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Surface Water Quality Monitoring: Training

The Surface Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM) team periodically provides training workshops and supplemental training materials to enable water quality monitoring professionals who contribute data to the TCEQ to improve their skills in monitoring, hydraulic measurements and biological assessment, data reporting, and analysis.

SWQM GIS Training Agenda and Presentations

The goal of the SWQM GIS training course is to introduce beginner and intermediate GIS users within the TCEQ surface water monitoring network to the geospatial software, skills, analyses, and data most often used by water resource professionals. The training features presentations from a range of GIS experts from TCEQ, TPWD, and other organizations. These presentations are available as a printable booklet in PDF format or can be downloaded individually in PowerPoint format below.

Questions about this training opportunity may be sent to Sarah Whitley.

Training Presentations - Listed in the order they appear on the Agenda
GIS Data Sources: Where to find data to see where you are going —L. Ryckman, TCEQ handout
Collector for ArcGIS: Setup and Best Practices —S. Long, TPWD
Advanced Cartographic Techniques —R. Broadbent, GIS specialist with Structure Development handout
Data at TCEQ —C. Schaefer, TCEQ
How to Create a New Segment from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) —P. Bohannon, TCEQ
Introduction to Tools in ArcGIS —D. Baker, TCEQ
Delineating Watersheds —J. Godeaux, TCEQ
Stream Tracing Using the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) —J. Stapel, TCEQ
Watershed characterization —S. Whitley, TCEQ
Instream Habitat Mapping —K. Aziz and S. Robertson, TPWD
Spatial Analysis 101 —M. Brown, TCEQ

SWQM Biological Training Agenda and Presentations

The SWQM Biological Training is held approximately every 5 years with the goal of increasing biological expertise throughout the state. It brings together surface water monitoring professionals in Texas to learn about TCEQ biological monitoring procedures to assure the quality and comparability of data collected to assess and protect aquatic life in Texas surface waters.

The training provides an introduction to aquatic bioassessment protocols described in the SWQM Procedures Manual, Volume 2. It consists of classroom lectures, field demonstrations, and hands-on practice including:

An overview of biological monitoring objectives and data uses
Sampling design and trip planning
Field methods for fish and benthic macroinvertebrate collection
Physical habitat measurements
Metric calculations for fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and physical habitat
Data analysis and interpretation
SWQM data management and reporting requirements

The biological training was offered twice in 2016; April 5-7 (Agenda) at the TCEQ Headquarters in Austin, TX and May 10-12 (Agenda) at the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, TX. All of the presentations from the 2016 training are linked below in PDF Adobe Acrobat PDF Document , in the order they appear on the training agendas.

Course Presentations
Course Introduction and Overview —L. Pulliam, TCEQ
Aquatic Life Monitoring (ALM) Overview and Introduction —B. Harrison, TCEQ
Biological Data Use for Standards Development —J. Godeaux, TCEQ
Trip Planning and Site Selection —L. Pulliam, TCEQ
The Use of Fish In Biological Assessments: Fish Bioassessment Guidelines —Marty Kelly and G. Linam, TPWD
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sample Collection and Processing: Wadeable Streams Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP) —L. Metzmeier, TCEQ
Aquatic Habitat Assessment Methods in Texas —A. Rogers, TPWD
Enhancing Biological Assessments: GIS Basics —S. Whitley, TCEQ
Flow Measurement: SWQM Procedures, Volume 1 Chapter 3 —L. Metzmeier, TCEQ
The Use of Digital Photography for Vouchering Fish Collections and Laboratory Tracking, Preservation, and Labeling —G. Linam, TPWD
Identification and Reference Materials —L. Pulliam, TCEQ

Course Presentations
Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI): Overview, Derivation and Application —B. Harrison, TCEQ
Guidelines for Applying the Regionalized Fish IBI Metrics —G. Linam, TCEQ
Statewide Benthic Macroinvertebrate IBI Metrics and Calculations —L. Pulliam, TCEQ
Habitat Quality Index Metrics and Calculations —A. Rogers, TPWD
Biological Data Review: Reviewing Data Submittals (Additional Handout) —A. Smith, TCEQ
Biological Monitoring: Data Management —C. Anderson, TCEQ
Optional session – Aquatic Plants in Texas —R. Ott and M. Webb, TPWD
Optional session – Unique Habitat Assessment Situations —A. Rogers, TPWD
Optional session – TPWD Fish Identification —G. Linam, TPWD
Optional session – SARA Fish Identification —C. Marzec, SARA

Additional Training Materials

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