**Attachment 3. FY 2005 NASQAN Operations**

In general, the sampling strategies remain unchanged from previous
years. The cost of event samples will be determined in July and provided
as a separate allocation if sampling warrants. Electronic copies of
guidelines for all sampling procedures are available through the NASQAN
homepage <http://water.usgs.gov/nasqan>. The web page provides technical
support for field crews; i.e., sampling and processing protocols for
routine and quality-control samples, sample coding guidelines, and
descriptions of NASQAN laboratory schedules.

NASQAN maintains a secondary level of data review, based on national
data-quality objectives, that complements the District data review
process. District personnel are responsible for data review, rerun
requests, and timely responses to contamination problems and other data
issues. The national data review process provides a means to track the
review status of questionable data, to receive input from the districts
to the national database via interactive web forms, and to provide
technical support toward resolving data-quality issues. Information on
the national data review process, including criteria definitions,
instructions, and the individual station pages can be accessed from the
following URL: <http://oregon.usgs.gov/uo/nasqan/qa.req.html>.

**Quality-Control Samples**

The specific types of QC samples to be collected at each NASQAN station
are described in the sampling strategies provided by the Basin
Coordinators. Additionally, laboratory equipment blanks must be analyzed
once per year for all equipment that is used to collect and process
NASQAN samples. Guidelines for collection, processing, and coding of QC
samples are provided on the NASQAN home page. Please carefully follow
the coding instructions for all QC samples. Consistency across the
network is necessary for efficient analysis of the QC data.

**Laboratory Information**

*Basin Accounts*

The following basin accounts have been established for analysis of
NASQAN chemistry and suspended sediment samples:

Yukon Basin 4565-9CE10

Colorado Basin 4565-9CE20

Columbia Basin 4565-9CE30

Mississippi Basin 4565-9CE40

Rio Grande Basin 4565-9CE50

Please use the appropriate account number on your Analytical Service
Request (ASR) and sediment analysis request for all NASQAN samples.

*Laboratory Schedules*

Laboratory schedules for analysis of NASQAN samples at the National
Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) are listed below. There are several
choices for routine analyses of both nutrient and major ions, depending
upon expected concentrations; however, we do not expect changes from
last year. **Please select the** **appropriate schedule for your
stations to avoid nondetects.** If you have questions about this issue,
think the schedule should change from past years, please contact your
Basin Coordinator first.

Schedule

997 Nutrients, particulate carbon, nitrogen, organic carbon

1010 Nutrients (low-level ortho-P), particulate carbon, nitrogen,
organic carbon

1069 Nutrients (low-level P and N), particulate carbon, nitrogen,
organic carbon

998 Major ions and miscellaneous trace elements (conductance \< 2000)

1201 Major ions and miscellaneous trace elements (conductance \> 2000)

1050 Trace elements analyzed by ICP/MS

2001 Pesticides in filtered water, extracted by NWQL

1637 Chlorophyll-a and phaeophytin

452 Nutrient blank

1675 Organic carbon blank

1674 Routine major ion and trace element blank

1673 Expanded trace element blank

Updated information from the NWQL on sample requirements can be obtained
from the Technical Support section of the NASQAN home page.

*Sediment Laboratories*

Sediment samples from all stations within a single basin should be
submitted to one of two central sediment laboratories, described below.
A single composite sample will be submitted for each station sample.
This is a change from 2003 when duplicate sediment samples were
collected. Samples may be composited in the field before being sent to
the sediment lab.

Iowa District Sediment Laboratory:

Mississippi Basin

Rio Grande Basin

Cascade Volcanic Observatory:

Colorado Basin

Columbia Basin

Yukon Basin

*Trace element sampling*

Sampling for trace elements, both dissolved (schedule 1050) and
suspended (large-volume sample for Art Horowitz) will be maintained at a
subset of stations (Attachment 1). Sampling crews should be reminded
that every effort must be made to collect enough water to accumulate at
least 1 gram of sediment when processed. Art's lab sends email back
after analysis to inform the crews how much sediment was in the previous
sample. This should be used as a guide, along with knowledge of the
site, to determine how much water needs to be collected each trip.
Please make sure that all samples submitted are accompanied by an email
to Art's lab to let them know the sample is coming.

*Isotope samples*

Field crews at all NASQAN stations should continue to collect filtered
aliquots from the composite water sample for analysis of stable isotopes
of water. These samples should be packaged securely and sent directly to
Ty Coplen for analysis. He supplies the 60-mL glass bottles for sample
collection. Information on the specific sampling and processing
protocols, and the address for mailing those sampling can be found on
the NASQAN home page.

Additionally, crews should collect two filters for analysis of stable
isotopes in particulate organic matter (POM): the glass fiber filter
from filtration of pesticide samples, and a separate glass fiber filter
from the filtration of particulate carbon/nitrogen. These filters should
be clearly labeled and stored in the freezer; approximately quarterly,
these filters should be sent to Carol Kendall. ***For stations in the
Mississippi and Yukon Basin only***: an additional filtered sample will
be collected and sent to Carol Kendall with the POM filters described
above. The sample is filtered through the 0.45 capsule filter into two
20 mL scintillation vials, which will be provided by the Basin
Coordinator (Richard Coupe or Tim Brabets). After filtering, the sample
should be clearly labeled and frozen as soon as possible. Further
details on the collection and mailing of these samples can be found on
the NASQAN home page.