to ensure the accuracy of the data l uy 10 Visually inspect the site from a distance and document any problems on the data sheet in the Comments Notes section i e any slack in the cable or the auger is out of the marsh surface Place a board 2 x10 x10 on the tooth if a board was not left at the site Unlock the housing from the platform to expose the instrument and pulley system Visually inspect the instrument and pulley system to verify that all the working parts are in the proper place and tension remained on the pulley Record any problems Record the project name station number location date and Central Standard Time field personnel agency continuous recorder manufacturer and model and serial number on the top sectio
29. Information System SONRIS database for the input and storage of vegetation data with respect to the herbaceous plant community The individual responsible for phase I must follow the User s Manual For Hydrographic and Emergent Vegetation Data Management dated December 29 2003 This manual ensures the proper transcription of data from the data sheet to the database The individual must transcribe all the data requested by the database in the appropriate format as stated in the manual Periodically this manual is updated therefore the most recent version of this manual must be used as it pertains to emergent vegetation Since the LDNR CRD RTS has not developed a database with respect to the forested community for the measurements of each individual species the LDNR CRD has developed an Excel spreadsheet for this data The Excel spreadsheet is a standardized spreadsheet that will be used to transfer the data from the spreadsheet to the database once the database has been established It is important that the individual responsible for the data entry enter the data as requested with respect to the spreadsheet The Excel spreadsheet provided by the LDNR CRD is a template and shall be saved using the naming convention station forestcommunity date xls CRMS0395 forestcommunity September2005 xls Once the data have been transferred a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 an explanation of any logistical problems encou
30. Station BA02 55 Date and Time APRIL 23 2003 amp 10 30 Staff Gauge Reading 1 58 FT Marsh Flooded YES Easting Point Number UTM NAD83 METERS 1 766 129 90 2 766 115 57 3 766 101 61 4 766 087 41 5 766 071 05 6 766 070 96 7 766 086 52 8 766 101 32 9 766 116 98 10 766 132 05 11 766 070 96 12 766 086 52 13 766 101 32 14 766 116 98 15 766 132 05 16 766 070 96 17 766 086 52 18 766 101 32 19 766 116 98 20 766 132 05 AVERAGE MARSH ELEVATION MARSH ELEVATION NOTES INSTRUCTIONS 1 Marsh elevation is the average of all the marsh shots LA DNR Survey PROJECT NAME Northing UTM NAD83 METERS 3 271 789 89 3 271 789 89 3 271 789 89 3 271 789 89 3 271 789 89 3 271 775 12 3 271 775 12 3 271 775 12 3 271 775 12 3 271 775 12 3 271 752 77 3 271 752 77 3 271 752 77 3 271 752 77 3 271 752 77 3 271 718 46 3 271 718 46 3 271 718 46 3 271 718 46 3 271 718 46 Elevation NAVD88_FEET 1 456 1 402 1 429 1 384 1 353 1 484 1 337 1 497 1 502 1 466 1 511 1 347 1 281 1 312 1 423 1 444 1 602 1 399 1 455 1 389 1 42365 1 42 2 Coordinate system must be properly labeled under the Northing and Easting headings 3 Vertical datum must be properly labeled under the Elevation heading 4 Anew sheet must be generated for each station 158
31. Using a DGPS carefully approach the northerly end of the diagonal vegetation transect This location will be the beginning point for the establishment of all the vegetation stations Remember Be very careful not to disturb the vegetation along the transect so that the data collection efforts are not compromised Using the random number table for that site the diagonal transect bearing provided by LDNR CRD usually 135 or 225 and a measuring tape carefully move from the beginning point of the transect to the first vegetation station Using a compass determine the orientation of the plot The point on the diagonal transect is the southeast corner of the vegetation station Measure 2 m North and 2 m West from this point to determine where the plot will fall or place the 2 m x 2 m PVC square on the marsh Inspect the potential station to be sure that the station is more than 55 marsh and that it is not within 10 meters of any of the other data collection stations e g RSET accretion water level and or salinity continuous recorder or either of the boardwalks a If Step 4 is true then the station is established and the PVC pole and metal pipe can be placed in the SE corner to mark the station Before leaving the station record the actual coordinates using the DGPS Collect no less than 10 readings with the antenna directly on top of the station marker on the southeastern corner Label the coordinate with the appropriate station number
32. and data collecting options for the particular GPS unit being used 2 At least one week of formal training including a field and laboratory component is a minimum requirement for at least one member of the team 125 The technology related to GPS data collection is rapidly advancing and to that end annual training to refresh or update knowledge is highly recommended Prior to coming to the field approximate locations of the two distal ends of the shoreline are located and GPS coordinates are recorded a Using ArcInfo bring in the appropriate DOQQ b Draw a polygon or rectangle in which two of the sides are parallel and are at approximate right angles to the shoreline in question c Record the two points where the lines intersect the shoreline they represent the starting and stopping points for the shoreline position measurement d Load these values into the GPS unit as waypoints or stations Data Collection Field method Each site presents a different situation in which field personnel must adapt different strategies to collect data Note The GPS reads coordinates in WGS 84 but PenMap can convert these values to other coordinate systems l 2 3 Proceed to the first waypoint or shoreline intersection point referred to as shoreline navigation reference point On the GPS unit choose polyline and select static mean Walk along the shoreline defined as edge of the live emergent vegetation by Steyer et al 1995 from one o
33. and field trip report have been completed the technician must compile a quality assurance QA quality control QC packet This packet shall include 1 the appropriate QA QC checklist Form 5 cover sheet 2 field trip report 3 photocopied Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet s depends on the number of stations in a packet 4 graphs printed from the Excel file Graphs worksheet 5 summary statistics and percent completeness calculations printed from the Excel file Data worksheet The QA QC packet and associated Excel files are sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual 1s referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase II The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and comment as it pertains to the information on the data sheet The QA QC officer then examines the data sheet s for completeness and accuracy regarding the sections where calculations were performed in the field The QA QC officer must examine the Excel file for any erroneous data that is questionable If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes on the photocopy data sheet The QA QC officer also checks the other Excel files to verify that the information regarding the depl
34. can measure water level via a pressure transducer as well as salinity specific conductance and water temperature Likewise a YSI 30 or equivalent can measure salinity specific conductance and water temperature at discrete locations and to assure the data logger is properly calibrated Conversely if the marsh swamp dries periodically or is only inundated for short periods of time an ultrasonic water level sensor shall be used to measure water level 4 1 Instrumentation Two types of instrumentation shall be used to determine surface water elevation The preferred type of instrumentation that has been extensively used by the LDNR CRD is an environmental monitoring instrument that is a multi parameter water quality measurement and data collection system The instrument is capable of recording and storing water temperature C specific conductance i S cm salinity ppt and water level feet at specified intervals The water level sensor shall be a vented level system capable of recording to depths of 9 1 meters 30 feet The water level sensor must be a vented sensor that has a range of 0 to 9 1 meters 30 feet a minimum accuracy of 40 003 meters 0 01 feet in depths to 3 0 meters 10 feet and in depths of 3 0 to 9 14 meters 10 to 30 feet the minimum accuracy must be 40 018 meters 0 06 feet Along with the water level sensor specification above the instrument shall be capable of transferring the raw data through a field display un
35. convention projectmonthstationnumber and the xls extension i e CR 00398 This Excel template contains 4 worksheets a Marsh Mat Data This worksheet contains three sections 1 the upper section station information and instrument information is documented and the data that was collected in the field is entered into the corresponding cells which is used to apply the shifts for biofouling 2 the lower section is where the data is pasted from the comma delimited file once it has been inspected for missing dates and times it is where the data is shifted and adjusted for biofouling and 3 the right section contains formulas that give a summary statistics of the data that was collected and gives a percent completeness for all the variables collected b Sonde Data This worksheet is used to paste the values of the continuous recorder data from the instrument that is in the open water or marsh channel near the marsh mat recorder This worksheet provides the water elevation which will be used to calibrate flood depth and duration c Marsh Mat Oracle This worksheet is used to copy the data to a yearly file that is produced to view the data during a specific time period It will be used later to input the data into the LDNR CRD main database system 79 d Graphs This worksheet contains two separate graphs that show different relationships with respect to the data that was collected These graphs are used to find outliers in t
36. data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initial and the date next to the correction After all the data sheets have been removed from the field then the data should be converted from the field format to a suitable format conducive to import into the database To accomplish this the field technician responsible for the data collection must transfer the raw data actual data collected from the field to a spreadsheet designed by DNR and into the DNR database for QA QC 13 4 Summary Data and Graphic Upon completion of the QA QC process data shall be analyzed to determine changes between sampling periods The data analysis programs and the templates of all the summary graphics shall be provided by the LDNR CRD 13 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process data analysis and the creation of the summary graphics the original data sheets field trip report the QA QC packet the field notebooks data analysis results and graphic shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files c
37. elevation over a long period of time relative to a fixed subsurface datum Briefly a series of four foot stainless steel rods are driven through the root zone the organic matter and any soft underlying materials until refusal is encountered from a driving force on the rod The rod remains approximately 2 feet above the marsh surface and is stabilized by a six inch diameter pipe that is cemented at the surface A custom made stainless steel collar Figure 16 part T is permanently attached to the rod to provide a constant horizontal reference plane as well as long term repeatability as the table remains fixed for each sampling period Detailed installation procedures are written in chapter 2 3 Data collection occurs by attaching a custom made RSET table Figure 16 to the collar and nine 9 fiberglass pins are pushed through the table from above to the marsh surface Figure 17 The height measured in millimeters that each pin extends above the table is used to calculate vertical changes of the marsh surface over time Using previously collected data the rate of change can be calculated to provide a status and trends with respect to changes occurring between the surface and the bottom of the stainless steel rod The table is custom made and constructed of aluminum and stainless steel These materials allow the table to withstand all environmental conditions found in Louisiana s coastal zone but also make it relatively expensive The LDNR C
38. end Thus three 3 of the holes will be on one side while the other three 3 will be on the opposite side This will allow the liquid to flow through the tubing into the syringe and minimize the effects of clogging Mark 10 cm and 30 cm on the rigid plastic tube measured from the center of the middle holes Mark using tape or score the tube so that the depth can be felt on insertion Securely attach a piece of the tygon tubing to the other end of the probe Then attach a two way valve to the syringe and to the other end of the tygon tubing Figure 15 shows the completed pore water extractor and syringe schematic 83 1 8 TYGON TUBING 60cc PLASTIC SYRINGE TWO WAY VALVE _ 1 16 HOLES 1 HARD PLASTIC TUBE PLUGGED AT THIS END APART Figure 15 Construction drawing of a soil porewater sipper 84 6 1 Data Collection Soil porewater samples will be extracted from the sediment matrix from the same location each trip Samples will be taken from the Long Boardwalk on the opposite side of the Sampling Platform Three 3 replicate samples will be taken from each depth However the second and third replicate for each depth will be moved successively five centimeters 2 to the right of the previous sample Prior to sampling the 30 cm depth the field personnel will move another five centimeters 2 to the right of the third 10 cm sample and begin sampling at the second depth in the same manner i e movi
39. from the LDNR CRD 3 4 Warning Signage Two warning signs Figure 6 similar to those used for pipelines will be placed near the boardwalks One sign will be placed on the outside of the boardwalk near the arrival point and the other sign will be place on the outside of the shorter boardwalk Figure 3 This configuration indicates that caution needs to be taken when entering the area between the signs Recommended signage will consist of a single 3 4 pipeline marker with an orange cap similar to that shown in Figure 6 or other design or color that is highly visible distinctly different from pipeline or other markers and approved by LDNR CRD Sign shall extend at least 60 inches above the marsh surface and extend at least 36 inches into the soil Figure 6 Typical warning sign used at sites to mark research stations 3 5 Water Level Support Poles Each site will require the installation of a water level support pole however there are three types of support poles that can be used at a site Two of the poles will be utilized when an instrument can be mounted onto a pole to collect continuous surface water levels This instrument will be used when there is an open body of water that holds a minimum depth of water that submerges the sensors The second type of pole will be used to mount an ultrasonic sensor or equivalent that records surface water levels when the marsh swamp surface becomes inundated The type of pole that will be establishe
40. graphs shall be identical This facilitates the comparison of data between the four cardinal points During the review of data once it has been entered into the spreadsheet if it is determined that the number coincides with the datasheet but seems to be wrong then the data is left alone and documentation of concerns are explained in the comments field of both the data sheet and the Excel data file No data is deleted from the spreadsheet only comments are written to alert those using the information Notes shall be copied to the Station History file to explain the reasoning behind any data points that are questionable Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the data have been completely entered and the field trip report has been generated the appropriate QA QC checklist Form 8 is attached to the copied data sheet and the field trip report This compilation is refer
41. if not exactly resemble Figure 2 During the construction of the site no one shall walk on the surface of the marsh swamp at any time It is imperative that this be followed since the integrity of the data that will be collected at a later date depends on the natural functions of the wetland in an undisturbed manner Failure to follow this guideline shall result in the construction of another site at another location at the expense of the contractor The replacement site would be determined by the LDNR CRD 3 3 Rod Surface Elevation Table Upon completion of the boardwalks the deep rod needed for the rod surface elevation table SET will be established from the boardwalks Once again it is imperative that the installation of the rod for the RSET be performed without disturbing an area with a maximum diameter of six inches The rod for the RSET will be established using the guidelines set forth in Cahoon et al 2002 This paper describes the design of the surface elevation table SET that will be supplied by the LDNR CRD and the two types of benchmarks that can be used with the SET However the LDNR CRD will only establish the deep rod benchmark Deep Rod Benchmark Materials List 1 Multiple 9 16 diameter by 4 foot stainless steel rods with threads Berntsen SS91604 or equivalent 9 16 diameter stainless steel drive point Berntsen SS12 or equivalent Locking connector thread Berntsen M13 or equivalent Steel drive pin for a 9 16 d
42. oes st ane te ttl ong Cei ete mee 23 CHAPTER 4 SURFACE WATER eee ades dune e 26 del Instrumental initial lod 26 4 1 1 Types of Continuous Recorder Stations ooooonnoconoccconcncooncnonoconoconcconnncnnnonns 24 4 1 2 Deployment and Servic mi Oe o eo eoe ei noe FAS br ba ees BR eo aee quud 34 4 1 2 5 Data Processing tados 39 4 1 4 Summary Data and Grapes ia nter etit dia 45 4 1 22 Deliverable SS e el eR Raduno hens ase eds Pp MES 45 4 2 Ultrasonic Water Level Sensors oe oe ee peo te oo De be o ORE Eee 45 CHAPTER 5 SARDINA 48 5 1 Salinity and Water Level Continuous Recorder esses 49 5 1 1 Deployment and SERVICING se seio eaters tet cuca ns te sata le ae ag 49 5 12 O 52 5 1 3 Summary Data and Grapher dba HER xke P UM eade 53 od Deleite 53 2 Diseretessatapltipi se eos e es eot E tor 53 Dra CAM Sal on un tu ot Dale atea buds c etu Lt 54 3 22 Data Collected renarna ne a p tte emer duis cid lid trate 54 5 2 3 Quality ASSURANCE il clica 55 22 4 Data POC Mas 56 5 2 5 Summary Data and Graphics vii edicere eerte dni 58 A Deltverablgsiss dete torpe SPA 58 iii CHAPTER 6 MARSH MAT ARAS 59 RN A IN ob ote teal A atl etie uud 59 6 1 1 Deployment and SERVICIO iia ea ee ease NI id ae ra dt 63 0 172 Data PIOUGSSHIB os oett eme edo e Rn s veste adu Rote ds 68 6 1 3 Summary Data and Graphics od p Tg e te hanes 72 6 1 4 o Deliverables sedens i ais dieo s rada EA doe e cette oca ive des
43. of installation 2 Documentation of any problems or concerns with the installation 3 Documentation of the number of pipes used for the installation the total length of the pipe and the depth of penetration 4 Digital pictures of the site before and after construction Each picture must have a date and time stamp Digital pictures must be in a JPEG format and each picture must be named with the site name description sequence number and date CRMS0397 StaffGauge Installation 1 March2005 jpg 5 DGPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters of the location 24 Elevation 1 Marsh Elevations a An Excel spreadsheet with the point number northing and easting coordinates UTM NAD83 Meters and the elevation NAVD88 Feet The LDNR CRD shall provide a template of the spreadsheet b Field notes with the required information date and time of survey station number staff gauge reading at time of survey water level in relation to marsh surface and description of difficulty doing the survey 2 Water Level Support Poles a Field notes that contain a diagram of the pole the distance from the top of pole to Mark Elevation the water elevation and distance from nail to water surface b The Excel spreadsheet Continuous recorders and staff gauge format for surveyor xls Form 2 completed 3 Staff Gauge a Field notes that contain a diagram of the staff gauge after it has been mounted the elevation of the top of the pole the distan
44. of the project Whether the vegetation community is an herbaceous marsh or a forested swamp stations shall be established away from spoil banks or any type of surface alterations that may have occurred from human intervention The purpose of these stations is to monitor the plant tree community over time in its natural state Any vegetation stations established in an altered community shall be re established at the request of the LDNR CRD unless otherwise instructed 10 1 Herbaceous marsh sampling Vegetation sampling in herbaceous marshes will consist of ten replicate 2 m x 2 m stations located within a 200 m x 200 m square that also encompasses water level continuous recorders Vegetation stations will be located randomly on a 282 8 m transect that cuts diagonally through the square from one corner to the opposite corner Each 2 m x 2 m vegetation station shall be spaced a minimum of 3 m apart giving a possible 94 establishment points along the diagonal transect Each of the establishment points along the transect marks the southeastern corner of a vegetation station Stations have north south and east west oriented sides The orientation of the vegetation transect 1 e either NE to SW or NW to SE within the 200 m x 200 m site will be chosen randomly A set of 94 random non duplicated numbers between 1 and 94 shall be selected recorded to a table and maintained with the site file Each random number is then multiplied by 3 which represents
45. protocols with respect to the deployment of a continuous recorder These protocols were developed to provide continuity between all the offices collecting data for the LDNR CRD These protocols deal with file names date and time format and the tracking of instrumentation The specific deployment protocols are described in the previous chapter After the initial deployment has taken place the instrument needs to be serviced no earlier than 30 days after deployment and no more than 45 days after deployment unless otherwise stated or agreed upon by the LDNR CRD Servicing As previously discussed the collection of water level and salinity data occur simultaneously therefore many steps that occur during the servicing of the continuous recorder have been duplicated in this section due to the organizational style of this document Those steps that begin with Water Level Servicing indicate they are repeated from the water level chapter under the servicing section These steps have been included for clarification purposes Steps that do not posses this nomenclature have not been explained previously and relate directly to the salinity data All data and information concerning the condition of the station shall be documented on the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 4 50 10 11 12 13 14 15 Calibrate the hand held instrument before using and document the solution used in the Comments section NOTE Di
46. s manual Perform a precision check by rotating the pulley a known distance and seeing if the value changes by the known distance Record the known distance of the pulley rotation in the box in the Pulley Precision Check section Record the measured level value before the pulley is rotated in the Before box Rotate the pulley the known distance Record the measured level value after the pulley is rotated in the After box Calculate the difference between the two readings using the formula After Before Record the value in the Difference box f Calculate the difference using the formula Difference value in step 13e After 100 Record the absolute value in the appropriate box g Ifthe values are within the acceptable range according to the owner s manual check the Yes box If the values are not within the acceptable range according to the owner s manual check the No box NOTE If the values is out of the acceptable range then the instrument needs to be replaced since it has to be sent in for repairs Clean readings a Measure the distance from the sensor to the surface of the marsh surface Record this value Record the measured level value from the instrument c Calculate the difference by using the formula continuous recorder measured level manual reading top of platform to marsh surface Place the value in the Distance Difference box of the Clean Reading s
47. the distance in meters that the vegetation station is located from NE or NW corner of the transect towards the opposite corner The first 10 random numbers are primary locations for each vegetation station If one of the primary stations is located in an area that is 5596 marsh i e the plot cannot be located in an area that is gt 45 continuous standing water on a spoil bank or within 10 meters of the RSET marsh mat recorder or any part of the boardwalk the station will be dropped and a station from the secondary set will be used This practice will assure that none of the data collection for other variables is compromised and that stations located in unvegetated marsh ponds or channels are excluded at the outset of monitoring Station establishment is completed when 10 appropriate vegetation stations are positioned that neither interfere with other sampling stations nor are 5596 marsh Each station will be marked with a metal short stake permanent marker and a diameter PVC stake that extends 6 feet above the marsh surface for ease of locating the station Species composition and cover for each station will be determined using visual estimates of cover following either the Braun Blanquet cover scale Mueller Dombois and Ellenburg 1974 The 2 m x 2 m quadrat will be carefully placed on the vegetation and all vegetation within the quadrat whether rooted within the station or hanging over the station will be included in the sample The
48. the file has finished downloading document if it was successful by placing a Y for yes or N for no Collect a dirty in situ discrete reading using the appropriate menus and functions The following information shall be recorded on the calibration sheet under the Dirty Reading section on the constant recorder line temperature C specific conductance uS cm salinity ppt and water depth feet Record the battery volts in the top section of the calibration sheet in the dirty battery volts box Remove the retaining pin and instrument from the insert tube and place on the side Read the depth reading while the instrument is out of the water and in a vertical position Place the depth reading in the Depth Out of Water box in the Dirty Reading section Place the probe of the YSI 30 or equivalent into the insert tube Record the following readings in the Dirty Reading section on the calibration instrument line temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Calculate the specific conductance difference Specific conductance difference calibration instrument constant recorder 66 19 20 2 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 po 33 Place the value with the appropriate sign positive or negative in the SpCond Difference box under the Dirty Reading section on the constant recorder line Calculate the percent difference Specific con
49. the forested community that measures the tree community in the 20 m x 20 m station The other two sheets will be for the herbaceous community that will be collected in 2 m by 2 m substations in the southeast and northwest corners of the overall station Determine the southeastern corner of the 20 m x 20 m station 2 Orient with respect to the 20 m x 20 m station by finding the other pipes associated with the station during establishment 3 In a systematic procedure begin on one side of the station and work towards the other side Each tree greater than 5 cm in diameter at breast height DBH must be identified measured and recorded on the data sheet a NOTE DBH is approximately 137 cm 4 5 ft above the forest floor Avery and Burkhart 1994 112 i If the tree trunk is split below the 137 cm height then the diameter of the each fork is measured at 107 cm 3 5 ft above the split and this change is noted on the vegetation data sheet 11 If the tree has a fluted bole e g tupelo or cypress DBH shall be measured 50 cm 1 5 ft above the point where the boles stops noticeably tapering and this change is noted on the vegetation data sheet iii If the tree is forked at or above 137 cm height DBH is taken and 122 cm 4 ft and this changed is noted on the data sheet iv If other scenarios occur refer to LDNR CRD b It is important to mark the DBH point permanently for future replicated measurements especially when the
50. this table it verifies that the staff gauge and the nail elevation are within the accuracy of the instrument The difference between the water elevation reading with respect to the nail elevation and the staff gauge shall be within 0 05 feet of each other If these readings are not within this range elevations must be obtained and adjustments be made until it is within the acceptable range Static Floating Marsh Mat Recorder System In order to convert the data obtained from this instrument to a vertical datum a 4 hole has been drilled within the top twelve inches of the pipe The elevation of the top of the hole shall be determined by RTK surveying methods RSET All RSET stations will be surveyed to a known elevation NAVD 88 Feet at the top of the 9 16 stainless steel rod The LDNR CRD will identify which primary or secondary monument to use for the RTK survey This elevation will be used during the sampling period to determine elevation changes of the marsh swamp surface 22 3 8 Marsh Surface Marsh elevation shall be determined at a minimum of 20 points in attached marshes swamps Those areas that are classified as floating marshes shall not be surveyed due the vertical movement of the marsh Due to each site s uniqueness with respect to the placement of each data collection station a definitive protocol for surveying the marsh surface will not be attempted In general marsh surface with respect to elevation surveys is define
51. turned over to the LDNR CRD Any statistical analysis summary graphics or data that are requested must be downloaded from the SONRIS database and never directly from the Excel file 44 4 1 4 Summary Data and Graphics Twice per year January and July the previous 6 months July or 12 months June of QA QC d stored data shall be downloaded from Oracle With these data summary graphics shall be produced to show the entire period of salinity and water level data as well as flood depth and duration data With the yearly data summary statistics and percent completeness with respect to the analysis used in the monthly packets shall be performed and printed with the graphs and provided to the LDNR CRD 4 1 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process after the data are loaded into SONRIS both hardcopies and electronic copies of the summary data and graphics the original data sheets the field trip report the QA QC packet field notes Site History file and any other information collected with respect to the station shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process This also includes the raw data files dat that were downloaded from the instrument These shall be delivered electronically and stored in folders by station and year 4 2 Ultrasonic Water Lever Sensors Measuring water via a press
52. values collected at the station for the year Since several stations may be associated with a particular project the LDNR CRD will provide a list of stations that are associated with a project Once the mean salinity values are obtained summary graphs shall be produced using a standard format provided by the LDNR CRD 5 2 6 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process the original data sheets the field trip report the QA QC packet the field notebooks the quality assurance sheets and all the associated electronic files see Appendix for data deliverable format shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD 58 6 FLOATING MARSH MAT Due to the varying degrees of thickness among each floating marsh mat site two measuring systems have been developed and utilized by the LDNR CRD to measure the vertical movement The floating system is utilized in areas that have thicker mats in relation to the areas where the static system will be employed The floating system relies on the mat s ability to carry the weight of the system without influencing its ability to move vertically In areas where the mat is thin and will not support the floating system the static system will be utilized This system relies on the mat s ability to move vertically while a post is embedded through the mat and into the underlying substrate The floating system requires a continuous recorder to suspend below the marsh mat in the fluid ooze layer using a YSI 600XLM or equivalen
53. while the data is QA QC d Once the data has been entered the data will be retrieved from the database The data will then be imported into an Excel spreadsheet that contains formulas and graphs that will assist in the assurance that the data has been entered into the database correctly Once the data has been checked for erroneous data and approved during the second phase of the QA QC process the data will be committed to the database Using the template Excel spreadsheet SETqc xls provided by the LDNR CRD the data collector shall save the template using the following naming convention Station RSET date xls i e CRMS0398 RSET August2005 xls This ensures that the template does not get changed accidentally and provides a working copy of the file The RSET Excel spreadsheet SETqc xls shall be used during the QA QC process and contains three 3 worksheets within the file The worksheets include Data Oracle QA QC analysis and Graphs Some worksheets shall contain instructions on how the data is arranged how the data is calculated and how data presented to ensure the highest quality of data management 93 1 Data Oracle This worksheet follows the exact format that SET data is stored and or retrieved from the LDNR CRD database All data collected from the filed shall be placed in this format according to the data headings 2 QA QC analysis This worksheet contains formulas and references the Data Oracle workshe
54. will be downloaded in a JPEG format and labeled with the appropriate station number and date taken prior to delivery to the LDNR CRD File names will be labeled using the following convention Station Accretion date jpg CRMS0395_ Accretion March2005 jpg Differential Global Positioning System DGPS coordinates shall be obtained from one corner of each of the three stations at the site These coordinates must be obtained by holding 97 the antenna on the PVC pole closest to the boardwalk for no less than 10 seconds The coordinates will be provided to the LDNR CRD with the station number and the northing and easting coordinates of each station in UTM NAD83 Meters using the Station Coordinates Excel files 9 2 Data Collection Sampling shall occur six and twelve months after the station has been established unless otherwise agreed upon by the LDNR CRD Consequently the first sampling will occur in August and September and the second sampling will occur in February and March Because of its white color feldspar is distinguishable from the surrounding constituents and by knowing the date of establishment and the date of sampling a rate of accretion erosion can be determined for the site by measuring the amount of deposition above the horizon marker The rate of accretion erosion is determined by a cryogenic technique Cahoon et al 1996 that utilizes a 15 20 liter self pressurized liquid nitrogen Dewar tank Figure 18 attached to
55. with your gloves and pull the core out of the marsh Roots may need to be cut with a knife NOTE Make sure not to disturb too much marsh around the sample as it may affect the next sample When the frozen marsh core is removed it is affectionately termed a Cryo core or Marshsicle Measurements and notes will be taken on the marshsicle The first thing is to inspect the marshsicle On the accretion data sheet complete the upper portion before recording the station information On the accretion data sheet record the station number and the associated coordinates for the area being sampled Record the condition of the feldspar found on the marshsicle as well as the condition of the marshsicle itself For example is the feldspar highly visible around the entire sample record on the data sheet as excellent is the feldspar only visible a quarter of the way around the sample record as good to poor depending on how much feldspar is visible or is no feldspar visible If the marshsicle is in good condition and a minimum of three readings can be acquired then continue onto 18 If the marshsicle is in bad condition or the feldspar can not be found then another sample shall be taken Be sure to document the core s condition on the data sheet The process then repeats itself with the next set of random coordinates a new marshsicle is extracted and the marshsicle is examined If this is the second or later sampling period one mus
