Cook Inlet Citizens Environmental Monitoring Program Homer Soil and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cook Inlet Citizens Environmental Monitoring Program Homer Soil and Water Conservation District KENAI WATERSHED FORUM Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District Upper Susitna Soil & Water Conservation District

Environmental Monitoring Program: Partnering to Monitor Water Quality and Habitat in the Cook Inlet Watershed Joel Cooper Cook Inlet Keeper Elaine Major UAA-Environment and Natural Resources Institute Robert Ruffner Kenai Watershed Forum Tim Stevens Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Collecting Consistent, Scientifically-Defensible Baseline Data: Citizens Monitor Their Water Resources

CEMP Partners • Homer Soil & Water Conservation District • Cook Inlet Keeper • UAA-Environment and Natural Resources Institute • Kenai Watershed Forum • Seldovia Oil Spill Response Team • Anchorage Waterways Council • Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District • Mat-Su Borough Planning Department • Upper Susitna Soil and Water Conservation District

History Cook Inlet Keeper In 1994, a group of fishermen, scientists, Native Alaskans, artists • and concerned citizens came together for a water quality workshop in Homer, Alaska. The group shared a common concern for the rapid ecological changes occurring in Cook Inlet, and decided to form a watchdog group modeled after successful "Keeper" programs across the country. In 1995, local conservation groups negotiated a settlement for • over 4000 violations of the federal Clean Water Act in Cook Inlet. The EPA joined the litigation, and the defendants chose to direct 3 • years of start-up funding to Cook Inlet Keeper in a landmark settlement.

History QAPP & Volunteer Training Manual • Spring 1996: Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Convened • Spring 1997: TAC and Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) Joint Meeting • August 1998: QAPP and Training Manual Approved by TAC, CAP, EPA and ADEC • Winter 2000-2001: Begin Work on Quality Management Plan (QMP) • Spring 2002: Approve QMP and Associated Documents

History CEMP Partnership • 1997 – Seldovia Oil Spill Response Team – Kenai Watershed Forum – Homer Soil and Water Conservation District – UAA-Environment and Natural Resources Institute • 1999 – Anchorage Waterways Council – Mat-Su Borough Planning Dept. • 2000 – Wasilla Soil and Water Conservation District – First Partner Conference in December • 2001 – Upper Susitna Soil and Water Conservation District

Working to Integrate the Interests and Concerns of the Native Communities • Native American Fish and Wildlife Society • Cook Inlet Treaty Tribes – Native Village of Eklutna – Knik Tribal Council – Chickaloon Native Village – Native Village of Tyonek – Port Graham Village Council – Kenatize Indian Tribe – Seldovia Village Tribe – Ninilchik Tradition Council – Nanwalek IRA Council

Supporting Agencies • Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation • U. S. Environmental Protection Agency • U.S. Geological Survey • Natural Resource Conservation Service • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Alaska Department of Fish and Game • Kachemak Bay Research Reserve • UAA- Kachemak Bay Campus of the Kenai Peninsula College

Funding Support • U. S. Environmental Protection Agency • Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council • Norcross Wildlife Foundation • The Skaggs Foundation • Bullitt Foundation

What We Monitor • Chemical • Biological • Physical

CEMP Objectives • Inventory baseline water quality in the water of the Cook Inlet Basin. • Detect and report significant changes and track water quality trends. • Raise public awareness of the importance of water quality through hands on involvement.

Diamond Creek Watershed

Number of CEMP Volunteers Trained 500 450 433 Cook Inlet Keeper 400 Kenai Watershed 350 Forum 300 Anchorage Waterways 250 228 Council 200 Wasilla SWCD 150 Upper Susitna SWCD 90 100 71 62 39 50 Total 21 1 14 6 16 14 14 5 6 9 1 1 0 2001 All Years Phase V in 2001

CEMP Volunteer Training Estimated In-Kind Contributions Since 1996 $140,000 $119,057 $120,000 $106,622 $100,000 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $6,895 $5,540 $0 Phase I-III Phase V Phase IV Total Based on the latest data available on the average hourly wage for nonagricultural workers as published in the Economic Report of the President , the assigned hourly wage for volunteers is $15.39. Phase I- III is 16 hours/ vol.; Phase V is 16 hours /vol.; Phase IV is 4 hours/vol.

