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Central Coast Water Quality Data Synthesis, Assessment and Management (SAM) Project
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[edit] SAM Mission
The SAM Project facilitates region-wide water quality monitoring coordination, data management, and data analysis for addressing the sources, status, and trends of non-point source (NPS) pollution on the Central Coast via technical, scientific, and programmatic activities. Key goals of the project include enhancement of the regional water quality monitoring network and improving access to knowledge used for managing coastal watershed and nearshore marine systems. SAM is a partnership between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary MBNMS, the Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network SIMoN, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB, the State Water Resources Control Board SWRCB, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Coastal Commission and the Central Coast Wetlands Group CCWG. Primary funding for SAM is provided by the California Non-point Source Pollution Control Program and the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation RLFF. SAM Project activities are directed by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of scientists and resource managers from across the State that represent universities, research institutes, government agencies, and private firms.
For more information, contact Gary Conley at gary.conley@noaa.gov
[edit] SAM Updates
- SAM 2009 Activities Summary - December 9, 2009
A key milestone for 2009 was the completion of a Strategic Plan (Media:Strategic Plan for Central Coast Water Quality Monitoring Coordination and Data Synthesis.pdf) which has been distributed to our partners on the Central Coast. The plan outlines sets of tasks related to data integration and access, monitoring coordination, tracking land-use management improvements, and data analysis/reporting that will improve our ability to assess and respond to changing water quality conditions in Central Coast watersheds and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Key tasks outlined in the Strategic Plan that will build our regional data sharing infrastructure are already moving forward. Activities this year included implementation of the California Data Upload and Checking System (CalDUCS) in cooperation with CCAMP, production of a regional water quality symposium, providing technical assistance to water quality monitoring groups, regional water quality data analysis, contributions to the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Condition Report , and development of a Google Maps monitoring coordination application. Work for 2010 will focus on promotion of the regional framework for monitoring coordination, development and dissemination of data management software products to monitoring groups, and regional pollutant loading analysis.
- New Water Quality Mapping Tool Available - November 30, 2009
We're happy to announce the launch of a new mapping tool from the SIMoN team: http://www.sanctuarysimon.org/regional_sections/maps/index.php The SIMoN Water Quality Monitoring Viewer is a Google Maps application that provides the locations, measurement types, and data access information for water quality monitoring programs in a user-friendly interactive map. More efficient use of limited monitoring resources in the region is required to effectively implement the Monterey Bay Sanctuary’s Water Quality Protection Plan. This mapping tool will facilitate data discovery and promote coordination amongst our partners in Central Coast watersheds and the Sanctuary to fully leverage existing monitoring resources. The viewer is a product of the SIMoN team, the Coast Water Quality Data Synthesis Assessment and Management (SAM) Project, and participating monitoring programs throughout the region.
- Water Quality Science Symposium Watersheds, Water Quality, and Climate Change - October 23, 2009
The Sanctuary’s Water Quality Protection Program and the Central Coast Wetlands Group brought together diverse stakeholders to showcase applied research and promote regional collaboration to address complex watershed-based challenges.
- Data Management Support at CSUMB, August 14, 2009
The SAM Project is providing data management support to California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) scientists. The monitoring program operated by Environmental Science and Policy Professor Marc Los Huertos and his graduate students is one of the most comprehensive in the region and provides valuable information for assessing water quality conditions and trends in coastal watersheds that drain to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. SAM staff met with CSUMB faculty and students to set up a new data storage system designed to facilitate regional monitoring coordination, data sharing, and analysis.
- SAM Data Analysis Brief: Water Quality and the Big Sur Fires, August 3, 2009
Water quality data were divided into three categories for comparison based on timing relative to the Big Sur fires of 2008 and the meteorological conditions at the sampling time: pre-fire dry, post-fire dry, and post-fire wet....Significant differences were found for nitrate, orthophosphate, and transparency before and after the fires. The three parameters showed differences between the dry pre-fire conditions and wet post-fire conditions, but not between the dry pre-fire conditions and dry post-fire conditions... read the full brief here: media:BigSurFires_WQ.pdf
- Central Coast Wetlands Group (CCWG) brochure available, June 29, 2009
The MBNMS Water Quality Protection Program has collaborated with the Central Coast Wetlands Group (http://ccwg.mlml.calstate.edu/) to produce a brochure (Media:brochure.pdf) highlighting regional wetland and water quality monitoring and analysis. The brochure, which was funded by the West Coast Regional Sanctuary Office, includes information on central coast wetland tracking and assessment activities, historical ecology, and the SIMoN/WQPP water quality Synthesis, Assessment, and Management (SAM) Project.
- SAM Data Analysis Brief: First Flush Trends Analysis 2000-2007, June 6, 2009
To test for changes over time in water quality parameters during the first flush, a set of Mann-Kendall statistical tests was employed. The Seasonal Mann-Kendall test is a distribution free, non-parametic test that is modified from the original Mann-Kendall test (Helsel and Hirsch, 1992). Changes in water quality conditions during the First Flush between 2000 and 2007 were not detected at the majority of the sites. Nitrates showed an increase in Capitola (304-CSD-04), Orthophosphate showed an increase at Pacific Grove (309-PGSD-06) and a decrease in Santa Cruz (304-SCD2), copper decreased in Monterey (309-LIBRA-31), and E. coli increased in Monterey (309-MSD-03)... read the full brief here: media:FirstFlush_trend.doc
- Regional Water Quality Data Analysis Support June 4, 2009
The Cooperative Monitoring Program (CMP)monitors water quality as part of the Conditional Agriculture Waiver issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and is now working to understand changes in water quality conditions within the irrigated agricultural lands of the Central Coast. Trends analysis was performed on CMP data sets to test hypotheses regarding the presence, direction, and magnitude of water quality; and to understand the statistical power of the data that has been collected over the past 5 years.
- Coordination with statewide efforts, February 9, 2009
The California Water Boards have supported 3 projects aimed at enhancing regional water quality monitoring for the San Joaquin, Klamath & Central Coast. There are also similar efforts underway for the Sacramento River and the Delta. Monterey Bay Sanctuary Water Quality Protection Program Staff are promoting the Central Coast’s Water Quality Data Synthesis, Assessment, and Management (SAM) Project via teleconferences with staff from the U.S. EPA Non-point source program and members of the CA Monitoring Council (SB1080) to ensure sustainable database development and to scope long term funding for this regional effort.
- Coastal Roundtable Discussions February 2, 2009
The Coast and Ocean Regional Round Table (CORRT) discussions are led by the Planning and Conservation League Foundation and designed to initial County-based regional planning processes to support implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative and the California Ocean Protection Council's (OPC) Strategic Plan. The planning team identified objectives for the upcoming Santa Cruz County roundtable, a number of which overlap with those of the Sanctuary’s Water Quality Protection Program Implementation Action Plan. http://www.ccamp.net/corrt/index.php/Main_Page
- SAM Project Provides Technical Assistance for Integrated Water Management Efforts January 29, 2009
SAM staff participated in a Northern Santa Cruz County Integrated Regional Water Management Planning session as part of the Technical Advisory Committee that is led by Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health and funded by the State Water Resources Control Board through Proposition 50. The plan includes monitoring and data management activities that will be coordinated with the Sanctuary and other agencies to document and evaluate the effectiveness of water resource management efforts in the region.
[edit] SAM TAC meetings
- SAM Project TAC Meeting 8 'Moving Forward with Regional Monitoring Coordination' - October 10, 2008
- SAM Project TAC Meeting 7 'Outlining a Strategic Plan for Monitoring Coordination and Data Integration' - January 18, 2008
- SAM Strategic Plan Outline available for comment - June 27, 2008
[edit] SAM Reports
SAM Strategic Plan - finalized November 23, 2008
SAM Water Quality Data Assessment - finalized July 16, 2008
SAM Workshop Summary Report - finalized February 13, 2008
SAM Project Quality Assurance Project Plan
[edit] Workshop(s)
- Watersheds, Water Quality, and Climate Change October 23, 2009
- Central Coast Wetlands Workshop September 24, 2008
[edit] Monitoring Coordination
Developing a regional coordination strategy.A Strategic Plan for water quality monitoring coordination and data synthesis on the Central Coast of California has been formulated through a collaborative process of data integration, data analysis, and a collection of stakeholder input. This plan outlines tasks to improve regional capacity to optimize monitoring networks, synthesize information, and improve communication between key groups so that changing environmental conditions can be better understood in Central Coast watersheds and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary....read more about the SAM Strategic Plan
Building a regional watersheds information portal. A web-based watersheds information station will be a regional pathway to information about monitoring program activities, site locations, measurement types, and programmatic changes on the Central Coast. This information is currently diffuse, outdated, or non-accessible via the web. Work has been initiated to create a regional watersheds information station with partners at CCAMP, CCWG, and SFEI.
[edit] Data Synthesis
[edit] Storage
Water quality and other spatially referenced data sets can be used to assess overall watershed health. These data are diffusely located throughout the region, making it difficult to use them together. Water quality data were collated and stored in a relational database that is loosely coupled to a Geographic Information System (GIS)which stores a diversity of other spatially referenced data types. The conceptual design of the SAM water quality database mimics the statewide Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) database in a number of important ways....read more about data storage
[edit] Mapping
Depiction of data on maps is useful for detecting spatial patterns and identifying relationships between variables that have a spatial component. Spatial data sets including hydrography, land-use, land-use management, and water body impairment have been collated into a GIS for comparisons with water quality data sets...read more about mapping
[edit] Analysis
Fundamental questions about the status and trends of water borne pollutants and the effectiveness of land management improvements were used as the basis for assessing the utility of existing and accessible water quality data and other information. The assessment questions were addressed using a regionally integrated data set to identify important information gaps that that should be filled.
Read more about regional water quality data assessment and analysis.
[edit] Data Sharing
[edit] Providers
- Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program CCAMP
- Central Coast Long Term Environmental Assessment Network CCLEAN
- Ag Waiver Monitoring Program AgWaiver
- Elkhorn Slough Volunteer Monitoring Program ESNERR
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary/Coastal Watershed Council Citizen Monitoring Network: Snapshot Day, Urban Watch, Clean Streams, and First Flush MBNMS, CWC
- Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health Services SC County
- Central Coastal Watershed Studies at CSU Monterey Bay CCoWS
- National Water Information System, US Geological Survey USGS
- The UC Davis Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory at Granite Canyon UCD
- Center for Integrated Marine Technologies at UC Santa Cruz CIMT
[edit] Users/Collaborators
- Monterey Bay Acquarium Research Institute MBARI
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS
- Central and Northern California Ocean Observing Systems CeNCOOS
- San Francisco Estuary Institute SFEI
- Central Coast Wetlands Group CCWG
