Summit Lake Paiute Tribe - Water Quality Monitoring Program

The goal of the project was to begin to establish viable and pertinent water quality standards under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act in order to protect human health and the environment.  The closed, remote Summit Lake system constitutes the primary source of drinking water on Tribal lands, and encompasses ecological considerations in regard to protection of the Lahonton cutthroat trout, a federally listed threatened species.

Water Quality Monitoring

Sampling was performed in the spring and fall to take advantage of thermal homogeneity of Summit Lake and to reflect overall water quality during seasonally high and low water levels.  Sample sites included 7 lake, 5 creek, 1 well and a spring.  Water quality was tested, sampled and analyzed for general physical parameters, nutrients, bacteriology, organic, and inorganic analyses.

Reporting

ADH staff members prepared technical reports for each of four Water Quality Monitoring events (Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, and Fall 2005).  The reports included the following: Executive summary; project description and objectives; discussion of the methods employed to execute the field investigation; results of field activities performed; and, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) evaluation to assess the validity of the data collected including a review of the field sampling log forms and analytical laboratory results.

Client Training

A training manual was prepared as a guidance document to assist in the training of Tribal members in the project- and site-specific applications of monitoring and sampling procedures.  Client training was performed during each sampling event.