56. 0 295 10 0 14 0 14 1 82 1 34 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 14 00 08 13 98 13 98 295 10 295 10 0 14 0 14 1 80 1 32 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 15 00 08 14 08 14 08 295 60 295 60 0 14 0 14 1 79 1 31 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 16 00 08 14 12 14 12 296 70 296 70 0 14 0 14 1 79 1 31 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 17 00 08 14 08 14 08 296 60 296 60 0 14 0 14 1 79 1 31 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 18 00 08 14 00 14 00 296 80 296 80 0 14 0 14 1 79 1 31 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 19 00 08 13 91 13 91 296 00 296 00 0 14 0 14 1 79 1 31 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 20 00 08 13 78 13 78 295 70 295 70 0 14 0 14 1 80 1 32 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 21 00 08 13 66 13 66 295 30 295 30 0 14 0 14 1 81 1 33 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 22 00 08 13 55 13 55 294 90 294 90 0 14 0 14 1 82 1 34 12 00 TE28 07R 01 01 2003 23 00 08 13 45 13 45 294 60 294 60 0 14 0 14 1 84 1 36 12 00 TE28 07R 01 02 2003 00 00 08 13 37 13 37 294 70 294 70 0 14 0 14 150 1 86 1 38 12 00 Discrete water quality data format Bottom urtace Bott
57. 0 Following the recommended cleaning procedures in the owner s manual clean all sensors and the exterior such that the instrument is free of all biofouling agents 11 Remove barnacles oysters and other biofouling agents from the inside and outside of the PVC or mono pole In saline waters biofouling appears to be worse due to barnacles and oysters thus the inside of the pipe should be cleaned on a regular basis If these biofouling agents are allowed to build up overtime the removal of the instrument will become problematic Boe 9o 37 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2 22 Determine if the battery power remaining in the instrument is sufficient to power the instrument until the next servicing If it is determined that the instrument does not have enough battery power to collect all the data then the batteries must be changed Set the water sensor to zero 0 00 while the instrument is out of the water Follow the procedures described in the owner s manual Record the value after the instrument has accepted the calibration in the Depth Out of Water box of the Clean Reading section of the data sheet The value should be 0 000 A second calibration may be necessary to achieve 0 000 Once the water level sensor has been calibrated lower the instrument back into its unattended position In the Clean Reading section record the water depth reading once the instrument has sta
58. 08 2 10 2 10 2 520 523 0 3 0 3 TE28 161 02 07 2002 13 12 1 11 7 11 7 508 508 0 2 0 2 TE28 162 02 07 2002 13 45 2 10 5 10 5 304 300 0 1 0 1 151 Continuous marsh mat water level and salinity data format Raw Water Time Temp Adjusted Specific Conducta Conductan ce Adjusted Specific Water Temp 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 01 2002 01 02 2002 18 00 08 16 49 16 49 2447 80 2299 14 Raw Salini alinity Salinity nce _ MM DD YY HH MM SS 0C 0C uS cm uS cm pp pp f ft f TE28 218 01 01 2002 00 00 08 16 81 16 81 2350 50 2205 78 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 122 124 127 129 131 131 131 131 130 126 284 284 129 129 128 127 127 127 127 127 2 4 7 9 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 9 9 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 7 7 0 ENS ME Bal 126 285 285 126 284 284 125 284 284 124 285 285 X 124 285 285 124 28
59. 1 1997 13 36 12 1955 1520 S 2 295 LDNR J LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 37 12 1 1995 1520 amp S 3 243 LDNR1 LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbel CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 337 1211 1995 1520 S 4 12 LDNR JLADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 337 12 1 1995 1520 amp S 5 185 LDNR1 LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbel CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 0997 13 337 121 1995 A 1520 S 6 282 LDNR1 LADEPTOFNATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell ICRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 38 12 1 1995 1520 s 7 266 LDNR1 LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbel CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 338 12 1995 1520 S 8 254 LDNR J LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 38 12 1 1995 1520 s 9 24 LDNR1JLADEPTOFNATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbel ANN N oN mimi mi m m 154 D o D 2 1 I c e O D i Qo ojo ojojo ojojoj o ojojo m Lol Loa Load Led Loa Ded Loa Lua Loa 9 o o o ojojo 2 RO ROM 2 o o I Lee i Tee I Lee i Tee I Lee i Lee i Lee Lee i l l l ol rTir r r r n 212 Personnel Comments T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe T Hubbe Accretion data fo
60. 13 0 2 Statie System ae A ropa lu da NS Reis cupa lI Rem nad dre aU 73 6 2 1 Field Station Establishment da 73 6 2 2 Deployment and Servicing uo oce ete m e Sese ted ire M eie RU 76 6 2 3 Data PrOCeSSIIB ese tx enda Pie a Ea A T NA T EOE NRE 79 6 2 4 Summary Data and Graphics sec tereti rrr rite eere nn tore ends 82 6 257 Deliverables c osi pU Gal adasten domaine seb e um ade das utes teda be dut 82 CHAPTER 7 SOIL POREWA TER 2 cesse etie et it edic 83 T Ls Data ColleetIgti A een ledit eo tle bt de dure ccv aid eta oT 85 AL Data PEOC CS SITE s ous ieu an 86 7 3 Summary Data and Graphii6s eru ede ut ei ds 87 PADD MET ADISS east acc ancy lada 87 CHAPTER 8 ROD SURFACE ELEVATION TABLE m 88 8 1 Field Station Establishment ee greet eerte edt ers totes 9 Bo Data Collection see ema ed esten aset troie eds eb i Ene e Ernie 9 8 5 Data Processing osineen uan d Ps eR ute S Ee pe aue edad 93 8 4 Summary Data and Graphics 25 c c0cctcsiecencsssscesssedsceveadssotedsadecesssdecsostdsdecesedts 95 Bose lverab A mess last ditas e Dpto deae 95 CHAPTER 9 ACERO Na 96 9 1 Field Station Estable caidas 96 9 2 Data Coleco ritos it 98 93 Data Pa s 101 94 Summary Data and Graphics eus Pee tette comas neta Fan eaae epe erae qid Nets 102 9o Deliverables aieo ao etin Do ep ies Ea EE e dead snag NDS aaa aue eai 102 CHAPTER 10 EMERGENT VEGETATION eres 103 10 1 Herbaceous marsh sampling at er todo a e meo e
61. 3 4 hole through the pipe at the mark 3 Put the pipe back into the insert tube and make certain that the locking hitch pin can be inserted through the outside cover insert tube and retaining rod Field Station Establishment Tools Minimum OM EE M ME MIS Soil corer or auger 3 Spiral anchors Surveyor rod and or measuring tape capable of measuring in feet tenths and hundredths Hacksaw or PVC cutter 2 PVC cap PVC glue Brass hitch pins 2 9 long Brass locks 2 provided by the LDNR CRD 2 x10 or 12 x10 treated board Installation l 2 The station location for the instrument will be determined by the LDNR CRD A site map and site characterization sheet will be provided for the proper installation location Using the information provided by the LDNR CRD locate the station placement around the boardwalk 62 3 Place the board on the marsh surface to displace the weight of the person installing the equipment If two people are establishing the station the use of two boards will be needed mat recorder system 4 Using the soil corer or auger cut a hole in the marsh mat The hole shall continue through the mat 5 Measure the thickness of the marsh mat and record the measurement in a field notebook with the site name number and date 6 Measure the distance from the bottom of the YSI 600XLM or equivalent to the water sensor Record the instrument make and model and the measurement in a fie
62. 5 285 124 285 285 124 286 286 123 287 287 a 19 00 08 16 43 16 43 2437 70 2288 82 126 123 287 287 20 00 08 16 40 16 40 2434 30 2285 20 1 26 123 288 288 21 00 08 16 42 16 42 2442 50 2293 18 127 123 288 288 22 00 08 16 44 16 44 2447 10 2297 56 127 123 288 288 00 00 08 16 46 16 46 2464 30 231433 128 124 287 287 009 amp 120 590 590 009 R Adjusted Battery Battery Elevation aw ft lA le 115 590 590 115 590 590 116 590 590 116 590 590 116 590 590 116 590 590 EA ll EA 0 06 0 06 0 06 0 06 0 06 115 590 590 006 0 06 0 06 0 06 0 06 1 16 590 590 006 1 19 590 590 009 120 590 590 009 009 amp 120 590 590 0 09 TE28 218 01 02 2002 01 00 08 16 56 16 56 2509 60 235941 130 127 287 287 009 119 5 90 5 90 0 09 TE28 218 01 02 2002 02 00 08 16 64 16 64 2585 60 2435 19 1 34 131 286 286 amp 008 118 590 5 90 0 08 1 09 152 Adjusted Marsh Mat Elevation ft x 08 x 08 x 09 x 10 09 x 1 10 10 4 1 09 4 1 09 4 x 10 x sa
63. 5 1995 1520 N 9 229 LDNR1 LADEPTOF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 34 125 9955 1520 E 1 25 LDNRf1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 997 13 34 125 1995 1520 E 2 2951 LDNR1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 34 125 4955 1520 E 3 285 LDNR LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT 5 20 Establishment Time hh mm 1520 ON 1 z z iziziziziziz mimi m m zZ Pin Height mm SET ID Organization LDNR 1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT D me Je ee JEJE EE EE WH D o ICRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 35 12 1 1995 1520 amp E 4 233 LDNR1 LADEPTOFNATRES CRDT D CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 335 121 1995 1520 amp E 5 260 LDNR1 LADEPTOFNATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell ICRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 35 12 1 1995 1520 E 6 270 LDNR1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 35 12 1995 1520 amp E 7 250 LDNR LADEPT OF NAT RES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell ICRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 36 12 1 1995 1520 amp E 8 230 LDNR1 LA DEPT OF NAT RES CRDT D CRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1997 13 36 12 1955 1520 o E 9 2100 LDNR LADEPTOF NATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbell ICRMS 0395 REF 1 1 1907 13 36 12 1 1995 1520 amp S 1 281 LDNR1 LADEPTOFNATRES CRDT D Lee T Hubbel CRMS 0395 REF 1
64. A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCE S COASTAL RESTORATION DIVISION Methods for Data Collection Quality Assurance Quality Control Storage and Products Todd M Folse and Jonathan L West March 15 2004 Suggested reference citation Folse T M and J L West 2004 A Standard Operating Procedures Manual for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resource s Coastal Restoration Division Methods for Data Collection Quality Assurance Quality Control Storage and Products Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Baton Rouge LA 158 pp ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES EA A tst Rat Ae esi ede daa d aaa eit V EISTOF TABLE e og i dra esso s vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY sud vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS aa viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION si 1 CHAPTER 2 PRELIMINARY SITE VISDE taa ia ad 3 2 1 Materials Equipment dada 5 2 2 Site Visit Procedures ass st Tete te deduce to er e deles pe ete AA 7 2 3 Deliverables itae ied ertet ia 8 CHAPTER 3 BITE CONSTRUCTION ia 9 3 1 Sampling Platform Materials PASE ue reus rie eco id 9 3 2 Sampling Platform Constructor di 11 3 3 Rod Surface Elevation Table ei ree pter edere ratio ia 13 3 4 Warning Signage Sec ed sidus sa d ELE Coetu EUM SERE 15 3 5 Water Level Support Pole ct e terre ew eae 15 3 6 Staff CIGUPe i iem iret che len hut e iei pondo die ab sepe abore sed vals 19 SN ICV AON racic ho RHET UE 20 2 0 Delivetablesc oce meson oe cam
65. At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that is in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or have present questions for clarification shall be address by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information are 100 correct This process will continue until the Excel data file and the field trip has been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initial and the data next to th
66. EAMzeignt Where BEAMueign The maximum height of the sensor to it s reflecting surface BEAMadius Clearance radius The clearance radius provides the area that no object could obstruct the sensor s beam This area and the conical path should be kept clear of debris or vegetation as to not interfere with the sensor s accuracy In some cases a stilling well or a PVC pipe can be used to protect the sensors and prevent obstructions within the clearance radius A stilling well or PVC pipe is usually fitted with slits or holes to allow water to enter or leave the inside of the well or pipe They also buffer water levels during heavy wave action However the inside diameter of the well or pipe must be wide enough to not interfere with the clearance radius of the beam For example if a sensor with a 3 beam angle is mounted 1 meter from the reflecting surface it would have a 2 62 cm clearance radius The inside diameter of a PVC pipe would need to be greater than 5 24 cm 2 in to prevent inaccurate readings assuming the sensor is mounted perfectly in the center of the pipe Manufacturers have differing recommendations as to the use and specifications of stilling wells If either a stilling well or PVC is used frequent maintenance and cleaning of the inside area will be required Additionally steps will need to be taken to prevent vegetation from growing inside the pipes or wells and that the ground elevation in the pipe or well is exactly th
67. ET data collection schematic reete t noe cancascdssesselosactraeieecssies 90 Schematic for the cryogenic coring device A 99 vi Table 1 Table 2 LIST OF TABLES Minimum standards for the handheld water quality units Vegetative cover values associate with the Braun Blanquet method iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Brian Perez Greg Steyer Erick Swenson Guerry Holm and Leigh Ann Phillips made contributions to this document We are grateful to Richard Raynie Darin Lee John Troutman Dona Weifenbach Melissa Hymel Jonathan Barmore Bill Boshart Brady Carter Donald Rodrigue Mike Miller Mark Mouledous Troy Barrilleaux Justin Price David Castellanos Larry Reynolds and Sydney Dobson for constructive comments suggestions and criticisms during the preparation of this document Glen Curole Elaine Lear Todd Hubbell and Karen Gray provided preliminary drafts for various chapters Figures were produced in Autocad by Shane Triche iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With the implementation of a Coast wide Reference Monitoring System Wetlands throughout southern Louisiana s coastal wetlands the development of a new document updating and outlining the standard operating procedures for site selection and establishment data collection maintenance of data integrity and data storage of all coastal restoration projects and reference sites was required This document provides the necessary procedures for the Louisiana Department of
68. Gauge NAVD 88 ft reading and the Water Level NAVD 88 ft from the continuous recorder station Record this value in the appropriate box NOTE The value should be less than 0 07 If the value is greater then measurements need to be taken to rectify the difference The LDNR CRD requires the following when deploying a continuous recorder and requires the documentation in the Deployment section of the calibration sheet 1 The instrument only allows eight characters for the file name therefore the LDNR CRD requires all file name to follow this order projectmonthstation Example CR060098 36 2 All times must be in Central Standard Time and written in 24 hours Even during Daylight Savings Time 3 The manufacturer the model number and serial number of the continuous recorder must be documented 4 The continuous recorders battery volts at the time of deployment must be documented 5 The date and time the instrument is deployed must be documented After the initial deployment has taken place the instrument needs to be serviced no earlier than 30 days after deployment and no more than 45 days after deployment unless otherwise stated or agreed upon by the LDNR CRD Servicing The instruments described in this section are also capable of collecting temperature specific conductance and salinity data however this section only describes the information necessary for the water level data The next chapter of this manual d
69. June 2003 The LDNR CRD will only accept surveys that utilize accepted benchmarks Elevations will be established on the continuous recorder ultrasonic station the static floating marsh system if it exists and the rod for the RSET stations Staff gauges will be established to the same vertical datum Marsh elevations will be collected at a minimum of twenty 20 points in the vicinity of the boardwalk More information concerning the LDNR CRD protocols and data deliverables for surveying shall be founding chapter 12 20 2 x 4 treated timber board 6 ft to 7 ft long ye Galvanize Cap F7 S v Enamel Coated Staff zs z Gauge graduated to E H Hundreds and marked MT SS at every foot range A Pipe L from 2 ft to 3 0 ft schedule 40 5 ft sections N 34 065 x pee an IV Soiniess steel hex screw Z Water line 3 8 x 5 ss hex y bolt with flat and coupling E 3 lock washer and nut ET Al J e Mud line N SIDE VIEW FRONT VIEW Figure 8 Typical construction diagram for a staff gauge installation 2 Continuous Recorder For both the wooden post and the stainless steel post the following points require an elevation survey The 4 x4 post has an existing nail in the side and this mark requires surveying The stainless steel
70. N W LOCK o o o o o o HITCH PIN W LOCK PVC CAP 2 6 61 SIDE VIEW 2 L BRACKET BOTTOM VIEW B OUTSIDE COVER h 16 OUTSIDE uy COVER 2 INSERT TUBE ine PIN W LOCK 1 1 RETAINING li ROD PLYWOOD Pw o UL V D MARSH MAT DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM ASSEMBLAGE 7 8 Attach L brackets using the drilled out holes with the stainless steel or equivalent bolts 1 4 x20x1 2 Drill 2 holes in 4 rows 2 3 apart around the entire length of the pipe below the L bracket Mounting the Base Insert Tube and Outside Cover Figure 12D 1 Align the insert tube so that it is centered in the 2 3 4 hole in the mounting base and attach it to the mounting base using the L brackets and the 1 stainless steel or equivalent bolts and nuts 2 Align the outside cover over the insert tube so that it is centered around the insert tube on the mounting base Attach the cover to the mounting base using the L brackets and the 1 stainless steel or equivalent bolts and nuts 3 Drill a hole through the outside cover and insert tube approximately 8 above the mounting base NOTE This facilitates the hitch pin Retaining Rod 1 Inserta 10 length of 1 PVC pipe into the insert tube so that approximately 3 4 is above the top of the insert tube 2 Mark the 1 pipe in the center of the 77 hole just drilled step 3 above Drill a
71. NR CRD RTS has developed a user s manual for uploading the discrete hydrographic data The manual is updated periodically as the database changes with expansion and technology The latest version on the manual was released in December 2003 with respect to the discrete hydrographic data To properly import the data into the SONRIS database the User s Manual for Hydrographic and Emergent Vegetation Data Management dated December 29 2003 shall be followed The most recent version of the document shall be used to input the data into the database The person responsible for the collection of data is also responsible for uploading the data into the SONRIS database Once the person has followed the procedures outlined in the user s manual the QA QC officer is responsible for verifying the procedures have been followed properly and the data is properly stored in the database Once the data has been accepted into the database the QA QC officer 57 shall complete the QA QC Checklist as it pertains to SONRIS Upon completion of this section the QA QC packet is completed and the data shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Any statistical analysis summary graphics or data that are requested must use data downloaded from the SONRIS database 5 2 5 Summary Data and Graphic On a yearly basis each station that has discrete data associated with it must be downloaded for analysis and graphic summary The data are to be analyzed for the mean salinity
72. NR CRD field office responsible for the station accompanied by a written description of the malfunction 4 1 3 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in 100 agreement with the data collected from the field Data Entry Phase I The data entry phase includes entering all water temperature specific conductance and salinity data along with the water level data since the instrument collects each of these variables To properly process the data from its field format to its final quality assurance quality control QA QC format several files are needed 1 Raw data file dat from the field display unit 2 Raw data file csv from the YSI software EcoWatch or equivalent for continuous recorder data 3 YearHour xls provided by the LDNR CRD to verify date and times 39 4 Sondeqc xls template provided by the LDNR CRD to import the raw data for shifting and quality assurance 5 Station history xls template provided by the LDNR CRD to record any information regarding the station data or instrumentation at the site 6 Field trip report doc template provided by the LDNR CRD to document what occurred during the installation deployment and or servicing of the station Compl
73. Natural Resources LDNR personnel to perform 1 preliminary site visits 2 site construction 3 water level measurements 4 salinity measurements 5 vertical marsh mat movement 6 soil porewater salinity measurements 7 surface elevation table measurements 8 accretion measurements 9 emergent vegetation sampling 10 sampling of wetland soils for soil characteristics analysis 11 submerged aquatic vegetation sampling 11 shoreline position measurement 12 and land water analysis Within each section we provide an overview and introductory material for each separate analysis We then outline the steps necessary to establish each station to carry out each sampling design and to maintain data quality and integrity from data collection to data uploading into the LDNR databases 1 INTRODUCTION Currently coastal Louisiana is experiencing a loss of approximately 25 35 square miles of land per year and since the 1930 s over 1 900 square miles of valuable wetland habitat have disappeared Barras et al 2003 In response to accelerated wetland loss a multi agency task force including many federal and state sponsors created the Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act CWPPRA of 1990 to conserve restore create or enhance coastal wetlands Under CWPPRA the establishment of project specific monitoring resulted in the formation of various data collection variables within the boundary of each CWPPRA project
74. Network dated June 2003 was developed as a minimum standard to be utilized by all surveyors installing deep rod secondary monuments and tying in the monument to the network for the LDNR CRD From the deep rod secondary monuments that have been surveyed into the network real time kinematic RTK survey technology has facilitated accurate surveying in remote locations through the use of satellites RTK shall be utilized to establish elevations on the various pieces of equipment used to collect data and to establish marsh elevations Using RTK technology limits the distance from the secondary monument to a maximum distance of three miles unless the surveying crew advises differently or technological advances increase the range while maintaining the accuracy RTK is performed by setting up a RTK base station on an accepted LCZ secondary monument and the rover unit receives differential corrections from the base station Because these two units communicate using radio waves as the rover extends beyond the three mile radius and or obstacles emerge between the units the signal weakens and the degree of accuracy becomes no longer acceptable Quality assurance checks shall be performed to confirm the instruments are working correctly near the base station before surveying begins and during the actual elevation determinations When establishing an elevation point on the continuous recorder static floating marsh system and RSET monument or establishing the staf
75. Positioning System DGPS instrument shall be used to locate the pre determined site Once the site has been located the field personnel must verify that the site has not changed and is sufficient for establishment This verification shall be done by examining the site and answering the following questions 1 Is the water level water body deep enough so that the sensors will be submerged during the lowest water levels 2 Is the site intrusive of a navigational waterway 3 Is the pre determined system of deployment sufficient for the site By answering the questions in step 2 the field personnel shall verify that the pre determined set up is sufficient for the site If it is determined that the set up is sufficient the field personnel shall follow the appropriate steps for installation NOTE If the field personnel find the site inappropriate the LDNR CRD must be notified before the installation Procedures for the Mono pole The mono pole is constructed in advance of the deployment field trip Figure 7 The following steps provide a methodology for an acceptable installation process for the mono pole Transport the mono pole and all the necessary equipment needed for the installation process via the water vessel to the site 2 Position and anchor the water vessel where the mono pole will be deployed and in a manner that allows for a solid stable work environment 3 Obtain the depth of the water at the installation location
76. RD will supply surface elevation tables and components necessary to acquire repeatable precise and accurate measurements The table is repositioned to measure the marsh surface in the four cardinal points from the benchmark rod Marsh surface change measured by the RSET is influenced by both subsurface processes occurring in the soil profile and surface accretion whereas the feldspar marker horizon Chapter 9 measures only surface accretion When these two techniques are used in conjunction they can provide information on below ground processes that influence surface change Differences between the rates of vertical accretion and surface change can be attributed to processes occurring below the feldspar layer and above the bottom of the RSET benchmark pipe Consequently it is imperative that the first RSET measurements occur on the same day as the establishment of the accretion plots The accretion plots are established using the feldspar marker horizon method described in chapter 9 The information that is concluded from these two methods do not account for any process that occurs beneath the rod Materials List The materials list for establishing a RSET station is found in chapter 2 3 The LDNR CRD will provide the collar during the installation phase since it is permanently attached to the stainless steel rod The LDNR CRD will also provide the SET and the necessary components needed to collect the measurements Figure 5 shows a schematic of the
77. To properly process the data from its field format to its final quality assurance quality control QA QC format several files are needed 1 Raw data file dat from the field display unit 68 ios CA Raw data file csv from the YSI software EcoWatch or equivalent for continuous recorder data YearHour xls provided by the LDNR CRD to verify date and times Mat qc xls template provided by the LDNR CRD to import the raw data for shifting and quality assurance Excel file that contains the data from the near by water level and salinity continuous recorder Station history xls template provided by the LDNR CRD to record any information regarding the station data or instrumentation at the site Field trip report doc template provided by the LDNR CRD to document what occurred during the installation deployment and or servicing of the station Complete the procedure below using the electronic files to properly process the data obtained from the field l 9 10 11 Copy the Deployment Date and Time of the file that was downloaded from the field from the previous calibration sheet s Deployment section Photocopy the calibration sheet used in the field The original sheet shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product The photocopy becomes the working copy throughout the QA QC process Download the raw data from the field display
78. a copper tube fitted with a tapered end usually a 30 caliber 308 diameter bullet for easy insertion into the marsh The tube is inserted into the marsh to a depth deeper than the feldspar and enough liquid nitrogen is injected into the tube to freeze a small sediment core Once frozen a sediment sample can easily be extracted from the marsh and 4 measurements positioned 90 from each other are made from the feldspar layer to the surface Data are collected and recorded on data sheets developed and provided by the LDNR CRD Notes pertaining to each individual sample must be recorded with respect to the condition of the sample the coordinates in the station that were sampled and other problems or concerns that may arise during sampling All data collection activities must be performed from the boardwalk The following is a materials list that contains the minimum equipment necessary to collect quality data and the procedures that shall be followed for the cryogenic technique for sampling see also http www pwrc usgs gov resshow cahoon Materials List minimum Self Pressurized Liquid Nitrogen Tank and Assembly Stainless Steel Flexible Hose and fittings Copper Bullets 50 cm x 50 cm PVC square used during the station establishment Calipers High quality stainless steel that measures up to 150 millimeters mm in increments of 0 02 mm 6 Random Number Table Table of random numbers used for the sampling location within the sta
79. acturer and Model Serial Number Comment Notes 142 Form 11 Example of a soil porewater salinity data sheet Soil Porewater Salinity Data Sheet Project Name Station Number Basin Date and CSTime Field Personnel Agency Salinity Meter Manufacturer and Model Number Serial Number Salinity Meter Calibrated YE NL Calibration Standard Replicate Depth SpCond Salinity cm CC uS cm ppt Los qom o oo oo o oo FE Is water present on the marsh swamp surface If yes record the following for the surface water Temperature C J Salinity ppt SpCond pu S cm J 143 Form 12 Example of a surface elevation table data sheet Surface Elevation Table SET Data Sheet Distance from top of rod to top of table mm Project Basin Station Group Sample Date Establishment Date SET ID Organization Measured by Field personnel Pin Direction Pin Height Comments Degrees mm description that pertain to problems with reading 6 8 MESA 6 zm rc MIA 8 L9 6 8 9 Site Conditions weather water level related to marsh surface dominant plant species etc 144 Form 13 Example of an accretion measurement data sheet Accretion Measurement Data Sheet Feldspar Cryogenic Coring Technique Project Date Personnel Measurer of Cores Plot Establishment Date Accretion Measurements Core Condition Staton emue me ae scale Good Fair Poon Good Fai
80. adequate preliminary site visit and evaluation 2 1 Materials Equipment minimum Compass 0 to 360 azimuth dial with 2 graduations Digital Camera with Date and Time Stamp capabilities Measuring tape capable of measuring 100 meters 328 1 feet DGPS Unit capable of real time surveying Site Map Site Characterization Sheet provided by the LDNR CRD Form 1 Pencils and pens PVC poles to mark locations for infrastructure installation e g boardwalk s continuous recorders Qo cJ ON Uer Cu DO THIS PLANK SHALL NOT BE FASTENED WOODEN BOARDWALK TOOTH TYP ATTACH EACH 2 X 12 TO THE 2 x 4 BOARDS OF EACH TOOTH WITH THREE 3 12 x 3 STAINLESS STEEL OR Em EQUIVALENT FLATHEADED DECK SCREWS TYP Figure 2 Typical schematic of a boardwalk 22 Site Visit Procedures The Land Rights Packet should provide water vessel restrictions e g airboats are prohibited in the wildlife management area during duck season as well as identify any areas to avoid while in transit The Site Map may also be helpful in recognizing these locations l Using the Land Rights Packet Site Map Site Characterization Sheet GPS coordinates and or other maps travel towards the data collection site verifying any proposed access routes and making note of marsh characteristics Upon entering the 200 m x 200 m
81. alk from the water vessel This will prevent any disturbance of the site The following procedures shall be followed to assure proper installation without damaging the marsh or swamp surface 1 Determine the direction of the boardwalk from the water vessel using the provided information 2 Place the sharpened end of the tooth onto the marsh swamp surface 3 Using the weight of the person installing the tooth drive the teeth into the surface of the marsh swamp NOTE To facilitate the installation the four 3 8 carriage bolts should be loosened to allow the legs to penetrate into the marsh surface independently 4 The bottom support piece shall rest a maximum of eight 8 from the surface NOTE The carriage bolts shall be tightened to secure the pieces together and provide a stable platform 5 Tighten all four carriage bolts once the tooth has been driven to there proper position above the marsh surface This shall secure the tooth from any horizontal movement 6 Once the tooth has been installed lay one end of a 2 x12 x10 board on the tooth with the other end placed on the marsh where the next tooth will be installed 7 Standing on the end of the board and NOT on the surface of the marsh install the next tooth 8 Place two 2 x12 x10 boards between the two teeth Secure the boards to the teeth using the 3 screws NOTE Decisions may be made to leave only a portion or none of the boards in place to reduce the risk
82. ance and salinity in the appropriate boxes under the Clean Reading section on the Calibration Instrument line Calculate the specific conductance difference between the two instruments using the following formula Specific conductance difference calibration instrument constant recorder Place the value with the appropriate sign positive or negative in the SpCond Difference box under the Clean Reading section on the Constant Recorder line Calculate the percent difference SpCond Difference Calculated in step 11 Calibration Instrument 100 Record the absolute value of the number in the difference box in the Clean Reading section If the difference is 5 or greater then the instrument needs to be recalibrated If the difference is less than 5 then the instrument is ready for deployment NOTE Document the results in the appropriate boxes below the Clean Reading section Place the instrument inside the insert tube and secure with the retaining pin hitch pin and lock Be sure to attach the proper desiccant tube to the cable Using the appropriate menus deploy the instrument using the unattended mode function In this menu use the following information for deployment a Interval 01 00 00 every hour unless otherwise directed by the LDNR CRD b Start date the date of field trip c Start time the top of the next hour d Duration days 365 days e File ProjectMonthStation Example CR 00319 Th
83. ance and quality control Beneath the table each individual column is explained with respect to where the elevation or measurement between two points shall be acquired 12 3 Staff Gauge Often times a staff gauge has been established prior to the LCZ Primary GPS Network or the LDNR CRD decides to adjust the staff gauge as a result of advances in technology therefore it is essential that sufficient information is collected to adjust previously collected data to the latest survey To ensure that previously collected data can be adjusted to the latest survey a staff gauge reading prior to the adjustment shall be obtained On the lower section of the continuous recorder and staff gauge survey data sheet all the information necessary to adjust the previously collected data shall be documented For those sites that will establish a staff gauge for the first time current protocol requires that staff gauges are established using the method set forth in section 2 6 with a final establishment that resembles Figure 8 Staff gauges shall be established to the vertical datum NAVD 88 Feet Documentation of all the necessary elevations and measurements shall be written on the Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet Form 4 With respect to the staff gauge the lower portion of the data sheet shall be completed Completion of this section provides the LDNR CRD sufficient information to convert the previously collected data to the current survey
84. ance visually estimated Comparing SAV on a coastwide basis is problematic because of extreme variability in water clarity salinity and SAV abundance There are approximately 722 000 ha of lake and pond habitat in coastal Louisiana of which 68 is likely turbid waters Chabreck 1971 Visual estimation is the method of choice because it is extremely quick accurate and reproducible However the technique cannot be used in turbid waters The use of aluminum throw traps would be too time consuming and too costly to employ on a coastwide basis Therefore in order to standardize methodology to compare SAV across the range of conditions encountered in coastal Louisiana a modified rake technique will be adapted This technique is a modification of the regularly spaced grab samples used to estimate frequency in Louisiana brackish and saline ponds as described by Chabreck and Hoffpauir 1962 as well as Nyman and Chabreck 1995 Frequency is a more readily established quantitative measure than either the counting of individuals or the measurement of cover and is often considered a measure of abundance Mueller Dombois and Ellenberg 1974 69 80 However frequency confounds abundance and dispersion because abundant species can have low frequencies if they are restricted to a few dense patches For this reason and others the ideal area of a sample is a point Mueller Dombois and Ellenberg 1974 The modified method differs from the previous garden rake method
