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Element 1
FARMINGTON RIVER WATERSHED STREAMWALK 2004 - 2006
Approval Cover Page
Farmington River Watershed Streamwalk QAPP
(319 Project Identification #04-18)
Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA)
(Regina Mahony and Eric Hammerling, FRWA, 749 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070, (860) 658-4442)
December 2003
Project/Principal CoordinatorRegina Mahony, Project Coordinator
Farmington River Watershed Association
749 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06070
(860) 658-4442
Signature Date
Project/Principal Project QA OfficerEric Hammerling, Executive Director
Farmington River Watershed Association
749 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06070
(860) 658-4442
Signature Date
CTDEP Project Coordinator Stanley Zaremba, CT DEP 319 Project Coordinator
Planning & Standards Division
Bureau of Water Management
CT Department of Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street, 2nd floor
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
(860) 424-3869
Signature Date
CTDEP QA OfficerErnest Pizzuto, Supervising Environmental Analyst
Monitoring and Assessment Program
Planning & Standards Division
Bureau of Water Management
CT Department of Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street, 2nd floor
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
(860) 424-3715
Signature Date
Element 1 (continued)
USEPA Project OfficerSteven Winnett, CCT
Office of Ecosystem Protection
USEPA New England
Region 1
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1687
Signature Date
USEPA QA OfficerArthur E. Clark
Quality Assurance Unit
USEPA New England
11 Technology Drive
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
(617) 918-8374
Signature Date
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Element 2
Table of Contents
Page
Distribution List2
Project/Task Organization3
Project Description/Background4
Project/Task Description 6
Data Quality Objectives for Measurement Data7
Training Requirements/Certification8
Documentation and Records9
Streamwalk Design and Methods10
Quality Control 11
Instruments/Equipment Testing, Inspection, Maintenance
Requirements; Instrument Calibration and Frequency;
Inspection/Acceptance Requirements for Supplies; Data
Acquisition Requirements 14
Data Management 15
Assessment and Response Actions 16
Reports 17
Data Review and Validation 18
Validations with Data Quality Objectives;
Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives 19
Element 3
Distribution List
The following list identifies the agencies, organizations, and individuals that will receive a copy of our approved QAPP and any subsequent revisions.
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection - Stan Zaremba, Sally Snyder, Ernest Pizzuto
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Steven Winnett, Arthur Clark
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Seth Lerman, Todd Bobowick
St. Joseph’s College – Charles Morgan, Ph. D.
Central Connecticut State University – Clayton Penniman, Ph. D. and Sally Rieger
Local municipalities participating in the project - Plainville, Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, East Granby, Windsor, Harwinton, Plymouth, Bristol, Burlington, Granby, Norfolk, New Hartford, Canton, Barkhamsted, Hartland, Colebrook
Streamwalk volunteers
Conservation District – Jane Brawerman
Salmon Brook Watershed Association
Pequabuck River Watershed Association
Farmington River Coordination Committee
Element 4
Project Task/Organization
Key personnel associated with the project are as follows. Regina Mahony, Joyce Kennedy-Raymes and Eric Hammerling will take direct responsibility for coordination, management, and implementation of the project. Seth Lerman, and Todd Bobowick of NRCS will provide technical assistance. In addition to the personnel listed, CTDEP's Sally Snyder will provide input on project activities. Streamwalk Coordinators will work directly with volunteers, Salmon Brook Watershed Association, Pequabuck River Watershed Association, Farmington River Coordinating Committee, and municipalities to best utilize local knowledge and to meet site-specific needs such as water quality and land use issues.
Element 5
Problem Definition/Background
The 2002 List of Connecticut Waterbodies Not Meeting Water Quality Standards (303d list) includes a 19.6 mile section of the Farmington River not previously included. This newly listed section is on the main stem of the Farmington River, from the mouth of the Pequabuck River to the backwaters of the Rainbow Reservoir. This section does not meet state water quality standards due to elevated levels of indicator bacteria. The designated use of this section of the watershed is primary contact recreation and due to bacteria levels above the accepted range, this designated use, as well as the overall use, is only partially supported in this section. However, it is still fully supporting of aquatic life and fish consumption uses. The CT Department of Environmental Protection has not determined the sources of these elevated levels of bacteria. Also five of the six sections of the Pequabuck River are listed as impaired. Due to limited resources, the DEP has designated the status of some of these sections based on an evaluation of data that is five years old or older, or incidental, rather than an assessment of more current and accurate data.
The Farmington River Watershed is 609 sq. miles beginning in the rural Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts, flowing through the Connecticut highland region and Farmington Valley and out to the Connecticut River in Windsor, CT. The watershed drains about 33 towns within MA and CT. The watershed is approximately 70% forested, 15% agricultural and 15% developed. The watershed is sparsely populated in the headwater section, and is most populated in the lower section, a suburb of Hartford, CT. Burgeoning development throughout the basin, agricultural operations, and storm water runoff all impact water quality in the watershed and beyond.
