United States Office of Wetlands, EPA 841-N-94-007
Environmental Protection Oceans and Watersheds August 1994
Agency		
SERA The Water Monitor
Regional and State Activities
Region 1
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, 305(b), Volunteer Monitoring: Diane
Switzer (617) 860-4377
Waterbody System: At Pratt (617) 860-4379
303(d)/TMDL: Mark Voorhees (617) 565-4173
Nonpoint Source: Bob Moorehouse (617) 565-3513
Clean Lakes: Warren Howard (617) 565-3515
REGIONAL OFFICE: Resource Protection Project
Underway: EPA's Region 1 is working with the state of
New Hampshire and a number of other organizations in
implementing a Resource Protection Project. The overall
goal is to protect New England's most important natural
resources, starting with those in New Hampshire. Spe-
cific measurable environmental goals will be developed
once the priority resources are selected and the measures
needed to protect or restore them are identified.
A workgroup in New Hampshire has been working for the
last 6 months to identify priority resources in the state by
pooling information from a wide spectrum of programs
and interests. Important habitats, water supplies, flood
storage areas, agricultural and forestry areas, and recre-
What's Inside ...
On the Bookshelf	p.	3
Headquarters Activities	p.	8
Calendar Highlights	p.	10
Order and Comment Form	p.	11
ational areas are being considered. The workgroup will
examine connections, overlaps and potential conflicts
between the resource areas and, once specific areas are
selected, will hold meetings with local interest groups to
discuss appropriate protection measures. The workgroup
is using a geographic information system to screen and
display existing data.
The project is being well received in New Hampshire,
largely because of its collaborative nature, its use of
existing information, and its focus on natural resource
protection and restoration. Connecticut and Rhode Island
have enthusiastically agreed to participate in the project
next year.
For more information, contact Rosemary Monahan, EPA
Region 1, at (617) 565-3518 or Katherine Ueland, New
England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission,
at (508) 658-0500.
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring: Randy Braun (908) 321-6692
305(b), Waterbody System: RickBalla (212)264-5671
Volunteer Monitoring: Diane Cabsso (908) 321-6728
303(d)/TMDL: Rosella O'Connor (212)264-8479
Nonpoint Source: Barbara Spinweber (212) 264-8632
Clean Lakes: Terry Faber (212) 264-8708
REGIONAL OFFICE: Discovery Program Apprentice-
ships: For the eighth consecutive year, Region 2's Environ-
mental Services Division (ESD) participated in the Discov-
ery Program, a precollege academic enrichment and
apprenticeship program in science and technology lasting 5
weeks during the summer. Minority high school students
with demonstrated academic promise and an interest in the
sciences participate in the program, which is sponsored
cm®-"1
New York
New Jersey
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

-------
jointly by EPA and Rutgers University. It provides the
students academic enrichment and “hands on” experience in
the Region’s summer ambient monitoring programs and in
the laboratory. The program is a unique and exciting
opportunity for the students to gain insight and exposure to
college life, college education, and careers in the sciences.
The student apprentices participate in an actual work
experience 2 days a week for 5 weeks.
Eight students were paired and spent time working in three
different areas. In their first rotation, students collected
ocean water samples for fecal coliform, enterococci
bacteria, and phytoplankton analyses and collected sediment
samples in the NY/NJ Harbor for toxicity testing, benthic
macroinvertebrate
identification, and
chemical
analyses. The
students
were
responsible
, for maintain-
ing records,
navigating to the
proper sampling locations,
and reading all safety manuals and
operating procedures associated with the
EPA vessel Clean Waters and use of the EPA helicopter.
In their second assignment, the students were responsible
for analyzing the bacteriological samples collected by their
fellow students from the helicopter. The students prepared
media, read plates, incorporated quality control into
laboratory analysis, and maintained laboratory notebooks.
Last, the students assisted ESD biologists in conducting
rapid bioassessments and electro-flshing surveys. The
students were taught how to determine water quality
differences by comparing upstream and downstream
sampling sites. They participated in an actual
macroinvertebrate population and fish population study at
the FAA Tech Center in Pomona, New Jersey. For more
information, contact Helen Grebe at (908) 321-6797.
