NWQMC Meeting Update

November 2, 2006

West Palm Beach, Florida

Summary of Presentation

• Recent accomplishments/highlightsFY06

• Future Directions & Activities Plan

• Meeting in Cincinnati, OH Nov. 15-16, 2006

• Work Group Updates– Water Quality Data Elements

– NEMI

Highlights of the Board FY06• Revamped of Board webpage (Dan Sullivan)• San Jose Conference

– Booth (all)– Session on WQDE (LeAnne Astin)

• Two face to face meetings (Madison,WI & Tucson, AZ)• NMN Chapter 4 (Ed Johnson, Jerry Diamond, Eric Vowinkel)• NEMI

– Green Methods (Larry Keith and Jennifer Young)– CRADA

• WQDE Publication (LeAnne Astin)• Bioassessment comparability guidance/pilots (Jerry Diamond and

Laura Gabanski)• New EPA Co-Chair (Steve Wendelken) and several new recruits

Future Directions of the Board• Concentrate on things we do well (Higher priority)

– NEMI and NEMI/CBR– WQDE—habitat– Support NMN where appropriate– Support WIS work group where needed

• New topics (Lower priority) (Next meeting)– Event monitoring (stormwater)

• Continuous and Real-time monitoring (n• New technologies, • data storage, • data interpretation

– Volunteer monitoring validation techniques

Activities Plan

• 2 face to face meetings in FY06– Cincinnati, OH (Nov. 15-16, 2006)– ??? (June ‘07)

• Monthly Full Board conference calls• Bi-monthly or monthly work group conference

calls (NEMI and WQDE) as required• Keep web-page up to date (Dan • 2 Across the Board Newsletters in FY07• Continue recruitment

Board Meeting Cincinnati 11/15-16/06

MDCB Challenges for Meeting in Cincinnati, 11/15-16/06

• NEMI– Complete CRADA– All methods to be used in the National Monitoring Network in

NEMI by May 2008– Green methods updates complete– Statistical methods entered into NEMI

• WQDE– Habitat elements publication by May 2008– Public Web page for habitat elements

• Work with WIS work group to provide timely products that are needed by WQ community

• Dinner at Herb Brass’

AgendaMeeting 11/15-16/06

WQDE Work Group Internal Web Page and objectives

• Develop a general list of WQDEs for habitat

• Work on a few hydrologic systems to start?– Streams– Wetlands– Coastal Zone

• Publication and web site by May 2008

Green Methods & CRADA

• ACS Petroleum Research Fund grant to Green Chemistry Institute– Developed scale of “relative” greenness and applied to

methods in NEMI– Need to complete

• CRADA– Several private sector companies have agreed to

commit $$$ or in-kind services to help with NEMI– Need to determine priorities for in-kind services

support

NEMI Internal Web Pageand Objectives

• Finalize funding from EPA and USGS

• Complete CRADA

• Complete Green Methods

• Add all methods in NMN by Conference in May 2008

• Add field methods

• Add statistical methods

Sources of methods in NEMI

Monthly visitors

NEMI-CBR & CBR Advisor

• Complete

• Public release delayed

• Issues with addition of some methods from EPA Standard Analytical Methods Protocol – Version 2

Methods Board Advisory Group on Bioassessment Comparability

• “MBAG” first meeting 3/8/05• Projects:

– Comparability Study data analysis (3/05 – 12/06)– Report: Critical Review of the State-of-the-Science

of Bioassessment Comparability (11/05)– EPA Guidance on Bioassessment Comparability

initiated (3/05 – 6/07)– Workshop at NWQM Conference (5/06)– New Bioassessment Comparability Pilot Studies

(10/05 – 6/07)

Status of MBAG Projects

WSA Comparability Study Data Analysis• Data Analysis meeting of Comparability Study cooperators

9/05, Baltimore, MD

• Some studies completed already and data being analyzed; more pilots to be completed in 2006.

• Final WSA Report due later in 2006.

• MBAG participated in and provided advice to cooperators and EPA at data analysis meeting

PBS/Nutrients Plans

• Assist in implementation of the NMN as it pertains to nutrients

• Link with EPA/FEM Performance approach activity. EPA actively pursuing performance approach

• Complete the DQO-nitrate paper and submit for publication