2002 Summer Monitoring Maps

Prepared by Bob Bower, WWBWC

(Click here for this document in MS Word format)

The Walla Walla Technical Workgroup (TWG) met on April 8, 2002, in order to share ideas and information on the various monitoring projects being conducted in the Walla Walla Basin. The TWG is made up of the technical staff (hydrologists, water masters, fish biologists, etc.) that work for the various federal, state and tribal agencies as well as the non-profit groups in the basin. The intended paper-product of this meeting was to create a map(s) that depicts the parameters and sites being measured for the various projects. Attached you will find two maps covering the results of these efforts. These maps are intended to give a general sense of what is being monitored and where. Some of the projects (listed below) are still in development or funding approval and therefore specific sites or parameters had not been finalized. For more detailed site or project information a list of project contacts is included in this report. The TWG group has tentatively decided to reconvene during the Fall-Winter of 2002-2003 to share project data and results. This report and maps will also be available at the WWBWC website: http://www.wwbwc.org/ Please check there for updates to these documents.

Flow

The “Walla Walla Basin 2002 Flow Sites” map (left) shows three types of flow measurements being conducted: (1) Flow Gauges which are permanent sites that record flow on an annual basis (USGS, WDOE, OWRD). (2) Semi-Permanent Gauges (WWBWC, WDOE, WDFW, Districts) which are continuous flow recorders that are usually placed in the river during the irrigation season (May – November). Manual measurements are required at both the Permanent and Semi-permanent gauges in order to rate them for flow. (3) Flow Manual are flow measurements taken with a portable flow meter. Some of these locations have staff gauges accompanying them.

Throughout the basin there are many locations where people are also recording flow for various other reasons using meters, ramp flumes, and staff gauges. However, for the purposes of this report, we will not attempt to list them all and will focus instead on the larger-scale projects.

Water Quality

The “Walla Walla Basin 2002 Water Quality Sites” map (left) shows the various locations in the watershed where water quality and habitat parameters are being collected. The various agencies and groups are using at least three different types of continuous temperature loggers in the basin including; Tidbits™, Vemcos™ and Hobo™. For specific information on QA/QC for the loggers as well as for the Water Quality sampling, please contact the specific project managers. Water Quality monitoring tends to cover basic parameters such as: dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and specific conductance. Other parameters that are being sampled by some projects are: bacteria (Fecal Coliform, E. Coli.), nutrients, chlorinated pesticides, herbicides, and PCBs.

Some of the projects listed below are more difficult to map on a basin scale. Habitat assessments that cover entire stream segments or radio tracking projects were not included on this map. For more information about these types of projects, please use the contact information provided.

Projects:

 Projects Shown on the Maps

• Oregon Water Quality: Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (WWBWC) team is monitoring mainstem and spring branches of the Walla Walla River for water quality parameters used in: establishing baseline conditions (spring branches), assessing restoration-project effectiveness, and monitoring compliance with SB1010 and TMDL implementation plans.  Project Contact: Bob Bower, WWBWC Hydrologist
   
• Surface/Ground Water Study: WWBWC/OSU team is monitoring a variety of parameters along the mainstem, spring branches and shallow aquifer wells in the Oregon portion of the basin for a water budget and surface-ground water interactions study.  Work also assists irrigation districts in Bull trout mitigation agreement with USFWS as well as the CTUIR/COE in their Feasibility study (well sites are not shown).  Project Contact: Bob Bower, WWBWC Hydrologist
   
• Washington TMDL: Washington’s Department of Ecology (WDOE) team is monitoring for various water quality parameters for the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).  Project Contact: Marcie Mangold, WDOE Project Coordinator, Spokane, (509)-456-3069
   
• Salmonid Fish and Habitat Assessment:  Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) team is monitoring the Washington portion of the basin for a variety of parameters to assess current conditions for salmonids.  Project Contact: Glen Mendel, WDFW Fish Biologist, Dayton, (509)-382-1005
   
• Washington Flow Monitoring:  WDOE team is monitoring flow in the Washington portion of the basin for a variety of parameters in order to both assess current conditions as well as assist irrigation districts in fish mitigation agreement with USFWS. Project Contact: Bill Neve, WDOE Water Master, Walla Walla, (509)-527-4546
   
• Water Quality and Habitat Monitoring: Tri-State Steelheaders staff along with student volunteers are monitoring in the Washington portion of basin for a variety of water quality and fish habitat parameters.  Project Contact: John Geidl, Coordinator

Projects Not Shown on the Maps

• Walla Walla Basin Telemetry: Project tracking the movement of Steelhead and Bull trout with radio transmitters.  Project Contact: Brian Mahoney, CTUIR Fish Biologist, South Fork Field Station, (541)-938-5785,(project not shown on map, covers entire watershed)
   
• Touchet Sub-Basin Telemetry: WDFW is tracking the movement of steelhead and Bull trout with radio transmitters.  Project Contact: Glen Mendel, WDFW Fish Biologist, Dayton, (509)-382-1005
   
• Walla Walla Basin Feasibility Study: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation/Corps of Engineer teams are collecting hydrologic and hydraulic data for modeling flow along the mainstem Walla Walla River. Project contact: Stephen Hall, COE Hydrologist, Walla Walla, (509)-527-7283
   
• Temperature Monitoring:  Bureau of Land Management personnel are monitoring river temperatures on the North Fork of the Walla Walla River. Project Contact: Todd Kuck, BLM  Hydrologist, Baker City, (541)-523-1288
   
• USFWS Monitoring: US Fish & Wildlife Service team is monitoring flow and Bull trout populations for assessment of recovery efforts.  Project Contact: Howard Schaller, USFWS Project Leader, Vancouver, (360)-696-7605
   
• Bull Trout Red Surveys: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife team along with volunteers conduct “redd-counts” to assess bull trout spawning populations in the Upper South Fork Walla Walla River. Project contact: Tim Bailey,  ODFW Fish Biologist, Pendleton, (541)-276-2344
   
• Temperature and Habitat Assessment: US Forest Service personnel monitoring temperature and geomorphology parameters in order to assess changes since the 1996 floods. Project contact: Stacia Peterson, USFS Hydrologist, Walla Walla, (509)-522-6285