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Field Sampling Procedures
On this page:
Surface Water
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National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data Standard methods for the field analysis of water samples.
Field Operations Manual for Wadeable Streams
Guidelines and standardized procedures for evaluating the biological integrity of surface waters of streams.
Beneficial Use Field Manual for Streams 
Guidance for stream monitoring and data collection activities (Idaho Dept of Environmental Quality)
Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in Fish Advisories
A set of four volumes that provides guidance for assessing health risks associated with the consumption of chemically contaminated non-commercial fish.
Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Invertebrates Rapid bioassessment protocols (RBPs) designed to provide basic aquatic life data for water quality management purposes such as problem screening, site ranking, and trend monitoring.
California Stream Bioassessment Procedure (PDF) (11 pp, 210K)
The California stream bioassessment procedure is a standardized protocol for assessing biological and physical/habitat conditions of wadeable streams.
State of California Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory
Useful information for the collection and identification of benthic macroinvertebrates in wadeable streams.
California Rapid Assessment Method
A standardized, cost-effective tool for assessing the health of wetlands and riparian habitats.
The Volunteer Monitor's Guide Home Page
Guidance for monitoring streams, lakes, estuaries and wetlands.
Water on the Web
On line primers for lake, stream ecology and watersheds.
National Recommended Water Quality Criteria
EPA's compilation of national recommended water quality criteria is presented as a summary table containing recommended water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life and human health in surface water for approximately 150 pollutants. These criteria are published pursuant to Section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and provide guidance for states and tribes to use in adopting water quality standards.
SGS/ Water Supply Paper 2175. Measurement and Computation of Stream Flow
Ground Water
Ground Water investigations guidance
Emergency Response team Soil Gas and Ground Water Field
Test Procedures (PDF) (89 pp, 871K)
Provides an assortment of standard operating procedures for ground water and soil gas sampling.
RCRA Groundwater Monitoring (PDF) (236 pp, 2.06 M)
This manual describes procedures that the Agency believes are the most
appropriate for designing, installing and operating a ground water monitoring
system. Although originally intented for use in RCRA detection monitoring,
this guidance may be applied to more general ground water monitoring use.
Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Groundwater Monitoring Wells (PDF) (224 pp, 5.32 M) Guide to the installation and design of ground water monitoring wells for environmental investigations.
Groundwater
Sampling Guidelines For Superfund and RCRA Project
Managers (PDF) (33 pp, 99K)
General sampling guidelines for the proper collection and analysis of
water samples.
SOP for Low-Stress (Low Flow/Minimal Drawdown) Groundwater Sample Collection (PDF) (17 pp, 83K) Standard operating procedure for low stress (low flow/volume) sampling for monitoring wells. Low stress methods minimize the entrainment of sediment in the water sample and allow for more representative sampling.
SOP for The Standard/Well-Volume
Method for Collecting a Ground-Water Sample (PDF) (23 pp, 80K)
The collection of "representative" water samples from wells
is neither straightforward nor easily accomplished. This document provides
a standard operating procedure for the standard well-purge method for
monitoring well sampling.
Field
Filtration Guidance (PDF) (17 pp, 1.37M)
Field filtration guidance for ground water samples collected for metals analysis
Guidance Manuals for Ground Water Investigations (California Dept of Toxics Substances Control)
Useful guidance provided by the State of California concerning field procedures such as aquifer testing, borehole geophysics,drilling, core sampling and logging procedures.
Geophysical techniques at Contaminated Sites (PDF) (304 pp, 2.4M)
General guidance for conducting geophysical investigations.
Site
Characterization Library (Dept. of Energy Website)
Numerous useful references for site characterization made available on CD-ROM.
EPA Technology Innovation Program Guidance on Diffusion Bag Samplers
Characterization and Monitoring
technology tools
Statistics and Sampling Design
Technical Guidelines for Collection of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentrations in Soil and Solid Matrices (PDF) (10 pp, 50K) Provides recommended procedures for the collection of soil samples for volatile organic analysis in EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. Updated December 2005
Statistical Methods in Water Resources (PDF) (524 pp, 7.5M)
Statistical methods for the analysis of water resources data.
Visual Sampling
Plan
Software for the design of statistically
based soil sampling strategies. (U.S. Dept of Energy,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory).
Superfund Program Representative Sampling Guidance
Statistical guidance for sampling design
- Vol. 1 (soil) (PDF) (55 pp, 1.08M)
- Vol. 2 (air) (PDF) (75 pp, 1.08M)
- Vol. 3 (biological) (PDF) (66 pp, 788K)
- Vol. 4 (waste) (PDF) (58 pp, 960K)
- Vol. 5 (water/sediment) (PDF) (117 pp, 1.60M)
- Vol. 5, Part II (groundwater) (PDF) (57 pp, 983K)
Preparation of Soil Sampling Protocols: Sampling Techniques and Strategies (Mason, 1992) (PDF) (169 pp, 2.47M) Soil sampling methods and guidance.
Ecological Assessment of Hazardous Waste Sites: A Field and Laboratory Reference (PDF) (299 pp, 1.34 M) Guidance and ecological field sampling design and assessments.