ASTM D6146-97(2007)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Monitoring Aqueous Nutrients in Watersheds
Standard Guide for Monitoring Aqueous Nutrients in Watersheds
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The user of this guide is not assumed to be a trained technical practitioner in the water quality field. The guide is an assembly of the components common to all aspect of watershed nutrient monitoring and fulfills a need in the development of a common framework for a better coordinated and a more unified approach to nutrient monitoring in watersheds.
Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard procedure to follow in all situations and it does not cover the detail necessary to meet all of the needs of a particular monitoring objective. Other standards and guides included in the references describe the detail of the procedures.
SCOPE
1.1 Purpose—This guide is intended to provide general guidance on a watershed monitoring program directed toward the plant nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. The guide offers a series of general steps without setting forth a specific course of action. It gives assistance for developing a monitoring program but not a program for implementing measures to improve water quality.
1.2 This guide applies to waters found in streams and rivers; lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; estuaries; wetlands; the atmosphere; and the vadose and subsurface saturated zones (including aquifers). This guide does not apply to nutrients found in soils, plants, or animals.
1.3 Nutrients as used in this guide are intended to include nitrogen and phosphorus in dissolved, gaseous, and particulate forms. Specific species of nitrogen include: nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, organic, total Kjeldahl, and nitrous oxide. The species of phosphorus include total, total dissolved, organic, acid-hydrolyzable, and reactive phosphorus as described in ()
1.4 Safety—Health and safety practices developed for a project may need to consider the following:
1.4.1 During the construction of sampling stations:
1.4.1.1Drilling practices during monitoring well installations,
1.4.1.2 Overhead and underground utilities during monitoring well drilling,
1.4.1.3 Traffic patterns/concerns during sampling station installation,
1.4.1.4 Traffic patterns/concerns during surveying sampling station locations and elevations,
1.4.1.5 Drilling through materials highly contaminated with fertilizers, and
1.4.1.6 Installing monitoring equipment below the soil surface.
1.4.2 During the collection of water samples:
1.4.2.1 Using acids for sample preservation,
1.4.2.2 Sampling during flooding events and ice conditions,
1.4.2.3 Traffic on bridges,
1.4.2.4 Condition of sampling stations following flood events,
1.4.2.5 Sampling of water or soils, or both, highly contaminated with fertilizers,
1.4.2.6 Conditions of sampling stations resulting from vandalism,
1.4.2.7 Adverse weather conditions, and
1.4.2.8 Transporting liquid samples.
1.5 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: D6146 − 97(Reapproved 2007)
Standard Guide for
Monitoring Aqueous Nutrients in Watersheds
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6146; 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
Various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus are plant nutrients, both naturally occurring and
manmade, that can threaten water resources. Nutrients that run off or infiltrate through the soil profile
canresultinunfishableandunswimmablestreams,lakes,andestuaries,andunsafesurfaceandground
water used for drinking. High concentrations of nitrate in drinking water are a threat to young infants,
and surface waters can suffer from algal blooms, fish kills, and unpalatable and unsafe water for
swimming and drinking. Nutrients are also added to watersheds via chemigation.
This guide recommends a process for developing and implementing monitoring projects for
nutrients in a watershed. It follows Guide D5851 with more specifics applicable to watersheds and
nutrients. These guidelines are presented for use in the nationwide strategy for monitoring developed
by the Intergovernmental Task 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 to
achieve a better return of investments in monitoring projects (1).
Guide D6145 is offered as a guide for monitoring actual and potential nonpoint and point source
pollution within a watershed. The guide is applicable to surface water and ground water resources,
recognizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of naturally occurring and manmade impacts
to the entire watershed hydrologic system.
1. Scope forms. Specific species of nitrogen include: nitrate, nitrite,
ammonia, organic, total Kjeldahl, and nitrous oxide. The
1.1 Purpose—This guide is intended to provide general
species of phosphorus include total, total dissolved, organic,
guidance on a watershed monitoring program directed toward
acid-hydrolyzable, and reactive phosphorus as described in (2)
the plant nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. The guide offers a
series of general steps without setting forth a specific course of
1.4 Safety—Health and safety practices developed for a
action.Itgivesassistancefordevelopingamonitoringprogram
project may need to consider the following:
butnotaprogramforimplementingmeasurestoimprovewater
1.4.1 During the construction of sampling stations:
quality.
1.4.1.1 Drilling practices during monitoring well
installations,
1.2 Thisguideappliestowatersfoundinstreamsandrivers;
lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; estuaries; wetlands; the atmo- 1.4.1.2 Overhead and underground utilities during monitor-
sphere; and the vadose and subsurface saturated zones (includ- ing well drilling,
ing aquifers). This guide does not apply to nutrients found in
1.4.1.3 Traffic patterns/concerns during sampling station
soils, plants, or animals.
installation,
1.4.1.4 Traffic patterns/concerns during surveying sampling
1.3 Nutrients as used in this guide are intended to include
station locations and elevations,
nitrogen and phosphorus in dissolved, gaseous, and particulate
1.4.1.5 Drilling through materials highly contaminated with
fertilizers, and
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D19 on Water and is
1.4.1.6 Installing monitoring equipment below the soil sur-
thedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeD19.02onQualitySystems,Specification,
face.
and Statistics.
1.4.2 During the collection of water samples:
Current edition approved April 15, 2007. Published April 2007. Originally
approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as D – 6146 (2002). DOI:
1.4.2.1 Using acids for sample preservation,
10.1520/D6146-97R07.
2 1.4.2.2 Sampling during flooding events and ice conditions,
The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to a list of references at the
end of this standard. 1.4.2.3 Traffic on bridges,
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D6146 − 97 (2007)
1.4.2.4 Condition of sampling stations following flood 3.2.3 nonpoint pollution—a condition of water within a
events, water body caused by the presence of undesirable materials
1.4.2.5 Sampling of water or soils, or both, highly contami- from diffuse locations with no particular point of origin.
nated with fertilizers,
3.2.4 vandose zone—the zone of soil located between the
1.4.2.6 Conditions of sampling stations resulting from van-
surface and the water table that is not saturated.
dalism,
3.2.5 watershed—all lands enclosed by a continuous hydro-
1.4.2.7 Adverse weather conditions, and
logic surface drainage divide and lying upslope from a speci-
1.4.2.8 Transporting liquid samples.
fied point on a stream. (D4410, D19)
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4. Significance and Use
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.1 The user of this guide is not assumed to be a trained
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
technical practitioner in the water quality field. The guide is an
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
assembly of the components common to all aspect of water-
shed nutrient monitoring and fulfills a need in the development
2. Referenced Documents
of a common framework for a better coordinated and a more
unified approach to nutrient monitoring in watersheds.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D515 D0515 HAS NO ENTRY IN SAD_TITLES
4.2 Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
procedure to follow in all situations and it does not cover the
Fluids
detail necessary to meet all of the needs of a particular
D1129 Terminology Relating to Water
monitoring objective. Other standards and guides included in
D1357 Practice for Planning the Sampling of the Ambient
the references describe the detail of the procedures.
Atmosphere
5. Monitoring Components,
D1426 Test Methods for Ammonia Nitrogen In Water
D1739 Test Method for Collection and Measurement of
5.1 A watershed monitoring program of nutrients is com-
Dustfall (Settleable Particulate Matter)
prised of a series of steps designed to collect nutrient data to
D3370 Practices for Sampling Water from Closed Conduits
achieve a stated objective. The purposes of monitoring may be
D3590 Test Methods for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in Water
several and include: analyzing trends, studying the fate and
D3856 Guide for Management Systems in Laboratories
transport of nutrients, defining critical areas, assessing compli-
Engaged in Analysis of Water
ance, measuring the effectiveness of management practices,
D3858 Test Method for Open-Channel Flow Measurement
testing for sufficient levels, making wasteload allocations,
of Water by Velocity-Area Method
testing models, defining a water quality problem, and conduct-
D3867 Test Methods for Nitrite-Nitrate in Water
ing research (3).
D4410 Terminology for Fluvial Sediment
5.1.1 Monitoringtoanalyzetrendsisusedtodeterminehow
D4448 Guide for Sampling Ground-Water Monitoring Wells
water quality is changing over time. In some cases baseline
D4696 Guide for Pore-Liquid Sampling from the Vadose
monitoring is included as the early stage of trend monitoring.
Zone
5.1.2 Fate and transport monitoring is conducted to deter-
D4700 Guide for Soil Sampling from the Vadose Zone
mine whether pollutants move and where they may go.
D5092 Practice for Design and Installation of Ground Water
5.1.3 Water quality monitoring can be used to locate critical
Monitoring Wells
areas within watersheds exhibiting greater pollution loading
D6145 Guide for Monitoring Sediment in Watersheds
than other areas.
D5851 Guide for Planning and Implementing aWater Moni-
5.1.4 Nutrient monitoring may also be used to assess
toring Program
compliance with water quality plans or standards.
5.1.5 Nutrient monitoring may assess the effectiveness of
3. Terminology
individual management practices in improving water quality
or, in some cases, may be used to evaluate the effect of an
3.1 Definitions:
entire nutrient management program in a watershed.
