ASTM D6145-97(2007)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Monitoring Sediment in Watersheds
Standard Guide for Monitoring Sediment in Watersheds
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This guide is intended to be used in the planning stage or phase of developing a sediment monitoring program. This guide is an assembly of the components common to all aspects of watershed sediment monitoring and fulfills a need in the development of a common framework for a better coordinated and a more unified approach to sediment monitoring in watersheds.
The user of this guide is not assumed to be a trained technical practitioner in the water quality, sedimentation, or hydrology fields. The intended users are managers and planners who need information to develop a water quality monitoring program or project with an emphasis in sediment and hydrology. Sediment specialists will also find information on procedures, equipment, methodology, and operations to conduct a monitoring program.
This guide is used during the planning process of developing, designing, and reevaluating a sediment monitoring program.
SCOPE
1.1 Purpose—This guide is intended to provide general guidance on a watershed monitoring program directed toward sediment. The guide offers a series of general steps without setting forth a specific course of action. It gives advice for establishing a monitoring program, not an implementation program.
1.2 Sedimentation as referred to in this guide is the detachment, entrainment, transportation, and deposition of eroded soil and rock particles. Specific types or parameters of sediment may include: suspended sediment, bedload, bed material, turbidity, wash load, sediment concentration, total load, sediment deposits, particle size distribution, sediment volumes and particle chemistry. Monitoring may include not only sediments suspended in water but sediments deposited in fields, floodplains, and channel bottoms.
1.3 This guide applies to surface waters as found in streams and rivers; lakes, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and wetlands.
1.4 Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard procedure to follow in all situations and it does not cover the detail necessary to define all of the needs of a particular monitoring objective or project. Other standards and guides included in the reference and standard sections describe in detail the procedures, equipment, operations, and site selection for collecting, measuring, analyzing, and monitoring sediment and related constituants.
1.5 Additional ASTM and US Geological Survey standards applicable to sediment monitoring are listed in Appendix X1 and Appendix X2. Due to the large number of optional standards and procedures involved in sediment monitoring, most individual standards are not referenced in this document. Standards and procedures have been grouped in the appendices according to the type of analyses or sampling that would be required for a specific type of measurement or monitoring.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation: D6145 − 97(Reapproved 2007)
Standard Guide for
Monitoring Sediment in Watersheds
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6145; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
Soil erosion and resulting sedimentation is the major cause of nonpoint source pollution that
threatens water resources. These impacts include: impaired aquatic habitat; destruction of sport and
commercialfisheriesandshellfisheries;lostreservoircapacityforfloodcontrol,powergeneration,and
storage of potable water supplies; excessive flooding; impaired navigation; aggradation of irrigation
and drainage channels; lost productivity of lands swamped by deposition and infertile overwash;
increased levels of water treatment; lost or declined recreational opportunities; and impaired aesthetic
values. The amount of sediment in a stream can affect channel shape, sinuosity, and the relative
balance between riffles and pools. Excessive sediment in a stream causes a decrease in channel
capacitywhichinturnresultsinmorefrequentandlargeroutofbankfloods.Inadditiontotheadverse
physical effects of sediment loads, many nutrients, pesticides, and heavy metals are sorbed onto fine
sedimentparticleswhichmayresultineutrophicortoxicwaters.Indirecteffectsofincreasedsediment
loads may include increased stream temperatures and decreased intergravel dissolved oxygen levels.
This guide recommends a process for developing and implementing monitoring projects for
sediment in a watershed. It follows Guide D5851 with more specifics applicable to watersheds and
sediment.
These guidelines are presented for use in the nationwide strategy for monitoring developed by the
IntergovernmentalTask Force on Monitoring (ITFM).The nationwide monitoring strategy is an effort
to improve the technical aspects of water monitoring to support sound water-quality decision-making.
It is needed to integrate monitoring activities more effectively and economically and to achieve a
better return of investments in monitoring projects (1) .
This guide is offered as a guide for standardizing methods used in projects to monitor and evaluate
actual and potential nonpoint and point source sediment pollution within a watershed. The guide is
applicable to landscapes and surface water resources, recognizing the need for a comprehensive
understandingofnaturallyoccurringandmanmadeimpactstotheentirewatershedhydrologicsystem.
