United States
                      Environmental Protection
                      Agency
                  Office of Wetlands,
                  Oceans and Watersheds
                    EPA841-N-99-005
                    August/September 1999
&EPAON The  Water   Monitor
          JFK FEDERAL BLDG.
        BOSTON MA       3-2211

 REGIONAL AND STATE ACTIVITIES
Region  1
Maine
  New Hampshire
  Vermont
 Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring 305(b): Ray Thompson (781) 860-4372
305(b), Volunteer Monitoring:
Maureen Hilton (781) 860-4608
Waterbody System: Tom Faber(781) 860-4672
303(dyTMDL: Mark Voorhees (617) 565-4173
Nonpoint Source: Sandra Fancieullo
(617)565-4426
Clean Lakes: Warren Howard (617) 565-3515

VERMONT: Study of Mercury in Vermont and
New Hampshire Lakes: In response to the issu-
ance of health advisories against the consumption of
mercury-contaminated freshwater fish, Vermont and
New Hampshire have launched a three-year study of
mercury in sediments, waters, and biota of lakes in
these two states. The study is being jointly con-
ducted by the Vermont Department of Environmen-
tal Conservation (VTDEC) and the New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services, in collabora-
tion with Dr.  Charles Driscoll from Syracuse Uni-
versity.  Other project collaborators include  Dr. Dan
Engstrom from the Science Museum of Minnesota,
the Biodiversity Research Institute of Freeport,
Maine, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
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Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. The
project is being managed by VTDEC.

The goal of this study is to determine which larger,
publicly used Vermont and New Hampshire lakes
are of the type that: 1) have significant quantities of
mercury in their waters and sediments; 2) possess
the conditions linked to processing this mercury into
its toxic methyl mercury form; and 3) bioaccumulate
mercury into plankton, fish, and fish-eating wildlife
such as the merganser (Mergus merganser) and the
common loon (Gavia immer). The study follows an
EPA-Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program (EMAP) design for study lake selection,
and employs rigorous mercury-clean sampling and
analytical protocols as well as new techniques for
the acquisition of piscivore tissue samples without
injury to the birds. The results of this study will be
used in part to refine
fish tissue
consumption
advisories in
Vermont and New
Hampshire, in part to
learn more about
bioaccumulation of
mercury in New
England freshwater
biota, and also to
provide baseline
chemical and biological indicators
against which future reductions of atmospherically
emitted mercury can be measured.

Researchers have visited 68 of 90 lakes for chemical
characterization, have sampled fish and piscivorous
birds beginning in May of 1999, and have visited 49
lakes for biological collections.  Sediment cores
have been acquired from 10 of the 13 lakes. For
additional information about this project, contact
Neil Kamman, Environmental Scientist, at the
Vermont Department of Environmental Conserva-
tion at (802) 241-3777 or e-mail:
neil.kamman@state.vt.us.
                                                                                         •

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 Region  2
New York
 New Jersey
 Puerto Rico
  Virgin Islands
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring: Darvene Adams (732) 321-6700
305(b), Waterbody System: Linda Longo
(212) 637-3847
Volunteer Monitoring: Diane Calesso (908) 906-6999
303(dyrMDL: Rosella O'Connor (212) 637-3711
Nonpoint Source: Donna Somboonlakana
(212) 637-3700
Clean Lakes: Terry Faber (212) 637-3698

NEW JERSEY: Monitoring in Raritan Water-
sheds:  New Jersey's Department of Environmental
Protection (NJ DEP) recently conducted 303{d)/
reconnaissance monitoring in the North and South
Branch Raritan watersheds. Metals were monitored
using "Clean Methods" (which are designed to
produce data accurate to one part per billion) for
three consecutive days at 11 stations. At each
station, researchers monitored sediment and the US
Geological Survey collected flow information. In
addition, 19 stations were monitored for conven-
tional parameters on three consecutive days.  These
data will be entered into EPA's STORET database.
For more information, contact James E. Mumman at
(609)292-1623.

Bacterial Monitoring: The NJ DEP has begun a
cooperative program with county governments to
collect and analyze fecal coliform samples at various
freshwater sites in the state. These data will be used
to better understand the potential sources of bacte-
rial contamination and the transport of bacterial
particles within the aquatic ecosystem. For more
information, contact Bill Eisele at (609) 748-2000.

Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring Annual
Report: The NJ DEP has completed its report
summarizing 1997 water quality conditions in
coastal areas. This report consists of a comprehen-
sive analysis of water quality impacts. Each year,
the report highlights a different aspect of the coastal
environment: this year, the report included an
analysis of stormwater impacts. For more informa-
tion, contact Bill Eisele at (609) 748-2000.

Ambient Surfacewater Network: The NJ DEP has
begun monitoring on the redesigned bacterial
component of the ambient surfacewater network.
This monitoring effort will result in the collection of
5 samples, within a 30-day period this summer, at
each network station.  This sampling frequency
follows the guidance provided in the Surface Water
Quality Standards.  For the first time, DEP asked for
and received assistance from many county health
departments in  the collection and analysis of these
samples.  Their assistance has greatly reduced the
effort required by the bureau and is greatly appreci-
ated. For more information, contact James E.
Mumman at (609) 292-1623.
                    Region 3
                                Delaware
                                Pennsylvania
                                Maryland
                                Virginia
                                West Virginia
                    Regional Coordinators
                    Waterbody System/305(b): Martin Matlin
                    (215)814-6149
                    Monitoring: Chuck Kanetsky (215) 814-2735
                    303(d)/TMDL: Thomas Henry (215) 814-5752
                    Volunteer Monitoring: Peter Weber (215) 814-5749
                    Nonpoint Source, Clean Lakes: HankZygmunt
                    (215)814-3429
                    MARYLAND: Maryland Biological Stream
                    Survey (MBSS): A comprehensive and
                    scientifically-defensible tool is available to determine
                    how many stream miles (either within specific river
                    basins or statewide) are healthy, threatened, or
                    degraded. Maryland's Biological Stream Survey has
                    assessed data from about 1,000 randomly selected
                    sites to evaluate the overall ecological health of

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 Maryland's nontidal freshwater streams from the
 Appalachian  Mountains of Garrett County to the
 Lower Eastern Shore. Researchers assessed aquatic
 animals, physical habitat, and water chemistry at each
 site, as well as land use in  the upstream watershed.

 Major findings include: urbanization is a major threat
 to Maryland's streams; the loss of high-quality physical
 habitat, such  as forested riparian (streamside)
 buffers is widespread; acid rain is the most impor-
 tant and widespread source of stream acidity,
 affecting nearly one fifth of the state's stream miles;
 based on fish and the benthic community in Mary-
 land, 12% of all stream miles are in good condition,
 42% are fair,  and 46% are  poor; and in spite of the
 stressors on Maryland's streams, they are still
 habitat for an incredible diversity of animal life.

 Results of the Survey can help answer important
 management questions about the relative impacts
 and geographical extent of different stressors on
 Maryland streams.  The final report will be pub-
 lished in August. For more information, contact Tom
 Pheiffer at (410) 305-2740.

 New Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator in MD:
 Maryland Department of Natural Resources has
 recently filled the position  of Volunteer Water
 Monitoring Coordinator. The  new coordinator, Rita
 Bruckler, will act as a liaison between the Depart-
 ment of Natural Resources  (DNR) and volunteer
 monitoring organizations throughout Maryland.

Through this new position, DNR will provide
workshops, lectures, and technical help to assist
volunteer monitoring groups in their efforts to
promote environmental stewardship. In addition, the
coordinator will facilitate the exchange of informa-
tion from the volunteers to  those in government
involved in preservation and restoration projects and
to others who are interested in the condition of
                     watersheds.

                         The MD volunteer
                          monitoring coordinator
                          is currently updating
                          information on  MD
                          volunteer monitoring
                           groups and assessing
                           the needs of those
                           groups using informa-
                          tion from the Mary-
                         land Volunteer Water
Region 4
 Quality Monitoring Association, Tributary Teams, the
 Chesapeake Bay Program Survey, and direct contact
 with volunteer groups. Frequent updates will be sent
 to the volunteer monitoring groups concerning
 Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS)
 progress, Maryland Water Monitoring Council
 meetings, conferences, and other information that
 would be useful to the volunteer groups.  Under the
 MBSS program, MD DNR is planning to use volun-
 teer monitors to help collect benthic invertebrate
 samples and habitat information on watersheds
 throughout the state to fill information gaps for
 smaller watersheds.