85. andom number between 1 and 94 multiplied by 3 d 1s the distance in meters on both the x and y plane from one end of the diagonal vegetation transect For each station a value d is calculated which represents both the change in Easting and Northing For example in a site in which the orientation of the diagonal transect is NW to SE each vegetation station will be located at Easting of the NW corner d Northing of the NW corner d each vegetation station will have a unique r and d value Conversely a site in which the orientation of the diagonal transect is NE to SW the vegetation station will be located at Easting of the NE corner d Northing of the NE corner d Ninety four 94 coordinates shall be calculated using this method as each station will need to be ground truthed to assure gt 55 marsh and proper distance from other sampling stations or may need to re established during future sampling trips A spreadsheet to calculate random numbers and subsequent vegetation coordinates will be provided by LDNR CRD Data Collection Vegetation sampling shall occur during the 6 week period on or around September 15 to October 31 If 6 weeks is an insufficient period of time sampling can began as early as September 1 The data collection schemes between the herbaceous marsh community and the forested swamp community are different therefore the following procedures are to be used for the appropriate community Two different data sheets wi
86. astly the transition between the data in the previous month s file and the data in the current file needs to be verified The technician will compare the last two weeks of data from the previous file if one exists to the data in the beginning of the current file to verify that the transition is smooth the pattern is similar and there are no missing data Once the Excel spreadsheet is complete with respect to the data the Site History Excel file provided by the LDNR CRD must be completed and updated with respect to all the pertinent worksheets 1 Site Visit History This worksheet gives a history of when the site was visited 2 Recorder Deployment Removal This worksheet tracks the make model and serial number of each continuous recorder at each station along with the date and time each recorder was serviced as well as changed because of malfunctions 3 Data History This worksheet tracks each station s omission of data whether it is related to a malfunction deletion because of shift and or voided data as well as provides a history of missing and deleted data 4 Recorder Elevations Any updates or changes that may have occurred as a result of changing instruments or other problems must be documented Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 genera
87. at also encompasses water level continuous recorders Vegetation stations will be located randomly on a 282 8 m transect that cuts diagonally through the square from one corner to the opposite corner Each 20 m x 20 m vegetation station shall be spaced a minimum of 30 m apart giving a possible 9 establishment points along the diagonal transect Each of the establishment points along 109 the transect marks the southeastern corner of a vegetation station Stations have north south and east west oriented sides The orientation of the vegetation transect 1 e either NE to SW or NW to SE within the 200 m x 200 m site will be chosen randomly A set of 9 random non duplicated numbers between 1 and 9 shall be selected recorded to a table and maintained with the site file Each random number is then multiplied by 30 which represents the distance in meters that the vegetation station is located from the NE or NW corner of the transect towards the opposite corner The first 5 random numbers are primary locations for each vegetation station If one of the primary stations is located in an area that is lt 55 swamp or within 10 meters of the RSET marsh mat recorder or any part of the boardwalk a station from the secondary set will be used This practice will assure that none of the data collection for other variables is compromised and that stations located in unvegetated swamp ponds or channels are excluded at the outset of monitoring Station establishme
88. at the end of the Marsh Mat Data and Marsh Mat Oracle worksheets The template is designed for larger data sets Change the graphs on the Graphs worksheet so that the data extends the entire graph This is accomplished using the Source Data function for the graphs Change the title of the graphs to correspond with the project name station number and dates of the data presented in the graphs Examine the graphs for any data that may be outliers and decide if the data needs to be kept or voided Any data that is voided needs to be documented in the Site History spreadsheet provided by the LDNR CRD In the Marsh Mat Data worksheet change the heading of the Summary Statistics page to correspond with the project name station number dates and times of the data Be sure to save the Excel file after this step and through out the other steps Technically the data entry is complete however the data must be examined for quality assurance During this process the first data line must be compared to the previous calibration sheet to verify that 70 the data are similar to the data collected by the instrument during the clean readings Secondly the last data must be examined to verify that the data collected by the calibration instrument is close to one another Thirdly if a shift was applied to the salinity and water level readings it must be determined if these shifts are accurate with respect to what was collected in the field L
89. ation will be established and 2 In areas with high water velocity traffic or wave action the mono pole station will be established Once the wooden post or mono pole is installed the same deployment and servicing procedures will be followed Wooden Post Materials List Minimum 1 4 X4 X20 treated timber post or equivalent 2 2 X4 X10 treated timber board or equivalent 3 1 6 Brass hitch pin 4 1 9 Brass hitch pin 5 Electrical box The LDNR CRD is currently using a Thomas amp Betts 125 A Max Type 3R Enclosure Catalog No TBL12 4 8 R or Murray Model 21 Catalog No LWO06NR 6 3 VW xVA stainless steel or equivalent hexagonal screws 7 l1 Wx6 stainless steel or equivalent hexagonal bolt with washer and locking nut 8 3 Brass locks All locks keyed the same and provided by the LDNR CRD 9 1 2 or 4 schedule 40 PVC perforated pipe with multiple 77 holes 28 to 36 in length size depends on the diameter of the continuous recorder 10 1 172 schedule 40 PVC pipe 22 in length 11 1 16 penny common stainless steel or equivalent exterior nail used for a vertical reference point 12 Reflectors 4 minimum 13 Stainless steel or equivalent exterior nails or screws for reflectors 14 YSI6920 YSI 600XLM or equivalent continuous recorder data logger 27 Stainless steel or equivilant Hexagonal screw Electrical box NI di Treated timber TN Brass hitch pin Pia
90. benchmark with the collar 88 TOP VIEW SIDE VIEW Counter Balance and Pivot Assembly 304 Stainless Steel A Counter Balance welded B Connector welded C Pivot Ring welded D Connector threaded welded E Turnbuckle Vertical Post Assembly and Collar F Shoulder Bolts G Aluminum Central Post H Collar Pins I Collar 304 Stainless Steel Measuring Arm Aluminum J Horizontal Adjustment Wheel threaded K Bubble Level L Solid Block threaded M 21 Arm Pins N Fiberglass pins 12 5 long x 1 diameter 4 5 long x 0 5 diameter 2 375 OD x 0 125 thick 4 0 long x 0 5 diameter 0 375 fine thread 0 375 3 8 stainless steel Approx 1 5 diameter x 4 high 0 5625 9 16 center hole 2 5 diameter x 0 25 thick base with 2 pins 0 5 long x 0 25 diameter stainless steel 2 4375 2 7 16 diameter x 1 75 high 0 5625 9 16 diameter hole in center 0 25 thick x 2 348 2 5 16 diameter with 0 5 threaded hole 1 5 high x 2 wide x 0 75 deep with 0 5 threaded hole 1 wide x 2 high x 1 8 wall rectangular tubing 9 0 1875 3 16 holes for fiberglass pins 0 1875 diameter x 2 5 long Figure 16 Construction drawing of a surface elevation table used on a 9 16 benchmark rod 89
91. between the two points Water Elevation Obtained by subtracting the two previous readings Top of Staff Gauge Support Pole and Top of Staff Gauge Support Pole to Top of Water Distance Staff Gauge Reading Obtained by reading the staff gauge after it has been set to the datum Computed Difference Obtained by subtracting the two previous readings water elevation and Staff Gage Reading Correction Factor Obtained by subtracting the Existing Staff Gauge Reading and the Staff Gauge Reading The correction factor is used to correct all previously data collected 134 Form 3 Example of a continuous recorder water level sensor data sheet CONTINUOUS RECORDER WATER LEVEL SENSOR DATA SHEET Project Station Basin Date of Installation Time CST Agency Field Personnel Continuous Recorder Manufacturer Model Serial Number Overall length Top to water level sensor C Wooden Post L Mono Pole ft A Nail to top of post ft A Top of 1 4 hole to top of pipe ft B Nail to bottom of continuous recorder ft B Top of 1 4 hole to bottom of continuous recorder ft C Nail to water level sensor ft C Top of 1 4 hole to water level sensor ft D Nail to water line ft D Top of 1 4 hole to water line ft E Nail to subsurface ft E Top of 1 4 hole to subsurface ft F Water depth ft F Water depth ft G Penetration depth ft G Penetration depth ft H Total pole length ft H Total pole length ft 1 Mud line
92. bilized Calculate the water level difference and percent difference by using the following formulas water level difference wld clean reading depth dirty reading depth Then percent difference wld clean reading depth 100 Follow the owner s manual for setting the continuous recorder in an unattended mode Complete the Deployment section of the calibration sheet Instructions are presented in the previous section Deployment Check the desiccant pack to see if it needs changing It should be changed a minimum of every 60 days Complete the information in the Staff Gauge section by obtaining all the necessary measurements and readings a Record the Water Level on Rod ft value This value is obtained by placing the Mark to Sensor Distance ft number at the nail or top of the 1 4 hole on the surveyor s rod This places the bottom of the rod at the instrument s water level sensor Read the value where the surface of the water appears on the rod b Calculate the Water Level NAVD by adding the Sensor Elevation NAVD and Water Level on Rod ft readings Record the staff gauge reading in the Staff Gauge NAVD box d Subtract the values in the Water Level NAVD and Staff Gauge boxes and record the value in the Staff Gauge Water Level box The absolute value should be less than 0 07 If the value approaches 0 10 measurements shall be taken from the continuous recorder to rectify the
93. board to the post by using the 6 hitch pin in the top hole and the 9 pin in the bottom hole Place the continuous recorder instrument in the PVC pipe Take the 17 PVC pipe and place it on top of the instrument Make sure the pipe extends a minimum of 4 above the hole for the 9 pin Drill a hole such that the 9 pin will pass through the 172 PVC pipe This assures that the instrument will not move vertically and prevents theft The cable will be housed in the electrical box by being threaded through the hole on the underneath side A single 16 penny stainless steel or equivalent nail shall be driven 2 3 of the way into the side of the post This nail must be driven perpendicular to the post This nail will serve as a reference for measuring the water level while servicing the instrument 30 NOTE If the post was previously installed and has a nail then DO NOT add another nail The post shall have only one nail 18 Document the following measurements on the Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet Form 3 by referring to Figure 10 Nail to top of post Nail to bottom of continuous recorder Nail to water level sensor Nail to water line Nail to substrate Water depth Penetration depth Total length of pole Sam mono gp NOTE The measurements must be transferred to the Excel Site History file provided by LDNR CRD 19 The station must be properly marked using reflectors on all four sides These reflectors sha
94. bracore vibrate the mono pole to resistance or until the load plate rests on the bottom of the water body If resistance is met before the load plate rests on the bottom then a widow maker should be used to try and get the mono pole deeper into the substrate Using a level verify the mono pole is plumb If the top of the pipe was damaged during installation the pipe shall be cut just below the damaged portion A holes for the hitch pin and a 1 4 hole for the elevation mark shall be drilled Take the following measurements and document in the field notebook Mud line to load plate if not resting on bottom of water body Load plate to water surface i Amount of casing removed if damage was done during installation Using the brass pin and lock secure the cap to the pipe a Total pole length b Distance from the bottom of the pole to the load plate c Distance from the load plate to the Top of Casing d Distance from load plate to the continuous recorder stop plate e Water depth f Penetration depth g h 10 Attach reflective tape to the pipe Ultrasonic Sensor In marshes with variable wet and dry cycles an ultrasonic water level sensor will be secured to either a wooden post or a metal pole driven to refusal into the marsh via an extension arm to prevent the beam from contacting a surface other than the water A PVC housing can be used to protect the sensor and shall be fitted with holes or slits to allow wa
95. ce from the top of the pole to the water at the time of establishment and the distance between the top of the pole and the 3 mark on the staff gauge b The Excel spreadsheet Continuous recorders and staff gauge format for surveyor xls Form 2 completed 4 Static Floating Marsh Mat Recorder a Field notes that contain a diagram of the static floating marsh mat recorder station the distance from the top of the pole to the top of the 1 4 hole the distance from the top of the pole to the marsh surface and the elevation of the top of the 1 4 hole 5 RSET a Field notes that contain a diagram of the RSET the distance from the top of the stainless steel rod to the top of the collar and the elevation of the top of the rod 25 4 SURFACE WATER High variability in water level and salt water intrusion have been shown to cause adverse effects on the health of coastal wetland ecosystems Gagliano et al 1981 As a corollary the LDNR CRD has included these variables into its monitoring program Both changes in water level and salinity values will be measured on a continuous basis defined as hourly unless otherwise stated by the LDNR CRD where water depths remain deep enough to continually submerge the sensors These variables are measured using a pressure transducer and a salinity meter Steyer et al 1995 The LDNR CRD utilizes the YSI 6920 YSI 600XLM or equivalent continuous recorder with a vented cable as the basic model that
96. cepted as complete according to the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or have presented questions shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered any problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is returned to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information is 10096 correct This process will continue until all the corrections have been made and all the questions have been answered to the satisfaction of the QA QC officer Upon approval of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheet s If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheet s must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initials and the date next to the correction Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System SONRIS Data Entry After the QA QC procedure has been completed on two successive data acquisition periods the first
97. ch reflective tape to the pipe 10 The continuous recorder can now be deployed 11 Secure the cap to the pipe using the hitch pin and brass lock 4 1 2 Deployment and Servicing Deployment The instruments described in this section are also capable of collecting temperature specific conductance and salinity data however this section only describes the information necessary for the water level data The next chapter of this manual describes the salinity procedures which coincide with the water level procedures For the purpose of this manual the two variables were separated It is essential to review the next chapter to complete the calibration sheet Prior to the initial deployment the continuous recorder shall be programmed to record the date mm dd yyyy time hh mm ss water temperature C specific conductance uS cm salinity ppt water level ft and batter volts v The recorder must be programmed to record the time in Central Standard Time and must remain in that time configuration during Daylight Savings Time The continuous recorder shall have all the previous data collected from another station or testing deleted The only data that shall remain on the instrument is the data that was collected at the station it is deployed On a yearly basis the data must be deleted since the file names will repeat themselves 34 X WATER LINE d WATER LEVEL SENSOR y MUD LINE
98. coastwide data set will be compared to the most recent land and water data set to identify changes in land and water distribution during the collection interval Tables summarizing land and water area changes by basin and province and spatial change data sets and maps highlighting land and water changes will be produced for LDNR and CWPPRA review and distribution Improvements in satellite technologies will continually be assessed over time for potential application in land and water trend analysis Reductions in cost and improvements in accuracy may allow one high resolution satellite image to meet the site specific and regional assessment requirements of the CRMS Wetland program 129 17 REFERENCES Avery T E and H E Burkhart 1994 Forest Measurements 4th ed McGraw Hill New York 408 pp Barras J A S Beville D Britsch S Hartley S Hawes J Johnston P Kemp Q Kinler A Martucci J Porthouse D Reed K Roy S Sapkota and J Suhayda 2003 Historical and projected coastal Louisiana land changes 1978 2050 USGS Open File Report 03 334 Bass A S C F Robertson and W K Rhinehart 2003 Office of Coastal Restoration and Management Quality Management Plant 2003 Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Baton Rouge LA 98 pp Brady N C and R R Weil 2002 The Nature and Property of Soils 13 ed Prentice Hall New York 960 pp Cahoon D R J C Lynch P Hensel R Boumans B C Perez B Segura and J W
99. complete an accuracy assessment will be performed to determine a percent accuracy level of the land water classification Using the image processing software no less than 100 points are randomly generated and distributed throughout the image which is then identified labeled and compared to the original classification After all points are identified and compared to the original classification an accuracy percentage is calculated The final image will be submitted to the NWRC photointerpreter LDNR monitoring manager s as well as other members of the CWPPRA team for review to ensure proper classification All edits and suggestions will be considered and amended where appropriate After accuracy has been determined maps depicting the analysis with acreage amounts overlaid onto base photography will be created in report compatible 8 5 x 11 in and presentation display size formats Each will follow standard cartographic procedures When two or more land water analyses are to be compared for change in land acreage the GIS analyst will create a composite file that congregates the different years of data Four categories of data will be displayed on a composite image land and water areas that remained unchanged between the two images as well as classes depicting the areas where land loss and land gain occurred The detailed protocol for color infrared photography acquisition interpretation digitization and statistics can be found in the Q
100. cription of each column Upon completion of the data sheet a correction factor shall be generated to apply to previously collected data if a staff gauge existed at the site prior to the survey The water elevation at the continuous recorder and the staff gauge reading after adjustment or establishment shall be verified to 118 assure the two gauges are within the acceptable range This is accomplished by reviewing the last column water elevation for the continuous recorder and the staff gauge after establishment or adjustment for the staff gauge 12 1 Continuous Water Level Recorders Upon arrival at the continuous recorder station a nail on the wooden post approximately twelve inches from the top or a Y hole on the stainless steel mono pole approximately eight inches from the top shall be located If the nail or hole does not exist it shall be established The elevation of the nail or the top of the hole shall be determined as well as the elevation of the water at the time of the survey Documentation of all the necessary elevations and measurements shall be written on the Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet Form 4 With respect to the continuous water level recorder the top portion of the data sheet shall be completed Completion of this section provides the LDNR CRD sufficient information to convert the data from the recorders to a vertical datum Moreover it provides sufficient information for quality assur
101. d will be determined by the LDNR CRD To ensure proper installation the following procedures shall be used to achieve acceptance by the LDNR CRD Failure to adhere to these procedures may result in an improperly constructed station The LDNR CRD reserves the right to accept or reject the final product If the LDNR CRD rejects the final product the person or agency company installing the station will be required to remove the station and establish it correctly at their expense These procedures have been used extensively by the LDNR CRD and are proven to work in all environments 16 Treated Wooden Post The minimum materials needed for this installation process include a 4 x4 x16 or 20 treated wooden post a saw a widow maker a cylindrical steel device that is approximately 36 inches in length has an outside diameter of 7 inches and weighs approximately 60 pounds used for driving post reflectors nails screws stainless steel or equivalent 6d and 16d or 20d level hammer and screwdrivers A point shall be cut on one end of the timber post to facilitate the installation process Transport all the materials and necessary equipment via the water vessel to the site Position and anchor the boat at the location where the post will be established Place the timber post in the water with the point down Slowly lower the post into the water to penetrate the subsurface Make sure that the post remains plumb in all directions as the
102. d as when the survey rod is resting among living stems or is supported by soil containing living roots In order to get a consistent reading often times it will be necessary to move stems in some marsh vegetation where stem density is extremely high A minimum of twenty 20 elevations recorded in relation to NAVD 88 Feet each one separated by 20 ft to 40 ft are needed for this determination The twenty 20 elevations are averaged to obtain marsh elevation All 20 readings and the average shall be provided in an Excel spreadsheet that was developed by the LDNR CRD When the dominant species is Spartina patens saltmeadow cordgrass a minimum of forty 40 elevations will be recorded Twenty 20 elevations will be recorded on the marsh surface and twenty 20 elevations will be recorded on the crown of the Spartina patens that is adjacent to the marsh surface reading These readings shall be saved and provided to the LDNR CRD such that a differentiation can be made between the two readings The average marsh elevation will be obtained by averaging the forty 40 points however these readings may need to be separated at a later date Prior to obtaining marsh elevation readings the following information shall be recorded in a field journal station number date and time of survey staff gauge reading or water elevation and marsh flooding Marsh flooding is determined by the question is surface water above the marsh surface If yes then doc
103. d case you may need to only delete the shifted data taken while the sensor was out of the water While the spreadsheet is designed to handle 3000 lines of data most files will not have this much data consequently any rows containing information below the last raw data sample must be deleted Change the heading of the summary statistics and percent completion page to reflect the project station and date and time period that the data represents When the Data worksheet is complete click on the Oracle worksheet a Delete any rows containing information beyond the end of the current sampling period 41 b Delete the zeroes out of the shifted columns where any shifted data were deleted out of the Data worksheet Never delete data from the raw data columns c Delete the zeroes out of the cells that have no data because the instrument was not recording 14 Open the Graphs worksheet and adjust the graphs such that all the data are displayed on the graph for the entire sampling period NOTE This can be done by changing the row numbers in the source data of the graph to match the first and last row of data in the Data worksheet 15 Change the headings of each graph to match the project name station number and the date range of the presented data 16 While viewing the graphs determine if any additional data need to be voided due to erroneous readings or the water level falling below the sensors 17 If data were vo
104. d in the SE corner to mark the station Before leaving the station record the actual coordinates using the DGPS Collect no less than 10 readings with the antenna directly on top of the station marker on the southeastern corner Label the coordinate with the appropriate station number i Due to the size and vegetative composition a forested community all four corners of the plot may need to be to indicate the boundary of the station Different color paints may be used for each corner ii The northwest corner of the plot also needs to be established since a 2 mx 2 m station will be established in this area for herbaceous marsh community analysis b If Step 4 is false proceed to the next potential vegetation station using the next number from the random number set 5 Continue step 2 until all 5 random numbers in the primary set have been used Five 5 stations shall be established at each site Depending on the number of stations established from the first 111 set additional stations will be chosen from the secondary set to supplement the first set until a total of 5 vegetation stations have been established Note GIS station establishment can be used in the forest community but each random number is multiplied by 30 instead of 3 in determining distance in meters that vegetation station is located from the northerly end of the diagonal transect Data Collection Vegetation sampling shall occur during the 6 week period on or around Se
105. d in the correct columns The order of the columns shall be date mm dd yyyy time hh mm ss water temperature C specific conductance uS cm salinity ppt water depth ft and battery volts v a Insert an empty column next to the date b Open the YearHour xls file c Copy the same date and time period found in the csv file from the YearHour xls and paste in the empty column Verify that there is no missing dates and times If data are missing then a new row shall be inserted into the file to contain the missing date and time The data fields in the row shall remain blank 6 Open the Sondeqc xls This file contains three worksheets that serve as a template for the continuous recorder data including water temperature specific conductance water level and battery volts The three worksheets are a Data Enter the data from the calibration sheet in this worksheet Formulas determine if the data needs to be shifted because of biofouling on the continuous recorder This worksheet contains three areas the top area requires the input of data from the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet that was completed in the field All the cells with the red font require a change and the information data are obtained 40 10 11 12 13 from the calibration sheet On the lower portion of the spreadsheet the raw data are pasted The salinity and water level data are shifted for biofouling and the water le
106. d salinity of both instruments in the appropriate boxes under the Clean Readings section Using the formulas stated in step 11 calculate the specific conductance difference and the percent difference for the Clean Readings If the percent difference is lt 5 then the instrument does not need calibration proceed to step 22 If the percent difference is gt 5 then the instrument needs to be calibrated Perform steps 19 22 Calibration of the salinity probe for the continuous recorder Use a standard that is closest to the specific conductance reading on the salinity meter Calibrate the continuous recorder following the procedures in the owner s manual for the instrument In the Calibration Required section document that the instrument accepted the calibration and the solution used for calibration Lower both instruments back into the water to verify that the readings are now within 5 of each other a Record the temperature specific conductance and salinity of both instruments in the Calibration Required section b Perform the specific conductance and percent difference calculations and record the values c Ifthe continuous recorder is still out of calibration try to trouble shoot the instrument or change the instrument out with the spare If a spare is used this instrument needs to be calibrated Lower the instrument back into its unattended position Follow the owner s manual steps for setting the cont
107. d to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information are 100 correct This process will continue until the Excel data file and the field trip report has been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initials and the date next to the correction Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System SONRIS Data Entry The SONRIS database is a storage and retrieval mechanism with respect to the discrete hydrographic data The LDNR CRD Restoration Technology Section RTS is responsible for the development and maintenance of the database as it pertains to field data and reports Once the discrete hydrographic data has been accepted by the QA QC officer as 100 correct the person responsible for phase I shall transfer the data from the Excel data file to the SONRIS database The LD
108. data set shall be entered into the SONRIS database Consequently there will be a one QA QC packet lag between the SONRIS database and the QA QC packet The SONRIS database is a storage and retrieval mechanism with respect to the continuous hydrographic data The LDNR CRD Restoration Technology Section RTS is responsible for the development and maintenance of the database as it pertains to field data and reports The LDNR CRD RTS has developed a user s manual for uploading hydrographic data into SONRIS The manual is updated periodically as the database changes with technology The latest version of the manual was released on December 29 2003 with respect to the hydrographic data To properly import the data into the SONRIS database the User s Manual for Hydrographic and Emergent Vegetation Data Management dated December 29 2003 shall be followed The most current version of this manual must always be used The person responsible for the collection of data is also responsible for uploading the data into the SONRIS database Once the person has followed the procedures outlined in the user s manual the QA QC officer is responsible for verifying the procedures have been followed properly and the data are properly stored in the database Once the data has been accepted into the database the QA QC officer shall complete the QA QC Checklist as it pertains to the database Upon completion of this section the QA QC packet is completed and the data shall be
109. date from the boardwalk The 96 LDNR CRD will determine the orientation of stations around the boardwalk prior to the establishment of the stations All station establishment procedures must be performed from the boardwalk These procedures are as follows l When applying the feldspar all necessary health precautions should be taken since the material is a fine powder and can be easily inhaled NOTE An appropriate respirator and eye protection are required Document water lever with respect to marsh surface in the Notes section of the data sheet Form 13 Place the 50 cm x 50 cm square on the marsh surface as close to the predetermined location provided by LDNR CRD as possible Mark the stations using no less than two pieces of PVC The PVC poles should be placed just inside the corner of the station closest to the boardwalk and closest to the beginning of the boardwalk The other corner PVC shall be placed at the opposite corner The PVC poles should be pushed into the marsh surface perfectly plumb until resistance is met or 2 5 feet of PVC is above the surface NOTE By using this method it will assure that the sampling will occur inside of the station at a later date Using a small cup evenly sprinkle the feldspar on the marsh surface making sure not to leave any on the vegetation vegetation can be gently shaken to knock any feldspar from the plant to the marsh surface Each station is evenly coated until a minimum thick
110. dding a weight near the sensor and graduating the cord Depth is measured by gently lowering the cord to the subsurface assuring that the cord is perpendicular and recording the depth Instrumentation The environmental monitoring instrument that shall be used for the LDNR CRD must meet the following criteria The instrument must be a multi parameter water quality measurement and data collection system The instrument must be capable of recording and storing water temperature C specific conductance 1S cm salinity ppt and water level feet at intervals specified by the LDNR CRD Salinity concentrations will vary from fresh 0 1 ppt to sea 730 0 ppt and at times may be considered polluted The water temperature and specific conductivity sensor must meet or exceed the following standards The temperature sensor must be able to function in a range of 5 to 45 C have a range of 0 15 C a resolution of 0 01 C and able to work in depths of 200 meters 656 feet The conductivity sensor must be able to function in a range of 0 to 100 mS cm have an accuracy of 0 5 of readings a resolution of 0 001 mS cm to 0 1 mS cm and able to function in 200 meters 656 feet of water The salinity values are calculated from the conductivity and water temperature readings and must have a 48 range of 0 to 70 ppt an accuracy of 1 0 of readings or 0 1ppt whichever is greater and a resolution of 0 01 ppt Along with the sensor specifica
111. dinate NOTE Make sure these coordinates have not been used previously Always have the coordinates used from the previous data collection trip s on hand 5 Put the bullet that will be used for sampling over the inner core This practice prevents any disturbance once the bullet penetrates the marsh surface 6 Push the bullet with the inner core into the marsh in the location that corresponds to the randomly generated location The bullet should be deep enough to freeze the feldspar and sediment to the bullet and have enough above the marsh surface to facilitate removal for measuring This depth varies depending on previous feldspar depth and current field conditions 7 Do not rock or move the bullet once it penetrates the surface The marsh must remain in contact with the bullet for this process to be effective Open the valve on the dewar and start the flow of the liquid nitrogen into the bullet 9 Allow the marsh to freeze around the bullet Normally the core is frozen when you start to see a white cloud of gas coming out of the top of the bullet It may be best to let the liquid nitrogen run a bit longer until the person has experience with this procedure 10 Turn offthe dewar when the core is frozen 99 100 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Remove the inner sleeve from the bullet Be very careful with the hose as it becomes very brittle once it is frozen Grab the top of the bullet
112. ductance difference Step 18 Calibration Instrument 100 Record the absolute value of the number in the difference box in the Dirty Reading section Clean the exterior and sensors of the YSI 600XLM or equivalent using the instructions provided in the owner s manual Determine if the remaining battery voltage is sufficient to run the instrument until the next servicing date If the battery voltage is not sufficient then change the batteries according to the instructions provided in the owner s manual NOTE Indicate a Y for yes or a N for no in the Battery Changed box in the Deployment section Place the YSI 600XLM or equivalent into the insert tube and record the following readings in the Clean Reading section on the constant recorder line temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Remove the YSI 600XLM or equivalent from the insert tube Place the probe of the YSI 30 or equivalent into the insert tube and record the following readings in the Clean Reading section on the calibration instrument line temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Calculate the specific conductance difference for the clean Specific conductance difference calibration instrument constant recorder Place the value with the appropriate sign positive or negative in the SpCond Difference box under the Clean Reading section constant recorder line Calculate the p
113. e Excel spreadsheet provided by the LDNR CRD the data collector shall save the template using the following naming convention Station SAV date xls i e CRMS0395 SAV August2005 xls This ensures that the template does not get changed accidentally and provides a working copy of the file The data are transferred from the photocopied field data sheet s to the Excel spreadsheet The person responsible for the field data collection shall transfer the data into the corresponding cells of the spreadsheet Once the data and information have been transferred they must check to verify that the data entry has been completed and all numbers and notes are correct Once the data have been transferred a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect data quality 2 general weather conditions 3 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered or characterized the site When the data have been entered and the field trip report has been generated the QA QC checklist Form 8 is attached to the copied data sheet and the field trip report This QA QC packet is sent to another individual for verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Qualit
