The Maryland Water Monitoring Council

Announcements and Conferences

MWMC Board Meets to Install New Members

The MWMC Board of Directors met on January 18, 2011, to start the Council’s 17th year, talk about plans for 2011, and induct two new members. At the meeting, Megan Ward graciously agreed to serve as Vice-Chair. Megan is Programs Manager for the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance and she has served on the Board for one year. Chairman Keith Van Ness (Montgomery County DEP) stepped down as Chair but he’ll continue to serve on the Board. Sonja Schmitz (Community College of Baltimore County/Catonsville) and Sandy Hertz (Maryland State Highway Administration) joined the Board. Sonja teaches Biology at CCBC and is actively involved in teacher education programs in Baltimore County. Sandy is Director of SHA’s Office of Environmental Design. Dan Boward (MD/DNR) will continue to faithfully serve the Board and Council as the dedicated Executive Secretary.

MWMC Board Chair Mark Southerland recognizes the Dave Bolton’s (Maryland Geological Survey) three years of Board service. Dave helped to plan the 2008 and 2009 MWMC Annual Conferences and assisted the Board on groundwater issues during his tenure.

MWMC Board Chair Mark Southerland thanks Bob Paul (St. Mary’s College) for his three years of service on the Board. Bob is a long-time professor at the College and assists the St. Mary’s Watershed Association in their important endeavors.

Selected Low-Flow Frequency Statistics for Continuous-Record Streamgage Locations in Maryland, 2010

Abstract
According to a 2008 report by the Governor’s Advisory Committee on the Management and Protection of the State’s Water Resources, Maryland’s population grew by 35 percent between 1970 and 2000, and is expected to increase by an additional 27 percent between 2000 and 2030. Because domestic water demand generally increases in proportion to population growth, Maryland will be facing increased pressure on water resources over the next 20 years. Water-resources decisions should be based on sound, comprehensive, long-term data and low-flow frequency statistics from all available streamgage locations with unregulated streamflow and adequate record lengths. To provide the Maryland Department of the Environment with tools for making future water-resources decisions, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study in October 2009 to compute low-flow frequency statistics for selected streamgage locations in Maryland with 10 or more years of continuous streamflow records.

This report presents low-flow frequency statistics for 114 continuous-record streamgage locations in Maryland. The computed statistics presented for each streamgage location include the mean 7-, 14-, and 30-consecutive day minimum daily low-flow dischages for recurrence intervals of 2, 10, and 20 years, and are based on approved streamflow records that include a minimum of 10 complete climatic years of record as of June 2010. Descriptive information for each of these streamgage locations, including the station number, station name, latitude, longitude, county, physiographic province, and drainage area, also is presented.

The statistics are planned for incorporation into StreamStats, which is a U.S. Geological Survey Web application for obtaining stream information, and is being used by water-resource managers and decision makers in Maryland to address water-supply planning and management, water-use appropriation and permitting, wastewater and industrial discharge permitting, and setting minimum required streamflows to protect freshwater biota and ecosystems.

For more information and a .pdf file of this publication, follow this link

Citizen Science Symposium

Thursday, May 12 - Friday, May 13, 2011
The Wells Conference Center, University of Maine, Orono, Maine

Join us at the CRSF Citizen Science Symposium to learn more about environmental research and programs where citizen science and community-based monitoring have been applied to advance opportunities for scientific data collection and other outcomes.

Call for Papers
Click here to view the call for papers

Submit an Abstract
Click here to submit an abstract

Online Registration will be available early 2011

To our Water Colleagues around the Nation,

As Co-Chairs of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (or "Council"), we are pleased to release the second edition of our online newsletter National Water Monitoring News: http://acwi.gov/monitoring/ .

We provide this newsletter as a forum of communication among water practitioners across the Nation. In support of the national Council’s mission, this newsletter is geared to foster partnerships and collaboration; advance water science; improve monitoring strategies; and enhance data integration, comparability, and reporting.

