Author: kstepenu

Categories
Listserv

Bacteria Monitoring

Question 1: Does anyone know of an easy to use bacteria sampling protocol that could be used by trained volunteers?

Question 2: Is anyone using enterococci as an indicator species for monitoring ambient water?

Question 1

Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:58:41 -0400
From: Gracia O’Neill

Greetings,

Does anyone have any recommendations for an easy to use bacteria sampling protocol that could be used by trained volunteers?

We run an advanced volunteer benthic sampling program in western NC, that partners with a university-run chemical sampling program, which provides date directly to our state water quality agency. Therefore we are looking for an inexpensive and easy to use, yet accurate protocol. We have access to e-coli (not total coliform) incubators, but no other supplies at this time.

Are there any recommendations on whether to sample for e-coli vs. total coliform?

THANKS!

~Gracia

———————
Gracia O’Neill
Assistant Director
Clean Water for North Carolina
29 1/2 Page Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 251-1291
www.cwfnc.org

Responses to Question 1

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:24:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kimberly Rinard

Gracia

Check out the 9223 Collilert Total Coliform methods. It requires minimum labor/training regarding staff as you collect your sample in a sterile 125ml bottle then add a packet. Mix the packet in the sample according to directions, then incubate for “x” hours(pretty sure it is 18hrs) The QT method is typically used for “raw” waters such as surface waters(lakes, streams, ponds etc) or untreated drinking water wells(pre chlorination) The QT method will also allow you to get a colony count.

The 9223_PA method is typically used for chlorinated waters(drinking water) where the only result needed is absence/presence . The PA method will also allow you to do E Coli on the same sample.

Any bacteria present in your sample will generate a gas thru a fermentation process as they react/consume the stuff in the packet that is added to the sample. Total Coliform Results are determined by the presence of a color change. The Collilert method will also allow you to do E Coli on the same sample as, a sample positive for E Coli will change color under UV light.

I know many town beaches/state programs require the 1103.1 Beach method for E Coli but I am not familiar with how it is run. The other methods out there are 9222B Membrane Filtration for Total Coliform, and 9222D Fecal Coliform, 9215(E?) Heterotrophic Plate Count

Pay careful attention to samples that are turbid/cloudy as this will affect the interpretation of the color change after incubation. Dilutions should be run whenever necessary, especially during times of high runoff, to avoid the “colonies too numerous too count” results.

Good luck and feel free to write back!

Kim Rinard
Granby, Mass

 

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:41:24 -0400
From: Ann Reid

Check the Volunteer Monitor issue on bacteria…http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/newsletter/volmon18no1.pdf

Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:58:08 -0400
From: Kirk Barrett

We use coliscan easygel (see www.micrologylabs.com )

in our program (www.preemo-msu.org ).

They are easy to use. it will give you both e coli and total coliforms.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether to classify a colony

as purple (e coli) or not. The other problem is that you don’t know exactly how much

inoculum to use a priori, so you probably should try multiple volumes.

If you use 3, it comes out to be ~$5/test.

 

How are you going to get the samples to the incubators?

 

Regards,

Kirk Barrett

 

Dr. Kirk R. Barrett, PE, PWS, Director, Passaic River Institute

Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave. ML 116, Montclair, NJ 07043

phone: 973-655-7117 email: kirk.barrett@montclair.edu

web: www.csam.montclair.edu/pri

 

Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:30:38 -0700
From: Eleanor Ely

Hello Gracia,

 

Sorry for the delay in responding; I have been out of town. Hopefully by now you have found the Winter 2006 issue of The Volunteer Monitor, with many articles on bacteria testing. The Summer 2008 issue has a follow-up letter to the editor on one of the methods (MI agar). Both can be found atwww.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html.

 

Good luck!

Ellie

 

Eleanor Ely

Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter

50 Benton Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94112

415-334-2284

Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:27:35 -0500
From: Kris Stepenuck

Hi Gracia

We did a three year study in six states in the upper Midwest and came up with a few methods that were particularly volunteer-friendly – some of which have already been mentioned (i.e., Coliscan Easygel), but there’s also 3M Petrifilm.  66% of our volunteers liked that method over the Coliscan Easygel because they had a hard time differentiating between blue and teal colonies in the Easygel method.  Though, the 3M method isn’t EPA approved for water testing, it did have the statistically strongest relation to state lab methods for assessing E. coli bacteria in streams in our study.

Here’s a website with our methods manual and other project information:http://www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer/EColi/index.html

Kris Stepenuck

Question 2

From: Eleanor Ely
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 4:24 PM
To: Volunteer water monitoring
Subject: [volmonitor] enterococci, anyone?

