Data from quality-control equipment blanks, field blanks, and field replicates for baseline water quality of an area undergoing shale-gas development in the Muskingum River watershed, Ohio, 2015-16

In 2015-16, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, conducted a study to assess baseline (2015-16) surface-water quality in six lake basins within the Muskingum River watershed that are in the early years of shale-gas development. Six samples were collected at each of 30 sites to characterize surface-water chemistry over a range of hydrologic conditions. Quality-control (QC) samples collected before and during sampling included blanks and replicates. Blank samples were used to check for contamination during sample collection, processing, equipment cleaning, and/or analysis. Replicate samples were used to determine the reproducibility/variability in the collection and analysis [...]