This edition highlights many events, activities, and new products and we hope the information is useful for your water needs. Among the topics included:

• Updates on monitoring, such as:
• Federal agency efforts in the Gulf of Mexico waters and a long-term monitoring collaborative.
• National Ground Water Network pilot projects.
• Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council implementation of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
• Volunteer monitoring of the environmental impacts of Marcellus Shale gas extraction.
• Native American monitoring of Alaska waters including a "Healing Journey" canoe trip. Highlights from the Council's 7th National Monitoring Conference and web seminar series.
• Development of a web portal for aquatic sensors and considerations for building a national reference site network.
• Integrated assessments from the IOOS® Regional Associations and the National Network for Coastal Waters and a multi-region water quality project for protecting beach health.
• Highlights from the Council's 7th National Monitoring Conference
• Highlights from the Council's web seminar series

Many thanks to Tracy Hancock, Cathy Tate, Dan Sullivan, and Kim Martz of the USGS who spearheaded this effort, and to all contributors nationwide.

On behalf of the whole Council, we hope you enjoy this newsletter and we encourage your feedback and input in future editions!

Also, please notify us of any incorrect or misleading statements so that we can correct accordingly.

Respectfully yours,

Pixie A Hamilton, USGS Co-Chair and Susan Holdsworth, EPA Co-Chair

USGS Podcast on Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Quality Assessment Program is completing a study of the Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE). The study examined the effects of urban development at the watershed scale on a stream’s physical (hydrology and habitat), chemical (stream chemistry) and biological (algae, macroinvertebrates, and fish) characteristics. In each of nine metropolitan areas across the United States, the study, which employed a set of 30 similarly-sized watersheds that represented a gradient of urban development, collected data on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of each stream and compared these characteristics with the level of urban development.

As part of the project wrap-up we are developing materials to convey project results to a non-technical audience. One of avenues we are exploring is the use of video podcasts.

We have just released a new podcast this morning, featuring Tom Cuffney and Tom Schueler ( http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/298).

Elevated nutrients in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater—A Continuing Issue

Available on the Internet (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/nutrients/pubs/circ1350/) are two USGS publications (Circular 1350 and Fact Sheet 3078), along with a briefing sheet prepared for a congressional briefing to be held September 24, Frequently Asked Questions, supporting technical information (graphics, maps, tables, and data), and related links.

A press release, Corecast, and video and presentations from the briefing are forthcoming.

The information describes nutrient concentrations in the Nation's water resources, key sources of nutrients, factors affecting nutrient concentrations, potential effects on humans and aquatic life, and changes in concentrations since the early 1990s. Implications of the findings touch on many environmental issues, including those related to (1) developing nutrient criteria for surface water bodies, (2) reducing nutrients to receiving waters, (3) setting realistic expectations for water-quality improvements following nutrient reduction strategies, and (4) managing elevated nutrients in drinking water from surface-water intakes and wells.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us distribute these scientific findings to water stakeholders throughout the Nation.

For questions, concerns, or more information:
Please contact Pixie A. Hamilton, pahamilt@usgs.gov , (804) 261-2602 (office), (804) 301-3869 (cell)

The Student Conservation Association

MWMC Board Meets to Install New Members

The MWMC Board of Directors met on January 21, 2010, to start the Council’s 16th year, talk about plans for 2010, and induct several new members. Having recently retired from USGS, Vice-Chairman Jim Gerhart visited his former office to say goodbye to the Board on which he served since January 2008. His Vice-Chair gavel has been passed to Mark Southerland (Versar, Inc.) who will join Chairman Keith Van Ness (Montgomery County DEP) on the MWMC leadership team. Doug Redmond (M-NCPPC) and Mark Bryer (The Nature Conservancy) completed their service on the Board and were duly recognized. New members include Peter Tango (USGS/Chesapeake Bay Program), Megan Ward (Nanticoke Watershed Alliance), and Ed Doheny (USGS). Dan Boward (MD/DNR) will continue to faithfully serve the Board and Council as the dedicated Executive Secretary.

Chairman Van Ness congratulates Jim Gerhart (left) for his service on the MWMC Board. Jim joined the Council Board in 2005 and was instrumental in helping the Council achieve several of it’s groundwater and streamflow gaging milestones.

Doug Redmond (right) says goodbye to the MWMC Board on which he served since 2008. Doug assisted the Council on matters pertaining to stream biological and physical sampling.

Chairman Van Ness (kneeling in front) welcomes new MWMC Board members (left to right) Megan Ward, Ed Doheny, Peter Tango, and Mark Southerland. Mark joined the Board in 2009 but assumed the role of Vice-Chair in January 2010.

