United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds EPA 841-N-94-006 July 1994 SEPA The Water Monitor Regional and State Actmhes Region 1 Maine New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Connecticut Rhode Island Regional Coordinators Monitoring, 305(b), Volunteer Monitoring: Diane Switzer (617) 860-4377 Waterbody System: Al Pratt (617) 860-4379 303(d)/TMDL: Mark Voorhees (617) 5654173 Nonpoint Source: Bob Moorehouse (617) 565-3513 Clean Lakes: Warren Howard (617) 565-3515 REGIONAL OFFICE: Merrimack River Water- shed Study: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, New Hampshire Depart- ment of Environmental Services, and EPA Region 1 are collaborating in an effort to establish baseline data for the Merrimack River Watershed as part of the Region's Merrimack River Initiative. During the index period of late July through September, study participants will collect samples along the mainstem and primary tributaries of the river for macroinvertebrates, dry-weather ambient toxicity, bacteria, nutrients, total and dissolved metals, and What's Inside ... On the Bookshelf. p. 3 Calendar Highlights p. 8 Headquarters Activities p. 9 Order and Comment Form p. 11 other water quality indicators. Sediment and fish tissue samples might also be collected for metal and organic analyses at selected sites. Participants will use the data to develop indices of biotic integrity, assess problem areas, and provide baseline information for future monitoring activities in tributaries. For further information, contact Mark Voorhees, Water Quality Section, EPA Region 1 at (617) 565-4173. Regional Coordinators Monitoring: Randy Braun (908) 321-6692 305(b), Waterbody System: RickBalla (212) 264-5671 Volunteer Monitoring: Diane Cabsso (908) 321-6728 303(dyTMDL: Rosella O'Connor (212) 264-8479 Nonpoint Source: Barbara Spinweber (212)264-8632 Clean Lakes: Terry Faber (212) 264-8708 REGIONAL OFFICE: R EMAP Sediment Project: The first year of sampling under the Region 2 R-EMAP project, "Sediment Quality of the New York/New Jersey Harbor Complex and Re- gional Validation of EMAP-Like Indicators of Sediment Quality," has been completed. The Region is analyzing sediment chemistry data, benthic macroinvertebrate measures, and sediment toxicity results from 85 stations in 6 basins of the Harbor and Bight Apex. The six basins are Upper New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay, Western Long Island Sound, Newark Bay, New York Bight Apex, and Lower New York Harbor/Raritan Bay. The project collected the samples using a probabilistic design, and emphasizes addressing management questions for the Harbor complex. *4 New York New Jersey Puerto Rico Virgin Islands (Xy Recycled/Recyclable r\ <\ Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that \l(7 contains at least 50% recycled liber ------- Participants in the study held their first year results/ second year planning meeting on June 28 and 29, 1994. A total of 60 representatives from the Harbor Estuary Program and other involved parties deter- mined what additional data analyses should take place for the 1993 data and decided that there would be no substantive changes in the sampling program for 1994. For more information, contact Darvene Adams at (908) 321-6700. NEW YORK: Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing: Under mandate from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Rensselaer County Sewer District (RCSD) has been working for some time to isolate the source of suspect levels of toxicity in treated effluent from a District sewage treatment plant. Recently, the RCSD required a large indus- trial discharger, BASF, to conduct a toxicity identifi- cation evaluation of its input and its effect on the sewage treatment plant. For more information, contact Peter Mack at (518) 457-3495. Regional Coordinators Monitoring, 305(b), Waterbody System: ChuckKanetsky (215) 597-8176 303(d TMDL: Thomas Henry (215) 597-8243 Volunteer Monitoring: Peter Weber (215) 597-4283 Nonpornt Source, Clean Lakes: Hank Zygmunt (215) 597-3429 MARYLAND: Aquatic Toxicity Tests on Sor- bents: The Maryland Department of the Environ- ment recently conducted bioassays on leachates from sorbents routinely used in emergency response clean-up activities. Although contact with the spilled material will minimize leaching of chemicals from the sorbent, there is potential for some leaching to occur during clean-up activities. Acute toxicity tests were chosen