Sediment Collection Instructions
Recording Bottles in Field Book
-Each depth-integrated sample and Isco sample will be collected or transferred into a quart sized plastic sampling container. Each bottle should be marked with a number. Record the information about each bottle in your field book as follows:
Bottle Date Time Collection Instrument Isco # (if applicable)
22 5/25/2013 15:00 ADT Isco 1
531 5/26/2013 12:42 ADT Depth-Integrated
If the bottle is from an Isco please mark which Isco (there may be 2 Iscos at each site). Each Isco should have a number on it (if not, please mark the Iscos #1 and #2). In your field book draw a description of which Isco is where, and describe the location of the intake (i.e. on the bed, 15 cm off the bed). For the depth-integrated samples please describe where in the river cross-section the sampling was done, as well as an approximate depth of the sampling location.
Depth-Integrated Sampling
-Depth integrated samples should be taken whenever a discharge measurement is done.
-Two or three depth-integrated samples should be taken at a time.
-Take samples in the thalweg of the channel, and note in your field book where in the cross-section the samples are from.
-To take a sample, lower the sampler at a constant rate until it hits the bottom of the channel, then bring up at a constant rate. The nozzle with the largest opening usually is appropriate.
-If the bottle is completely full it is not a valid sample, dump out and retry lowering and raising the sampler faster.
-If the bottle is less than 1/3 full, dump out and retry lower and raising the sampler slower.
Isco Sampling
-Samples will be taken 4 times/day during spring breakup (at 03:00, 09:00, 15:00, 21:00). When you leave the site for the spring, please program the Isco to take one sample every other day at 15:00 if there are 2 Iscos (I.e. each Isco takes a sample every 48 hours, staggered so that there is one sample per day). Also please make sure that there are concurrent samples from both the Iscos before leaving the site.
-During breakup the Isco hose will not be able to be anchored to rebar, and so will have to lay on the bed. Please note where the Isco hose is, and when it gets moved. Before leaving for the spring, the Isco intake should be anchored to rebar as far into the channel as possible, approximately 6” off the river bed.
-Take a “manual sample” (there is a button on the Iscos for this) when a depth-integrated sample is taken. If you later cannot remember which bottle in the Isco corresponds to the program and which to the manual sample, the “results” will read out each bottle number’s date & time.
-The Isco can pump a maximum of 99 feet in distance and 20 feet in vertical head.
-During the very beginning of breakup when the Isco hose cannot be put in the water, please try to get grab samples multiple times a day. Mark these in your field book as “grab” for the collection instrument.
TO CONFIGURE SAMPLER:
-Select ENTER PROGRAM
-Select CONFIGURE
-Set Cock to correct time and date (using AST)
-Bottles and Sizes → Portable → 24 Bottles → Bottle volume is 1000 ml
-Suction line is 3/8 inch
-Suction line is vinyl
-Suction line length is X ft (every time you change the length of the suction line, you will need to configure this)
-Liquid Detector → Enable (if the Isco does not seem to be able to sample the correct volume, you may try turning off the liquid detector)
-0 Rinse cycles
-Enter head manually → Again you can try saying no and allowing the liquid detector to determine sample volume, but this may not work with the long hoses and vertical heads we will be trying this year
-Retry up to 1 times when sampling
-Programming mode → Basic
-Then hit enter a whole bunch of times and it will test the Isco and bring you back to the main menu...
-Reintialize? → NO
TO ENTER A PROGRAM:
-Select ENTER PROGRAM
-Select PROGRAM
-Select TIME
-Sample every 6 or 48 hours
-Multiplex Samples: NO
-Sample volumes of 700 ml
-Enter start time: YES
-Start time of 15:00, with the samplers offset by 1 day
-Select MANUAL SAMPLE on both samplers at the same time, remove these samples from the sampler after pumping
-Select START SAMPLING
-Start Sampling at Bottle 1
AFTER ENTERING THE PROGRAM YOU MUST HIT START SAMPLING, OTHERWISE THE ISCO REMAINS IN A STANDBY STATE.
TO EMPTY SAMPLER:
-Stop sampling if the sampler is still running
-Select DISPLAY STATUS
-Select RESULTS
-Note the time and date of the first bottle, each sample should subsequently be 48 hours after this during the summer. Also check the time and date of the second bottle in each sampler, as many of the Iscos have a manual sample in the first bottle and the preprogrammed samples starting in bottle two.