114. e boardwalk or data collection stations shall consist of pressure treated materials or equivalent As of December 2003 the lumber industry was forced to change the pressure treatment chemical formulation from chromated copper arsenate CCA to alkaline copper quat or copper azole Because of the change in the chemical formula commonly used galvanized nails and screws will degrade faster consequently the use of stainless steel nails and screws or equivalent treatments shall be used when assembling boardwalks or wooden data collection stations The materials list is for a thirty 30 foot boardwalk with a ten foot boardwalk off to the side at the end of the boardwalk Eighteen 18 2 x4 x24 treated boards or equivalent Twelve 12 2 x4 x8 or 10 treated boards or equivalent Nine 9 2 x12 x10 treated boards or equivalent one will be removed Twelve 12 3 8 x4 stainless steel or equivalent carriage bolts with stainless steel or equivalent flat washer locking washer and nut 5 Twelve 12 3 8 x6 stainless steel or equivalent carriage bolts with stainless steel or equivalent flat washer locking washer and nut 6 Minimum of 48 stainless steel or equivalent exterior 3 screws 6 per 2 x12 x10 board xi a don Pu WARNING SIGN RSET W ELEVATION Ex asd BOARDWALK WILL BE CONSTRUCTED W 2 x12 x10 BOARDS AND SHALL BE A MINIMUM OF 3OFT LONG I BOARDWALK
115. e correction 6 3 Summary Data and Graphics A soil porewater graph depicting mean monthly porewater salinity will also be required in January of each year representing the previous 12 months of pore water data collection The QA QC d data shall be analysed for mean variables at each depth and graphs shall be produced These summary data and graphics both hardcopy and electronic shall be provided to the LDNR CRD A digital copy of the soil porewater graph template will be provided to the contractor by LDNR CRD 6 4 Deliverables Once the monthly data set has been QA QC d completely the data sheets original and photocopied field trip report electronic files monthly calibration checklist and monthly graphs shall be transferred to the LDNR CRD On a yearly basis the QA QC d data will be downloaded and monthly means shall be performed and graphed to show the salinity means for each month of the year The LDNR CRD shall provide a template for the data analysis results and the graph 87 8 ROD SURFACE ELEVATION TABLE The LDNR CRD has implemented the use of the rod surface elevation table RSET technique that has been developed by Cahoon et al 2002a and Cahoon et al 2002b The RSET is the preferred version of the SET that will be established at specified locations in attached herbaceous marsh and swamp bottomland hardwood forest ecosystems The RSET method provides a non destructive process which precisely measures the sediment
116. e maximum distance from the pipe 6 2 2 Deployment and Servicing Deployment The following equipment is needed to deploy the instrument data sheet Static Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 10 pencil watch field notebook surveyor s measuring rod tape measure batteries field servicing instrument tools to replace the instrument if a problem occurs and calculator 1 0S CA From the boardwalk unlock the housing on the platform to access the brackets and holes for the instrument Mount the bracket to the housing platform if one does not exist Mount the pulley system on the bracket in the housing Assemble the counterweight cable and auger according to the instructions provided in the owner s manual Secure the spiral auger to the marsh surface a minimum of 12 inches from the pipe Insert the battery into the instrument according to the instructions provided in the owner s manual Using the procedures stated in the owner s manual set the instrument to log the following data date time set up for the Central Standard Time measured value feet and battery voltage The recorder shall record a reading every hour on the hour The instrument has two modes for measuring the vertical movement Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages but only one shall be selected Document the mode that has been selected on the calibration sheet a Depth measurement As the water level marsh surface increases the mea
117. e produced to a scale 1 1500 that shows the proper amount of detail with respect to the area needed to collect the data LDNR CRD recommends the use of DOQQ or SPOT imagery in producing the Site Map The Site Map should contain a scale bar north arrow potential site number for record purposes and the imagery including the year and date acquired used to produce the map The Site Map should be produced on 8 5 x 11 paper however larger sized paper may be used If an overall map is needed for traveling purposes then another map should be generated During the production of the Site Map field personnel shall examine the surrounding areas to find potential entrance points to the site 1f applicable given the land rights for the area Examining the inside of the 200 m x 200 m square will aid in navigating to the site in turn minimizing damage to the area CRMS Site Schematic Station CRMS294 Vegetation Classification Fresh Spikerush 1998 DOQQ Imagery 100 200 300 400 Feet 150 Meters Figure 1 Example of a site map used to identify and document the location of the boardwalks and each potential data collection station The scale is 1 1500 Field personnel shall approach the site with great care to maintain site and data collection integrity In some areas depending on site location land rights accessibility or marsh type a longer boardwalk known heretofore as Long Boardwalk may need to be constructed to reach t
118. e rest of the information in this menu does not require any input Read the information provided in the menu to verify that the battery volts battery life and free memory are sufficient NOTE The instrument must record for a maximum of 60 days Select the Start Logging function and accept Before disconnecting the field display unit record the following information on the data sheet Water depth in the clean water section Station and location deployment section Date and time deployment section Battery volts deployment section Constant recorder information Manufacture Model Serial Number Deployment filename deployment section g Duration and interval deployment section Disconnect the field display unit and secure the cap once the cable has been coiled inside of the outside cover Exit the station without stepping on the marsh surface moaoge 65 Servicing The instrument shall be serviced between 30 and 45 days after the deployment date unless otherwise agreed upon by the LDNR CRD The servicing of the instrument requires the minimum equipment a field display unit YSI 650 MDS or equivalent a hand held discrete instrument YSI 30 or equivalent a Floating Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 9 calculator pencils calibration solutions board 2 x10 x10 and tools necessary to remove and cleanse biofouling from the sensors and the exterior of the instrument according to the manufacture s specifications
119. e same as the ambient ground elevation There are several potential methods for securing the sensor at a constant elevation a The sensor and PVC housing can be securely attached to an existing structure b A 4 x 4 wooden post can be driven into the marsh surface to refusal and the sensor can be attached to the wooden post c A long and extremely strong PVC pipe can be driven into the marsh surface to refusal At or very near the marsh surface slits or holes are cut into the PVC to allow water 46 during inundated conditions into and out of the PVC The sensor is then affixed inside the portion of the PVC above the marsh The sensor can be mounted onto a tripod or arm attachment that is fixed to an existing structure 47 5 SALINITY High variability in water level and salt water intrusion have been shown to cause adverse effects on the health of coastal wetland ecosystems Gagliano et al 1981 As a corollary the LDNR CRD has specific goals to reduce variability in water level and decrease mean salinity values in many areas Both changes in water level and salinity values will be measured on a continuous basis defined as hourly unless otherwise stated using a pressure transducer and a salinity meter Steyer et al 1995 The LDNR CRD advocates the use of the YSI 6920 YSI 600XLM or equivalent continuous recorder as the basic model that can measure water level via a pressure transducer salinity specific conductance and water tem
120. e to the error as possible The person will also place their initial and the data next to the correction 6 2 4 Summary Data and Graphic Twice per year January and July the previous 6 months July or 12 months June of QA QC d stored data shall be downloaded from Oracle Summary graphics shall be produced to show the entire period of marsh mat movement in reference to the elevation datum the depth and duration of flooding and the salinity concentration below the marsh mat if applicable With the yearly data summary statistics and percent completeness with respect to the analysis used in the monthly packets shall be performed This summary shall be printed with the graphs and provided to the LDNR CRD 6 2 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the monthly QA QC process the original data sheets field trip report the QA QC packet and all the associated electronic files shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process 82 7 SOIL POREWATER An important factor in determining vegetative productivity and species distribution in coastal marshes and swamps is the salinity of the soil porewater Mitsch and Gosselink 1993 The salinity in marsh soil water depends on several factors including inundation depth to water table groundwater movement and freshwater inflow diversion As saltwater intrusion is a
121. ection d Calculate the Difference by using the formula Distance Difference step 14c manual reading top of platform to marsh surface 100 Place the value in the Difference box If the values are off adjust the reading such that they are the same f Record the measured value on the instrument after the adjustment has been made on the data sheet g Record if the battery was changed Deploy the instrument according to the instructions provided in the owner s manual Record the date time continuous recorder manufacturer and model and serial number Secure the instrument with the housing and lock Read the nearest staff gauge and record Calculate the marsh surface by using the formula Top of the Y hole NAVD 88 FT Distance from the top of the Y hole to the sensor the Clean Reading from the instrument Record the value in the Marsh Surface NAVD 88 FT box In the Comments Notes section document the site number and or station number date time field personnel and weather conditions Describe the site with respect to the water level as it relates to the marsh surface The condition of the emergent vegetation and any oo ge 78 21 changes that has occurred since the last visit any damages to the boardwalk or other stations with respect to the site Exit the site 6 2 3 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two pha
122. ed by the LDNR CRD Once the standard is removed from its original container it shall be discarded after its use since the standard 1s considered contaminated 3 Calibrate the instrument using a conductivity standard that brackets the range of the field samples The concentration of the standard used for the calibration should be based on the testing needs for the field activity A single point check standard in the range of the sample concentration to be measured shall be used for field screening and shall be within 5 range of accuracy of true value for the calibration to be acceptable NOTE It is important that the calibration process established by the instrument manufacturer be examined in order to determine suggested concentrations of the conductivity standards for the operating environment encountered at the time of field sampling 4 Using the manufacturer s recommended container for calibration transfer the appropriate amount of solution to the container 5 Suspend the probe in the solution so that the electrode does not rest against the container Make sure the electrode s vent hole is submerged Move the probe vigorously from side to side to free the vent hole of air bubbles if necessary 6 Calibrate the instrument by following the manufacturer s manual for calibration 7 Document the concentration of the standard used on the Discrete Hydrographic Data Sheet Form 6 Calibrations shall be performed monthly in a controlled en
123. eloped and provided by the LDNR CRD the data collector shall save the template using the following naming convention Discrete date xls e g Discrete August2005 xls This ensures that the template does not get changed accidentally and provides a working copy of the file Working from the photocopy the data are transferred from the field data sheet s to the Excel spreadsheet The person responsible for the field data collection shall transfer 10096 of the data into the corresponding cells of the spreadsheet Once the data and information have been transferred they must check to verify that the data entry has been completed and all numbers and notes are 100 correct Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the data have been completely entered and the field trip report has been generated the appropriate quality assurance quality control QA QC checklist Form 8 is at
124. ency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the data have been completely entered and the field trip report has been generated the appropriate quality assurance quality control QA QC checklist Form 8 is attached to the copied data sheet s and the field trip report This compilation is referred to as the QA QC packet The QA QC packet is sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase IT The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and comment as well as verifying that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet with the corresponding Excel data file The QA QC officer is examining the Excel file for any erroneous data that are questionable If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur 86 on the QA QC checklist
125. erature from the thermometer Place the probe into the solution and record the temperature specific conductance and salinity once it has stabilized 55 6 If the specific conductance reading is off calibrate the instrument to ensure it is working correctly and maintaining the calibration 7 Complete the data sheet with the required information 8 Ifthe temperature between the thermometer and the salinity meter is greater than 1 degree then the instrument should be sent in for inspection unless the instrument has the capability of adjusting the temperature 5 2 4 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in 10096 agreement with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection Upon returning from the field photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies Using the template Excel spreadsheet discrete qc xls that has been dev
126. ercent difference Specific conductance difference Step 26 Calibration Instrument 100 Record the absolute value of the number If the difference is 5 or greater then the YSI 600 XLM or equivalent needs to be calibrated with respect to salinity If the difference is less than 5 then the instrument does not need calibration with respect to salinity NOTE Document Y for yes or N for no in the Calibration Required box If yes then place the solution concentration value in the Standard uS cm box With the instrument out of the water and in a vertical position calibrate the depth sensor to zero 0 using the appropriate menus and functions Record the water level reading in the Depth Out of Water box in the Clean Reading section once the instrument has been calibrated NOTE It should read 0 000 if the calibration was accepted and the instrument is working properly Place the instrument inside the insert tube and secure with the retaining pin Inspect the desiccant tube and change if necessary NOTE Indicate a Y for yes or a N for no in the Desiccant Changed bubble Using the appropriate menus deploy the instrument using the unattended mode function In this menu use the following information for deployment Interval 01 00 00 every hour unless otherwise directed by the LDNR CRD Start date the date of the field trip Start time the top of the next hour Duration days 365 days Fi
127. es in the collar such that the table points in one of the four cardinal points NOTE Sampling will occur at four 4 90 angles The directions will be north south east and west if feasible Clamp the SET to the collar once it is in place by using two spring clamps Once the SET is secured to the collar level the table by using the turnbuckle and level bubble This table must be perfectly level in order to get precise measurements Using a compass determine the direction bearing of the table If the table is not a cardinal point then record the bearing next to the corresponding direction on the Surface Elevation Table Data Sheet Record the unique code and serial number for the SET equipment Using the aluminum measuring stick measure the distance between the top of the stainless steel rod and the top of the SET using millimeters Record the distance in the appropriate place on the data sheet NOTE This measurement shall be obtained at the four cardinal points Record the elevation of the stainless steel rod provided by a professional surveyor in English units on the data sheet and the converted metric millimeters One at a time take the nine 9 fiberglass rods 3 16 and pass them through the respectively numbered holes on the arm of the SET Gently lower the rods onto the surface of the marsh making sure not to penetrate the surface of the marsh In dense vegetation leaves and non attached debris may have to be carefull
128. escribes the salinity procedures which coincide with the water level procedures For the purpose of this manual the two variables were separated It is essential to review the next chapter to complete the calibration sheet All data and information concerning the condition of the station shall be documented on the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 4 1 Upon arrival at the station complete the top section of the calibration sheet by recording the project name station number basin location agency company name and collected by names of the field personnel and the marsh elevation for the station in the appropriate boxes 2 Without disturbing the instrument connect to the instrument using a laptop computer or a field instrument capable of interfacing with the recorder Record the date and time from the technician s watch set to CSTime and the instrument Record the instrument s battery volts 5 Stop the instrument from logging and download the data file Record the number of samples and the file name 6 In the Dirty Reading section record an in situ dirty water depth from the display unit attached to the continuous recorder 7 Remove the continuous recorder from its secured position and place it in the water vessel Record the Depth out of Water reading when the instrument has stabilized 9 Record the instruments manufacturer model and serial number in the top section of the calibration sheet 1
129. ese measurements and readings include 1 Calibrate the continuous recorder and hand held instrument s salinity probe to a known conductivity standard that is similar to the ambient water salinity concentration at the time of deployment Document the calibration and calibration standard in the Comments section of the calibration sheet 2 Verify that the continuous recorder has accepted the calibration by using the calibrated hand held salinity meter YSI 30 or equivalent which is also used for discrete readings a Place the two salinity probes next to each other and lower them into the water to the deployment depth b Record the water temperature specific conductance and salinity reading from both instruments in the Clean Reading section of the calibration sheet c Calculate the specific conductance difference by using the formulas Specific conductance difference calibration instrument constant recorder Record the value in the appropriate box Percent difference specific conductance difference specific conductance of the calibration instrument 100 If the percent difference is below 595 then the instrument is calibrated If the percent difference is above 5 then the instrument needs to be re calibrated or is mal functioning see section on calibration steps 18 20 of servicing below 3 Once the instrument is calibrated place the continuous recorder into position for deployment The LDNR CRD has developed specific
130. et to calculate several pertinent values which are used to verify the entry and or field measurements are correct If the difference among pins or measurements appears awkward then farther investigations need to be performed to explain the differences 3 Graphs This worksheet aids in the visual inspection of the data for quality assurance and presents the results of the calculations in the QA QC analysis worksheet These graphs enable a person to visually inspect the data for any outliers or questionable data points Working from the photocopy the information and data are transferred from the field data sheet s to the appropriate cells in the Data Oracle worksheet This worksheet was developed to facilitate the upload of data into the database and importation of data from the database Neither the arrangement nor format of the columns shall be altered unless it is approved by the LDNR CRD The person responsible for the field data collection shall transfer the data into the corresponding cells of the worksheet Once the data and information have been transferred they must check to verify that the data entry has been completed and all numbers and notes are 10096 correct This verification includes the examination of the QA QC analysis worksheet and the Graphs worksheet On the graphs the headings shall be changed to reflect the correct project name station number date and appropriate scale for all four graphs The scale on all four
131. ete the procedure below using the electronic files to properly process the data obtained from the field 1 Copy the Deployment Date and Time of the file that was downloaded from the field from the previous calibration sheet s Deployment section 2 Photocopy the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet used in the field The original sheet will be properly stored during the QC process The photocopy becomes the working copy throughout the QC process and the original will be corrected at the end of the process 3 Transfer the raw data from the laptop or field display unit to a personal computer that has the electronic files provided by the LDNR CRD following the procedures specified in the owner s manual for the field instrument 4 Open the downloaded file dat in the software program EcoWatch for Windows YSI or equivalent a Arrange the data in the appropriate order and format date mm dd yyyy time hh mm ss temperature C specific conductance uS cm salinity ppt water depth ft and battery volts v b Using the statistical function check the minimum and or maximum values for any data that may be incorrect i e water level and salinity readings in show a negative value for the minimum reading or maximum values that may seem to high c Export the dat file as a comma delimited text csv file using the same name as the dat file 5 Open the raw data file csv in Excel to verify that the data are arrange
132. etermine the distance in meters from the north end of the diagonal vegetation transect either NW or NE corner of the 200 m x 200 m square to the SE corner of the vegetation plot Vegetation sampling can be carried out simultaneously with station establishment Materials List minimum This list of equipment and supplies is needed to establish and to sample vegetation stations in the herbaceous marshes of south Louisiana Other equipment and or supplies may be necessary depending on the site 1 Metal pipes rods Y diameter by 3 galvanized coated or stainless steel rods used as permanent station markers in case of fires 2 PVC pipes Y diameter by 10 pipes used as station locators in the thick tall herbaceous vegetation NOTE Ends may be painted with a fluorescent paint to aid in locating vegetation stations 3 2mx2 m PVC square four 4 2 meter PVC tubes attached with L joints or 90 fittings to form a square 4 Measuring tape device Y fiberglass measuring tape capable of measuring 100 meters 5 Compass 0 to 360 azimuth dial with 2 graduations 6 Random number table Ninety four 94 randomly chosen numbers between 1 and 94 with no duplicates Each random number is then multiplied by 3 The first ten 10 numbers are arranged numerically from lowest to highest NOTE Each site must have a different set of random numbers 7 Differential global positioning system DGPS Herbaceous marsh community 1
133. f gauge to the vertical datum two measurements are obtained to verify that the readings are within the acceptable range of 1 22 cm 0 04 feet One measurement is obtained by collecting the average elevation for all readings during a three minute observation The second measurement is a check that averages the elevation during a 3 5 second observation If the two elevations differ by more than 1 22 cm 0 04 feet measurements shall be performed again until the readings are within the acceptable tolerance of the instrumentation being used to perform the elevation determinations All observations must be stored in the unit to verify that the readings are correct and the unit was working properly With respect to marsh elevation determinations each observation shall last a minimum of 30 seconds In an effort to reduce complications associated with the collection of elevation data between two instruments in close proximity to each other and to guarantee previously collected data can be adjusted to the latest survey the LDNR CRD has developed an Excel spreadsheet and data sheet Since RTK enables the elevation of the surveyed object to be displayed in the field the data sheet shall be completed in the field and all values shall be calculated to verify all the gauges and readings are within the acceptable 1 22 cm 0 04 ft range The data sheet Continuous Recorder and Staff Gauge Survey Data Sheet Form 2 precisely labels each column as well as provides a des
134. f random numbers Differential global positioning system DGPS Diameter tape fabric tape used to measure the diameter of trees in metric centimeters Tree marking paint chalk used to mark trees that have been measured 0 Hammer and aluminum nails and or tags used to mark DBH measurements Forested Swamp community l Using a DGPS carefully approach the northerly end of the diagonal vegetation transect This location will be the beginning point for the establishment of all the vegetation stations Remember Be very careful not to disturb the vegetation along the transect so that the data collection efforts are not compromised Using the random number table for that site the diagonal transect bearing provided by LDNR CRD usually 135 or 225 and a measuring tape carefully move from the beginning point of the transect to the first vegetation station Using a compass determine the orientation of the plot The point on the diagonal transect is the southeast corner of the vegetation station Measure 20 m North and 20 m West from this point to determine where the plot will fall Inspect the potential station to be sure that the station has more than 55 swamp and that it is not within 10 meters of any of the other data collection stations e g RSET accretion water level and or salinity continuous recorder or either of the boardwalks a If Step 4 is true then the station is established and the PVC pole and metal pipe can be place
135. f the shoreline navigation reference points to the other Approximately every 5 feet take a GPS reading in Louisiana State Plane South Zone Coordinate System in the North American Datum of 1983 NAD83 UTM meters This involves pushing reset on the GPS unit waiting approximately 10 seconds at each stopping point and pushing accept A best fit line is used to extrapolate the shoreline edge of the polygon and each point will be tallied in the GPS unit In some cases the position dilution of precision PDOP will be less than four 4 Therefore it will be necessary to wait longer than 10 seconds at each stop At least 10 stops readings must be made for accurate results In some cases especially areas with long straight shorelines the interval of GPS coordinates taken may be extended at the discretion of field personnel Office method Use a GIS program such as ArcInfo to plot each point and create a polygon from these points l Within each polygon the area m is determined by adding the polyline and measuring the land bisection of the original polygon This value is compared to the polygon formed by the shoreline position data for other sampling periods Calculate the difference between the area from one sampling period to other areas from other time periods to determined the total area change over the sampling period The change is divided by the total length of the polygon to calculate average shoreline change The total shoreline c
136. h 5 will be randomly generated for each X and Y coordinate Enough coordinates will be produced to use at each station plus a few extra coordinates NOTE The extras will be used when there are problems with the first core Secondly if this is not the initial sampling period make sure that these coordinates were not used previously Therefore field personnel must have the coordinates for the previous sampling periods The 50cm x 50 cm square used to locate the position of the sample coordinates within the plot shall be divided into 4 evenly spaced sections on all sides When determining the position of the random coordinate the side closest to the end of the boardwalk and the left side of the square while the person s back is to the water vessel is consider the position 1 1 Follow the procedure below to properly sample the accretion plots l After arriving at the site connect the appropriate hose and fittings to the dewar tank Use the necessary personal protective equipment to prevent any injuries from occurring A minimum of gloves and eye glasses are required 3 Place the 50cm x 50cm square over the PVC poles that mark the station location NOTE The square shall have 4 evenly spaced markings on all sides These markings will be used to determine where the sampling will occur in the station 4 From the randomly generated table step 1 select the position in the grid that will be sampled Samples will be taken from the center of the coor
137. hange was divided by the number of days between the samples and multiplied by 365 days to get an annual shoreline change rate Shoreline change rate can also be calculated for the entire project area among all sampling years 126 The LDNR CRD does not process the data to determine the accretion erosion rate of the shoreline The LDNR CRD has contracted the Spatial Analysis Branch at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center NWRC to perform its data processing since it does not have the capability to accurately analyze the data The USGS NWRC follows the guidelines set forth in the LDNR CRD s Quality Management Program April 2003 and September 1995 127 15 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY Color infrared photography will be acquired at each 1 km CRMS Wetland site to provide a site specific assessment of land and water coverage trends An unsupervised classification based on a 50 class assignment 0 950 convergence threshold and a maximum of 10 iterations will be performed on the appropriate aerial photography for each site The new image will be analyzed and interpreted and the original 50 classes will ultimately be combined into two classes land and water Unless otherwise noted as a specific preliminary condition all vegetation such as scrub shrub emergent vegetation and forested areas will fall under the land classification while open water nonvegetated mud flats and aquatic beds will be characterized as water After classification is
138. he site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used 102 When the data have been completely entered and the field trip report has been generated the appropriate QA QC checklist Form 8 is attached to the copied data sheet and the field trip report This compilation is referred to as the QA QC packet The QA QC packet is sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase II Phase II begins when the QA QC officer receives the packet The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and make comments as well as verifying that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet with the corresponding Excel file The QA QC officer examins the Excel file for any erroneous data that 1s questionable If mistakes with data transfer have occurred or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g post it notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that pos
139. he LDNR CRD rejects the final product the station will be removed and established correctly at another location selected by the LDNR CRD These procedures have been used extensively by the LDNR CRD and are proven to work in all environments To facilitate the proper construction of the station a schematic is provided in Figure 9 29 Prior to arriving at the site a point shall be cut on one end of the timber post to facilitate the installation process l 2 3 4 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 Transport all the materials and necessary equipment via the water vessel to the site Position and anchor the boat at the location where the post will be established Place the timber post in the water with the pointed end down Slowly lower the post into the water to penetrate the subsurface Make sure that the post remains plumb in all directions as the post is being installed Once the post no longer penetrates the substrate by the post s own weight then the widow maker must be placed on the top of the post Using the widow maker pound the post into the substrate until refusal is met NOTE Refusal occurs when the post no longer penetrates the substrate after 3 attempts At the end of this procedure the post must be plumb in all directions and approximately 4 feet of the post shall remain above the mean high water level or the marsh surface If the top of the post was damaged cut the damaged section off making sure the cut i
140. he Sampling Platform a ten foot boardwalk on either side of the Long Boardwalk Figure 2 The preliminary site visit will aid in determining the layout direction and length of the Long Boardwalk from where the water vessel is parked This length is very helpful as the correct number of planks teeth etc can be brought along for site construction The location of the Sampling Platform the approximate positioning of the sampling stations e g RSET accretion water level instruments and the coordinates of vegetation starting points and ending points will also be scouted Any potential problems will also be noted During the site visit the field personnel shall complete the Site Characterization Sheet Form 1 This information data sheet will characterize the proposed site to determine if the site is suitable for the requirements specified in the projects overall goals and objectives This information will also provide sufficient documentation for the construction phase of the project Along with the Site Map the construction personnel will be able to construct the necessary platforms and stations without having to decipher the goals and objectives of the project The Site Characterization Sheet will provide enough details that the construction personnel shall deliver the appropriate amount of materials to the site during construction The following section provides a list of the minimum materials equipment necessary to perform an
141. he appropriate heading and content An example shall be provided by the LDNR CRD Yearly summary graphs shall be produced after the third data acquisition trip these graphs shall be produced from the QA QC d data and show the mean cumulative rate of accretion and the average rate of accretion for the data collection period The LDNR CRD shall provide examples of the graphs that are required for this deliverable 103 9 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process and the creation of the summary data and graphic the original data sheets field trip report the QA QC packet the field notebooks and all the associated electronic files shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process Yearly summary graphs and summary statistics shall be provided to the LDNR CRD one month after the collection of the third data acquisition 104 10 EMERGENT VEGETATION Vegetation sampling has two objectives related to the evaluations of individual project and cumulative project effects The first objective is to determine the vegetation type that dominates the sampling location The second objective is to assess the relative vigor of the vegetation Vegetation sampling is designed to reach these two objectives in both herbaceous marshes and forested swamps and to be able to document any changes that occur during the life