for this evaluation because sor- bents used in cleanup are routinely retrieved (with Delaware Pennsylvania Maryland Virginia West Virginia Region 3 any sorbed material) within 24 hours of their place- ment. Forty-eight hour acute toxicity tests were performed with freshwater and estuarine species to assess the relative toxicities of any leachates from several types of sorbents: (1) zeolite/perlite/cellu- lose, (2) short fibered cellulose, (3) melt blown polypropylene, and (4) sawdust. Sorbent leachates were prepared in separate vessels by placing sorbent on water in static vessels, at a ratio of 1 gram per 100 ml for 24 hours. None of the three sorbents’ leachates exhibited any statistically significant acute toxicity to the two freshwater and two saltwater organisms tested. Only the sawdust leachate exhib- ited a detrimental effect in the undiluted leachate. In the Ceriodaphnia dubia test, the undiluted sawdust leachate killed 35 percent of the exposed organisms. The Mysidipsis bahia test yielded an LC 50 of 32.7 percent sawdust leachate. For more information, contact Deirdre L. Murphy at (410) 631-3906. Monitoring, Volunteer Monitoring, 305(b), Waterbody System: David Melgaard (404) 347-2126 303(d TMDL: Jim Greenfleld (404) 347-2126 Nonpoint Source: MaiyAnn Ge,ber (404)347-2126 Clean Lakes: Howard Marshall (404) 347-2126 GEORGIA: First Annual Georgia Adopt-A- Stream Conference: Approximately 200 people attended the first annual Adopt-A-Stream and Citizen Monitoring Conference July 9 at Kennesaw State College. Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Director Harold Reheis kicked off the 1-day conference, emphasizing that volun rs and the state have the same goal—cleaner streams in Georgia. The opening plenary panel discussion covered everything from combined sewer overflows in the Chattahoochee River to specific activities groups can conduct when they start an Adopt-A- Stream program. Later sessions included 4 ’How to Region 4 Regional Coordinators North Carolina Kentucky South Carolina Tennesee Georgia Alabama Mississippi Florida 2 ------- Start an Adopt-A-Stream Program,” “Citizen Monitoring as an Educational Tool,” and “Local Government Involvement.” The EPD’s Water Quality Management Program set up its “artificial stream,” a wooden trough filled with rocks, leaves, and macroinvertebrates, to demonstrate a living stream ecosystem. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is unique in its approach to citizen involvement in the protection of streams, rivers, and lakes. Other states have created centralized On the Bookshelf... programs with a state agency training volunteers, distributing equipment and managing data. Georgia’s program emphasizes forming local partnerships between volunteers, local governments, and busi- nesses. Local control will hopefully foster local solutions to water quality protection. Georgia Adopt- A-Stream offers coordination between groups, training materials and workshops, and guidance on starting new programs. For more information about Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, contact Laurie Hawks at (404) 656-4988. Developing Successful Runoff Control Programs for Urbanized Areas, Final Report, July 1994. This 94-page report was prepared by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water ConservatiOn District (NVSWCD) under an EPA grant. Itincludes sections on defining the problem of urban runoff management, a brief survey of current methods and techniques, a discussion on the develop- ment and implementation of an urban runoff control program, and a series of urban runoff case studies from around the country. Available for $10 from the NVSWCD, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905, Fairfax, VA 22035, (703) 324-1480. Interagency Framework for Monitoring the Presidents Ecosystem Plan, 1994. This document outlines the strategy for interagency monitoring of forest ecosystems. See story, p. 9. For a copy, contact Gretchen Hayslip at USEPA, Region 10, Environmental Services Division, 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 553-1685. Urbanization and Water Quality: A Guide to Protect- ing the Urban EnvIronment. This 67-page document, produced by the Terrene Institute under an EPA grant, was developed to help decision makers understand the causes of nonpoint source pollution and design and implement a program to control this pollution. Including chapters on planning to prevent urban runoff, urban nonpoint