Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the Biological ......

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the Biological and Water Quality Survey of Ohio’s Large Rivers

2020-2021

Ohio EPA Technical Report AMS/2020-LRGRV-1

Division of Surface Water July 2020

TMDL DEVELOPMENT |

AMS/2020-LRGRV-1 Ohio’s Large Rivers Survey QAPP, 2020 - 2021 July 2020

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the Biological and Water Quality Survey

of Ohio’s Large Rivers 2020 - 2021

July 2020

Prepared by: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Division of Surface Water Lazarus Government Center 50 W. Town Street, Suite 700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Ecological Assessment Section

4675 Homer Ohio Lane Groveport, Ohio 43125

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Central District Office

50 W. Town Street, Suite 700 Columbus, Ohio 43215

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Southeast District Office

2195 Front Street Logan, Ohio 43138

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Southwest District Office

401 E. Fifth Street Dayton, Ohio 45402

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Northwest District Office 347 N. Dunbridge Road

Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Northeast District Office 2110 East Aurora Road Twinsburg, Ohio 44087

Mike DeWine Governor, State of Ohio

Laurie A. Stevenson Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency


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A1 – Title and Approval Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Biological and Water Quality Study of Ohio’s Large Rivers, 2020 - 2021.

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Brian Hall, Assistant Chief

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Mari Piekutowski, AMS Manager

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Ellie Hagen, DSW Quality Assurance Coordinator

________________ _______________ _________ Date: ___________ Bill Zawiski, NEDO District Water Quality Supervisor

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Dan Glomski, NWDO District Water Quality Supervisor

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Jeff Lewis, CDO District Water Quality Supervisor

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Joby Jackson, SWDO District DSW Manager

___________________________________ _________ Date: ___________ Rachel Taulbee, Study Team Leader /SEDO Water Quality Supervisor

7/27/2020

07/27/2020

07/27/2020

07/29/2020

8-3-20

8/17/2020

8/24/20

8/24/2020


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A2 – Table of Contents Contents

A1 – Title and Approval ........................................................................................................................................................3

A2 – Table of Contents ..........................................................................................................................................................4

A3 – Distribution List.............................................................................................................................................................6

A4 – Project Organization and Communication.......................................................................................................7

A5 – Background ................................................................................................................................................................... 10

A6 – Project Description ................................................................................................................................................... 10

A7 – Data Quality Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Establish a Temporally Unbiased Dataset for Ohio’s LRAUs ................................................................... 12

Monitor and Assess Ohio’s Waters ........................................................................................................................ 13

Assess Causes and Sources of Impairment ....................................................................................................... 13

Support Water Quality Standards Development ........................................................................................... 14

Support NPDES Permitting ....................................................................................................................................... 15

TMDL Implementation ................................................................................................................................................ 15

A8 – Special Training/Certification ............................................................................................................................. 15

A9 – Documents and Records......................................................................................................................................... 15

Section B – Data Generation and Acquisition......................................................................................................... 16

B1 – Sampling Process and Design .............................................................................................................................. 16

B2 – Sampling Methods ..................................................................................................................................................... 16

Stream Habitat Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................ 16

Biological Community Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 17

Water Quality Sonde Deployments ....................................................................................................................... 17

Temperature Data.......................................................................................................................................................... 17

Surface Water Chemistry ........................................................................................................................................... 17

Bacteria ............................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Chlorophyll a .................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Sediment ............................................................................................................................................................................. 18

Fish Tissue ......................................................................................................................................................................... 18

B3 – Sample Handling and Custody ............................................................................................................................ 18

B4 – Analytical Methods.................................................................................................................................................... 18

B5 – Quality Control ............................................................................................................................................................ 19

Stream Habitat Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................ 19


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Water Quality Sonde Deployments ....................................................................................................................... 19

Temperature Data.......................................................................................................................................................... 19

Surface Water Chemistry ........................................................................................................................................... 19

Sediment ............................................................................................................................................................................. 20

B6 – Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection and Maintenance ......................................................... 20

B7 – Instrument Calibration and Frequency .......................................................................................................... 20

B8 – Inspection/Acceptance of Supplies .................................................................................................................. 20

B9 – Data Acquisition ......................................................................................................................................................... 20

B10 – Data Management ................................................................................................................................................... 20

Section C – Assessment and Oversight of Data Collection ............................................................................... 21

C1 – Assessment and Response Actions ................................................................................................................... 21

C1.1 – Assessments .............................................................................................................................................................. 21

C1.2 - Response Actions .................................................................................................................................................... 21

C1.3 - Reporting and Resolution of Issues ............................................................................................................... 22

C1.4 - Data Completeness ................................................................................................................................................. 22

C2 – Reports to Management ......................................................................................................................................... 22

Section D – Data Validation and Usability................................................................................................................ 22

D1 – Data Review, Validation and Verification Requirements...................................................................... 22

D2 – Validation and Verification Methods ............................................................................................................... 23

D3 – Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives ............................................................................................... 24

Appendix 1 – Summary of Sampling Effort ............................................................................................................. 25

Appendix 2 – Streams, sampling locations and sampling types................................................................... 26

Appendix 3 – NPDES permitted facilities (major dischargers) .................................................................... 36

Appendix 4 – List of physical/chemical parameters .......................................................................................... 42

Appendix 5 – Safety contacts and hospital locations ......................................................................................... 48

Appendix 6 – US EPA, Chicago Regional Laboratory (CRL) pesticide sample collection procedures ............................................................................................................................................................................... 53

Appendix 7 – US EPA, Chicago Regional Laboratory pesticide sample analytes ................................. 54

References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 55


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A3 – Distribution List This QAPP will be distributed to the following division management and staff, saved on the Division of Surface Water (DSW) collaboration site and posted on the DSW Biological and Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment webpage.

Table 1 — Distribution List.

Name/Title Contact Email/Phone DSW Central Office Tiffani Kavalec, Environmental Administrator [email protected] (614) 644-3538 Brian Hall, Asst. Environmental Administrator [email protected] (614) 644-2033 Mari Piekutowski, Environmental Manager [email protected] (614) 644-2876 Audrey Rush, Environmental Manager [email protected] (614) 644-2035 Melinda Harris, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (614) 728-1357 Keith Orr, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (614) 644-2885 Chris Skalski, Environmental Specialist 3 [email protected] (614) 644-2144 Ellie Hagen, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 705-1011 James Kiourtsis, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 644-2148 Sarah Becker, Environmental Specialist 3 [email protected] (614) 728-2385 Chuck Boucher, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 836-8776 Ben Rich, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 836-8772 Angela Dripps, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 836-8798 Bob Miltner, Environmental Specialist 3 [email protected] (614) 836-8796 Mariah Hood, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 644-2865 Ed Moore, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 836-8785 DSW Northwest District Office Dan Glomski, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (419) 373-3023 Chris Riddle, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (419) 373-3101 Ben Smith, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (419) 373-3027 DSW Southwest District Office Joby Jackson, DSW Manager [email protected] (937) 285-6029 Laura Marshall, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (937) 285-6031 Michelle Waller, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (937) 285-6028 DSW Southeast Office Rachel Taulbee, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (740) 380-5433 Kelly Capuzzi, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (740) 380-5283 Randy Spencer, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (740) 380-5240 DSW Northeast Office Bill Zawiski, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (330) 963-1134 Jennifer Carlson, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (330) 963-1228 Greg Orr, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (330) 963-1189 Mandy Razzano, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (330) 963-1269 DSW Central District Office Jeff Lewis, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (614) 466-2657 Rahel Babb, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 728-3855 Chloe Welch, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 728-3852 DES Jennifer Kraft, Environmental Manager [email protected] (614) 644-3020 Steve Roberts, Environmental Supervisor [email protected] (614) 644-4225 DDAGW Central Office Ruth Briland, Environmental Specialist 2 [email protected] (614) 369-4045

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A4 – Project Organization and Communication Table 2 — Roles and Responsibilities.

Individual(s) Assigned: Responsible for: Authorized to: Division of Surface Water Tiffani Kavalec/Brian Hall DSW Chief/Assistant Chief

Overall administration of division.

Confirm project existence; approve staff and capital resources; approve plans; edit reports.

Mari Piekutowski Assessment & Modeling Section Manager

Overall management of monitoring section.

Assign staff; approve plans; edit reports.

Melinda Harris TMDL and IR Supervisor

Coordination of biennial Integrated Report update; TMDL program development.

Assign and support staff; edit reports.

Kate Hamilton TMDL Staff

Leading TMDL projects. Write assigned TMDL sections.

Keith Orr Modeling & Assessment Unit Supervisor

Supporting modeling field crews with supplies, equipment and training.

Obtain approvals and signatures; develop budgets; conduct field audits; edit reports.

Will Kiourtsis Modeling & Assessment Unit Staff

Dissolved oxygen surveys, stream flow measurements and chemistry sampling.

Help plan study. Schedule and complete assigned field activities. Tabulate data and write discussion for technical report.