Where: Carroll Community College – Westminster, Maryland (http://www.carrollcc.edu/)
When: August 10 – 13, 2011
Who: The event is open to everyone! Agency sta, consultants, educators, students, and volunteer monitors are encouraged to attend
How Much?: We are doing our best to make this aordable to all. The registration fee for all four days will likely be less than $100.

For more information, contact Dan Boward at dboward@dnr.state.md.us or Paul Kazyak at pkazyak@dnr.state.md.us.

Coastal Zone 2011 Conference

NOAA, with the National Ocean Service as a lead organizer, is a major sponsor of the Coastal Zone 2011 (CZ 11) Conference, to be held in Chicago in July 2011. CZ 11 gives us a terrific opportunity to set the agenda for the workshops and discussions, to get our information out to and hear from hundreds of coastal stakeholders.

The CZ 11 Call For Abstracts with the four conference themes and the online submission form is available on the CZ 11 web site at http://www.doi.gov/initiatives/CZ11/abstracts.htm.

You are invited to submit a special session with 3-4 papers and a chairperson, a workshop, a poster session, a café conversation, or an individual paper. Abstracts should be 500 words or less and are due Friday, October 8, 2010, via an on-line submission form on the conference web site. It is possible the deadline will be extended. Contact cz11@noaa.gov for questions.

Opportunities are available for CZ 11 sponsors, exhibitors, and free space is available for associated meetings on a first come, first served basis.

Information about the conference program is regularly posted at the conference web site so please check it regularly.

MWMC Holds Climate Change Monitoring Workshop

Almost 60 people gathered at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center on November 17, 2009, for a workshop sponsored by the MWMC’s Monitoring and Assessment Committee and titled Planning for the Future: Designing and Implementing a Climate Change Monitoring Network in Maryland’s Non-tidal Waters. (Agenda - 29Kb .pdf) In an effort to live more sustainably, attendees were asked to carpool and bring their own coffee mugs---most complied.

Workshop Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Keith VanNess (Montgomery County DEP) and Ron Klauda (MD/DNR) welcomed attendees, thanked the Steering Committee members (32Kb .pdf) and opened the workshop by stating its goal: “To construct the framework for a long-term (multi-decadal) statewide monitoring network focused on ephemeral aquatic habitats (e.g., seasonal pools) and headwater streams-----a network that can be used to detect and track the responses of these non-tidal systems to climate change.”

The Steering Committee’s Vision is “a long-term monitoring network that is designed, implemented, supported, nurtured, protected, and maintained by a multi-agency and multi-organizational group of professionals, with participation from researchers, students, and citizen scientists.”

Ron then gave several reasons for why the workshop is focused on ephemeral habitats and headwater streams:

1. These aquatic resources appear to be especially vulnerable to water temperature increases, altered precipitation patterns, and more severe flood and drought cycles that are predicted to occur in Maryland with climate change.
2. Local, state, and federal agencies (and others) in Maryland have compiled several relatively long-term data sets collected to assess the conditions of 1st through 4th order, non-tidal streams. Although it is likely that many of these monitoring programs will continue into the foreseeable future, expanding their current objectives to also track climate change effects could help ensure their longevity.
3. Compared to headwater streams, there are only limited monitoring data sets, maps, and assessments for ephemeral habitats in Maryland. The MWMC sponsored two recent workshops focused on vernal pools, with the goals of increasing their exposure and initiating a statewide mapping and assessment effort. Although there is much interest in these important habitats, the statewide mapping and assessments haven’t happened yet. This workshop may breathe new life into these tasks.
4. Most of the initial discussions of climate change effects on aquatic resources in Maryland have been focused on tidal areas---at the lower end of our watersheds----because of the major threats posed by sea level rise and intense storm-related flooding of low lying areas. The current monitoring realignment discussions underway within the Chesapeake Bay Program should lead to increased water monitoring activities in the middle portions of our watersheds. The steering committee therefore decided to focus this workshop on the most upstream portions of our watersheds, those areas drained by headwater streams and also occupied by ephemeral aquatic habitats.