source control methods, and community education/citizen involvement, it provides a guide for developing a nonpoint source program tailored to an indMcual community. Available for $12.95 plus $3 shipping and handling from Terrene Institute, 1717 K St. NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 833-8317; FAX (202) 296-4071. Water Quality Monitoring in the United States: 1993 Report of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality, January 1994. This report is the second prepared by the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality (ITFM). It describes the progress of the 1IFM and its task groups in develop- ing concepts, guidelines, and procedures for use in a nationwide monitoring strategy. This 29-page document focuses on tools needed to implement a national monitor- ing strategy. Also available lea separate volume of technical appendices covering items such as the frame- work for a water quality monitoring program; environmen- tal indicators for meeting management objectives; ecoregions, reference conditions, and index calIbration; and an annotated bibliography of selected outstanding water quality reports. To obtain copies Of the report and the volume of its technical appendices, contact The U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Water Data Coordination, 417 National Center, Reston, VA 22092, (703) 648-5023; FAX (03) 648-6802. Correction: In our last issue, we cited an incorrect phone number to call for subscrib- ing to contaminated Sediments News. The contact and correct number to call to be added to the Contarnlnated Sediments News mailing list is Charlie MacPherson, Tetra Tech, Inc., at (703) 385-6000. We regret any inconvenience this error may have caused. 3 ------- SOUTH CAROLINA: Water Quality Models Being Developed for Charleston Harbor and Ashley, Cooper, and Wando Rivers: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environ- mental Control (SCDHEC), is developing a series of dynamic water-quality models for the Charleston Harbor and the Ashley, Cooper, and Wando Rivers. Funding for this project, which began in May 1992, is being provided by the Charleston Harbor Project, USGS, the Water Resource Research Institute of South Carolina, and SCDI{EC. USGS is modeling the hydrodynamics of the three tributary rivers using its one-dimensional unsteady flow model, BRANCH. The hydrodynamics of the lower reaches of the tributary rivers and the harbor are being modeled with the two-dimensional, depth- averaged TRIM (Tidal, Residual, Intertidal Mudflat) model. Study participants will input the simulated hydrodynamic data from the flow models into the eutrophication model, WASP4, and estimate loadings from various land uses in the basin by using one of three models: AGNES (Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution), HSPF (Hydrologic Simulation Program— Fortran) or SWRRB (Simulator for Water Resources in Rural Basins). The project included a large data-collection effort to obtain the necessary data for the models. In addition to maintaining a network of gaging stations along the Cooper River since the early 1980s, the USGS in- stalled 11 additional water-level and water-quality gaging stations in the harbor, the Atlanta Intracoastal Waterway, and the Wando and Ashley Rivers, collect- ing flow measurements and nutrient samples over a tidal cycle on the three rivers during the summer of 1992. USGS also collected nutrient samples from the lower tributary rivers and harbor during the summer of 1993. Data collected by various agencies are being compiled, analyzed, and cataloged into a hydrologic database. Included is an extensive data collection effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Charleston Harbor during 1987-1989. As part of this effort; NOAA deployed more than 40 acoustic Doppler current profilers in the harbor and illinois Michigan Minnesota Ohio Wisconsin tributary rivers. The data from these instruments will be used to characterize the circulation of the harbor for the two-dimensional model. For more information, contact Paul Conrads at (803) 750-6140. Regional Coordinators Monitoring, 305(b): Dave Stoltenberg (312) 353-5784 303(d)ITMDL: Robert Pepin (312) 866-1505 Waterbody System: FouadDababneh (312) 353-3944 Volunteer Monitoring: Clyde Maijon (312) 353-5966 Nonpoint Soume, Clean Lakas: Tom Davenport (3 12) 886-0209 REGIONAL OFFICE: Assistance for Lake Baikal Studies in Russia: Lake Baikal in Russia and Lake Superior