Delaware
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
West Virginia
Monitoring, 305(b), Waterbody System: ChuckKanetsky
(215) 597-8176
303(d)ITMDL: Thomas Henry (215) 597-9927
Volunteer Monitoring: Teena Reichgott (215) 597-3364
and Peter Weber (215) 597-4283
Nonpoint Source, Clean Lakes: Hank Zygmunt
(215) 597-3429
REGIONAL OFFICE: Volunteer Ground Water
Monitoring: On August 3, 1994, members of EPA
Region 3’s Ground Water Protection Section, the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), and stite ground water
coordinators joined in a ground water workshop and
monitoring effort for 20 interested citizens of the Crurn/
Ridley Volunteer Water Monitoring Program. Ground
water data were collected at five sites at Tyler Arboretum,
from a drinking water well, a springhouse, and along a
creek. Using their own equipment, the USGS representa-
tives demonstrated ground water discharge to surface
water; citizens used their field kits to demonstrate the
occurrence of high levels of nitrates in shallow ground
water. For more information, contact Peter Weber at
(215) 597-4283.
MARYLAND: Maryland Surface Water Pesticide
Monitoring Project: The Maryland Department of the
Environment (MDE) conducted a pilot pesticide monitor-
ing project during calendar year 1992. MDE monitored
surface waters from three regions of the State for the
presence of 14 agricultural pesticides—alachior, aldrin,
atrazine, carbofuran, chlordane, chlorpyrifos, cyanazine,
dieldrin, diflubenzuron, fenvalerate, metolachior,
permethrin, simazine, and toxaphene. Aidrin, chlordane,
dieldrin, fenvalerate, permethrin, and toxaphene were not
detected in any samples. Samples collected at each of ten
stations contained detectable levels of at least one of the
other pesticides. Pesticide levels observed throughout
1992 did not suggest any impact to human health and
were below levels which have been reported as deleteri-
ous to aquatic animals and plants.
For a copy of the report, “Pilot Monitoring for 14 Pesti-
cides in Maryland Surface Waters,” contact USEPA
Chesapeake Bay Program Office at (800) 968-7229.
Region 3
Regional Coordinators
-p
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.
2

-------
On the Bookshelf.
How to Save A River, by David Boiling.
This book, subtitled A Handbook for
Citizen Action, defines general principles
for developing a river protection campaign,
including getting organized, planning a
campaign, building public support, and
putting a plan into action. Examples of
successful river protection campaigns are
included. Paperback copies are available
for $14.00 plus $4.00 shipping and han-
dling from River Network, P.O. Box 8787,
Portland OR 97207-8787,
(800) 423-6747.
National Estuary Program: Bringing
Our Estuaries New Life, EPA 842-F-93-
002. This full-color, fold-out brochure
highlights water quality protection activities
underway in the 21 estuaries participating
in the National Estuary Program (NEP). It
also includes information on the impor-
tance of estuaries and contact names for
each NEP. For a copy, contact NCEPI,
11029 Kenwood Rd. Bldg 5, Cincinnati,
OH 45242, FAX (513) 891-6685. Be sure
to include the EPA publication number in
your order.
Statistical Methods for the Analysis of
Lake Water Quality Trends, EPA 841 -R-
93-003. This technical supplement to the
Lake and Reservoir Restoration Guidance
Manual presents nonparametric statistical
methods for trend assessment in water
quality, with an emphasis on lakes. The
purpose of the manual is to provide lake
program managers with guidance on the
application and interpretation of methods for
the detection of trends in lake water quality.
The manual comes with accompanying
software in the Statistical Analysis System
(SAS) and includes references for additional
information on descriptive statiStics. To order
a copy, contact NCEPI, 11029 Kenwood
Road, Bldg. 5, Cincinnati, OH 45242, FAX
(513) 891-6685. Be sure to include the EPA
publication number in your order.
The Volunteer Monitor, Spring 1994. This
issue, entitled Volunteer Monitoring: Past,
Present, and Future, provides a wide-ranging
overview of the volunteer monitoring move-
ment. Included in the 24-page newsletter is a
profile of volunteer monitoring programs,
derived from statistics from the National
Directory of Volunteer Environmental Monitor-
ing Programs; information on the variety of
parameters sampled by volunteers and on
programs that have gone beyond simple water
quality monitoring to engage in activities such
as nparian habitat inventories, amphibian
surveys, and well testing; examples of how
volunteer monitoring data are used; a history
of the volunteer monitoring movement; and an
in-depth article on monitoring for phosphorus.
