xxii
Preface
load of air pollution that sensitive downwind resources can tolerate without
unacceptable damage? What level of damage is acceptable? Does a lake watershed receive too much N from the air? Are the water quality conditions getting
better, staying the same, or getting worse over time? The questions are endless.
To answer them, we need data; not just any data, but good quality-assured data
that are properly collected, analyzed, and interpreted. If you have questions
such as these or if you want answers that you can use as a basis for policy or
management decisions, this book can be of assistance.
There is not just one correct way to collect a lake or stream water sample.
Neither is there one way to conduct a laboratory analysis, quality assure a database, analyze and interpret a suite of chemical analysis results, or evaluate the
integrity of an aquatic invertebrate community. Therefore, the information
presented in this book is not structured as if it was a cookbook. Rather, we
provide recommendations for how things might be done; even more important,
we explain why we make the recommendations that we make. We alert you, the
reader, to the potential problems and issues that we have considered in making
decisions about how to proceed. If you understand the reasons why we recommend that certain steps be taken, you will be in a much stronger position to
make your own changes and adjustments to the recommended protocols to fit
your specific needs, budget, and expertise.
The focus of this book, and the various examples that are provided, deals
with studies of environmental effects from atmospheric deposition of acidifying, eutrophying, and toxic air contaminants. However, the principles that are
developed and illustrated here also apply to the study of other water quality
issues besides atmospheric deposition. The protocols discussed in this book
can also inform the study of agricultural, silvicultural, and urban pollutants
and other aspects of nonpoint source (and in some cases also point source)
water pollution. A reader who grasps the materials presented in this book will
be well equipped to design, implement, and interpret most types of water quality study.
We hope that the information presented here will help you to design,
conduct, and interpret water quality studies that will help all of us better
understand the impacts of human activities on watershed health. Armed
with high-quality data and their analyses, we will collectively be able to
move forward to reduce unacceptable human-caused impacts and protect
and improve the quality of our water and watershed resources for future
generations. Happy sampling!
Preface
load of air pollution that sensitive downwind resources can tolerate without
unacceptable damage? What level of damage is acceptable? Does a lake watershed receive too much N from the air? Are the water quality conditions getting
better, staying the same, or getting worse over time? The questions are endless.
To answer them, we need data; not just any data, but good quality-assured data
that are properly collected, analyzed, and interpreted. If you have questions
such as these or if you want answers that you can use as a basis for policy or
management decisions, this book can be of assistance.
There is not just one correct way to collect a lake or stream water sample.
Neither is there one way to conduct a laboratory analysis, quality assure a database, analyze and interpret a suite of chemical analysis results, or evaluate the
integrity of an aquatic invertebrate community. Therefore, the information
presented in this book is not structured as if it was a cookbook. Rather, we
provide recommendations for how things might be done; even more important,
we explain why we make the recommendations that we make. We alert you, the
reader, to the potential problems and issues that we have considered in making
decisions about how to proceed. If you understand the reasons why we recommend that certain steps be taken, you will be in a much stronger position to
make your own changes and adjustments to the recommended protocols to fit
your specific needs, budget, and expertise.
The focus of this book, and the various examples that are provided, deals
with studies of environmental effects from atmospheric deposition of acidifying, eutrophying, and toxic air contaminants. However, the principles that are
developed and illustrated here also apply to the study of other water quality
issues besides atmospheric deposition. The protocols discussed in this book
can also inform the study of agricultural, silvicultural, and urban pollutants
and other aspects of nonpoint source (and in some cases also point source)
water pollution. A reader who grasps the materials presented in this book will
be well equipped to design, implement, and interpret most types of water quality study.
We hope that the information presented here will help you to design,
conduct, and interpret water quality studies that will help all of us better
understand the impacts of human activities on watershed health. Armed
with high-quality data and their analyses, we will collectively be able to
move forward to reduce unacceptable human-caused impacts and protect
and improve the quality of our water and watershed resources for future
generations. Happy sampling!