are similar bodies of fresh water. While Baikal holds the title of world’s largest body of fresh water in terms of volume, Superior is largest in surface area. Starting in July, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) will send surplus air and surface water monitoring equipment to Russia for use in assessing water quality in Lake Baikal and its watershed. Some equipment will be shipped; other equipment will be hand-delivered by a delegation of key staff. A partial equipment list includes portable water testing equipment, sediment dredges, sample collecting devices, lap-top comput- ers, and air monitoring equipment. Funding for this equipment comes from voluntary donations rather than taxes. This is the third year that the WDNR has been invited to visit the area and share information regarding how it has successfully managed water quality problems similar to those of Lake Baikal. In studies of Lake Superior, the WDNR has recog- nized the role that the global environment plays in affecting the quality of nearby Waters. By assisting with studies of Lake Baikal, WDNR not only shares knowledge, but also expands its own. For further information, contact Marilyn Jupp of USEPA at (312) 353-5882. Indiana Region 5 4 ------- Operation and Mainte- nance Excellence Awards: Region 5 of USEPA has selected nine municipalities to receive Wastewater Operation and Maintenance Excellence Awards. Award presentation ceremonies will be held in the communities during July and August. ‘ibis year’s winners are City of Appleton, MN (Small Secondary Treatment Plant); Town of Churubusco, IN (Small Advanced Treatment Plant); Town of Kewanna, IN (Small Non-Discharging Plant); City of Martinsville, IN (Medium Secondary); City of Moorhead, MN (Medium Advanced); Metropolitan Water Reclama- tion District, James Kirie WWTP, Des Plaines, IL (Large Advanced); City of Wolverton, MN (Most Improved Plant); City of St. Johns, MI (Best in State); and City of Reedsburg, WI (Best in State). For further information, contact Dave Stoltenberg of USEPA at (312) 353-5784. MINNESOTA: Mississippi River Volunteer Monitoring: The Mississippi Headwaters Board River Watch Project will collect water quality samples at more than 30 stations on the upper 400 miles of the Mississippi at least three times during the summer of 1994. This project is a volunteer monitoring effort by students and teachers, and is funded by contributions from area communities. Sampling locations include Little Falls, Aitkin, Deer River, Brainerd, Crosby, and Grand Rapids, all in Minnesota. For more informa- tion, contact Dave Stoltenberg of USEPA at (312) 353-5784. Arkansas Louisiana Oklahoma Region Regional Coordinators Monitoring: Chathe Howell (214) 655-&354 30 d)lTMDL: Troy Hill (214) 655-6647 305(b): Russell Nelson (214) 655-6646 Waterbody System: Paul Koska (214) 655-8357 Volunteer Monitoring: Mike Bita (214) 655-6666 and Paul Koska (214) 655-8357 Nonpoint Source: Brad Lamb (214) 655-7140 Clean Lakes: Mike Bira (214)655-6666 ARKANSAS: Lake Water Quality Assessment Grant Awarded: Region 6 has just awarded the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology its first-ever lake water quality assessment grant. The FY 94 grant, being made through the section 314 Clean Lakes Program, is for $50,000 and requires an equal match from the state. The purpose of the grant is to promote the development of volunteer monitoring programs in lakes and water- sheds throughout the state using the Water Educa- tion Teams (WET) program. WET is a national program involving teachers and students in environ- mental education through the study of water re- sources. For more information, contact Gregg Patterson at the Department of Pollution Control and Ecology at (501) 562-4632. TEXAS: Contaminants Study in Patrick’s Bayou: Region 6 is working with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission on a study of contaminants in Patrick’s Bayou. Patrick’s Bayou is a small, tidally influenced, effluent-dominated tributary of the Houston Ship Channel. The study will include 10 sampling stations; participants will collect data for field parameters, conventional parameters, and priority pollutants in water and sediment. Also included will be benthic macroinvertebrate community assessments and toxicity tests on water and sediment elutriate using marine chronic toxicity tests. Recent data have shown that this bayou has several inorganic and organic contaminants of concern in bottom sedi- The Water Monitor is produced monthly 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 11. 