The National Exposure Research Laboratory-Las Vegas, Nevada is interested in the emerging field technology of in-situ extraction of contaminants from surface water. A current research project involves ultra-trace level determination of agricultural pesticides from alpine lakes. The airborne transport of these chemicals from nearby agricultural land may be an important pathway for chemical stressors into the southern Sierra Nevada. Large-volume alpine lake water samples, of up to I 00 liters, are collected and adsorbed on resin columns in the field. The analytes are then eluted and analyzed in the laboratory. The uniqueness of high volume sampling utilizing resin will be highlighted. The results of this Sierra Nevada Contaminant Research Project will contribute to the understanding of airborne transport of chemicals and of population declines of amphibians, as well as produce new analytical measurement tools that can be used to assess and protect pristine environments.