Ron explained the workshop format (Agenda - 29Kb .pdf) and introduced the invited speakers:
(PowerPoints have been converted to .pdf)

• Peter Murdoch, USGS
• Britta Bierwagen, USEPA (582Kb .pdf)
• Peter Claggett, USGS (6.8Mb .pdf)
• Zoe Johnson, MDDNR (444Kb .pdf)
• Robert Brooks, US Forest Service (3.08Mb .pdf)
• Robert Hildebrand, UMD CES/AL (973Kb .pdf)
• Andy Becker, MD/DNR (5.52Kb .pdf)

Bob Shedlock (USGS) led an afternoon Panel Discussion and Brainstorming Session, during which workshop attendees were asked to address a list of Suggested Questions (57Kb .pdf). Some but not all questions were answered. These questions and others will be discussed in future meetings that will be scheduled in early 2010---to complete the design of the climate change monitoring network and seek ways to implement it. Notes from the Panel Discussion and Brainstorming Session will be posted at this website soon.

At the end of the workshop, attendees were asked to fill out the Monitoring Network Participation Form (36Kb .pdf), and indicate where they could either individually or via their organization continue to participate in the design and implementation of the climate change monitoring network. As of December 9, 2009, the workshop steering committee has received 15 completed Participation Forms. Of these, seven individuals volunteered to serve on the Work Group that will design the monitoring network, three offered potential network sites or volunteered to monitor sites that are selected for inclusion in the network, three members of volunteer groups expressed interest in getting more involved, five want to participate in data analysis, five will help disseminate monitoring results and eight offered helpful suggestions about the network.

If you were unable to attend the November 17 workshop, but want to get involved in the climate change monitoring network, please contact Ron Klauda (rklauda@dnr.state.md.us) or Keith Van Ness (keith.vanness@montgomerycountymd.gov).

2010 State of the River Summit

2010 North American Lake Management Society Symposium

Heading to Oklahoma City?

Whether you have already registered, still need to, or are on the fence, the below information will give you everything you need to know about the upcoming event!

Ice Breaker Pub Crawl

New to NALMS? Never been to a Symposium before? Traveling solo and need to meet some new people? Are you a student looking to meet potential employers? Are you looking to network? Then, join us for this event on Tuesday evening, Nov 2nd. Food and beverage discounts as well as a chance to get to know fellow attendees!

Bricktown

This is the place to be in downtown, OKC. The newly restored warehouse district is now home to restaurants, nightclubs, sporting facilities, shops, attractions, and a spectacular canal. Check out this link for more info: http://www.bricktownokc.com

Workshops - No experience required

Thinking about attending a pre-conference workshop? Good choice! The committee has put together a great list of learning opportunities and you do not need to have prior knowledge about the material to attend!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 workshops:

• Collection, Identification, Ecology & Control of Freshwater Algae
• Ecological Approach to Invasive Aquatic Plant Management
• Lake Phosphorus Inactivation & Interception
• Tools for Lake and Watershed Assessment
• Understanding Dissolved Oxygen

Hot Topics - Technical Sessions

Some of the topics that we will be discussing:

• Nutrient Criteria
• Source Water Protection
• Reservoirs Fisheries Habitat Partnership
• Cheney Lake Watershed Project
• Cyanobacteria

Download the preliminary program of technical sessions by clicking here

Cowboy Hall of Fame

During some down time, check out The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Click here to visit their website: http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/Default.aspx

Hotel Room Block Deadline - 10/30/10

The Renaissance Hotel will provide accommodations for the Symposium. Conference room rates are $129.00.

Renaissance Hotel
10 N. Broadway
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
Phone: 405-228-8000 | Toll Free: 800-468-3571
www.marriot.com

• Use this link to reserve your room at the group rate.
• Room rates are $129 for single or double occupancy plus tax
• Government rates are available. Use this link to reserve your room at the government rate.
• The conference rate is available until September 30, 2010

Discount Registration Deadline - 10/22/10

The next deadline for break in registration price is October 22, 2010. Please click here for Symposium price information.

To register for the Symposium please click here!

2010 National Training Conference On The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Environmental Conditions in Communities

Registration is now open for the 2010 National Training Conference On The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Environmental Conditions in Communities, which will be held November 1-4, 2010 in Washington, DC at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

This year's conference expands on previous TRI National Training conferences to include sessions on sources of other environmental data and on conditions and trends in ecological and human health that collectively help to support environmentally-related decision making in communities.

Please go to the following link to learn more about the conference and to register on-line: http://chemicalright2know.com/content/2010-national-training-conference.

