Updated on November 14, 2011:
LANL Stormwater Monitoring Plan
LANL Storm Water Monitoring Objectives:
Monitoring of stormwater runoff following the Las Conchas fire will be conducted to assess potential impacts and document potential perturbations in water quality associated with the post-fire runoff environment.
Sample collection:
Figure 1: LANL and NMED Storm Water Stations Map and Monitoring Plan
Stormwater samples will be collected from runoff events at gage stations located to represent water quality for runoff flowing onto and off of Laboratory property. Stations included in this monitoring plan include stations upstream of the Laboratory E026, E240, E252, E253, and E265; and stations generally downstream of the Laboratory: E250, E350, E050.1, E060.1, E099, E109.9 (Figure 1). The samplers at these stations are automated and collect water into multiple containers throughout the runoff event. Crews obtain the samples from the automated samplers, typically the day after the runoff has ended.
Sample processing:
The sampling plan has been developed to provide fast turnaround data analysis at offsite analytical laboratories. The current estimate is that results from a runoff event will be publicly available in approximately 15 – 20 calendar days. Samples will be processed and shipped with the highest priority. Stormwater data requires a large number of analyses to be executed on samples (more than for air), and the laboratories that do this are located out of state. Those laboratories will be analyzing the samples as fast they are capable of doing, and LANL personnel will be monitoring and assisting daily to ensure the samples have top priority. However, some analyses have a minimum time requirement due to the need to prepare the sample (settle the water to remove silt, sample digestion, etc.). When data are available, the sample results will be sent to LANL electronically.
The fast turnaround time is still longer for stormwater samples than it was for air samples collected during the fire because the sample matrix involved and the tests required are more complex. Air samples were collected on filters and the tests required were easily modified for quicker turnaround times. The filter can easily be digested as received from the Laboratory and tested for radionuclides and metals from the same digestion. There are several reasons why water samples take longer to process. For example, water samples with greater than 5% suspended solids in the samples, which is typical in post-fire runoff, are required to sit for 18 hours to have the solids separated from the aqueous portion of the sample. Additionally, water samples analyzed for radionuclides must then be dried and plated before analyzing, further increasing the analysis time.
Reporting:
Stormwater data will be loaded into the RACER database and can also be viewed as separate files below. Additionally, LANL has begun preparing post Las Conchas Fire weekly summary reports and rain event maps for their stormwater monitoring reports.
Post Las Conchas Fire – Weekly Summary Reports by LANL:
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: November 4 – November 10, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: October 28 – November 3, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: October 21 – October 27, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: October 14 – October 20, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: October 7 – October 13, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: September 30 – October 6, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: September 23 – September 29, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: September 15 – September 22, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: September 9 – September 15, 2011
Weekly Summary Report for LANL: September 1 – September 9, 2011
Rain Event: September 15, 2011
Rain Event: September 9-10, 2011
Rain Event - September 6, 2011
Rain Event: September 4, 2011
Updated on September 6, 2011:
Fire Impacts on Stormwater Runoff at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Part 1:
Fire Impacts on Stormwater Runoff at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Part 2:
