The annual Lake Whatcom reports include a CD containing historic Hydrolab and water quality data (1988–2002); Austin Creek, Anderson Creek, and Smith Creek hydrograph data (1998-2002); historic plankton data (1991–2002); and historic storm water treatment monitoring data (1994–2002). The data files included on the CD are described in the readme.txt file on the CD.
The electronic data files have NOT been censored to identify below detection and above detection values. Refer to Tables 2 and 38 (pages § and §) for applicable detection limits and abbreviations. It is essential that any statistical or analytical results that are generated using these data be reviewed by someone familiar with statistical uncertainty associated with uncensored data.
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
README FILE - LAKE WHATCOM DATA ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ The CD included with this report included the following data files: Hydrolab data Water quality data Hydrograph data 1988˘hl.dat 1988˘wq.dat WY1998.dat 1989˘hl.dat 1989˘wq.dat WY1999.dat 1990˘hl.dat 1990˘wq.dat WY2000.dat 1991˘hl.dat 1991˘wq.dat WY2001.dat 1992˘hl.dat 1992˘wq.dat WY2002.dat (current) 1993˘hl.dat 1993˘wq.dat 1994˘hl.dat 1994˘wq.dat 1995˘hl.dat 1995˘wq.dat Plankton data 1996˘hl.dat 1996˘wq.dat plankton.dat 1997˘hl.dat 1997˘wq.dat 1998˘hl.dat 1998˘wq.dat 1999˘hl.dat 1999˘wq.dat Storm water treatment data 2000˘hl.dat 2000˘wq.dat comps.dat 2001˘hl.dat 2001˘wq.dat grab.dat 2002˘hl.dat 2002˘wq.dat The hydrolab data files contain the following variables: site, depth (m), month, day, year, temperature (C), pH, conductivity (uS/cm), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), lab conductivity quality control data (uS/cm), and secchi depth (m). The water quality data files contain the following variables: site, depth (m), month, day, year, alkalinity (mg/L), turbidity (NTU), ammonia (ug-N/L), total persulfate nitrogen (ug-N/L), nitrate/nitrite (ug-N/L), soluble reactive phosphate (ug-P/L), total phosphorus (ug-P/L), chlorophyll (mg/m3). The hydrograph data file contains the following variables: month, day, year, hour, min, sec, ander.g (ft), ander.cfs, austin.g (ft), austin.cfs, smith.g (ft), and smith.cfs The plankton data file contains the following variables: site depth month day year zooplankton (#/L), chrysophyta (#/L), cyanophyta (#/L), chlorophyta (#/L), phyrrophyta (#/L). The storm water treatment composite data file (comps.dat) contains the following variables: site, startmonth, endmonth, startday, endday, year, total suspended solids (mg/L), total organic carbon (mg/L), total nitrogen (mg/L), total phosphorus (mg/L), and AmTest data for 33 total metals analyses (mg/L for aluminum, antimony, arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead, sulfur, selenium, silicon, silver, tin, strontium, titanium. thallium, vanadium, yttrium, zinc). The storm water treatment grab data file (grab.dat) contains the following variables: site, sample (A-D, in order of collection), month, day, year, time (am/pm), temperature (C), pH, dissolved oxygen (mg/L), conductivity (uS/cm), total coliforms (cuf/100 mL), fecal coliforms (cfu/100 mL), and enterococcus (cuf/100 mL). Beginning in 2002, total coliforms and enterococcus analyses will be discontinued and {\em E.~coli} will be added. The site codes in the data are as follows: 11 = Lake Whatcom Site 1 21 = Lake Whatcom Intake site 22 = Lake Whatcom Site 2 31 = Lake Whatcom Site 3 32 = Lake Whatcom Site 4 33 = Strawberry Sill site S1 (discontinued) 34 = Strawberry Sill site S2 35 = Strawberry Sill site S3 (discontinued) BW1 (BW˘in) = Brentwood wet pond inlet BW2 (BW˘out) = Brentwood wet pond outlet PP1 (PP˘cell1) = Park Place wet pond cell 1 (discontinued) PP2 (PP˘cell2) = Park Place wet pond cell 2 (discontinued) PP3 (PP˘cell3) = Park Place wet pond cell 3 (discontinued) PP4 (PP˘in) = Park Place wet pond inlet PP5 (PP˘out) = Park Place wet pond outlet SC1 (SC˘in) = South Campus storm water facility inlet SC2 (SC˘outE) = South Campus storm water facility east outlet SC3 (SC˘outW) = South Campus storm water facility west outlet WL = Grace Lane wetland (discontinued) CW1 = Smith Creek CW2 = Silver Beach Creek CW3 = Park Place drain CW4 = Blue Canyon Creek CW5 = Anderson Creek CW6 = Wildwood Creek CW7 = Austin Creek ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ VERIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE LAKE WHATCOM DATA FILES ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ During the summer of 1998 the Institute for Watershed Studies began creating an electronic data file that would contain long term data records for Lake Whatcom. These data were to be placed on a CD and included with annual Lake Whatcom monitoring reports. This was the first attempt to make a long-term Lake Whatcom data record available to the public. Because these data had been generated using different quality control plans over the years, a comprehensive reverification process was done. The reverification started with printing an copy of the entire data file and checking 5& of all entries against historic laboratory bench sheets