3.1.1 For definitions of terms used in this guide, refer to
5.1.6 The testing of nutrient levels in water bodies may be
Terminology D1129 and Guide D5851.
used to see if sufficient amounts are present to support certain
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
aquatic organisms.
3.2.1 aquifer—a geologic formation containing water, usu-
5.1.7 Monitoring of receiving water bodies may be used to
ally able to yield appreciable water.
determine wasteload allocations between point and nonpoint
3.2.2 ground water—that part of the subsurface water that is
sources. Such allocations require a thorough knowledge of the
the saturated zone. (D653, D18)
individual contributions from each source.
5.1.8 Nutrient monitoring may be used to fit, calibrate, or
test a model for local conditions.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
5.1.9 Nutrient monitoring may be used for research ques-
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
tions such as the accuracy of different types of samplers in
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. collecting a representative sample.
D6146 − 97 (2007)
5.1.10 Finally, nutrient monitoring may be used to give magnitude and extent of a problem. This type of sampling
adequate definition to a water quality problem or determine could be used to identify critical areas as well. A critical area
whether a problem exists. Guide for Planning D5851 provides is one that is contributing a significant amount of nutrients to
overall guidance on water monitoring. the water body of interest. Randomization in sampling loca-
5.1.11 Thisguidesuggestsanddiscussesthefollowingsteps tions may be important for reconnaissance monitoring. Recon-
in designing a watershed monitoring program for nutrients. naissance monitoring could be used in a “whole aquifer” study
More detail on each step may be found in (3). with well placement located randomly or on a grid basis.
5.4.2 Plot designs have been commonly used in agricultural
5.2 Step 1: Water Quality Need—The first step is to define
experiments for 100 years (4). Plots are generally small areas
the need for nutrient monitoring. The need statement should
that can be replicated on the land or waterscape. Plots allow
include several components: the potential or real water quality
replication and control of certain variables, such as soil type.
issue requiring attention (for example, eutrophication), the
Plot designs are analyzed using Analysis of Variance (3).
potential water resource use impairment (for example, recre-
ation), the name of the actual water resource (for example, 5.4.3 The single watershed before-and-after approach has
been sometimes used to compare water quality conditions
Long Lake), the potential threats or causes (for example,
phosphorus), and the potential sources that may cause a before a watershed treatment to after. Generally, this technique
is not recommended, since the results are confounded with
problem (for example, agriculture) (3). Very often the need is
to identify a water quality problem, but in some cases, the need time and climate variables, and should be avoided. For
example, the water quality differences from year-to-year may
may be to assess the existing water quality whether a problem
exists or not. An example of a need statement might be: “The be caused by climate differences not the watershed activity.
lack of recreation in Long Lake is due to excessive eutrophi-
5.4.4 The above-and-below design is used after a watershed
cation caused by excessive phosphorus loading possibly from
practice is in place. Sampling is conducted both upstream and
agricultural sources.” downstream, or in the case of ground water monitoring,
up-gradient and down-gradient from the activity of interest.
5.3 Step 2: Objectives—The second step in developing a
Although this design is not as susceptible to the effect of
nutrient monitoring program is to define the monitoring objec-
climate as the single watershed design, the differences in water
tives. The objectives of the monitoring study should address
quality between the two stations may be partly due to inherent
the water quality need or problem. An objective statement
watershed differences such as soils or geology. If monitoring is
should include an infinitive verb, an object word or phrase, and
conducted before and after the practice in installed, the design
some limits on the objective such as the surface or ground
would follow the paired watershed approach described below.
water resource or watershed boundaries and variables to
5.4.5 Ground water monitoring using this approach is re-
monitor. An example of a monitoring objective might be: “To
ferred to as up-gradient versus down-gradient monitoring.This
determine the effect of implementing agricultural management
is probably the most commonly used strategy in ground water
practices on phosphorus concentrations in Long Lake.” When
studies and is appropriate for most designs. Placement of the
severalobjectivesareused,ahierarchialapproachmaybeused
wells is important because ground water sites are three
to determine higher priority objectives. An objective tree can
dimensional. Gradients may occur in both vertical as well as
be used to distinguish among several objectives. To determine
horizontal directions. Also due to heterogeneity at some sites,
how several objectives can be linked, the following question
gradient directions may change over time.
can be asked: “Does the achievement of objectiveAcontribute
directly to the achievement of objective B?” If it does then
5.4.6 The paired watershed approach uses a minimum of
objective A feeds into objective B and a diagram can be built two watersheds - control and treatment - and two periods of
showing all possible objectives and their linkages.
study - calibration and treatment (5). The control watershed
5.3.1 To assess whether objectives are being achieved, serves as a check for year-to-year climate variations and
objective attributes could be determined. Attributes define the
receives no changes in land uses or activities during the
level of achievement for each ob
...
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