Volunteer Data Usage in 305(b) Reports and 303(d) Lists

From: Brian Soenen [mailto:Brian.Soenen@dnr.state.ia.us]
S ent: Monday, November 07, 2005 12:55 PM
To: Volunteer water monitoring
Subject: [volmonitor] Volunteer Data Usage in 305(b) Reports and 303(d) Lists

Greetings!

Would any of you happen to have any examples of how volunteer data have been used by state and/or federal agencies for 305(b) reports or 303(d) lists? If so, I'd very much appreciate it if you could share them with me.

Thanks and have a great week!

Brian Soenen
IOWATER Coordinator
3625 Nebraska Street
Sioux City, IA 51104
515.205.8587 (cell)
Brian.Soenen@dnr.state.ia.us
www.iowater.net
www.iowaprojectaware.com

Responses

11/7/2005 3:54:10 PM

In Minnesota we are in the process of using volunteer-collected transparency tube values to assess turbidity for the first time during production of the 2006 Impaired Waters list. A fact sheet on the process can be accessed at:

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/csmp-reports.html#forms

Let me know if you have any questions about this process.

Regards,

Laurie Sovell
Coordinator, Citizen Stream-Monitoring Program
MN Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd. N.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651/296-7187 (phone)
651/297-8324 (fax)
laurie.sovell@pca.state.mn.us
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/csmp.html

11/7/2005 3:57:26 PM

The Upper Merrimack Monitoring Program's data have been used for the State of NH's reports. Steve Landry and I can provide further information to your questions if you wish to call or email us.

--

Michele L. Tremblay
naturesource communications
PO Box 3019 • Boscawen NH 03303
603.796.2615 • 796.2600 fax
http://www.naturesource.net

11/7/2005 4:11:41 PM

River Watch in CO--has our data in STORET and provides it to the State Health Dept for basin triennial reviews...when each major basin is up for CWA review of standards, classifications, resegmentation, etc..they put out a data request--we submit data there and also provide it via STORET. That data is used in assessing attainment for each triennial basin review, 305(b) and listing/delisting on the 303d. In each of these "report" formats the source of the data used is provided and our Program is cited. In some cases we have provided the only data there is, in others it adds to others database. The primary purpose of our program  is Colorado's CWA decision process and targeted decision maker is the Health Dept--so our methods, data management, etc. all match what that process and those folks require.

Barb Horn
Biologist, Colorado Division of Wildlife
151 E. 16th Ave.
Durango, CO 81301
vc: 970/382-6667 
fx: 970/247-4785

11/7/2005 4:23:12 PM

Volunteer data generated by organizations participating in the ODEQ's Volunteer Monitoring Program is submitted to me for review and upload into the DEQ database LASAR http://deq12.deq.state.or.us/lasar2/default.aspx. All data of sufficient quality (designated as A or B) is assessed for the 303(d) list regardless of the sampling agency.

Steve Hanson
Volunteer Monitoring Specialist
Oregon DEQ Laboratory
Phone: 503.229.5449
Toll Free: 1.800.452.4011
Fax: 503.229.6957
http://www.deq.state.or.us/lab/wqm/volunteermonitoring.htm
email: hanson.steve@deq.state.or.us
2020 SW Fourth Ave. Suite 400
Portland, OR 97201

Date: Mon, 07 Nov 2005 16:58:00 -0500
From: "Picotte, Amy" <Amy.Picotte@state.vt.us>
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Volunteer Data Usage in 305(b) Reports and 303(d)
Lists

Brian, check out Appendix F in our new Vermont Volunteer Surface Water
Monitoring Guide. Good luck.
http://www.vtwaterquality.org/lakes/htm/lp_monitoringguide.htm

 

Amy Picotte
Environmental Analyst
DEC-Water Quality Division
103 S. Main St.
Waterbury, VT 05671-0408
Tel. 802-241-3789
fax. 802-241-4537

New email as of July, 2005:
Amy.Picotte@state.vt.us

11/8/2005 8:39:37 AM

Our volunteer data has been published in the Delaware 305(b) for the last 10 years. We monitor and collect data on specific watersheds - Christina Watershed since 1995 and the Mispillion Watershed since 2003. I am happy to give more information or send our manual and/or QAPP for this program.