5 ------- ments; water column and sediment toxicity have been demonstrated. This study will aid in detennin- ing the disthbution of contaminants and their possible sources. For more information, contact Philip Crocker at (214) 655-6644. Region 7 Regional Coordinators Monitoring: Jerry Anderson (913) 551-5066 305(b), 303(d TMDL: John Houllhan (913)551-7432 Waterbody System: Jerome Pitt (913) 551-7766 Volunteer Monitoring: Jerome Pitt (913)551-7766 Nonpolnt Source: Julie ElMng (913) 551-7475 Clean Lakes: Larry Sheridan (913) 551-7439 REGIONAL OFFICE: Region 7 Watershed Protection Approach: EPA Region 7 has been working for several months on the development of a regional Watershed Protection Approach (WPA), which defines an integrated approach to manage environmental and human health issues on a water- shed basis. As an important first step in this pro- cess, EPA and representatives from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska met on June 30 to define the WPA concept and to develop a WPA framework document. The meeting resulted in: A consensus on the fundamental elements of the WPA - Includes surface and ground water - Identifies geographic areas of concern - Involves stakeholders - Includes comprehensive/integrated action - Is based on hydrologic units which may be large or small • A modified WPA framework document which outlines the way in which EPA and the states intend to implement the WPA • A force-field analysis to identify barriers to implementation Montana Utah Wyoming Colorado North Dakota South Dakota • The establishment of a State/EPA workgroup to do planning for an implementation strategy • A schedule for future WPA activities. This represents a significant step forward in the creation of a coordinated regional watershed protec- tion program; the Region looks forward to continued progress as more detailed planning and implementa- tion activities begin. For more information, contact John Houlihan, EPA Region 7 Water Management Division, at (913) 551-7432. Regional Coordinators Monitoring, 305(b): Phil Johnson (303) 293-1581 303(d IMDL: Bruce Zander (303) 293- 1580 Waterbody System: Toney Ott (303) 293-1573 Volunteer Monitoring: Paul Mo! ver (3(13) 293-1552 and Phi/Johnson (303)293-1573 Nonpoint SourcelClean Lakes: Dave Rathke (303) 293-1703 REGIONAL OFFICE: TMDL Development for the Red River of the North: The Fargo/Moorhead area has begun a cooperative effort to begin a phased Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) on the Red River of the North. Last month, representatives from EPA Region 5, EPA Region 8, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Minnesota, North Dakota, Moorhead, Fargo, and American Crystal met to begin planning. Participants reached consensus on the process, timing, geographic scope, pollutants of concern, and models to be used to develop a first- phase TMDL. The first phase will focus on dissolved oxygen and ammonia toxicity for low flow conditions. A monitoring plan will be developed to further cali- brate current modeling efforts by USGS, consider Fargo’s new discharge, and determine the persis- tency of discharges from Mud and Traverse dams. Region 8 6 ------- California Nevada Arizona Hawaii Guam For additional information contact Mike Eli, North Dakota Department of Health and Consolidated Laboratories, at (701) 221-5214 or Bruce Zander, USEPA Region 8, at (303) 293-1580. Regional Coordinators Monitoring, 305(b): EdLiu (415) 744-1934 Waterbody System: Janet Hashimoto (415)744-1156 303(d)I1MDL: David Smth (415) 744-2019 Volunteer Monitoring: Clailce Olson (415)744-1489 and Janet Hashimoto (415)744-1156 Nonpoint Source: Jovita E. Pajarillo (415) 744-2011 Clean Lakes: Wendell Smith (415) 744-2018 CALIFORNIA: Toxicity Monitoring Evaluated: The California State Water Resources Control Board has made important strides in advancing the use of toxicity testing to evaluate the biological impacts of chemical inputs to surface waters. Thorough protocol development and standardization of statisti- cal analyses have improved toxicity testing methods while database management has allowed further evaluation of toxicity testing data. California uses the U.S. EPA three-species chronic toxicity tests, which measure decreases in growth or reproduction of plants, invertebrates, and larval fish. The water flea Ceriodaphnia dubia, the algae Selanastrum