142. he data set as well as to view the trends of the environmental conditions with respect to water elevations and marsh surface elevations 9 Click on the Marsh Mat Data worksheet tab at the bottom of the file 10 Change all the red font information in the upper portion of the worksheet to correspond with the data on the calibration sheet 11 Copy the data from the comma delimited file Using the paste special feature only paste the values in the appropriate cells on the lower section of the worksheet 12 Click on the Sonde Data worksheet 13 Open the continuous recorder Excel data file that corresponds with the station This instrument is located in the open water or marsh channel in close proximity to the marsh mat recorder 14 Copy the data from the Data worksheet Using the paste special feature paste the data as values into the Sonde Data worksheet of the Marsh Mat data file Remember The format must remain the same 15 Change all the red font information on the Sonde Data worksheet to correspond with the information on the continuous recorder spreadsheet 16 Close the continuous recorder raw data file and YearHour files 17 Delete the extra lines at the end of the Marsh Mat Data and Marsh Mat Oracle worksheets The template is designed for larger data sets 18 Change the graphs on the Graphs worksheet so that the data extends the entire graph This is accomplished using the Source Data func
143. he feldspar may still be visible on the surface If this occurs select the coordinates and verify that the feldspar is still on the surface and note this for the station 101 In a highly organic environment once the marshicle is removed there may be sediment and decomposing plant matter on top of the feldspar and then a void layer or water layer above the sediment and plant biomass Only measure what is consolidated on top of the feldspar Do not include the void area The length of the bullet depends on the amount of sediment that has accumulated on top of the feldspar and the depth of water on the marsh surface Normally two lengths of bullets are made and brought into the field 12 inches and 18 inches Measuring marshsicles can be subjective at times It is highly recommended that the same person measure at all times when possible 9 3 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in agreement 100 with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection Upon returning from the field photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed syste
144. he marsh by four spiral anchors Within these PVC pipes a YSI 600XLM is deployed to record the water temperature specific conductance salinity and water level on a hourly basis unless otherwise specified by the LDNR CRD The following procedures are used to construct the housing for the continuous recorder Materials List Schedule 40 6 PVC pipe Schedule 40 6 PVC cap Schedule 40 2 PVC pipe Schedule 40 2 PVC cap Schedule 40 1 PVC pipe Treated 5 8 plywood Brass hitch pins 9 long POE TE ep rs 59 8 Brass locks provided by the LDNR CRD 9 Spiral anchors four 10 L brackets 2 11 Stainless steel or equivalent bolts V4 x20x1 2 12 Stainless steel or equivalent nuts V4 x20 13 Marine caulk and adhesive Tools 1l Drill 2 Drill bits 7 32 4 9 32 3 8 Ya 5 8 24 1 2 3 4 3 Tap 4 x20 4 Hacksaw 5 Tape measure Construction Mounting Base Figure 12A l 3 4 Cut the plywood to measure 2 x2 Draw lines from corner to corner on the 2 x2 piece to locate the center and locate the holes for the anchors Drill a 2 3 4 hole in the center of the board Drill 1 holes approximately 4 from each corner of the board along the corner lines Outside Cover Figure 12B l Cut the 6 PVC pipe to a length of 30 Make sure the cut is square If the PVC pipe is not perforated then drill a minimum of 20 3 4 holes in the pipe NOTE No holes shall be drilled 3 from ei
145. he sections where calculations were performed in the field The QA QC officer must examine the Excel data file for any erroneous data that are questionable If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet The QA QC officer also checks several worksheets in the Site History file to verify that the information regarding the deployment and removal of instruments is complete as well as the worksheets with respect to the missing or voided data associated with the station Once the packet and files have been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that is in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or have presented questions shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information is 10096 correct This process will continue until all the corrections have been made and all the questions have been answered to the satisfaction of the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has bee
146. he water level data to the vertical datum NAVD88 Feet These formulas are located in the four columns directly to the right of the Count column and may need to be filled down to the end of the raw data if necessary The Count is used in the calculation of the shift and must begin with 0 at the first row of raw data and be filled all the way down to the end of the raw data If the percent difference is greater than 596 between the dirty continuous recorder readings and the calibration instrument for the salinity or water level data then a shift is applied in the shifted data columns Scroll down the spreadsheet to make a visual check of the raw and shifted data If any erroneous data need to be deleted always delete the data from the SHIFTED columns NEVER delete raw data from the file Some examples of erroneous data include but are not limited to 1 In very low salinity environments a biofouling shift on salinity in the negative direction may cause some shifted values to be negative These negative values must be deleted and the resulting zeroes in Oracle should be removed 2 Raw depth should not be negative If negative raw depth values are encountered there was either an instrument malfunction or the water level may have dropped below the depth sensor during the sampling period resulting in erroneous readings In the first case all shifted data may need to be deleted beyond the point where the malfunction occurred In the secon
147. his provides a stable environment for the attachment of the housing compartment Figure 13 and pulley cable extension arm The housing and extension arm is an aluminum platform and cover or equivalent material that attaches to the top of the post and protects the instrumentation from weather and vandalism The arm allows for the cable to attach to the marsh away from the pipe Figure 14 is a schematic of how the post and housing are assembled during installation 173 SECTION A A SECTION B B x RS DATA LOGGER RUBBER GASKET MATERIA Figure 13 Construction drawing for the instrument housing unit used on the static marsh mat continuous recorder system The following are recommended procedures for the establishment of the station 1 From the boardwalk cut a hole in the marsh mat the size of the post using a soil auger or coring tube 2 Place the post in the hole NOTE The post shall be with an open end however the post shall remain high enough above the marsh surface such that the counter weight does not rest upon anything in the tube during deployment or servicing If the counter weight touches anything inside the post it may adversely affect the readings 3 Using the persons weight drive the post into the underlying substrate as deep as possible
148. iameter rod Berntsen MIDPA or equivalent Manual driving adapter Berntsen MDA or equivalent Power driving adapter Berntsen PDA or equivalent Loctite cement for stainless steel PVC Schedule 40 6 diameter by 3 4 feet Cement mix 0 Collar and screws Figure 5 inset provided by LDNR CRD SOW ngo tB Installation Materials List Power driving device Pionjar 120 Cobra 148 or equivalent Pipe wrenches two 6 wrenches Post hole digger maximum 6 diameter Hacksaw File 2 x12 x10 treated board 2 Cement mixing equipment bucket shovel water etc Personal Protective Equipment minimum eye protection gloves and ear plugs Hammer or small sledge hammer 0 Compass E SO o bc Ceo d des 13 COLLAR CONCRETE 7 4 E NU bolle vue m a P al ast ut vi M de Ts 4 liu dns Bras tes gt huc ae z FP 4 a E m BID x 3 L m PVC PIPE ee AM _ T EARTH TT ZU AUT n E NE Y 9 16 SS ROD DRIVEN TO REFUSAL Figure 5 Detail construction drawing of a typical RSET station with collar Inset Collar detail 14 11 Bucket to remove the soil Deep Rod Benchmark Installation Procedure 1 Place the board across the two existing boardwalks where the rod for the RSET will be installed If more than one person will be installing the rod for the RSET a second board shall be used for safety 2 Using a post hole digger dig a hole 1 1 2 2 feet dee
149. ice Southeast Region St Petersburg FL Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Coastal Ecology Laboratory Coastal Ecology Publication LSU CEL 82 25 44 pp 131 17 FORMS 132 Form 1 Site characterization sheet used during the preliminary site visit Site Characterization Sheet Station Basin Agency Date and Time CST Field Personnel Boardwalk Layout Coordinates for the beginning of Long Easting Northing Boardwalk UTM NAD83 Meters Direction Bearing of Long Boardwalk degrees Approximate length of Long Boardwalk meters Placement of Sampling Platform off Long Boardwalk left right Notes on Boardwalk establishment Vegetation Dominant Species Quality of Marsh Health of Marsh Other photos Direction Time Stamp Number Direction Time Stamp N E S W Marsh Characteristics Floating Marsh Recommended Setup Static Floating Why Recommended water level recorder Wooden post Mono pole Ultrasonic Coordinates for the continuous Easting Northing recording device UTM NAD83 Meters Notes Potential Problems of Site 133 Form 2 Example of a surveying spreadsheet used to calculate correction factors for historic monitoring hydrologic data Continuous Recorder and Staff Gauge Survey Data Sheet Continuous Recorder Gauge Top of Recorder Top of Recorder Support Pole 4x4 Top of Support Support Pole to Post Cap of Pipe Pole to Nail or Top Nail or Hole Top of Wate
150. ided this must be noted dated and initialed in the Comments section of the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet as well as in the Site History Excel file explained below The procedure above has placed the data into a format that will be accepted by the LDNR CRD database however the transition between the data in the previous month s file and the data in the current file needs to be verified The technician will compare the last two weeks of data from the previous file if one exists to the data in the beginning of the current file to verify that the transition is smooth the pattern is similar and there are no missing data Often an hourly reading is missing while the instrument is being cleaned If this occurred insert a row at the beginning of the current data file in both the Data worksheet and the Oracle worksheet Insert the missing date and time into the appropriate columns and leave the rest of the data row blank If the transition between the two files seems to be erroneous then the technician must resolve the problem by examining the data and the data sheet associated with the files If it is determined that a data set must be voided specific documentation must occur in the Site History file Once the technician has completed the review of the data and believes it to be 100 correct the technician must print out the graphs from the Graph worksheet and the statistics and percent completene
151. in that the garden rake is dragged on the pond bottom for one second rather than three seconds To assure repeatability across all sites airboat speed should be as uniform as possible This requires that the airboat idle into the wind and travel at approximately one boat length every 10 seconds 1 7 ft sec during strong winds power can be increased as needed Leaf bud or root presence are generally required for a plant to be considered present in terrestrial sampling but SAV is considered present if whole or part of an identifiable plant is returned to the surface by the rake The number of points on a given transect should never fall below 25 Mueller Dombois and Ellenberg 1974 therefore ponds less than 0 25 ha roughly 0 5 acres should be excluded from sampling Accuracy increases with plot number to an unknown limit therefore as many points as reasonable will be sampled as the airboat idles across the pond on three transects that roughly divide the pond into fourths There is likely no benefit of exceeding 100 points per pond Transects will not be permanent so that their direction and starting point can vary among sample dates and differing wind directions 121 Field Station Establishment Materials and Equipment List Equipment Apparatus 1 PVC poles approximately 8 10 ft in length 2 Metal tine rake with depth graduations along the shaft 3 Documentation supplies logbook field data sheets sample labels no 2 pencils black per
152. ing with respect to site selection station construction data collection methods data management data quality and data interpretation With the implementation of CRMS Wetlands in 2004 the SOP was disassembled and re written to correspond with the procedures recommended by the LDNR CRD The new SOP will serve as the document for consultation with respect to all data collection variables as they relate to field establishment site station construction data collection data processing Quality Assurance QA and Quality Control QC and data storage This SOP will assure that the results of any technical work have adhered to specific standards suitable for their intended use Data collection plays a critical role in determining any project s effectiveness at achieving long term goals To this end it is crucial that data collection must be consistent and repeatable by all parties involved with CRMS Wetlands project specific monitoring and throughout all coastal wetlands Since data collected from each of these sites will be made available to not only the public but also used to publish the coast wide trends and status report and evaluation of projects aimed to restore enhance or conserve coastal ecosystems it is imperative that these procedures are followed to achieve precise accurate repeatable acceptable and accredited data Bass et al 2003 This document outlines the updated SOP to be implemented with CRMS Wetlands and to be used fo
153. inuous recorder in an unattended mode Follow the guidelines for files name etc in the section Water Level Deployment section of the previous chapter Water Level Servicing 20 Secure the instrument and cable using the brass locks on the two brass hitch pins and the electrical box on the wooden post or secure the cap to the top of the pipe using the brass hitch pin and brass lock Water Level Servicing 21 Notes shall be taken and documented in the Notes section of the calibration sheet or in a field notebook These notes shall include a The water level in relation to the marsh surface Approximate the depth of water above the surface or the distance below the surface b Ifthe instrument is near a water control structure document the flow of the water and approximate the speed of the water flow The health of the vegetation around the station shall be noted The health of submerged aquatic vegetation as well as abundance shall be noted e Any changes in the marsh with respect to erosion subsidence movement etc shall be noted a9 Troubleshooting Refer to the troubleshooting section in chapter 4 1 2 5 1 2 Data Processing Refer to chapter 4 1 3 Data Processing 52 Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System SONRIS Data Entry Refer to the SONRIS section in chapter 4 1 3 5 1 3 Summary Data and Graphic Refer to chapter 4 1 4 Summary Data and Graphics S 1 4 Deliverables Refer to the chap
154. ions For example a site that has sufficient yearly levels of water 1 e water would remain above the water sensor throughout the year would have a YSI 6920 YSI 600XLM or equivalent continuous recorder to measure hourly water level and salinity values The LDNR CRD has approved two methods for deploying continuous recorder instruments for the collection of water quality data The methods differ in the use of materials and environment in which they are suited One method consists of a four inch by four inch 4 x4 by twenty 20 foot treated wooden post driven into the substrate of an open water body to refusal A perforated PVC pipe and electrical box are mounted onto a 2 x4 x10 board which is attached onto the wooden post Figure 9 via two hitch pins This method works well in meandering bayous and marsh channels where the mean depth of water is less than 8 feet and the velocity of water is low to moderate The other method is a stainless steel pipe henceforth called the mono pole that has a quarter inch plate welded at a depth such that the plate rests on the bottom for stabilization The pipe has slits cut out in the water column to facilitate water exchange Figure 7 This pipe method is suited for all environments however it is best used in high velocity or high energy areas such as rivers and large navigational waterways In determining which method to use the LDNR CRD suggests that 1 In areas with low wave action wooden post st
155. iption and Analysis A Practical Approach John Wiley amp Sons New York 384 pp 130 McGinnis IL T E 1997 Factors of soil strength and shoreline movement in a Louisiana coastal marsh M S Thesis University of Southwestern Louisiana Lafayette LA 79 pp McKee K L LA Mendelssohn and M W Hester 1988 Reexamination of pore water sulfide concentrations and redox potentials near the aerial roots of Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans American Journal of Botany 75 1352 1359 Meriwether J R W J Sheu C Hardaway and J N Beck 1996 Coring sampler for chemical analyses of soft sediments Microchemical Journal 53 201 206 Mitsch W J and J G Gosselink 1993 Wetlands 2nd ed John Wiley amp Sons New York 722 pp Mueller Dombois D and H Ellenberg 1974 Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology John Wiley and Sons New York 547 pp Phillips L A 2002 Vertical accretion and marsh elevation dynamics on the Chenier Plain Louisiana M S Thesis University of Louisiana Lafayette Lafayette LA Steyer G D R C Raynie D L Steller D Fuller and E Swenson 1995 Quality management plan for Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act monitoring program Open file series no 95 01 Baton Rouge Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Coastal Restoration Division 108 pp Swenson E M 1982 A report on the Catfish Lake Louisiana backfilling study Prepared for National Marine Fisheries Serv
156. it or field computer to an Excel spreadsheet for the production of graphs and monthly summary data analysis before the data is imported into the LDNR CRD s main database The LDNR CRD has developed an extensive procedure that shall be followed with respect to the instruments field deployment servicing data process data storage statistical analysis and graphic display of analysis The second type of instrumentation used to measure surface water elevation uses ultrasonic technology The ultrasonic water level instrument is not deployed in a matter which submerges its sensor instead the sensor is suspended above the surface Since this sensor is suspended above the surface of the water it is not a multi parameter water quality instrument therefore salinity measurements can not be measured The sole purpose of this instrument is to record the water surface s vertical movement on a continuous basis To this date the LDNR CRD has not utilized this technology but future projects will require this type of instrumentation consequently an extensive procedure regarding the deployment servicing data process data storage statistical analysis and graphic display of analysis has yet been developed 26 4 1 1 Types of Continuous Recorder Stations Due to the topographic variability among all sites in coastal Louisiana several different procedures for station establishment have been developed to collect data with respect to the surface water condit
157. ithin the boundary of the station 4 Fill out the cover percentages as they relate to the total cover all plant types within the boundary of the station and bare ground Then begin to separate the plant types tree shrub herbaceous and carpet and estimate the percentages 5 In the species list section of the data sheet record the scientific name of every plant species present in the station and place an T in the In Out column of the data sheet 6 Examine the entire station and give a cover percentage for each individual plant species present 7 Examine the list of plants and their percent cover Using the plant species with the most cover dominant species measure 5 stems of the plant and record an average height on the top section of the data sheet Repeat step 6 for the tree shrub herbaceous and carpet layer if they are present 9 Examine the 10 meters 33 feet in all directions outside of the station and list the plant species found by their scientific name Indicate if there outside presence by placing an O in the In Out column of the data sheet Note some plants may be inside and outside the station and can be documented by recording a I O in the In Out column of the data sheet in that species row 10 Proceed to the next vegetation station eS 10 2 Forested swamp sampling Vegetation sampling in swamps will consist of five replicate 20 m x 20 m stations located within a 200 m x 200 m square th
158. l be determined by the needs of each individual project Marsh surface with respect to elevation surveys is defined as when the survey rod is resting among living stems or is supported by soil containing living roots In order to get consistent readings it may be necessary to move stems of the vegetation where stem density is extremely high In areas where Spartina patens Saltmeadow cordgrass are the dominant species a minimum of forty 40 elevations will be obtained and recorded Twenty 20 elevations will be recorded on the marsh surface and twenty 20 elevations will be recorded on the crown top part of the tuft of the Spartina patens that is adjacent to the marsh surface reading These readings shall be recorded such that the marsh elevation and the crown readings can be separated The average marsh elevation will be obtained by averaging the forty 40 points however these readings may need to be separated at a later date Prior to obtaining marsh elevation readings the following information shall be recorded in a field journal station number date and time of the survey staff gauge reading if present and presence or absence of water above the marsh surface Once the survey at each station is completed the surveyor shall record the type of terrain encountered during the survey The description should include firmness of the marsh surface and ease of movement which will facilitate how the area may be surveyed at a later date 12 6
159. l weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the Excel files and field trip report have been completed the technician must compile a quality assurance QA quality control QC packet This packet shall include 1 the appropriate QA QC checklist Form 5 cover sheet 2 field trip report 3 photocopied Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet s depends on the number of stations in a packet 4 graphs printed from the Excel file Graphs worksheet 5 summary statistics and percent completeness calculations printed from the Excel file Data worksheet The QA QC packet and associated Excel files are sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase IT The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the field trip report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and comment as it pertains to the information on the data sheet The QA QC officer then examines the data sheet s for 71 completeness and accuracy regarding t
160. ld notebook 7 Add the two measurements together 8 With the measurement obtained in step 7 transfer the measurement to the 2 PVC pipe from the bottom of the 2 x2 board toward the end of the pipe opposite end of the outside cover 9 Cut the PVC pipe using the hacksaw or PVC cutter 10 Glue the 2 PVC cap to the end that was cut 11 Place the set up in the hole such that the 2 pipe goes through the marsh mat and the outside cover remains above the marsh surface 12 Secure the set up to the marsh surface using the 4 spiral anchors through the 4 holes in the board at the corners 13 Using the 1 pipe that was pre drilled step 3 of the Retaining Rod section cut the pipe such that the YSI 600XLM remains in place 14 Ifthe instrument is not being deployed at this time lock the retaining rod into place using the brass hitch pin and lock Then lock the 6 cap using the brass hitch pin and lock 15 Ifthe instrument is being deployed continue with the Deployment section Using this method places the water level sensor at the bottom of the marsh mat and the water temperature specific conductance and salinity probe slightly below the marsh mat The measurement from the marsh surface to the water level sensor is a crucial measurement It is this measurement that will determine if the water surface is below or above the marsh surface This information will be used to calculate the depth and duration of the flooding period
161. le ProjectMonthStation Example CR 00319 oeonocege 67 34 The rest of the information in this menu does not require any input Read the information provided in the menu to verify that the battery volts battery life and free memory are sufficient 35 Select the Start Logging function and accept 36 Before disconnecting the field display unit record the following information on the data sheet a Water depth in the Clean Water section b Station and location Deployment section c Date and time Deployment section d Battery volts Deployment section e Constant recorder information Manufacture Model Serial Number f Deployment filename Deployment section g Duration and interval Deployment section 37 Disconnect the field display unit and secure the cap once the cable has been coiled inside of the outside cover using the brass hitch pin and lock 38 Exitthe station without stepping on the marsh surface In the Notes section briefly describe the condition of the area with respect to any noticeable changes that may have occurred since the last trip Document the water level in relation to the marsh surface and about how many inches above or below the marsh surface the water level is at the time of servicing Document if there was any vandalism or problems with the boardwalk accretion stations vegetation stations or anything associated with the data collection efforts at the site 6 1 2
162. libration Sheet 3 Calibrate the instrument s water level sensor to zero 0 when it is out of the water prior to deployment Follow the procedures in the owner s manual for the specific instrument being used Record the Depth Out of Water ft reading after calibration in the Clean Reading section 4 Once the instrument has been placed into position for deployment and has stabilized record the depth of the water from the instrument onto the calibration sheet in the Clean Reading section 5 Verify that the water depth reading is correct by using a surveyors measuring rod Place the Mark to Sensor Distance value on the rod at the nail on the timber post or the top of the 74 hole on the mono pole This places the bottom of the rod zero reading at the water level sensor on the continuous recorder Read the water level on the rod and place that number in the Water Level on Rod ft box on the calibration sheet under the Staff Gauge section This number should be within 0 10 of the continuous recorder depth reading If the difference between the numbers are greater than 0 10 then a problem exists and must be rectified 6 Add the Sensor Elevation NAVD ft to the Water Level on Rod ft to get the Water Level NAVD 88 ft 7 Record the staff gauge reading in the Staff Gauge NAVD ft box The staff gauge was established to the vertical datum 8 Calculate the difference between the Staff
163. ll be secured with stainless steel or equivalent screws or nails 20 The instrument can now be deployed for continuous readings 2 Secure the site with the three brass locks on the two hitch pins and the electrical box Mono pole Materials List Minimum Qu um de ca pc 4 x 20 schedule 10 304 Stainless steel pipe 5 standard cap 1 V x1square foot 304 stainless steel plate 1 6 Brass hitch pin Brass lock to be provided by LDNR CRD Reflective tape or reflectors 31 WATER ELEV WATER ELEV i WATER H20 LEVEL SENSOR Figure 10 Schematic of distances needed to be measured for the calculations of elevations 32 Additional Materials Needed For the Installation Process l Vibracore 2 Widow maker a cylindrical steel device that is approximately 36 inches in length has an outside diameter of 7 inches and weighs approximately 60 pounds used for driving post 3 Drills and metal bits for stainless steel and driving screws if reflectors are used minimum of 1 4 and bits 4 Hacksaw 5 Level Installation The field personnel shall install the continuous recorder using the following method The method shall be established as follows Verification of site selection l The site map site characterization sheet and a differential Global
164. ll be utilized herbaceous marsh community data sheet Vegetation Sampling Data Sheet Modified Braun Blanquet Technique Form 14 and Forest Community Data Sheet Form 15 108 The materials list above is also used during data collection The random number table will be taken to the field during both the initial site establishment trip and all subsequent sampling trips If a new station needs to be established the next random number on the list will be used The metal and PVC pipes will be needed if a station must be re established Reasons for station re establishment include 1 If both the metal and PVC pipes are removed or lost 2 Ifa significant unnatural anthropomorphic change to the study site has occurred e g digging or dumping of soil at the site 3 Ifthe station becomes open water In the case of station re establishment LDNR CRD shall be notified of the new GPS coordinates and reasons for re establishment Herbaceous marsh community 1 Using the poles established in the installation process place the 2 m x 2 m PVC square such that the pole is the southeast corner of the station The orientation of the station is north south and east west 2 Using the Natural Vegetation Sampling Data Sheet completely fill out all the sample type project station group personnel plot size date and plant community type before beginning the collection of data within the station 3 Examine the entire vegetative community w
165. manent marker 4 Differential GPS 5 Regional field guides to native aquatic plants 6 Compass 7 YSI 30 conductivity salinity meter or equivalent 13 1 Field Station Establishment SAV sampling will occur in the pond in which a continuous recorder or discrete water quality station is located 13 2 Data Collection Data collection often occurs during the fall months before the water temperature begins to fall and before numerous waterfowl migrate into the coastal areas of Louisiana The LDNR CRD may collect SAV data during the spring months but this is highly unusual This method requires at least three 3 field personnel a vessel operator a data recorder and a sampler The data recorder will be responsible for recording SAV species present water temperature specific conductance and salinity at the beginning and ending of each transect Form 16 Water depth shall be measured every 5 samples Each station should have at least 3 transects with at least 25 rake samples taken on each transect Transects shall be parallel to the wind Differential GPS coordinates are to be taken at approximately the center of the pond 1 While idling an airboat into the wind one rake sample will be taken every 10 seconds The sampler will touch the tine side of the rake into the direction the boat is traveling and to the pond bottom for one second remove the sample from the bottom and identify the vegetation from the rake sample 2 The sampler
166. matically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies Using the template Excel spreadsheet that has been developed and supplied by the LDNR CRD the data collector shall save the template using the following naming convention Station Accretion date xls i e CRMS0391 Accretion August2005 xls This ensures that the template does not get changed accidentally and provides a working copy of the file Working from the photocopy the data are transferred from the field data sheet s to the Excel spreadsheet The person responsible for the field data collection shall transfer 10096 of the data into the corresponding cells of the spreadsheet Once the data and information has been transferred they must check to verify that the data entry has been completed and all numbers and notes are 100 correct Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered t
167. move the rod when fastening the collar to the rod if the cement is still wet 11 The final product shall resemble Figure 5 zs pots The RSET will be established at sites approved by the LDNR CRD In areas where the marsh is classified as floating a rod for the RSET will not be established Instead a deep rod monument will be established in a close proximity to the site The establishment of this secondary monument will follow A Contractor s Guide to Minimum Standards dated June 2003 unless a more recent version is released Documentation shall be made as to the depth of refusal and the distance for the top of the rod to the top of the collar at each site and include the number of rods used during the installation as well as a length in feet Pictures shall contain a date and time stamp These pictures will ensure the LDNR CRD that the surface adjacent to the monument was not disturbed When establishing the elevation of the rod for the RSET using real time kinematic RTK surveying methods all necessary equipment must be elevated from the marsh surface Since this area 1s being used for the collection of scientific data any instrumentation or equipment that is placed on the marsh swamp surface will affect the efforts of the scientific community Consequently all the equipment that 15 is used to determine the elevation of the benchmark must be raised using a technique that meets the requirements of the surveyor and meets approval
168. n finalized the data collector must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initial and the data next to the correction 6 1 3 Summary Data and Graphic At this time the Restoration Technology Section of the LDNR CRD has not developed a storage database with respect to the marsh mat continuous recorder data Consequently the storage media at this time shall be yearly Excel files A template shall be provided by the LDNR CRD This template will allow all the monthly file data to be transferred to another file that will contain all the data collected for a year This data transfer will take place once it has been determined by the QA QC officer that the data is 100 accurate and no changes will take place to the data The yearly file shall be assembled on a monthly basis after the second successive data acquisition has occurred and the data has been QA QC d consequently there will be a one month data lag between the yearly file and the QA Qc packet The monthly data from the Oracle worksheet will be copied to the yearl
169. n important concern in Louisiana coastal marshes field personnel will measure soil porewater salinity at specific stations at 10 cm and 30 cm depth on a monthly basis Soil porewater constituents are relatively uniform above 20 25 cm Feijtel et al 1988 and these depths represent the approximate mean and maximum depth of the root zone Mitsch and Gosselink 1993 Soil porewater salinities are easily measured in the field with use of a sipper probe to aid in extracting interstitial water from each depth and measuring salinity with a handheld salinity meter of extracted water McKee et al 1988 Materials List l Rigid Sipper Probes a Rigid plastic or stainless steel tubing with a diameter of 3 0 mm 0 12 in with a maximum length of 95 cm 37 4 in b Epoxy or sealant c Drill and bits 0 5 mm 0 02 in 60 ml syringe 50 ml plastic centrifuge tube or similar tube with an inside diameter of at least 2 54 cm 1 0 in Hand held discrete salinity meter YSI 30 or equivalent Tygon Tubing 30 90 cm 1 0 3 0 ft length of tygon tubing attached to the open end of the rigid sipper probe Two way valve if necessary Cheesecloth Construction of Sipper Probe and Pore Water Extractor l CA Cut the rigid plastic or stainless steel tubing to length 50 cm Seal one end of the tubing with an epoxy or sealant to prevent the passage of any liquid material Drill six 6 0 5 mm holes on opposite sides 2 3 and 4 cm from the sealed
170. n of the data sheet Using the procedures stated in the owner s manual activate the instrument to display the readings Record the date time measured value and battery volts in the Dirty Readings section for the continuous recorder Determine the distance between the marsh surface and the measuring sensor Record the value in the appropriate box on the data sheet If water is present on the marsh surface record the depth of water in the appropriate box on the data sheet If no water is present on the surface write No Water in the appropriate box Calculate the difference between the continuous recorder s measured level and the value from the surveyor s measuring rod The formula is continuous recorder measured level manual reading top of platform to marsh surface Place the value in the Distance Difference box of the Dirty Reading section Calculate the Difference by using the formula Distance Difference step 9 manual reading top of platform to marsh surface 100 Place the value in the Difference box TT 11 12 13 14 15 16 D 18 19 20 Download the instrument using the procedures set forth in the owner s manual Record if the download was completed and successful Decide whether the battery volts are sufficient to properly power the instrument until the next servicing period If the battery volts are not sufficient replace the battery using the procedure set forth in the owner
