VA SOS Workplan 2008

Regular Monitoring Program

Training and Certification Sessions

· We will continue to provide at least one training session a month around the state. The tentative training schedule for the first Saturday of every month can be found in attachment A.

· We will provide certification sessions as needed.

· As always, we will rely on our regional trainers to provide additional training sessions in their regions. A list of regional trainers is as follows: Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tony Pane, Llyn Sharp, Wes Jargowski, Rachel Parsons, Sharon Stinnette, Jay Gilliam, John Murphy, Greg Wilchelns, Jim Eisenman, Hazle Edens, Joanna Cornell

· Other regional coordinators (and potential trainers): Wendy and Steve Richards, Mary Dunbar, Kent Ford, Martha Chapman, Bobby Higdon, Tammy Parece

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

· We will continue to follow the Virginia Save Our Streams quality control program plan (VA SOS QAPP)

· We will update the VA SOS QAPP for the Eastern Muddy Bottom Method and submit it to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for their approval

· We will work with VA DEQ to review the VA SOS modified method for higher scoring sites (those that score between an 8 and 12) to better determine the “gray” area.

Mapping Priority Sites

· Working with DEQ regional biologists and other regional priorities, Virginia Save Our Streams will make maps for each watershed outlining priority monitoring sites

Volunteer Orientation Guide

A guide for folks attending their first training session to provide them more detailed information about what it means to be a volunteer water quality monitor with Virginia Save Our Streams.

Other Monitoring Techniques

Habitat Assessment

· We will continue to provide training on the annual habitat assessment method. At this time, there are plans to have training in the Upper James Watershed, the New River Watershed, and the Lower James Watershed.

· The methods manual for the eastern Habitat assessment will be modified slightly for the Lower James training.

E.Coli – Coliscan

· We will investigate the potential inclusion of this method into the Virginia Save Our Streams suite of monitoring techniques.

· We will participate in training sessions provided to volunteer water quality monitors by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

Sustainability and other Collaborations

Grants

· We will continue to apply for grants as they become available.

· We have also began a campaign to solicit donations for family foundations for small donations

· We will develop a program for soliciting donations from Virginia corporations

· We will continue to work closely with the Board of the Foundation for Virginia’s Natural Resources to pursue other funding opportunities

Fee for Services

· As feasible, we will ask organizations to reimburse VA SOS for our training, certification, and quality assurance oversight. These fees are included in Appendix B

Affiliations

· VA SOS will continue to be affiliated with the Virginia Division of the Izaak Walton League

· In addition, we will pursue partnership opportunities with the National Izaak Walton League on various programs

· We will continue to work with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to support the Virginia Citizens for Water Quality

· We will also pursue other partnership opportunities with organizations such as Trout Unlimited

· We will study the possibility and cost and benefits of affiliating with a college or university

· We will continue to operate under the 2006 Partnership Agreement with the Virginia Departments of Conservation and Recreation, Environmental Quality, Virginia Citizens for Water Quality, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the Virginia Water Monitoring Council

o This will include extended and continuing discussions on data uses and further defining Virginia Save Our Stream’s roles in data collection and data use issues

· We hope to assist in the rejuvenation of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council

· We will continue to work with the Virginia Watersheds Alliance on programs and projects of mutual interest.

Public Information

Website

· The VA SOS website is currently being retooled to make it easier to find information and easier on the eyes!

Database

· The online database will continue to be refined and debugged. There are a couple of items that are being worked on right now.

Virginia Water Quality Primer

· We will be completing the Virginia Water Quality Primer in 2008. The primer will be a comprehensive guide to laws, rules, and regulations that dictate how our water resources are managed and protected.

New Programs

In addition to our regular monitoring programs, Virginia Save Our Streams will pilot two new programs (extent of program development and implementation will be dependent upon grant funding)

Pristine Streams Program

· The pristine streams program will target streams that have been previously monitored by VA SOS, VA DEQ, or another entity (college/university) but is not currently being monitored.

· One of the purposes of this program is to shift VA SOS monitoring away from “impaired” streams. Another purpose of the program is to increase the coverage of our water quality monitoring program.

· The pristine streams will be identified in the watershed maps (previously mentioned). VA SOS will recruit existing volunteers to select a pristine stream to monitor. The goal will be to monitor the stream once a year – a volunteer may also wish to permanently monitor the stream

Pre-TMDL Action Program

· In Virginia, when a stream gets put on the total maximum daily load (TMDL) list as an impaired stream it takes upwards of 10 years for the TMDL study to begin. Once the study begins, then a TMDL is developed. Finally, once the TMDL is developed and approved, the best management practices necessary to meet the TMDL requirements are outlined in an implementation plan, to be implemented as time and funding permit. The long process means that a stream monitored and found to be impaired today will likely not be cleaned up using the state and federal TMDL process for at least fifteen years. This process takes too long!

· The purpose of this program is to combine volunteer water quality monitoring with localized restoration efforts to restore water quality. The goal being to combine these efforts in a carefully orchestrated plan so that an impaired stream gets cleaned up before the state agency even begins its study. This approach is practical, feasible, and while not free, will cost a lot less than government efforts to restore water quality. In addition, because the water quality program will be happening from a local effort it is likely to be infinitely more successful than the state run TMDL program and its mandates.

· Steps in this program include:

1.) Identify watershed that is scheduled to have a TMDL in the future. There are several in Virginia that not only have the impaired stream, but a good core of volunteer water quality monitors.

2.) Make sure these monitors have all the monitoring tools they need – training and certification in benthic monitoring, coliscan monitoring, basic physical parameters, and habitat assessment.

3.) Develop the monitoring plan for the impaired watershed study area. Identify monitoring sites, the correct monitoring parameter(s), and the temporal and spatial monitoring needs.

4.) At the same time as 2 and 3 are happening, provide some basic community environmental involvement programs. Stream clean-ups would be good, stream walks – things to get folks other than the core group of volunteer water quality monitors interested and engaged. Some basic marketing of project and nice project materials will be developed (as needed – may be able to use existing materials). This environmental marketing will continue throughout the project – with emphasis changing as needed.

5.) Monitoring needed for project to be conducted for at least 1 year (possibly two). After the first year a preliminary identification of the potential sources of impairment are identified, the identification of the type and placement of BMPs is identified, and identification of local ordinance code changes (if any).

6.) Year two will see continuation of monitoring started in year one to fill in any data gaps to help further identify source and type of impairment.

7.) Year two will also have the development of community-action (rather than calling it TMDL) implementation plan to restore the stream water quality is created and projects prioritized. There should be some projects that will be implemented in year 2 and others as time/funding/landowner.

8.) Throughout project the process will be outlined in a user manual for other folks to use.