The Minnow team evaluated the site-specific challenges and developed an effective artificial substrate system that would ensure accurate sampling could be conducted within the narrow effluent plume. The system used 75 conical cage substrates filled with smoothed rocks that would remain stable within the fast-flowing conditions. The methods incorporated techniques to ensure the substrates remained in place during deployment and that organisms would not be washed out when the substrates were retrieved at the end of the deployment period. In addition to these environmental challenges affecting the sampling design, conditions on the river made it difficult to deploy and retrieve equipment. Conducting sampling mid-river under fast-flowing conditions required skilled operators using a jet boat to navigate the conditions. Precise placement of sampling devices within the effluent plume was completed using real-time conductivity measurements, while retrieval methods had to prevent entanglement and sample loss, ensuring sample integrity was preserved. The design drew on published scientific literature but was adapted specifically for the unique conditions of this river, combining research with practical innovation to deliver a robust solution.