For a copy, contact Alice Mayio at USEPA,
AWPD (4503F), 401 M St. SW, Washington,
DC 20460, (202) 260-7018.
3

-------
North Carolina
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennesee
Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
Florida
Monitoring, Volunteer Monitoring, 305(b), Waterbody
System: David Melgaard (404) 347-2126
303(d)fTMDL: Jim Greenfleld (404) 347-2126
Nonpoint Source: MaiyAnn Ge,ber (404)347-2126
Clean Lakes: Howard Marshall (404) 347-2126
REGIONAL OFFICE: Nepal Government Representa-
five Serving Fellowship in Region 4: Dr. Jiwan Shrestha,
a member of the Nepal Government’s Environment
Protection Council and the first woman in Nepal to obtain a
Ph.D. in zoology, is serving a 30-day Environmental
Fellowship in Region 4, studying EPA inland water
monitoring programs with emphasis on wetlands and
aquatic ecosystems.
The Environmental Fellowship Program is funded by the
United States-Asia Environmental Partnership. Dr.
Shrestha is scheduled to participate in various wetland
planning and regulatory activities and visit the ESD/ORD
laboratories in Athens, Georgia; the Wetlands Center at the
University of Florida; the Tennessee Valley Authority; and
the Nashville District of the Corps of Engineers. For more
information, contact Tom Welborn at (404) 347-3555,
extension 6507.
GEORGIA: Joint NAWQA/Georgia Adopt-A-Stream
Volunteer Monitoring Project: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream
is working with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National
Water Assessment (NAWQA) project to evaluate the
quality of volunteer biological monitoring data. Four teams
of volunteers (about 16 people) are conducting biological
assessments of streams in the metro Atlanta area. USGS is
providing training and equipment for volunteers, while
Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is coordinating volunteers,
logistics, and data management. This project is one of the
tlrst in the countiy to study how volunteers can contribute to
the NAWQA program. NAWQA is a long-term effort to
gather water quality information in 20 different basins
around the country. The project hypothesis is that volun-
teers can collect credible information about
macroinvertebrale communities, although at a more general
level than professional ecologists. The NAWQA team and
volunteers will sample the same stream sites; however, the
volunteers will collect data more frequently than the
professionals (every 2 months). The two sets of data will
be compared and results submitted to the national
NAWQA office, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream and participat-
ing volunteers. For more information, contact Laurie
Hawks, Adopt-A-Stream, at (404) 656-4988.
Indiana
Illinois
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Region 3 Wisconsin
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, 305(b): Dave Stoftenberg (312) 353-5784
303(d)ITMDL: Robert Pepin (312) 886-1505
Waterbody System: Fouad Dababneh (312) 353-3944
Volunteer Monitoring: Clyde Marion (312) 353-5966
Nonpoint Source, Clean Lakes: Tom Davenport
(3 12) 886-0209
REGIONAL OFFiCE: Saginaw Bay Initiative: The
Regional Environmental Sciences Division has completed
its final report to the Water Division in support of the
Saginaw Bay (Michigan) Initiative. The report included
trends, annual loading estimates, and annual means
analyses for selected parameters in tributaries going into
the Saginaw Bay. For more information, contact Fouad
Dababneh of USEPA at (312) 353-3944.
Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study: The Great Lakes
National Program Office (GLNPO) is beginning a mass
balance study of Lake Michigan. By monitoring loads
from rivers and the air, GLNPO and the other agencies
with whom it is working will determine the importance of
each of those sources to the total amount of a pollutant
entering the lake. The information gathered will be used
in a mathematical model of the Lake Michigan ecosys-
tem. This model will allow scientists and environmental
managers to determine what effects reduction in pollutant
load will have on the lake and, in particular, on contami-
nant levels in the fish tissues of top predators.
Participants in the study will take samples from rivers
during snowmelt and heavy rams, when most pollutants
are washed into the lake. Pollutants from the air will be
measured from ships and at land-based sampling sites.