Audrey Rush Standards and Tech Support Section Manager

Quality management (QAPPs, SOPs); staff training; water quality standard rules.

Approve plans and edit reports.

Ellie Hagen Standards and Tech Support QA Officer

DSWs quality management program.

Develop and implement field QA/QC guidelines. Track field QA/QC and staff training. Review and approve QAPP.

Chris Skalski Standards and Tech Support Lead Worker

Water quality standard criteria development and rule updates.

Help plan study. Make recommended beneficial use changes.

Mariah Hood Standards and Tech Support Staff

Representing agency in fish and wildlife consumption and contact advisory matters.

Help plan study. Make waterbody specific consumption and contact advisory recommendations.

Sarah Becker Ecological Assessment Unit Lead Worker

Assist with property access, track project progress, managing data and compiling information for Integrated Report.

Help plan study. Provide landowner information for access consent. Upload fish, bug and chemistry data into EA3. Review and comment on reports. Write assigned Integrated Report sections.

Ecological Assessment Unit Fish Crew Leaders

Fish population and stream habitat assessments.


Ecological Assessment Unit Bug Crew Leaders

Macroinvertebrate population assessments.


District Section Managers District Surface Water

Implementing division goals at the district level.

Review documents and reports; suggest changes and edits; obtain approvals and signatures.

District Compliance Supervisors

NPDES permit related issues. Obtain wastewater and storm water permit information needed for planning and reporting.


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Individual(s) Assigned: Responsible for: Authorized to: District Water Quality Unit Supervisors

Supporting water quality field crews with supplies, equipment and training.

Obtain approvals and signatures; develop budgets; conduct field audits; edit reports.

District Water Quality Units

Water and sediment data collection, validation and management.


Division of Environmental Services Jennifer Kraft Program Administrator

Overall administration of lab activities.

Help solve lab information management system problems. Develop analytical methods and SOPs.

Steve Roberts QA Officer

DES quality management program.

Oversee data completeness, validation and delivery.

Division of Drinking and Ground Waters Ruth Briland (CO) Harmful Algae Bloom

program implementation. Coordinate with DSW on drinking water intake and inland lake monitoring.

District Source Water Protection Staff

Source Water Assessment and Protection plans.

Coordinate with DSW on water source protection issues.


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Figure 1 — Organization Chart


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A5 – Background Ohio EPA is conducting a biological and water quality survey of Ohio’s large river assessment units (LRAUs). Large rivers are those with drainage areas 500 mi2 and larger. The survey will consist of an intensive ambient assessment of sites placed at approximately 8-mile intervals and will be conducted during the 2020 and 2021 field sampling seasons. Because biological assemblages change very little over distance in large rivers, one site can effectively represent an eight-mile reach. In other words, an 8-mile reach can be considered a population element. In this light, the survey is essentially a census, and is being proposed because samples collected from targeted surveys in the past were temporally and spatially biased (by design) such that the results from those surveys cannot be generalized to represent the entire state without interjecting those biases. The census will provide a statewide estimate of condition and attainment status, as well as an estimate of pollution gradients affecting large rivers. Thus, information from the survey will serve as a baseline for future comparisons and can also be used to guide site selection for targeted surveys in project areas in future sampling years. Ambient biology, macro-habitat and water quality data will be collected and evaluated. The statewide LRAU assessment sampling will be conducted over a two-year timeframe; however, all sampling sites on a river will be sampled during the sampling season of one calendar year.

Ohio EPA has developed and implemented COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for water quality sampling. These SOPS are available upon request.

A6 – Project Description The study area encompasses all LRAUs in the state of Ohio. River segments that drain >500 mi2 are categorized as LRAUs. This includes 45 river segments in 30 rivers.

Table 3: Large River Assessment Units LRAU River Segment Length (mi) 04100003 90 01 St. Joseph River Mainstem (Fish Creek to IN border) 11.25 04100005 90 01 Maumee River Mainstem (IN border to Tiffin River) 42.11 04100006 90 01 Tiffin River Mainstem (Brush Creek to mouth) 19.67 04100007 90 01 Auglaize River Mainstem (Ottawa River to mouth) 12.86 04100008 90 01 Blanchard River Mainstem (Dukes Run to mouth) 35.65 04100009 90 01 Maumee River Mainstem (Tiffin River to Beaver Creek) 34.44 04100009 90 02 Maumee River Mainstem (Beaver Creek to Maumee Bay) 31.32 04100011 90 01 Sandusky River Mainstem (Tymochtee Creek to Wolf Creek) 43.00 04100011 90 02 Sandusky River Mainstem (Wolf Creek to Sandusky Bay) 22.73 04110002 90 01 Cuyahoga River Mainstem (Brandywine Cr. to mouth); including old

channel 25.34

04110004 90 01 Grand River Mainstem (Mill Creek to mouth) 41.28 05030103 90 01 Mahoning River Mainstem (Eagle Creek to Pennsylvania Border) 35.39 05030204 90 01 Hocking River Mainstem (Scott Creek to Margaret Creek) 32.58 05030204 90 02 Hocking River (Margaret Creek to Ohio River) 36.38 05040001 90 01 Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Chippewa Creek to Sandy Creek) 30.12 05040001 90 02 Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Sandy Creek to Stillwater Creek) 26.05 05040001 90 03 Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Stillwater Creek to Muskingum River) 47.05 05040001 90 04 Sandy Creek Mainstem (Bear Run to mouth) 3.19


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05040002 90 01 Mohican River Mainstem (entire length) 27.58 05040003 90 01 Walhonding River Mainstem (entire length) 23.19 05040003 90 02 Killbuck Creek Mainstem (Laurel Creek to mouth) 21.18 05040004 90 01 Muskingum River Mainstem (Tuscarawas/Walhonding confluence to

Licking River) 34.94

05040004 90 02 Muskingum River Mainstem (Licking River to Meigs Creek) 46.78 05040004 90 03 Muskingum River Mainstem (Meigs Creek to Ohio River) 29.42 05040005 90 01 Wills Creek Mainstem (Salt Fork to mouth); excluding Wills Creek Lake 44.06 05040006 90 01 Licking River Mainstem (entire length); excluding Dillon Lake 30.21 05060001 90 01 Scioto River Mainstem (L. Scioto R. to Olentangy R.); excluding

O'Shaughnessy and Griggs reservoirs 32.70

05060001 90 02 Scioto River Mainstem (Olentangy River to Big Darby Creek) 31.42 05060001 90 03 Olentangy River Mainstem (Unnamed Trib. RM 9.99 to mouth) 9.99 05060001 90 04 Big Walnut Creek Mainstem (Alum Creek to mouth) 15.32 05060001 90 05 Big Darby Creek Mainstem (Springwater Run to mouth) 24.00 05060002 90 01 Scioto River Mainstem (Big Darby Creek to Paint Creek) 37.30 05060002 90 02 Scioto River Mainstem (Paint Creek to Sunfish Creek) 36.68 05060002 90 03 Scioto River Mainstem (Sunfish Creek to Ohio River) 26.82 05060002 90 04 Salt Creek Mainstem (entire length) 4.50 05060003 90 01 Paint Creek Mainstem (Paint Creek Lake dam to mouth) 39.17 05080001 90 01 Great Miami River Mainstem (Tawawa Creek to Mad River) 48.93 05080001 90 02 Stillwater River Mainstem (Greenville Creek to mouth) 32.38 05080001 90 03 Mad River Mainstem (Donnels Creek to mouth) 18.38 05080002 90 01 Great Miami River Mainstem (Mad River to Four Mile Creek) 43.10 05080002 90 02 Great Miami River Mainstem (Four Mile Creek to Ohio River) 38.38 05080003 90 01 Whitewater River Mainstem (entire length) 8.26 05090101 90 01 Raccoon Creek Mainstem (Little Raccoon Creek to mouth) 37.55 05090202 90 01 Little Miami River Mainstem (Caesar Creek to O'Bannon Creek) 26.92 05090202 90 02 Little Miami River Mainstem (O'Bannon Creek to Ohio River) 24.00

A7 – Data Quality Objectives The data collected during this large river census survey fulfills multiple objectives:

• Establish a state-wide estimate of the condition of Ohio’s LRAUs • Assess and report on the status of LRAUs as required by Clean Water Act (CWA) 305(b) and 303(d) • Assess causes and sources of impairment • Support water quality standards development • Support National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting • Total Maximum Daily Limitation (TMDL) implementation


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Establish a Temporally Unbiased Dataset for Ohio’s LRAUs The monitoring strategy that was employed by Ohio EPA in previous years yielded detailed information about specific basins at specific points in time. The objective of conducting bioassessments on all of Ohio’s LRAUs during a two-year sampling season is to establish a state-wide dataset that minimizes temporal bias. In addition to bioassessments, continuous temperature measurements will be collected at select sites in order to establish a baseline temperature profile for a two-month period during the sampling index period. Whole body fish tissue samples will also be collected for an ecological risk assessment for large rivers and to capture a state-wide snapshot to compare with historical and future whole body sample collections.


