CHAPTER 9 Monitoring Program Plan - Barnegat Bay … · CHAPTER 9 Monitoring Program Plan ......

MAY 2002 169

CHAPTER 9Monitoring Program

Plan

CHAPTER 9Monitoring Program

Plan

Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Science, Little Egg Harbor. PHOTO BY C.MINERS

170 BARNEGAT BAY FINAL CCMP

Chapter 9

MAY 2002 171

9.1 Introduction

An effective monitoring program is an integral compo-nent of the CCMP. Monitoring is necessary to assess thestatus and trends in the health and abundance of theBarnegat Bay watershed’s water quality, water supply,habitat and living resources, and opportunities forhuman enjoyment. Monitoring provides the scientificevidence of changes taking place within the Bay andwatershed, either on a temporal or spatial scale. Theresults of such monitoring can validate the effective-ness of current and planned management strategies,leading to the achievement of goals, or can suggestwhere more concentrated attention should be placed.

This Monitoring Program Plan describes the existingand future monitoring efforts that will be taken with-in the bay and watershed. Monitoring is conducted bya variety of Program participants, from federal, state,and county agencies, to academic and research institu-tions and citizen volunteers. The Action Items con-tained within this Monitoring Program Plan both com-plement and support the Action Plans in Chapters 5 to8 of this CCMP. For example, workshops called for in

the Monitoring Program Plan will help flesh out themonitoring component of Action Items in the WaterQuality and Water Supply Action Plan, and ensure thatprogress in implementing those actions is measurable.The Monitoring Program Plan also helps to ensure thatAction Items are implemented effectively and adjustedwhen necessary. By measuring environmental changesin association with Action Item implementation, theBBNEP will be able to evaluate the results of theseactions and whether the goals and objectives of theProgram are being met. The integration of theMonitoring Program Plan and Action Plan Action Itemsis indicated in Table 9-1.

Monitoring can be effective at different stages of theimplementation process. Output monitoring measuresprogrammatic progress and addresses CCMP implemen-tation issues such as number of actions implementedwithin a given period of time. Outcome monitoringfocuses on the results of actions, such as the changesin ambient environmental conditions, ecological func-tions, and biological populations and communities.Both kinds of monitoring are addressed by thisMonitoring Program Plan.

MONITORING PROGRAM PLANPH

OTO:

C.

MIN

ERS

MONITORING PROGRAM PLAN


Wat

er Q

uali

ty/W

ater

Supp

ly &

Hab

itat

and

Livi

ng R

esou

rces

Act

ion

Plan

s: A

ctio

n It

ems

Mon

itor

ing

Nee

ds o

f Ac

tion

Ite

ms

Corr

espo

ndin

g M

onit

orin

gPr

ogra

m P

lan

Acti

ons

Desc

ript

ion

of L

inka

ge

1)Im

plem

enta

tion

mon

itor

ing.

2)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

prog

ress

in

stor

mw

ater

man

agem

ent

basi

n in

vent

ory,

BM

P ba

sin

retr

ofit

s,

and

mun

icip

alit

y co

mpl

ianc

e w

ith

Phas

e II

Mun

icip

al

Stor

mw

ater

rul

es.

3)GI

S to

rev

eal

Barn

egat

Bay

co

asta

l zo

ne b

ound

ary,

im

pair

ed s

ub-w

ater

shed

s, s

tate

la

nds,

etc

.

4)H

ydro

logi

c m

onit

orin

g to

ev

alua

te b

asin

BM

P re

trof

it

perf

orm

ance

.

5)TM

DL d

evel

opm

ent

and

mon

itor

ing.

6)In

form

atio

n tr

acki

ng a

nd

diss

emin

atio

n.

BBEP

will

con

duct

im

plem

enta

tion

mon

itor

ing

to t

rack

Act

ion

Item

im

plem

enta

tion

(A

ctio

nIt

em 9

.4),

eff

ecti

vene

ss m

onit

orin

g to

tra

ckre

sour

ce v

alue

s an

d co

ncer

ns (

Act

ion

9.3)

,an

d di

ssem

inat

e in

form

atio

n.

Wor

ksho

ps w

ill r

efin

e sc

ope

of t

he A

ctio

nIt

ems

and

iden

tify

spe

cifi

c da

ta e

lem

ents

need

ed t

o sa

tisf

y m

onit

orin

g ne

eds.

BBEP

will

see

k co

mm

itm

ents

fro

mM

anag

emen

t Co

nfer

ence

mem

bers

to

impl

emen

t TM

DL d

evel

opm

ent

and

mon

itor

ing.

Thes

e m

embe

rs w

ill i

mpl

emen

t th

is p

art

of t

heEM

P.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f th

e lo

ng-t

erm

dat

am

anag

emen

t st

rate

gy w

ill f

acili

tate

the

eval

uati

on o

f da

ta g

ener

ated

thr

ough

the

Act

ion

Item

s so

tha

t th

eir

effe

ctiv

enes

s in

redu

cing

non

poin

t so

urce

con

tam

inat

ion

can

be a

sses

sed.

The

long

-ter

m d

ata

man

agem

ent

stra

tegy

will

incl

ude

prov

isio

ns f

or r

esul

ts o

f th

em

onit

orin

g th

at w

ould

be

need

ed f

or t

hede

velo

pmen

t of

TM

DLs

and

for

resu

lts

ofm

onit

orin

g th

at w

ould

be

requ

ired

to

eval

uate

the

eff

ecti

vene

ss o

f TM

DLs.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

1, 5

.3,

5.4,

6.11

-6.1

49.

1—Co

nduc

t w

orks

hops

on

mon

itor

ing,

mod

elin

g, a

ndre

sear

ch n

eeds

.

9.2—

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

tlo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

anag

emen

tst

rate

gy.

9.3-

9.4—

Mon

itor

CCM

Pob

ject

ives

.

TABLE 9-1. Linkages between the Environmental Action Plans (Chapters 5 and 6)and the Monitoring Program Plan.

Chapter 9

MAY 2002 173

TABLE 9-1. (continued)W

ater

Qua

lity

/Wat

erSu

pply

& H

abit

at a

ndLi

ving

Res

ourc

es A

ctio

nPl

ans:

Act

ion

Item

s

Mon

itor

ing

Nee

ds o

f Ac

tion

Ite

ms

Corr

espo

ndin

g M

onit

orin

gPr

ogra

m P

lan

Acti

ons

Desc

ript

ion

of L

inka

ge

1)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

info

rmat

ion

on d

evel

opm

ents

, ho

useh

olds

, fa

rms,

gol

f co

urse

s, a

nd

mun

icip

alit

ies

part

icip

atin

g in

A

ctio

n pr

ogra

ms.