1. Scope 1.2 Sedimentation as referred to in this guide is the
detachment, entrainment, transportation, and deposition of
1.1 Purpose—This guide is intended to provide general
eroded soil and rock particles. Specific types or parameters of
guidance on a watershed monitoring program directed toward
sediment may include: suspended sediment, bedload, bed
sediment. The guide offers a series of general steps without
material, turbidity, wash load, sediment concentration, total
setting forth a specific course of action. It gives advice for
load, sediment deposits, particle size distribution, sediment
establishing a monitoring program, not an implementation
volumes and particle chemistry. Monitoring may include not
program.
only sediments suspended in water but sediments deposited in
fields, floodplains, and channel bottoms.
1.3 This guide applies to surface waters as found in streams
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM CommitteeD19 on Water and is
and rivers; lakes, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and wetlands.
thedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeD19.02onQualitySystems,Specification,
1.4 Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard
and Statistics.
Current edition approved April 15, 2007. Published April 2007. Originally
procedure to follow in all situations and it does not cover the
approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as D6145 – 97 (2002).
detail necessary to define all of the needs of a particular
DOI: 10.1520/D6145-97R07.
monitoring objective or project. Other standards and guides
The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to a list of references at the
end of this standard. included in the reference and standard sections describe in
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D6145 − 97 (2007)
detail the procedures, equipment, operations, and site selection 3.2.6 resource management system (RMS)—a combination
for collecting, measuring, analyzing, and monitoring sediment of conservation practices identified by the primary use of the
and related constituants. land that will protect the soil resource base, maintain accept-
able water quality, and maintain acceptable ecological and
1.5 AdditionalASTM and US Geological Survey standards
management levels for the selected resource use.
applicable to sediment monitoring are listed in Appendix X1
3.2.7 watershed—all lands enclosed by a continuous hydro-
and Appendix X2. Due to the large number of optional
logic surface drainage divide and lying upslope from a speci-
standards and procedures involved in sediment monitoring,
fied point on a stream.
most individual standards are not referenced in this document.
Standardsandprocedureshavebeengroupedintheappendices
4. Significance and Use
according to the type of analyses or sampling that would be
required for a specific type of measurement or monitoring. 4.1 This guide is intended to be used in the planning stage
or phase of developing a sediment monitoring program. This
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
guide is an assembly of the components common to all aspects
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
of watershed sediment monitoring and fulfills a need in the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
development of a common framework for a better coordinated
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
and a more unified approach to sediment monitoring in
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
watersheds.
2. Referenced Documents
4.2 The user of this guide is not assumed to be a trained
technical practitioner in the water quality, sedimentation, or
2.1 ASTM Standards:
hydrology fields. The intended users are managers and plan-
D1129 Terminology Relating to Water
ners who need information to develop a water quality moni-
D4410 Terminology for Fluvial Sediment
toring program or project with an emphasis in sediment and
D4411 Guide for Sampling Fluvial Sediment in Motion
hydrology. Sediment specialists will also find information on
D4581 Guide for Measurement of Morphologic Character-
procedures, equipment, methodology, and operations to con-
istics of Surface Water Bodies
duct a monitoring program.
D4823 Guide for Core Sampling Submerged, Unconsoli-
dated Sediments
4.3 This guide is used during the planning process of
D5851 Guide for Planning and Implementing aWater Moni-
developing, designing, and reevaluating a sediment monitoring
toring Program
program.
5. Monitoring Purpose
3. Terminology
5.1 A watershed monitoring program for sediment is com-
3.1 Definitions:
prised of a series of steps designed to collect sediment and
3.1.1 For definitions of terms used in this guide, refer to
related flow data in order to achieve a stated objective. The
Definitions D1129 and Terminology D4410.
purposes of monitoring may be several and include: analyzing
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
trends, establishing baseline conditions, studying the fate and
3.2.1 assess—to determine the significance, value, and im-
transport of sediment and associated pollutants, defining criti-
portance of the data collected and recorded.
cal source areas, assessing compliance, measuring the effec-
3.2.2 best management practice (BMP)—a practice or com-
tiveness of management practices, project monitoring, imple-
bination of practices that are determined by state or area-wide
mentation monitoring, making wasteload allocations, testing
planning agencies to be the most effective and practical means
models, defining a water quality problem, and conducting
of controlling point and nonpoint pollution.
research.