 For more information, contact Rita Bruckler at
 Maryland DNR, 580 Taylor Ave. C-2, Annapolis,
 MD 21401, (410) 260-8610.
                                  North Carolina
                                   Kentucky
                                   South Carolina
                                Tennessee
                               Georgia
                                Alabama
                                 Mississippi
                                Florida

 Regional Coordinators
 Monitoring, Volunteer Monitoring, 305(b),
 Waterbody System: David Melgaard(404) 562-9265
 303(d): Yvonne Martin (404) 562-9263
 TMDL: Jim Greenfield (404) 562-9238
 Nonpoint Source: Betty Barton (404) 562-9381
 Clean Lakes: Howard Marshall (404) 562-9392

 REGIONAL OFFICE: Report on Usefulness of
 Probability Sampling: The USEPA Region 4
 Science and Ecosystem Support Division has
 released a report entitled Savannah River REMAP: A
 Demonstration of the Usefulness of Probability
 Sampling for the Purpose of Estimating Ecological
 Condition in State Monitoring Programs. This
 report presents results of sampling wadeable streams
 (first through third order) and large lake
 embayments in the Savannah River Basin using a
 probabilistic sampling strategy.  The sampling
 design was derived
 from the approach
 used in EPA's
Environmental
Monitoring and
Assessment Program (EMAP).  For streams, re-
searchers selected benthic macroinvertebrates, fish,
habitat, and algal growth potential as the indicators

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to assess biological condition and trophic condition.
For the embayment assessment, they selected
Chlorophyll a. total phosphorous, algal growth
potential. Secchi disc transparency, and total sus-
pended solids to assess trophic condition. One
hundred nineteen stream sites were sampled over a
four year period and 126 embayment stations were
sampled over a three year period. The study was a
joint effort conducted with the cooperation and
assistance of USEPA Region 4. USEPA Office of
Research and Development (Corvallis. OR), and the
states  of Georgia and South Carolina.

Limited numbers of the report are available. For
information concerning this report, contact Hoke
I loward at (706) 355-8721 or Bobby Lewis at  (706)
355-8629 of EPA Region 4 Science and Ecosystem
Support Division.
Region 5
                                    Indiana
                                     Illinois
                                     Michigan
                                     Minnesota
                                   Ohio
                               Wisconsin
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring/ 305(b)/Waterbody System: Dave
Stoltenberg (312) 353-5784
303(d)/TMDL: Donna Keclik (312) 886-6766
Volunteer Monitoring: Philip Gehring (216) 522-7260
and Tom Davenport
Nonpoint Source, Clean Lakes: Tom Davenport
    (312)886-7804

       REGIONAL OFFICE: Volunteer Moni-
         toring Meeting Planned: USEPA Region
             5 and the Region 5 state agency
                volunteer monitoring coordinators
                  are planning a volunteer moni-
                        toring meeting early in
                            FY2000.  The
                            meeting is intended
                            to 1) encourage
                            participants to share
                            experiences and
                           ideas for developing,
                         implementing, and
maintaining a network of volunteer monitoring
programs that contribute data to state and local
efforts; and 2) improve coordination and communi-
 cation between state and federal staff working on
 volunteer monitoring issues in Region 5. In particu-
 lar, this first meeting will focus on issues such as the
 data states need that volunteers can provide, devel-
 opment of Quality Assurance Project Plans, data
 management, and volunteer recruitment and reten-
 tion techniques.  It is hoped that this meeting be-
 tween USEPA and the state staff will lead to addi-
 tional conferences and workshops in the future.  For
 more information, contact Sarah Lehmann at (312)
 353-4328.
 Region 6
   Arkansas
   Louisiana
    Oklahoma
    Texas
New Mexico
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring: Charlie Howell (214) 665-8354
303{d)/TM DL: Troy Hill (214) 665-664 7
305{b)/Waterbody System: PaulKoska
(214)665-8357
Volunteer Monitoring, Clean Lakes: Mike Bira
(214)665-6668
Nonpoint Source: Brad Lamb (214) 665-7140
REGIONAL OFFICE: Biocriteria Contractor
Support in Arkansas and Texas: Biocriteria
support funds provided by EPA Headquarters were
applied to two projects in Region 6. One project
will involve assessing habitat data collected using
the EPA rapid bioassessment protocol (RBP), as well
as the state's "receiving water assessment" method.
This assistance will aid the state in developing a
standardized habitat assessment protocol for state-