2)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

Cana

da G

eese

nuis

ance

com

plai

nts.

3)GI

S da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

the

amou

nt o

f ba

rren

lan

d an

d fo

rest

cov

er.

4)GI

S da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

popu

lati

ons

of r

are,

th

reat

ened

, an

d en

dang

ered

w

ildlif

e.

5)Sh

ort-

term

sam

plin

g to

id

enti

fy s

ourc

es o

f pe

stic

ide/

fert

ilize

r re

sidu

es.

6)In

form

atio

n tr

acki

ng a

nd

diss

emin

atio

n.

BBEP

will

con

duct

im

plem

enta

tion

mon

itor

ing

to t

rack

Act

ion

Item

im

plem

enta

tion

(A

ctio

n9.

4),

effe

ctiv

enes

s m

onit

orin

g to

tra

ckre

sour

ce v

alue

s an

d co

ncer

ns (

Act

ion

9.3)

,an

d di

ssem

inat

e in

form

atio

n.

Wor

ksho

ps w

ill r

efin

e sc

ope

of t

he A

ctio

nIt

ems

and

iden

tify

spe

cifi

c da

ta e

lem

ents

need

ed t

o sa

tisf

y m

onit

orin

g ne

eds.

BBEP

will

see

k co

mm

itm

ents

fro

mM

anag

emen

t Co

nfer

ence

mem

bers

to

cond

uct

sam

plin

g.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f th

e lo

ng-t

erm

dat

am

anag

emen

t st

rate

gy w

ill f

acili

tate

the

eval

uati

on o

f da

ta g

ener

ated

thr

ough

the

Act

ion

Item

s so

tha

t th

eir

effe

ctiv

enes

s as

sour

ce-c

ontr

ol s

trat

egie

s ca

n be

ass

esse

d.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

5-5.

13,

6.1-

6.6,

6.8

-6.1

09.

1—Co

nduc

t w

orks

hops

on

mon

itor

ing,

mod

elin

g, a

ndre

sear

ch n

eeds

.

9.2—

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

tlo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

anag

emen

tst

rate

gy.

9.3-

9.4—

Mon

itor

CCM

Pob

ject

ives

.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

14,

5.15

No n

ew m

onit

orin

g ne

eds

othe

rth

an i

mpl

emen

tati

on m

onit

orin

gan

d in

form

atio

ntr

acki

ng/d

isse

min

atio

n.M

onit

orin

g of

poi

nt s

ourc

es i

sco

ordi

nate

d un

der

exis

ting

regu

lato

ry p

rogr

ams.

N/A

N/A



TABLE 9-1. (continued)

Wat

er Q

uali

ty/W

ater

Supp

ly &

Hab

itat

and

Livi

ng R

esou

rces

Act

ion

Plan

s: A

ctio

n It

ems

Mon

itor

ing

Nee

ds o

f Ac

tion

Ite

ms

Corr

espo

ndin

g M

onit

orin

gPr

ogra

m P

lan

Acti

ons

Desc

ript

ion

of L

inka

ge

1)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

the

num

ber

of s

ewag

e pu

mpo

ut f

acili

ties

in

stal

led,

dis

trib

utio

n of

pr

omot

iona

l m

ater

ials

, an

d re

sult

s of

usa

ge s

urve

ys.

2)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

info

rmat

ion

on m

arin

as a

nd o

ther

boa

ting

fa

cilit

ies

part

icip

atin

g in

"C

lean

Mar

inas

" pr

ogra

m.

3)In

form

atio

n tr

acki

ng a

nd

diss

emin

atio

n.

Wor

ksho

ps w

ill r

efin

e sc

ope

of t

he A

ctio

nIt

ems

and

iden

tify

spe

cifi

c da

ta e

lem

ents

need

ed t

o sa

tisf

y m

onit

orin

g ne

eds.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f th

e lo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

an-

agem

ent

stra

tegy

will

fac

ilita

te t

he e

valu

atio

nof

dat

a ge

nera

ted

thro

ugh

the

Act

ion

Item

s so

that

the

ir e

ffec

tive

ness

as

sour

ce-c

ontr

olst

rate

gies

can

be

asse

ssed

.

BBEP

will

con

duct

im

plem

enta

tion

mon

itor

ing

to t

rack

Act

ion

Item

im

plem

enta

tion

and

dis

-se

min

ate

info

rmat

ion.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

16-5

.19

9.1—

Cond

uct

wor

ksho

ps o

nm

onit

orin

g, m

odel

ing,

and

rese

arch

nee

ds.

9.2—

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

tlo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

anag

emen

tst

rate

gy.

9.5—

Mon

itor

CCM

P ob

jec-

tive

s.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

20-5

.24,

6.7

9.1—

Cond

uct

wor

ksho

ps o

nm

onit

orin

g, m

odel

ing,

and

rese

arch

nee

ds.

Wor

ksho

ps w

ill r

efin

e sc

ope

of t

he A

ctio

nIt

ems

and

iden

tify

spe

cifi

c da

ta e

lem

ents

need

ed t

o sa

tisf

y m

onit

orin

g ne

eds.

9.4—

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

tlo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

anag

emen

tst

rate

gy.

9.4—

Mon

itor

ing

CCM

P ob

ject

ives

.

BBEP

will

see

k co

mm

itm

ents

fro

mM

anag

emen

t Co

nfer

ence

mem

bers

to

impl

e-m

ent

expa

nsio

n of

mon

itor

ing

netw

ork.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f th

e lo

ng-t

erm

dat

a m

an-

agem

ent

stra

tegy

will

fac

ilita

te t

he e

valu

atio

nof

dat

a ge

nera

ted

thro

ugh

the

Act

ion

Item

s so

that

the

ir e

ffec

tive

ness

in

mee

ting

goa

ls c

anbe

ass

esse

d.

BBEP

will

con

duct

im

plem

enta

tion

mon

itor

ing

to t

rack

Act

ion

Item

im

plem

enta

tion

and

dis

-se

min

ate

info

rmat

ion.

1)Ex

pand

exi

stin

g st

ream

-ga

ugin

g an

d sa

ltw

ater

m

onit

orin

g ne

twor

ks.

2)Da

taba

se t

o tr

ack

info

rmat

ion

on u

sers

of

wea

ther

sta

tion

da

ta,

stat

us o

f w

aste

wat

er

reus

e de

mon

stra

tion

pro

ject

.

3)Da

ta c

olle

ctio

n th

roug

h sh

ellf

ish

reso

urce

sur

vey.

4)In

form

atio

n tr

acki

ng a

nd

diss

emin

atio

n.

