# Presentation: 823849

## Developing A National Water Quality Monitoring Network Design

**NWQMC**
**July 26, 2005**

## An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century
Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

**An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century**
- Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

**The US Ocean Action Plan**
- 		The Administration’s Response

**Both called for the creation of a **
**National Water Quality Monitoring Network**

- Origins of the Proposal

## National Water Quality Monitoring Network

**Three Recommendations:**
**Develop network that coordinates and expands **
**      ****existing efforts**
**The network should include coverage in both the coastal and upland areas that affect them, and be linked to the Integrated Ocean Observing System**
**Network must have clear goals, specify core variables, and an appropriate sampling framework, and be periodically reviewed and updated.**

**Notes:**
- Combined (existing) efforts do not constitute a comprehensive, coordinated water quality monitoring network
coastal waters are under monitored
- Data 
Exchange is complex and unwieldy
 Hoarded by agencies & researchers
-  Few of the 200 sites in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program are in coastal areas

GAO Report

From the OC Commission Report

Use case studies:

Chesapeake Bay
Gulf of Maine
 Pacific Northwest
 Gulf of Mexico / Mississippi River  Basin

## 
Council is a 35-member committee under  the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)

ACWI is Chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act

ACWI members accepted task from CEQ and NSTC for Council to Design a National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NMN)

Council has already developed many products to address these problems (see Council brochure)

**Council is a 35-member committee under  the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)**
**ACWI is Chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act**
**ACWI members accepted task from CEQ and NSTC for Council to Design a National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NMN)**
**Council has already developed many products to address these problems (see Council brochure)**

## Challenge:
  Common information goals 
  Compatible design approaches
  Sampling timing
  Metadata standards 
  Parameter specifications
  Field data collection & handling
  Analytic procedures
  Data storage, and data access practices

***Challenge:***
**  ****Common information goals **
**  ****Compatible design approaches**
**  ****Sampling timing**
**  ****Metadata standards **
**  ****Parameter specifications**
**  ****Field data collection & handling**
**  ****Analytic procedures**
**  ****Data storage, and data access practices**

- National Water Quality Monitoring Network

## National Water Quality Monitoring Network

**Council’s Organization of the Effort**

## 40%

**40%**

**28%**

**23%**

**7%**

**2%**

## Design the network using criteria derived from:
Specified goals and objectives
Management questions 
Compare design with existing monitoring efforts
Then:
Retain
Add or Extend 
Enhance
Define as external to the Network

**Design the network using criteria derived from:**
**Specified goals and objectives**
**Management questions **
**Compare design with existing monitoring efforts**
**Then:**
**Retain**
**Add or Extend **
**Enhance**
**Define as external to the Network**

- Approach to the Design

**Notes:**
SO, we intend a Network of Networks

## Integrate, coordinate, and as necessary enhance water quality monitoring efforts needed to make informed management decisions for sustainable use of aquatic resources. 

Communicate the availability of quality assured data, and disseminate information products relevant to national, regional and local needs.

**Integrate, coordinate, and as necessary enhance water quality monitoring efforts needed to make informed management decisions for sustainable use of aquatic resources. **
**Communicate the availability of quality assured data, and disseminate information products relevant to national, regional and local needs.**

- Goals of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network

**Notes:**
SO, we intend a Network of Networks

## 

1.  Define status and trends of key water quality parameters and conditions on a nationwide basis.

2. Provide data relevant to determining whether goals, standards, and resource management objectives are being met, thus contributing to sustainable and beneficial use of coastal and inland water resources.	

3. Provide data to identify and rank existing and emerging problems to help target more intensive monitoring, preventive actions, or remediation.

4.  Provide data to support and define coastal oceanographic and hydrologic research, including influences of freshwater inflows.

5. Provide quality-assured data for use in the preparation of interpretive reports and educational materials.

**1.  Define status and trends of key water quality parameters and conditions on a nationwide basis.**
**2. Provide data relevant to determining whether goals, standards, and resource management objectives are being met, thus contributing to sustainable and beneficial use of coastal and inland water resources.****	**
**3. Provide data to identify and rank existing and emerging problems to help target more intensive monitoring, preventive actions, or remediation.**
**4.  Provide data to support and define coastal oceanographic and hydrologic research, including influences of freshwater inflows.**
**5. Provide quality-assured data for use in the preparation of interpretive reports and educational materials.**

- Objectives of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network

## What is the condition of the Nation’s surface, ground, estuarine, and coastal waters?
Where, how, and why are water-quality conditions changing over time?
Where are the problems related to water quality? 
	What is causing the problems?
Are programs to prevent or remediate problems working effectively?
Are water-quality goals and standards being met?
What research activities are needed to support these important resources?

