Benthic Monitoring Results

Metadata also available as

Frequently-anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title: Benthic Monitoring Results
Abstract:
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, with funding from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund and in cooperation with the NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, developed the digital benthic monitoring data to enhance water quality assessment & plan review of Trust Fund project applications. This file identifies points where benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring has occurred. This file enables users to review the current rating of water quality for each sampling site based on the monitoring results.
Supplemental_Information:
system filename : bmr

approx file size = 0.34 mb

Revisions and updates to this layer include:

3) filename:bmr502 CGIA received from DWQ an ArcView Shapefile of benthic monitoring sites through March 1, 2002. This versions omitted the basinsite (which indicated whether a site is part of a routine sampling schedule) attribute.

2) filename: bmr900 CGIA received from DWQ an excel spreadsheet with a list of benthic monitoring sites through November 15, 2000. This spreadsheet contained many latitude and longitude corrections from the original layer released by CGIA. This version includes two additional attributes: basinsite, which indicates whether a site is part of a routine sampling schedule, and sample type.

1) filename: bmr600 The June 15, 2000 version was the

first version released to the database.

Original was data received and processed September 1998.

Corrections to lat/longs were made in October 1998.

Minor latitude attribute correction was made June 2000.

(The coverage's projection was also defined.)

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    NC DENR Clean Water Management Trust Fund, 200206, Benthic Monitoring Results: NC DENR Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Raleigh, North Carolina.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: NCCGIA distributes this dataset

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.033
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.654
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 36.562
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.262

  3. What does it look like?

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning_Date: 30-Sep-1998
    Ending_Date: 01-Mar-2002
    Currentness_Reference: Data collection dates

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: GIS data set

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
      County name, River basin name, sub-basin #, Card number, Lat/long
      This is a point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Entity point

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983
      State_Plane_Coordinate_System:
      SPCS_Zone_Identifier: 3200
      Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
      Standard_Parallel: 34.333
      Standard_Parallel: 36.167
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: 79.000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 33.750
      False_Easting: 609601.22
      False_Northing: 0.000

      Planar coordinates are encoded using Coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.1
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.1
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meters

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137 meters.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    Benthic monitoring results
    Water quality ratings for specific sampling locations. (Source: NC DENR- Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    COUNTY
    County names (Source: State of North Carolina)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    County names vary in length.

    BASIN
    Abbreviation for name of River Basin (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    River basin names vary in length and number of words.

    SUBBASIN
    Reference number of sub-basin within river basin (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Water Quality Planning Branch)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:50

    LOCATION
    Site description (e.g., SR 1203) for sampling location (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    Descriptions vary in length and number of words.

    WATERBODY
    Name of stream (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality)

    Frequency of measurement: As needed

    Stream names vary in length and number of words.

    LATITUDE
    Measurement of the angle from the Earth's center to a point on the Earth's surface measured in a north-south direction. (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    Range of values
    Minimum:335255
    Maximum:363411

    LONGITUDE
    Measurement of the angle from the Earth's center to a point on the Earth's surface measured in a east-west direction. (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    Range of values
    Minimum:753235
    Maximum:841650

    SAMPLE TYPE
    Sampling method used by DWQ (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    Frequency of measurement: None planned

    ValueDefinition
    Full Scale 
     
    EPT 
     
    Boat 
     
    Swamp 
     
    Qual4 
     
    Est Qn 
     

    DATE
    Date of field sample (Source: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    Frequency of measurement: As needed

    Range of values
    Minimum:0
    Maximum:200011

    BIOCLASS
    Water quality classification based on biological monitoring (Source: NC DENR Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit)

    Frequency of measurement: None Planned

    ValueDefinition
    ExcellentWaters with very diverse benthic macroinvertebrate populations, including many pollutant intolerant species.
    GoodWaters with healthy but less diverse benthic macroinvertebrate populations and fewer pollutant intolerant species.
    Good-FairWaters with average benthic macroinvertebrate populations, numbers & diversity.
    FairWaters with below average diversity or abundance of benthic macroinvertebrate populations. Tolerate species begin to dominate community.
    PoorWaters with very limited benthic macroinvertebrate populations, low diversity and/or abundance. Tolerant species are generally dominant.
    Not RatedLocations that have been sampled, but not assigned a water quality rating

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    A point coverage depicting stream locations sampled by the Division of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit. Each point includes a description of its location by county,river basin, sub-basin, location, and stream name. A latitude and longitude has been designated to geographically reference each sampling point. Each point has been assigned a water quality rating or "bioclassification" based on the quality and quantity of benthic macroinvertebrate life found at that site. The ratings are assigned on a scale of poor to excellent water quality. Bioclassifications are based on the number of taxa present and the relative pollution tolerance of each taxa. Stream and river reaches are then given a final bioclassification of Excellent, Good, Good-Fair, Fair, Poor, or Not Rated. These bioclassifications, which have been developed for major ecoregions, are used to assess the various impacts of both point source discharges and non-point source runoff.

    BMR.PAT Point Attribute Table

    COLUMN ITEM NAME WIDTH OUTPUT TYPE DEC DESCRIPTION

    17 CARD_NU 8 11 F 0 Collection card number

    25 COUNTY 14 14 C - County name

    39 BASIN 9 9 C - River basin name abbreviation

    48 SUBBASIN 8 12 F 0 Sub-basin #

    56 LOCATION 15 15 C - Site description

    71 WATERBODY 17 17 C - Stream name

    88 LATITUDE 8 9 F 0 North-south georeference

    96 LONGITUDE 8 12 F 0 East-west georeference

    104 COLLECTION 8 10 D - Collection date

    112 BIOCLASS 9 9 C - Water quality rating

    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    Refer to source agency for published stream classification documents and standard procedure for benthic macroinvertebrate stream sampling and assessment methods.


Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    NC Dept. of Environment and Naural Resources

    Div. of Water Quality

    Water Quality Section

    Environmental Sciences Branch

    512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh 27604-1148

    Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources,

    Clean Water Management Trust Fund

    1615 Mail Service Center

    Raleigh, NC 27699-1615

    North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis

    Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources

    301 North Wilmington Street, Suite 700

    Raleigh, NC 27601-2825

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Trish MacPherson
    NC DENR Div. of Water Quality
    1621 Mail Service Center
    Raleigh, NC 27699-1621
    U.S.A.

    (919) 733-6946 (voice)
    Trish.MacPherson@ncmail.net

    Hours_of_Service: 8am to 5pm
    Contact_Instructions: Preferred contact is by e-mail or telephone


Why was the data set created?

This data was created to assist governmental agencies and others in making resource management decisions through use of a Geographic Information System (GIS).


How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

    None (source 1 of 2)
    NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit, 200205, Benthic monitoring results: NC DENR - Div. of Water Quality, Biological Assessment Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Type_of_Source_Media: Digital
    Source_Scale_Denominator: 24000
    Source_Contribution:
    spreadsheet with monitoring locations, identification numbers and water quality ratings

    None (source 2 of 2)
    NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, 200206, Benthic monitoring results: NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Raleigh, North Carolina.

    Other_Citation_Details: CGIA distributes the data
    Type_of_Source_Media: Digital
    Source_Scale_Denominator: 24000
    Source_Contribution: Creation of digital coverage, and file updates.

  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

    Date: 30-Sep-1998 (process 1 of 2)
    The NC DENR-DWQ mapped the monitoring points onto 24k USGS paper topographic maps. DWQ entered the sampling data into a 4D database and geographically referenced the data by latitude & longitude. DWQ converted the data to EXCEL spreadsheet. DWQ supplies CGIA with updates as they occur.

    Date: 30-Sep-1998 (process 2 of 2)
    NCCGIA coverted the spreadsheet information to a digital coverage using ESRI's ARC/INFO GIS software on UNIX, Sun Sparc workstations. Points falling outside the state boundaries were referenced and DWQ contacted for corrected latitudes & longitudes. CGIA updates the digital file as needed.

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?


How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    The NC DENR-DWQ maintained the biological records in a 4D database with no geographic reference. The database includes attributes for river basin, subbasin, site description, collection date and water quality rating. The water quality ratings are assigned based on an analysis of field samplings using standard methodologies. The database was converted to an EXCEL spreadsheet for conversion to a GIS coverage. The digital file is updated as changes occur.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    The NC DENR-DWQ maintained the biological data in a 4D database with no geographic reference. The monitoring points were manually mapped onto 24k USGS paper topographic maps which meet National Map Accuracy Standards, using a best estimate with reference to surrounding features. Latitudes and longitudes were generated using a grid overlay. Points were checked for accuracy against NC Corporate GIS Data layers. In 1998 "TopoScout" software was purchased. The software generates lat/longs for the location of the cursor. DWQ will continue to refine the georeferencing of the sampling sites. DWQ converted the 4D data into an EXCEL spreadsheet for conversion to a GIS coverage. NCCGIA converted this dataset to a GIS coverage using ESRI's ARC/INFO software on UNIX. The digital file is updated as changes occur.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    These data represent the locations and results of the benthic macroinvertebrate sampling conducted and documented by the NCDWQ. Each point has an associated water quality rating based on the sampling results.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    Using ESRI's ARC/INFO GIS software, the dataset was built for point topology using the "build" command. Topology has not been edited since the last "build" or "clean"


How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Acknowledgement of products derived from this data set should cite the following: The source of the benthic monitoring data is the North Carolina Corporate Geographic Database. Earlier versions of this dataset may exist. The user must be sure to use the appropriate data set for the time period of interest. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the state of the art, CGIA cannot assume liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by any inaccuracies in the data or as a result of changes to the data caused by system transfers.

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

    NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
    Production Services
    301 North Wilmington Street, Suite 700
    Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825
    USA

    (919) 733-2090 (voice)
    (919) 715-0725 (FAX)
    dataq@cgia.state.nc.us

    Hours_of_Service: 8:30AM - 5:30PM
    Contact_Instructions:
    Phone and electronic mail preferred For current price information use a web browser: <http://www.cgia.state.nc.us/cost.html>
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Benthic Monitoring Results

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    NCCGIA is charged with the development and maintenance of the State's corporate geographic database and, in cooperation with other mapping organizations, is committed to offering its users accurate, useful, and current information about the state. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, errors and conditions originating from physical sources used to develop the corporate database may be reflected in the data supplied. The client must be aware of data conditions and bear responsibility for the appropriate use of the information with respect to possible errors, original map scale, collection methodology, currency of data, and other conditions specific to certain data. NCCGIA does not support secondary distribution of this data. The use of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the NCCGIA or North Carolina State Government.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

    Data creation and large data analysis jobs contact Database Administration P:(919)733-2090. All data is available through standard ordering procedures on a cost recovery basis.

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

    All formats supplied are created using ARC/INFO GIS software on Unix workstations. Other formats are available. Format compatibility is the user's responsibility. For more information on formats and media, use a web browser: <http://www.cgia.state.nc.us/cost.html>


Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: May-2002
Metadata author:
North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
Database Management
301 North Wilmington Street, Suite 700
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825
USA

(919) 733-2090 (voice)
(919) 715-0725 (FAX)
dataq@cgia.state.nc.us

Hours_of_Service: 8:30AM - 5:30PM
Contact_Instructions: Phone and electronic mail preferred
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)


Generated by mp version 2.8.11 on Thu Apr 15 11:06:30 2004