Chapter 9

MAY 2002 175

Wat

er Q

uali

ty/W

ater

Supp

ly &

Hab

itat

and

Livi

ng R

esou

rces

Act

ion

Plan

s: A

ctio

n It

ems

Mon

itor

ing

Nee

ds o

f Ac

tion

Ite

ms

Corr

espo

ndin

g M

onit

orin

gPr

ogra

m P

lan

Acti

ons

Desc

ript

ion

of L

inka

ge

1)Da

ta c

olle

ctio

n re

quir

ed f

or

com

plet

ion

of t

he N

atur

al

Reso

urce

Inv

ento

ry (

NRI)

.

2)Sa

nita

ry S

urve

y an

d In

tens

ive

(lan

d-ba

sed)

Sur

vey

to s

uppo

rt

NJDE

P Sh

ellf

ish

Wat

ers

and

Bath

ing

Beac

hes

prot

ecti

on

stra

tegi

es.

3)In

form

atio

n tr

acki

ng a

nd

diss

emin

atio

n.

Wor

ksho

ps w

ill r

efin

e sc

ope

of t

he A

ctio

nIt

ems

and

iden

tify

spe

cifi

c da

ta e

lem

ents

need

ed t

o sa

tisf

y m

onit

orin

g ne

eds.

BBEP

will

see

k co

mm

itm

ents

fro

mM

anag

emen

t Co

nfer

ence

mem

bers

to

impl

emen

t NR

I, S

anit

ary

Surv

ey,

and

Inte

nsiv

e(l

and-

base

d) S

urve

y.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f th

e lo

ng-t

erm

dat

am

anag

emen

t st

rate

gy w

ill f

acili

tate

the

eval

uati

on o

f da

ta g

ener

ated

thr

ough

the

Act

ion

Item

s so

tha

t th

eir

effe

ctiv

enes

s in

prov

idin

g ba

selin

e in

form

atio

n re

quir

ed f

orot

her

Act

ion

Item

s ca

n be

ass

esse

d.

Act

ion

Item

s 5.

2, 5

.25

9.2—

Cond

uct

wor

ksho

ps o

nm

onit

orin

g, m

odel

ing,

and

rese

arch

nee

ds.

9.4—

Deve

lop

and

Impl

emen

tLo

ng-T

erm

Dat

a M

anag

emen

tSt

rate

gy.

9.5—

Mon

itor

CCM

Pob

ject

ives

.BB

EP w

ill c

ondu

ct i

mpl

emen

tati

on m

onit

orin

gto

tra

ck A

ctio

n It

em i

mpl

emen

tati

on a

nddi

ssem

inat

e in

form

atio

n.

TABLE 9-1. (continued)


9.2 EXISTING MONITORINGPROGRAMS IN THE BARNEGAT BAYWATERSHED

9.2.1 WATERSHED-BASED MONITORING PROGRAMS

A number of ongoing monitoring programs have facili-tated the development of the CCMP, and will continueto be useful during CCMP implementation. These mon-itoring activities also serve as the basis for the devel-opment of the Monitoring Program Plan. Summaries ofthese existing monitoring programs are presentedbelow.

NATIONAL SHELLFISH SANITATIONPROGRAM (NSSP)

This program was established by the U.S. SurgeonGeneral in 1929 and is active in all coastal statesinvolved in interstate shellfish harvest and sale. Itspurpose is to regulate the harvest and sale of shellfishto safeguard the public health from the consumptionof contaminated shellfish. The elements of this pro-gram that address nonpoint source (NPS) pollutionconcerns are the shellfish growing water classificationrequirements, which require shellfish producing statesto classify their coastal waters according to their suit-ability for safe shellfish harvest. Classifications arebased on three types of assessments: pollution sourcesurveys, water quality monitoring, and hydrologic sur-veys. Barnegat Bay and its tributaries are divided intosix Shellfish Growing Areas for monitoring of total col-iform and fecal coliform bacteria. Sampling occurs atseveral hundred monitoring stations at least six timesper year. This monitoring is conducted at a cost of$154,000 per year.

FUNDING AGENCY: State appropriations.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Total coliforms, fecalcoliform, (temperature and salinity sampled in a sub-set of these stations).

STATIONS: 2500 stations statewide; Barnegat Bay isdivided into 6 Shellfish Growing Areas.

FREQUENCY: Sampled between 5 and 12 times peryear.

SAMPLE COLLECTION: Per methods described in theNew Jersey Field Sampling Procedures Manual - 1992,as amended and supplemented.

DATA MANAGEMENT: MS Access, STORET (2001 orlater), data prior to 1996-Legacy STORET.

ESTUARINE MONITORING PROGRAM

The NSSP is designed to monitor water quality for pub-lic health reasons. In the early 1980s, the “green tide”problems along the New Jersey coast highlighted the needto monitor parameters besides coliform bacteria thatwould provide information on the ecological health of thecoastal waters as well. In response to this need, in 1989the NJDEP Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring started theEstuarine Monitoring Program. It monitors parameterssuch as oxygen, salinity, nitrogen, phosphorus, secchidepth (turbidity), temperature, chlorophyll, and suspend-ed solids. Samples are collected quarterly. There areapproximately 200 estuarine monitoring stations in theBarnegat Bay watershed.

The monitoring data from this program are used toidentify nitrate-impacted waters. Areas such as theupper end of Barnegat Bay show elevated nitrate levelsrelative to other estuarine waters of New Jersey. Theapparent cause is NPS pollution.


MONITORING PARAMETERS: Oxygen, salinity, nitro-gen, phosphorus, turbidity (Secchi depth), tempera-ture, chlorophyll, suspended solids.

STATIONS: 260 stations statewide; ~ 40 stations inBarnegat Bay.

FREQUENCY: Quarterly.


DATA MANAGEMENT: MS Access, STORET (2001 orlater).


Chapter 9

MAY 2002 177

TOMS RIVER NONPOINT SOURCE STUDY

The Toms River Nonpoint Source Study is a cooperativeeffort between the NJDEP and the USGS with Section319h funding from the USEPA. Its purpose is to estab-lish the pollutant loads associated with land use. Foursites have been selected in sub-tributaries of the TomsRiver, each of which has a different predominant landuse (commercial/high-density residential; moderate-density residential; undeveloped land; and mixed landuse). This study is budgeted at $75,000 per year.

Baseline conditions were characterized when the datawere collected in 1994, the first year of the study.Nitrate and organic nitrogen were the predominantnitrogen species at the most highly developed site.Loads of nitrate and ammonia were greatest duringstorms (3 lbs. nitrate nitrogen per day per square mileand ammonia nitrogen per day per square mile) at thislocation. At the site with moderate development,nitrate was the predominant nitrogen species. This wasespecially true during base flow when loads ranged from2.5 to 7 lbs. nitrate nitrogen per day per square mile.Organic nitrogen was the predominant nitrogen species atthe site where there was little development. Fecal coliformloads were greatest at the highly developed and moder-ately developed land-use sites. Median values for fecalcoliform loads ranged from 37 x 1012 to 63 x 1012 fecalcoliforms per square mile.