Dear friends,

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who is using enterococci as an indicator species for monitoring ambient water (including recreational waters). What analytical method are you using? Is the analysis done by volunteers, by program staff, or at an outside laboratory?

Thanks a lot!

Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-334-2284

Responses to Question 2

From: Sumner, Sara [mailto:ssumner@des.state.nh.us]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 5:55 AM
Subject: RE: volmonitor digest: January 17, 2006

Hello Ellie,

I was forwarded your message by our Volunteer Lake Assessment Program
Coordinator.  I coordinate New Hampshire’s Beach Inspection Program.
Currently, we use Enterococci as our recreational water standard for
marine waters.  We use EPA’s 24 hour Method 1600 for Enterococci.  This
is also a membrane filtration method.  See the link below.

http://epa.gov/waterscience/methods/biological/1600enteoroccus.pdf

Previously, we employed the 48 hour method.  We receive funding from EPA
based on the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Health Act (BEACH)
Grants.  Due to the funding and quality assurance requirements, we now
use the 24 hour method mentioned above.

We also have purchased the IDEXX Enterolert equipment.  The problem we
have is ordering media and assuring the media will be delivered on time.
Our QAPP will soon go back for review so we have the option of using
IDEXX when we are waiting for media delivery.  Right now, we are not
making an official switch to the IDEXX method.

Our standard operating procedure for the analysis of Enterococci
includes the 48 and 24 hour methods, as well as the IDEXX method.  The
IDEXX Enterolert instruction brochure and MPN chart are referenced in
the SOP.  I do not conduct the analyses myself, so I’m not sure if our
laboratory made modifications to the method.  We use our in-house state
laboratory for all analyses.  They are NELAP certified.  We do not use
volunteers for analysis, but do use volunteers for sample collection.

As I mentioned previously, we receive BEACH Act grant funding.  Many
states use Enterococci as indicators for recreational waters.  You may
want to contact the Grant Coordinators or Regional Coordinators.  See
the link below:

http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/contact.html

I hope this has been helpful.  If you have additional questions, please
let me know.

Thank you,
Sara

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sara Sumner
Beach Program
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Watershed Management Bureau
29 Hazen Dr., PO Box 95
Concord, NH 03302-0095
Phone:  603-271-8803
Fax:  603-271-7894
ssumner@des.state.nh.us
Subject: RE: enterococci, anyone?
From: “URI Watershed Watch”
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:33:00 -0500
X-Message-Number: 2

We have been running enterococci analyses for a couple of years in the
URI Watershed Watch laboratories on volunteer collected samples using
Standard Method 9230 C – Membrane filtration for members of the enterococci. This
requires a 48 hour incubation, in comparison to our membrane filtration
for fecal coliform and E. coli, which leads to scheduling and reporting. In
addition as many of these samples have also been analyzed for fecal
coliform and E.coli, it has been interesting figuring how to answer the question
“is it safe to swim in my lake/river/beach?” Often that has depended on
which indicator you wanted to use – ugh!

We just purchased an IDEXX sealer and accessories, and are about to
embark on the Rhode Island Department of Health preferred method Enterolert
method, which promises reduced labor along with only a 24 hour incubation, but
will also mean amending our laboratory quality assurance project plan
(another ugh!)

I am very interested in the experiences of others with the IDEXX system
– and particularly interested in receiving copies of SOPs for those
methods.

Thanks, Elizabeth Herron
Program Coordinator
URI Watershed Watch
Phone: 401-874-4552
Fax: 401-874-4561
Web: http://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/

 

Categories
Listserv

ATV Education to Discourage Erosion

Question

From: Water Quality Discussion List [mailto:WQ-L@LISTSERV.URI.EDU] On
Behalf Of Greg Jennings
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 8:25 AM
To: WQ-L@LISTSERV.URI.EDU
Subject: any education programs on ATV riding in streams?

Does anybody have an education program to discourage damage to streams
from ATV riding?

Thanks, Greg

Greg Jennings, PhD, PE
Professor & Extension Specialist
Biological & Agricultural Engineering
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Responses

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:24:48 -0400
From: “Straut-Esden, Ann”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] FW: any education programs on ATV riding in streams?

Michigan appears to have a course/handbook:
http://www.offroad-ed.com/mi/handbook/education_requirements.htm

As does Wyoming: http://wyotrails.state.wy.us/Safety/ORVSafety.asp

One state link (Iowa I think) lead me here: http://www.atvsafety.org/

And here’s an educational group you can contact that I’ve worked with
from both sides (consumer and protector) that has some ORV info:

Home

~Ann

******************************************
Ann A. Straut-Esden
DPH-DWS
Voice: 860-509-7333 Fax: 860-509-7359
ann.straut-esden@ct.gov
http://www.ct.gov/dph/

 

Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:54:10 -0500
From: Jackson.Peter@epamail.epa.gov

At a forest preserve where I am a steward near Chicago, we have a
problem with mountain bikers riding illegally on unauthorized trails,
especially along a stream that flows through a ravine area. Much bank
erosion has resulted in the degradation of vegetation and soil loss to
the streambed. If anyone can reference any website that has educational
information related to off-trail mountain biking as well, that would be
great.

Thanks, Pete Jackson

Categories
Listserv

Aquatic Plant Monitoring

Question

Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 10:57:41 -0500
From: “Kristine F. Stepenuck”
Subject: [volmonitor] Aquatic plant ID guide for streams?

Hi EPA list serve participants-
I wonder if anyone can recommend a good aquatic plant ID guide for streams?  We have a monitoring group here in Wisconsin looking for such a book that covers river plants, not only lake plants.  One idea I had was “Through the Looking Glass” published here in WI, but it’s be great to have some other ideas as well. Thanks for your help!
Kris
Kris Stepenuck
Water Action Volunteers/ Volunteer Stream Monitoring Coordinator
UW-Extension and WI Department of Natural Resources
210 Hiram Smith Hall
1545 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1289
Phone: 608-265-3887
Fax: 608-262-2031

Responses

Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 10:03:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bob williams
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Aquatic plant ID guide for streams?

Aquatic Plants of Illinois.  $5 from IL STATE MUSEUM
Bob Williams

Rivers Project

Elaine Snouwaert:

There’s a guide available online that focuses on Washington State aquatic plants. But the person ( who sent the link thought that it would have some overlap of plants outside WA, which makes sense.  It’s at:http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/plantid2/index.html

From: “Drociak, Jen”
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:01:23 -0400
Subject: NHDES “A Field Guide To Common Riparian Plants of New Hampshire”Publication Now On-Line!

Hello Everyone!

It is with much anticipation and excitement (after 10 months!) that I announce the completion of the first edition of “A Field Guide to Common Riparian Plants of New Hampshire.” It is currently published as a PDF via the NHDES Volunteer River Assessment Program website and can be viewed by visiting http://www.des.nh.gov/wmb/vrap/documents/FieldGuideToCommonRiparianPlantsOfNH.pdf. At this point, the publication is only available on-line. Should circumstances change and it becomes available as a hard-copy, I will let you know.

This full-color field guide was created for both VRAP volunteers and others to assist in identifying common native and non-native riparian plant species. Over 70 plant species are described in the text, with additional live specimen scans and habitat photos.

The field guide is organized into six sections:
In the Water: Submerged Aquatic Plants: Plants that have most of their leaves growing under water; some floating leaves may also be present. They are found from shallow to deep zones.
On the Edge: Emergent Herbaceous Plants: Plants that have leaves that extend above the water’s surface and are usually found in shallow water.
Ferns: Non-flowering plants that bear spores rather than seeds with flattened leaf-like “fronds” that are further divided.
Woody Shrubs: Woody plants which are generally shorter than trees and smaller in trunk size. They have clusters of stems rising directly from the ground and generally have a “bushy” appearance with no special crown shape.
C limbing Vines: Plants with a weak stem that derive support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface.
The Canopy (Trees): Woody plants that usually grow from the ground with a single erect stem or trunk. The main stem may be massive and is often unbranched for several feet above the ground. Trees can reach a considerable height at maturity.

Plant species descriptions include the following:
Status: Whether the plant is native or non-native/exotic/invasive. Those plants that are non-native/exotic/invasive which are also prohibited in New Hampshire are identified as such.
Habitat: Describes the best conditions for growth of this plant and where to locate it.
Height: Describes how tall or long the plant grows.
Bark: In the Woody Shrub and Tree sections, describes the unique features of the bark.
Buds: In the Woody Shrub and Tree sections, describes the unique features of the buds.
Stem: In the Woody Shrub section, describes the unique features of the stem.
Leaves: Describes the unique features of the leaves.
Flowers: Describes the unique features of the flowers.
Flowering Period: Describes the time of year in which the flowers bloom.
Fruit: Describes the unique features of the fruit.
Twigs: In the Woody Shrub and Tree sections, describes the unique features of the twigs.
Value: Explains the worth of the plant to the other members of the ecosystem.
Similar Species: Describes the unique features to help distinguish this plant from others. Additional information about some of the related plants is also provided.

In addition, appendices to this field guide include:
Appendix A: Other Helpful Field Guides
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms
Appendix C: Leaf Shapes and Arrangements
Appendix D: Native Shoreland/Riparian Buffer Plantings for New Hampshire

Should anyone have any comments/suggestions for a second edition (most likely next summer), please let me know and I’d be happy to consider them.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Jen Drociak
Volunteer River Assessment Program Coordinator
NH Department of Environmental Services
29 Hazen Drive – PO Box 95
Concord, NH 03302
p- (603) 271-0699 f-(603) 271-7894
“>www.des.nh.gov/wmb/vrap

“People today recognize fewer than 10 plants but over 1000 corporate logos” – AdBusters

Categories
Listserv

Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring

Question

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:26:56 -0500
From: Kris Stepenuck
Subject: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi all-

I’m wondering if your volunteer monitoring programs have aquatic invasive species monitoring methods that you can share? I’m curious what is monitored by volunteers in terms of aquatic invasive species.

Thanks

Kris Stepenuck

Kris Stepenuck
Wisconsin Volunteer Stream Monitoring Coordinator
445 Henry Mall, Rm 202
Madison, WI 53706-1577
Phone: 608-265-3887
Fax: 608-262-2031

Responses

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:34:10 -0400
From: “Picotte, Amy”
Subject: FW: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?
To: kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu
Cc: “Matthews, Leslie”

Kris,
I’m copying Leslie Matthews with your inquiry. Leslie has started up a
new volunteer program here in Vermont, called the Volunteer Invasive
Patrollers (VIPs). She has a set training program that includes
identifying aquatic native and non-native animal and plant species,
which makes for a terrific educational opportunity for the volunteers.
The volunteers are equipped with viewing scopes and given data sheets to
use for reporting their findings. I’ll let Leslie fill in the details,
but I think the program is off (started in 2007) to a fantastic start.

(Leslie, Kris has worked a lot with Linda Green — We worked with Linda
last week at the New England Lakes Conference.)

Amy Picotte
Environmental Analyst
Lakes and Ponds Section
DEC-Water Quality Division
103 S. Main St.
Waterbury, VT 05671-0408
Tel. 802-241-3789
fax. 802-241-4537
www.vtwaterquality.org

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:54:58 -0400
From: Jo Latimore
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi Kris,

Michigan’s Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program is piloting an “Exotic
Aquatic Plant Watch” program, focused on Eurasian water milfoil, Hydrilla,
and curly-leaf pondweed. See the methods and materials here (scroll to the
bottom): www.micorps.net/CLMPdocuments.html

Even though we have lots of volunteers actively monitoring traditional lake
parameters like Secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll, we’ve had
difficulty getting volunteers to sign up for the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch
– perhaps due to the detailed procedure (fairly time consuming) or the
enrollment cost ($60, includes confirmation of any of the “big three” exotic
plants identified by volunteers).

However, the training for the program is VERY popular – people like to learn
how to identify invasives, but seem more interested in “watching” for them
on their own, than documenting them for an organized program.

-Jo

——————————
Jo Latimore, Ph.D.
Lake, Stream, & Watershed Outreach
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources Bldg.
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
(517) 432-1491
latimor1@msu.edu
——————————

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:01:03 -0500
From: “Herman, Laura J – DNR”

The Wisconsin Citizen Lakes Monitoring Network has an invasives monitoring manual
covering a number of species. The manual is available online at:

http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/CLMN/publications.asp
Laura Herman
Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Educator
UWEX
107 Sutliff Ave.
Rhinelander, WI 54501
(() phone: (715) 346-3989 (Stevens Point)
(() phone: (715) 365-8998 (Rhinelander)
(() fax: (715) 365-8932
(+) e-mail: laura.herman@uwsp.edu
(+) e-mail: laura.herman@Wisconsin.gov

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:07:37 -0500
From: Erik Olson
Subject: RE: [CSREESVolMon] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Kris,

Our volunteers monitor and control Purple Loosestrife on Wisconsin’s
third largest lake the Chippewa Flowage. Since our funding is running
out we have transitioned the program over to the Chippewa Flowage Area
Property Owners Association (linked from my web page). They helped us
get an inventory of PL and data associated with each infestation for
management and research.

Here is a link to the web page for our volunteer program for
more information. (I am definitely not a web page designer!)
http://www.lco.edu/public/ext/water/Volunteer.htm

Miigwech for your interest,

Erik Olson
Natural Resource Specialist
LCO Ojibwe Community College

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:08:11 -0700
From: Eleanor Ely
Subject: RE: [CSREESVolMon] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

**Apologies for cross-posting**

Kris’s query is very timely from my point of view. The current issue of The
Volunteer Monitor (Summer 2008, on the topic of “Doing Science, Taking
Action”) is in final layout and soon I will be starting work on the next
issue, whose topic will be “Monitoring Invasive Species.” So I would love to
see any replies to this topic.

I am also interested in other aspects of invasive species monitoring besides
what species are monitored and by what methods. For example, I’m interested
in how volunteers are trained; what actions groups have taken to control or
remove invasive species; outcomes of those efforts; validation of
volunteers’ invasive species data; hurdles and challenges of invasive
species monitoring; lessons learned (i.e., how programs have evolved and
improved over time); and anything else that seems interesting or useful.

Thanks!
Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-334-2284

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:25:14 -0500
From: Chris Riggert
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi Kris,

In Missouri we have been teaching and implementing a zebra mussel monitoring
activity that our Stream Team WQM Volunteers can do while they are at their monitoring
location. It is taught as part of the Introductory Level workshop, I tried attaching the chapter
we provide as part of their notebook, but it didn’t like the attachment. However, you can find it
online at: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/vmqmp/intro-ch9.pdf.

The protocol is basically to look on hard surfaces at their monitoring location, although they can
sink a cinder block at their site for “artificial” substrate.

The form is the last page of the chapter, and is also available as an online submission
(http://mostreamteam.org/DataSubmission/zebra.aspx).

We have about a dozen or so that actively report they are monitoring (either by the form, or on an
Activity Report), but we’ve had about 2,500 individuals sit through the Intro workshop since we started
presenting information on Zebra Mussels in 2000. So I would suspect there are more individuals that be
able to recognize and report finding these if they showed up at their monitoring location.

I would be happy to send you the PowerPoint presentation, but will have to burn it to a disk and snail mail it
(it’s over 16 mb and big enough our server won’t let it out and play, ha!).

Chris

Christopher M. Riggert
Stream Team Program
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator
Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
2901 W. Truman Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180
Phone: (573) 522-4115 ext. 3167
Fax: (573) 526-0990
Chris.Riggert@mdc.mo.gov
www.mostreamteam.org

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:43:49 -0700
From: Streamkeepers
Subject: RE: [CSREESVolMon] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi Kris,

I’ve attached our Noxious Weeds monitoring protocol (28 KB pdf file), data sheet (61 KB pdf file), and a
proposed current-impact-on-habitat grading system (13 KB pdf file) to turn the data into
a score that can be correlated with other water-quality scores such as
IBI’s.

Our state mandates Noxious Weed Control Boards in each county, and we do
this monitoring in conjunction with that office. They helped us design
the protocol and data sheet, and we turn in all data collected to them.
They then follow up as appropriate.

Noxious Weed education and identification are an important part of the
training we provide to our volunteers.

and a P.S. from a later email…

For a 10 MB slideshow our county weed coordinator

Cheers, Ed

Ed Chadd & Adar Feller
Streamkeepers of Clallam County
Clallam County Department of Community Development
223 E. 4 St., Suite 5
Port Angeles, WA 98362
360-417-2281; FAX 360-417-2443
streamkeepers@co.clallam.wa.us
www.clallam.net/streamkeepers

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:54:21 -0700
From: Trevor Hare
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Kris -Sky Island Alliance has used volunteers to survey for bullfrogs for
years using simple protocols based on leopard frog survey protocols.
Basically approaching a water body or lotic system slowly, scanning the
water and banks for frogs, then walking the perimeters to get plop counts.
If frogs are seen and no positive id is made we will then go in and seine or
dipnet. We also record any non-native vegetation associated w/ the riparian
areas, along with size of the body, water amounts, turbidity (by eye), other
aquatic critters, etc. -Trevor

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:14:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kelly Stettner
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?
To: Volunteer water monitoring

Maine’s Center for Invasive Plants has a terrific-sounding training program. Get ahold of Roberta Hill:mciap@mainevlmp.org with questions. I’m in Vermont, and Roberta gave a terrific presentation at a recent conference of NALMS, North American Lake Management Society.

Black River Action Team (BRAT)
45 Coolidge Road
Springfield, VT 05156

From: Kris Stepenuck [mailto:kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:02 AM
To: mciap@mainevlmp.org
Subject: Fwd: RE: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi Roberta-

Kelly Stettner from Vermont recently saw you present at NALMS about aquatic invasive species volunteer monitoring. I wonder what your group is monitoring for and how much training people are provided?

Thanks!

Kris Stepenuck

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:30:06 -0400
From: MCIAP
Subject: RE: RE: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?
To: ‘Kris Stepenuck’
Cc: scott.williams@mainevlmp.org

Hi Kris.

Our Invasive Plant Patrol monitors are trained to conduct screening surveys for the eleven IAP listed by Maine law as imminent threats. They also are encouraged to be alert to other species (plants, animals, and algae) on Maine’s radar. Our introductory workshop is 5.5 hours long. We also have several advanced training opportunities. We have trained about 1700 people since our first workshop in 2001. We also provide training for SCUBA divers and other individuals involved in IAP control projects in the state. Here is a link to more information about our IAS training on our website.http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/workshops/#IntroIPP. Click on workshop title for a full description of each workshop.

You may also want to check out the invasives section of the 2007 Maine Lakes Report, also online athttp://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/publications/. It provides a more thorough account of our program.

We appreciate your interest. Please let us know if we can be any further service.

Best.

R

Roberta Hill
Program Director, Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
MAINE VOLUNTEER LAKE MONITORING PROGRAM
24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn, ME 04210
(207)783-7733
mciap@mainevlmp.org
www.MaineVolunteerLakeMonitors.org

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:48:43 +0000
From: livingoceanalo@comcast.net
Subject: Re: [CSREESVolMon] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Hi Kris,
The Alliance for a Living Ocean relies totally on volunteers to do water
quality testing in the bay and watershed . We do not monitor the bay for
aquatic invasive species. However, we have been invaded by Sea Nettles
and Asian Shore Crabs.
Dave

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:46:55 -0400
From: “Matthews, Leslie”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?
To: “Picotte, Amy” , kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu

Kris –

To follow up on Amy’s note – visit the VIPs web site here:
http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/lakes/htm/ans/lp_VIP.htm

VIPs monitor mostly for aquatic invasive plants (depending on the
audience I teach ID for 7-11 plants on our watch list). They also get
some training in animals, especially zebra mussels, rusty crayfish and a
couple of fish (round gobies, alewife).

I’d be happy to provide more information…

Leslie

 

Leslie J. Matthews, Ph.D.
Environmental Scientist
Water Quality Division
Department of Environmental Conservation

Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
103 South Main Street, 10 North
Waterbury, VT 05671
802-241-3798 (office)
802-498-3051 (mobile)

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:30:48 -0400
From: Ann Reid
Subject: Non Native species monitoring

Great Bay Coast Watch has just joined the MIMIC program with ME-RI-MA-CT-VT contact for the whole scoop..

Adrienne Pappal
Aquatic Invasive Species Program
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
251 Causeway St.
Boston, MA 02114
617-626-1218
Adrienne.pappal@state.ma.us

Ann S. Reid
Coordinator Great Bay Coast Watch
Kingman Farm Hse/UNH
Durham,NH 03824
1-603-749-1565
1-603-743-3997
ann.reid@unh.edu
www.gbcw.unh.edu/

 

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:40:50 -0700
From: Erick Burres
Subject: Fwd: [volmonitor] Aquatic invasive species monitoring?

Kris,

In CA many Aquatic AIS are tracked through Citizen monitors engaging in bioassessment. Many groups are involved in monitoring vegetation which would include Plant-AIS, certain species are tracked separately. Special protocols and training have been offered through university extension for Eur-Asian mussel monitoring (Valerie Borel, Watershed and Wildland Fire Education Coordinator, University of California Cooperative Extension-Los Angeles, 4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90022, 323-260-3851, vtborel@ucdavis.edu) . CA Dept of Fish and Game has fish monitoring protocols that are sometimes used by volunteers. Some partnerships have involved citizen monitors and CA Parks in removing Aquatic-AIS. I assume that they measured their effectiveness.

Sincerely,

Erick Burres
Citizen Monitoring Coordinator
SWRCB- Clean Water Team

Visit the Clean Water Team at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/nps/volunteer.html

You can self-subscribe to the Clean Water Team’s E-Mailing List. To subscribe visit
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/lyrisforms/swrcb_subscribe.html and check the box marked
Citizen Monitoring Program/Clean Water Team.

Contact me at:
Desk (213) 576-6788
Cell (213) 712-6862
Fax (213) 576-6686

LA-RWQCB
320 West 4th Street, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Categories
Listserv

Age of Volunteer Lake Monitoring Programs

Question

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:30:41 -0500
From: “Hudson, Holly”
Subject: [volmonitor] age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

Good morning everyone–

I’m trying to figure out how the Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program compares in age to other statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs. A quick web search shows that several programs claim to be “one of the oldest in the county” (including Illinois’ program which was established in 1981). Does anyone know if such a chronological list has been compiled?

Thanks!
–Holly

Holly Hudson
Principal Environmental Analyst
NE Illinois VLMP Coordinator
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission
222 S Riverside Plz Ste 1800
Chicago IL 60606
ph: 312/454-0400, ext. 302
fax: 312/454-0411
email: hlhudson@nipc.org
web: www.nipc.org

Responses

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 10:54:42 -0400
From: URI Watershed Watch
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?Hello and Happy Spring Holly (and all):Sorry, but the data that we have pulled together for various ‘history’ of volunteer monitoring puts a number of statewide lakes programs ahead of Illinois (1971-78).Below is a brief chronology as we have compiled it:1890 National Weather Service – 11,500 volunteers, 500 stations, +100 years
1900 National Audubon Society – Christmas Bird Count
1954 National Marine Fisheries Service – game fish tagging
1969 Izaak Walton League – SOS, river & stream monitoring
1971-78 Maine, Minnesota, Michigan and NH – statewide lakes monitoring
1985 RI and Chesapeake Bay – estuary monitoring
1988 1st National Volunteer Monitoring Conference – 85 attend
1989 1st Issue of The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter

Happy Monitoring…

Elizabeth Herron
URI Watershed Watch
Phone: 401-874-4552
Fax: 401-874-4561
Web: http://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:57:50 -0500
From: “Filbert, Jennifer”
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

Wisconsin’s Self-Help Citizen Lake Monitoring Network began in 1986.

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 11:03:56 -0400
From: Bob Carlson
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

The oldest lake program I know of is now called the Ontario Lake Partner
Program. It was started in 1972. In the US, the first program was started
in Minnesota in 1973 at the University of Minnesota. It subsequently was
taken over by the State and has become, I believe, the largest volunteer
lake monitoring program in the world. Hats off to thee, Minnesota!

Maine and Michigan came in about then as well.

At the Madison Volunteer Monitoring Meeting, someone was putting together a history of volunteer monitoring. Did that ever get published?

Bob Carlson
Professor, Biological Sciences Phone: 330 672 3992
Kent State University Fax: 330 672 3713
Kent OH 44242 E-mail: rcarlson@kent.edu
See the latest on the Secchi Dip-In at http://dipin.kent.edu

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 11:17:57 -0400
From: “Lamoreaux, Andrea M”
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

To add to the chronological list of volunteer lake monitoring programs…

The New Hamsphire Department of Environmental Services’ Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (NH VLAP) was initiated in 1985 with one lake. In 2003, 154 lakes and approximately 500 volunteers participated in NH VLAP.

Thanks,

Andrea LaMoreaux

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrea LaMoreaux
Volunteer Lake Assessment Program Coordinator
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
PO Box 95
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0095

Telephone: (603) 271-2658
Fax: (603) 271-7894
email: alamoreaux@des.state.nh.us
website: www.des.nh.gov/wmb/vlap

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:31:51 -0700
From: Eleanor Ely
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

Virginia Lee wrote an article titled “Volunteer Monitoring : A Brief History” for the Spring 1994 issue of The Volunteer Monitor newsletter . The timeline included in that article basically agrees with the timeline below from Elizabeth Herron, except that the newsletter article puts the dates for the earliest lake monitoring programs as 1973-1974 for Minnesota , Michigan, and Maine.

(Elizabeth, where did you get that 1971 figure, and which program does it refer to?)

To read Virginia’s article, see the EPA web site for back issues of the newsletter, at www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html

Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:47:26 -0400
From: VLMP
Subject: [volmonitor] RE: age of statewide volunteer lake monitoring programs?

Hi,

In Maine, volunteer lake monitors were involved informally with the state DEP starting 1971. In 1974 the program formalized into the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.

We use the “one of the oldest…” line.

Jim Roby-Brantley

Program Assistant
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
24 Maple Hill Road
Auburn, Maine 04210

207 783-7733
vlmp@mainevlmp.org
www.MaineVolunteerLakeMonitors.org

Categories
Listserv

Advocacy Rules of Engagement

Question

Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2007
From: Michele Wheeler
Subject: [volmonitor] Advocacy Rules of engagement

Hi there folks,

Our organization has traditionally steered clear of an advocacy role as we’ve been building relationships with our largely rural residents. But we are now revisiting this stance.

Do any of you have a set of guidelines, criteria or a written/generally understood policy for when, how, what issues with respect to advocacy in your organization?

Thanks,
Michele

Responses

Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:56:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: F5creeks@aol.com
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Advocacy Rules of engagement

Friends of Five Creeks, an 11-year-old group that does mostly hands-on restoration, requires that advocacy be directly related to “our” watersheds, consensus of our board (or members at a meeting, but this time never works out) before taking controversial stands, and approval of letters or public statements if time allows — otherwise prompt notice to the board. Also, only one spokesperson/letter writer unless delegated. None of “directly related,” “controversial” or “consensus” is defined in our bylaws, but this has worked well for us in keeping our organization harmonious and allowing us to take stands on important issues, including broad ones, without veering too far off course or getting distracted.

Susan Schwartz, president
Friends of Five Creeks

Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:40:05 -0400
From: Nancy Hadley

What type of organization do you have? Is it private, state, what?

Nancy Hadley
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
SCORE program
PO Box 12559
217 Fort Johnson Road
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 953-9841
http://score.dnr.sc.gov

Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:44:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michele Wheeler
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Advocacy Rules of engagement
To: Volunteer water monitoring

We’re a non-profit 501 c3

Categories
Additional Examples

Publications Referencing Volunteer Data

Havel, J.E. and K.R. Pattinson. 2004. Spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics of plankton in a terminal multiple-series reservoir. Lake and Reservoir Management 20(1):14-26. [Introductory discussion references Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program data summary report; not clear what volunteer data were used.]

Heiskary, Steven A. and William W. Walker Jr. 1995. Establishing a chlorophyll a goal for a run-of-the-river reservoir. Lake and Reservoir Management 11(1):67-76.

Heiskary, Steven A. and William W. Walker Jr. 1988. Developing phosphorus criteria for Minnesota lakes. Lake and Reservoir Management 4(1):1-9.

Kesler, David H., Teresa J. Newton, and Linda Green. 2006. Long-term monitoring of growth in the Eastern Elliptio, Elliptio complanata (Bivalvia: Unionidae), in Rhode Island: A transplant experiment. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 26(1):123-133. [Uses data from University of Rhode Island Watershed Watch but this is not clearly stated in article.]

Mcnicol, D.K., M.L. Mallory, and H.S. Vogel. 1995. Using volunteers to monitor the effects of acid precipitation on Common Loon (Gavnia immer) reproduction in Canada: The Canadian Lakes Loon Survey. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 85(2): 463-468. [Basically a bird monitoring study, but with a water angle.]

Obrecht, Daniel, Anthony P. Thorpe, and John R. Jones. 2005. Responses in the James River Arm of Table Rock Lake, Missouri (USA) to point-source phosphorus reduction. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 29:1043-1048. [Role of volunteers limited to collection of water samples.]

Shertzer, R.H., D.W. Hall, S.A. Steffy, and R.A. Kime. 1998. Relationships between land uses and rain water quality in a southeastern Pennsylvania watershed. Journal of the American Water Resources Association34(1):13-26. [Role of volunteers limited to collection of water samples.]

Smeltzer, E. 1990. A successful alum/aluminate treatment of Lake Morey, Vermont. Lake and Reservoir Management 6:9-19. http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/lakes/docs/lp_morey-alum-jlrm1990.pdf . [Used phosphorus and chlorophyll data from Vermont Lake Lay Monitoring Program but this is not clearly stated in article.]

Smeltzer, E. 1999. Phosphorus management in Lake Champlain. In Manley, T.O. and P.L. Manley, eds. Lake Champlain in transition: From research toward restoration. American Geophysical Union. Water Science and Application 1. Washington, D.C. http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/lakes/docs/lp_phosmanage99.pdf. [Book chapter as opposed to peer-reviewed research article. Volunteers collected samples for total phosphorus but this is not clearly stated.]

Stadelmann, T.H., P.L. Brezonik and S. Kloiber. 2001. Seasonal patterns of chlorophyll a and Secchi disk transparency in lakes of east-central Minnesota: Implications for design of ground- and satellite-based monitoring programs. Lake and Reservoir Management 17(4):299-314. [Article mentions collection of chlorophyll and Secchi data by a “citizen-assisted monitoring program.”]

Wilderman, C. and C. Reusse. 1990. Analysis of patterns and causes of variation in alkalinity concentrations in Pennsylvania streams during 1989, using data collected by of the Alliance for Acid Rain Monitoring (ALLARM).Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 64 (April):210. [Abstract of conference presentation.]

Wilderman, C., K. Vorhees, and L. Imgrund. 1999. The spatial distribution of stream vulnerability to acid deposition in Pennsylvania and its relationship to local watershed characteristics, based on a decade of volunteer monitoring by the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM). In The effects of acid deposition on aquatic ecosystems in Pennsylvania, ed. William E. Sharpe and Joy R. Drohan. University Park, PA: Environmental Resources Research Institute. [Book chapter as opposed to peer-reviewed research article.]

Categories
Published Articles

Reef fish length estimates

Harvey, E., D. Fletcher, and M. Shortis. 2001. A comparison of the precision and accuracy of estimates of reef-fish lengths determined visually by divers with estimates produced by a stereo-video system. Fishery Bulletin 99:63-71.

Categories
Published Articles

Vernal pool assessment

(egg mass counts, tadpole identification)

Oscarson, D.B., and A.J.K. Calhoun. 2007. Developing vernal pool conservation plans at the local level using citizen-scientists. Wetlands 27(1):80-95.

Categories
Published Articles

Crab identification

Delaney, D.G., C.D. Sperling, C. Adams, and B. Leung. 2008. Marine invasive species: Validation of citizen science and implications for national monitoring networks. Biological Invasions 10:117-128.