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Evaluation of State and Regional Water Quality Monitoring Councils

This study examines the role, structure, and activities of water quality monitoring councils to identify lessons learned and support the establishment of additional councils. It also assesses the support of EPA's recommended elements for state water monitoring programs.

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Evaluation of State and Regional Water Quality Monitoring Councils

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  1. Evaluation of State and Regional Water Quality Monitoring Councils September 9th, 2003 Advisory Committee on Water Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Industrial Economics, Inc. (IEc) Cambridge, Massachusetts

  2. Objectives of Study • EPA's Office of Water has identified improved monitoring as one of its top priorities • Monitoring by State agencies is a critical to implementing the Clean Water Act • Can Councils make significant contributions toward this effort ? • Objective: Identify lessons learned to help current Councils and facilitate establishment of additional Councils

  3. EPA recommended elements of a state water monitoring & assessment program: • Monitoring Program Strategy • Monitoring Objectives • Monitoring Design • Core and Supplemental Water Quality Indicators • Quality Assurance • Data Management • Data Analysis/Assessment • Reporting • Programmatic Evaluation • General Support and Infrastructure Planning

  4. MethodologyDefining the Study Set Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council

  5. FindingsCouncil Role • General: Councils are forums for communication, collaboration, cooperation among monitoring entities • Specific: Variation among councils • MD: Capacity building • WI: Non-regulatory programs (per statute) • VA: Does not set policy or usurp power from state

  6. FindingsCouncil Structure • Highly variable across study set; most Councils have stratified membership VA, CO, MT: Egalitarian structure • Widespread participation by State Agency staff

  7. FindingsCouncil Activities • Councils support common objectives of increasing communication, collaboration, and cooperation through: • Regular meetings and conferences • Issue-specific workgroups (e.g., post-fire monitoring, CO) • Monitoring inventories • Minimum data elements or sampling protocols • Data storage and transmission protocols • Monitoring network design

  8. FindingsSupport of EPA's Elements • Focus state activities (not those of Councils); Councils should strive to support • Councils structured to meet state/regional needs • Councils can support states regarding EPA's Elements

  9. Council Successes • Increased communication and collaboration • Facilitated information flow • Meetings, websites • Data swaps • Monitoring inventories • Councils have made significant impacts, though difficult to quantify • Impacts often felt indirectly: Difficult to employ quantitative performance measures • Successes will likely mount over long-term

  10. Lessons Learned • Councils yield significant benefits • Councils vary in design and objectives • Councils have difficulty keeping momentum • Building and keeping momentum is a primary challenge • Dedicated staff are invaluable • Effective Councils have state support

  11. Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council

  12. FindingsSupport of EPA's Elements

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