Water Monitoring Methods for the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Montana

A crane, reel, and DH-95 suspension sampler are used to collect water samples when the river is non-wadeable. Photograph taken at the monitoring location on the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Montana.

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Water Chemistry

The Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network collects water samples monthly during ice-free periods generally following depth and width-integrated protocols outlined in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data.

Samples are usually collected from a bridge using a bridge-board or crane, reel, and DH-95 suspension sampler. In wadeable depths and low flow, we use a 1-L, hand-held DH-81 sampler affixed to a 1-m wading rod. At multiple locations along a cross-section of the river we collect water using vertically integrated sampling techniques. Samples from the 1-L bottle are mixed into an 8-L churn splitter; we use the churn splitter to homogenize and dispense a representative subsample into laboratory-provided bottles. These bottles are then shipped overnight to an EPA-certified commercial laboratory for processing.

A handheld, multi-parameter instrument is used to collect water quality parameters: temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity. Photograph taken on the Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park.

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Core Water Quality Parameters

In addition to water samples, water quality parameters (temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity) are collected in situ using a handheld, multi-parameter instrument (e.g., YSI EXO 1 sonde) at four representative locations on the river cross-section. Collection of water sample core parameters and rationale for testing nutrients and suspended solids is described in the approved Greater Yellowstone Network Regulatory Water Quality Monitoring Protocol (O'Ney 2006).

River Discharge

Discharge (river flow estimates) and water temperature data from the Yellowstone River sampling location are available online from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System and listed under station USGS 06191500. This station is at Corwin Springs, MT.

Greater Yellowstone Network Water Resources Protocols

Read the full protocols and standard operating procedures for water quality and discharge here.

Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures

Source: Data Store Collection 7853. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Article created by the NPS Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network.