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 wide application. The second project involves initial
 development of an index of biological integrity (IBI)
 applicable to fish, for selected ecoregions in Arkan-
 sas, This will be a joint effort between the state
 (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality),
 the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and the
 contractor.  The study will concentrate on assess-
 ment of existing data for both reference and im-
 paired streams with small- to medium-sized water-
 sheds. Once developed, the IBI will be used in
 assessing ecological use classifications already
 included in the state water quality standards. For
 more information, contact Philip Crocker at (214)
 665-6644 or e-mail: crocker.philip@epa.gov.
 Region  7
   Iowa
    Nebraska
     Kansas
    » Missouri
 Regional Coordinators
 Monitoring: Lyle Cowles (913) 551-5042
 305(b)/Waterbody System: Bob Steieii
 (913)551-7433
 303(d)/TMDL: Ann Lavaty (913) 551-7370
 Volunteer Monitoring: Norm Crisp (913) 551-5076
 Nonpoint Source: Pete Davis (913) 551-7372
 Clean Lakes: Sue Belvill (913) 551-7788
No material submitted.
Region 8
   Montana
   Utah
   Wyoming
  Colorado
North Dakota
South Dakota
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, 305(b), Waterbody System: Jill Minter
(303)312-6084
303(dyTMDL: Bruce Zander (303) 312-6846
Nonpoint Source: Kris Jensen (303) 312-6237
Clean Lakes: Rick Claggett (303) 312-6800
Volunteer Monitoring: Tina Laidlaw (303) 312-6880
REGIONAL OFFICE: Tribal Coordinators
Workshop Held: Region 8 sponsored a training
workshop for tribal water quality coordinators in
Denver on June 8-10.  The workshop included
 sessions on field monitoring techniques (chemical,
 physical, and biological), data analysis, and
 STORET for tribal programs.  Twenty-one tribes
 participated in the three-day training. For more
 information, contact Tina Laidlaw at (303) 312-6880
 or Sue Groves at (303) 312-6068.

 Upcoming Biological Assessment Workshop:
 Region 8 will host a workshop, "Biological Assess-
 ment in State and Tribal Programs," in Denver,
 Colorado, on September 20-23, 1999. The work-
 shop is designed to help support and develop state
 biomonitoring and bioassessment programs and
 facilitate communication and coordination among
 EPA, States, and Tribes along with other federal
 agencies conducting bioassessments. The workshop
 will also provide an opportunity to discuss the role
 and involvement of the states in the Western Envi-
 ronmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
 (EMAP Pilot Study).  For more information,
 contact Jill Minter at (303) 312-
 6084.

 Volunteer Monitoring Sup-
 port: Region 8's volunteer
 monitoring coordinator, the
 Regional lab, and staff from
 the Community Based
 Environmental Protection
 program are working
 closely to provide support
 for local watershed  groups.
 Conducting free laboratory
 analysis of samples, training
 volunteers in water quality
 monitoring, and providing technical
 assistance are a few of the ways the
 region has been supporting local monitoring efforts.
 For more information, contact Tina Laidlaw at (303)
 312-6880.

 Use of STORET in Region 8: A Regional contractor
 has recently finished an assessment of how close
 Region 8 states are to implementing EPA's modern-
 ized STORET data management system.  This
assessment will be used to assign resources in
support of these states' efforts to contribute water
quality information to STORET. Both the contractor
and Region 8's STORET Coordinator will be
working closely with EPA partners over the next few
months to move existing data sets into STORET.
Region 8 is also bringing STORET to new users

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such as community monitoring groups, Tribes, and
the US Forest Service. For more information,
contact Marty McComb, STORET Coordinator, at
(303)312-6963.

WYOMING:  Biological Assessment Workshop:
EPA sponsored a workshop supporting Wyoming's
Biological Assessment Program in Casper on June
22-24. The workshop presented the results of an
analysis of Wyoming's database of physical, biologi-
cal, and chemical data, and the technical rationale
for procedures used in the analysis. The workshop
also included a demonstration of the Wyoming
database in the Ecological Data Application System
(EDAS), a data management system for managing
and analyzing biological data. For more informa-
tion, contact Jack Smith, Wyoming DEQ, Monitor-
ing Coordinator, at (307) 332-3144.
Region  9
California
Nevada
    Arizona
    Hawaii
    Guam
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring/305(b): Janet Hashimoto (415) 744-1933
Waterbody System: Eric Wilson (415) 744-1964
303(d)/TMDL: David Smith (415) 744-2019
Nonpoint Source: SamZiegler(415) 744-1990
Clean Lakes: Wendell Smith (415) 744-2018
REGIONAL OFFICE: Pilot REMAP Project in
Calleguas Creek Watershed, Ventura County,
California: The pilot Regional Environmental
Monitoring Assessment Program (REMAP) project
in Calleguas Creek Watershed began this year as a
two-year monitoring effort to assess the condition of
coastal streams and to evaluate the relationship
between land use and stream biota condition.
Coastal Calleguas Creek Watershed covers approxi-
mately 878 km2 and is framed by Los Angeles
County in the east and the Pacific Ocean  in the west.
The watershed is one of the fastest growing areas in
California, and contains important land uses such as
urban, agricultural, and  minimally to undisturbed
habitat. It currently suffers from many water  quality
impairments.
Researchers are using a random, probability-based
sampling design to select sampling stations. This
random design will allow site selection that covers
the range of conditions in the watershed, from
undisturbed or minimally disturbed to highly im-
pacted areas.  The study will intensively  monitor
indicators of habitat condition and pollutant expo-
sure (i.e., bioassessment) and estimate pollutant
loads  from different land uses in the watershed.
Biological community sampling will take place
during spring/summer of each year and will include
fish, benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton
assemblages, and riparian habitat assessment and
stream morphology. Researchers will determine the
relationship between load, condition and land use by
assessing biological conditions at approximately 90
stream sites near major land uses in the watershed.
They will monitor during storm and dry weather
events to capture pollutant load estimates for major
land uses.  Results from this study will allow
identification of the areas contributing to nonpoint
source pollution, targeting of control measures, and
evaluation of the vulnerability of coastal resources.

The Calleguas Creek Watershed pilot project is part
of a four-year REMAPAVestem EMAP study to
more intensively assess the ecological condition of
Southern California streams.  It was begun  to
evaluate indicators for conditions representative of
watersheds in semi-arid environments with flashy
and intermittent streams (EMAP protocols  have
been primarily applied in other geographic  areas of
the country). The  results from this pilot effort will
be applied to areas in Southern California with
similar land uses, as well as to the rest of the Medi-
terranean Califor-
nia ecoregion, and
provide broader
applicability to the
EMAP
Western
Pilot.

For more
information, contact Cindy
Lin at
(415) 744-1965 or
e-mail: lin.cindy@epa.gov.

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 Region  10
Washington
 Oregon
   Idaho
    Alaska
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, Waterbody System: Gretchen Hayslip
(206)553-1685
305(b): Curry Jones (206) 553-6912
303(d)/TMDL: Bruce Cleland (206) 553-2600
Volunteer Monitoring: Krista Rave (206) 553-6686
Nonpoint Source: Teena Reichgott (206) 553-1601
Clean Lakes: Krista Mendelman (206) 553-1571

WASHINGTON: Salmon Study Complete: The
Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology)
recently published a report titled The Relation-
ship Between Stream
Macroin ve rtebrates
and Salmon in the
Quilceda/Allen
Drainage. Ecology
collected stream
macroinvertebrate, quantitative physical
habitat and water column measurements at several
reaches in the Quilceda/Allen drainage, and used
existing information on stream reach use by salmon.
Researchers found high quality biological conditions
at sites where the riparian corridor was visually
intact. These sites had a high percentage of coarse
gravel and cobble-sized stream bottom substrates.
Canopy  shading was also correlated to the biological
condition of stream communities. The response by
the  macroinvertebrate community to channel degra-
dation was coincident with changes in reported
salmon use.