Significant uses of the Farmington River are drinking water, waste water assimilation, fishing, boating, tubing and swimming. Recreation activities along the banks include hiking, biking, and wildlife observation. Usage of the impaired section of the Farmington River has not been curtailed, largely because the public is unaware of the impairment.
The dilemma we face is not solely a result of a lack of land use and water quality data; it is inextricably tied to public understanding of and involvement in natural resource conservation. In addition to the physical problems associated with the watershed, an environmentally under-educated citizenry poses a major obstacle to resource conservation and management efforts. The simple fact is that many people are unaware of how their actions or land use decisions affect water quality. More generally, the public does not realize how much time and money go into water quality improvement, nor how many local, state, and federal agencies are interested and involved in water quality activities.
By having local volunteers walk the rivers and streams in the Farmington watershed, our project puts those volunteers in direct contact with the river and its surrounding environment. They learn about how natural and manmade elements affect the ecosystem. After training and data collection, participants will be asked to suggest ways to improve Streamwalk programs.
The local communities establish their own conservation goals. The Streamwalk helps provide those communities with the knowledge, information, and tools necessary to attain the goals and address the concerns they identify as most important. Citizens, municipalities, and organizations use their Streamwalk education, in conjunction with the data generated by the project, to devise strategies and actions to take in order to meet current and future watershed needs. In this way, our project not only creates and encourages public participation in resource management, but also opens avenues for the public to direct local and regional resource management actions.
Prior to recommending or implementing methods to address the water quality problems, it is necessary to identify the sources contributing to the degraded water quality in the basin. By enlisting local volunteers to conduct a visual assessment of the physical characteristics of the perennial streams and rivers in the watershed, our Farmington River Streamwalk will identify suspected contributors of nonpoint and point source pollution.
Local residents, concerned citizens, watershed and conservation organizations, municipal officials, conservation districts, and state and federal agencies will work together to determine what factors contribute to the watershed's water quality problems and will provide data that can be used to help improve water quality in the region. Participation of volunteers in the Streamwalk effectively and actively involves people and educates them about watershed resource management. By increasing the awareness and understanding of local residents about the resource issues facing them, we improve the chances of finding practical, effective solutions to those issues. Moreover, the Streamwalk program creates a cadre of local voices to contribute to natural resource conservation and protection efforts.
The data collection process is as important as the data collected. It is the process that involves and educates people. The process continues beyond the days of data collection. After participating in Streamwalk, volunteers Element 5 (continued)
may use their data and skills to help focus future environmental quality and resource prioritization efforts, thus building a strong foundation on which to address the resource needs of the watershed.
The information from the Farmington Streamwalk will be entered into an Access Database. If we can coordinate the necessary resources (time and money), we will link the Access Database to the ArcView (GIS) digital maps. This will enable interested parties to evaluate the Streamwalk data in relationship to land cover, land use, soils, biological diversity, water quality, and water use. In addition, areas of special importance may be digitized to create an unique GIS layer: clicking on any point in the layer would call up Streamwalk data associated with that point. (It is important to reemphasize that linking the Streamwalk data to a GIS is a very intensive and costly process and is highly dependent on the availability of resources).
Using the information gathered by volunteers, municipalities, agencies, local organizations, and concerned citizens can ascertain key areas of concern, resource needs, and, with public input, plan future conservation measures to address the identified needs.
Element 6
Project/Task Description
Concept
A Streamwalk is a volunteer-based program that serves two functions: it is a public education and outreach tool and a data gathering exercise. Furthermore, the program actively involves the public in resource conservation efforts, and increases awareness and understanding of water resource related issues. Using data collection sheets developed by USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel, local volunteers, trained in classrooms and the field by qualified personnel, will record observations of the physical condition of the riparian zones, surrounding land uses and in-stream characteristics for the lower part of the West Branch of the Farmington River, the main stem of the Farmington River, and up to 11 (eleven) sub-basins (including but not limited to Mad River, Still River, Morgan Brook, Poland River, Copper Mine Brook, Pequabuck River, Thompson Brook, Nod Brook, Stratton Brook, Hop Brook, West Branch Salmon Brook, and Salmon Brook). The standardization of the collection sheets promotes consistency and helps establish quality control for data collection. Through the training session and by conducting field surveys, volunteers learn about the physical conditions of a watershed and about the relationship between human activity and the natural world.
Recruiting of volunteers will take place April 2004. Recruitment will be a joint effort between the Farmington River Watershed Association, Salmon Brook Watershed Association, Pequabuck River Watershed Association and the Farmington River Coordinating Committee. Neither sampling nor quantifying of data will be required of the volunteers. Rather, the information gathered by volunteers will be a qualitative assessment of the watershed. Photographic documentation of impaired sites will be completed either by volunteers, or by FRWA staff follow-up site visits. The data will be compiled to identify areas of concern as indicated by diminished and compromised riparian zones, undefined point source discharges, erosion and sedimentation, excessive algae and invasive aquatic plant growth, and other visible impairments. Project managers will quantify portions of the data.
Based on the number of volunteers recruited, this plan of work may be repeated up to three consecutive years until all sub-basins submitted in this QAPP are completed.