For questions please contact Kelley Ann Lovelace at ECOS at klovelace@ecos.org or Christine Arcari at the US EPA at arcari.christine@epa.gov.

Third Maryland Stream Monitoring Roundtable held at the USGS Water Science Center on March 3, 2010

The purpose of this MWMC-sponsored event was to provide an informal forum for exchanging information on stream monitoring programs throughout Maryland. First scheduled for February 10, 2010, the Roundtable was postponed due to Snowmageddon. Email requests for 2010 sampling site locations were sent to 104 people representing consulting firms, local, state and federal agencies. The roundtable organizers received 15 responses with stream monitoring site locations. A map depicting sites, program name and contact person can be found here (.pdf file). The day’s agenda is here (Agenda in .pdf file) and a summary, including a list of attendees can be found here (Summary in .pdf file). Lastly, pdf versions of all presenter's Power Point presentations are below:

• MBSS Sampling in 2010 - Dan Boward, Ron Klauda, Andy Becker
• Overview of Maryland DNR’s Freshwater Long-term Monitoring Programs - Tony Prochaska and Sherm Garrison
• The Maryland Stream-Gaging Network in 2010 - Ed Doheny (USGS)
• Stream Monitoring within the National Capital Region of the National Park Service - Marian Norris, James Pieper
• What is Stream Waders? - Dan Boward
• Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management: 2010 Sampling Stations - Dennis Genito

For more information, contact Andy Becker (abecker@dnr.state.md.us) or Dan Boward (dboward@dnr.state.md.us).

TMDL 2010

Watershed Management to Improve Water Quality

November 14-17, 2010
Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor
Baltimore, Maryland USA

The American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) is hosting a TMDL Conference in Baltimore on November 21-24, 2010. The attached call for papers has recently been extended through February 15, 2010.

View the Call for Papers announcement as a .pdf

www.asabe.org/meetings/tmdl2010

More Information

For conference registration and exhibition questions, email Sharon McKnight at mcknight@asabe.org.

For conference program and tour questions, email George Vellidis at yiorgos@uga.edu.

Seminar at the U.S. Geological Survey
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center, Baltimore, MD
Directions: http://md.water.usgs.gov/directions/baltimore.html
Time: Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 11:00

Gary A. Lamberti, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Notre Dame
*******

The Global Freshwater Crisis – Challenges and Solutions

Fresh water is arguably the planet’s most imperiled resource, with more than one billion people lacking access to clean water and more than 3 billion people lacking sanitation for their waste.  At a global scale, more than 50 percent of all fresh water is already used at least once by humans, and virtually every river now has major impoundments, with one or more major dams completed every day on average.  Aquifers are subsiding at an alarming rate because of groundwater extraction for irrigation and other human uses.  Toxic chemicals ranging from metals to radionuclides to pharmaceuticals enter, accumulate, and biomagnify in freshwater habitats.  As a result, freshwater biota is globally threatened, with fish, mussels, and crayfish being the most endangered groups of animals worldwide.  Important vectors of human disease, such as mosquitoes, breed in degraded freshwaters in close proximity to humans, and invasive species compromise the integrity of freshwater ecosystems.  In short, human and environmental well-being is dependent on the presence of high-quality and plentiful freshwater.  How will the planet and human population deal with this freshwater crisis, and what are the possible solutions to ensuring a plentiful supply of clean freshwater for future generations.  

Dr. Lamberti is a professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. He received his doctorate from the University of California – Berkeley in 1983 and has been on the faculty of Notre Dame since 1989.  Dr. Lamberti is an aquatic ecologist and environmental scientist, whose research focuses on salmon biology, the ecology of invasive species, and river restoration.  Dr. Lamberti's lecture is sponsored by the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association and is part of the Theodore M. Hesburgh Lecture Series, a program that enables Notre Dame faculty to make presentations on their research at different venues around the country.  In the last few years, UMBC, USGS, and Notre Dame have been partners in this lecture series.

Water and Energy in Maryland Fall 2011 Symposium

Fall 2010 Symposium

October 28, 2010
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (luncheon included)
Adele H. Stamp Student Union
University of Maryland, College Park

This year, the Gulf oil spill has been a sobering demonstration of how the environment and water resources can be damaged in the process of meeting society's energy needs. Although Maryland waters were not affected by this particular disaster, our state faces its own set of connections, challenges, potential conflicts -- and potential synergy -- between water and energy. Speakers from the region will address a variety of topics in the areas of:

• Energy for Water (energy required to supply water for society)
• Water for Energy (water required to supply energy for society)
• Energy vs. Water (impacts of energy development on water quantity and quality)

Participants will learn about past, present, and future research and practice to meet Maryland's energy and water needs reliably and sustainably.