Ginger North
Stream Watch Coordinator
Delaware Nature Society
302-239-2334x100
Fax 302-239-2473
ginger@delawarenaturesociety.org
www.delawarenaturesociety.org

11/8/2005 9:22:54 AM

I was forwarded your e-mail regarding the use of volunteer monitoring data in 305(b)/303(d) assessments and listing. To my knowledge, all four of our Basin states (NJ, NY, PA and DE) put out a call for data prior to beginning their assessment work each cycle, in order to compile "all readily available" data as EPA requires.

If you haven't already done so, you may wish to contact Pennsylvania DEP. They came to my mind when I thought about formal processes for using volunteer data. Because of quality assurance and control needs, they have a fairly developed processes for handling this. Take a look at the form they use and the requirements therin. The address is:

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/Wqp/WQStandards/wqstandards.htm

In particular, see the link under "2004 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report" Section III.E. Outside Agency Data and Quality Assurance Requirements. The link will open up a Microsoft Word document. The link above that, II.C., provides more guidance on volunteer quality assurance plans and a further link to EPA on that topic.

I hope this information is useful for you. Good luck!

Jon Zangwill

Jonathan.Zangwill@drbc.state.nj.us

11/8/2005 4:08:03 PM

The Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet has a published guidance for use of "third party data" for regulatory purposes, including that generated by volunteers and citizen monitors. You can see a copy of that policy in PDF form at:

http://www.water.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/B8F9FC52-D32F-4FBB-9CC0-9C6945CE5A8A/0/volunteer_monitoring_data_final.pdf

(If the link doesn't work, be sure you paste the entire URL into your browser address bar)

Essentially it articulates a prior notification procedure and requires that those requesting that their data be used for 303d/305b determinations to meet US EPA Quality Assurance Project Planning requirements.

For more information on how volunteer groups in our state have responded to that policy, visit:

http://kywater.org/watch/qa.htm

Thanks,

Ken Cooke
KY Water Watch
Ken.Cooke@ky.gov

11/9/2005 9:00:32 AM

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection uses data from at least one volunteer monitoring organization for its Integrated Report, and has incorporated volunteer monitoring into its long term strategy. New York State has also relied for a long time on data collected by volunteer monitors. I'd be happy to supply you with the appropriate contacts in NJDEP and NYSDEC, although I'm sure that some folks, who are also on this listserv will respond in person.

Paula Zevin
Regional Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator
Division of Environmental Science and Assessment
U.S.E.P.A. - Region 2
2890 Woodbridge Avenue, MS-220
Edison, NJ 08837
Tel.: (732) 321-4456
Fax: (732) 321-6616
zevin.paula@epa.gov

11/9/2005 11:34:41 AM

As it happens I just completed an index to past issues of the Volunteer Monitor newsletter (www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html). This should help you track down some examples of volunteer data usage in 305(b) and 303(d). I'm sure this is not a comprehensive list even of examples that have appeared in the newsletter, because I didn't index every single mention of any topic, just the more important articles. Still, it may be helpful.

Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-334-2284
ellieely@earthlink.net
The Volunteer Monitor is available online at
www.EPA.gov/OWOW/volunteer/vm_index.html

11/9/2005 5:05:43 PM

Awhile back I came across this report from Minnesota - thought you might find it relevant.

http://www.riversmn.org/Reports_Thalweg/ttube04.pdf

Steven Witmer
Planning Assistant
Community Development Department
City of Johnston
(515) 727-7765, fax 515-278-2033

11/10/2005 7:12:15 AM

As Paula suggested, volunteer monitoring data has been part of the 305(b) and 303(d) process for many years in New York State.  There was a session at the 6th national volunteer monitoring conference (I believe in Austin) that discussed the role of volunteers in TMDL development- mostly in developing the datasets to support the 303d lists.  The abstracts from those presentations can be found at http://www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/proceedings/sixth/session6.pdf

Feel free to contact me at any of the below numbers if you would like more information about the role of volunteer data in NYS.

Scott A. Kishbaugh, P.E.
Environmental Engineer II
Lake Services Section
Bureau of Water Assessment and Management
NYSDEC Division of Water
625 Broadway, 4th Floor
Albany, NY  12233-3502
(phone) 518-402-8282
(fax) 518-402-9029
(email) sakishba@gw.dec.state.ny.us

11/10/2005 7:29:06 AM

For lotic systems in NYS any data or survey assessment conducted by volunteers or otherwise will not be used in the 303(d) process for impairment determination. This has been stated to volunteer groups both verbally and in writing:

"The fact is, no matter how good the data volunteers - or anyone else - collects, it is DEC's role to evaluate the data and make an assessment that is consistent with assessments throughout the state. (Actually, this issue relates to the discussions we've been having about the details of the "How data is Used" matrix in the guidance document...and why we have balked at suggestions that volunteer data alone could result in "yellow" and "red" flags.)

