Water Quality Monitoring
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Project Manager: Richard Hinch (804) 435-7484 Quality Assurance Officer: Skip Kramb (804) 435-0697 If you are interested in becoming a member of this environmental group please contact either Richard or Skip for further details. For information on how to view the results
of the groups monitoring activities on the Commonwealth of Virginia,
Department of Environmental Quality Database in Richmond, Virginia contact
Skip Kramb
CITIZEN VOLUNTEER WATER QUALITY MONITORING GROUP Organizational Meeting Minutes The meeting was held on Saturday, March 20th at 10:00AM at Skip Kramb's Home. In attendance were: Two new Oakton pHTestr 30 pH probes have been added to our monitoring equipment inventory giving use a total of four of the new digital pH Meters. We also have purchased a new DO 300 Dissolved Oxygen Meter giving us a total of three of these digital meters. This will provide each of our four teams with their own pH meter and the two teams, Team 1 & 2, on Dividing Creek their own Dissolved Oxygen Meter, this year. Teams 3 & 4 on Jarvis and Prentice Creeks will each have a pH Meter, but will share our third DO 300, Dissolved Oxygen Meter. Mr. Beckley certified that all of the Dividing Creek Association, Citizen Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Equipment was operational and fell within the VA-DEQ and US-EPA required Monitoring Specifications. In addition Mr. Beckley conducted a live Monitoring session demonstrating the proper use and procedures for the operation and use of the monitoring equipment. This enabled Mr. Beckley to recertify all members of the Group present as VA-DEQ Certified Water Monitors. This certification enables each DCA, Certified Citizen Volunteer Water Monitoring Personnel to provide VA-DEQ recognized water monitoring services on any body of water within the Commonwealth of Virginia. It also provides the Certified Member the authority to certify additional monitoring personnel within the DCA Membership as required. Mr. Beckley also provided input, advice and VA-DEQ Approval on the Monitoring Group's monitoring plans for FY 2010. It was determined that after a very difficult 2009 Monitoring Year caused by high winds, rough water, an early cold snap in November and generally inclimate weather for on the water monitoring that monitoring for 2010 would be performed wherever possible from DCA Member docks. This will enable monitoring on a more scheduled basis and under less adverse conditions. This also falls more in line with the monitoring currently being performed by VA-DEQ and other Citizen Volunteer Personnel. This will entail obtaining permission from DCA Members for the use of their dock facilities, obtaining the GPS Coordinates of these facilities and entering this data into both our Data Base and that of VA-DEQ. Our team leaders are currently attempting to contact DCA Members to obtain the permissions to use their docks for monitoring purposes. It was agreed upon that the 2010 Monitoring Season would run on a monthly basis from April 1st through December 31st. We will monitor again this year with four teams consisting of two members working on each team. As last year we will monitor for E. coli Bacteria, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Salinity, and Turbidity. We will also report on the physical aspects of the water at the time of monitoring as in the past year. It was also questioned as to whether the DCA, Citizen Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Group should begin monitoring the Barnes Creek Area of Indian Creek. It was determined that in view of the proposed Bluff Point Holdings PUD that this would be the time to establish Baseline Water Quality Readings for this area. The QA Officer agreed and he will investigate the feasibility of undertaking this additional project. The meeting was adjourned at 12:45
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What We Do As A We are an all
volunteer group of Association Members composed of four teams. Each Team
Member is Certified as a Commonwealth of Virginia Water Monitor by the
Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA-DEQ). O ur
four teams sample the quality of our waters monthly from April 1st through
December 31st at 24 individual locations on Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis
Creeks. The testing by our teams is performed under a VA-DEQ Grant Contract
and the scrutiny of (VA-DEQ).
FY2009 Annual Report DIVIDING CREEK ASSOCIATION Citizen Volunteer WATER QUALITY MONITORING GROUP
FY 2009 END
OF YEAR REPORT
Monitoring Trip Summary (See the Attached EXCEL Spreadsheet for Sites Monitored)
Site Monitoring Period:
April 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009. Training Training and work
sessions have been ongoing throughout the year. Three formal Monitoring Problems/Activities encountered 1.) The QA Officer also
determined shortly after the April 4 training session with James 2.) Dissolved Oxygen
Data on 6/17/2009, Team 1’s, DO 300 s/n 476281 was flagged 3.) On the June 29th
Monitoring Trip Team 3 affected rescue involving an small overturned 4.) Dissolved Oxygen
Data on 6/24 Team 3’s D300 s/n 476280 was flagged bad by the 5.) Team 2 Had two
problems on their 10/01 monitoring trip. Observed Water Conditions Of Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis Creeks Overall these Estuary
Areas of the Chesapeake Bay are low to completely free of Bacterial Dividing Creek The Upper End of
Dividing Creek appears to be free of any pollution. The Headwaters Prentice Creek The upper end and coves
in this area of Prentice Creek show signs of medium to severe Jarvis Creek The Main Body of Jarvis
Creek shows only Mild to low amounts of pollution even after
2009 Water Quality Monitoring Budget
DATE DESCRIPTION INCOME EXPENSE 1/15/2009
USPS Certified Postage to VA DEQ
$ 9.70 1/20/2009 VA DEQ 2009
Grant $1500.00
7/28/2009 Micrology Labs 12ea CPK 1 ColiScan
History
WHY NOT ASK WE CAN TELL YOU
In June 2006 five members of the Dividing Creek Association Rea Hinch, Ran Marshall, Mike Egerer, Pat Hammick and Skip Kramb decided to investigate the quality of our local waters.
DIVIDING CREEK
The initial five members canvassed association members in an attempt to determine if any additional members might be interested in the quality of the waters of Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis Creeks.
PRENTICE CREEK
As a result of this query it was found that 22 association members were indeed interested in our water quality. In July 2006 the Dividing Creek Association, Water Quality Monitoring Group came into being.
JARVIS CREEK/KENT COVE
WATER QUALITY MONITORING ACTIVITIES With the help of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ), the initial group of five members begin monitoring our local creeks by participating in the World Water Day Project using four LaMotte, World Water Monitoring Day Test Kits, provided by VA DEQ to determine the quality of our waters.
Four of the members participated in the WWMD Activities by taking water samples from a total of 29 locations on Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis Creeks. Tests for Dissolved Oxygen, pH (acidity), Turbidity (Water Clarity) and Water Temperature on the three creeks were taken a total of four times over the 30 day program period of September 18, 2006 through October 18, 2006. The fifth member of our initial group, Pat Hammick processed our sampling results and entered them on the World Water Monitoring Data Base. This data base has been used by a multitude of environmental organizations in assessing and comparing water quality around the world. The sampling results were forwarded to VADEQ as well for analysis and evaluation. With the experience gained taking these samples and the positive results of these initial tests the association hoped to advise and help additional monitors do further testing in 2007.
Prentice Creek
Skip Kramb Ran Marshall
WATER QUALITY MONITORING ACTIVITIES The year 2007 was primarily a planning year. While some actual
monitoring
WATER QUALITY MONITORING ACTIVITIES In late January, 2008 the association received word from VA DEQ and The Alliance for Chesapeake Bay that some surplus test kits and chemicals might be available. Thanks to the generosity of VA DEQ and the Alliance for Chesapeake Bay the Dividing Creek Association's Water Quality Monitoring Group now has four complete testing kits valued at approximately $400.00 each. With these four kits we have been able to established four teams of two to four members each. In addition to the kits we have been provided with the monitoring chemicals and materials to hopefully enable us to monitor at least until mid July, 2008. You mat observe the Water Quality Monitoring Volunteers out on the waters of Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis Creeks twice a month beginning April 14th.
VA DEQ AND ALLIANCE FOR CHESAPEAKE BAY On March 28, 2008 VA DEQ Liaison Director James Beckley, and Alliance for Chesapeake Bay Program Coordinator Laurel Woodworth, with help from Fay Andrashko from the Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District conducted our first training session.
James Beckley, pH Sample Reading
Thirteen association members are now trained and qualified to take and process water samples for E.coli bacteria (coli form), pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity (Water Clarity), Salinity and Temperature. Thanks to the generosity of VA DEQ and the Alliance for Chesapeake Bay the Dividing Creek Association's Water Quality Monitoring Group now has the testing equipment to monitor for Fiscal Year 2008. In addition we were provided the monitoring chemicals and materials to hopefully be able to monitor until mid July.
James Beckley Dissolved Oxygen Sample
James Beckley, VA DEQ Calibrating the Refractometer
On April 9, 2008 the Dividing Creek Association, Water Quality Monitoring Group conducted their first formal organizational meeting. Four Teams of five monitors each were created and team leaders were selected. Each team was assigned a monitoring area with specific monitoring sites assigned. The sites will be monitored every two weeks throughout the monitoring season and only on the outgoing tide. Monitoring was begun the
week of April 14, 2008 and hopefully will be able to continue on a twice
monthly schedule until the end of
the monitoring season in early December. The sample results of the
association's monitoring are being inputted to the VA DEQ Data Base for study
by VA DEQ, EPA and other agencies to evaluate the quality of our waters and
make recommendations on what can be done to correct any problem areas that
might be found.
These forms of bacterial contamination in sufficient quantities would indicate a probable health problem in your creek water. In this case these e.coli colonies are likely caused by wildlife (ducks, geese, heron, osprey, deer, raccoon, muskrat and pets) in the area.
COMMON COLIFORM SAMPLE
ACTUAL SAMPLE In our first monitoring test at 14 locations on our
creeks no serious problems of any kind were noted. Overall the three creeks
we monitor Dividing, Prentice and Jarvis Creeks appear to be relatively
clean. We are having an interesting year as we compare the cooler
early spring waters with the hot mid-summer conditions and now as the water
cools. We have seen the E.coli cont increase as the water warmed and now
with the water cooling the E. coli has shown a marked decrease. Likewise the
Dissolved Oxygen content decreased as the water warmed and the Water
Temperature increased raising the Algae Count and Turbidity. It was observed
that the decreased Blue Crab population directly followed the decrease in
the Dissolved Oxygen Count of our waters. The fish population also followed
this phenomenon but to a lesser degree. With the water now cooling we have
observed the E. coli Count decrease, the Dissolved Oxygen Count increase and
the Turbidity decrease as the suspended algae in the water dies off. If you see one of our monitoring teams on the water and are interested in what they are doing you are invited to stop by and observe. We will continue to monitor thru Mid December weather permitting. We plan to resume or monitoring activities in Early April. With the completion of the 2008 Water Monitoring Season we have established a Baseline that will be available for use by Water Monitoring Groups, (US EPA, VA DEQ, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Alliance for Chesapeake Bay, DCA Water Quality Monitoring Group) on these waters for years to come. Our monitoring plans for 2009 include the upgrading of our monitoring procedures from the Chemical/Visual Comparison Methods of determining water quality to new more accurate Digital Monitoring Meters. These meters will speed up our monitoring times, enable us to monitor more areas, give us more accurate data, and in the long run reduce our monitoring costs.
If you are interested in what is in your water or your neighbors water and wish to do some monitoring yourself as part of one of our teams please call either of the Water Quality Monitoring Chairmen. Rea Hinch Project
Manager or Skip Kramb Quality
Analyst To view our Dividing Creek Association, Water Quality Monitoring Group data for 2008 and 2009 it is located on the Official Virginia Departnent of Environmental Quality Web Site. To view the DCA Data follow the instructions below. ACCESSING THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CITIZEN VOLUNTEER WATER QUALITY MONITORING NON-AGENCY DATABASE
DATABASE ACCESS PROCEDURES
ENTER: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/cmonitor on the URL Line of your Internet Browser. (Opens VA-DEQ Home Page) CLICK: DEQ Non-Agency Database (opens Virginia Volunteer/Non-Agency Monitoring Data page) CLICK: Select criteria to see a list of monitoring sites (opens Site Filter Settings box) CLICK: The Down Arrow next to No Group Specified (opens a dropdown box
listing the 38 Volunteer Monitoring Groups CLICK: Dividing Creek Association from
the drop down list. (you may also view other CLICK: Change (Box) (This displays two Dropdown Boxes. The TOP Box entitled
Dividing Creek Association The BOTTOM Box entitled Reports Is a
list of options which determines what you wish to view for a
CLICK: Any site you wish to view from the FIRST BOX
CLICK: Second Box REPORTS Selections: The 1st, 2nd or 4th
line selection to view Information regarding the site
TO EXIT ANY PAGE IN THE DATABASE AND/OR MOVE BACK ONE PAGE IN
Any time
you wish to back out of a selection or a screen simply click on the Left 1st line
selection presents summarized listing of site data in a line by CLICK: (details) To view line by line collected monitoring data. 2nd line
presents a Map Presentation of the Site Location with a Red
CLICK: The Red Arrow to present data on the physical location . HINT: Use the
ZOOM BAR to view the exact location of 4th line in
the Reports Box presents a line by line full report of the Good for comparing
Month to Month and Year to Year 3rd line
presents a map of the entire DCA Monitoring Area with Red Use the ZOOM BAR to
better view the entire DCA The remaining Selections are a work
in progress by VA-DEQ and may or CLICK: GO Box located under the REPORT BOX
after making your Report Selection.
TO EXIT ANY PAGE IN THE DATABASE Any time you wish to back out of a selection or a
screen To EXIT the Database Simply CLICK
on your HOME ICON to exit to your Browser REMEMBER Environmental engineers, scientists, analysts from various Federal, State and Private agencies college and university study groups along with numerous advocacy groups are all utilizing the data that we along with over 40 other citizen volunteers across the state collect and enter into the VA-DEQ Database. The data from this database along with data from many like groups within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is being utilized in an effort to determine the most effective means to prevent further degradation to the Chesapeake Bay waters and in the long run what it will require to clean up the bay.
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