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Monitor and Assess Ohio’s Waters Under Section 305(b) of the CWA, Ohio EPA is required to assess and report on the quality of Ohio’s waters. Ohio EPA determines attainment/non-attainment status of water quality standards in three main ways:

• Biological assessments determine attainment/non-attainment of aquatic life uses (ALU) as codified in OAC 3745-1-07, Table 7-1. Numerical biological criteria are based on multi-metric biological indices including the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb), indices measuring the response of the fish community, and the Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), which indicates the response of the macroinvertebrate community. Performance expectations for the basic aquatic life uses (Warmwater Habitat [WWH], Exceptional Warmwater Habitat [EWH], and Modified Warmwater Habitat [MWH]) were developed using the regional reference site approach (Hughes et al. 1986, Omernik 1987).

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) is used as an indicator to determine attainment/non-attainment of recreational uses as codified in OAC 3745-1-07. Water quality must meet a 90-day geometric mean and a statistical threshold not to be exceeded more than ten percent of the time.

• Chemical concentrations in fish tissue are used to determine attainment/non-attainment of non-drinking water human health water quality standards.

Under Section 303(d) of the CWA, Ohio EPA is federally obligated to list impaired and threatened waters by determining attainment/non-attainment status of water quality standards. To support this objective, the following data are planned to be collected at every site: fish and macroinvertebrate community assemblages, physical stream habitat evaluation (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, or QHEI), inorganic water column chemistry (parameters in Appendix 4), continuous sonde measurements, continuous temperature measurements, benthic chlorophyll a, and E. coli bacteria. Additional data will be collected at a select number of sites; this data includes: water column organic concentrations (parameters in Appendix 4), sediment chemistry (parameters in Appendix 4), neonicotinoids and fish tissue chemical concentrations.

Assess Causes and Sources of Impairment Chemical and physical monitoring is a direct measure of the CWA goal, and can be used to determine the factors that limit biologic attainment. Specific objectives for each planned measurement are included below:

• Physical Habitat Assessments: Ambient environmental information including physical habitat (QHEI) will be collected to assess aquatic life use attainment using procedures described in the Biocriteria for Aquatic Life User’s Manual (Ohio EPA 1987) and OAC 3745-1-07.

• Inorganic Surface Water Chemistry: A standard suite of inorganic surface water chemical parameters will be collected at every site denoted “” in Appendix 2. The list of parameters, analytic methods, and reporting limits are as listed in Appendix 4 and labeled with symbol “”. Physical water quality measurements will be taken with a multimeter probe each time a grab sample is collected. In order to evaluate seasonal variability, a minimum of five sets of samples will be collected across a variety of flow conditions at most sites. If this is not feasible, sites where n


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• Sonde Measurement and Benthic Chlorophyll a: Sonde deployment should be done during stable, baseflow conditions. Each site will be surveyed at least one time, with follow-up sampling done as needed. The sonde deployment goal is to capture a minimum of 48 continuous hours of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and specific conductivity measurements. Benthic chlorophyll a samples are to be collected during every sonde deployment if site conditions are appropriate. Continuous measurements will be evaluated against water quality criteria and, along with chlorophyll a results, be used to provide lines of evidence for causes of biological impairment such as nutrient or organic enrichment.

• Nutrient Enrichment: To characterize the range, degree of enrichment, the seasonal average condition and the magnitude of disturbance associated with episodic manifestations in Ohio’s large rivers, enrichment indicators will be collected 5 to 6 times over the sampling index period at all large river sites. Enrichment indicators collected during spot sampling include the following nutrients: ammonia (NH3), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), nitrate, total phosphorus (TP), dissolved phosphorus, alkalinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, sestonic chlorophyll a, benthic chlorophyll a (if site conditions warrant), total suspended solids (TSS), total organic carbon (TOC), biological oxygen demand(BOD) 5, and the metals aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe). Collection of these data in conjunction with biologic assemblages and continuous measurements of dissolved oxygen will allow enrichment status to be determined following the methods contained in the draft standard that references endpoints determined from the large river nutrient study (Miltner, 2018).Organic Surface Water Chemistry: Water column samples will be analyzed for organic constituents (see Appendix 4 for parameters) at a subset of sites. Sites were selected based on local knowledge of dischargers or legacy issues. Semi-volatile organic carbons (s-VOCs) and/or volatile organic carbons (VOCs) (USEPA Method 625 and Method 624, respectively) testing will generally be focused around industrial facilities, municipal areas with categorical users of these constituents, and/or historic reference locations. The PCB/P (USEPA Method 608/8081) method tests for organochlorine insecticides and PCBs. Most of these compounds are discontinued and are typically not water soluble. For that reason, these constituents will generally only be sampled if there is evidence of legacy pollution or knowledge of current site conditions warrant an investigation. Each site where organics will be collected will be sampled a minimum of two times. The objective of two passes is to screen whether select organic constituents are present in the water column; a statistic evaluation or geometric mean does not need to be calculated for each site.

• Sediment: Sediment will be collected at select locations in order to locate nonpoint, historical, or intermittent discharges that may not be readily apparent using samples collected from the water column. Chemical and physical analysis of sediments can be used as a tool for the monitoring of pollutant discharges to a river and assigning causes and sources of impairment. Each sediment site will be sampled once, unless follow up sampling is deemed necessary.

Support Water Quality Standards Development • Neonicotinoid Exposure Assessment: Ohio EPA is working in conjunction with US EPA Region 5

to collect surface water samples that will be analyzed for a variety of neonicotinoids (parameter list in Appendix 7). US EPA plans to use the data to populate the SEAWAVE-QEX model which will estimate high end pesticide concentrations in surface water. This will aid in US EPA’s neonicotinoid exposure assessments. The SEAWAVE-QEX model requires ≥12 samples/year in conjunction with continuous flow data. Use Designations: The collection of biologic assessment data assists in verifying the appropriateness of current designated uses and allows for updated recommendations for revisions as appropriate.


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• Antidegradation: The collection of biological and habitat data will support updates to the State’s list of special high quality waters.

• Evaluation of the proposed eutrophication standard for large rivers. • Sampling for neonicotinoids (in conjunction with US EPA Region 5 laboratory) is tentatively

planned to occur in 2021.

Support NPDES Permitting Three additional sites were selected (denoted as “*” NPDES sites in Appendix 2) to be sampled in order to provide the NDPES program with necessary biological and/or chemical sampling data. Two sites selected will include the full suite of sampling - biological, surface water chemistry and nutrient sampling, as described above. One site will have quantitative macroinvertebrate sampling.

TMDL Implementation The TMDL program, established under Section 303(d) of the CWA, focuses on identifying and restoring polluted rivers, streams, lakes and other surface water bodies. TMDLs are prepared for waters identified as impaired on the 303(d) list in the Integrated Report. A TMDL is a written, quantitative assessment of water quality problems in a water body and contributing sources of pollution. It specifies the amount a pollutant needs to be reduced to meet water quality standards (WQS), allocates pollutant load reductions, and provides the basis for taking actions needed to restore a water body. The objectives of the TMDL process are to estimate pollutant loads from the various sources within the basin, define or characterize allowable loads to support the various beneficial uses, and to allocate pollutant loads among different pollutant sources through appropriate controls (e.g., NPDES permitting, storm water management, CWA Section 319 proposals, non-point source controls or other abatement strategies). The components of the TMDL process supported by this survey are primarily the identification of impaired waters, verification (and re-designation if necessary) of beneficial use designations, gathering ambient information that will factor into the wasteload allocation, and ascribing causes and sources of use impairment. These data are necessary precursors to the development of effective control or abatement strategies.

A8 – Special Training/Certification Staff involved in environmental monitoring must complete training specific to their area of expertise. Annual refresher training is mandatory, and all trainings are documented using a Microsoft® Access® database. Supervisors should also conduct routine field audits.

A9 – Documents and Records Microsoft® SharePoint® is used as a document library. Access is through Ohio EPA's Intranet collaboration site.

Examples of documents posted to this location include:

Pre-sampling documents:

• Property access forms • Draft and final QAPP versions

Project documents:

• All data files • Draft report sections

https://epa.ohio.gov/dsw/tmdl/OhioIntegratedReport.aspx


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• Changes to sites, staff, parameters, etc. should be filed in the project folder by the study team leader • Project photos will be moved to and stored in the Lynx® Photo Manager®. All files will be retained by

Ohio EPA in accordance with established retention schedules.

Changes in project leadership or major actions which might affect the data quality objectives require an updated QAPP and signoff sheet. The study team leader shall retain copies of all management reports, memoranda, and all correspondence between team members.