The morning session will discuss the water/energy nexus, with emphasis on Maryland issues, opportunities, and research needs. The afternoon session will feature specific investigations and innovations, including atmospheric deposition and water quality, generating power from wastewater biosolids, powering treatment plants with solar and wind energy, and living systems for water and energy in buildings (including Maryland's 2011 Solar Decathlon entry, WaterShed).

This event is free, but registration is required. Please follow this link to register.

Specific questions may be addressed to the Center at (301-405-6829) or e-mail kbru@umd.edu.

*** Routed proposals are due in the WRRC office (1147 Martin Hall, University of Maryland, College Park 20742) by close of business (4:30 PM) on Friday, November 5, 2010 ***

Administered by the United States Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

Report from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

Nutrient Trends in Streams and Rivers of the United States, 1993 -- 2003
By Lori A. Sprague, David K. Mueller, Gregory E. Schwarz, and David L. Lorenz.

ZEBRA MUSSELS FOUND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MARYLAND WATERS IN LATE 2008!

In November 2008, over 20 years after zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were first found in North America (in Lake St. Clair between Michigan and Ontario, Canada), a single dead adult zebra mussel was found in a juvenile America shad collection basket on the upstream side of the Conowingo Dam, in the Maryland portion of the lower Susquehanna River. This was the first documented occurrence of this non-native, invasive mussel species in Maryland waters.

Less than a month later (December 2008), a second dead adult zebra mussel was found on a boat at Glen Cove Marina, just off the Conowingo Pool, Harford County, MD. Later that month, four dead adults were found along the shore of Muddy Run Reservoir, a tributary to the lower Susquehanna, about 5 miles upstream from the MD-PA border.

These discoveries stimulated MD/DNR’s Invasive Species Matrix Team to organize an Information Exchange Meeting on January 30, 2009 (see attached agenda). The purpose of this meeting was to bring everyone up to speed on the zebra mussel situation in Maryland, discuss potential ecological and economic impacts, and develop action items that resource management agencies, municipal water users, and electric power companies can hopefully achieve to help control and contain zebra mussels in the lower Susquehanna. A total of 45 people attended the meeting, including interested individuals from adjacent states.

From this meeting emerged a new group: the Mid-Atlantic Zebra Mussel Working Group, plus several actions: identify vectors and entry points, establish a map of the region showing the locations of all zebra mussel monitoring sites, assess the size and age composition of the zebra mussel population in the Conowingo Pool and other portions of the lower Susquehanna, identify public user groups along the lower Susquehanna for targeting education/outreach activities, develop/update outreach materials, and identify sources of funds to support outreach and management actions.

MD/DNR’s Invasive Species Matrix Team has begun work on two action items: establish physical and chemical criteria for potential zebra mussel distribution in Maryland waters (see attached table) and establish a system to notify the public that zebra mussels probably now reside in the lower Susquehanna River and solicit their help in containing the mussels there (see new "STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS!" sign attached).

---submitted by Ronald J. Klauda (MD/DNR) on February 20, 2008

Invasive Diatom Discovered in Maryland

The Maryland Water Monitoring Council’s Board of Directors, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, is notifying members of the State’s water monitoring and water resource management community about the recent discovery of a nuisance and potentially destructive diatom (alga) species, Didymosphenia geminata, or "Didymo" in the Gunpowder Falls. Those interested in more information concerning this Invasive Diatom should use the following links: A recent MD/DNR press release, a compilation of information on Didymo prepared by Ron Klauda (MD/DNR), and footwear and sampling gear disinfection protocols being used by MD/DNR’s Maryland Biological Stream Survey crews.

