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Eurasian Watermilfoil Survey Guide (Draft) |
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1. Use the GPS unit to locate your first point. 2.
Once you are on your point
secure the boat with front anchor. 3.
At this time fill in Point
#, Initials of Surveyors, Date,
Time, UTM Coordinates and
Accuracy on the Eurasian
Watermilfoil Data Sheet. 4.
Next, using the calibrated
rake, measure the water depth. Record
the depth (in feet) in the box labeled Water Depth. 5.
Substrate Sampling ·
With the rake still in the
water “feel” the substrate. ·
Select one of the following
substrate types: muck, peat, sand, gravel, or cobble/rubble. ·
Record the Substrate
type on the Data Sheet. ·
Note:
If possible you may visually inspect the substrate to help with
identification. 6.
Plant sampling ·
After the depth is recorded
take the macrophyte rake to the starboard (right) side of the boat and
extend it out so that the rake head is approximately 3.0 feet away from
the gunwale of the boat. ·
Pull the rake head toward
the boat until the rake handle is roughly perpendicular to the waters
surface. (The rake head
should travel approximately 2.5 feet along the substrate.) ·
Slowly pull rake to the
surface and into the boat. ·
Take Abundance
Ratings:
i.
Using Appendix I (Abundance
Rating Guide) rate and record the overall aquatic plant abundance (Overall Abundance) on the rake head.
ii.
Also, using Appendix I,
rate and record the eurasian watermilfoil abundance (EWM
Abundance) on the rake head. ·
Next, take the plant
samples from the rake and rake head and put them into the small plastic
tub. ·
Take one plant sample at a
time and identify it. Then
put the correct plant letter code in the boxes under the Species Present column. ·
If the plant is an exotic
species take a voucher sample of the plant for future use. (Plant
sampling continued below.) 7.
Plant Voucher ·
Only take voucher samples
when there are enough structures available for identification. ·
All vouchers have a Voucher
#. (Voucher
#’s go in order; 1,2,3…9,10,11…).
Write the voucher number on the data sheet. ·
Next, take the plant and
insert it into a moist Ziploc bag. On
the Ziploc bag write the Date,
Voucher #, Initials of Surveyor, and the Point
#. ·
Write the same information
in the Plant Voucher Record Book
(A write-in-the-rain field notebook). ·
Check the Plant Voucher
Record Book to make sure the Voucher
# is correct. 8.
Plant Sampling Continued ·
Go through the plastic bin
until all plants that can be identified are, and return all native
plants you have recorded. Any
native plants you can not identify take a voucher sample (see Plant
Voucher above). ·
If the plant is an exotic,
and you have already taken a voucher sample, put it in the bucket to be
composted on shore later. ·
Once you have finished with
the R, or starboard, side of
the boat move the rake to the L,
or port, side of the boat and repeat steps 5-7 9.
Enter any useful management
information in the Notes
section. ·
If eurasian watermilfoil is
present indicate whether or not it is at the water’s surface.
·
If there is an aquatic
plant at the surface, but it is not eurasian watermilfoil, identify and
record it. 10.
Water Clarity ·
Water clarity tests will
only be done at selected locations.
Most points will not have water clarity tests and therefore the Water
Clarity box will be left blank.
·
Using the Secchi Disk go to
the starboard side of the boat. ·
Lower the Secchi Disk
(while keeping track of depth reading) until you can not see it any
more. Then bring it back
towards the surface until it is visible again.
·
Record the depth in the Water
Clarity box. 11.
Double check all the data
on the Eurasian Watermilfoil Data Sheet. 12.
Pull up anchors and travel
to the next Point # using the
GPS. |