For analytical samples the original chain of custody form is delivered to Division of Environmental Services (DES) along with the samples and retained by the lab. A copy of the form may be kept in a binder by the sample collector as well. After water samples are analyzed and the results are approved by the DES Quality Assurance (QA) Officer the data will be released to Sample Master® and subsequently uploaded to DSW's Ecological Assessment and Analysis Application (EA3). The sample collector reviews lab sheets for completeness and accuracy, validates field quality control (QC), adds comments and completes edits if necessary and approves the sheet. All data approved in EA3 is sent to U.S. EPA's Water Quality Exchange.

Datalogger temperature data files will be created for each stream location. The district study team will download the data files from the dataloggers and transmit them to the Modeling and Assessment Section staff for data reduction and analysis.

Original fish and QHEI data sheets will be retained at the Groveport Field Office. Data from the field sheet is manually entered into the EA3 database using the appropriate data entry screen. The sheets are double entered to minimize mistakes.

Section B – Data Generation and Acquisition B1 – Sampling Process and Design Decades of monitoring work by Ohio EPA has resulted in an extensive data set that includes data for all 38 large river assessment units in Ohio. Therefore, this study included a minimum of one site approximately every eight miles of a LRAU, based on review of past sampling sites, access availability, reference sites and sites with historical data where practical. Ohio EPA has previously sampled nearly all LRAUs during the rotating biological and water quality surveys. Available United States Geological Survey gage sites were selected to obtain accurate stream flow data for load calculation purposes. The site selection process for recreation beneficial use is designed to obtain a representative picture of conditions in a LRAU.

A summary of the planned sampling effort is shown in Appendix 1. A detailed list of sampling sites and the type of sampling at each is shown in Appendix 2. A list of facilities regulated by individual NPDES permit is shown in Appendix 3.

B2 – Sampling Methods Stream Habitat Evaluation Physical habitat is evaluated based on methods described in Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI); Rationale, Methods, and Application (Ohio EPA 1989b, 2006). Various attributes of the available habitat are scored based on their overall importance to the establishment of viable, diverse aquatic faunas. Habitat attributes scored include the type and quality of substrate, amount of instream cover, channel morphology, extent of riparian canopy, pool and riffle development and quality and gradient are among the metrics used to evaluate the characteristics of a stream segment, not just the characteristics of a single sampling site.


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Biological Community Assessment Fish and macroinvertebrate sampling protocols are detailed in Ohio EPA Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life: Volume III. Standardized Biological Field Sampling and Laboratory Methods for Assessing Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities (Ohio EPA 2015b).

A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed to monitor benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Quantitative collections are made using modified Hester-Dendy multiple plate artificial substrate samplers, deployed at all biomonitoring sites draining more than 20 mi2, or at reference sites regardless of size. Once deployed, artificial substrates are left to colonize, in-stream, for a six-week period. Qualitative sampling will be conducted at all biomonitoring stations. This sampling method consists of a basic inventory of macroinvertebrate taxa from natural substrates, noting dominant taxa among major habitat types (for example, riffle, run, pool, and margin).

Fish will be sampled at each sampling location using pulsed direct current (DC) boat electrofishing methods. Ten percent of the sites will be sampled twice during the sampling index period. The number of passes may be adjusted as necessary based on best professional judgment of the fish crew leader. Fish are processed in the field, which includes identifying each specimen to species level, counting individuals at all sites, weighing individuals at wading and boat sites, and recording external abnormalities.

Water Quality Sonde Deployments Water quality sondes will be placed at all locations (indicated in Appendix 2) to evaluate diel measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity. All sampling, analysis and procedures adhere to those specified in the Appendix II of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual for Water Quality Parameters and Flows (Ohio EPA 2019). That document is hereafter referred to as the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. Section F of Appendix II outlines equipment preparation, deployment, equipment retrieval, data management, quality control testing, and maintenance.

Temperature Data All data processing and data analysis methods and procedures adhere to those specified in the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. The sampling will be conducted in accordance with procedures outlined in Section G, Standard Operating Procedure for Continuous Temperature Data Logger Deployments.

Surface Water Chemistry Field measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity will be collected using YSI® water quality meters at the same time and location that all grab samples for surface water chemistry are collected. Surface water grab samples, including bacteria samples, will be collected and preserved using appropriate methods as outlined in the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. Samples are delivered to Ohio EPA - DES for analyses within the applicable holding time. Bacteria samples may be submitted to a contract lab due to the six-hour holding time. Pesticide analysis will be conducted by US EPA Region 5 laboratory. The standard operating procedure (SOP) for pesticide sample collection is included as Appendix 6 of this document.

Bacteria Water samples will be collected into appropriate containers, cooled to 4°C, and transported to a contract lab and/or Ohio EPA - DES within six hours of sample collection. All samples will be analyzed for E. coli bacteria using U.S. EPA-approved methods.


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Chlorophyll a Benthic and sestonic chlorophyll a will be collected and preserved using appropriate methods, as outlined in Appendix II of The Surface Water Field Sampling Manual and delivered to Ohio EPA- DES for analysis.

Sediment Fine grained multi-incremental sediment samples will be collected in the upper four inches of bottom material using either decontaminated stainless steel scoops or dredges. Planned sediment sampling locations are listed in Appendix 2 and the parameters to be analyzed are listed in Table 4. Follow up sediment sampling may be conducted if evaluation of biological, chemical and/or physical data indicate the need for additional sediment investigation. Collected sediment will be placed into appropriate containers, placed on ice (to maintain 4oC) and shipped to Ohio EPA-DES for analysis. Sampling and decontamination protocols will follow those listed in Appendix III of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual.

Fish Tissue Tissue fillet samples will be collected from fish of edible size and species preferred for analysis may include spotted bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, flathead catfish, walleye, saugeye, white bass, common carp, freshwater drum, buffalo and channel catfish. When possible, composite samples (by species) should include a minimum of three fish, yielding at least 150 grams of tissue. At each fish tissue sampling location, an attempt will be made to collect five fish species for analysis. Fish will be collected using standard electrofishing methods (Ohio EPA 1987). Sampling locations are listed in Table 2. Fish used for tissue analysis will be filleted in the field or at the Groveport Field Office using decontaminated stainless-steel fillet knives. Samples will be wrapped in aluminum foil, placed in a sealed plastic bag, along with necessary site documentation. Temporary storage in the field may take one of two forms. Samples may be stored on wet ice for a period not exceeding 48 hours. For longer periods of field storage, samples must be placed on dry ice. Collection, decontamination and field processing of tissue samples will follow protocols listed in the Ohio EPA Fish Tissue Collection Guidance Manual (2012). From the field, fish tissue samples will be stored and inventoried in chest freezers at the Ohio EPA Groveport Field Office prior to delivery to DES.

Whole body fish tissue samples collected to assess ecological risk will follow the same processing and storage protocols as tissue samples aside from filleting. Whole body samples should consist of three individuals per sample of the following: common carp (Cyprinus crapio), a sunfish (Lepomis) species, a catfish species [(preferably channel catfish) (Ictalurus punctatus)], and a redhorse (Moxostoma) sucker species.

B3 – Sample Handling and Custody Sample Master® software is used by DES to manage lab information. A guidance manual for use of the software is in Appendix IV of the Surface Water Field Manual (2019d). The sample collector logs into the system and places an order by selecting the appropriate project, stations to be sampled and test group(s) to be analyzed. The program creates a chain of custody form and container labels for each site.

B4 – Analytical Methods The analytical methods to be used in this study are provided in Appendix 4 along with the preservatives, holding times, and reporting limits. SOPs for the analytical methods are available upon request.


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B5 – Quality Control Stream Habitat Evaluation To ensure technical proficiency and promote standardized observations between and among all Ohio EPA field staff tasked with macrohabitat assessment, participation in annual QHEI refresher training is typically required. The training pre-dates the onset of sampling activities by several weeks, is field-based, and typically organized and lead by a senior Fish Evaluation Group (FEG) biologist. Participants are asked to independently generate a QHEI from one or several target stream segments; this followed by a group discussion, on-site, where each component of each of the five metrics that comprise the QHEI are reviewed in detail. In this way all investigators are obliged to revisit guidance material and reaffirm the various definitions, categories, and related classifications that underpin this key assessment tool. The annual refresher has proved an efficient method to discipline observations made by front-line field staff and as such has served as a practical check on investigator drift. However, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, field staff will not be permitted to congregate as an entire unit in close proximity to one another per governor’s orders. Water Quality Sonde Deployments Sondes will be calibrated according to manufacturer specification prior to deployment. A calibration record is kept for all sondes. After each deployment, sondes undergo a precision quality control check, for more details see section F and Appendix II of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. All field quality control requirements and data validation methods are detailed in the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual.

Temperature Data Battery life and quality assurance of the loggers will be tested prior to deployment. QA of the loggers will be tested by a method called herd calibration. This is done by placing groupings of the loggers into a homogenized water bath and recording the temperature every minute for approximately 15 – 20 minutes. The deviation of each individual logger should be within 0.5°C from the group average. Loggers that fail the QA test during the pre-deployment test will not be deployed.

Upon receipt of temperature data, the data will go through an initial review process to flag/remove anomalous data. Anomalous data could be a result of a malfunction of the probe or an indication that the probe was not reading accurate information which could occur if the probe was not fully submerged underwater for a period of time, became buried under fine sediment, etc. Methods employed will take advantage of the ContDataQC R package developed by Tetra Tech, Inc (https://github.com/leppott/ContDataQC).

Surface Water Chemistry Ten percent of the total water samples will be submitted to the lab as field quality control samples. About five percent will be duplicates, including replicates if natural variability is a concern, and about five percent will be blanks, including equipment blanks. Matrix spike duplicates will be collected for organic water samples at a minimum of five percent. Data will be validated based on the results of the field quality control samples as outlined in Appendix IV in the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual (2019d). The laboratory will validate data according to the requirements defined in the applicable analytical method (see Appendix 4). Field instruments will be calibrated according to manufacturer guidelines. Field instruments utilizing electrochemical sensors must be calibrated daily, and dissolved oxygen caps must be replaced every two weeks to ensure the quality measurements.


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Sediment Ten percent of the sediment samples should be collected as quality control samples, approximately five percent should be duplicates and five percent equipment blanks. Field duplicate samples are collected to determine laboratory analytical variability and/or field compositing techniques and of sediment heterogeneity within a single collected sample. Quality control sampling protocols will follow those listed in Appendix III of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual (Ohio EPA 2019c). Sediment data will be validated based on the results of the equipment blanks and duplicates as procedures outlined in Appendix IV in the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual (2019d).

B6 – Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection and Maintenance All instruments/equipment will be inspected prior to each use. All field meters are serviced annually to verify that they are operating within specifications. Parts are repaired or replaced at this time if necessary.

B7 – Instrument Calibration and Frequency The appropriate calibration procedure, as specified in the instrument’s user manual, must be followed. All calibration solutions used will be checked for expiration dates before utilized. All equipment is assigned a logbook that will detail the equipment’s calibration and maintenance history. For more details, see Appendix II of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. Other equipment used will follow specifications provided in the biological and habitat methods cited.

B8 – Inspection/Acceptance of Supplies Supplies and consumables will be inspected upon receipt by the field sampling teams. Nearly all supplies utilized for this project are maintained and used during Ohio EPA's normal business operations. The field team leaders will be responsible for ensuring that all sample containers and all needed supplies and consumables are available in advance of all field work. It will be their responsibility to maintain and replenish stock when needed. Consumable supplies include, but are not limited to: sample containers, acid preservatives, Lugol’s iodine solution, ethyl alcohol, buffers, filters and miscellaneous supplies such as distilled water, disposable gloves, and towels. Field personnel will confirm that all reagents are within applicable shelf life.

B9 – Data Acquisition This project consists mainly of field sampling. Only Ohio EPA results will be used in data summaries.

B10 – Data Management The data management process is shared by the Division of Surface Water (DSW) and Division of Environmental Services (DES). DES uses Sample Master® software to manage lab information and DSW uses the Ecological Assessment and Analysis Application (EA3) to manage data. These programs are linked together to allow the transfer of information between the two systems. EA3 software is used to assign a permanent six character station ID to each sampling location and to create a project name to associate locations so data can subsequently be exported and assessed in groups. See Appendix IV, Section B of the Surface Water Field Manual for guidelines.

Field measurements are collected instantaneously using a multi-parameter meter and saved in an internal file storage system. These files are downloaded to the manufacturer’s software, exported to Microsoft


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Excel® and then uploaded to Sample Master® so field data can be associated with chemistry data in the database.

Field and chemistry data tabulated in Sample Master® are eventually uploaded into EA3. Then, in EA3, the sample collector will review each data sheet for accuracy, validate field QC, add comments and complete edits if necessary, before approving the sheet. This data is then available for use in IR reports. All agency files are ultimately backed up and housed in the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC).

The project leader will maintain the project file in a dedicated folder on SharePoint. The goal or objective is to have a complete record of all decisions about modifications of data collection, validation or interpretation between the QAPP signoff and project report completion. To achieve this, the project leader will need to be included on emails or otherwise receive summaries of all actions that meet the above description. Project photos should all be filed in the Lynx photo management system.

Section C – Assessment and Oversight of Data Collection C1 – Assessment and Response Actions C1.1 – Assessments Periodic assessment of field sites, field equipment, and laboratory equipment is necessary to ensure that data obtained meets project needs. This is an ongoing process that continues every day during project implementation, as well as on larger scale assessments that take place less frequently (e.g., annually). The assessments generally focus on readiness and consistency of implementation but also are looking for continual improvement opportunities.

Daily assessments (for each day of project activities, as applicable) include assessment of field equipment and supplies, laboratory equipment and supplies, completeness of the day’s samples and associated field notes, future needs, etc.

C1.2 - Response Actions Despite best preparations, assessments may find situations requiring corrective actions. Small day-to-day level assessment findings are often addressed by the individual doing the assessment in the field or in the lab and are common enough to the process, to not necessitate a formal response.

• Laboratory personnel are aware that response may be necessary. Many of these will result in changes to the analytical reporting via data qualifiers and comments, for more information see Appendix IV of the field manual if:

• QC data are outside the warning or acceptable windows for precision and accuracy

• Blanks contain target analytes above acceptable levels

• Undesirable trends are detected in spike recoveries or relative percent difference (RPD) between duplicates

• There are unusual changes in detection limits

• Deficiencies are detected by the laboratory and or project QA officers during any internal or


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external audits or from the results of performance evaluation samples

• Inquiries concerning data quality are received

Corrective action implementation will be determined by the likelihood that the situation may affect the quality of the data. Field corrective actions will be brought to the attention of the study team for consideration as to their impact on the data, their potential interest to other sampling teams/subcontractors, any future considerations for process improvement, and for their potential inclusion to the quarterly reports. Lab corrective actions will follow regular laboratory procedures and SOPs. Any lab corrective action with the potential to affect data quality will be conveyed to the study team leader by the laboratory.

The datalogger installations will be visited periodically over the summer to make sure the logger remains in place within the stream. The dataloggers will be checked as soon as possible after large storm events which may dislodge or bury a logger. It is critical to reset the logger as soon as possible to prevent the loss of no more than several days of the entire data record. Weather and stream conditions will also be monitored if streams are at risk of going dry. Loggers may need to be relocated to deeper pools in the same area.

C1.3 - Reporting and Resolution of Issues Any audits or other assessments that reveal findings of practice or procedure that do not conform to the written QAPP will be corrected as soon as possible. The study team and QA coordinator will be notified regarding deviations.

C1.4 - Data Completeness Success of the project will be judged by the resulting data fulfilling the needs outlined in the data objectives. Potential data gaps will be monitored as the project progresses and the project schedule will be revised to fill these gaps where they are determined to be significant or to potentially impact the fulfillment of project objectives.

C2 – Reports to Management The project leader or district supervisor will receive regular updates from field staff throughout the sampling season and will report to division management during Senior Management Team meetings. Any problems that jeopardize completion of the project will lead to memorandum and consultation with program management and quality assurance staff.

The results and findings of the survey will be reported in the biennial Integrated Report. Aquatic life use attainment will be determined by biological criteria. Causes and sources of aquatic life use impairment will be identified and supported by water chemistry, sediment chemistry, and stream habitat evaluations. Public Water supply use will be determined on surface water chemistry and recreational use will be determined on bacteriological results.

Section D – Data Validation and Usability D1 – Data Review, Validation and Verification Requirements Data verification will be conducted by the study team with assistance from other DSW staff. This process will confirm that sample results received are congruent with samples submitted and parameters requested


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from the lab. The process will also result in summaries of any differences between initial sampling and methods planned in the QAPP and results reported and available. Differences may result from samples not being collected (due to weather, scheduling, etc.), samples not being submitted (due to accidents like broken containers, or delays resulting in being past holding times, etc.), problems at the lab (methods changing, containers or equipment breaking), or other reasons. It is also possible that additional sampling would take place because of field observations/conditions. Documenting deviations from the QAPP is the responsibility of the project leader.

The DES laboratory does the initial validation on all data and may qualify data based on laboratory QA/QC alone or with feedback from the sampler (regarding specific sampling procedures, variable sampling matrix, conditions, blank contamination, duplicate agreement, matrix spike recovery, etc.). The data user can evaluate the data given their knowledge of sampling conditions, expected variability given location and matrix, data uses, etc.

All fish, macroinvertebrate, and habitat data are hand-entered into the EA3 database using a double data entry method. This helps to minimize data entry errors. Final approval of data involves a reconciliation between the paper forms and the electronic data which is completed by the data collector or a database administrator in the Ecological Assessment Unit.

Upon approval in EA3, field and laboratory data cannot be revised without intervention from database administrators in the Agency’s Office of Information Technology Services.