EPA’s research ship, the Lake Guardian, and National
Biological Survey’s fish trawlers also will take samples to
determine concentrations of pollutants in the lake water
and in plants and animals in the lake.
Region 4
Regional Coordinators
4

-------
Other studies will be conducted to determine what large
urban areas contribute to the lake through the air, the
transport of pollutants within the lake, and their move-
ment and concentration through the food chain. Lake
sediment will be sampled extensively to determine the
total amount of pollutants in the mud that could be cycled
back into the lake. Smaller studies will be conducted that
will provide remote sensing (satellite image) information
to determine where pollutants go and the effects of lake
ecology on the concentration of contaminants in fish.
The mass balance study will involve several EPA Region
5 offices as well as personnel from the Michigan and
Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, state
agencies in Illinois and Indiana, U.S. Geological Survey,
National Biological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, and universities.
The mass balance program and workplan are part of a
larger monitoring program for Lake Michigan designed to
address reduction in the release of toxic substances to the
Great Lakes system. These activities are part of the
Lakewide Management Plan for the lakes that is man-
dated under Section 118 of the Clean Water Act as well as
Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement,
and a study for the Great Waters Program mandated by
the 1992 Clean Air Act Amendments. For more informa-
tion, contact Paul Horvatin, GLNPO, (312) 353-3612, or
Dr. Glenn Warren, Chief, Surveillance & Research
Branch, (312) 886-2405.
WISCONSIN: Wisconsin DNR Filmed for TV’s “48
Hours”: Staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources were recently filmed
by a CBS camera crew for the TV
news program “48 Hours.” The
segment dealt with contamination
of the Milwaukee water supply by
Cryptosporidium protozoa and
covered sampling methods, analysis, and safeguards for
the public. For additional information, contact Marilyn
Jupp of USEPA at (312) 353-5882.
Arkansas
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Texas
New Mexico
Monitoring: Chailie Howell (214) 665-8354
303(d 1TMDL: Troy Hill (214) 665-6647
305(b): Russell NeLson (214)665-6646
Waterbocly System: Paul Koska (214) 685-8357
Volunteer Monitoring: Mike Bi,a (214) 665-6668 and
Paul Koska (214) 665-8357
Nonpoint Source: Brad Lamb (214) 665-7140
Clean Lakes: Mike Bira (214) 665-6668
REGIONAL OFFICE: Grand River Basin Study: In
FY93, EPA Region 6 received a congressional appro-
priation of $400,000 for a study of the Grand River
Basin. This basin, primarily in Kansas, also includes the
states of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. EPA
awarded these funds to the state of Oklahoma through a
l04(b)(3) grant to coordinate the project. The first
phase of the study, almost completed, uses currently
available data sources to identify areas of the basin that
have the greatest impacts on water quality. The second
phase will identify specific problem areas, develop a
management plan for the basin, and develop TMDLs for
nutrients.
This study was conceptualized after completion of a
Clean Lakes Program Phase 1 Study on Grand Lake of
the Cherokees, an impoundment on the Grand River in
the northeast corner of Oklahoma. The success of the
project to date can be attributed to the cooperation of the
four states and two EPA Regions in the basin.
For more information, contact John Hassell of the
Oklahoma Conservation Commission at (405) 521-2384,
or Mike Bira, EPA Region 6, at (214) 665-6668.
Region 6
Regional Coordinators
5

-------
Region 7
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring: JenyAnderson (913) 551-5066
305(b), 303(d)ITMDL: John Houlihan (913) 551-7432
Waterbody System: Jerome Pitt (913) 551-7766
Volunteer Monitoring: Jerome Pitt (913) 551-7766
Nonpoint Source: Julie ElMng (913) 551-7475
Clean Lakes: Larry Sheridan (913) 551-7439
REGIONAL OFFICE: Environmental Monitoring
and Compliance (EMCM) Branch Streamlining Pilot:
Region 7’s EMCM Branch is participating in the Envi-
ronmental Services Division’s streamlining pilot to be
conducted for 6 months from August 1, 1994, to January
31, 1995. Streamlining objectives include reducing the
employee-to-supervisor ratio, empowering employees,
improving customer/client relationships, and implement-
ing the seven elements of the Administrator’s strategy
(reinventing EPA management, strong science and data,
compliance assurance, partnerships, ecosystem protec-
tion, environmental justice, and pollution prevention).