A synoptic study was completed recently to characterizethe geographic variability of water quality throughout thewatershed. The participating agencies will build on thisprogram to improve their understanding of NPS pollution.As originally planned, additional replicates of the land usefactors (high-density commercial/residential, moderate-density residential, and undeveloped) are to be estab-lished, possibly in the adjacent Metedeconk River water-shed and on the barrier island.

The next phase of the study will be to begin best man-agement plan implementation in cooperation with localgovernments. Monitoring by the NJDEP throughout thebest management plan (BMP) implementation phase willtake place over the next few years to measure the effec-tiveness of those BMPs installed.

FUNDING AGENCY: State Corporate Business Tax(CBT) and state appropriations.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Temperature, dissolvedoxygen, pH, specific conductants, ammonia, suspendedsolids, nitrate/nitrite, total nitrogen, total phospho-rus, orthophosphate, turbidity, E-coli.

STATIONS: Four stations along tributaries of the TomsRiver.

FREQUENCY: Sampling occurs during storm events.


DATA MANAGEMENT: MS Access and submitted toUSGS (not WATSTORE).

COOPERATIVE COASTAL MONITORING NETWORK

This network is operated to monitor the safety of NewJersey’s coastal waters for bathing. Stations are locat-ed immediately adjacent to the shores where bathingoccurs, and due to the purpose of the program, sam-pling is limited to the summer months. The OCHD isresponsible for sample collection and the Ocean CountyUtilities Authority (OCUA) is responsible for sampleanalysis. Results are reported to the NJDEP and theNew Jersey Department of Health. Samples are ana-lyzed for fecal coliform and enterococcus bacteria.Other conditions noted at these locations include float-ables and the presence of algae.

This network identifies areas with water quality con-cerns, initiating pollution source investigations thatresult in corrections to sewage and stormwater collec-tion systems, such as those addressed in the SewageInfrastructure Improvement Act.

FUNDING AGENCY: Coastal Protection Trust Fund.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Fecal coliform and ente-rococcus.


STATIONS: 328 stations statewide; 184 ocean stationsand 144 bay stations.

FREQUENCY: Sampled once per week from mid-May tomid-September (resamples taken daily until bacterialevels are within standards); samples also collectedafter storm events.

SAMPLE COLLECTION: Per methods described in theNew Jersey Field Sampling Procedures Manual - May1992 as amended and supplemented, and Chapter 9 ofthe State Sanitary Code for dip method.

DATA MANAGEMENT: MS Excel, STORET (2001 orlater).

AMBIENT SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORKThis network was established with seven specific objec-tives on a statewide basis. Those objectives most rele-vant to the BBNEP are to determine status and trendsof ambient surface waters, to work synergistically withthe NJDEP Ambient Biomonitoring Network and atmos-pheric, groundwater, and coastal water-quality net-works, and to measure non-point source contributionsfrom major land-use areas, atmospheric deposition,and groundwater. There are five stations in theBarnegat Bay watershed, with a sampling frequency offour times per year. A wide variety of conventionalparameters, such as field characteristics, nutrients,major ions, biochemical oxygen demand, organic pesti-cides, trace elements, VOCs and bed sediment contam-inants, are monitored in this program. Metals, pesti-cides/VOCs and sediments are monitored on a reducedsampling frequency.

Network data are available from the following sources:the USGS computerized data system, WATSTORE;USEPA’s computerized data system, STORET; and USGS’sannual Water Resources Data - New Jersey reports. Amajor objective of this network is to coordinate waterchemistry and biological databases. Completing thattask supports priority initiatives, such as the NationalEnvironmental Performance Partnership System(NEPPS), in which biological databases are of increas-

ing importance. The increased monitoring at referenceor background stations will support water quality stan-dards development, a central component to waterresources management, which is also covered by theNEPPS Agreement. Monitoring costs amount to$45,000 per year.

FUNDING AGENCY: S106 Grant.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Metals, pesticides/VOCs,sediments, chlorophyll, bacteria (during primary con-tact season).

STATIONS: 115 stations statewide; 4 stations inBarnegat Bay watershed.

FREQUENCY: Four times per year.


DATA MANAGEMENT: WATSTORE, STORET, WaterResources Data-New Jersey reports.

AMBIENT GROUNDWATER QUALITYMONITORING NETWORKThe Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Networkis a cooperative program under the direction of theNJDEP and the USGS. The objective is to characterizegroundwater quality. In the Barnegat Bay watershed,approximately eight stations are sampled once everyfive years during the month of August. Samples fromthe wells are analyzed for physical characteristics,major ions, nutrients, trace elements, organic con-stituents, and gross alpha and beta radioactivity. TheBarnegat Bay watershed area was last sampled in thewater year 2000.

Since the NJDEP initiated its watershed approach to waterresources management, this monitoring network hasfocused its activities in watershed management areasunder intensive review by the NJDEP. Meeting the ground-water subgoals/objectives of the NEPPS agreementrequires data on groundwater concentrations of nitrates,metals, and VOCs, which are available from this program’sdatabase. Network data are available from the following


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sources: the USGS computerized data system, WATSTORE;USEPA’s computerized data system, STORET; and USGS’sannual Water Resources Data - New Jersey reports.

FUNDING AGENCY: S106 Grant.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Dissolved nutrients, dis-solved elements (including metals), VOCs.

STATIONS: 150 stations statewide; 8 stations in theBarnegat Bay watershed area.

FREQUENCY: Annually on a statewide basis, eachwatershed area is sampled once every five years(Barnegat Bay watershed last sampled in August 2000).

Sample Collection: Per methods described in the NewJersey Field Sampling Procedures Manual - 1992, asamended and supplemented.

DATA MANAGEMENT: WATSTORE, STORET, WaterResources Data-New Jersey reports.

AMBIENT BIOMONITORING NETWORK

The NJDEP’s Bureau of Freshwater and BiologicalMonitoring’s Ambient Biomonitoring Network (AMNET)consists of sampling sites in the Barnegat Bay water-shed. The program established sampling stations inevery sub-watershed, where the health of in-streambenthic macroinvertebrate communities are evaluatedusing a USEPA-developed statistical methodologyreferred to as a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP).Under the program, drainage basins are sampled forbenthic macroinvertebrates on a rotational scheduleonce every five years. The results of the program havebeen incorporated into the NEPPS as a primary envi-ronmental indicator of water quality impairment.AMNET reports of results are published annually by theBureau. This program is budgeted at $3,600 for a two-year period.