171. n the data sheet Also if an unusual occurrence takes place that would alter a majority of the readings in a particular direction the table shall be rotated 45 degrees to obtain the readings Specific documentation shall occur for this particular disposition such that the subsequent readings are taken from this position 8 3 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in 10096 agreement with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection Upon returning from the field photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies Currently the LDNR CRD s Restoration Technology Section is in the process of developing the Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System SONRIS database for the storage of the RSET data Upon completion the data will be entered directly into the database This data will be stored in a buffer zone of the database
172. ness of 5 millimeters mm is achieved or no less than 80 ounces 2 27 kg of feldspar is used a If the marsh is dry on the day of the station establishment the feldspar needs to be compacted with water after it is applied This compaction is accomplished by carefully sprinkling the water through a watering can in a manner that moistens the feldspar to consolidate the material Special attention needs to be taken such that the water does not produce any voids exposed marsh surface in the feldspar b If the marsh is flooded on the day of the station establishment some type of barrier needs to be used to allow the feldspar to settle to the marsh surface without drifting out of the boundary of the station NOTE The LDNR CRD recommends a trashcan with the bottom cut out be used or a similar device The can or device is place on the marsh and slightly penetrates the surface so there is no space between the marsh and can It may take 15 minutes or longer for all the feldspar to settle The feldspar has a tendency to float when it is applied until it becomes completely saturated Remove the barrier when all the feldspar has settled Using a digital camera with the date and time stamp function enabled pictures at each site will be taken to show the establishment and orientation of the three stations NOTE Pictures will include one taken directly above each station with the PVC pipes in place and another picture of the entire site will be taken Pictures
173. ng 2 inches to the right on each subsequent sample Note Before readings are taken in the field with a hand held discrete salinity meter the meter must be calibrated for quality assurance Since the meter is capable of measuring a wide range of salinity concentrations the instrument shall be calibrated with a solution that is relatively close to the conditions in the field To maintain the highest degree of quality the protocol for instrument calibration must be adhered to whenever the instrument is turned on or when the field conditions have dramatically changed The meter shall also be calibrated monthly see chapter 5 2 1 Prior to insertion for each replication inspect the sipper holes for blockage and unclog as necessary 2 From the boardwalk insert the porewater sipper with the two marked graduations 10 and 30 cm into the soil to the 10 cm or 30 cm graduation 3 Before measuring porewater salinity the tubing syringe and centrifuge tube must be rinsed with porewater from each sampling depth at least once Fill about one third to one half the volume 20 30 ml of the syringe with porewater and rinse the interior of the syringe thoroughly Discard the water Extract another 30 ml of porewater and use it to rinse the centrifuge tube it is recommended to use a two way valve to dispense water from the syringe into the centrifuge tube to prevent losing suction on the sipper or the sipper hose 4 Dispose of the rinse and pull a thi
174. nloaded raw data file name and the xls extension This Excel template contains 4 worksheets a Marsh Mat Data Enter the data from the calibration sheet in this worksheet Formulas determine if the data needs to be shifted because of biofouling on the continuous recorder This worksheet contains three areas the top area requires the input of data from the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet that was completed in the field All the cells with the red font require a change and the information data are obtained from the calibration sheet On the lower portion of the spreadsheet the raw 69 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 data are pasted They are shifted for biofouling and converted to NAVD 88 Feet Statistical summary and percent completeness calculations are located on the right side of the worksheet b Sonde Data This worksheet is used to paste the values of the continuous recorder data from the instrument that is in the open water or marsh channel near the marsh mat recorder It is this worksheet that allows the water elevation and marsh surface elevation to be calculated c Marsh Mat Oracle This worksheet puts the data from the Data worksheet into the appropriate format for the LDNR CRD main database Any erroneous data that are deleted from the shifted section of the data worksheet will appear as a zero value in the Oracle worksheet These zero values m
175. nly occur when the field team has collected data all day and the instrument was only calibrated at the beginning of the trip A separate digital thermometer shall be used to collect an additional temperature reading alongside the multiple surface readings and noted in the field report This thermometer shall be calibrated and shall be able to read 0 1 C degrees 5 2 3 Quality Assurance Every hand held salinity meter used to collect data shall be tested and calibrated monthly using the following protocol and the completion of the Monthly Hand held Salinity Meter Calibration Data Sheet Form 7 l Obtain a thermometer that has been manufactured to the standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials This thermometer should have the following minimum capabilities range of 0 C to 100 C and divisions of 0 1 C Pour a generous amount of a known calibration solution into a container that has been cleaned with deionized water and rinsed with the calibration solution NOTE Do not pour this solution back into the bottle Place the thermometer into the solution and set it aside for a few minutes This allows the solution to obtain room temperature and allows the thermometer to become acclimated to the solution Take this time to examine the salinity meter Check for cuts on the wire sufficient battery life the instrument is clean the key pad is working properly and the LED screen is readable On the data sheet record the temp
176. nt is completed when 5 appropriate vegetation stations are positioned that neither interfere with other sampling stations nor are lt 55 swamp Each station will be marked with a metal short stake permanent marker and a 1 2 inch diameter PVC stake that extends 6 feet above the marsh surface for ease of locating the station Composition and vigor of tree species will be determined using diameter at breast height DBH measurements of trees gt 5 cm DBH Trees lt 5 cm DBH will be counted by species The DBH will be measured at a height of 137 cm above the forest floor Avery and Burkhart 1994 Measuring an irregular tree trunk shall follow the methods prescribed in Avery and Burkhart 1994 see descriptions below Trees may be temporarily marked with chalk or paint to assure that each tree has been accounted for and measured as well as to prevent a tree from being measured twice Measurements at understory stations will follow the measurements taken at marsh stations see herbaceous marsh sampling Installation The LDNR CRD will provide DGPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters or for the start and end of the diagonal vegetation transect as well as orientation bearing Prior to site establishment a unique set of 9 random numbers between 1 and 9 will be selected for each site and maintained with the site file The first 5 numbers will be arranged numerically from lowest to highest to expedite station establishment and to reduce backtracking Each
177. ntered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 2 general weather conditions 3 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place and 6 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site When the data have been completely entered and the field trip report has been generated the appropriate quality assurance quality control QA QC checklist Form 8 is attached to the copied data sheet s and the field trip report This compilation is referred to as the QA QC packet The QA QC packet is sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase II Phase II begins with the transfer of the QA QC packet to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and comment as well as verifying that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet s with the SONRIS database and the Excel file The QA QC officer examines the SONRIS database according to the protocol set forth in the User s Manual For Hydrographic and Emergent Vegetation Data 114 Management dated December 29 2003 for any erroneous data or data
178. of vandalism 9 Repeat steps 2 thru 8 until the boardwalk is to its desired length 10 Using the site specific configuration determine the placement of the shorter boardwalk 11 At the end of the boardwalk opposite end of the water vessel lay a board 2 x12 x10 on the marsh in the direction where the shorter boardwalk will be established NOTE This distributes the weight of the person and reduces damage to the marsh surface 11 3 8 x 6 GALV CARRIAGE BOLT NUT AND WASHER 2 FT 2 x4 gt z x 6 2 x 4 E d 3 8 X 6 GALV NATURE 3 8 6 GROUND in tm d CARRIAGE BOLT NUT 3 8 x 4 AND WASHER GALV CARRIAGE BOLT NUT AND WASHER AS REQUIRED TOP VIEW a ELEVATION VIEW Y NN AUN ANA IN INN Tm AD LE TEE OE ZA EL LEE TL RE LLL LIE 2 Ee LEE MIO WA HSE E m E ee EE E zz Te zz FEE AA AS T zz ES EE A BE EE LLL NE a A A Figure 4 Tooth construction diagram used to support the boardwalk for access to the data collection stations 12 12 Using the same procedures construct a ten 10 foot boardwalk that is parallel to the longer boardwalk and a minimum of 6 feet away 13 The final product shall closely
179. oject area due to variable wind and wave orientations is negligible among sampling trips GPS Requirements The following requirements are minimum standards needed to collect DGPS coordinates for the use in determining shoreline positions 1 GPS Unit The LDNR CRD collects GPS data using Trimble AgGPS 122 Integrated DGPS Beacon Receiver It is a 12 channel GPS receiver at least 4 channels are required for accurate measurements with an integrated MSK receiver to provide an all in one DGPS unit with real time processing It receives both the GPS satellite signals and the differential correction broadcasts from established navigation beacon reference stations to provide real time correction information making it capable of measuring GPS coordinates to sub meter accuracy as well as providing repeatable output of position information 2 Software The LDNR CRD uses PenMap from Condor Earth Technologies Inc which provides real time surveying mapping and GIS data collection It provides the ability to create GIS themes for analysis using ESRI s ArcGIS or ArcView software New themes can also be created and existing shapefiles can be uploaded to PenMap and taken to the field for updating Field Personnel Requirements 1 The skills necessary for a field team member to conduct sampling trips collect field data and differentially correct GPS data shall include having extended knowledge of the applications and theories for the settings software
180. ollect water temperature C specific conductance p S cm salinity ppt water level feet and battery volts v The instrument shall be set up to record the date mm dd yyyy with a four digit year the time in Central Standard Time hh mm ss using the 24 hour system and the activation of the sleep mode between readings to conserve the battery power The instrument may be tested before field deployment to verify that the instrument is working correctly During the deployment and servicing phases two other instruments are needed to obtain data a field display unit YSI 650MDS or equivalent that connects to the YSI 600XLM or equivalent and a hand held discrete instrument YSI 30 or equivalent that displays the water temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt The owner s manual for both instruments shall be read for clarifications with respect to their operations and functions The following procedures shall be used for the YSI 600XLM or equivalent 1 From the boardwalk remove the brass locks hitch pins and the PVC retaining pin Connect the YSI 650MDS or equivalent to the YSI 600XLM or equivalent 3 Using the proper menus and functions calibrate the instrument with a calibration solution that is very close in concentration to the field conditions This calibration shall be performed using the methods provided in the owner s manual 4 Calibrate the instrument s water level sensor to zero 0 while it i
181. om urface ecal dam oae o omme Staff Gauge Depth Bottom Temp Surface Temp Sp Cond Sp Cond Bottom Salinity Surface Salinity Bottom DO Surface DO Bottom pH Surface pH Velocity Velocity FT FT c c PPT FT mmidd yyyy CST 24hr S cm S cm PPT mg L mg L FT s FT s MPN 100m TE28 169 02 04 2002 13 41 0 5 14 4 14 4 1701 1701 0 9 0 9 TE28 168 02 04 2002 13 42 1 14 2 14 2 1715 1715 0 9 0 9 TE28 170 02 04 2002 13 40 1 14 5 14 5 1469 1469 0 7 0 7 TE28 171 02 04 2002 13 38 1 5 14 2 14 2 666 666 0 3 0 3 TE28 172 02 04 2002 13 48 1 5 14 2 14 2 952 952 0 5 0 5 TE28 177R 02 04 2002 11 16 1 13 1 13 1 1923 1923 1 1 TE28 176R 02 04 2002 11 14 0 5 13 8 13 8 1946 1946 1 1 TE28 174R 02 04 2002 11 04 1 12 9 12 9 2055 2055 1 1 1 1 TE28 173R 02 04 2002 11 07 0 6 12 4 12 4 1643 1643 0 8 0 8 TE28 05R 02 04 2002 11 12 0 63 1 5 13 3 13 3 1920 1920 1 1 TE28 02 02 04 2002 13 45 0 84 1 5 14 4 14 4 761 761 0 4 0 4 TE28 07R 02 04 2002 14 18 1 15 5 14 1 14 2 253 253 0 1 0 1 TE28 178 02 07 2002 10 45 1 8 4 8 4 959 959 0 5 0 5 TE28 182 02 07 2002 12 06 1 11 3 11 3 539 539 0 2 0 2 TE28 187R 02 07 2002 10 27 2 5 8 5 8 5 3430 3431 1 8 1 8 TE28 185R 02 07 2002 10 29 2 5 8 6 8 7 3309 3302 1 7 1 7 TE28 183R 02 07 2002 10 32 2 8 3 8 3494 3768 1 9 2 TE28 184R 02 07 2002 10 35 1 8 7 8 7 3484 3484 1 8 1 8 TE28 186R 02 07 2002 10 37 1 8 2 8 2 3260 3260 1 7 1 7 TE28 159 02 07 2002 13
182. onents and travel should be restricted to the directions and paths outlined in the packet LDNR CRD LRS will also provide maps such as digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles DOQQ or SPOT imagery and Tobin plat maps These maps will provide the location of the site and highlight areas with land rights Using GIS software and the GPS coordinates provided by LDNR CRD field personnel shall produce an overall map of the area showing a 1 km x 1 km square 1 km boundary with the proposed site location at the center Each of the sampling stations shall be located in a 200 m x 200 m square within the 1 km boundary and ideally this 200 m x 200 m square will be located in the center of the 1 km boundary However this design may not be feasible in all areas due to land rights or geological features Thus the GIS map and maps provided in the Land Rights Packet shall be examined to identify possible locations of the 200 m x 200 m square within the 1 km boundary be sure to consider the date when the DOQQ or SPOT images were acquired when determining potential site locations The ideal location for the 200 m x 200 m square should include a representative area of marsh for placement of an RSET station and a nearby body of water for placement of a water level salinity continuous recorder Field personnel shall then produce a Site Map Figure 1 showing a 200 m x 200 m boundary with each possible site location positioned at the center The Site Map should b
183. ontaining the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process 124 14 SHORELINE POSITION Shoreline position can be monitored using a simple method that involves the use of the Global Positioning System GPS and mapping with Geographic Information System GIS software GPS is a world wide radio navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations Ferguson 1997 One s position is determined by triangulation of the distances that a GPS unit receives from 4 or more satellites Field personnel traverse the shoreline of project and reference area recording real time coordinates with a differential GPS DGPS unit at various points along vegetated edge of the shoreline DGPS involves the use of two ground based receivers One monitors variations in the GPS signal and communicates those variations to the other receiver The second receiver can then correct these calculations for better accuracy and thus yield measurements to as high as sub meter accuracy The recorded coordinates are used in GIS software to map project and reference area potential shoreline movement among different sampling periods Areal coverages are calculated from different years and changes in area are used to determine if changes in shoreline position have occurred i e if shoreline erosion has occurred This method assumes that the spatial and temporal variability in the pr
184. owing method shall be used for the installation of a continuous recorder station The method shall be established as follows Verification of site selection 1 The site specific map site characterization sheet and a differential Global Positioning System DGPS instrument shall be used to locate the pre determined site Once the site has been located the field personnel must verify that the site has not changed and is sufficient for establishment 2 This verification shall be done by examining the site and answering the following questions 1 Is the water level water body deep enough so that the sensors will be submerged during the lowest water levels 2 Is the site intrusive of a navigational waterway 3 Is the pre determined system of deployment sufficient for the site 3 By answering the questions in step 2 the field personnel shall verify that the pre determined set up is sufficient for the site If it is determined that the set up is sufficient the field personnel shall follow the appropriate steps for installation NOTE If the field personnel find the site inappropriate the LDNR CRD must be notified before the installation Procedures for the Wooden Post To ensure proper installation the following procedures shall be followed to achieve acceptance by the LDNR CRD Failure to adhere to these procedures may result in an improperly constructed station The LDNR CRD reserves the right to accept or reject the final product If t
185. oyment and removal of instruments is complete as well as the data history file with respect to the missing or voided data associated with the station Once the packet and files have been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist 81 Those areas that possess errors or have presented questions shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information is 10096 correct This process will continue until all the corrections have been made and all the questions have been answered to the satisfaction of the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as clos
186. p with a maximum diameter of 6 inches NOTE All soil or surface material extracted from the hole must be discarded away from the site No soil or extracted material shall remain on the surface 3 Drive the 9 16 stainless steel rods in the center of the hole to refusal using the manufacture s recommended procedures for the rods These procedures shall include the use of all the materials listed in the benchmark materials list NOTE Refusal is defined as No more than 1 foot of penetration of the rod in one minute of impacting with a gasoline powered reciprocating driver i e Pionjar 120 Cobra 148 or equivalent Also the rod must be plumb at the end of the installation 4 The rod shall remain 2 feet above the marsh surface after the rod is driven to resistance Any excess shall be cut with a hacksaw 5 Position the 6 PVC such that the 9 16 stainless steel rod is at the center Push the PVC pipe into the soil until 2 4 remain above the surface A small hammer may be used depending on the soil characteristics 6 Mix enough concrete to fill the PVC NOTE When mixing the concrete and or filling the PVC no concrete must remain on the sediment surface outside the PVC Fill the PVC Be sure not to overflow the PVC Slide the collar 8 below the top of the stainless steel rod Position four of the eight holes on the collar in the four cardinal points 0 Attach the collar in the position using the 4 screws and loctite cement Be sure not to
187. par 200 or equivalent Minimum 80 ounces or 5 mm thickness per station 5 6 stations per 50 Ib bag 2 50cmx50 cm PVC square 3 Markers PVC pipes 5 feet long or other material that will mark the location of the station Minimum of 2 per station 4 Spreader Sieve A small cup like device that will evenly spread the feldspar within the station 5 Respirator A high quality respirator that will prevent the inhalation of the feldspar clay 6 Watering Can or Garden Sprayer Used to moisten the feldspar on a dry marsh must be able to moisten feldspar without disrupting an even feldspar layer 7 Trashcan Used when the marsh is flooded to prevent the feldspar from settling outside the station area 8 Miscellaneous Gloves and eye protection 9 Digital Camera Capable of a date and time stamp to document the establishment of the stations 10 Differential Global Positioning System To take coordinates of corner station for verification and identification 9 1 Field Station Establishment Accretion stations are to be established on the same day that the initial RSET readings are recorded This gives the best known baseline for both the accretion and RSET data sets to be interpreted when analysis occurs Stations shall be established from the second week in February through the last week of March as vegetative growth is minimal during this time Three stations will be established along the boardwalk in a manner that will be easily sampled at a later
188. perature on a continuous basis Likewise a YSI 30 or equivalent can measure salinity specific conductance and temperature at discrete locations and to assure the data logger is properly calibrated Due to the large diversity of ecosystems found in the coastal zone differing procedures to measure salinity will need to be adapted to each site or area of investigation For example a marsh water body with sufficient yearly levels of water i e does not dry out will use a YSI 6920 YSI 600XLM or equivalent continuous recorder to measure hourly salinity concentrations Since these instruments are used to collect water level and salinity data simultaneously the method for field establishment is thoroughly explained in the previous chapter Surface Water This chapter explains the methods for deployment and servicing the instrument with respect to the salinity data In some cases it may not be feasible to establish continuous recorders In such cases it is imperative that monthly sampling at discrete areas for water temperature specific conductance and salinity occur in adjacent marsh ponds on a monthly basis These water quality readings are taken with a portable hand held instrument e g YSI 30 or equivalent that provides the user with water temperature specific conductance and salinity readings Discrete readings provide data concerning the spatial and temporal variation in salinity throughout the area Water level may also be determined by a
189. percent difference between the continuous recorder and the calibration instrument This is accomplished by using the following formulas Specific conductance difference calibration instrument constant recorder Then Percent difference specific conductance difference specific conductance of the calibration instrument 100 Following the recommended cleaning procedures in the owner s manual clean all sensors and the exterior such that the instrument is free of all biofouling agents Water Level Servicing 11 Remove barnacles oysters and other biofouling agents from the inside and outside of the PVC or mono pole In saline waters where biofouling appears to be worse due to barnacles and oysters the inside of the pipe should be cleaned on a regular basis By not removing these biofouling agents eventually the removal of the instrument will become problematic Water Level Servicing 12 Determine if the battery power remaining in the instrument is sufficient to power the instrument until the next servicing If it is determined that the instrument does not have enough battery power to collect all the data then the batteries must be changed Place the sensors from the hand held salinity meter and continuous recorder side by side and lower them in the water to the deployment depth of the continuous recorder 51 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Record the water temperature specific conductance an
190. pictures must be in a JPEG format and each picture must be named with the site name description sequence number and date CRMS0397 RSET Installation 1 March2005 jpg 5 Monument datasheet after station is surveyed Datasheet shall follow the example in the manual A Contractor s Guide To Minimum Standards in section I 4 6 Field notes shall resemble the example in section I 5 of A Contractor s Guide To Minimum Standards Warning Signage 1 Documentation of the date of installation 2 Documentation of any problems or concerns with the installation 3 Digital pictures of the site before and after construction Each picture must have a date and time stamp Digital pictures must be in a JPEG format and each picture must be named with the site name description sequence number and date CRMS0397 WarningSign Installation 1 March2005 jpg 4 DGPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters of the location Water Level Support Poles 1 Documentation of the date of installation 2 Documentation of any problems or concerns with the installation 3 Digital pictures of the site before and after construction Each picture must have a date and time stamp Digital pictures must be in a JPEG format and each picture must be named with the site name description sequence number and date CRMS0397 WaterLevelPole Installation 1 March2005 jpg 4 DGPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters of the location Staff Gauge 1 Documentation of the date
191. poles will utilize the top of the Y hole approximately 12 inches from the top of the cap in the pipe as the mark that requires surveying Once an elevation is achieved at the station sufficient measurements shall be obtained to complete the spreadsheet Continuous recorders and staff gauge format for surveyor xls Form 2 Staff Gauge Using section J 6 of A Contractor s Guide to Minimum Standards install the staff gauge onto the galvanized pipe The manual is written to establish a staff gauge onto a wooden post however the LDNR CRD requires staff gauges to be mounted to a 2 galvanized pipe Figure 8 Consequently the technique will be a variation of the manual Staff gauges shall consist of a 2 5 x 3 3 porcelain enamel coated metal gauge Obtain an elevation of the top of the pipe and decide where the top of the staff gauge will be placed Secure a 2 x4 treated timber to the post using a minimum of two stainless steel or equivalent bolts in a manner that allows approximately 6 inches of the board to remain above the staff gauge Using the method in section J 6 of the manual mount a staff gauge to the 2 x4 timber with no less than 3 No 8 round head exterior screws in the existing holes NO DRILLING THRU THE ENAMEL OF THE STAFF GAGE WILL BE ACCEPTED Upon completion of the installation obtain all the measurements that will complete the spreadsheet Continuous recorders and staff gauge format for surveyor xls By completing
192. pon return from the preliminary site visit use GIS software to upload the DGPS coordinates for the Long Boardwalk and water level continuous recorder as well as any other notable points taken to make sure that these sampling stations are located within the 200 m x 200 m square The Site Map shall be reprinted with the locations of these sampling stations incorporated into the map 2 3 Deliverables Upon completion of the site visit a field trip report shall be produced that summarizes the type of water vessels needed to access the site wetland type marsh characteristics potential problems and any other pertinent information as it concerns the establishment of stations and collection of data The Site Map containing the sampling station layout and a completed Site Characterization Sheet shall be included with the field trip Also all downloaded pictures JPEG images from the field shall be viewed and the file names shall be renamed to describe the site direction of the picture and date e g CRMS0395 N 03112004 jpg or there may need to be more descriptive file names 3 SITE CONSTRUCTION Each site will require the construction of a boardwalk the installation of a deep rod similar to a survey monument for the Rod Surface Elevation Table RSET in non floating marsh marsh mat recorder and deep rod monument in floating marsh staff gauge warning signage and the establishment of a reference elevation A general site configura
193. portant in evaluating changes in species composition and abundance over time During each sampling trip observations will be recorded regarding the presence or absence of chlorosis vegetation is discolored or pale green yellow rack or debris on the marsh herbivory damage is evident and any evidence exists of recent marsh burning Every now and then a plant is not recognized by the identifier The plant shall be listed as unknown followed by a number on the data sheet and described in the description section The percent cover is assigned to the unknown plant species if it is inside the station The plant or a representative part if only one plant is available is then collected preferably from outside the plot if one is nearby and stored in a zip lock bag or plant press The bag or plant press is labeled with the plant number and the description such that when it is identified the data sheet can be corrected Installation The LDNR CRD will provide DGPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters for the start and end of the diagonal vegetation transect as well as orientation bearing Prior to site establishment a unique set of 94 random numbers between and 94 will be selected for each site and maintained with the site file The first 10 numbers will be arranged numerically from lowest to highest to expedite station establishment minimize backtracking and reduce unnecessary travel between sites Each random 106 number is multiplied by 3 to d
194. post is being installed 6 Once the post no longer penetrates the substrate by the post s own weight then the widow maker must be placed on the top of the post 7 Using the widow maker pound the post into the substrate until resistance is met NOTE Refusal occurs when the post no longer penetrates the substrate 8 Using a level the post must be checked for plumb in all directions and approximately 4 feet of the post shall remain above the mean high water level or the marsh surface 9 If the top of the post was damaged cut the damaged section off Make sure to cut the post square This step is critical for elevation surveying 10 Drivea single 16 or 20 penny stainless steel or equivalent nail 2 3 of the way into the side of the post This nail must be driven perpendicular to the post This nail will serve as a reference for measuring the water level while servicing the instrument 11 The station must be properly marked using reflectors on three sides The fourth side will be used to attach the continuous recorder These reflectors shall be secured with 6d penny stainless steel or equivalent nails or exterior screws Bom I CA Stainless Steel Mono pole The mono pole was designed for areas of high energy or with large water vessel traffic that required more strength than the wooden post The use of this mono pole system requires the fabrication of metal to construct the pole Figure 7 shows the materials and the design specification
195. problem Compare the Water Level on Rod ft measurement with the water depth reading in the Clean Reading section of the calibration sheet If the difference is more than 0 07 ft then both values need to be examined for accuracy Secure the instrument and cable using the brass locks on the two brass hitch pins and the electrical box on the wooden post or secure the cap to the top of the pipe using the brass hitch pin and brass lock Notes shall be taken and documented in the Notes section of calibration sheet and or in a field notebook These notes shall include a The water level in relation to the marsh surface Approximate the depth of water above the surface or the distance below the surface b If the instrument is near a water control structure document the flow direction of the water and approximate the speed of the water flow e 38 The health of the vegetation around the station shall be noted The health of submerged aquatic vegetation as well as abundance shall be noted e Any changes in the marsh with respect to erosion subsidence movement etc shall be noted a If 1t is determined that any sensor is resting in the sediment and causing erroneous reading then the instrument needs to be raised This will cause all the measurements with respect to the water level sensor to be different consequently all the distances associated with the water level sensor need to be re measured and documented on a Contin
196. ptember 15 to October 31 If 6 weeks is an insufficient period of time sampling can began as early as September 1 The data collection schemes between the herbaceous marsh community and the forested swamp community are different therefore the following procedures are to be used for the appropriate community Two different data sheets will be utilized herbaceous marsh community data sheet Vegetation Sampling Data Sheet Modified Braun Blanquet Technique Form 14 and Forest Community Data Sheet Form 15 The materials list above is also used during data collection The random number table will be taken to the field during both the initial site establishment trip and all subsequent sampling trips If a new station needs to be established the next random number on the list will be used The metal and PVC pipes will be needed if a station must be re established Reasons for station re establishment include 1 If both the metal and PVC pipes are removed or lost 2 Ifa significant unnatural anthropomorphic change to the study site has occurred e g digging or dumping of soil at the site logging activity 3 Ifthe station becomes open water In the case of station re establishment LDNR CRD shall be notified of the new GPS coordinates and reasons for re establishment Forested community Each 20 m by 20 m station will have a minimum of three completed datasheets when the sampling for the station is completed One data sheet will be for
197. r Poor 145 Form 14 Example of a natural vegetation sampling data sheet Natural Vegetation Sampling Data Sheet Modified Braun Blanquet Technique Sample Type Stratified Random Transect Station Plot Size m Station Coordinates Organization Plant Community Type Freshwater Intermediate Brackish Saline Cypress Tupelo Swamp Other describe Percent Cover Total Cover Bare Ground Tree Shrub Herbaceous Carpet Average Height Dominant Height cm Tree cm Shrub cm Herbaceous cm Carpet cm Species List Scientific Name Common Name B B Rank IN OUT Additional Species Description B Rank 5 76 100 4 51 75 3 26 50 2 6 25 1 1 5 lt 1 r Solitary Comments 146 Form 15 Example of a forest community data sheet Forest Community Data Sheet Sample Type Stratified Random Transect Station Plot Size m Station Coordinates Organization Plant Community Type Cypress Tupelo Swamp Bottomland Hardwood Forest Other describe Diameter cm Distance aboveground cm Notes Comments 147 Form 16 Example of a submerged aquatic vegetation transect data sheet Submerged Aquatic Vegetation SAV Transect Data Sheet Modified Rake Technique Basin Emergent Vegetation Community Personnel Species Abbreviations A Alga A1 alga1 etc M Myriophyllum spicatum R
198. r etc of 1 4 Hole Elevation Distance Water Elevation NAVD 88 Ft Ft NAVD 88 Ft Ft NAVD 88 Ft How to Obtain Readings for Each Continuous Recorder Gauge Column Top of Recorder Support Pole Obtained by using department approved surveying methods Top of Support Pole to Nail or 1 4 Hole Obtained by physically measuring the distance beween the two points Nail or Hole Elevation Obtained by using the formula subtracting the two previous columns Top of Recorder Support Pole to Top of Water Distance Obtained by measuring the distance between the two points Water Elevation Obtained by using the formula Top of Recorder Support Pole Top of Recorder Support Pole to Top of Water Distance Staff Gauge omputed Top of Staff Staff Gauge Difference Existing Staff Top of Staff Gauge Support Reading After Water Gauge Reading Gauge Support Pole to Top of Establishment or Elevation vs Correction Station Upon Arrival Water Distance Water Elevation Adjustment Staff Gauge Factor NAVD 88 Ft Ft NAVD88 Ft NAVD88 Ft How to Obtain Readings for Each Staff Gauge Column Existing Staff Gauge Reading If a staff gauge is present at this location obtain a reading before any adjustments are made Top of Staff Gauge Support Pole Obtained by using department approved surveying methods Top of Staff Gauge Pole to Top of Water Distance Obtained by physically measuring the distance