EMCM will accomplish these objectives by serving as a
focal point for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Activities (OECA) coordination and communication
within the Environmental Services Division and by
realigning the staff into two sections: Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment, and Compliance Assurance.
A significant benefit of the streamlined Branch organiza-
tion should be enhanced communication and coordination
with program division counterparts in the Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Activities. For more
information, contact John Helvig at (913) 551-5002.
Montana
Utah
Wyoming
Colorado
North Dakota
South Dakota
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, 305(b): Phi/Johnson (303)293-1581
303(d TMDL: Bnice Zander (303) 293-1580
Waterbody System: Toney Ott (303) 293-1573
Volunteer Monitoring: Paul McI ver (303) 293-1552 and
Phi/Johnson (303) 293-1573
Nonpoint Sourc&Clean Lakes: Dave Rathke
(303) 293-1703
COLORADO: South Platte River Dissolved Oxygen
Study: The South Platte River is one of the three major
streams flowing onto the plains of Colorado east of the
Rocky Mountains. The river flows through the Denver
metropolitan area, then north of the city where it is
surrounded by largely agricultural and small community
land use. Below Denver, the Metro Wastewater Reclama-
tion District Sewage Treatment Plant (Metro) treats most
of the urban sewage, discharging between approximately
100 and 300 cfs on a daily cycle. This discharge consti-
tutes the river’s flow for most months of the year. In this
section the river is low-gradient, 100-150 feet wide, with a
bottom ranging from sand to small cobble and silty
sands in the quieter waters of
pools and backwaters.
Approximately 26 fish
species are known to
occur, a large number for
Colorado. A number of
irrigation diversions take out water, and there is substan-
tial groundwater inflow along with several smaller
tributaries. In the past, urban runoff, poorly treated
sewage, packing plant waste, and sugar beet waste have
been major contributors to the decline of the biological
integrity of this river. In recent years, Metro has con-
trolled chlorine toxicity and substantially reduced the
amount of ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) entering the river.
However, field studies continued to reveal low dissolved
oxygen (DO) values (to below 2 mgIL) at several loca-
tions downstream of the Denver Metro discharge. Low
DO values were generally associated with pooled areas of
the stream and occurred during late summer and fall,
particularly during early morning. Metro set up a working
advisory committee with EPA, Colorado Department of
Region 8
KANSAS: Volunteer Monltonng Workshops
The Pure Water for Kansas Program has completed
training in the first series of workshops for volunteer
stream monitors in Kansas. Representatives from
EPA attended the last workshop, held in Lawrence,
Kansas. Another series of workshops will be
scheduled soon, based on popular demand. For
more information contact Jerry Pitt at (913) 551-7766.
6

-------
Health, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and other inter-
ested representatives. As part of this effort, the Region
has been cooperatively working with Denver Metro in
designing and implementing studies necessary to deter-
mine site-specific DO standards in the South Platte River
for a 26-mile segment below Denver.
Denver Metro has authorized $2 million of studies to
assess the problem. A major sampling, modeling, and
design effort has been underway for 2 years to understand
the oxygen dynamics and their causes. These studies—
along with field biological studies and laboratory tests for
effects of cyclical variation of DO on mortality, growth,
and behavior—are expected to lead to site-specific DO
standards for the river segment, including specific in-
stream compliance points that will address instantaneous,
7-day mean minimum, 7-day mean, and 30-day mean
criteria. Major physical/chemical results to date have
shown that benthic oxygen demand is a major contributor
to low DO, that the 24-hour variation in discharge flows
(100 to 300 cfs) may have a significant effect on DO
levels and the biological community, that ground water is
virtually stripped of oxygen as it moves through the
sediments into the river, and that nighttime DO values
may go below 1 mgfL during critical periods in late
summer and fall. Major biological results to date have
shown that juveniles and adults of most fish species tested
survived 7 days of cyclical 24-hour exposure to DO
concentrations from 7 to 2 mgfL. Larval mortality and
growth tests remain to be completed.