3.2.3 hydrograph—a graphical representation of the dis-
5.2 Monitoring to analyze trends is used to determine how
charge, stage, velocity, available power, or other property of
water quality or sediment load changes over time. Normally,
stream flow at a point with respect to time.
measurements will be made at regular well-spaced time inter-
3.2.4 measurement—determining the value of a characteris-
vals in order to determine the long term trend in some
tic within a representative sample or in situ determinations of
sedimentation parameter. Typically the observations are not
selected components of riverine, lacustrine, or estuarine sys-
taken specifically to evaluate BMPs or management activities,
tems.
water quality models, or water quality standards, although
3.2.5 nonpoint source pollution—a condition of water
trend data may be utilized, in part, for one of these other
within a water body caused by the presence of undesirable
purposes.
materials that enter the water system from diffuse locations
5.3 Baseline monitoring is used to characterize existing
with no particular point of origin.
sediment or water quality conditions, and to establish a data
base for planning or future comparisons. Baseline monitoring
should capture as much of the temporal variations as possible
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
in order to assess seasonal and long term climatic influences
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
upon runoff and sediment yield. In some cases baseline
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. monitoring is included as the early stage of trend monitoring.
D6145 − 97 (2007)
5.4 Fate and transport monitoring is conducted to determine requiring attention, the potential use impairment or threats, the
whether sediment and associated pollutants move and where name of the actual water resource(s), and finally the potential
they may go. sources that may cause the problem(s) (2). Very often the need
is to identify a water quality problem but in some cases, the
5.5 Sediment monitoring can be used to locate critical
need may be to assess the existing water quality whether a
source areas within watersheds exhibiting greater pollution or
problem exists or not. An example of a need statement might
loading potential than other areas.
be: “The decline in shellfish in Big Bay is due to accelerated
5.6 Sediment monitoring may also be used to assess com-
sedimentation caused by excessive erosion from forestry op-
pliance with water quality management plans or standards.
erations within the Trout Brook watershed.” Since sediment
This is the monitoring used to determine whether specified
may originate or become resuspended from a vast variety of
water-quality criteria are being met. The criteria may be
nonpoint and point sources, the cause(s) of the sediment
numerical (quantitative) or descriptive (qualitative).
problem may be difficult to establish or distinguish unless
5.7 Sediment monitoring may assess the effectiveness of detailed monitoring plans are implemented.
individual management practices or resource management
6.2 Monitoring Objectives—The second step in developing
systems for improving water quality or, in some cases, may be
a sediment monitoring program is to define the monitoring
used to evaluate the effect of an entire program in a watershed.
objectives. The objectives of the monitoring study should
Evaluating individual BMPs may require detailed and special-
address the water quality need or problem. An objective
ized measurements made at the practice site or immediately
statement should include an infinitive verb, an object word or
adjacent to the management practice. Monitoring the overall
phrase, and some constraints on the objective such as the
effectiveness of BMPs is usually done in the stream channel
surface or ground water watershed boundaries and variables to
and it may be difficult to relate measured values to individual
monitor. An example of a monitoring objective might be: “To
practices.
determine the effect of implementing best management prac-
5.8 Implementation monitoring may assess whether BMPs
tices on sediment concentration or sediment yield in Trout
were installed or implemented, or if significant land uses
Brook.” When several objectives are used, a hierarchical
changes occurred. Typically this activity is carried out as an
approach may be used to determine higher priority objectives.
administrative review or a monitoring of landuse changes. On
An objective tree can be used to distinguish among several
its own, however, implementation monitoring cannot directly
objectives. To determine how several objectives can be linked,
link management activities to water quality or sediment yield,
the following question can be asked: “Does the achievement of
as no actual sediment or water measurements were taken.
objectiveAcontribute directly to the achievement of objective
5.9 Monitoring of water bodies receiving runoff and sedi- B?”To assess whether objectives are being achieved, objective
ment or other suspended loads can be used to make wasteload
attributes could be determined.These attributes may be binary,
allocations between various point and nonpoint sources. Such achieved or not, or scaler.
allocations require good knowledge of the individual contribu-
6.3 Sampling Design— A wide variety of instruments and
tions from each source.
techniques have been developed for field measurements of soil
5.10 Sediment monitoring may be used to fit, calibrate, or
erosion, sediment movement, turbidity, and sediment deposi-
test a model for local conditions. Sediment monitoring may be
tion. In general four basic types of studies exist: measurements
used to evaluate samplers, rainfall simulators, runoff collection
of sediment in surface runoff from small experimental plots
devices and other related instruments or devices for research
and field size watersheds, stream sampling of suspended
purposes.
sediment load and bedload, measurements of eroded areas to
5.11 Finally, sediment monitoring may be used to give determine volume of material removed, and measurements of
the volume and density of deposited sediment.All four studies
adequate definition to a water quality problem or determine
whether a sediment related problem exists. may also include particle size a
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