FUNDING AGENCY: S106 grant.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Benthic macro inverte-brates.

STATIONS: Over 800 stations statewide.

FREQUENCY: Once every five years.


DATA MANAGEMENT: STORET, GIS.

ECOREGION REFERENCE STATION PROGRAM

The Ecoregion Reference Station Program (ERS) is usedto support surface water quality and biological moni-toring network activities of the Bureau of Freshwaterand Biological Monitoring by providing a network ofbiologically nonimpaired reference stations. There areseven stations in the Barnegat Bay watershed.Originally introduced by the USEPA in the 1980s, theEcological (Eco) Region concept operates under thepremise that water bodies reflect the character of theland they drain, and that where sites are physicallycomparable, chemical and biological conditions shouldalso be comparable. As such, reference sites within agiven ecoregion can serve as benchmarks, or yard-sticks, for all other stations within the same ecoregion.The reference stations are, therefore, powerful tools inassessing the results from both biological and chemicalmonitoring stations in the other networks conductedby the Bureau. Programs such as the 305(b) WatershedInitiative, and NEPPS are all supported by this net-work. Reference site selection is based upon a numberof factors, including, but not limited to: good waterquality, presence of pollution-intolerant benthicmacroinvertebrate species, stable stream banks andchannels, the absence of excessive suspended solids/siltation, and the absence of upstream point and non-point sources of pollution.


MONITORING PARAMETERS: Water quality, stablestream banks and channels, absence of excessive sus-pended solids/siltation, absence of upstream point andnonpoint sources of pollution, presence of pollution(intolerant benthic microorganisms).

STATIONS: 73 biological reference stations since 1989;7 stations in Barnegat Bay watershed.


FREQUENCY: Not applicable.


DATA MANAGEMENT: STORET, GIS.

COASTAL PHYTOPLANKTON MONITORING

Every summer, from May to September, the Bureau ofFreshwater and Biological Monitoring, in collaborationwith the USEPA Region II, monitors phytoplanktonpopulations in the waters along the 120 miles of NewJersey coastline and in major estuaries, including sixstations in the Barnegat Bay watershed. Large-scaleblooms of these organisms can produce unsightly andunhealthy water quality, conditions often referred toas red, green, or brown tides depending on the domi-nant varieties. When these algae die off, their decayuses significant amounts of dissolved oxygen in thewater, sometimes reducing the bottom oxygen levelsbelow the minimum necessary to sustain larger organ-isms, such as fish and shellfish. Some of the speciesthat create algal blooms are known to have potential-ly harmful effects on humans, either through directcontact, or through ingestion of shellfish that havebecome contaminated with the microorganisms.Fortunately, New Jersey’s harmful algal blooms havenot been of the acutely toxic varieties.

The Bureau maintains a network of phytoplanktonmonitoring stations, sampled biweekly or as needed, inaccord with the USEPA helicopter monitoring scheme.The monitoring results are used both to indicatepotential blooms, and if they do occur, to provide anestimation of the extent and human health threat ofthe bloom. The historical data also contribute to ourunderstanding of those species that chronically bloom,and the areas in which they bloom. This monitoringprogram incurs an expenditure of $74,000 per year.


MONITORING PARAMETERS: Phytoplankton abun-dance (harmful algae species only).

STATIONS: 22 stations statewide; 6 stations inBarnegat Bay watershed.

FREQUENCY: Once every two weeks from the end ofMay to September.


DATA MANAGEMENT: MS Access.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ANDASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP)

This is a nationwide program administered by theUSEPA to assess the health of the country’s estuaries.Measurements include basic water chemistry, inorganicand organic toxicants, sediment texture, and biodiver-sity. There are several EMAP sampling locations in theBarnegat Bay region. Sampling locations are not fixed,but instead vary from year to year to accommodate thestochastic sampling design. As of 2001, USEPA RegionII is implementing a two-year R-EMAP, or RegionalEMAP, study focused specifically on Barnegat Bay. ThisR-EMAP study will attempt to characterize the ambientconditions of Barnegat Bay using the same parametersas those used in the EMAP protocol.

COASTAL 2000 MONITORING

The Coastal 2000 project is an attempt to assess thecondition of the Nation’s estuarine waters through arigorous and statistically valid sampling design. TheUSEPA is partnering with 24 coastal states, includingNew Jersey, to examine core indicators of coastalecosystem health: fish and benthic community struc-ture, sediment and water quality, sediment toxicity,concentrations of contaminants in fish and shellfish,and fish pathology. The New Jersey Marine SciencesConsortium (NJMSC) has been designated as NewJersey’s participating agency in this multi-million dol-lar national coastal assessment project.

In cooperation with the NJDEP, Division of Fish andWildlife, NJMSC scientists will assess the condition ofall of New Jersey’s coastal waters, including BarnegatBay and its tributaries. Collecting the data on the coreindicators will provide a valuable picture of the condi-


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tion of coastal waters in Barnegat Bay and will provideadditional tools to use in ecosystem condition moni-toring work, which is aimed at managing and preserv-ing the resources of Barnegat Bay and its watershed.

FUNDING AGENCY: EPA funds.

MONITORING PARAMETERS: Basic water quality(oxygen, salinity, etc.), sediment toxins (inorganic andorganic), fish tissue analysis, fish pathology, speciesdiversity (benthic organisms, fish), sediment texture.

STATIONS: 50 stations statewide; ~12 stations inBarnegat Bay (including Little Egg Harbor and exclud-ing Great Bay).

FREQUENCY: First samples taken in August 2000 witha follow-up regimen in the summer of 2001.


DATA MANAGEMENT: STORET.

NJDEP LAND USE MAPPING PROGRAM

This program was established by the NJDEP to map landuse statewide. The state defines land use as howhumans are using the land, including residential land,industrial land, commercial and service use, etc. TheNJDEP has either contracted out or partnered with theUSGS to have color-infrared aerial photography takenin statewide coverage on an approximately five to ten-year time cycle. This aerial photography has been fur-ther processed to produce digital ortho-photography.Based on this aerial photographic data, the NJDEP hascontracted out the detailed mapping of land use.

The first land use mapping for the Barnegat Bay water-shed is for 1986. This data set has been recentlyupdated with 1995 photography. In addition to map-ping land use type, the 1995 data include estimates ofimpervious surface cover. These two land use maps are

available in digital GIS form from the NJDEP on CD-ROMor directly downloadable through the Internet. TheNJDEP has plans to update this data set in 2002-2003.The data set has several applications, including identi-fication of trends in land use and impervious surfacecover and identification of watersheds that have thehighest potential for NPS pollution inputs to BarnegatBay.

