Allegheny National Forest Water Quality Monitoring Initiative

1. Developing Wide-Area Water Quality Monitoring
Networks in the Shale Plays of Western
Pennsylvania: A Case Study from the
Allegheny National Forest
Dr. Bruce C. Dickson
Chief Scientist
Applied Geology and Environmental Science, Inc.
Clinton, PA

2. Cooperative Effort:
• Iron Furnace Trout Unlimited (Clarion, PA)
• Elk County Conservation District
• ColCom Foundation
• United States Forest Service
• Applied Geology and Environmental Science
• United States Army Corps of Engineers

3. • On Allegheny Plateau
• Established 1923
• “Allegheny Brush-patch”
• ~ 517,000 acres
• Encompasses better part
of 4 counties

4. Allegheny National Forest Water Quality
Monitoring Network Goals:
• Monitor HQ-CWF streams with a focus on Allegheny
National Forest covering approximately 175,000 acres;
• Generate baseline data in watersheds with ongoing
conventional oil and gas extraction and new deep shale
development;
• Identify and document pollution incidents;
• Provide data for internal and external consumption;
• Support and cooperate with other monitoring initiatives,
networks, and projects;
• Create environmental education opportunities with local
schools and involve local communities.

5. Monitoring Approach
• Expands on TU Coldwater Conservation Corps Program
with data loggers and multi-parameter real-time stations;
• Multi-parameter stations based on Susquehanna River
Basin Commission watershed monitoring model.
Data loggers record: YSI Sondes record:
• Temperature • Temperature
• Conductivity • Conductivity
• Pressure • pH
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Turbidity
• Pressure

6. Solinst Data Loggers
• Cost: ~ $1200; reader $160; software free;
• Loggers programmed to record temperature, level,
and conductivity at 15 minute intervals (95
observations/day);
• Loggers can stay in housing on site nearly 6 months.

7. Data Logger Locations: Iron Run Logger
(in-place 2 months)
• Salmon Creek Watershed:
Four Mile Run* The Branch
• Spring Creek Watershed:
Spring Creek Hunter Creek
• Millstone Creek Watershed
Log Run
• West Branch Blue Jay Creek
• East Hickory Creek*
• McCaferdy Run
• Iron Run
• Clawson Run
*PAFBC Designated Wilderness Trout Fishery

8. Logger Data Management Serial_number:
1064818
Project ID:
Log Run
Location:
Millstone Creek Watershed FS131
LEVEL
UNIT: ft
Offset: 0.000000 ft
Altitude: 1380.349976 ft
Density: 1.000000 kg/L
TEMPERATURE
UNIT: Deg C
CONDUCTIVITY
UNIT: _S/cm
Date Time ms LEVEL TEMPERATURE CONDUCTIVITY
9/27/2011 18:00:00 0 3.084 16.6 18
9/27/2011 18:15:00 0 3.091 16.6 18
9/27/2011 18:30:00 0 3.097 16.6 18
9/27/2011 18:45:00 0 3.091 16.6 18
9/27/2011 19:00:00 0 3.097 16.5 18.1
9/27/2011 19:15:00 0 3.11 16.5 18.1
9/27/2011 19:30:00 0 3.104 16.5 18.1
9/27/2011 19:45:00 0 3.117 16.5 18.1
9/27/2011 20:00:00 0 3.11 16.4 18.1
9/27/2011 20:15:00 0 3.104 16.4 18.1
9/27/2011 20:30:00 0 3.11 16.4 18.1
9/27/2011 20:45:00 0 3.117 16.4 18.1
9/27/2011 21:00:00 0 3.11 16.4 18.1
9/27/2011 21:15:00 0 3.123 16.3 18.2
9/27/2011 21:30:00 0 3.11 16.3 18.2

9. Multi-Parameter Real Time Satellite Stations w/Web Data
Cost:
YSI Sonde: $ 5,000
Hardware: $ 5,000
Data Upload: Variable
Data is uploaded from the remote
multi-parameter station
at various time intervals.
Data viewing and access can be granted
to project partners and other
organizations by project administrator.
Data capture can be programmed
for 15 minute intervals w/o upload
to internet. Data downloaded
manually if desired.

10. Multi-Parameter Satellite Stations
Watersheds and TU Conservation Success Index (CSI)
Salmon Creek 64
Spring Creek 61
Millstone Creek 41
South Branch Tionesta Creek 62

12. Network Operation Experience
Monitoring network locations:
• Most permanent stations on Federal land (USFS/USACE);
• USFS requires site assessment (Environmental/Cultural);
• Bureaucratic forms and review delays.
Equipment Calibration (internal):
• All equipment can be calibrated in-house if desired;
• Requires lab standards, understanding of equipment, space.
Equipment Calibration (external):
• WHY ?
Data validity (accuracy) and data use by other parties;
• Permanent station YSI Sondes at $30/unit/month;
• Loggers semi-annually at ~ $10/unit.

13. Network Operation Experience
Data logger accuracy for conductivity (µS/cm):
• Solinst data loggers with range of 0 – 80,000 µS/cm ;
• Accuracy 2% between 500 – 80,000 µS/cm range;
• Network data consistently < 500 µS/cm, often < 40 µS/cm.
• Conducted bench test to verify accuracy:
• Lab standards at - 23.8, 50, 100, 200, 400 µS/cm;
• Accuracy ranged from 2% - 6% from 100 – 400 µS/cm;
• 10% for 50 µS/cm and 40% for 23.8 µS/cm.
• Replacing with Hobo loggers at 0 – 1000 µS/cm range with
advertised 2% accuracy.
• Initiating logger-loaner program for Solinst loggers.
• Schools/TU chapters with appropriate applications.

14. Network Operation Experience
Permanent locations:
• Satellite or cell transmission to internet sites.
• Locating on in-place infrastructure or in remote areas;
• Operating costs higher with more frequent data transmission
to internet (~ $57/month/seven parameters/4 hr interval);
• Store data in YSI Sonde and download monthly prior to
recalibration.

15. Placed on existing Infrastructure

16. Placed in remote location

17. Data Sample: McCaferdy Run Box Plot

18. Outreach:
Partnered with the Forest Area School District (West Forest
and East Forest Elementary and High School) to share
information and develop locally based educational programs
for 4th and 9th graders under the PA STEM (Science Technology
Engineering Math) Program.
Partnered with Hickory Grove Elementary and High School in
Brookville (PA) to share information and develop educational
programs for grades 1 -12 to develop curriculum for science
education through the PADEP Environmental Education Grant
Program.

19. Acknowledgements:
Iron Furnace TU would like to thank the Colcom Foundation, Pittsburgh, PA for the
funding to support this project. We also thank our primary cooperating partners
including the Elk County Conservation District, US Forest Service, and US Army
Corps of Engineers.
Applied Geology and Environmental Science provides project
management/oversight, technical support, and data management for the
monitoring project.

20. For additional information please contact:
Bruce Dickson, PhD
Chief Scientist
AGES, Inc.
2402 Hookstown Grade Road, Suite 200
Clinton, PA 15026
814.806.6073 (mobile)
412.264.6453 (office)
412.264.6567 (fax)
bdickson@appliedgeology.net