Ecosystem Group 1: Overarching Question: Is the Ecosystem Healthy? How Can We Use Monitoring to Assess Ecosystem Health and Identify Causes of Impairment?
Every Watershed is Different!! -saltwater/freshwater -effluent-dominated waters
Can We Make a List of Priority CECs? -Yes!! -saltwater/freshwater -effluent-dominated waters
Can We Make a List of Priority CECs? -Yes!! (but it wouldn’t be very meaningful) -saltwater/freshwater -effluent-dominated waters
What Else Can We Do? -Hypothesis-driven monitoring: -endpoints of ecological relevance -biomonitoring and chemical -Conceptual models of sources, receptors and meaningful control oppoprtunities
Let’s Not Reinvent the Wheel -Existing Regional Monitoring Programs for CECs -SFEI ECWG -SCCWRP Bight program -Regional Inland Water Programs (e.g., SARWQA -Process: -Expert judgement -Prioritization -Monitoring to Address Uncertainty -Decisions about inclusion into RMP
One More Thing… -Effluent Monitoring: To Assess Treatment Plant Performance (not necessarily tied to Ecological Effects)