CRSSA LAND COVER MAPPING PROGRAM

The Rutgers University Center for Remote Sensing &Spatial Analysis (CRSSA) has an ongoing land covermapping and monitoring program for the Barnegat Baywatershed and adjacent Jacques Cousteau NationalEstuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR). Land cover rep-resents the biophysical material or features coveringthe land surface and includes such categories as highintensity development, grassland, and forestland.Greater detail as to the vegetation community or habi-tat type is also mapped (for example, pitch pine low-land).

Based on satellite imagery, CRSSA has mapped landcover at varying levels of detail for the Barnegat Baywatershed for the years of 1972, 1984 and 1995. CRSSAhas plans to update the land cover for the BarnegatBay watershed in 2001-2002. This data set has sever-al applications, including: identification of trends inland use and impervious surface cover; identification ofwatersheds that have the highest potential for NPSpollution inputs to Barnegat Bay, and monitoring ofhabitat loss, alteration and fragmentation.


9.2.2 OTHER MONITORINGPROGRAMS

The following monitoring programs will also provideadditional data and/or information for measuring theeffectiveness of the action items and for evaluatinghow well the objectives portrayed in each Chapter ofthe CCMP are being achieved.

STREAMFLOW MONITORING PROGRAM

As part of its statewide network, the USGS operates anumber of sites in the Barnegat Bay watershed wherestreamflows are measured. These sites include threestreamflow-gauging stations and two low-flow partial-record stations. At each of these sites, measurementsare made at different intervals and for different pur-poses. In addition, historical streamflow data areavailable for three discontinued streamflow-gaugingstations and a number of other miscellaneous sites inthe watershed.

At streamflow-gauging stations, streamflow is mea-sured continuously (every 15 minutes). Data for oneof these sites is transmitted via satellite and is avail-able in real time on the Internet.

Low-flow stations are established to periodically mea-sure flow during conditions that are presumed to rep-resent baseflow.

TIDE MONITORING PROGRAM

As part of its statewide coastal network, the USGSoperates a number of sites where tides are measured inthe Barnegat Bay watershed. These sites include fourtidal crest-stage stations and four tide-gauging sta-tions. At tide-gauging stations, the height of tides ismeasured on a continuous basis. Tidal crest-stagegauges are located in stream reaches that are affectedby the tides and are established to measure the high-est stage occurring between site visits.

The tide gauges are linked to the New Jersey TideTelemetry System operated by the USGS, which con-

sists of tide gauges, tidal-crest-stage gauges, weathersensors, and computer base stations. The system wasestablished to help minimize the extensive damagethat can result from flooding in New Jersey's coastalregions and back bays. Also, as the populations of thecoastal regions increase, large storms threaten devel-oped areas and timely evacuation of residents is cru-cial. The telemetry system (electronic equipment thattransmits measurements to a base station) that is con-nected to these gauges transmits measurements of tidelevels, air and water temperature, rainfall, wind speedand direction, and barometric pressure directly to theNational Weather Service, New Jersey State Police, NewJersey Department of Transportation, and countyemergency management agencies. Tide levels are avail-able in real time on the Internet.

GROUNDWATER LEVEL MONITORING

The USGS maintains a network of observation wells inNew Jersey for the purpose of monitoring groundwaterlevels throughout the state. Twenty of these wells arelocated within the Barnegat Bay watershed. Changes inwater levels reflect the general response of the ground-water system to natural climate changes, changes inrecharge patterns, and groundwater withdrawals.Automatic water-level recorders are used on 8 of these20 wells to obtain the continuous, long-term recordthat is needed to evaluate the effects of climatechanges on the groundwater system, to develop a database that can be used to measure the effects of devel-opment, to facilitate the prediction of future ground-water supplies, and to provide data for groundwater-resource management. Water-level extremes recordersare used on five of the wells to determine the highestand lowest water levels occurring between site visits.Periodic manual measurements are made at seven otherwells in the watershed.

NEW JERSEY COASTAL PLAIN SYNOPTIC AND CHLORIDE NETWORK

In addition to monitoring short-term water levelchanges in these wells, the USGS has also documented


the spatial distribution of water levels in the confinedaquifers of the New Jersey Coastal Plain on a regularbasis since 1978. Every five years USGS personnelmeasure water levels in approximately 1,000 wellsthroughout the Coastal Plain over a four- to five-monthperiod in late fall to assess the status of the water sup-ply. Typically about 100 of these wells are locatedwithin the Barnegat Bay watershed. The USGS alsoobtains chloride concentrations from monitoring wellsas well as public supply wells to use in mapping andmonitoring the aquifer for status of and changes in thechloride concentration. Typically the contours of the250 mg/l and half seawater concentrations are mappedand documented in the report as well as concentrationchanges over time at specific wells. Results of thesestudies have been used by the NJDEP to develop with-drawal regulations and to establish Water-SupplyCritical Areas.

TMDL AND EXISTING WATER QUALITYMONITORING NETWORK

The existing USEPA regulations for administering theTotal Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) provisions of the CleanWater Act require the state to develop "pollution budgets"or TMDLs for all waters impaired by nonpoint and pointsources of pollution. Pollution reductions called for by aTMDL budget are designed to meet certain safe levels ofpollutants that allow beneficial uses such as swimming orfishing as established in existing water quality standards.In the Barnegat Bay watershed the time line for the devel-opment of TMDLs is to establish these by June 30, 2006.

The water quality monitoring network will be used to sup-plement the TMDL program. This statewide network willmonitor water quality at selected sites for each sub-basin(HUC-11 Areas) within a watershed. There are 15 suchHUC-11 areas in the Barnegat Bay watershed. Quarterlysampling will be performed over a two-year period begin-ning in October 2002 and will run through September2004. All freshwater and estuarine sites in the watershedwill be sampled for specific conductance, pH, tempera-ture, D.O., ammonia and TSS. Freshwater sites will also bemonitored for flow and test for sulfate, chloride, TDS, totalphosphorus, nitrite and nitrate and total kjeldahl nitro-gen. The data will supplement the NJDEP/USGS stream

monitoring network data from approximately 100 sites statewide and aid in determining the parameters fordeveloping TMDLs.

TMDLs for the 15 HUC-11 areas within the BarnegatBay watershed will be developed through collaborativeefforts using staff from the NJDEP and in conjunctionwith the watershed planning process, which willinclude input from existing Public AdvisoryCommittees and Technical Advisory Committees.