capricornutwn, and the larval fathead minnow Pimephales promelas are recommended for fresh water by EPA and are used by California both for testing of NPDES discharges and for ambient surface waters. Protocols for native California marine species were developed for the salt water tests. Over a period of 6 years, the Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory in Granite Canyon developed and tested protocols for the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera, the red abalone Haliotis rufescens, the mysid Holmesimysis costata, and the tospmelt Atherinops affinis. Funding for the project was provided by Clean Water Act 205(j) grants to the State Water Resources Control Board. The State Water Board developed a standardized data format for NPDES to submit toxicity data to the regional boards. The State Water Board uses a regional database, the Toxicity Information Manage- ment System, to determine compliance, evaluate data trends, and quantify test precision. Two important findings have emerged from the rigorous protocol development and laboratory check program: (1) commercial laboratories perform chronic toxicity protocols with reproducible and consistent results, and (2) when performed with strict QA/QC protocols, the variance of biological toxicity results is low; coefficients of variation are the same as for common chemical laboratory tests. In the field, the State Board has detected significant ambient toxicity in some of the major rivers in California. In one investigation, toxicity identified in the Sacramento River was linked to pesticide runoff from rice fields. Once identified, the problem was solved by changing application practices and water holding times. For more information, contact Amy Wagner, EPA Region 9 Laboratory, at (510) 412-2329. Region 9 51 7 ------- Calendar Highlights 13-14 Westeni Wafer—Wise Use or Misuse, Denver, Colorado. Contact Dick Piper ,(303)424-4743ct J DeBon )406 -O041. 15 Rhers Cundculum Workshop, EdwardsviUe, IL. Contact Dr. Roberl Wilhan s, Rwers Curricdum Pro ect, Box 2222, Edwardsville, 11.62026-2222, at (618)692-3788, FAX (618) 692-3359. 23-26 EValuating the Effectiveness of Foresby Best • Management Practices In Meeting Water Qualfty Goats or Standeids, Blacksburg, VA. Contact George Dissmayer, US k Fàreet SeMee, 1 720 Peachtree Rd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30367, (404)347-7221, FAX (404) 3474448 SEPTEMBER Celebrating the Year of the Coast. Innovations in Coastal Management, W mington, NC. Contact A$ison Ballard, Jordan MCCOH Inc., P.O. Box 3415, Wibnington, NC 28406, (800)258-6711 or. • ‘(910)762-6711. 13-15 Water Quality Criteria and Standards forthe2lst Ceiffiny, Aillngton, VA. Contact: Betty Peterson, .SAIC, 7600-A Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043, (703) 734-3142; FAX (703)734-2551. 21-23 Environmental Problem Solving with Geographic Information Systems, Cincinnati, OH. Contact Sue Schock or Dan Murray, USEPA, CERI, 26W. Mailin ‘Luther King Ddve (G-75) , Cincinnati, OH 45268, (513) 569-7551 or (513) 569-7522. 22-23 Water Quallty In the Sustainable West, Park City, UT. Contact Jack Wilbur, UT Dept. of Agriculture, 350 N. Redwood Rd., Saft Lake City, UT 84116, (801)538-7098. 22-24 SenIors for the Environment Chevy Chase, MD. Contact EASI, 51 Main St., P.O. Box 36$, The Plains, VA22171,(7O 253-5821,FAX(703)253-5821. 27-29 A Nat lonal Fonam on MenwyIn Fish, New Odeans, LA. Contact Chahe MacPherson, Tetra Tech, Inc., at ‘(703)385-6000. 28-30 Watershed 94: Craating the Links: People, Politics, Science and Stewardship, Bellevue, WA. Contact Andrea Lindsay at (206) 553-1896 or 1-800-424-4EPA ext. 1896. 29- octi nnuat Friends of Trashed Rivers Cant ei nce, New Yodç NY, Contact Karen Siteth, (201)666-2666. OCTOBER 16 The Relative Role of Urban and Rural Nonpoint Souice Controls In Managing Wet Weather Water Quality, ChiCagO H-. Contact Chtistine McKalip, WEF, 601 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1944, (703) 684-2400. 16-20 Water Environment Federatlo&s 67th Annual Conf erence and Exposition, Chicago, IL. Contact Maureen Nc iotna, WEF, 601 Wythe St., ftJexandiia, VA 22314-1944, (703) 684-2400. NOVEMBER 56 Short Course: Advanced GeOgraphic Information Systems, at American Water Resources Association’s 30th Annual Conference, Ct cago, L Contact AWRA. 950 Hetndon Pkwy, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 22070(301)493-8600, FAX (301.) 493-5844. 