Metro is performing a thorough analysis of alternatives of
how best to improve DO in the Platte. In addition to
traditional alternatives like improvements at the treatment
plant, Metro is investigating alternatives such as ambient
flow equalization and in-stream modifications, including
stream habitat constraints and opportunities for enhance-
ment, to increase the DO levels at critical points in the
stream.
For more information, contact Bob Erickson at
(303) 293-1566 or Bruce Zander at (303) 293-1580.
MONTANA: Clark Fork River TM DL: The State of
Montana has embarked on an effort to define Total
Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for nitrogen and
phosphorus for the Clark Fork River watershed. This
TMDL will address the stream eutrophication problems
that are occurring at several points in the watershed. The
TMDL will use a phased approach, with the first step
being to define what level of enrichment is acceptable for
the Clark Fork. Controls on point and nonpoint sources
are being considered. In addition, coordination with the
downstream states of Idaho and Washington is being
performed through a th-state committee. For information,
contact Bruce Zander at (303) 293-1580.
Region 9
[ 51
Regional Coordinators
Arizona
Ha wall
Guam
Monitoring, 305(b): EdLiu (415) 744-1934
Waterbody System: Janet Hashimoto (415)744-1156
303(d MDL: David Smith (415)744-2019
Volunteer Monitonng: Clance 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
REGIONAL OFFICE: Nonpoint Source Watershed
Conference: On July 26-28, the EPA Region 9 nonpoint
source program convened a conference focusing on
watershed protection for the states of California. Arizona,
Nevada, Hawaii, and the Region 9 Indian tribes and Pacific
Islands. Over 350 persons registered for the meeting,
including representatives from federal resource and
regulatory agencies, state agencies, nongovemment
organizations, and private citizens. A significant group of
participants represented Rural Conservation Districts,
groups of private agricultural landowners that have been
organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil
Conservation Service for environmental protection along
watershed lines for over 20 years. The Region 9 meeting
bridged the gap between regulators and the citizens who
owned and were responsible for the land on the watershed.
More than 110 presentations were given at the meeting.
Watershed restoration emerged as a major theme in the
conference, and it also became clear that biological monitor-
ing plays an important role in restoration projects. Biologi-
cal monitoring can provide a sensitive measure of biological
integrity as watershed practices are changed or structural
improvements are installed on the land.
Some examples of watershed improvement projects where
monitoring played a role either in planning or in measuring
success include Kiamath River Basin, CA;Tomki Creek,
CA; Truckee River, NV; Yavapai Ranch, AZ; Napa River,
CA; Garcia River, CA; Coyote Creek, CA; and Wildcat
Creek, CA.
California
7

-------
Contact Jovita Pajarillo at (415) 744-2011 for more
information on the Region 9 nonpoint source watershed
conference. For details of monitoring activities presented
at the conference, contact Ed Liu at (415) 744-1934 or on
Email at liu.edwin@epamail.epa.gov.
Region 10
Regional Coordinators
Monitoring, Waterbody System: Gretchen Hayslip
(206) 553-1685
305(b): Donna WaLsh (206) 553-1754
303(dyrMDL: Bruce aeland (206)553-2600
Volunteer Monitoring: Susan Handley (206) 553-1287
Nonpoint Source: Elbert Moore (206) 553-4181
Clean Lakes: Krista Mendelman (206) 553-1571
WASHINGTON: Biological Monitoring Protocol
Developed: The Washington State Department of Ecology
(Ecology) has completed a monitoring protocol titled
“Instream Biological Assessment Monitoring Protocols:
Benthic Macroinvertebrates” that focuses on the use of
benthic macroinvertebrates as environmental indicators.
The development and implementation of this protocol is a
continuation of the original pilot study conducted by
Ecology in 1991.
Modifications to the earlier biological assessment work are
incorporated into this more recent protocol. A multihabitat
sampling approach (riffles and pools) is used to describe
each stream reach. Subsamples from macroinvertebrate
field collections incorporate a 300-count sorting procedure.
Habitat assessment methods are focused on steam bottom
areas where benthic samples are collected.
A compendium of results from the summer of 1993 field
collections will follow this protocol manual. Analytical
results of the biological and physical information will
address the validity of regionalization strategies; stream
size effects; reference versus degraded conditions; and the
ability of biologists to visually identify the severity of
biological degradation at a stream site. Ecology will
generate information describing expected regional condi-
tions, as well as watershed-specific conditions. For more
information, contact Rob Plotnikoff at (206) 407-6687.