Please review these materials. MD/DNR needs the help of everyone involved in water monitoring/resource management, in addition to anglers and other recreational water users, to contain Didymo in the Gunpowder and prevent its spread to other high quality water bodies. MD/DNR is asking water monitoring/resource management groups in Maryland to practice and promote disinfection protocols for footwear and sampling gear: clean off mud/plant materials/debris, then soak and scrub in either a 10% household bleach or 5% salt solution for one full minute between sampling sites---even if the sites are on the same stream. If using a bleach solution, disinfect at least 50 yards from a water body and dispose of exhausted bleach solutions properly. If you cannot disinfect footwear and gear with bleach or salt solutions, use the drying method to kill Didymo cells (and any other problematic animals or plants that should not be transported from one water body to another). After footwear and gear are dry to the touch, wait an additional 48 hours before using these items. Also, MD/DNR recommends that felt-soled boots NOT be used. This porous material is nearly impossible to disinfect.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in controlling the spread of Didymo and other harmful organisms. If you think you see Didymo in a stream, river, lake, or pond, collect a small portion from the center of the colony (matt) and do the following: (a) sandwich the moist sample inside a folded sheet of white paper, (b) place the sample plus a separate sheet of paper with your name, phone number, email address, and where you collected the suspected Didymo sample inside a zip-lock bag----lat/long coordinates will be appreciated, (c) seal the bag to keep the sample moist, (d) place the bag inside an envelope, and (e) mail it to:

Walt Butler
Monitoring and Non-tidal Assessment Division
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
1919 Lincoln Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401

He will examine the sample and let you know if Didymo cells are found.

THANK YOU.

TECHNICAL ANNOUNCEMENT

USGS Provides Water-Quality Information in a Format Compatible with EPA

To access the USGS water-quality web service, please go to http://qwwebservices.usgs.gov .

Water-quality data from the National Water Information System (NWIS) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) can be readily accessed online in a comparable format to data housed in the Storage and Retrieval (STORET) water-quality system of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA).  

"For the first time, scientists, water managers, and others interested in water quality can retrieve USGS data in a format that can be easily merged with USEPA data for detailed analyses and modeling,” said Matthew Larsen, USGS Associate Director for Water. “The merged data provide enhanced geographic coverage and depiction of water-quality conditions across the Nation, and the integration of spatial and temporal information from multiple agencies and programs help support analyses that go beyond what individual agencies can achieve individually.”

Data are retrievable in a comparable format developed collaboratively between USGS and USEPA.  The results include discrete provisional and finalized results of physical, chemical, biological, and other descriptive water-quality characteristics using comparable naming conventions. Several file formats are available from the web services including Extensible Markup Language (XML), tab-delimited text, Microsoft Excel and Google Earth Keyhole Markup Language (KML).

The USEPA water-quality web service provides data from the STORET data warehouse that contains biological, chemical, and physical data on surface and ground water collected by federal, state and local agencies, Indian Tribes, volunteer groups, academics, and others ( http://www.epa.gov/storet/web_services.html ). All 50 States, territories, and jurisdictions of the U.S. are represented.

The USGS water-quality web service provides data from the NWISweb database ( http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis), which hosts 4.3 million samples and 72 million results representing approximately 368,000 sites across the United States from over a century of monitoring.

This new water-quality web service is an integral part of the USGS mission to disseminate to the public water information in a reliable, impartial and timely fashion that is needed to understand the Nation's water resources (http://water.usgs.gov/data).

USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov .  

For questions or more information, please contact Nate Booth, (608)-821-3822, nlbooth@usgs.gov or Timothy Miller, (703)-648-6868, tlmiller@usgs.gov.

CHINESE MITTEN CRAB ALERT

Live Chinese Mitten Crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) have been caught in crab pots in Chesapeake Bay (2005-2007) and Delaware Bay (May 2007). These are the first confirmed reports for the eastern United States. To date, there have been seven crabs documented, and five have been in the past two weeks. We don’t yet know whether the crab has established reproductive populations in these estuaries or spread to other locations along the eastern U.S.

The Chinese Mitten Crab is native to East Asia, and is a potential invasive that could have negative ecological impacts. Mitten Crabs are already established invaders in Europe and on the West Coast of the United States. The crab is listed as Injurious Wildlife under the Federal Lacey Act, which makes it illegal in the United States to import, export, or conduct interstate commerce of Mitten Crabs without a permit.

For more information click Here.

The National Water Monitoring Council Meeting December 4 - 6 Minutes.

The importance of healthy streams
Article by Ron Klauda
published in the Annapolis 'Capital'
May 10th, 2008

Archive of Past Events and Documents

Last Updated 12/15/2009