COLONIAL NESTING WATERBIRDMONITORING

Barnegat Bay supports large and diverse breedingcolonies of birds. Twenty species of colonial waterbirdsnest within Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuarinehabitats, including ten species of long-legged wadingbirds, six species of terns, three species of gulls, andblack skimmers. These avifauna are valuable bioindi-cators of environmental quality, notably the concen-trations of chemical contaminants, levels of human dis-turbance, resource abundance, and habitat health inthe system. They feed near the top of the food chainon numerous species of fish and invertebrates.

The New Jersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection, Division of Fish and Wildlife has monitorednesting populations of colonial waterbirds through acombination of ground and aerial surveys for the pasttwo decades. In addition, Dr. Joanna Burger of RutgersUniversity has conducted comprehensive investiga-tions of colonial waterbird abundance over the sameperiod of time. Regular censussing of shorebirds andseabirds has revealed important long-term changes inpopulation abundance, as well as recent changes asso-ciated with the degradation of critical habitat areas.Declines in population abundance of some species dur-ing the past two decades have been attributed to theloss of habitat, increased human disturbance, and pre-dation effects (e.g., from herring gulls and red foxes).In addition, the NJDEP regularly monitors other birdpopulations such as the osprey and the beach-nestingpiping plover.

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9.3 DEVELOPMENT OF THEMONITORING PROGRAM PLAN

The Monitoring Plan for the BBNEP will establish aframework to achieve the following objectives:

• Assess the current environmental health and future trends within the Barnegat Bay estuary andwatershed project area;

• Assess the effectiveness of CCMP implementation; and

• Allow for re-evaluation of the program’s priorities and actions (discussed further in Chapter 12, Implementation).

The Monitoring Plan includes actions to support thesemonitoring objectives and will determine appropriateenvironmental indicators and quantitative measures ofeffectiveness to accurately paint a picture of overallimplementation progress. A final monitoring plan willbe completed on the basis of monitoring workshops,which are described as an Action Item in this chapter.This and the other Action Items that follow form theunderpinnings of a monitoring program in support ofthe BBNEP’s CCMP.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ACTION: Section 9.2 summarizesongoing monitoring, modeling and research efforts andneeds in New Jersey. These ongoing activities willassist in early implementation of the EnvironmentalMonitoring Plan (EMP). The EMP will target a compre-hensive set of environmental measurements (indica-tors), which the BBNEP would use to evaluate the suc-cess of CCMP action implementation:

• Identify any new areas of concern;

• Determine whether implementation has resulted inactual environmental improvements; and

• Provide information to help redirect and refocus the CCMP during implementation.

STATUS: Partial Commitment.

WHO: BBNEP STAC (Lead), NJDEP, USEPA, OCPD.

HOW: The first step in developing a monitoring pro-gram is to conduct a needs assessment with the end-users. The BBNEP, working through the STAC, will holdmonitoring workshops involving appropriate scientistsand managers to formulate a monitoring, modeling andresearch plan (i.e., the EMP) to address identifiedneeds. At the first workshop, agencies that haveresponsibility for various environmental monitoringprograms in the Barnegat Bay area will share informa-tion on their programs, as well as continuing unmetmonitoring needs.

Following this first workshop and completion of aneeds assessment, another workshop will be held toidentify monitoring efforts and evaluate whether theycan be part of an integrated monitoring programdesigned to meet the needs of the BBNEP. Discretesampling and subsequent chemical analysis in the lab-oratory are the traditional mainstays of monitoringnatural waters. However, a wide variety of monitoringefforts exist for Barnegat Bay that are conducted bymyriad federal, state, and local agencies and institu-tions. These entities use different protocols, monitorfor different parameters, and analyze and store theirdata using different methods and media. Thus, one ofthe objectives in capitalizing on existing monitoringefforts is to seek agreement on uniform procedures fordata collection, analysis, and storage. Finally samplingdesign, technology and data management require-ments must be developed to meet the needs of the usercommunities. Consequently, the monitoring programmust be integrated with the Data Management Planoutlined in Chapter 10.

WHEN: Work on this action is underway and will becompleted in spring 2002.

COST ESTIMATE: Approximately $50,000 for the ini-tial series of workshops.

FUNDING SOURCES: NEP funding, others to be devel-oped.


ACTION 9.1

Prepare for and conduct workshops on monitoring,modeling, and research needs.

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In addition, the NJDEP has committed to expandingthe existing water quality monitoring system toinclude monitoring stations within each area sub-watershed and to enhance the monitoring to includeadditional biological and chemical parameters.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ACTION: Data management is animportant component of a monitoring strategy andplan. The BBNEP will hire a Data ManagementCoordinator. The BBNEP is seeking commitments fromagencies and institutions to help implement the EMP,including data management and hiring of theCoordinator.

A central authority is needed to take charge of datamanagement and oversee input, storage and updatingof data from various sources. (See Chapter 10 of theCCMP for details about the Data Management Goals.)This action is intended to identify the entity that willarchive key data sets in a manner to facilitate futureuse.

The data management system should provide:

• Rigorous documentation of data set contents and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures. Standardized sampling, analytical methods, and QA/QC protocols should be adopted to ensure that monitoring information collected bythe various partners in this effort are of high quality and are directly comparable.

• Easy downloading of data.

A Data Management Coordinator is needed to completedata entry, prepare a report documenting the data setsentered, including a description of the data sets, coststo enter the data sets, and an evaluation of additionaldata sets to be considered for entry in the chosen sys-tem, including costs.

STATUS: Recommendation.

WHO: BBNEP STAC (Lead), NJDEP, USEPA, OCPD.

HOW: The STAC will hold a data management work-shop to evaluate data management options that theBBNEP can use to implement a long-term data manage-ment strategy. One key part of the data managementoptions evaluation will be a conceptual model of long-term data management, describing how various optionsrelate and how they could be implemented in a step-wise fashion (See Chapter 10).

The BBNEP has begun to identify the long-term datamanagement needs. These include:

• Support reporting on the program of CCMP implementation.

• Provide for storage, retrieval, editing, and QA/QC ofrelevant environmental data, including physical, chemical, and biological data.

• Provide access to all data to the USEPA, NJDEP, other agencies and investigators.

• Provide appropriate tools to users, including a dataentry package, statistical package, GIS interface, and STORET (USEPA’s data system) interface.

• Provide a full description of data sets, including QA/QC information.

• Provide collections of relevant reference materials at accessible locations (i.e., existing libraries and other locations to be identified).

• Conduct all activities at low cost and with adequate degree of user friendliness.

WHEN: Work on this action will commence upon finalapproval of the CCMP, or upon commitment by a spon-soring entity, and will be completed within one year.

COST ESTIMATE: Approximately $20,000 for the work-shop.

ACTION 9.2

Develop and implement a long-term data manage-ment strategy.