For a copy of this report (Ecology Publication
Number 99-311), contact the Department of Publica-
tions at (360) 407-7472. The report is online at the
Washington Department of Ecology's website (http:/
/www.wa.gov/ecology/eils/fw_benth/
fwb_pubs.html).  For specific  questions, contact the
author, Robert Plotnikoff, at (360) 407-6687.
 OFFICE OF WETLANDS, OCEANS AND
 WATERSHEDS (OWOW)

 ASSESSMENT AND WATERSHED
 PROTECTION DIVISION (AWPD)

 Proposed Revisions to TMDL Regulations:  On
 August 14, 1999, USEPA's Office of Water proposed
 revisions to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
 regulations (40 CFR Part 130) for implementing
 state, territorial, authorized tribal, and EPA responsi-
 bilities under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.

 Under Section 303(d), states, territories, and autho-
 rized tribes (collectively referred to as "states") are
   required to develop lists of impaired waters.
    These are waters that do not meet water quality
      standards, even after point sources of pollution
        have installed the minimum required levels
          of pollution control technology. States
            must establish priority rankings for
             waters on the lists and develop
                   TMDLs for listed waters'. A
                     TMDL specifies the maxi-
                       mum amount of a pollutant
                       that a waterbody can
                       receive and still meet
                       water quality standards,
                     and allocates pollutant
                 loadings among point and
               nonpoint pollutant sources. EPA
 must approve or disapprove state lists and TMDLs.
 If a state submission is inadequate, EPA must
 establish the list or the TMDL.

 States and territories have identified over 20,000
 individual river segments, lakes, and estuaries across
 America as polluted. These identified waters include
 approximately 300,000 miles of river and shoreline
 and approximately 5 million acres of lakes that are
 polluted mostly by sedimentation, nutrients, and
 harmful microorganisms.

The purpose of the proposed revisions to the TMDL
regulations is to provide states with clear, consistent,
and balanced direction for listing waters and develop-
 ing TMDLs, resulting in restoration of waterbodies
not meeting water quality standards. The proposed

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                       On the
                        Bookshelf.
 Getting Started with TMDLs, by Wesley M.
 Jarrell, Ph.D. This 86-page document is an
 introduction to the science, policy, and societal
 elements of the TMDL program. It addresses
 common terms, stakeholder involvement, TMDL
 parameters, assigning load and wasteload
 allocations, sample sites, effective monitoring,
 sample data analysis, and the role of models;
 many case studies, highlights, and references are
 included.  For a copy contact YSI, Inc., 800-897-
 4151,

 Rapid Watershed Planning  Handbook, Center
 for Watershed Protection, October 1998. This
 manual was written to help local governments
 and watershed organizations develop effective
 and low-cost watershed protection plans. Eight
 steps are described in detail, including how to
 identify and classify subwatersheds, protect and
 restore water resources, and evaluate progress.
 Watershed plan budgeting is included, along
 with a discussion of how estimates were derived.
 The emphasis of this document is on resource
 identification and evaluation and planning.
 Available for $40 from the Center for Watershed
 Protection, (410) 461-8324, www.cwp.org.

 The Quality of Our Nation's Waters: Nutrients
and Pesticides, USGS Circular 1225.  This 82-
page, full color report provides national and
regional insights on nutrients and pesticides in
streams and ground water, based on findings
 from studies completed  in 1998 by the National
Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program
in 20 of the nation's most important river basins
and aquifer systems. The report suggests that
nutrients and pesticides  pose a greater risk to
  aquatic life than to human health. The report is
  available at http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/circ/
.  circl 225/ or in printed form from the Branch of
  Information Services, P.O. Box 25286, Denver,
  CO 80225 or by fax request to (303) 202-4693
  (specify USGS report C-1225).

  Toward a Sustainable Chesapeake,  EPA
  Chesapeake Bay Program, EPA 903-R-99-015.
  Subtitled 'Tools and techniques to promote smart
  growth, protect the environment, and preserve
  quality of life," this 58-page document summa-
  rizes the results of a March 1999 summit that
  brought together people throughout the Bay
  watershed involved in community development
  and growth,  land use, and planning. Topics
  include starting out right, ;haracterizing your
  community, planning for the future, and imple-
  menting sustainable community  initiatives. For
  more information, visit the Chesapeake Bay
  Program website at www.chesapeake bay.net/
  bay program.

  The Volunteer Monitor, Spring 1999: Restora-
  tion. This 24-page issue of the Volunteer Moni-
 tor newsletter is devoted to ecological restora-
 tion: what it  is, the role of volunteers, and its
 relationship to water monitoring. Articles by
 program coordinators and restoration exports
 include: fixing a salt marsh, using bioengineer-
 ing to restore Paper Mill Run, monitoring
 restoration projects, standing by  your projects
 (follow-up), funding for community-based
 habitat restoration, restoring a coastal scrub
 community, using monitoring data to choose
 planting sites for underwater grasses, making
 your restoration project happen, and learning
 science through restoration. A large list of
 resources is included for volunteer programs
 interested in restoration activities. For a copy,
 contact Alice Mayio, USEPA, at
 mayio.alice@epa.gov, (202) 260-7018.


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 Calendar
 Highlights
September
17-18   Citizens Volunteer Monitoring Work-
        shop: Stream Corridor Restoration and
        Monitoring. Juniata College, Huntington,
        PA. Contact Lesley Moore at (814) 768-
        9584 or e-mail: cui@uplink.net.
21-22   Successful River Corridor Management
        Planning and Policy Considerations.
        Fargo, ND. Contact Linda Kingery at (701)
        352-3550 or e-mail:
        Ikingery @polarcomm.com.
22-24   Working at a Watershed Level. Jekyll
        Island, GA. Contact Barry Tonning at (606)
        244-8228, e-mail: btonning@csg.org, web
        site: www.statesnews.org/ecos/working.htm.

October

2       Pennsylvania Lake Management Society
        and Citizen's Volunteer Monitoring
        Workshop, Lake Harmony, PA. Contact
        Lesley Moore at (814) 768-9584;
        e-mail: cvi@uplink.net.

9-13    WEFTEC '99. Contact Water Environment
        Federation, Attn: WEFTEC*99 Program
        Coordinator, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria,
        VA 22314-1994. Web site: www.wef.org/
        docs/conference.html.
18-19   East Coast Regional BEACH Conference.
        Tampa, FL. Contact Mary Crowe at (703)
        385-6000, ext. 144; e-mail:
        crowema@tetratech-ffx.com; web site:
        www.epa.gov/OST/beaches.
 November
 14-16   Animal Residuals Management Confer-
        ence: Developing, Testing, and Imple-
        menting Technological Advances. Crystal
        City, VA.  Water Environment Federation,
        601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
 14-18   Sustaining Global Environmental Integ-
        rity. Society of Environmental Toxicology
        and Chemistry (SETAC) 20th Annual
        Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. For a copy of
        the program overview or for more informa-
        tion, contact SETAC. 1010 North 12th
        Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32501-3367. Phone:
        (850) 469-1500, Fax: (850) 469-9778,
        e-mail: setac@setac.org, or web site: http://
        www.setac.org/.
 15-17   Understanding and  Addressing Risks to
        Groundwater, The 15th Annual Ground-
        water Foundation Fall Symposium.
        Atlanta, GA. Contact Cindy Kreifels or Zoe
        McManaman at (800) 858-4844.
 16-17   Wetlands & Remediation: An Interna-
        tional Conference. Salt Lake City, UT.
        Contact Karl Nehring at (614) 424-6510 or
        e-mail: nehringk@batelle.org.
 18      Rivers, Dams, and the Future of the West.
        Salt Lake City, UT. Contact Jack Hamilton,
        Executive Director, Utah Wetlands and
        Riparian Center, University of Utah, 1515
        Mineral Square, Rrn.  138, Salt Lake City,
        UT 84112. Phone: (801) 581-6384 or
        e-mail: jack.harnilton@rn.cc.utah.edu.

December
15-17   Conservation 2000:  Conference to
        Highlight Local, State, and Federal
        Programs. New Orleans, LA. Contact the
        Conservation Technology Information
        Center at (765) 494-9555 or e-mail:
        ctic @ctic.purdue.edu.
                         October  15
         Deadline for Abstracts for National Water Quality
         Monitoring Council Conference to be held April 25-
         27, 2000 in Austin, TX. For more information, call
         (405) 516-4972 or web site: http://nwqmc.site.net.

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changes call for states to include implementation
plans in their TMDLs when they submit them to
EPA. Implementation plans should include specific
best management practices for nonpoint source
pollutants and NPDES permit conditions for point
sources, as needed to allow listed waterbodies to
achieve water quality standards. Changes to the
NPDES and water quality standards regulations are
also being proposed in support of the TMDL regula-
tions.

The proposed regulatory revisions are being pub-
lished in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment
period.  A copy of the proposal is also available on
the Internet at:  http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/.
                    Maximum C\jii> Lojd (TMLHj Progrjin
US Geological Survey/EPA Interagency Agree-
ment: AWPD has entered into an interagency
agreement (IAG) with the US Geological Survey
(USGS) Office of Surface Water to produce USGS
data sets and arrange demonstration evaluations of
hydrogeological principles for stream assessment
across the US and Alaska from USGS data. The
work should be completed in Spring 2000, with the
expectation that the IAG will serve as a vehicle for
continued collaboration between EPA and USGS on
technology assistance/transfer to the regions and
states for clean sediment activities. The results will
be useful to state and tribes who are seeking guid-
ance and technical transfer of information on using
stream assessments to develop total maximum daily
loads for clean sediment. For more information,
contact Chris Zabawa at (202) 260-7101.
 National Clean Boating Week: The second annual
 National Clean Boating Campaign kickoff celebration
 was held at a marina along the
 Cuyahoga River, in Cleveland,
 Ohio.  This event featured tech-
 niques and products for control-
 ling polluted runoff at marinas
 and recreational boating facili-
 ties, and promoted the environ-
 mental benefits of clean waters
 for boating enjoyment.  Repre-
 sentatives from EPA Region 5,
 Eastern District Office, distrib-
 uted water quality information
 on the Great Lakes and other
 water quality and nonpoint
 source pollution programs in
 the region. The venue for this event was particularly
 fitting, since 1999 is the 30th anniversary of the
 infamous Cuyahoga River fire.  For
 more information, contact Ed Drabkowski at
 (202) 260-7009.

 OCEANS AND COASTAL  PROTECTION
 DIVISION (OCPD)

 Atmospheric Deposition of Nitrogen Studied:
 The OCPD Air-Water Coordination Group has
joined a team working to understand the loadings
 and sources of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen
 compounds in the high elevations of the Rocky
 Mountains. This project will improve scientific
 understanding of the impacts of atmospheric deposi-
 tion of nitrogen.  The project is  taking place in the
 San Miguel watershed in southwestern Colorado. It
 includes air deposition monitoring, back-trajectory
 analysis to estimate sources, and community in-
 volvement to find solutions.  The project is a joint
effort between many organizations: EPA's Office of
 Air and Radiation and Office of Water are providing
the  necessary equipment, the US Forest Service is
donating capacity for sample analysis, the University
of Colorado is providing the back-trajectory analy-
sis, and the San Miguel Watershed Coalition and
 local county officials are taking the lead role in
coordinating the project and devising management
solutions.  For more information, contact Deborah
Lebow at (303) 312-6223.
10

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Web Happenings:
Interested in checking out some water-oriented web sites?
Here are a few to consider:
Center for Marine Conservation:
www.cmc-ocean.org

EPA's BEACH Watch Web Site:
www.epa.gov/OST/beaches

EPA's Efficient Water Use Homepage
(Drought Management):
www.epa.gov/owm/genwave.htm

EPA's Fish Advisories Homepage:
www.epa.gov/ost/fish

EPA's TMDL Homepage:
www.epa.gov/owow/ti ndl

EPA's Wetlands Homepage:
www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands
Kentucky Watershed Watch 2000:
water.nr. state, ky.us/watch/2000

National Water Quality Monitoring Council
Conference Web Site: nwqmc.site.net

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection Homepage: www.dep.state.pa.us
The Groundwater Foundation:
www.groundwater.org

USGS National Water Quality Assessment
(NAWQA) Program Homepage:
www.rvares.er.usgs.gov/nawqa
Washington Department of Ecology:
www. wa.gov/ecology

                                 The Water Monitor is produced to exchange surface
                                water assessment information among states and other
                               interested parties. If you would like more information or
                              want to be added to the mailing list, please fill out the
                             order and comment form on page 12. Also, come visit us on
                             the EPA Internet Homepage
                             at http://www.epa.gov/
                             OWOW/watershed/
                            watermonitor.

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