6-6 ShOrt Course: Writing Professional Communica- lions, at AWRA 30th Annual Conference, Chicago, IL. Contact AWRA at (301) 493-8600, FAX (301) 493-5844. $hortCouree: Watershed Hydrotàgyarid Water Quality, at AWRA 30th Annual Conference Chicago, IL Contact AWRA at (301)493-8600, FAX (301) 493-5844. 6-10 American Water Resources AssocIation’s 30th Annual Conference, including National Symposium on Water Quality, Symposium on the Future Quality of the $reat Lakes, Sympoalum on National Water Quality sse srneni, Chicago, IL. Contact AWRA, 950 Herndon Pkwy, Suite XO, Herndon, VA 22070, (301)493-8600, FAX (301) 493-5844. AUGUST • 17-9 8 ------- RegiOfl 10 Idaho Alaska Regional Coordinators Monitoring, Watethody System: Gretchen Hayslip (206) 553-1685 305(b): Donna Walsh (206) 553-1754 303(d) TMDL: Bnice Cleland (206) 553-2600 Volunteer Monitoring: Susan Handley (206) 553-1287 Nonpoint Source: Elbert Moore (206) 553-4181 Clean Lakes: Krista Mendelman (206) 553-1571 REGIONAL OFFICE: An Interagency Frame- work for Monitoring the President’s Ecosystem Plan: The President’s Forest Ecosystem Plan, titled The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement of Management of Habitat for Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 1994) recognizes the importance of monitoring in ecosystem manage- ment. It stresses that the monitoring effort needs to emphasize coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies, tribes and other interests. To initiate the monitoring effort for the implementation phase of the President’s Ecosystem Plan, a workgroup with representatives from various state and federal agencies including EPA has developed a document entitled Interagency Framework for Mon itoring the President’s Eco.system Plan. This framework will de- fine the strategy for integrated interagency monitoring. The monitoring framework is presented in five sec- tions. Section I gives a brief introduction of the purpose and need for monitoring. Section II presents a conceptual framework for monitoring including its goal, scope, general approach, and relationship to other activities. Section III identifies the components of the monitoring framework. Section IV contains recom- mendations towards establishing interagency, intergov- ernmental monitoring. Finally, Section V empahsizes the need for a full commitment from all participating entities, including staffing and funding all aspects of monitoring. For more information or for a copy of the Interagency Framework document, please contact Gretchen Hayslip at USEPA Region 10, Environmental Services Division, 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 553-1685. / H nou Assessment and Watershed Protection Division (A WPD) Arizona Project Added to aean Water Act Section 319 National Monitoring Program: EPA has approved a 6-year Oak Creek, Arizona, water- shed project as part of the Section 319 National Monitoring Program (NMP). The NMP is a special effort under section 319 that employs tightly controlled, long-term monitoring to measure the benefits of implementing nonpoint source control practices in watersheds across the Nation. The NMP is funded by a 5 percent set-aside of CWA section 319 funds. For more information, contact Steve Dressing at (202) 260-7110. OFFICE OF WETLANDS, OCEANS AND WATERSHEDS (OWOW) TMDL Regional Exchange Workshop On June 28-30, Region 5 hosted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Regional Workshop in Chicago. The meeting, sponsored by AWPD’s Watershed Branch and the Office of Science and Technology’s Exposure Assessment Branch, provided state water quality agencies with an overview of the TMDL program, including discussions of the technical and programmatic support available to states from EPA. For more information, contact Mimi Dannel at (202) 260-1897. 9 ------- NPS BBS Users Top 2,600: The latest user statis- tics available for EPA’a Nonpoint Source Bulletin Board System (NPS BBS) show that a record 1,260 people logged on in May 1994. One hundred and ninety-eight new users registered in May, bringing the total number of active users of the free service to 2,615. An estimated 30 percent of the users belong to the private sector, while 17 percent are from state government, 12 percent from EPA, 12 percent from other federal agencies, 7 percent from regional and local government, and 5 percent from schools and universities. Three percent identified themselves as concerned individuals and 3 percent as environmen- tal groups. The