Proposed Plan of Work
Item / Task / Anticipated Completion Date1 / QAPP for project. / June
2 / Update Streamwalk survey materials, including survey sheets, monitoring manual, volunteer packet information (job description, project letter, etc.). / May-June
3 / List of recruited volunteers for the Streamwalk and copy of materials in volunteer packet (e.g letter describing the Streamwalk project, volunteer job description, etc.). / May
4 / Training session(s) / June
5 / Press releases about the project and promotion of the effort through contact with the media. / May/June
6 / Volunteer data collection. / July-Aug
7 / Draft final report. / Sept.
8 / Final report / Nov.
9 / GIS maps showing each delineated stream survey area as well as a map showing entire basin. / April
10 / Completed Microsoft Access database. / Nov.
11 / Slide presentation detailing the project. / Oct.
12 / Conduct basic stream monitoring educational program, including field exercise. / Oct.
13 / Feedback from participants regarding the strengths of the program as well as suggestions for improvements. / Sept
Element 7
Data Quality Objectives for Measurement Data
This element is not applicable to the Streamwalk program
Element 8
Training Requirements/Certification
Volunteers will be required to participate in a training session performed by NRCS staff to familiarize them with basic stream ecology and morphology and water quality concepts. Having all the volunteers participate in the same training program fosters consistency in approach to and understanding of the resource issues the Streamwalk survey will address. The training session will be conducted in a one-day, two-part program. During the indoor portion of the program, volunteers will learn how to use the data collection sheets, and gain familiarity with the basic principles of using topographic maps, aerial photographs, and other materials helpful in conducting their surveys. A slide presentation will acquaint participants with the types of conditions they will be looking for and the factors affecting water quality. A training video will also be presented to supplement the program and to acquaint volunteers with potential scenarios they may be evaluating in the field.
The outdoor portion of the training program will be devoted to experiential training. Volunteers will travel to a local site (predetermined by Streamwalk Coordinators) and will fill out data collection sheets for a section of the chosen stream. Coordinators will then compare the survey sheets completed by different teams in order to demonstrate to volunteers the variation that might occur in interpreting field conditions. Coordinators will offer suggestions on how to best conduct surveys as well as reminders of the materials necessary and appropriate to be safe and accurate when conducting fieldwork.
Element 9
Documentation and Records
Each team of volunteers will be given a packet containing several data collection sheets (a conservative estimate of the number of survey segments will be made by coordinators to ensure enough sheets will be provided). The volunteer packet will also contain two topographic maps of the survey area. One map is to be used and marked in the field while the other is intended to have the field data transcribed onto it in order to provide a clean copy for the final record. Both maps will be returned to coordinators and will be retained in the project file.
Data collection sheets will be filled out by volunteers at the time of their field walk. Volunteers will each record their name, phone number, the stream name (if there is one), the survey area identification number, the segment code, a description of the survey segment (e.g. local landmarks by which others could locate the site), and the date of the survey. Volunteers will be required to delineate survey segments while conducting their stream survey work. They will be taught how to determine survey segments by Coordinators during the training session.
Once all streams in a survey area are walked, packets will be returned to the Coordinators. Information from the data collection sheets will then be entered into an Access database. The database will be used to generate reports to quantify portions of the qualitative data (e.g. number of impaired sites, number of sites with less than 25 feet of uninterrupted riparian zone, etc.). An electronic copy of the data will be forwarded to CTDEP and a backup file will be maintained to protect the data.
Elements 10-13
Streamwalk Design and Methods
Method (Process Design)
The study area of this streamwalk will be the lower part of the West Branch of the Farmington River, the main stem of the Farmington River, and up to 11 (eleven) sub-basins (including but not limited to Mad River, Still River, Morgan Brook, Poland River, Copper Mine Brook, Pequabuck River, Thompson Brook, Nod Brook, Stratton Brook, Hop Brook, West Branch Salmon Brook, and Salmon Brook). Each of the subregional watersheds will be divided into relatively small survey areas, averaging between 1-3 linear miles of stream (based on local watersheds). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) generated maps will be produced for each individual segment and provided to volunteers for reference and recording information. Specific information includes items such as areas of concern, photograph locations, physical characteristics for which there might not be a specific place on the survey sheet, and additional observations that volunteers feel noteworthy and helpful. Each local watershed will be given a unique identifier (the CT DEP designated drainage basin codes will be used so information from the project can be incorporated readily by the CT DEP). A GIS map showing the entire watershed and delineating all survey areas will also be produced and maintained for project records.
Volunteers will be required to participate in a training session in order to review the data collection sheets and to familiarize themselves with basic stream ecology/morphology and water quality concepts. The training session will enable Coordinators to help establish consistency among volunteers in their evaluation and reporting methods and will thus serve as a component of quality control. As described in the Training Requirements/Certification section, volunteers will evaluate a section of stream as part of their outdoor exercise. The survey sheets will be compared and variations will be discussed. This exercise will help reinforce consistent reporting methods. Volunteers will select the survey area(s) they desire to evaluate. This step of self-determination gives volunteers the opportunity to select a site appealing or important to them and therefore enhances the value of the undertaking for the participants.