ASTM D6146-97(2018) - 1.8.2018
 
Significance and Use

4.1 The user of this guide is not assumed to be a trained technical practitioner in the water quality field. The guide is an assembly of the components common to all aspect of watershed nutrient monitoring and fulfills a need in the development of a common framework for a better coordinated and a more unified approach to nutrient monitoring in watersheds.

4.2 Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard procedure to follow in all situations and it does not cover the detail necessary to meet all of the needs of a particular monitoring objective. Other standards and guides included in the references describe the detail of the procedures.

 
1. Scope

1.1 Purpose—This guide is intended to provide general guidance on a watershed monitoring program directed toward the plant nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus. The guide offers a series of general steps without setting forth a specific course of action. It gives assistance for developing a monitoring program but not a program for implementing measures to improve water quality.

1.2 This guide applies to waters found in streams and rivers; lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; estuaries; wetlands; the atmosphere; and the vadose and subsurface saturated zones (including aquifers). This guide does not apply to nutrients found in soils, plants, or animals.

1.3 Nutrients as used in this guide are intended to include nitrogen and phosphorus in dissolved, gaseous, and particulate forms. Specific species of nitrogen include: nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, organic, total Kjeldahl, and nitrous oxide. The species of phosphorus include total, total dissolved, organic, acid-hydrolyzable, and reactive phosphorus as described in Ref (2).

1.4 Safety—Health and safety practices developed for a project may need to consider the following:

1.4.1 During the construction of sampling stations:

1.4.1.1 Drilling practices during monitoring well installations,

1.4.1.2 Overhead and underground utilities during monitoring well drilling,

1.4.1.3 Traffic patterns/concerns during sampling station installation,

1.4.1.4 Traffic patterns/concerns during surveying sampling station locations and elevations,

1.4.1.5 Drilling through materials highly contaminated with fertilizers, and

1.4.1.6 Installing monitoring equipment below the soil surface.

1.4.2 During the collection of water samples:

1.4.2.1 Using acids for sample preservation,

1.4.2.2 Sampling during flooding events and ice conditions,

1.4.2.3 Traffic on bridges,

1.4.2.4 Condition of sampling stations following flood events,

1.4.2.5 Sampling of water or soils, or both, highly contaminated with fertilizers,

1.4.2.6 Conditions of sampling stations resulting from vandalism,

1.4.2.7 Adverse weather conditions, and

1.4.2.8 Transporting liquid samples.

1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

 
2. Referenced Documents

D6145-97(2018)

Standard Guide for Monitoring Sediment in Watersheds

D5851-95(2021)

Standard Guide for Planning and Implementing a Water Monitoring Program

D5092-04

Standard Practice for Design and Installation of Ground Water Monitoring Wells in Aquifers

D4700-15

Standard Guide for Soil Sampling from the Vadose Zone (Withdrawn 2024)

D4410-25

Standard Terminology for Fluvial Sediment

D3867-16(2021)e1

Standard Test Methods for Nitrite-Nitrate in Water (Includes all amendments and changes 12/23/2021).

D3858-95(1999)

Standard Test Method for Open-Channel Flow Measurement of Water by Velocity-Area Method

D3856-11

Standard Guide for Management Systems in Laboratories Engaged in Analysis of Water

D3370-25

Standard Practices for Sampling Water from Flowing Process Streams

D3590-17(2025)

Standard Test Methods for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in Water

D1739-98(2026)

Standard Test Method for Collection and Measurement of Dustfall (Settleable Particulate Matter)

D1426-15(2021)e1

Standard Test Methods for Ammonia Nitrogen In Water (Includes all amendments and changes 12/22/2021).

D1357-26

Standard Practice for Planning the Sampling of the Ambient Atmosphere

D1129-24

Standard Terminology Relating to Water

D653-26

Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids

D4696-18

Standard Guide for Pore-Liquid Sampling from the Vadose Zone

D4448-01(2019)

Standard Guide for Sampling Ground-Water Monitoring Wells

D515-88

Test Methods for Phosphorus in Water (Withdrawn 1997)