NPS BBS has now been fully operational since March of 1991 and in that time has been stoked with over 1,000 on-line bulletins and downloadable files including Guidance Specifying Management Mea- sures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters, TMDL case studies, the Executive Summary and Aquatic/Watershed Chapter from the President’s Forest Plan Report, President Clinton’s Clean Water Initiative, and all the issues of the Volunteer Monitor. Of the eight Specific Interest Groups (SIG) open to all users, the Volunteer Monitoring SIG was the most popular in May, fielding 160 calls. The VolMon SIG hosts two searchable databases—one of state volunteer monitoring programs, the other of resources for volunteers. Next in usage was the Fish Consumption Risk SIG, with its database of U.S. fish advisories. For more information on the NPS BBS, contact Chdie Stubblebine, Teira Tech, Inc., at (703) 385-6000. CZARA Threshold Review Meetings Held in Alaska: From June 27 to June 30, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), AWPD, and Region 10 met in Juneau and Anchorage with managers and staff from a variety of Alaska state and local agencies to discuss the state’s initial proposals for a coastal nonpoint source (NPS) program. This review was carried out in parallel with the CWA section 319 NPS program review conducted each year by Region 10. It afforded participants an opportunity to visit several section 319-funded projects, including a forest-practices monitoring effort in the Tongass National Forest, an innovative agricultural management project in the Matanuska-Susitna valley, north of Anchorage (one of Alaska’s two limited agricultural areas), and a stream restoration project on a salmon spawn- ing and rearing stream on the outskirts of Juneau. This was the ninth review conducted by EPA and NOAA to give states an early reading on their efforts to develop coastal nonpoint programs in compliance with national guidance published in January 1993. For more information, contact Stu Tuller at (202) 260-7112. OCEANS AND COASTAL PROTECTION DIVISION (OCPD) New Air Deposition Findings in Tampa Bay: During a meeting of the National Estuary Program (NEP) Directors in the Southeast sponsored by Region 4, the Director of the Tampa Bay NEP reported on recent air deposition analyses. These analyses show that about 27 percent of the total 10 ------- nitrogen load delivered to Tampa Bay is from rainfall and dryfall directly deposited to the Bay’s water surface alone. If analyses include atmospheric deposition to the surrounding watershed—which enters the Bay as storm water—as much as 67 percent of the total nitrogen load is believed to originate from atmospheric deposition. Power plants and vehicle emissions are local sources of nitrogen oxides. The Tampa Bay NEP immediately commis- sioned a study in cooperation with Region 4 and Mote Marine Laboratories to verify and refine these findings. Headquarters staff in the Office of Water and the Office of Air Programs are exploring ways to assist the study effort. For more information, contact Holly Greening at (813) 893-2765. The Water Monitor - ORDER AND COMMENT FORM This report is prepared by the Monitoring Branch in EPA’s Assessment and Watershed Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. To be added to this mailing list, please fill out the coupon below. Also, please provide any comments for improving this report. Mail or fax this form to: Alice Mayio, Editor Please indicate whether you are new to the mailing list or have The Water Monitor a change of address. J New U Address change AWPD (4503F) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, SW Your Name _______ ___________________ Washington, DC 20460 organization _____ ______________ Phone Number: (202) 260-7018 Str t Address ______ ______________________ Fax Number: (202) 260-1977 ee _______ _______________________ City/State ___________ Phone __________________ _____ Comments: _________________-- - _______________ Call for Abstracts The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Estuary Program are hosting a Coastal Technology Transfer Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 13-16, 1995. The purpose of this conference is to bring coastal and estuarine managers together with scientists and researchers to learn about new ways tO save our bays and estuaries. To obtain a Call for Abstracts for this conference, contact Betsy Tam of OCPD at (202) 260-6466. 11 ------- |