D2 – Validation and Verification Methods Biological and habitat field sampling results will be verified and validated based on field staff experience and qualifications and adherence to training and QA/QC procedures for current and new field staff available in Subsection 1, Part A (macroinvertebrates) and Subsection 2, Part A (Fish and Habitat) in Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life: Volume III. Standardized Biological Field Sampling and Laboratory Methods for Assessing Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities.

In addition to verifying data completeness, the study team will oversee data validation for the project that will include confirmation of sample holding times, proper preservatives, sample containers, analysis methods, QA/QC results (including assessment of results for blanks, spikes, and duplicates), etc. This will be an ongoing effort, concluding in a data validation summary to be included in the final report.

The study team will make final decisions regarding validity and usability and will evaluate the sample collection, analysis, and data reporting processes to determine if the data is of sufficient quality to meet the project objectives. Data validation involves all procedures used to accept or reject data after collection and prior to use. These include screening, editing, verifying, and reviewing. Data validation procedures ensure that objectives for data precision and bias will be met, that data will be generated in accordance with the QAPP and SOPs, and that data are traceable and defensible. The process is both qualitative and quantitative and is used to evaluate the project.

The laboratory QA staff will conduct a systematic review of the analytical data for compliance with the


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established QC criteria using batch and sample QA/QC information including spike, duplicate, and blank results. All technical holding times will be reviewed, the laboratory analytical instrument performance will be evaluated, and results of initial and continuing calibration will be reviewed and evaluated.

Field QC sample results will be evaluated using recently clarified DSW procedures available in Section I of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual. Much of this work is facilitated by a centralized automated QC data evaluation Excel file. Use of this file is explained in the document “QC Tracking and Data Qualification” available in SharePoint in DSW Quality Management/Documents/DSW Procedures.

For most DSW chemical water quality data, data validation is generally confined to evaluation of blank results, duplicate/replicate results, paired parameter results (defined below) and confirming that samples were properly preserved/prepared (including filtration, etc. - if indicated by the method). Standards for evaluation of analytical results of those QC sample types and general field samples are described in Appendix IV, Section D of the Surface Water Field Sampling Manual.

D3 – Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives Issues related to biological and habitat data uncertainty, including any patterns of analytical or field QC uncertainties, will be assessed by field staff and their management. For most situations, issues can be addressed with acknowledgement of factors captured in the sample metadata which can confirm, explain, and document the data quality concern. Significant, persistent, or unresolved issues will be brought to the attention of the project study team, division QC personnel, and Ecological Assessment Unit and/or DSW management for further evaluation. This combination of personnel will assess how to best label affected data for storage in the EA3 database and how to eliminate or limit any similar problems going forward. Consideration will also be given on how best to memorialize data limitations or anomalies as the data is transferred to other databases, including the WQ Portal, so that future users of the sampling data are aware of any data quality issues or limitations.


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Appendix 1 – Summary of Sampling Effort

Type of Sample # of sites # of passes

Total #

Biology

Fish (1 pass) 149 1 149

Fish (2 pass) 17 2 34

Macroinvertebrate (HD) 167 1 16

Water Quality

Inorganic Samples 165 5 825

Organics

sVOCs 50 2 100

sVOCs, VOCs and PCBs 19 2 38

Sonde deployment 165 1 165

Neonicotinoid Samples To Be Determined

Continuous Temperature Data Loggers

167 1 167

Sediment Quality

Metals (selected) 82 1 82

PCB’s and Semi-volatiles (BNA) 82 1 82

Bacteria

E. coli cultures 165 5 825

Fish Tissue

Consumption Advisory Fish Tissue 9 1 9

Whole Body Fish Tissue 40 1 40


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Appendix 2 – Streams, sampling locations and sampling types.

Station Location Ecoregion/ALU River

Mile Drain (mi2) Latitude Longitude District

(refer to key on page 35) Sampling

04100003 90 01– St. Joseph River (Fish Creek to IN border) (04-400-000)

510220 Near Ohio/Indiana State line @ St. Rt. 249 ECBP/WWH 42.34 609 41.38560 -84.80170 NWDO , S, Ne

04100005 90 01 - Maumee River Mainstem (IN border to Tiffin River) (04-001-000)

P06K10 0.9 mi. dst. Ohio/Indiana State Line HELP/WWH 107.1 2119 41.1686 -84.7944 NWDO

201868 At Antwerp @ Antwerp City Park HELP/WWH 99 2129 41.1839 -84.7325 NWDO

P06S08 4 mi. NE of Antwerp @ Eater Rd/CR 73 HELP/WWH 91.48 2168 41.2219 -84.6697 NWDO

P06K06R N. of Cecil @ CR 105 HELP/WWH 85.26 2203 41.2378 -84.6022 NWDO

P06S07 S. of the Bend @ The Bend Rd. HELP/WWH 76.15 2292 41.2753 -84.51500 NWDO , S, FT-WB

P06K03 W. of Defiance, dst. Intersection Switzer Rd./Dowe Rd.

HELP/WWH 69.2 2311 41.28670 -84.43810 NWDO , S, Ne

04100006 90 01 - Tiffin River Mainstem (Brush Creek to mouth) (04-600-000)

P07K01R S. of Evansport @ Stever Rd. HELP/WWH 14 562 41.3888 -84.39840 NWDO , FT-WB

500160M Near Defiance @ Dey Rd. HELP/MWH 0.89 775 41.29030 -84.38560 NWDO , S, Ne

04100007 90 01 - Auglaize River Mainstem (Ottawa River to mouth) (04-100-000)

500110R At Cloverdale @ St. Rt. 114 HELP/WWH 28.5 719 41.02080 -84.28890 NWDO

P06S10M At Charloe @ CR 138 HELP/MWH 14.94 2041 41.12860 -84.43190 NWDO , S, FT-WB

500290M Upst. Defiance @ Harding Rd. HELP/WWH 4.14 2330 41.25380 -84.38960 NWDO , Ne

04100008 90 01 - Blanchard River Mainstem (Dukes Run to mouth) (04-160-000)

P05S03 At Gilboa @ CR 5-F HELP/WWH 35.24 508 41.01620 -83.92210 NWDO , S

500100 Upst. Ottawa @ CR 8 HELP/WWH 28.88 624 41.01240 -84.01530 NWDO

P05P05 NW. of Ottawa @ CR 11 HELP/WWH 19.19 644 41.04470 -84.08190 NWDO , FT-WB

P05S01 @ Putnam CR 15 HELP/WWH 13.37 704 41.05750 -84.15020 NWDO

P05K03M S. of Dupont, near mouth HELP/WWH 0.2 771 41.04170 -84.29570 NWDO , Ne, S


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04100009 90 01 - Maumee River Mainstem (Tiffin River to Beaver Creek) (04-001-000)

201858R Dst. Defiance dam pool, ust. Snyder/Weichman Rd. HELP/WWH 58.1 5548 41.29060 -84.24440 NWDO , O1

P09P02M 1.7 mi. Dst. Napoleon WWTP, adj. St. Rt. 424 HELP/MWH 44.35 5681 41.4086 -84.0906 NWDO , S, FT-WB

P11K33R At Grand Rapids @ St. Rt. 578 (Bridge St.) HELP/WWH 31.64 6058 41.41420 -83.86060 NWDO , Ne

04100009 90 02 - Maumee River Mainstem (Beaver Creek to Maumee Bay) (04-001-000)

P11W25 Dst. Grand Rapids HELP/WWH 29.7 6248 41.42884 -83.83077 NWDO

P11K30 At east side of Granger Island, at park HELP/WWH 21.4 6327 41.4828 -83.7136 NWDO

P11S41 Ust. Perrysburg, ust. 1 475 HELP/WWH 17.2 6334 41.5436 -83.6864 NWDO , Ne

301740 @ Buttonwood Recreation Area HELP/WWH 16.52 6340 41.54804 -83.67494 NWDO , Ne

04100011 90 01 - Sandusky River Mainstem (Tymochtee Creek to Wolf Creek) (05-001-000)

U03G01 S. of McCutchenville @ CR 16 ECBP/WWH 65.01 655 40.964756 -83.268721 NWDO

U04S29 Near Mexico @ CR 9 ECBP/WWH 57.34 760 40.988656 -83.203819 NWDO

500830R Dst. Mexico @ CR 90 ECBP/WWH 47.75 774 41.044255 -83.194919 NWDO

U04S28 At Tiffin @ Ella St. ECBP/WWH 41.84 964 41.103955 -83.186619 NWDO , S, FT-WB

500880 * Dst. Tiffin @ CR 38 ECBP/WWH 36.5 1031 41.167554 -83.163019 NWDO F, MQ

500910 Dst. Tiffin @ Abbott’s Bridge ECBP/WWH 30.85 1047 41.20969 -83.14517 NWDO

U04Q06R Upst. Fremont, upst. Wolf Creek HELP/WWH 23.00 1073 41.277958 -83.1647306 NWDO , Ne

04100011 90 02 - Sandusky River Mainstem (Wolf Creek to Sandusky Bay) (05-001-000)

304130 Just Upst. Historic Ballville Dam (Free Flowing) HELP/WWH 18.00 1255 41.325792 -83.135789 NWDO , Ne, FT-WB, S

04110002 90 01 - Cuyahoga River Mainstem (Brandywine Cr. to mouth); including old channel (19-001-000)

F01S13 At Jaite @ Highland Rd. EOLP/WWH 24.1 555 41.288764 -81.56504 NEDO , S, O3

F01S11 @ Hillside Rd. EOLP/WWH 15.61 698 41.3789 -81.6147 NEDO , S, O3

F01S10 Upst. Cleveland Southerly WWTP @ RR & S.R. 21 EOLP/WWH 11.33 730 41.4178 -81.6417 NEDO , S, Ne, O3 F01S09 Dst. Southerly WWTP at Conrail RR EOLP/WWH 9.7 744 41.4269 -81.6658 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3


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04110004 90 01 - Grand River Mainstem (Mill Creek to mouth) (03-001-000)

G02G15 @ Cork Cold Spring Rd. EOLP/EWH 40.1 522 41.73100 -80.86920 NEDO , S, O1

G02W19R @ Brandt Rd. @ RM 28.45 EOLP/EWH 28.45 554 41.7575 -80.9714 NEDO , S, Ne, O1

502510R Upst. Madison @ St. Rt. 528 EOLP/EWH 22.46 581 41.74060 -80.04670 NEDO , S, O1

G02W14R @ Madison Ave/Vrooman Rd. Bridge EOLP/EWH 13.7 630 41.72580 -80.18440 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3

G02S13R @ Painesville @ N. end of park, adj. golf course EOLP/EWH 6.1 687 41.7361 -81.2361 NEDO , S, O1

05030103 90 01 - Mahoning River Mainstem (Eagle Creek to Pennsylvania Border) (18-001-000)

N03S63 Near Leavittsburg @ US Route 422 EOLP/WWH 43.34 578 41.2575 -80.866 NEDO , S, O3

N03S60 Upst. Warren WWTP, dst. W.C. Industries EOLP/WWH 35.63 606 41.20690 -80.80830 NEDO , S, O3

N03S57 Dst. Niles WWTP, Upst. McDonald Steel EOLP/WWH 28.63 857 41.1747 -80.7328 NEDO , S, Ne, O3

N03W20 At Youngstown @ West Ave. EOLP/WWH 21.14 977 41.105 -80.6638 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3

N03W21 At Campbell, near RR EOLP/WWH 17.63 1022 41.0761 -80.6161 NEDO , S, O3

N03S51 @ Ohio/PA State Line EOLP/WWH 11.43 1075 41.03 -80.5192 NEDO , S, O3

05030204 90 01 - Hocking River Mainstem (Scott Creek to Margaret Creek) (01-001-000)

J02K07 At Logan, upst. Logan WWTP WAP/WWH 67.6 611 39.53060 -82.39500 SEDO , FT-WB, S

J02K06 Near Haydenville @ Wandling Rd. WAP/WWH 60.76 562 39.4739 -82.3294 SEDO

J02P20 At Glen-Ebon Rd. WAP/WWH 48.00 707 39.4042 -82.1894 SEDO

J02K03 SE of Chauncey, 0.7 mi. dst. Confl Sunday Creek WAP/WWH 42.2 862 39.3839 -82.1156 SEDO , S

05030204 90 02 - Hocking River (Margaret Creek to Ohio River) (01-001-000)

J02S15 At Athens @ Stimson Ave. WAP/WWH 33.03 942 39.3308 -82.0875 SEDO , S, FT-WB

J03P15 At Guysville, US 50 WAP/WWH 20.6 982 39.2861 -81.9267 SEDO

J03S10 At Bebee Rd./TR 189 WAP/WWH 13.56 1141 39.3117 -81.8575 SEDO

05040001 90 01 - Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Chippewa Creek to Sandy Creek) (17-500-000)

R06W79 0.13 mi upst. Massillon WWTP EOLP/WWH 89.0 518 40.7706 -81.5242 NEDO , S, O1


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R06P81 Se of Navarre @ Riverland Ave. EOLP/WWH 81.46 556 40.6942 -81.5036 NEDO , S, Ne, FT-WB, O3

05040001 90 02 - Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Sandy Creek to Stillwater Creek) (17-500-000)

R06K03 Dst. Sandy Creek WAP/WWH 72.6 1090 40.655 -81.4453 NEDO , S, O1

R10K18 NE of Dover @ Power Lines dst. Dover Dam WAP/WWH 63.2 1404 40.5519 -81.4208 NEDO , S, Ne, O3

R10K12 Dst. SR 250 WAP/EWH 52.3 1816 40.4642 -81.4308 NEDO , S, O1

05040001 90 03 - Tuscarawas River Mainstem (Stillwater Creek to Muskingum River) (17-500-000)

R10K10 At CR 60 WAP/EWH 44.5 2364 40.3944 -81.3903 NEDO , S, O1

R10G02 Ust. Gnadenhutten WWTP WAP/EWH 38.68 2381 40.359 -81.442 NEDO , S, O1

R10S13 At Port Washington @ Co. Rd. 14 WAP/EWH 30.9 2399 40.3261 -81.5117 NEDO , S, O1

611790R At Newcomerstown @ River St. WAP/EWH 21.17 2443 40.2611 -81.6097 NEDO , S, Ne, O1

R10G04R Dst. Newcomerstown, 0.5 mi. dst. Blue Ridge Run WAP/EWH 17.6 2474 40.2767 -81.6506 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3

R10K04R w. of West Lafayette, adj. U.S. Rt. 36 WAP/EWH 6.9 2574 40.2908 -81.8014 NEDO , S, O1 611730 At Coshocton @ Kia Bridge WAP/EWH 0.3 2596 40.27890 -81.87060 NEDO , S, O1

05040001 90 04– Sandy Creek (Bear Run to mouth) (17-450-000)

R07S71 E of Bolivar, jut dst. Bolivar Dam WAP/WWH 0.57 504 40.6511 -81.4342 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3

05040002 90 01 - Mohican River Mainstem (entire length) (17-700-000)

300286S Adj. Wally Rd. (Ashland CR 3175) EOLP/EWH 27.0 573 40.6029 -82.2481 CDO , FT-FCA, S

601870 S At Greer @ St. Rt. 514 WAP/EWH 16.92 948 40.5222 -82.1958 CDO , FT-FCA, S, Ne, O1, FT-WB

300284 At Tiverton @ Twp. Rd. 365 WAP/EWH 6.53 987.7 40.41270 -82.17860 CDO , FT-FCA, S

200634 Near mouth @ St. Rt. 715 WAP/EWH 0.5 998 40.3658 -82.1575 CDO , FT-FCA, S

05040003 90 01 - Walhonding River Mainstem (entire length) (17-600-000)

601910R At Nellie @ U.S. Rt. 36 WAP/EWH 15.73 1505 40.3414 -82.0647 CDO

R04S35 Upst. Killbuck Creek @ U.S. Rt. 36 WAP/EWH 7.54 1575 40.3272 -81.9431 CDO , FT-WB

R04W27R At Coshocton @ U.S. Rt. 36 WAP/EWH 0.76 2255 40.2839 -81.8706 CDO , S, Ne, O1


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05040003 90 02 – Killbuck Creek (Laurel Creek to mouth) (17-150-000)

203606 0.1 mi. dst. Holmes/Coshocton Co. line WAP/WWH 20.7 501 40.4494 -81.9678 NEDO , S, O3

203603 At Helmick @ covered bridge (Twp. Rd. 25) WAP/WWH 13.28 581 40.3928 -81.9433 NEDO , S, O3

203602 1.5 mi. upst. Co. Rd. 28, adj. Co. Rd. 24 WAP/WWH 2.1 599 40.345 -81.9489 NEDO , S, FT-WB, O3

05040004 90 01 - Muskingum River Mainstem (Tuscarawas/Walhonding confluence to Licking River) (17-001-000)

304131* McWane Ductile-Ohio Mixing Zone WAP/WWH 111.0 4855 40.246 -81.872 SEDO F, MQ

611740S Dst. Coshocton @ St. Rt. 83 WAP/WWH 108.28 4861 40.2361 -81.8717 CDO , S, O1, FT-WB

R11W03 S 1.5 miles upst. Wills Creek WAP/WWH 101.8 4883 40.1664 -81.8875 CDO

611750 S At Dresden @ St. Rt. 208 WAP/WWH 92 5993 40.1206 -82.00 CDO , S, O1

R11S12 Just dst. Ellis Dam WAP/WWH 84.7 6042 40.0411 -81.9861 CDO

05040004 90 02 - Muskingum River Mainstem (Licking River to Meigs Creek) (17-001-000)