199. r project specific monitoring by the LDNR CRD It provides field tested step by step methods to establish data collection sites and to collect data for multiple variables used in coastal restoration projects Additionally it outlines a sound QA QC program to be maintained for data quality and integrity 2 PRELIMINARY SITE VISIT Once the LDNR CRD has acquired land rights and or access permission to a particular site a preliminary site visit is necessary to verify that the proposed area will be sufficient for the LDNR CRD purposes and to ascertain the logistics for the site The objectives for the preliminary site visit include determining the approximate location and length of the boardwalk the location of each sampling station and any potential locations for water level salinity continuous recorders staff gauges and secondary benchmarks Prior to the preliminary site visit travel logistics and proposed site locations shall be determined by reviewing the Land Rights Packet supplied by the Land Rights Section of LDNR CRD LDNR CRD LRS This Land Rights Packet will provide who to notify before visiting the site if necessary directions to the site and various maps The directions to the site include roadway access the nearest town city location of boat ramp if applicable and directions to the center of the site e g water vessel path from boat ramp to site LDNR CRD LRS will have only acquired access permission for each of these comp
200. random number is multiplied by 30 to determine the distance in meters from the north end of the diagonal vegetation transect either NW or NE to the SE corner of the vegetation plot Vegetation sampling can occur simultaneously with vegetation station establishment Materials List minimum This list of equipment and supplies is needed to establish and to sample vegetation stations in the forested swamps of south Louisiana Other equipment and or supplies may be needed depending on the site 1 Metal pipes rods Y diameter by 3 galvanized coated or stainless steel rods used as permanent station markers in case of fires 110 CA y 8 9 1 PVC pipes 7 diameter by 10 pipes used as station locators in the thick tall herbaceous vegetation NOTE Ends may be painted with a fluorescent paint to aid in locating vegetation stations 2mx2m PVC square four 4 2 meter Y PVC tubes attached via L joints or 90 fittings to form a square Measuring tape device 2 fiberglass measuring tape capable of measuring 100 meters Compass 0 to 360 azimuth dial with 2 graduations Random number table Nine 9 randomly chosen numbers between 1 and 9 with no duplicates Each random number is then multiplied by 30 to provide distance in meters from the start of the diagonal transect to the SE corner of the vegetation station The first five 5 numbers are arranged numerically from lowest to highest NOTE Each site must have a different set o
201. raphs and provided to the LDNR CRD 6 2 Static System The static system of measuring the vertical movement of floating marsh mats is utilized when the marsh mat has been classified as a thin mat and will not support the weight of the floating system This system uses an Ott Thalimedes or equivalent instrument which is a data logger float counterweight and pulley operated shaft encoder This instrument has a measuring range of 19 99 meters with a maximum measuring error of 40 002 meters The instrument can communicate via a contact free IrDA interface a notebook or PC palmtop an OTT field display unit or remote data transmissions via a RS232 interface Utilizing the Ott Thalimedes or equivalent instrument only measures the vertical movement of the marsh surface without the collection of water temperature specific conductance and salinity The float is removed and replaced with an auger that is attached to the marsh surface As the marsh surface moves vertically the cable rotates around the pulley system and sends a digital signal to the data logger that is recorded and stored until the instrument is serviced The following sections describe how the instrument is deployed in the field and utilized for measuring vertical marsh movement 6 2 1 Field Station Establishment The station is established using an aluminum post or equivalent material that is driven through the marsh mat and into the underlying substrate until resistance is met T
202. rd aliquot of porewater enough to fill the centrifuge tube and cover the probe when it is in the centrifuge tube 30 45 ml In highly organic wetland soils pore water extraction may be blocked or severely inhibited by organic or small clay particles If this condition occurs securely fasten a piece of cheese cloth around the intake holes of the porewater sipper s to filter obstructing particles and extract another sample 5 Dispense the sample into the centrifuge tube using the two way valve insert the salinity probe and record the date MM DD Y Y Y Y time CST depth cm temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt on the soil porewater field data sheet Form 11 for each pore water sample Try to keep the probe from touching the side of the centrifuge tube 6 Carefully remove the sipper probe and move 5 cm 2 in to the right and reinsert the sipper probe into the soil matrix Repeat steps 1 5 for each of all replicates and each depth At each station 3 replicates will be taken at the 10 and 30 cm depths for a total of 6 samples 7 Record surface water temperature specific conductance and salinity if there is surface water on the marsh surface 85 6 2 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individ
203. rder in every location possible discrete readings are taken Over time the analysis of these readings coupled with the continuous recorder data provide a status and trends with respect to the movement of salinity within an area In order to achieve quality data the LDNR CRD has developed extensive protocols with respect to instrument calibration field sampling methods and instrument quality assurance Before readings are taken in the field with a hand held water quality meter the meter must be calibrated for quality assurance Since the meter is capable of measuring a wide range of salinity concentrations the instrument shall be calibrated with a solution that is relatively close to the conditions in the field To maintain the highest degree of accuracy the instrument must be calibrated whenever the instrument is turned on or when the field conditions have dramatically changed Procedures for calibrating the instrument are found in the owner s manual 53 5 2 1 Calibration Using the YSI 30 or equivalent owner s manual follow the procedures on how to calibrate the instrument but also use the LDNR CRD protocol for calibration for more specific instructions 1 The conductivity probe must be clean and free from any organic or mineral sediment 2 Rinse the probe with conductivity free water preferably deionized water between changes of calibration solutions Conductivity standards must be purchased from an approved manufacturer or suppli
204. rds for the handheld water quality units Measurement Range Resolution Accuracy Conductivity 0 to 499 9 uS cm 0 1 uS cm 0 5 full scale 0 to 4999 uS cm 1 uS cm 0 5 full scale 0 to 49 99 mS cm 0 01 mS cm 0 5 full scale 0 to 200 0 mS cm 0 1 mS cm 0 5 full scale Salinity 0 to 80 ppt 0 1 ppt 2 or 0 1 ppt Temperature 5 to 95 C 0 1 C 0 1 C 5 1 Salinity and Water Level Continuous Recorder The instrumentation and field deployment used to record salinity is the same as those used to collect the water level data therefore the standards used in the previous chapter to determine the type of deployment system applies to this section Refer to 4 1 and 4 1 1 for information concerning the reasoning for determining the type of station and the method in which it is deployed S 1 1 Deployment and Servicing Deployment The procedures set forth in this section deal solely with the salinity sensor Any procedure or information regarding the water level sensor shall refer to the previous chapter Surface Water The deployment of this instrument requires both procedures to be conducted simultaneously 49 Prior to initial deployment the instrument must be programmed according to the specifications in the Surface Water chapter however more calibrations and readings must be obtained for the salinity sensor The information obtained from the calibration and readings shall be documented on the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet Form 4 Th
205. red to as the QA QC packet The QA QC packet is sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase IT Phase II begins when the QA QC officer receives the packet The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical 94 corrections suggest clarifications and comment on each part of the packet as well as verify that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet with the corresponding Excel file for any erroneous or questionable data If mistakes with data transfer have occurred or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been reviewed the QA QC officer initials and dates all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or have presented questions for clarification shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is returned to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information are 100 co
206. rmat Coordinates Accretion Measurements mm Project Member Station Time Meas ERNA A ci o e E E 483698L 31 3 1 15 AEN MAAR TE 28 TE28 309 CTU1 09 05 2001 151300 O 3 J J TE 28 TE28 309 CTU1 09 05 2001 15 14 00 3 3 18 25 27 235 TE 28 TE28 310 CTU1 09 05 2001 151700 O 4 13 2 2 2 TE 28 TE28 311 CTU1 09 05 2001 14 52 00 1 2 2 2 2 2 L TE28 TE26 312 CTUT 09 05 2001 1493001 f 3 f 2 2 1 2 y 2 TE 28 TE28 313 CTU1 09 05 2001 145500 2 3 22 21 15 22 reas reza CTUT 09 09 2001 18 29 00 3 po poz poa 2 2 E28 IE28315 CTU1 09089001 133209 3 LALALA TE 28 TE28 316 CTUT 09 05 2001 1533400 2 3 2 2 2 2 TE 28 TE28 317 CTUT 09 05 2001 14 18 00 4 1 J T J J TE 28 TE28 318 CTUT 09 05 2001 1419000 4 4 f J TE 28 TE28 318 CTUT o9 05 2001 1421000 3 0 J J E28 T2319 CTUT 09 05 2001 142300 0 a 23 oa joa TE 28 TE28 320 CTU1 09 05 7001 140400 2 0 15 418 21 23 TE 28 TE28 321 CTU1 09 05 2001 140000 0 1 2 2 2 2 TE 28 TE28 339 CTU2 09 06 2001 08 57 00 1 2 J J TE 28 TE28 339 CTU2 09 06 2001 08 59 00 0 MERE EDEN MESE NUI NINN rofl no 2 N w m a m m m S N N n n S m mim N N N TE 28 TE28 340 CTU2 09 06 2001 09 01 00 TE 28 TE28 340 CTU2 09 06
207. rrect This process will continue until the Excel file and the field trip report have been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initials and date next to the correction 8 4 Summary Data and Graphic Upon completion of the QA QC process the data graphs and summary statistics associated with spreadsheet shall be printed Summary statistics and graphs shall be produced twelve months after the initial reading This data shall be downloaded from the SONRIS database to ensure the data being analyzed has completed the QA QC process The data shall be analyzed according to methods provided by the LDNR CRD Once the data have been analyzed summary graphs will be generated using the format provided by the LDNR CRD The summary data and graphics shall be transferred to the LDNR CRD in a hardcopy and electronic format
208. s To install the pole the use of a vibracore works the best since using a widow maker destroys the end of the pole However a widow maker may be used if precautions are taken to prevent damage to the end of the pipe 17 HITCH PIN 2 GALV EYE X BOLT JS HOLE DRILLED 8 TO 12 BELOW TOP OF CAP 4 SCH 10 304 STAINLESS STEEL PIPE E WATER LINE 1 4 THICK STIFFENER 304 STAINLESS 3 EACH 120 MUD LINE STD CAP 3 SLOTS 120 APART SONDE BASE PLATE 1 SQUARE FOOT PLATE 1 4 THICK 304 SS TOTAL DEPTH BELOW MUD LINE 10 0 18 Figure 7 Typical construction diagram of a stainless steel mono pole The mono pole is constructed in advance of the deployment field trip The following steps provide a methodology for an acceptable installation process for the mono pole l 2 a 9 Transport the mono pole and all the necessary equipment needed for the installation process via the water vessel to the site Position and anchor the water vessel where the mono pole will be deployed and in a manner that allows for a solid stable work environment Obtain the depth of the water at the installation location This provides an estimate of how much of the pipe will be above the water and provides an estimate of when the plate will rest on the bottom Place the mono pole over the side of the water vessel in a plumb position Using the vi
209. s square This step is critical for determining distances and elevation The assembly of the 2 x4 board can be done prior to the field installation The 2 x4 board is assembled by mounting the electrical box to one end of the board and mounting the perforated PVC pipe to the other end of the board NOTE The PVC shall be at least twelve inches longer than the instrument or high enough to extend above the water during normal high tide This assures that the instrument will remain in place The electrical box is mounted to the board using two 4 x1 4 stainless steel or equivalent hexagonal screws The PVC pipe is mounted to the board using a 4 x1 4 stainless steel or equivalent hexagonal screw at the end closes to the electrical box and a 4 x6 stainless steel or equivalent hexagonal bolt with washer and locking nut that will serve as a rest for the instrument Place the assembled 2 x4 board adjacent to the post to determine its position and mark the location of the two holes for the hitch pins a The bottom of the PVC pipe shall be a minimum of 6 above the mud line b The electrical box should be high enough to prevent tidal waters from inundating the box during a hurricane but low enough to reach during servicing c Holes should be a minimum of 6 from the top of the post and a minimum of 12 from the top hole The bottom hole should be out of the mean high water range Drill the two 77 holes through the post and board Fasten the
210. s out of the water NOTE Record the water level sensor reading in the Depth Out of Water box in the Clean Reading section after it has been calibrated NOTE It should be 0 000 if it was correctly calibrated and working properly 5 Using the proper menus and functions calibrate the hand held discrete instrument YSI 30 or equivalent using the same solution concentration that was used for the YSI 600XLM or equivalent 6 Using the Floating Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet record the calibration solution used in the appropriate box Indicate if the instrument accepted the calibration or if a second calibration was needed 7 Fill out the top portion of the calibration sheet as it pertains to the deployment of the instrument a Project and name boxes b Station box c Location box d Date and time Time recorded in Central Standard Time e Calibration Instrument Manufacturer Model Serial Number f Collected By Names of personnel on the field trip g Agency agency company or organization name 64 11 12 13 14 15 16 I 18 19 20 21 22 Place the YSI 600XLM instrument into the insert tube and record the water temperature specific conductance and salinity in the appropriate boxes under the Clean Reading section on the Constant Recorder line Remove the YSI 600XLM Place the YSI 30 or equivalent probe into the insert tube and record the water temperature specific conduct
211. scale values and the corresponding Braun Blanquet scale currently used by the LDNR CRD for monitoring are provided in Table 2 105 The relative vigor of the vegetation will be assessed using the total vegetative cover and the average height of the dominant plant species A total vegetative cover value for the station will be determined to the nearest 5 The precision of cover estimates may be affected by the potential of introducing bias from one individual to the next Therefore the same individual s shall conduct the visual estimates every sampling trip if at all possible Cover estimates for each individual will be calibrated using a landscape density chart Kent and Coker 1995 Since overlapping canopies may be present total vegetative cover may exceed 100 Plant height will also be documented for each station Five randomly located stems from the dominant plant species species with the highest coverage of the station will be measured to the nearest cm On the natural vegetation sampling data sheet Form 14 the average measurement and dominant plant name will be documented Even if the station contains co dominants only one species height will be measured and recorded Table 2 Vegetative cover values associate with the Braun Blanquet method Cover Range Braun Blanquet Solitary R Few lt 1 1 1 2 2 1 5 5 1 10 10 1 25 25 1 50 50 1 75 75 1 95 95 1 100 AnBWNN RRR Qualitative observations are also im
212. scard the calibration solution used to calibrate the instrument Water Level Servicing 1 Upon arrival at the station complete the top section of the calibration sheet by recording the project name station number basin location agency company name collected by names of the field personnel and marsh elevation for the station in the appropriate boxes Water Level Servicing 2 Without disturbing the instrument connect to the instrument using a laptop computer or a field instrument capable of interfacing with the recorder Water Level Servicing 3 Record the date and time from the technician s watch set to CSTime and the instrument Water Level Servicing 4 Record the instrument s battery volts Water Level Servicing 5 Stop the instrument from logging and download the data file Record the number of samples and the file name Lower the hand held salinity meter probe to a depth near the sensor of the continuous recorder In the Dirty Reading section record an in situ dirty water temperature specific conductivity and salinity from the display unit attached to the continuous recorder In the Dirty Reading section record the readings from the hand held salinity meter This includes the water temperature specific conductance and salinity Water Level Servicing 7 Remove the continuous recorder from its secured position and place it in the water vessel Calculate the specific conductivity difference and the
213. sed of a toothed plate a vane and a spring loaded torque meter driver The torvane is inserted into a flat surfaced soil in the field or into a soil sample to the depth of the teeth on the vane 0 5 cm The torque or shear strength is obtained by rotating the driver with constant pressure torque until failure occurs The torque required to shear the sediment along the vertical and horizontal edges of the vane is a relatively direct measure of the shear strength of the mat With some torvanes shear strength must be normalized to the vane constant which is a function of the vane size and geometry However most manufacturers e g ELE International Humboldt Manufacturing 116 Durham Geo produce a hand held torvane that directly returns a measure of shear strength from calibrated springs 117 12 ELEVATIONS The Louisiana Coastal Zone LCZ Primary GPS Network was developed to provide consistency between all horizontal and vertical reference data collected By utilizing this network water elevation continuous and monthly and marsh elevations can be compared among stations throughout the coastal zone In order to achieve consistency between data collection stations with respect to elevation A Guide to Minimum Standards Required by Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Coastal Restoration Division For Contractors Performing GPS Surveys and Establishing GPS Derived Orthometric Heights Within the Louisiana Coastal Zone Primary GPS
214. sensor s path or washing of the distilling tube they are easy to calibrate and they have excellent linearity and long term reliability in data collection for more information see chapter 4 at http www itrc org reports WaterLevelSensor WaterLevelSensor html However some disadvantages are that occasional inaccurate readings may occur due to floating debris or foam alignment must be precise and directly perpendicular to the water surface and they are currently unable to measure salinity 45 Installation Many companies including OTT Hydrometry Campbell Scientific and Hydrolab produce data logging ultrasonic or radar based sensing equipment Each of these companies has installation or mounting instructions for their respective sensors The LDNR CRD has not yet adapted the use of ultrasonic technology in any restoration project Installation of an ultrasonic water level sensor requires several considerations l 2 Sensors must be placed as close as possible to the maximum water level expected Accuracy of most sensors is reported to be about 0 4 of distance to target The sensor beam must be exactly perpendicular to the reflecting surface in order for the sound waves to reflect directly back to the sensor When mounting the sensor s beam angle and maximum height of the sensor to it s reflecting surface are used to calculate the sensor beam s conical path and clearance radius BEAMpadius Tangent Beam Angle 2 x B
215. ses are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in 100 agreement with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I 1 Photocopy the calibration sheet used in the field The original sheet shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product The photocopy becomes the working copy throughout the QC process 2 Download the raw data from the field display unit or equivalent to a personal computer pc that has the appropriate software Excel 3 Open the downloaded file for viewing and formatting in Excel 4 Using the appropriate functions of Excel arrange the data in the following order and format date mm dd yyyy time hh mm ss measured level water level marsh surface ft and battery volts v 5 Open the Excel spreadsheet YearHour provided by the LDNR CRD 6 In the raw data file insert a column next to the date and time column and copy the appropriate time frame from the Y earHour spreadsheet 7 Inspect the raw data file for any missing dates and times If any dates and times are missing then they shall be added in the appropriate places and the data cells left blank 8 Open the template Excel file Vertical Mat Qc provided by the LDNR CRD and save it as an Excel file with the naming
216. sess errors or have present questions for clarification shall be address by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information are 100 correct This process will continue until the Excel file and the field trip report have been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using a black ball point ink pen The person shall not erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initials and the data next to the correction 9 4 Summary Data and Graphic Upon completion of the QA QC process the data summary and graphs associated with spreadsheet shall be printed The statistical summary and graphs will be provided to the LDNR CRD in two formats 1 electronically and 2 a hard copy The hard copy shall have t
217. square examine the area with respect to the potential placement of the stations Inspect water bodies in the area for potential continuous recorder and staff gauge installation 1 e the water body is deep enough for a continuous recorder Carefully approach the proposed site Observe the dominant vegetation in area Once the area has been examined determine the approximate placement of the boardwalk s and the RSET This location shall be a representative area of marsh and suitable for RSET installation Be careful not to step in or travel over the potential RSET station Use a DGPS unit to document the coordinates of the beginning of the Long Boardwalk Record the GPS coordinates in UTM NAD83 Meters of the beginning point as well as the compass bearing in degrees and approximate length in meters that the Long Boardwalk will extend from this starting point on the Site Characterization Sheet a NOTE This point represents the position where the construction of the Long Boardwalk will begin and it is the point at which foot or vehicle travel will be prohibited and all traffic to and from the site is limited to the boardwalk only b NOTE The Long Boardwalk does not necessarily have to start at the water s edge c NOTE PVC markers may be left at the site to mark the exact location however enough information should be obtained as not to rely solely on the markers It is possible that the markers may be removed by others before constr
218. ss portion of the Data worksheet These graphs and summary statistics become part of a QA QC packet Once the Excel spreadsheet is complete with respect to the data the Site History Excel file provided by the LDNR CRD must be completed and updated with respect to all the pertinent worksheets 1 Site Visit History This worksheet gives a history of when the site was visited 2 Recorder Deployment Removal This worksheet tracks the make model and serial number of each continuous recorder at each station along with the date and time each recorder was serviced as well as changed because of malfunctions 3 Data History This worksheet tracks each station s omission of data whether it is related to a malfunction deletion because of shift and or voided data as well as provides a history of missing and deleted data 4 Recorder Elevations Any updates or changes that may have occurred as a result of changing instruments or other problems must be documented Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 42 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or ph
219. sured value decreases and as the water level marsh surface decreases the measured value increases NOTE If the platform elevation NAVD88 is not known at the time of deployment then this is the setting that shall be used Measured values will be recorded in reference to the movement of the marsh surface as it relates to the distance from the platform to the marsh surface b Level measurement As the water level marsh surface increases the measured value increases and as the water level marsh surface decreases the measured value decreases NOTE If the platform has a known elevation at the time of deployment then this mode shall be used The instrument shall be set to record the actual marsh elevation Therefore no correction factor would have to be applied to the data The data would be recorded with respect to the NAVD 88 elevation datum 76 Using the surveyor s measuring rod measure the distance from the top of the platform to the marsh surface and from the top of the platform to the measuring sensor Record these values on the data sheet in the Clean Reading section 10 Add the two values in step 9 to provide a distance from the measuring sensor to the marsh surface 11 Depending on the mode setting used for measuring step 8 set the instrument to record the marsh surface elevation or the distance from the measuring sensor to the marsh surface 12 Fill out all the information on the top portion of the data sheet 13
220. t ensure that this coordinate has not been used during a previous sampling period When possible take four measurements at right angles to each other Measure the distance from the feldspar layer to the surface of the marsh using the calipers If four measurements cannot be taken then no less than three 3 readings shall be recorded Document the distance in mm from the marsh surface to the feldspar on the accretion data sheet with respect to the station number and the randomly chosen coordinates NOTE Do not use a zero if the feldspar layer is not visible Zeroes mean either the feldspar is visible on the surface or once a marshsicle is removed the feldspar is visible but there is no measurable sediment on top Place the marshsicle back in the hole to thaw If this process is done properly a hole or other disturbance will not be left in the marsh where the sample was taken The station has been sampled when one of the following conditions is met a marshsicle is extracted and three or four measurements can be collected or when two attempts are made and no feldspar is seen on the marshsicle Before leaving each site field data sheets are to be examined for clarification and completion Any information that was not completed on the boardwalk should be completed prior to leaving the area NOTES In a perfect world the feldspar will be visible at all times in a perfect circle around the core however this does not always occur At times t
221. t erase any data or information on the original data sheet The proper procedure will be to draw a single line through the error and place the correction as close to the error as possible The person will also place their initial and the data next to the correction 10 4 Summary Data and Graphic Upon completion of the QA QC process the data summary and graphs associated with data shall be produced The LDNR CRD has developed statistical programs and graphs to display the data These programs and graph templates shall be provided to ensure standardization among the analyses and graphic display for easy comparisons 10 5 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process the original data sheets field trip report QA QC packet field notebooks summary data and graphs and all associated electronic files shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process 115 11 SOIL PROPERTIES Many of the soil characteristics of concern to the LDNR CRD include but are not limited to bulk density percent water percent organic matter grain size and or soil salinity Bulk density is defined as the total weight of material both organic and inorganic fractions in a known volume of sample and is given in units of grams per cubic centimeter g cm Soil density in wetland soils is controlled by the amount of mineral material tha
222. t in the field use a calibrated measuring device and place a piece of waterproof tape at 1 foot increments along the cable Make sure to begin from the tip of the probe and continue the length of the cable Gently drop the probe into the water until it touches the bottom Measure the water s depth with the aid of the calibrated tape marks along the cable and record the depth on the data sheet to within approximately 0 3 meters 0 5 feet accuracy Pull the probe completely out of the water and rinse it free of organic matter before continuing with data collection Gently drop the probe until it is suspended in the bottom 20 of the water column Do not allow the probe to rest on the bottom Record the bottom readings for temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Pull the probe completely out of the water NOTE Ifthe water depth is lt 1 5 ft the both readings are the same Gently drop the probe until it is suspended within the top 2096 of the water column Record the bottom readings for temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Additional Quality Control Readings l 2 The discrete reading instrument shall remain powered if data are being collected all day with the instrument With the conductivity meter a minimum of three additional readings multiple readings shall be collected from the surface and recorded on the field data sheet and noted in the field report This should o
223. t infiltrates the organic material framework in highly organic marsh soils Bulk density will be measured as dry bulk density as the current scientific literature predominately uses this unit Percent water is determined from the weight change after the core is dried at 60 C and percent organic matter is determined by the amount of weight loss upon ignition at 550 C Steyer et al 1995 Grain size is determined via a combination of sieving and gravimetric analysis in the laboratory setting to categorize the inorganic component into percent sand silt and clay Soil salinity is determined by laboratory measurements of a saturated sample s electrical conductivity Brady and Weil 2002 In some cases nutrient analyses of the core or soil substrate will be carried out and thus samples shall be transported and stored inside inert containers at 4 C Soil samples shall be collected from specified field locations in both attached and flotant marshes during the initial feldspar station establishment during the first ninth or tenth and final year of sampling Soil cores shall be collected carefully to obtain a known volume with little to no compaction of the soil matrix Care must also be taken to prevent the loss of water or other matter from the core during extraction Field personnel will collect soil cores with a diameter of 10 2 15 2 cm 4 0 6 0 in to a depth of 30 0 50 0 cm 11 8 19 6 in This diameter provides sufficient uniformity of the
224. t that collects water temperature specific conductance salinity and water level Knowing the distance that the water level sensor rests below the marsh surface calculations can be performed to determine the water level in relation to the marsh surface By having a continuous recorder deployed in an adjacent channel that has an elevation reference the marsh mat surface and water level can be converted to a vertical datum The static system or counterweight and pulley system utilizes a cable that is attached to the marsh surface via a spiral auger As the marsh surface moves vertically the cable rotates around the pulley system which is attached to the digital shaft encoder This rotation is converted to a digital signal which is recorded by the data logger OTT Thalimedes or equivalent and can be downloaded during a later field trip This recorder only measures the movement of the marsh mat Both of these techniques have been proven to work in different environments consequently the LDNR CRD will decide which system will be utilized at each site The LDNR CRD will provide the continuous recorders YSI 600XLM OTT Thalimedes or equivalent for each system while the contractor will supply the other materials 6 1 Floating System The LDNR CRD has developed a method to measure the movement of the marsh surface in a floating marsh environment This method utilizes a piece of plywood and a series of PVC pipes that are secured to the surface of t
225. tached to the copied data sheet s and the field trip report This compilation is referred to as the QA QC packet The QA QC packet is sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer 56 Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase II The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and make comments as well as verifying that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet s with the corresponding Excel data file The QA QC officer is examining the Excel file for any erroneous data that may have occurred during the transcription phase or that was written incorrectly in the field If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or have presented questions for clarification shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivere
226. tci ena 103 10 2 Forested swamp samplifip ico ea DO ra hu Deep b ted Ue 107 10 3 Data PROCESSING ia 111 10 4 Summary Data and OrTaplie oae rote pd pinos hem poe ta red NR b iua 113 10 5 Deliverables eet a m ea d sedent na A od ah 113 CHAPTER 11 SOM PROPERTIES rhone ntis e rtr edid 114 CITAPTER 12 EEEVATION Susinsutnidas still te pia tec teda ai 116 12 1 Continuous Water Level Recorders sess 117 12 2 SSH CITRUS uso Sea stet areas thn ered ete etate toa etat cdita etc dea edid 117 DORSET eceutestas citu tombe tc M Ea UN bes M pter 117 12 4 Static Floating Marsh Elevation eee 117 12 5 Marsh Elevations il pb 118 12 6 Deliverables ss A 118 CHAPTER 13 SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION eee 119 13 1 Field Station Establishment rr lee ee mat etta tec ados 120 132 Data Collection ossi idet eh teo else att pite cg ena edu Reto patre e ira 120 iv 12 9 Data toc a feed aed 121 134 Summary Data and Graphics ee qoe pleaded eee aid 122 13 5 Deliverables eere doter editt epe Ue eet reru Wd e e a tu vov 122 CHAPTER 14 SHORELINE POSITION sseeeeeeeeeeeennen nennen enne nnns 123 CHAPTER 15 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY eene eene 126 CITAPTER 16 SATELLITE IMAGERY cu iic oderit ia 127 CHAPTER REFERENCES Suit 128 CHAPTERAS FORMS a OS 131 APRENDA ibi 148 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11
227. ter 4 1 5 Deliverables 5 2 Discrete Sampling Discrete samples include water quality readings that are collected on a monthly basis from the same location that has been randomly selected by the LDNR CRD for specific purposes related to specific projects These water quality readings are taken with a portable hand held instrument YSI 30 or equivalent that provides the user with water temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt Estimated water depth ft readings are obtained at each location using the graduated cable on the YSI 30 or equivalent Discrete readings provide data concerning the spatial and temporal variation in salinity throughout the area Discrete readings are unique in the aspect that the data collection takes place in the same location however there are no station establishment materials associated with this type of sampling The readings take place in the same location of a water body lake bayou navigational channel marsh pond but there is no need to establish any distinctive markings Repeated measures are obtained by using global positioning systems to ensure the readings are occurring in the same location Coordinates shall be provided by the LDNR CRD once the location of each station has been determined The discrete sampling locations are selected to indicate a spatial and temporal variation in salinity throughout the area over time Since it is not cost effective to deploy a continuous reco
228. ter flow inside into the sensor s beam In some cases the sensor can be attached to an existing structure without the protective PVC casing The LDNR CRD has discussed the use of this setup in such marshes however ultrasonic sensors have yet to be used in coastal restoration projects 3 6 Staff Gauge A ceramic coated staff gauge 2 5 inches wide ranging from 2 to 3 feet graduated to hundredths marked at every foot and every tenth and 4 grommet holes for fastening with number 8 round headed 19 screws will be established at sites specified by the LDNR CRD The staff gauge will be mounted to a 2 x4 x6 treated board that has been painted to reduce the reaction between the galvanize and treated board The board is attached to a 2 galvanized pipe that is driven to resistance The staff gauge will be set to the vertical datum NAVD 88 Feet during the surveying procedure A completed drawing is found in Figure 8 During the construction phase of the site a 2 galvanized pipe is driven to resistance in a body of water If a site uses an ultrasonic sensor instead of the continuous recorder the staff gauge may be established in a small pond if available in the vicinity of the ultrasonic sensor The minimum materials needed for the installation include several pieces of 4 or 5 foot long 2 galvanized pipe threaded on each end several couplings a 2 galvanized cap two pipe wrenches and a widow maker The procedures for installing the pipe
