Pennsylvania’s DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION and WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM presented by TONY SHAW National Water Quality Monitoring Council Meeting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 24-26, 2007

Population Centers of Pennsylvania

Topography of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanian Environmental Personalities GIFFORD PINCHOT ( ) America's First Forester, “First Conservationist” First Director of US Forest Service Two term Governor of Pennsylvania Gray Towers Mansion Gifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot State Park J. HORACE McFARLAND ( ) Native of Juniata County, PA “Father” of the National Park Service “ City beautiful" and preservation movement

Pennsylvanian Environmental Personalities RACHEL CARSON ( ) Native of Allegheny County, PA “Silent Spring” NED SMITH (1919 –1985) Native of Dauphin County, PA Naturalist, Wildlife Artist and illustrator of magazines, books, wildlife prints

Dr. MAURICE K. GODDARD ( ) Director - PSU School of Forest Resources Secretary – PA Department of Forests and Waters > PA Department of Environmental Resources... a merger of Forests &Waters and Mines & Mineral Industries, Pennsylvanian Environmental Personalities and absorbed some duties performed by the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Labor and Industry, and the State Planning Board. Goal: a park or forest recreation facility within 25 miles of most PA citizens. Civil Service Status: to professional staff.... shielding them from being removed for political reasons

WQM WSM

Topography of Pennsylvania

Physiographic Provinces of Pennsylvania

Physiographic Sections of Pennsylvania

Major River Basins

Oil, Gas, & Coal Fields

Pennsylvania Land Cover

Public Lands in Pennsylvania

Streams with Antidegradation Special Protection

Elements of Pennsylvania’s Monitoring and Assessment Program Division of Water Quality Standards Bureau of Water Standards & Facility Regulation Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

 Streams,  Lakes and Reservoirs,  Groundwater,  Wetlands, Estuarine and Coastal Waters MONITOR and ASSESS “ALL WATERS / ALL USES”

Streams, Lakes, Reservoirs Surface Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQN) Statewide Surface Waters Assessments > Statewide Surface Waters Assessment Program > Instream Comprehensive Evaluations (ICE) Aquatic Life Special Water Quality Protection Surveys Cause/Effect Compliance Surveys Use Attainability Studies Lake Surveys

Surface Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQN) ~ 160 stations – Rivers, Streams, Lakes: to monitor water quality conditions on a broad scale Major Streams & Rivers - Trend Analyses Minimally Disturbed Streams - Reference Conditions Lakes with public access - 5 year rotating cycle Chesapeake Bay - Selected locations to monitor nutrient and sediment loading

Water Quality Network Stations

Station Map ,000+ Statewide Surface Waters Assessment Program (SSWAP)

1997 – 2006 Miles Assessed Map ,000+

6 RO Basins & Stations Instream Comprehensive Evaluations (ICE)

SCRO Primary & Backup Sites

Groundwater Monitoring Was implemented on a limited statewide scale. Now ~ inactive due to personnel and funding losses Recent activity with the USGS in formulating a statewide, probabilistic monitoring design. Wetlands Monitoring in a “pilot project” phase... ~ 1/5 of the State was assessed using a probabilistic study design – needs program commitment and long term funding Estuarine and Coastal Waters PA coastal waters are very small: Lake Erie shoreline (63 miles) and the Delaware Estuary (57 shoreline miles and 17 square miles). Coastal Zone Management, Delaware Estuary Program

PROTECTED USES Aquatic Life Warm Water Fishes (WWF) Cold Water Fishes (CWF) Trout Stocking (TSF) Migratory Fishes (MF) Special Protection High Quality Waters (HQ) Exceptional Value Waters (EV) Water Supply Potable Water Supply (PWS) Recreation Water Contact Sports (WC) Fish Consumption Fishing (F)

Special Protection (Antidegradation) > Macroinvertebrate Biological Condition Score used to define High Quality & Exceptional Value Waters Specific Stream Habitat Benthic IBIs > Coldwater “Freestone” (summer and non-summer indices) > Limestone streams > Low-Gradient Fish IBI Development > Ohio Basin IBI development > Atlantic Slope IBI development & Ohio & Atlantic IBI verification (REMAP) Biological Metrics Assessment Tools

WATERBODYMONITORINGASSESSMENT 305b/303d Reporting STREAMS Wadeable freestone YES Benthic IBI YES Wadeable warm water YES Benthic IBI fish IBI under development YES Limestone YES NEW benthic IBI YES Low Gradient YES NEW benthic IBI YES Rivers LIMITED WQN, fish advisories YES LAKES ROTATING FISH, MACROPHYTES under protocol development YES GROUNDWATER VERY LIMITED WQ CHEMISTRY NO WETLANDS NO PILOT PHASE NO COASTAL& ESTUARIES NO DEVELOPMENT PROJECT REVIEW SPECIAL DELEP PROJECTS ?

Tony Shaw Water Standards & Facility Regulation Department of Environmental Protection Rachel Carson State Office Building 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA

Basic Initiatives influencing our WQ activities since the mid-1990s : Development of Numerical “Biocriteria” - Various Indices of Biotic Integrity (IBIs) Statewide Surface Water Assessment Program (SSWAP) 1997 – Legal agreement to assess all wadeable surface waters ~ 86,000 + stream miles Pennsylvania’s Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Program