R16P06 S At Zanesville @ U.S. Rt. 22/6th St. WAP/WWH 75.67 6850 39.935 -82.0061 CDO , O1

R16P08 @ Duncan Falls Bridge WAP/WWH 67.48 7196 39.8692 -81.9094 CDO , S, O1

R16S28 S Just dst Rokeby Lock Dam WAP/WWH 56.4 7386 39.731 -81.9061 CDO

R16S39 S At McConnelsville @ Lock Channel WAP/WWH 48.81 7422 39.6439 -81.8472 SEDO , S, O1, FT-WB

R16S06 S Dst. Stockport Dam WAP/WWH 39.3 7457 39.5431 -81.7906 SEDO

R16S20 Dst. Luke Chute Dam WAP/WWH 33.5 7470 39.5431 -81.7236 SEDO

05040004 90 03 - Muskingum River Mainstem (Meigs Creek to Ohio River) (17-001-000)

R19K07 S Dst. Beverly Dam, Upst. Wolf Creek WAP/WWH 24.8 7713 36.5533 -81.6478 SEDO , S, O1

R19K05 S At Lowell, dst. Lowell Dam WAP/WWH 14.0 7995 39.5286 -81.5147 SEDO , FT-WB

R19K02 S Dst. Devola Dam WAP/WWH 5.7 8035 39.4689 -81.4897 SEDO , O1, S

05040005 90 01 - Wills Creek Mainstem (Salt Fork to mouth); excluding Wills Creek Lake (17-800-000)

R18S01M Dst. Salt Fork @ Twp. Rd. 365 WAP/WWH 46.57 659 40.12170 -81.59280 SEDO , So, O1

R18S22M SE of Birds Run @ St. Rt. 541 WAP/WWH 37.74 672 40.1614 -81.6256 SEDO ,


Page 31 of 55




R18S21M Near Linton Mills @ St. Rt. 541 WAP/WWH 27.04 738 40.1797 -81.6906 SEDO , Ne

302624 S of Plainfield, dst. Bacon Run @ St. Rt. 93 WAP/WWH 18.54 770.5 40.204599 -81.714224 SEDO , FT-WB

611770 Dst. Wills Creek dam @ Twp. Rd. 274 (USGS Gage) WAP/WWH 7.04 842 40.1594 -81.8475 SEDO , O1

203770 S of Conesville, near mouth WAP/WWH 0.3 853 40.156907 -81.90237 SEDO , O1

05040006 90 01 - Licking River Mainstem (entire length); excluding Dillon Lake (17-200-000)

601770 Near Newark @ St. Rt. 16 (Stadden Bridge) EOLP/WWH 26.75 537 40.0592 -82.3397 CDO , S, O1

603300 At Toboso @ Toboso Rd. WAP/WWH 18.87 672 40.0567 -82.2203 CDO , S, FT-WB

R13S27R At Dillon Falls @ Dillon Falls Rd. WAP/WWH 3.68 753 39.9707 -82.0565 CDO , S

05060001 90 01 - Scioto River Mainstem (L. Scioto R. to Olentangy R.); excluding O'Shaughnessy and Griggs reservoirs (02-001-000) V02W23 Dst. L. Scioto R, adj. Prospect-Upper Sandusky Rd. ECBP/WWH 175.75 526 40.5006 -83.1979 CDO

V02P15 Dst Fulton Creek @ Mink St. (Co. Rd. 177) ECBP/WWH 163.8 660 40.35 -83.1825 CDO

201823 Just S. of Klondike, adj. Klondike Rd. ECBP/WWH 157.1 764 40.2672 -83.1469 CDO , S, O1, FT-WB

V03P30 N. of Dublin @ I-270 ECBP/WWH 145.57 990 40.1092 -83.1122 CDO

V03W25 S At Columbus @ West 5th Ave. ECBP/WWH 136.5 1049 39.9889 -83.0681 CDO , S, Ne

V03P33M S At Columbus, 0.2 mi upstream of Olentangy ECBP/WWH 132.5 1068 39.963357 -83.01972 CDO , S, Ne

05060001 90 02 - Scioto River Mainstem (Olentangy River to Big Darby Creek) (02-001-000)

600860 At Columbus @ Greenlawn Ave. ECBP/WWH 129.48 1617 39.93890 -83.0000 CDO , O1

600810 S At Shadeville @ St. Rt. 665 ECBP/WWH 119.9 1697 39.83250 -83.00830 CDO , S, Ne, O1

V07W45R S 0.8 mi. dst. Walnut Creek ECBP/WWH 105.3 2615 39.67150 -82.99080 CDO , O1

05060001 90 03 – Olentangy River (Unnamed Trib. RM 9.99 to mouth) (02-400-000)

V04S20M At Columbus @ W. North Broadway St. ECBP/MWH 5.28 528 40.031764 -83.024606 CDO , S, Ne, O1

V04S19 At Columbus @ Dodridge St. ECBP/WWH 3.93 535 40.016107 -83.016222 CDO , FT-WB

V04S16 At Columbus @ foot bridge @ OSU ECBP/WWH 2.7 537 40.000064 -83.023806 CDO , S


Page 32 of 55




05060001 90 04 – Big Walnut Creek (Alum Creek to mouth) (02-100-000)

V05S40 S At Lockbourne @ Rowe Rd. ECBP/EWH 3.6 555 39.8106 -82.9756 CDO , S, Ne, O1, FT-WB

05060001 90 05 - Big Darby Creek (Springwater Run to mouth) (02-200-000)

V07S03R W. of Orient @ St. Rt. 762 ECBP/EWH 23.72 501 39.8022 -83.1692 CDO , S, O1

601300R At Darbyville @ St. Rt. 316 ECBP/EWH 13.36 534 39.70080 -83.10970 CDO , S, Ne, O1

600970R Near Fox @ St. Rt. 104 ECBP/EWH 3.2 552 39.6286 -83.0097 CDO , FT-WB

05060002 90 01 - Scioto River Mainstem (Big Darby Creek to Paint Creek) (02-001-000)

600960R S At Circleville @ U.S. Rt. 22 ECBP/WWH 99.82 3217 39.6014 -82.9553 CDO , S, Ne, O1, FT-WB

201818 S At Canal Park, dst. Canal dam reminents ECBP/WWH 94.2 3242 39.5547 -83.0008 CDO , O1

600940 Ust. Deer Creek, Kellenburger Rd. ECBP/WWH 86.4 3348 39.4728 -82.9961 SEDO , O1

V13W08* Near Andersonville@ mouth of Dry Run (upper) ECBP/WWH 79.81 3823 39.4161 -83.0031 SEDO MQ

201813 W. of U.S. Rt. 23/St. Rt. 159, dst. Island ECBP/WWH 77.4 3828 39.3936 -82.9814 SEDO

V13S09 0.3 mi. dst. Chillicothe WWTP WAP/WWH 67.82 3853 39.3256 -82.9397 SEDO

05060002 90 02 - Scioto River Mainstem (Paint Creek to Sunfish Creek) (02-001-000)

V13W06 S Near Three Locks, 0.2 mi. dst. Dry Run WAP/WWH 60.0 5055 39.2519 -82.905 SEDO

600770 S At Higby Rd. WAP/WWH 56.17 5131 39.2122 -82.8647 SEDO , O1

201807 At Waverly, 0.9 mi. upst. St. Rt. 220 WAP/WWH 40.0 5750 39.1111 -82.9686 SEDO , Ne, FT-WB, S

201805 At Piketon, 1.5 mi. dst. U.S. RT. 23 WAP/WWH 33.0 5837 39.07970 -83.02830 SEDO

05060002 90 03 - Scioto River Mainstem (Sunfish Creek to Ohio River) (02-001-000)

V15P15 Dst. Piketon D.O.E., 2.3 mi. dst. Sunfish Creek WAP/WWH 24.50 6086 38.989466 -83.0386 SEDO , O1

V15K02 At Lucasville @ St. Rt. 348 WAP/WWH 14.67 6174 38.8811 -83.0178 SEDO , Ne

V15W01 S At Rosemount, adj. U.S. Rt. 23 WAP/WWH 5.0 6479 38.785 -82.9858 SEDO

05060002 90 04 – Salt Creek (entire length) (02-600-000)

V11G02 @ Main Case Rd. WAP/EWH 1.38 551 39.20000 -82.81140 SEDO , S, O1, FT-WB


Page 33 of 55




05060003 90 01 - Paint Creek Mainstem (Paint Creek Lake dam to mouth) (02-500-000)

300053 Dst. Paint Creek dam ECBP/EWH 39.14 570 39.25150 -83.35240 SEDO , S

V10Q02 Adj. Falls Rd., at Cove Run WAP/EWH 32.5 732 39.23610 -83.28690 SEDO

601320 Near Bourneville @ @ Jones Levee Rd. WAP/EWH 21

Date post:	07-Feb-2021
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