Sampling
With the approval of the Tribe's Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) and Monitoring Plan by the USEPA in 2003, the Natural Resources Department began collecting samples and amassing water quality data. The bulk of data collected in this program is collected in-situ with Yellow Springs Instruments 6600 EDS sondes, outfitted with probes that directly measure turbidity, temperature, pH, conductivity, depth, and dissolved oxygen (the sondes also extrapolate salinity). Discrete sampling consists of deploying a sonde for about 15 minutes; long-term sampling consists of deploying a sonde in a protective structure (a permanently fixed housing) for two-week periods during which the sonde logs sample data every 15 minutes.
Chemical & Bacteriological Sampling
For chemical and bacteriological sampling, several sample collection devices are used, depending on the specific parameter being tested. All sampling methods are described in the Wiyot Tribe's EPA-approved Quality Assurance Program Plan.