Number of CEMP Volunteer Monitors 450 423 400 Cook Inlet Keeper 350 Kenai Watershed 300 Forum Anchorage Waterways 250 228 Council 200 Wasilla SWCD 150 Upper Susitna SWCD 115 100 80 62 Total 39 50 33 25 26 17 14 14 0 Active Monitors Total Monitors

Site Types • Freshwater (Stream) • Estuarine (Near Shore) • Lake

Cook Inlet Keeper Sites Kachemak Bay and Anchor River Watersheds 51 Freshwater • 43 Estuarine •

Number of CEMP Monitoring Sites 160 146 140 Cook Inlet Keeper 120 Kenai Watershed Forum 100 94 Anchorage Waterways Council 80 Wasilla SWCD 65 60 Upper Susitna SWCD 40 25 Total 19 18 20 13 14 11 9 4 4 0 Active Sites Total Sites

Number of Observations 2500 2143 Cook Inlet Keeper 2000 Kenai Watershed Forum 1500 Anchorage Waterways 1239 Council Wasilla SWCD 1000 Upper Susitna SWCD 502 460 500 Total 322 192 115 136 122 59 0 0 0 2001 All Years

CEMP Volunteer Time/Observation Estimated In-Kind Contribution Since 1996 $180,000 $164,904 $160,000 $140,000 $120,000 $100,000 $82,452 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $0 One Vol./Obsv. Two Vol./Obsv. Based on the latest data available on the average hourly wage for nonagricultural workers as published in the Economic Report of the President , the assigned hourly wage for volunteers is $15.39. Calculation: 2.5 hours of time/volunteer x $15.39/hour x 2143 observations.

CEMP Volunteer Training & Time/Observation Estimated In-Kind Contribution Since 1996 $283,961 $300,000 $250,000 $201,509 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0 One Vol./Obsv. Two Vol./Obsv.

Cook Inlet Keeper Observations 350 300 250 200 Number of 150 Observations 100 50 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Citizens Environmental Monitoring Program QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN

Site Selection • Balance between more impacted and less impacted areas. • Safely and reasonably accessible. • Personal interest to the Volunteer Monitor.

Collection Frequency • The last Sunday of each month (as well as the second Sunday of each month from May through August) plus or minus two days. • Sampling time is 2:00 PM, and the time of allowance range is 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Frequency By Weekday and Time Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tot % 32 13 9 9 10 11 16 100 Weekday Avg. 2:32 2:27 2:04 2:25 2:54 2:01 2:18 2:15 Time pm pm pm pm pm pm pm pm * 81% total, plus or minus two days

Monitoring Kits

Parameter Method Sensitivity Temperature Thermometer 0.5 C° pH Colorimetric 0.25 pH units pH Hanna Meter 0.1 pH Units Dissolved Oxygen Micro Winkler Titration 0.1 mg/l Salinity Hydrometer 0.1 ppt Turbidity 0-200 JTUs 5 JTUs

Parameter Method Sensitivity 1.0 x 10 -6 Conductance Hanna Meter Apparent Color Color Chart Color Index Number Nitrate-Nitrogen Colorimetric 1.0 ppm Ortho-phosphate Colorimetric 0.2 ppm Coliforms Chromogenics 1 CFU (Total & E. Coli) agents in medium

Data Summary • Data shows seasonal trends. • Data has begun to identify ranges of natural variations. • Data is being compared against preliminary statewide water quality standards. • Data have highlighted potential problems due to urbanization. • Photo documentation has identified habitat alteration.

Water Temperature @ KB-490, Bridge Creek @ Wynn Nature Center Bridge 25.0 Alaska's maximum temperature limit at anytime for aquatic life, fresh water (ADEC, 1999) 20.0 Degrees C 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 -5.0 Sep-96 Dec-96 Mar-97 Jun-97 Sep-97 Dec-97 Mar-98 Jun-98 Sep-98 Dec-98 Mar-99 Jun-99 Sep-99 Dec-99 Mar-00 Jun-00 Sep-00 Dec-00 Date

Dissolved Oxygen @ KB-1110, Diamond Creek @ Beach Outflow Above Beach 20 17.0 mg/l, Alaska's upper limit for aquatic life (ADEC, 1999) 15 mg/l 10 7.0 mg/l, Alaska's lower limit for aquatic life (ADEC, 1999) 5 0 Sep-96 Dec-96 Mar-97 Jun-97 Sep-97 Dec-97 Mar-98 Jun-98 Sep-98 Dec-98 Mar-99 Jun-99 Sep-99 Dec-99 Mar-00 Jun-00 Sep-00 Dec-00 Date

Dec-00 Sep-00 Turbidity @ KB-1110, Diamond Creek @ Jun-00 Mar-00 Dec-99 Outflow Above Beach Sep-99 Jun-99 Mar-99 Date Dec-98 Sep-98 Jun-98 Mar-98 Dec-97 Sep-97 Jun-97 Mar-97 Dec-96 Sep-96 250 200 150 100 50 0 JTUs

pH @ KB-1110, Diamond Creek @ Outflow Above Beach Hanna Meter pH Colorimetric pH 10.0 8.5, Alaska's upper limit for aquatic life , freshwater (ADEC, 1999) 9.0 pH units 8.0 7.0 6.0 6.5, Alaska's lower limit for aquatic life, freshwater (ADEC, 1999) 5.0 Sep-96 Dec-96 Mar-97 Jun-97 Sep-97 Dec-97 Mar-98 Jun-98 Sep-98 Dec-98 Mar-99 Jun-99 Sep-99 Dec-99 Mar-00 Jun-00 Sep-00 Dec-00 Mar-01 Date