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Introduction
Water-quality activities and water-level measurements conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office coincide with the USGS mission of evaluating the quantity and quality of the Nation’s water resources. The activities are conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho Operations Office. Results of water-quality and hydraulic head research efforts are presented in various USGS and scientific journal publications (refer to Fisher, 2022). These data are stored internally in the Aquarius Time Series and Aquarius Samples databases and are publicly accessible through National Water Quality Monitoring Council (2025) and U.S. Geological Survey (2025). Data collected from our studies are used by researchers, Federal and State agencies, water management and regulatory organizations, as well as the public.
This quality assurance plan (QAP) describes the methods and processes for field methods, data collection, data management, data auditing, and equipment management for both the water-quality and water- level programs at the USGS INL Project Office (hereto referred to as INL Project Office). A comprehensive quality assurance (QA) plan ensures that the processes defined in this document will guide the program staff to collect and publish reliable, useful, and defensible data products for stakeholders. This QAP supersedes previous versions of this document and is intended to complement the Quality Assurance and Data Management (QADM) Plan for the Idaho Water Science Center (IDWSC; Christopher Mebane and Lauren Zinsser, written commun., 2024).
Suggested Citation
Treinen, K.C., Trcka, A.R., Zingre, J.A., and Wehnke, A.J., 2026, Field methods, quality- assurance, and data management plan for water- quality activities and water- level measurements, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Open- File Report 2026–1008, 51 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20261008.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Field Methods for Water-Quality Activities
- Field Methods for Water-Level Measurements
- Quality Assurance for Water-Quality Activities
- Quality Assurance for Water-Level Measurements
- Training Requirements and Site Safety
- References Cited
- Appendix 1. Field Schedule Showing Well and Pump Information and Sampling Schedules for Selected Wells and Streamflow Sites
- Appendix 2. Water-Level Measurement Schedule
- Appendix 3. Data-Quality Objectives for Routine Water Samples Analyzed by the National Water Quality Laboratory
- Appendix 4. Data-Quality Objectives for Radionuclides in Water Samples Analyzed by the Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory
- Appendix 5. Data-Quality Objectives for Water Samples Analyzed by GEL Laboratories, LLC, and ARS International, LLC
- Appendix 6. Data-Quality Objectives for Quality-Control Data
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Field methods, quality- assurance, and data management plan for water- quality activities and water- level measurements, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2026-1008 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20261008 |
| Publication Date | June 15, 2026 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Idaho Water Science Center |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |