2007 EPA Region III Volunteer Monitoring Conference

The 4th EPA Region III Volunteer Monitoring Conference was held on October 12-13, 2007, at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  The theme of this year’s conference was “Using monitoring data to protect and restore water quality”.  Over 120 people attended the conference from Virginia and surrounding states.

This was a chance to share monitoring skills, technical advances, and to build partnerships with other monitoring organizations throughout Region III.  On Friday the 12th, speakers presented on a wide range of topics including communicating volunteer monitoring data at the local, watershed, state, and regional levels.  On Saturday, many exciting workshops and field trips were held including touring a local cave to learn about how Karst topography affects water quality to creating rain barrels.

The conference afforded participants the opportunity to meet new faces and renew old acquaintances.  Conference attendees had the opportunity to speak directly with government and other monitoring organizations representatives about water quality issues.

A grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency Nonpoint Source Pollution Program paid for conference registration and meals.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Friends of the Shenandoah River, Shenandoah University, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Citizens for Water Quality, and the Virginia Water Monitoring Council were sponsors of the conference this year in association with the Delaware Nature Society, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Conference Agenda

Conference Speaker Biographies

Conference Presentations

Morning Session

CSI-A: Using Volunteer Data at the Local, Watershed, State, and Regional Level

           Q and A Forum on use of volunteer Data (no presentations available)

CSI-B: Associating Water Quality Data with Land Use and BMP Performance

• Chuck Hoysa – John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District: Results of Coliscan and other volunteer monitoring in the Thumb Run TMDL
• Dana Walker – PA DEP: Integrating volunteers into restoration monitoring
• David Lazarus – VA DEQ: How volunteer data is used in meeting Virginia’s TMDL goals

CSI-C: Understanding Water Quality Standards

• Jean Gregory – VA DEQ: Overview of new and upcoming Virginia Water Quality Standards
• Danielle Donkersloot – NJ Department of Environmental Protection: Overview of standards
• Linda Keller – WV Dept. of Environmental Protection: How Standards are Changed in West Virginia

Afternoon Session

CSII-A: Relaying Results: Sending Your Data in Regional, State, and Federal Databases

• James Beckley – VA DEQ: Online volunteer monitoring database and Virginia Water Monitoring Council GIS application
• Dwane Young – EPA Headquarters: Presentation on WQX
• Dr. Tom Benzing – James Madison University: Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum Water Window online application

CSII-B: Unconventional Water Quality Monitoring

• Deborah Debiasi – VA DEQ: Emerging Contaminants
• Dr. Carolyn Thomas – Ferrum College: Algae Identification
• Don Kain – VA DEQ: Shenandoah Fish Kill
• Mary Gessner and John Holmes – Friends of the North Fork Shenandoah River: Passive Sampling using “Virtual Fish”

CSII-C: Community Outreach and Successful Collaborations

• Llyn Sharp – Virginia Tech: “Learn and Serve” how K-12 students can involve the community
• Joanna Cornell – Northern VA Soil and Water Conservation District:  Creating Environmental Stewardship – Evidence from the Neighborhood Ecological Stewardship Training (NEST) Program
• Ginger North – Delaware Nature Society: Community Outreach