**What is the condition of the Nation’s surface, ground, estuarine, and coastal waters?**
**Where, how, and why are water-quality conditions changing over time?**
**Where are the problems related to water quality? **
**	****What is causing the problems?**
**Are programs to prevent or remediate problems working effectively?**
**Are water-quality goals and standards being met?**
**What research activities are needed to support these important resources?**

- Management Questions

## Major river systems and major tributaries of those primary drainages
Estuaries 
Outlets of major estuaries and bays
Near-shore coastal zone
Regional aquifers
Great Lakes

- Major river systems and major tributaries of those primary drainages
- Estuaries
- Outlets of major estuaries and bays
- Near-shore coastal zone
- Regional aquifers
- Great Lakes

- The Six Environments

## Oxygen depletion
Nutrient enrichment
Toxic contamination
Sedimentation
Harmful algal blooms
Habitat degradation
Invasions by exotic species
Pathogens (indicator bacteria)

- Oxygen depletion
- Nutrient enrichment
- Toxic contamination
- Sedimentation
- Harmful algal blooms
- Habitat degradation
- Invasions by exotic species
- Pathogens (indicator bacteria)

- Stressors Affecting Resources

**Notes:**

Uses of Primary Concern

Aquatic life in each of the components we identified

Human use of water

## Regional IOOS Associations

**Regional IOOS Associations**

## Major Rivers of the Conterminous U.S.

## Cumulative Drainage and Streamflow in Major Conterminous U.S. Rivers

## Illustrates the gap between what monitoring exists and what monitoring is useful to management

**Illustrates the gap between what monitoring exists and what monitoring is useful to management**

- Dissolved Oxygen in the Chesapeake Bay

## 313 Active Stream Gages 389 Active Water-Quality

**703 Stream Gages**

**176 WQ Associated with Stream Gages**

**313 Active Stream Gages 389 Active Water-Quality**

**118 Sites Meet Frequency and/or Parameter Criteria for trends**

**>1700 Water Quality**

**Initial Network Design ****for Nontidal Monitoring**

**Notes:**
This is the “peel”

## Focusing on the issue of oxygen depletion
Assembling parameter lists for marine & estuarine waters
Contacting other case study areas

**Focusing on the issue of oxygen depletion**
**Assembling parameter lists for marine & estuarine waters**
**Contacting other case study areas**

- Progress To Date

##   We are addressing:
Common definitions of environmental compartments
Common information goals
The use of different design approaches
Common parameter specifications
Sample timing

We are starting to address:
Metadata standards
Field data Collection & handling
Analytic procedures
Data storage, and data access practices

-   **We are addressing:**
**Common definitions of environmental compartments**
**Common information goals**
**The use of different design approaches**
**Common parameter specifications**
**Sample timing**
**We are starting to address:**
**Metadata standards**
**Field data Collection & handling**
**Analytic procedures**
**Data storage, and data access practices**

- Progress To Date

##  Council Meeting:		July 26-28, 2005
 Interim report to ACWI: 	Sept 14, 2005
 Council Meeting:		Nov 1-3, 2005
 Final report:			Mid-Jan 2006
 Nat’l. Monitoring Conf.	May 7-11, 2006

-  **Council Meeting:****	****	****July 26-28, 2005**
** ****Interim report to ACWI: ****	****Sept 14, 2005**
** ****Council Meeting:****	****	****Nov 1-3, 2005**
** ****Final report:****	****	****	****Mid-Jan 2006**
** ****Nat’l. Monitoring Conf.****	****May 7-11, 2006**

- Network Milestones

**Charles Spooner**
**US Environmental Protection Agency**
**Office of Water 4503T**
**1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.**
**Washington, DC 20460**
**Spooner.charles@eap.gov**
**202-566-1174**

**Dr. Gail Mallard**
**US Geological Survey**
**2 Schumann Road**
**Westerly, RI  02819**
**gmallard@usgs.gov**
**401-322-0902**

**Notes:**
Fish
Rec
But not PWS