# Presentation: 528251

## Increasing Momentumin the Formation ofState and Regional Monitoring Councils 

**Linda Green, co-chair,**
** ****Collaboration and Outreach Workgroup,**
** ****National Water Quality Monitoring Council**
**Presentation to**
** ****the Advisory Committee on Water Information,**
**May 15, 2001**

## Council Mission

**“****Provide a national forum to coordinate consistent and scientifically defensible federal and state water quality monitoring methods and strategies.”**
**Create a framework for *****collaboration and comparability***** among programs as a goal necessary to the development of a national monitoring strategy.**

## Collaboration and Outreach Workgroup

**“****To support the creation and building of partnerships which foster collaboration among the many elements of the water monitoring community.”**

## Collaboration and Outreach Workgroup

**Work Plan Tasks:**
**Support the development of state and regional councils**
**Organize the 3****rd**** National Water Quality Monitoring Conf.**

## Support the Development of State and Regional Councils

**Who’s out there and what are they doing?**
**Conduct Assessment of Councils**
**via EPA monitoring Coordinators**
**via ACWI participants**
**Summarize Results**
**Invite reps to come to NWQMC meetings**
**Targeted Workshops at NWQMC conferences  **

**Notes:**
A number of  councils have sprung up around the country.  
NWQMNC holds its meetings in different regions
Nearby Councils are warmly welcomed!

## Support the Development of State and Regional Councils

**Council members ****Emery Cleaves and Robert Ward, ****NWQMC ambassadors extraordinaire, have made presentations about state/regional councils to groups that are forming . **

**Notes:**
A number of  councils have sprung up around the country.  
NWQMNC holds its meetings in different regions
Nearby Councils are warmly welcomed!

## Slide 7

## Assessment of State, Interstate, or Regional Watershed Monitoring Councils

Council name, contact information:
 Sponsoring organization(s):  
General description of your membership :
 When was your Council created and why?: 
Charter, bylaws or other adopted written Council operating procedures?  
Meeting Schedule?
Sub-committees?   

** **
**Council name, contact information:**
** ****Sponsoring organization(s):  **
**General description of your membership :**
** ****When was your Council created and why?: **
**Charter, bylaws or other adopted written Council operating procedures?  **
**Meeting Schedule?**
**Sub-committees?   **

## Assessment of State, Interstate, or Regional Watershed Monitoring Councils

**Funding?**
**Staff Support?**
**Products or Publications?**
**Special Projects/Significant Accomplishments?**
**Networking via Web, list serve, document sharing?**
**Special forum/workshop at 2002 Conference?**

## Common Council Themes

**Communication**
**Coordination**
**Collaborative Watershed Based Monitoring**
**Document Monitoring Activities**
**Efficient Use of Monitoring Resources**
**Raise Public Awareness**
**Inclusiveness**

## State/Regional Councils: Common Activities

**Network design and coordination (6)**
**Data Inventory and management (includes GIS) (6)**
**Annual Conferences (5)**
**Field and analytical methods and QAQC (5)**
**Data Interpretation or Reporting (2)**
**Issues Based Groups (3) –there are a number of other watershed groups that focus on specific issues as well.**

## Common Concerns

**Funding/Institutional Support**
**Time - more meetings**
**Efficiency**
**Capacity Building**

## Slide 13

## Slide 16

## Slide 17

## Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council (LMMCC)

**Why?**
**To foster cooperation and coordination among groups involved in all types of environmental monitoring activities.**
**To develop a systematic and comparable approach to all aspects of data collection, management, and dissemination...related to issues, policies, res. management in Lake Michigan Drainage basin.**

## LMMCC MEMBERSHIP

**2 each from states of MI, IN,IL, Wi**
**7 from Federal Agencies**
**2 Tribal Authorities**
**2 Business, industry, consultants**
**1 Agriculture**
**Local, volunteer monitoring groups**
**Sea Grant/University-based Institutes**
**Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan Forum**
**Local Government/planning agencies**
**Great Lakes Fisheries Commission**

## LMMCC GOALS

**Document monitoring activities, ID data gaps**
**Contribute to developing monitoring framework**
**Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships linking organizations and initiatives**
**Encourage comparable, documentable monitoring**
**Support linked info networks**
**Provide guidance/assistance to improve awareness of monitoring**

## LMMCC Structure

**Secretariat support provided by Great Lakes ****Commission, funds administration**
**Funded by US EPA Lake Michigan team**
**Chaired by 2 members, for 2 years**
**Topical Issue workgroups formed as needed**
**Meet twice per year, conf calls...**

## Funding provided through the US Geological Survey through the Water Resources Research Center, 

- UMASS Amherst and US EPA Region 1

## Why NERMC?Worn out and stretched too thin!

**Coordinate delivery of training and related services to volunteer watershed monitoring groups in New England**
**Increase the level of expertise of volunteers and program coordinators**
**Enhance sharing of data within watersheds and the region**

## Collaborators

**River Network**
**Univ. of Mass. Water Watch Partnership**
**Univ. of Maine Department of Public Affairs**
**Univ. of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and Freshwater Biology Group**
**Univ. of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension **
**Conn. Dept of Environ. Protection**
**EPA- New England Region**
**CSREES Regional Volunteer Monitoring Theme Team**

## Activities

**Production of a set of ****manuals, videos and training aides on ****5 watershed assessment tools**
**Creation of a regional training network by conducting a series of “train-the-trainers” workshop**
**Institute an evaluation and planning process for volunteer monitoring programs**
**Watershed Assessment Strategy Document**

## NERMC Watershed Assessment Tools

**Watershed Natural Resources Inventory**
**Rapid and Intensive Habitat Assessments**
**Benthic Macroinvertebrate Streamside Assessment**
**Intensive Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment**
**“****Following the Flow”: On-site Non-point Source Pollution Evaluation**

## Opportunities: NWQMC and State/Regional Council Connections

**Working together (virtual Council) toward common goals – Networks, Methods, Data, Interpretation, Reporting and Outreach**
**Active involvement at Council meetings and as members of Council Work Groups **
**Important not to duplicate efforts with NWQMC activities and to share results between Councils**

## Role for ACWI

**Distribute Assessments**
**Endorse Concept of State/Regional Councils**