229. that are questionable The QA QC officer also inspects the Excel spreadsheet with respect to the forest community data for any erroneous data or questionable data If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been review the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC checklist Those areas that possess errors or present questions for clarification shall be address by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information are 100 correct This process will continue until the SONRIS database the Excel file and the field trip have been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the data collector or the QA QC officer must obtain the original data sheets If problems were found with the data sheet s during the QA QC process then the original data sheets must be corrected This process shall be carried out by using black ball point ink pen The person shall no
230. the data the Site History Excel file provided by the LDNR CRD must be completed and updated with respect to all the pertinent worksheets 1 Site Visit History This worksheet gives a history of when the site was visited 80 2 Recorder Deployment Removal This worksheet tracks the make model and serial number of each continuous recorder at each station along with the date and time each recorder was serviced as well as changed because of malfunctions 3 Data History This worksheet tracks each station s omission of data whether it is related to a malfunction deletion because of shift and or voided data as well as provides a history of missing and deleted data 4 Recorder Elevations Any updates or changes that may have occurred as a result of changing instruments or other problems must be documented Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective agency company or organization on the trip 2 purpose of the trip 3 general weather conditions 4 sites that were sampled 5 type of sampling that took place 6 an explanation of any logistical problems encountered in the field especially problems that may affect the data 7 any notable biological activity or physical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the Excel files
231. ther side Place the 6 PVC cap on one end and drill a 34 hole through the assembly This will enable a hitch pin to pass through the pipe and cap to lock the instrument Attach four 2 L brackets on the opposite end of the 6 PVC pipe from the cap at 90 degrees from one another with the stainless steel or equivalent 4 x20x1 2 bolts and nuts NOTE The holes on the brackets may need to be drilled with a 9 32 bit Insert Tube Figure 12C Ne Qn CA dec ca Take a 10 length of 2 PVC pipe and measure 24 from one end With the bottom of a 2 L bracket on the mark and the top pointed towards the short end of the PVC mark the mounting holes at 120 degree angles from one another Drill the 7 32 mounting holes with a drill press to ensure straightness Thread the 7 32 mounting holes with a 4 x20 tap Drill out the holes on one leg of the L bracket with a 9 32 drill bit Fill the tapped holes on the 2 PVC and coat the underside of the L bracket with marine calking and adhesive 60 56 PRESSURE ELL LI A MOUNTING BASE i oO oo om HOLE FOR HITCH PIN L BRACKETS 20 2 0 dew e 1 d4 4 COLUMS OF NM 1 2 HOLES EVERY 3 90 2 SCH 40 ye PIPE TO BE CUT TO REQ D LENGTH ON ae C INSERT TUBE Figure 12 Construction diagram for each individual component of the floating marsh 2 L BRACKET 6 PVC DRAIN PIPE 3 4 HOLES TYP HITCH PI
232. tion Required C Calibration Accepted Comments mem Omen Deployment Station Location Date amp CSTime MM DD YY HH MM Constant Recorder Serial Number Battery Volts CL Baty Changed Deploy Filename Duration Interval days minutes 141 Form 10 Example of a static marsh mat recorder calibration sheet Static Marsh Mat Recorder Calibration Sheet Project Name Station Number Location Date amp CSTime Field Personnel Agency Continuous Recorder Manufacturer and Model Serial Number Dirty Readings Continuous Recorder Date CSTime Measured Level ft Battery Volts Distance Difference Manual Reading Top of platform to marsh surface ft Marsh surface to top of water Difference Download Start Date amp CSTime Complete YES NO End Date amp CSTime Successful YES NO Pulley Precision Check Known distance of pulley rotation Measured Level ft Before Difference After 96 Difference Acceptable L YES L NO Instrument Replaced L YES L NO Clean Readings Continuous Recorder Date CSTime Measured Level ft Battery Volts Distance Difference Manual Reading Top of platform to marsh surface ft Marsh surface to top of water Difference Continuous Recorder Adjustment L YES L NO Battery Changed Distance Adjustment Made Measured Level ft L YES E NO Elevation Top of Platform NAVD FT Marsh Surface NAVD FT _ Cid Staff Gauge NAVD FT Cd Deployment Date 8 CSTime Continuous Recorder Manuf
233. tion area The table is arranged in an x y format and the numbers are between 1 and 5 7 Data Sheets Form 13 8 Field Notebook Cue IE 98 Aj Side view 15 liter dewar B Side view halo ring and pressure build up assembly removed d EMEN Bars E 78 eye Pressure build up valve assembly Pressure build up regulator Extra fill port 5 8 port Lh fill amp withdrawal valve BD ballvalve Pressure gauge Rupture disk i DD psi Halo ring io Side handles LAS 15 liters maximum Hose connectors reat Ment valve 90 ball valve FJIC fittings 3 8 Flexible hose 3 8 x B Hose connector 4F B Ih4S Flare adapter 1 1 to 1 4 NPT Eryoprobe inner sleeve 144 copper tubing Cryoprobe bullet a copper tubing with 0 30 cal bullet Safety valve 22 psi NN Fo ao Ow ee m i Figure 18 Schematic for the cryogenic coring device developed by Cahoon et al 1996 A A side view of a 15 L low pressure nitrogen tank dewar B The side view rotated 90 with a halo ring removed for clarity C A top view D An enlarged view of the cryoprobe used to collect the sample 99 9 Personal Protection Equipment Gloves and eye protection 10 Miscellaneous Small scraping device wrenches pencils knife Procedures In the office prepare a random number table with X Y coordinates This table will contain coordinates of 1 1 to 5 5 To produce this table the numbers 1 throug
234. tion for the graphs 19 Change the title of the graphs to correspond with the project name station number and dates of the data presented in the graphs 20 Examine the graphs for any data that may be outliers and decide if the data needs to be kept or voided Any data that is voided needs to be documented in the Site History spreadsheet 21 In the Marsh Mat Data worksheet change the heading of the Summary Statistics page to correspond with the project name station number and dates and times of the data presented in the graphs 22 Be sure to save the Excel file after this step and through out the other steps Technically the data entry is complete however the data must be examined for quality assurance During this process the first data line must be compared to the previous calibration sheet to verify that the data is similar to the data collected by the instruments during the clean readings Secondly the last data must be examined to verify that the data collected by the calibration instrument is close to one another Lastly the transition between the data in the previous month s file and the data in the current file needs to be verified The technician will compare the last two weeks of data from the previous file if one exists to the data in the beginning of the current file to verify that the transition is smooth the pattern is similar and there are no missing data Once the Excel spreadsheet is complete with respect to
235. tion is shown in Figure 3 however each site specific configuration will be determined by the LDNR CRD prior to construction during the preliminary site visit Details concerning this procedure may be obtained in the Preliminary Site Visit chapter Upon receipt of the site specific configuration map Site Map after the preliminary site visit and site characterization sheets from the LDNR CRD the boardwalks shall be constructed first The construction of the boardwalks enables the installation of the deep rod for the RSET and other data collection stations to be performed from the boardwalk without disturbing the surface of the marsh or swamp It is very important to maintain the integrity of the study consequently any surface alteration that occurs during the construction phase shall result in the LDNR CRD not accepting the site and requiring the construction of the site at another location This section provides a materials list and construction procedure for the minimum amount of boardwalk the deep rod for the RSET warning sign placement water level support pole staff gauge installation and elevation surveys that will be constructed installed or performed at each site Some sites may require a longer boardwalk depending on land rights accessibility marsh type etc but the construction and material types will remain the same just in a larger quantity 3 1 Sampling Platform Materials List All wooden materials used to construct th
236. tions above the instrument shall be capable of transferring the raw data through a field display unit or field computer to an Excel spreadsheet for the production of graphs and monthly summary data analysis before the data is uploaded into the LDNR CRD s main database The LDNR CRD has developed an extensive procedure that shall be followed with respect to the instruments field deployment servicing data process data storage statistical analysis and graphic display of analysis To verify that the continuous recorder is within calibration at the time of deployment and to calculate the drift of the continuous recorder due to biofouling a portable hand held discrete instrument YSI 30 or equivalent is used This water quality instrument provides the user with water temperature C specific conductance uS cm and salinity ppt This instrument is also used to collect readings at discrete stations The YSI 30 or equivalent must be capable of taking salinity readings in water depths up to 7 6 meters 25 feet The YSI 30 or equivalent must be capable of field calibration by using push buttons have a backlit display automatically compensate for temperature and use a four electrode conductivity cell Minimum accuracy requirements for the instrument are found in Table 1 Any instrumentation that does not meet these specifications must be approved by the LDNR CRD Table 1 Conductivity salinity and temperature range and accuracy minimum standa
237. to load plate if not resting on subsurface ft J Amount of casing removed if damage was done during installation 135 Form 4 Example of a continuous recorder calibration data sheet Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet pice amp Name Station Constant Recorder Serial Number Calibration Instrument Serial Number L No of samples El Log Successful SpCond 1S cm Dirty Reading s Basin Location Depth Out of Water ft Date amp CSTime ES T Volts Sonde Date amp Time Collected Deployed Date amp Time Marsh Elevation i PE SpCond Difference Constant Recorder Calibration Instrument SpCond 1S cm mE Clean Reading edd Depth Out of Water ft Difference a SpCond Difference Constant Recorder L Calibration Instrument Calibration Y Salinity Differenc Depth Out of Water ft el SpCond Difference Required NL Constant Recorder E Difference Calibration Instrument L Staff Gauge Sensor Elevation NAVD po Water Level on Rod ft Water Level NAVD bo Staff Gauge NAVD L Staff Gauge Water fell 3 Deployment Station Location A Constant Recorder Serial Number a Filename Water Level Water Level Difference Difference a Mark Elevation NAVD Q Mark to Sensor Distance ft 1 Date amp CSTime
238. to resistance are as follows 1 Connect two or more pieces of the pipe using the couplings and tighten with the wrenches Place the pipe in the water at the desired location drive the pipe into the substrate using the person s weight Making sure the pipe remains plumb by using a level 3 Continue to add sections of pipe as needed and tightening with the wrenches 4 Once resistance has been achieved loosely thread the 2 galvanized cap on the pipe The cap is used to prevent damage to the threads while using the widow maker 5 Using the widow maker drive the pipe until refusal is accomplished 6 Continue to add pieces of pipe by removing the cap and using the couplings Remember to add the cap before continuing with the widow maker 7 The process is complete when the pipe has met refusal and a minimum of 4 feet remains above the marsh surface 8 Tighten the cap onto the end of the pipe 3 7 Elevation Elevations will be collected and established at all the LDNR CRD sites All elevations will be surveyed using the vertical datum NAVD 88 Feet Elevations shall be obtained using real time kinematic RTK surveying technology This technology utilizes satellites and benchmarks that have known elevations The LDNR CRD has developed a secondary benchmark network throughout the coastal zone These benchmarks have been or will be established according to the methods described in the manual A Contractor s Guide to Minimum Standards dated
239. ty between crucial pieces it is imperative that the RSET unit used to take the initial reading at a station be used for all subsequent measurements with that station Therefore the unit used for the initial reading shall be documented on the RSET Data Sheet Form 12 to verify that the same unit was used at all subsequent data collections The following protocol has been adopted from the sampling method developed by Cahoon et al 2002a b The sampling protocol is also thoroughly explained on Cahoon s USGS web site http www pwrc usgs gov resshow cahoon These references give an excellent overview of how the sampling occurs but it must be noted that the following protocol is written for the collection of data according to the LDNR CRD standards Field Materials List 1 RSET unit contains the RSET and components listed above 2 Data sheet s Form 12 3 Field notebook 4 Pencils 5 One or two 2 x12 x10 boards 9 Procedures REMEMBER Accretion stations are to be established during the first RSET sampling period and will be sampled when the RSET measurements are taken and should be noted on the data sheet REMEMBER All work is performed from the boardwalk consequently no walking on the marsh surface is permitted l 2 W E 10 11 12 13 14 Place one or two boards between the boardwalks Slide the SET Figure 16 onto the rod by aligning the collar pins Figure 16 part H with the hol
240. uality Management Plan for Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act Monitoring Plan revised in June of 2000 128 16 SATELLITE IMAGERY Coastwide satellite imagery will be acquired every three years at a spatial resolution suitable for regional assessment of land and water trends Landsat Thematic Mapper TM multi spectral imagery will be used for the initial assessments although other imagery may be incorporated as newer satellites are deployed Imagery will be acquired during clear weather conditions after frontal passages during the fall although some later winter imagery may be needed to minimize the presence of aquatic vegetation in fresh marshes Landsat imagery will be acquired in FASTL 7A format geocoded with full terrain correction All imagery will be radiometrically corrected to normalize digital numbers for between image comparisons over time Landsat Imagery will be classified with the same classification methodology used to develop the Louisiana Coastal Area Study classified Landsat land and water data sets Each image will be classified individually to identify land and water A classification accuracy assessment using at least 150 randomly generated and distributed points will be conducted on each classified scene resulting in an overall accuracy estimate for the classified image The separate classified land and water images will be mosaiced to produce a seamless coastal classified land and water data set The
241. uals to assure that the final product is in agreement 10096 with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection Upon returning from the field photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies Using the template Excel spreadsheet that has been developed and supplied by the LDNR CRD the data collector shall save the template using the following naming convention Station Porewater date xls i e CRMS391 Porewater August2005 xls This ensures that the template does not get changed accidentally and provides a working copy of the file Working from the photocopy the data are transferred from the field data sheet to the Excel spreadsheet The person responsible for the field data collection shall transfer 10096 of the data into the corresponding cells of the spreadsheet Once the data and information have been transferred they must check to verify that the data entry has been completed and all numbers and notes are 100 correct Once the Excel files have been completed a field trip report must be generated The field trip report must include 1 field personnel and their respective ag
242. uction of the site begins Describe the positioning of the Sampling Platform with respect to the Long Boardwalk The Sampling Platform is the H or focal point for RSET accretion and soil porewater data collection stations Record the dominant vegetation species in the area at least three 3 species and describe the quality and or health of the marsh e g any notable ecological biological attributes evidence of nutria herbivory noticeable causes of degradation such as salt water intrusion etc At the start of the Long Boardwalk take a few pictures from an elevated position into various directions preferably N E S and W to provide a historical reference snapshot prior to site construction Other pictures especially along the bearing of the Long Boardwalk can be taken as needed Note each picture s number direction and time stamp on the Site Characterization Sheet Take some time to observe the marsh and describe the marsh characteristics Note on the data sheet if the marsh is floating or not a If the marsh is floating describe the relative mat strength e g very thin marsh very easy to break through Recommend a flotant marsh mat recorder setup Static for thin marshes and Floating for thick marshes and record why this setup was recommended 8 If it is a floating marsh recommend a floating marsh recorder setup that would best work at this site and describe why Describe other characteristics of the marsh
243. uge Water Level difference is within 0 07 ft The QA QC officer must then ensure that 1 All data were transferred correctly from the calibration sheet to the upper portion of the Data worksheet 2 The starting ending dates and times of the data within the Excel file correspond with the dates and times on the calibration sheets 3 There is no suspect data in the file all data have been shifted correctly and that depth data were converted to NAVD 88 Feet If there are missing data it must have been noted and explained in the Site History file and on the calibration sheet 4 There are no erroneous zeros in the Oracle worksheet due to deleted shifted data 5 Graphs are correct including the source data and heading project name station name and date range 6 The transition between the previous and current month s data is smooth and that no sample point is missing between the two sample periods due to instrument cleaning If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes e g Post it notes on the photocopy data sheet The QA QC officer also checks the Site History file to verify that the information regarding all aspects of the station are up to date and accurate 43 Once the packet and files have been reviewed the QA QC officer shall initial and date those portions of the QA QC checklist that have been ac
244. ument the average water depth over the marsh surface Once the survey at each station is completed the surveyor shall record what type of terrain was encountered during the survey This should include whether the marsh was firm and easy to traverse spongy with minimal difficulty or very soft with extreme difficult and falling through the marsh Marsh elevations shall be taken where there is no influence of spoil banks levees or any other human induced alterations Moreover these elevations shall represent the surrounding marshes Deliverables Sampling Platform Construction 1 Documentation of the date of construction 2 Documentation of any problems or concerns with the construction 3 Diagram of the actual length and layout of the boardwalks with distances 4 Digital pictures of the site before and after construction Each picture must have a date and time stamp Digital pictures must be in a JPEG format and each picture must be named with the site name description sequence number and date CRMS0397 BoardwalkConstruction 1 March2005 jpg 23 RSET 1 Documentation of the date of construction 2 Documentation of any problems or concerns with the installation 3 The number of rods used for installation the total length of the monument and the distance from the top of the rod to the top of the collar 4 Digital pictures of the site before and after construction Each picture must have a date and time stamp Digital
245. unit or equivalent to a personal computer pc that has the appropriate software Ecowatch for YSI 600XLM or equivalent package which formats the data into a graph and table and is capable of exporting the data to a comma delimited text file csv The PC should also have the software Excel Open the downloaded file for viewing and formatting in Ecowatch or equivalent Using the appropriate functions of the software arrange the data in the following order date mm dd yyyy time hh mm ss temperature C specific conductance p S cm salinity ppt water depth ft and battery volts v Use the statistical function of the software package to check for any obvious problems with the data NOTE Minimum and maximum values are excellent indicators of outliers in the data Export the file as a comma delimited text csv using the same name as the data file Open the Excel spreadsheet YearHour provided by the LDNR CRD and open the comma delimited text file of the data that was exported in step 6 In the comma delimited text file insert a column next to the date and time column and copy the appropriate time frame from the YearHour spreadsheet Inspect the comma delimited text file for any missing dates and times If any dates and times are missing then they shall be added in the appropriate places and the data cells left blank Open the template Excel file Mat Qc provided by the LDNR CRD and save it as an Excel file with the dow
246. uous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet The Site History Excel file shall be appended during the data processing phase with the new measurements Troubleshooting The continuous recorder will be removed from the field when the instrument malfunctions Examples of such malfunctions may include but are not limited to not being able to establish communication with the instrument seeing an erroneous reading due to a malfunctioning sensor or calibration of a sensor is not being accepted Before removing the instrument from the field several troubleshooting techniques shall be performed 1 inspect the old batteries and compartment while changing the batteries and look for exploded batteries and acid 2 carefully clean all the sensors and attempt to calibrate 3 check the cable connections between the continuous recorder and field display instrument and 4 change the cable If the continuous recorder is still malfunctioning remove the existing instrument and replace with a new instrument Make sure that the depth is calibrated on the replacement instrument Document this replacement in the Deployment section and follow the deployment procedures listed above If the instrument is a different model or if the set up has changed then all measurements shall be re measured and documented on a Continuous Recorder Water Level Sensor Data Sheet If the instrument belongs to the LDNR CRD malfunctioning instruments will be returned to LD
247. ure transducer is not possible at sites with seasonal wet and dry cycles that periodically dry out or that have ephemeral flooding In these situations an ultrasonic water level sensor can be used Ultrasonic technology provides a non contact method of detecting flow presence and distance measurements that can be readily adapted for use in determining water level changes in coastal restoration studies These types of sensors are not affected by target surface color translucency specific gravity or viscosity of liquids They are reliable easily adjustable require little to no maintenance and function extremely well in harsh environments Ultrasonic sensing is similar to radar in that a sound wave is generated by the instrument and if this sound wave meets something reflective or solid such as a liquid it bounces back to the instrument The time delay is measured and distance between the object and the sensor can be calculated Although the speed of sound is well known many variables e g ambient temperature humidity can affect the speed However advances in technology can account for and factor out these variables to provide highly accurate data Advantages of ultrasonic sensing include that no part of the instrument ever touches the water and is therefore not affected by dirty water debris or aquatic life in the water column they require very little maintenance except the occasional clearing of cobwebs vegetation or debris from the
248. ust be deleted d Graphs This worksheet contains three separate graphs that show different relationships with respect to the data that were collected These graphs are used to find outliers in the data set as well as to view the trends of the environmental conditions with respect to salinity water elevations and marsh surface elevations Click on the Marsh Mat Data worksheet tab at the bottom of the file Change all the red font information in the upper portion of the worksheet to correspond with the data on the calibration sheet Copy the data from the comma delimited file Using the paste special feature only paste the values in the appropriate cells on the lower section of the worksheet Click on the Sonde Data worksheet Open the continuous recorder Excel data file that corresponds with the station This instrument is located in the open water or marsh channel in close proximity to the marsh mat recorder Copy the data from the Data worksheet Using the paste special feature paste the data as values into the Sonde Data worksheet of the Marsh Mat data file Remember The format must remain the same and the date and times must coincide with those in the Marsh Mat Data worksheet Change all the red font information on the Sonde Data worksheet to correspond with the information on the corresponding continuous recorder spreadsheet Close all the files except the working Excel file with all the data Delete the extra lines
249. ve been written in the following column If the percent cover rank was not recorded in the field use Table 2 to complete the column Once the data sheets have been corrected with respect to the unidentified plants and the author s names have been added to the data sheets then the person responsible for the data collection can begin the two phase approach established by the LDNR CRD to ensure the accuracy of the data with respect to the database The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in agreement 10096 with the data collected during the field sampling procedure 113 Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection After completing the additions to the data sheets photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product The photocopied data sheets are used for data entry and throughout the QA QC process As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies The LDNR CRD s Restoration Technology Section RTS has developed the Strategic Online Natural Resources
250. vel data are converted to NAVD 88 Feet Statistical summary and percent completeness calculations are located on the right side of the worksheet b Oracle This worksheet puts the data from the Data worksheet into the appropriate format for the LDNR CRD main database Any erroneous data that are deleted from the shifted section of the data worksheet will appear as a zero value in the Oracle worksheet These zero values must be deleted c Graphs This worksheet contains two graphs One graph shows the shifted salinity data and the shifted water elevation data to a vertical datum NAVD 88 Feet The other graph shows the depth and duration of flooding by overlaying the shifted water elevation NAVD 88 Feet with the marsh elevation NAVD 88 Feet Before changing any information or pasting any data into the spreadsheet save the file under a different name The name of the file should be the same as the name of the raw data file except that it should be in an Excel file format xls Change all the red font information in the first 13 rows of the Data worksheet to match the information on the Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet that corresponds to the data file Copy and paste the raw data excluding the headers from the csv file into the first seven columns of the raw data portion of the Data worksheet Formulas have been incorporated into the spreadsheet to shift the salinity and water level data as well as convert t
251. vironment for the assurance of quality data The instrument must be examined for cleanliness workmanship and data quality With respect to cleanliness the instrument and sensors must be checked and cleaned of any biofouling that may be contaminating the accuracy of the readings The examination for workmanship means a thorough examination for cracks cuts or damage to the housing cable and sensors The most important aspect of the monthly calibration is the accuracy of the instrument This is accomplished by using a thermometer and quality calibration solution These readings assure the user that the instrument is accurate The protocol for monthly inspections of the hand held meter is found in the Quality Assurance section and a data sheet Form 7 must be completed The form is a method of documentation to assure the LDNR CRD that the instruments being used are of the highest quality 5 2 2 Data Collection 1 Using the Discrete Hydrographic Data Sheet Form 6 complete the top section 2 Upon arrival document the station number the date and time in Central Standard Time CST using the 24 hour military code on the field data sheet for this reading 3 Gently lower the probe into the water until it rests on the subsurface Record the water depth ft on the field data sheet if the instrument has this parameter 54 NOTE If the instrument does not have a water depth sensor use the following procedure Before using the instrumen
252. will announce the SAV species to the data recorder who will record the species present in the appropriate sample row To expedite sampling recording abbreviations for each species are provided on the data sheet If a plant species is not known a sample of the plant is collected and stored in a zip lock bag Both the data sheet and the bag are labeled with the plant number and the description such that when it is identified then the data sheet can be corrected The plant must be placed in a cool environment to help preserve the identity of the plant 3 Every five 5 samples the pond depth shall be measured 122 13 3 Data Processing The LDNR CRD has implemented a two phase protocol for data processing These two phases are referred to as data entry Phase I and data quality assurance quality control Phase II These two phases are conducted by separate individuals to assure that the final product is in complete agreement with the data collected during the field sampling procedure Data Entry Phase I Phase I is conducted by the individual responsible for the field data collection Upon returning from the field photocopies are produced of the original data sheet s The original data sheets shall be filed systematically until both phases are complete and the LDNR CRD has accepted the final product As part of the final deliverable product the LDNR CRD requires the original data sheet s as well as the photocopies Using the templat
253. y Oracle worksheet This will allow all the information to be stored in one file until the database is established This file will also have a graphs worksheet that will allow the data to be shown with several data acquisition packets This serves as another QA QC measure by allowing the data to be presented over a longer period of time 72 Upon completion the summary statistics and percent completeness from the Oracle worksheet along with the three graphs from the graphs worksheet shall be printed This information will be delivered to the LDNR CRD upon completion along with the electronic files 6 1 4 Deliverables Upon completion of the QA QC process and the creation of the summary data and graphic the original data sheet s the field trip report the QA QC packet and all the associated electronic files shall be delivered to the LDNR CRD Electronic files containing the data shall be in the appropriate deliverable format see Appendix once the data has completed the QA QC process Twice per year January and July the previous 6 months July or 12 months June of QA QC d stored data shall be graphed from the yearly file With these data summary graphics shall be produced to show the entire period of salinity water level and depth and duration of marsh flooding data With the yearly data summary statistics and percent completeness with respect to the analysis used in the monthly packets shall be performed and printed with the g
254. y Assurance Quality Control Phase II The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt Then the QA QC officer will read the report and provide grammatical corrections suggestive clarifications and comments as well as verifying that all the necessary information is contained in the report The QA QC officer then compares the data sheet s with the corresponding Excel file The QA QC officer is examining the Excel file for any erroneous or questionable data If mistakes or questions arise then documentation must occur on the QA QC checklist At times it may be beneficial to place removable notes on the photocopy data sheet Once the packet has been review the QA QC officer shall initial and date all portions of the QA QC checklist that are in accordance with the questions provided on the QA QC 123 checklist Those areas that possess errors or present questions for clarification shall be addressed by the person responsible for Phase I Once the data collector has corrected or answered the problems found by the QA QC officer the QA QC packet is again delivered to the QA QC officer The QA QC officer examines the questions and verifies that all the data and information is correct This process will continue until the Excel file and the field trip have been accepted by the QA QC officer Upon acceptance of the packet the QA QC officer will initial and date the rest of the QA QC checklist After the QA QC packet has been finalized the
255. y pushed aside in order for the rod to rest on the marsh surface In this case notes shall be written explaining what took place Once the fiberglass rod is touching the marsh surface use a badge clip to secure the rod from moving downward Continue this process until all nine rods are touching the marsh surface and are secured from moving All nine 9 measurements will be taken by measuring the distance from the top of the aluminum arm Figure 16 part M to the top of the rod in millimeters and recorded on the data sheet to the corresponding pin being measured The measurer should make sure his her eyes are level with the ruler to avoid parallax As measurements are being taken the measurer must observe what the fiberglass rod is resting upon and make notes Once the measurements have been recorded raise the fiberglass rods and clamp them with the badge clips so that the pins do not interfere with rotating the SET arm Unclamp and lift the table so that the pins have cleared the collar 92 15 Rotate the table 90 re clamp the SET to the collar and follow procedures 3 through 14 16 Continue these steps until 4 sets of 90 measurements have been obtained 17 Upon completion of the forth rotation of the SET review the data sheet to verify that all the measurements have been obtained If measurements have been altered by some type of obstruction then documentation regarding the quality of the measurement shall be documented o
256. ysical activity that may have altered the site and 8 details of when and where the calibration instrument was calibrated and the solution used When the Excel files and field trip report have been completed the technician must compile a quality assurance QA quality control QC packet This packet shall include 1 the appropriate QA QC checklist Form 5 cover sheet 2 field trip report 3 photocopied Continuous Recorder Calibration Sheet s depends on the number of stations in a packet 4 graphs printed from the Excel file Graphs worksheet 5 summary statistics and percent completeness calculations printed from the Excel file Data worksheet The QA QC packet and associated Excel files are sent to another individual for further examination and verification This individual is referred to as the QA QC officer Quality Assurance Quality Control Phase II The QA QC officer immediately dates the packet upon receipt The QA QC officer will read the report provide grammatical corrections suggest clarifications and make comments as it pertains to the information on the calibration sheet s The QA QC officer then examines the calibration sheet s for completeness and accuracy especially in the sections where calculations were performed in the field The QA QC officer must also check on the calibration sheet that the depth reading on the continuous recorder is within 0 07 ft of the Water Level on Rod and that the Staff Ga

A Standard Operating Procedures Manual for the Louisiana - CLU-IN

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