Analysis tool pack for STORET for biological

assessment

Erik W. Leppo

Las Vegas, Nevada

November 8, 2001

Five classes of environmental variables that affect water resource integrity and overall biological condition (modified from Karr et al. 1986).

Flow Regime

VolumeWatershed

CharacteristicsRunoff

VelocityHigh-Low Extremes

PrecipitationGroundwater

EcosystemHealth

Chemical Variables

MetalsNutrients

Dissolved OxygenChemical Solubilities

OrganicsAlkalinity

TemperatureHardnessTurbidity

Biotic Interactions

DiseaseReproductionCompetition

PredationFeeding

Parasitism

BiologicalCondition

Str

essor

Resp

on

se

Sta

tus

Energy Source

Nutrient AvailabilityOrganic Matter Inputs

Primary and Secondary Production

Seasonal patternsSunlight

Habitat Structure

SinuosityCurrent

Riparian VegetationSubstrate

Instream CoverGradient

Channel MorphologyBank Stability

Canopy

Biological Monitoring Data

• Biological monitoring is becoming more and more widespread in the US in response to heightened emphasis on preserving the biological integrity of the nation’s waters under the CWA.

• Data produced through these monitoring efforts are:– incorporated into state’s 305(b) reports,– used to generate 303(d) lists, and– involved in the development and implementation of

TMDLs.

Use STORET To Hold Your Data

Desserobdella phalera Dero botrytis

Heteroplectron americanum Anopsilana

Nimbocera limnetica Beardius truncatus

Tribelos atrum Apedilum Pagastiella

orophila Goeldichironomus amazonicus

Dicrotendipes thanatogratus Fittkauimyia

serta Alotanypus Hydropsyche rossi

Tyloderma capitale Ischnura hastata

Epitheca princeps Stylurus ivae

Hylogomphus geminatus Procloeon

viridocularis Baetis alachua

Acerpenna pygmaeus Baetis

punctiventris Baetis armillatus

Procloeon rubropictum Drunella walkeri

Stenonema mexicanum integrum

Gomphus Ectoprocta Stenochironomus

Taxa ListField Data SheetsD.O. Turbidity Temperature

See attached taxa list

Substrate Availability Sinuousity

Embeddedness Bank Vegetation

% Impervious Area Land Use

Station ID Waterbody Name

Sample Date Field TeamChannelized? Dam? NPS Sources?# of Sweeps per Habitat

Flow Channel Width Max. Depth

Why Analyze Your Data• Translate raw data into metric values.

• Hard to communicate species lists.• Look for trends over time and patterns within your

watershed.• Identify new hotspots, and watch for change in water bodies of known impairment .

• Communicate interpreted results of your sampling efforts to the public.

• Easier to create understandable, graphic displays of metrics than raw data.

• Allows for QA/QC analysis of data.•Ensures the reliability of your data.

Communicating Results

DATA

12 EPT Taxa

78% Impervious

Channelized

4.2 mg/l D.O.

Obvious NPS sources

72% Chironomids

23 Total Taxa

Substrate Availability 1310% Collector-Filterers

13% Ephemeroptera

DATA

12 EPT Taxa

78% Impervious

Channelized

4.2 mg/l D.O.

Obvious NPS sources

72% Chironomids

23 Total Taxa

Substrate Availability 1310% Collector-Filterers

Communicating Results

13% Ephemeroptera

POORYellow River

MRW12

Displaying Your Data With GIS

Digestible Site Reports

Getting To The Analysis Step

• In the past have had to export data from STORET and format it for use in another program.

• The Analysis Tool Pack allows the user to skip formatting and query data directly from STORET.– Limited to benthic macroinvertebrates (for now).

– Addresses one of the concerns from end-users of having to use multiple databases (i.e., one for storage and one for analysis).

Getting to The Reporting Step

• Data entry.– Input data into STORET.

• Organize your data for analysis purposes.

• STORET has no analytical capabilities, it wasn’t designed with any in mind. Through ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) can link to the data in STORET to do calculations.

Why STORET?

• More and more funding sources require that data collected be put into STORET.

• There is some resistance due to the view that a user sees little return on his/her investment of time and energies.

• Having an analysis tool can help to change this mindset (along with the import utility – SIM2).

How the Tool Pack Works

• Through the use of ODBC users will no longer have to spend time exporting their data from STORET to another database, but can access their data directly with the use of this utility.

• Based on Access 2000 this utility connects to a view specific benthic macroinvertebrate-specific view within STORET.

• All data necessary for metric calculations is incorporated into this view. It will have the same suite of metrics as EDAS, i.e., all of the metrics contained in the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (2nd Edition).

Parameters for BioView• An EDAS-BioView within STORET.

• Linked in Access with the following restrictions:– Activity Community

• Benthic Macroinvertebrates

– Activity Intent• Taxon Abundance

– Result Unit• Count

– Result Value Status• Final (Can be changed to Preliminary)

– Bio Group Type• Multi-Taxon Population Census

Future Functionality• Just as the SIM module will simplify the import of

data into STORET, the EDAS Analysis Tool Pack will simplify analyzing data in STORET.

• It is planned to build in the capability to analyze other data types (biological, chemical, and physical).

• Also planned is the ability to allow users to input their biocriteria endpoints and output assessment reports.

• Move toward a more stable platform, Oracle, and away from the constant “upgrades” of MS Access.

Analysis Tool Pack Advantages

• The Tool Pack will encompass most of the functions that are built into some other databases, e.g., EDAS.

• Data being analyzed will always be current.

• Can easily share data.

• Built in reports based upon data analysis.