FUNDING SOURCES: Not yet identified.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ACTION: The Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 320(b)(6) specifies that each NationalEstuary Program (NEP) Management Conference shall“… monitor the effectiveness of actions taken pur-suant to the plan,” with the following two primarygoals:

• Measure the effectiveness of the management actions and programs implemented under the CCMP.

• Provide essential information that can be used to redirect and refocus the CCMP during implementation.

The first primary goal is environmental in nature, andfocuses on changes in ambient conditions, ecologicalfunctions, and biological populations and communi-ties. The second primary goal is programmatic innature and addresses CCMP implementation issues. Toeffectively evaluate the success of the CCMP, it will benecessary to track both the extent to which the actionslaid out in the CCMP are being implemented and theenvironmental effects, or lack thereof, of those imple-mented actions. This Action Item addresses the envi-ronmental monitoring component. Action Item 9.4 willaddress the programmatic element.

STATUS: Commitment.

WHO: NJDEP (Lead), OCPD, and other technical par-ticipants in the Management Conference.

HOW: Participants will monitor the effectiveness ofimplementation based on achieving the goals, targets,or measures of success defined in the CCMP.

Effectiveness monitoring answers broader ecologicalquestions:

• Is the ecological integrity of the bay and watershedchanging?

• Is water quality improving or getting worse, and by

how much?

• Are there any emerging issues not anticipated by the CCMP?

• Are there any new areas of concern (threats) that need to be tracked?

Effectiveness monitoring lends itself more toward anassessment of success in attaining CCMP goals andobjectives than to the implementation of specificactions. This type of monitoring requires a statistical-ly sound analysis of environmental data of knownquality and confidence.

The environmental monitoring component of the CCMPis designed to utilize monitoring data collected andassessed by participating agencies, so that this infor-mation can be directly compared to quantifiable objec-tives. It builds upon recently conducted characteriza-tion studies and existing monitoring efforts. It seeksto promote cooperation among agencies and stake-holders by incorporating and coordinating efforts intoan integrated monitoring plan, increasing the scopeand resolution of existing efforts, improving the time-liness of data analysis, and making the results avail-able to a diverse group of agencies and stakeholders ina timely manner.

The fully developed monitoring plan will incorporateexisting and planned monitoring efforts, or elementsfrom those programs; identify critical informationgaps; and attempt to standardize and coordinatefuture monitoring efforts. This will minimize dupli-cation of effort among agencies, reduce the cost ofmonitoring, and provide integrated results to the sci-entific, regulatory, and stakeholder communities in anefficient and timely manner.

PROCESS FOR MONITORINGEFFECTIVENESS:

1. Identify use impairments related to water quality and NPS pollution. This can be done using monitoring to document the magnitude of an environmental problem.


ACTION 9.3

Monitor CCMP implementation.

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2. Trace a water quality problem back to its source. This is accomplished with monitoring on a more localized, targeted, and intensive manner.

3. Correct the problem at its source and monitor effectiveness. Use evaluation monitoring to measure pollution control.

4. Using the monitoring systems described in 1, 2, and 3 above, trace the water quality improvement back to the removal of the use impairment.

This process has already been used with success at cer-tain locations in New Jersey (Navesink River andnumerous bathing beaches). Once pollution sourceshave been identified (for example, through the NaturalResources Inventory (NRI)), there must be the abilityto monitor the management measures taken. TheNJDEP is preparing an inventory of NPS pollution man-agement measures being implemented throughout thestate. This is an important tool that will enhance coor-dination among the planning, monitoring, and water-shed characterization functions in the BBNEP. Thetype of monitoring program used will depend on thetype of management measure.

STRATEGY FOR MONITORING IN BARNEGAT BAY WATERSHED:

1. The NJDEP prepares a listing of impairments (303(d) list) as candidates for NPS monitoring. These are ranked according to severity of impairment.

2. The NJDEP and BBNEP investigate and identify sourcesand decide on NPS management strategies to address the impairments.

3. The NJDEP’s Water Monitoring Management staff reviewsthe list to determine the type of monitoring that will be necessary to measure effectiveness and the potential cost of monitoring.

4. If the necessary level of monitoring exceeds the existing monitoring programs, funding sources are identified for the new monitoring needs.

5. BMPs are implemented with continued monitoring.Monitoring program results are reviewed annually.

WHEN: Ongoing. Modifications to existing monitoringprograms will be initiated following development of anapproved monitoring plan and final approval of theCCMP.

COST ESTIMATE: Funding will come from existing pro-gram budgets. Modifications to existing programs willbe scoped out as necessary.

FUNDING SOURCES: State and federal agency moni-toring budgets.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ACTION: Programmatic implemen-tation monitoring (i.e., tracking progress of ActionItems) is the second component of comprehensiveBBNEP monitoring, and will help to keep managersinformed regarding the implementation status of vari-ous programs and the degree to which programs are orare not achieving their intended outcomes. With thisinformation, managers can make needed modificationsto the CCMP or to the actions taken to achieve thedesired outcomes outlined in the Plan. Where appro-priate, resources can be redirected to ensure thatdesired outcomes are achieved.

Implementation, or programmatic, monitoring isdesigned to answer such questions as:

• Is the CCMP being implemented at the level of commitment specified in the CCMP goals, targets, and measures of success?

• Was the action taken?

• What were the specific results?

• Was the action able to be implemented?

• Are the actions in the Plan having the desired effects?

• Does the Plan need to be changed?

ACTION 9.4

Track CCMP Action Item Implementation.


Many actions in the CCMP lend themselves to this typeof administrative monitoring. Implementation moni-toring establishes accountability on the part of thedesignated lead organizations for specific actions out-lined in the CCMP. It can also be used to verifywhether an educational outreach program has reachedits target audience.

STATUS: Commitment.

WHO: The BBNEP Program Office (Lead), OCPD.

HOW: The CCMP Tracking System is intended to trackaction items scheduled for implementation. The track-ing will occur by priority issue, specifically: (1) WaterQuality/Water Supply; (2) Habitat and LivingResources; (3) Human Activities and Competing Uses;and (4) Public Outreach and Education. Users of thesystem will be involved in providing reports to theBarnegat Bay Program Office. The reports will providethe basis for annual and triennial reporting by theProgram Office.

General capabilities:

• Priority Action Item tracking

• Dates

• Deliverables

• Payment schedule

• Budget tracking

• Program budget

• Other sources of funding

• Link to BBNEP Web site and partner Web sites

WHEN: Work on this action will commence upon finalapproval of the CCMP.

COST ESTIMATE: $20,000 is budgeted for initiation ofwork.

FUNDING SOURCES: NEP program funding.


A more detailed and updated addendum to the Monitoring Program Plan (2003) can be found at our website,www.bbep.org or by calling the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program office.

Date post:	09-May-2018
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