HEADQUARIERS AclivmEs
OFFICE OF WETLANDS, OCEANS
AND WATERSHEDS (OWOW)
Assessment and Watershed Protection
Division (A WPD)
Soil and Water Conservation Society of America
(SWCS) Conference: AWPD staff participated in a
roundtable discussion on the middle ground between
volunteerism and regulations at the SWCS annual meeting
in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 8-9. Recurring themes
during the roundtable discussion were (1) volunteerism
and regulations as tools in the continuum of addressing
environmental problems; (2) watershed approach concepts
of prioritization and targeting, setting specific environ-
mental goals, involving stakeholders in collecting data to
get buy-in and create peer pressure for action, education
and outreach, dialogue, and partnerships; and (3) sustain-
able community development. For more information,
contact Donna Sefton at (202) 260-7105.
Water Systems Modernization: EPA is in the 4th year
of the 7-year project to modernize STORET (EPA’s
National Water STOrage and RETrieval System), BIOS
(the BIOlogical component of the STORET System),
ODES (Ocean Data
Evaluation System),
and WQAS (Water
Quality Analysis
System). The first of
three prototypes that
will form the entire
system will be
available on October
1, 1994. This proto-
type, called “Maintain
Site,” will be demon-
strated at the 3rd
Washington
Oregon
Idaho
8

-------
Modernization Workshop, scheduled for February 7-9, Wetlands Division
1995, in Dallas. (A flyer announcing the workshop is
being distributed.) The “Maintain Site” prototype
contains information about sampling site location and
is equivalent to the station header information of the
current STORET system. The other two prototypes
will be “Organization/Project Surveys” and “Sampling!
Results.” At the completion of all three of these
prototypes (scheduled for April 1996), the system will
be complete and migration of the parametric data from
the current system to the modernized system can begin.
Among other studies underway is a determination of
which analytical tools should be an integral part of the
data base. An information packet on this “Tool Kit” is
being sent to all STORET users for information and
comment. The other study underway is to determine
whether the present parameter codes can be eliminated.
A detailed information arid comment packet on this
issue is also being sent to all STORET users. Each of
these developments and studies will be highlighted in
future issues of the Water Monitor. For more informa-
tion, contact Phil Lindenstruth, U.S. EPA, at
(202) 260-6549 or (800) 424-9067.
Oceans and Coastal Protection
Division (OCPD)
Final Rule Released on Section 301(h): On July 14, the
Administrator signed the final rule which will affect 45
applicants and pennittees with waivers from secondary
treatment requirements under section 30 1(h) of the Clean
Water Act. The affected publicly-owned treatment works
(POTWs) are located in coastal communities in Califor-
nia, Maine, Massachusetta, New Hampshire, Alaska,
Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the U.S.
Pacific Trust Territories. Under section 30 1(h), the
POTWs must meet strict environmental requirements to
obtain a waiver. The new regulations strengthen require-
ments and, among other things:
• require POTWs to achieve a minimum of primary
treatment,
• increase industrial pretreatment requirements for
Pc rws serving urban areas to further reduce the
levels of toxic pollutants in treated wastewaters, and
• meet the water quality criteria established under
section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act.
These regulations provide added protection for marine
waters into which the applicants discharge. For more
information, contact Deborah Lebow at (202) 260-6419.
Marsh Management
Workshop
On August 1 6-18, EPA hosted a marsh
management workshop in New Orleans,
Louisiana. More than 200 people partici-
pated in the workshop, representing federal
and state agencies, environmental organiza-
tions, fisheries and other stakeholder inter-
ests, and reporters. The information and
perspectives gathered from speakers and
participants attending the workshop, in
addition to the results of the Science Advi-
sory Board Review, will be used in the
development of guiding principles to evaluate
marsh management projects. For more
information, contact Elizabeth Zinecker at
(202) 260-5907.
r
9

-------
Calendar Highlights
SEPTEMBER
Seniors for the Environment, Chevy Chase, MD. Contact
EASE, 51 Main St, P.O. Box 368, The Plains, VA 22171,
(703) 330-5667, FAX (703) 330-3268.