and field notebooks. If an error was found, the entire set of values for that analysis were reviewed for the sampling period containing the error. Corrections were noted in the printed copy and entered into the electronic file; all entries were dated and initialed in the archive copy. Next, all data were plotted and descriptive statistics (e.g., minimum, maximum) were computed to identify outliers and unusual results. All outliers and unusual data were verified against original bench sheets. A summary of decisions pertaining to these data is presented below. All verification actions were entered into the printed copy, dated, and initialed by the IWS director. The following is a partial list of the changes made to the verified Lake Whatcom data files. For detailed information refer to the data verification archive files in the Institute for Watershed Studies library. Specific Deletions: 1) Rows containing only missing values were deleted. 2) All lab conductivity for February 1993 were deleted for cause: meter inadequate for low conductivity readings (borrowed Huxley's student meter). 3) All Hydrolab conductivity from April - December 1993 were deleted for cause: Hydrolab probe slowly lost sensitivity. Probe was replaced and Hydrolab was reconditioned prior to the February 1994 sampling. 4) All 1993 Hydrolab dissolved oxygen data less than or equal to 2.6 mg/L were deleted for cause: Hydrolab probe lost sensitivity at low oxygen concentrations. Probe was replaced and Hydrolab was reconditioned prior to February 1994 sampling. 5) All srp and tp data were deleted (entered as "missing" in 1989) from the July 10, 1989 wq data due to sample contamination in at least three samples. 6) December 2, 1991, Site 3, 0 m conductivity point deleted due to inconsistency with adjacent points. 7) December 15, 1993, Site 4, 80 m lab conductivity point deleted because matching field conductivity data are absent and point is inconsistent with all other lab conductivity points. 8) November 4, 1991, Site 2, 17-20 m, conductivity points deleted due to evidence of equipment problems related to depth. 9) February 2, 1990, Site 1, 20 m, soluble phosphate and total phosphorus points deleted due to evidence of sample contamination. 10) August 6, 1990, Site 1, 0 m, soluble phosphate and total phosphorus points deleted due to evidence of sample contamination. 11) October 5, 1992, Site 3, 80 m, all data deleted due to evidence of sample contamination in turbidity, ammonia, and total phosphorus results. 12) August 31, 1992, Site 3, 5 m, soluble phosphate and total phosphorus data deleted due to probable coding error. 13) All total Kjeldahl nitrogen data were removed from the historic record. This was not due to errors with the data but rather on-going confusion over which records contained total persulfate nitrogen and which contained total Kjeldahl nitrogen. The current historic record contains only total persulfate nitrogen. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen data were retained in the IWS data base, but not in the long-term Lake Whatcom data files. ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ ROUTINE DATA VERIFICATION PROCESS ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ 1994-present: The Lake Whatcom data are verified using a four step method: 1) The results are reviewed as they are generated. Outliers are checked for possible analytical or computational errors. This step is completed by the Laboratory Analyst and IWS Laboratory Supervisor. 2) The results are reviewed monthly and sent to the City. Unusual results are identified. This step is completed by the IWS Director. 3) The results are reviewed on an annual basis and discussed in the Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program Final Report. Unusual results are identified, and explained, if possible. This step is completed by the IWS Director, IWS Laboratory Supervisor, and Laboratory Analyst. 4) Single-blind quality control samples, laboratory duplicates, and field duplicates are analyzed as specified in the Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program contract and in the IWS Laboratory Certification requirements. Unusual results that suggest instrumentation or analytical problems are reported to the IWS Director and City. The results from these analyses are summarized in the annual report. 1987-1993: The lake data were reviewed as above except that the IWS Director's responsibilities were delegated to the Principle Investigator in charge of the lake monitoring contract (Dr. Robin Matthews). Prior to 1991, interim reports were prepared quarterly rather than monthly and annual reports were descriptive rather than interpretive. Prior to 1987: Data were informally reviewed by the Laboratory Analyst and IWS Director. Laboratory and field duplicates were commonly included as part of the analysis process, but no formal (i.e., written) quality control program was in place. Laboratory logs were maintained for most analyses, so it is possible to verify data against original analytical results. It is also possible to review laboratory quality control results for some analyses. |