While we encourage participation in the assessment process (thru the WI/PWL workshops and update effort) we cannot relinquish DEC's responsibility for making the w.q. determinations.

In short, the role of volunteer monitoring is to provide data of a known quality to help DEC make these decisions. However, it is DEC's (not volunteers') role to make the assessment decisions."

Kelly

HBRW@worldnet.att.net

11/11/2005 7:28:46 PM

Our citizen monitoring data was used in the recent State 303d listing.

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tmdl/303d_update.html

On the plus side, our data was used to call attention to several parameters on a few creeks which had not previously been on the 303d list, and was used in various places as lines of evidence for some of the conclusions they made.

On the negative side, we feel the data was used inappropriately in a few places, including to de-list a creek for sediment based on our turbidity data.

Several groups up here are concerned about the proposed de-listing of the Laguna de Santa Rosa for nutrients. We will be submitting P and N data on that point.

I am working on a letter of comments, since the comment period is currently open. At the SYRCL conference I asked around if others had submitted data to this 303d list. No one had, but DeltaKeeper had influenced a bacteria listing in the Central Valley, and Friends of Five Creeks in Nevada County had influenced a 303d listing on the Yuba River. Those were both done through meetings directly with SWRCB staff in Sacramento, not through the formal submittal process.

Take care,

Mike Sandler
Program Coordinator
Community Clean Water Institute
6741 Sebastopol Ave. Suite 140
Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 824-4370
www.ccwi.org

11/12/2005 8:15:48 AM

Regarding use of volunteer water monitoring data for 303d and 305 lists, suggest you email with Dr. Bill Deutsch. I am cc'ing him so you can capture his email address. Bill started and is the current director of the Alabama Water Watch Program.  This program is about 13 years old and is particially funded by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Bryan Burgess
burgessbe@alltel.net

11/14/2005 6:31:54 AM

I was forwarded an request regarding how some states may use volunteer data in 305(b) reports. Here in CT we have at a variety of different levels. If you would like to call me to discuss feel free. 860-424-4185.

Mike Beauchene
CT DEP
Bureau of Water Management
mike.beauchene@po.state.ct.us

11/14/2005 9:01:44 AM

URI Watershed Watch monitoring data is used by the State of RI in their 305b (State of State WQ) report as on par with professional data and is thus used as a basis for listing in 303d (impaired waters). Often the RI DEM staff will call us to discuss the results of our data with them to determine, for example, if we think a lake is naturally acidified or not.

RI DEM contributes funding to our Extension based program. They provide us with an annual list of lakes with no, little, or not-recent data. We do our best to recruit volunteers to monitor those locations.

For the water,

Linda
URI Cooperative Extension Water Quality
Department of Natural Resources Science
1 Greenhouse Road
Kingston, RI 02881-0804
401-874-2905
www.uri.edu/ce/wq/
www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer

11/15/2005 1:22:44 PM

I know I am responding to everyone, I think many are interested. Paula Zevin already hit on this but here is more info.

Pequannock River Coalition monitors water within the Pequannock and Wanaque Rivers watersheds. Three parameters are measured: temperature, flow and physical characteristics. The data is collected by volunteers and has been used by the NJDEP and local environmental groups for a variety of applications. The NJDEP has used the data for development of the Integrated List (formerly known as the 303(d) and 305(b) reports). The data has also been used for prioritization of local open space acquisitions and determination of local land use issues.

http://www.pequannockriver.org/

The Pequannock River Coalition's temperature monitoring program actually even "changed the way the state did assessments". By that I mean, prior to PRC's monitoring program, NJ had no such term as "temperature impairment". Because of this, there was not way to "take action" or regulate temperature impairments. Now because of Ross's program the State now "lists" waters that exceed standards and we have TMDL's develop specifically for Temp Impairments.

Please let me know if you'd like more info.

 

Danielle Donkersloot

Danielle.Donkersloot@dep.state.nj.us

Updated