Second National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference:
Urban Streambank Restoration and Storm Event Monitor-
ing, Northbmok, IL Contact Kim Soulliere, Northeastern
Illinois Planning Commission, 2225 Rivetskle Plaza, Suite
1800 Chicago IL 60606 (312) 454-0400 FAX (312)454-0411
27-29 A National Forum on Mercury k’i Fish, New Orleans, LA
Contact Charlie MacPhei on, Teti Tech, Inc., at
(703) 385-6000.
28-30 Watersheds 94: Creating the Unks: People, Politics,
Science and Stewardship, Beuevue, WA, Contact
Andrea Lindsay at (206)553-1896 or 1 -&C 24-4EPA, ext 1896
29 Oct 1 Second Annual Friends of Trashed Rivers Conference,
New York, NY. Contact the local conference manager,
(201) 525-1594 or FAX (201) 525-1574.
OCTOBER
5-7 Change in the West: Evolution of the Watershed Ap-
proach, Alarnosa, CO. Contact Karen Hamilton, EPA (8WM-
WQ), 999 18th st. 1 Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2466, (303)
293-1576, FAX (303) 391-6957.
11 Watershed Management and Clean Water Act Reauthon-
zation Ontario, . Contact Carmen Rica, Los Angeles Dept.
of Public Works, P.O. Box 1460, Pasadena, CA 91802-1460,
(818)458-3525.
16 The Rolative Role of Urban and Rural Nonpoint Source
qontrols in Managing Wet Weather Water Quality, Chicago,
IL Contact Chnshne McKallip, WEF, 601 Wythe St, Alexan-
dria, VA 2231-1944, (703) 684-2400.
16-20 Water Environment Federation’s 67th Annual Conference
and Exposition, Chicago, IL. Contact Maureen Novotne,
WEF, 601 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1944, (703) 684-
2400.
17-19 Coastal Nonpolnt Source Workshop: Building Partner-
ships, Tam , FL Contact Julia Johnson, 1717 K St. NW,
Suite 801, Washington, DC 20006-1504, (202) 833-8317.
30-Nov 3 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemis-
try, 15th Annual Meeting: Ecological Risk:
Science, Policy, Law,and Perception, Denver,
Colorado. Contact Rod Parrish, SETAC, 1010 North
12th Ave., Pensacola, FL. 32501, (904)469-1500, FAX
(904)469-9778.
31-Nov 5 North American Lake Management Society 14th
Annual International Symposium; Managing Water
Resources in the 21st Century: Finding Workable
Solutions. Orlando, FL. Contact Marilyn Schroeder,
(303) 781-8287, FAX (303) 781-6538.
NOVEMBER
5-6 Short Course: Advanced Geographic Information
Systems, at American Water Resources
Associ tlon’s 30th Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
Contact AWRA, 950 Herndon Pkwy, Suite 300,
Henxion VA 22070, (301) 493-8600, FAX (301)493-
5844.
5-6 Short Course: Watershed Hydrology and Water
Quality, atAWRA3OhAnnual Conference, Chicago,
IL Contact AWRA at (301) 493-8600, FAX (301)493-
6-10 American Water Resources Association’s 30th
Annual Conference, Chicago, IL Contact AWRA, 950
Hemdon Pkwy, Suite 800, Herndon, VA 22070,
(301) 493-8600, FAX (301)493-5844.
15-16 Watershed WISE: A Workshop on Watershed
Protections, Grand Junction, CO. Contact Susan
Foster, Thorne Ecological Institute, 5398 Manhattan
Circle, Suite 120, Boulder, CO 80303, (303)499-3647,
FAX (303)499-8340.
DECEMBER
4.7 56th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference,
Indianapolis, IN. Contact Debbie Fairhurst, Atterbury
Fish & Wildlife area, Edinburgh, IN 46124, (317)232-
7535.
12-13 Protecting Ground Water: Promoting Understand-
ing, Accepting Responsibility, and Taking Action,
Washington, DC. Contact Laura Lud Mg, Terrene
Institute, 1717 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202)
833-8317; FAX (202) 296-4071.
22-24
26-30
5844.
10

-------