Expanding the diversity of the Mid-Atlantic Tributary ... · the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment...
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Different watershed organizations collect, analyze, and report their data differently, resulting in data utility that has so far been limited to individual watershed assessments. Greater consistency of data collection and analysis is necessary for information to be used in larger-scale analyses (e.g., the Chesapeake Bay report card and other Bay-wide assessments). Analyses at this scale allow comparative assessments between tributaries and evaluation of the effectiveness of restoration and management actions. mtac was formed to improve the consistency of data collection and analysis among participating organizations. Its goal is to reach consensus on ecosystem health indicators, monitoring protocols, and synthesis methodologies. mtac participants are currently working to produce written protocols that will help ensure uniform and scientifically rigorous monitoring, sample analysis, quality control, and data management for all tidal indicators among current and future groups. A similar protocol document will then be drafted for non-tidal indicators. e mtac group meets once per month to work on developing these protocols, which are scheduled to be completed by January 2011. Although the protocols are still in development, many watershed organizations are already adjusting their methods to be consistent with the group. A seminar series has also been established, and a mtac website is in the works. For now, more information about mtac is available at www.eco-check.org. Expanding the diversity of the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition Since the 2006 release of the first EcoCheck Chesapeake Bay report card, environmental report cards have gained increasing popularity and recognition as a public-friendly and scientifically sound method for reporting the health of a waterway. Recently, a number of watershed organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region have begun producing their own tributary-specific report cards. In 2009, the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (mtac) was formed to foster collaboration among watershed organizations and to fully develop the potential of region- specific environmental report cards. is can be accomplished through the standardization of indicators, monitoring & sampling protocols, data analysis methods, and science communication techniques. Sara Powell, Caroline Wicks, Melissa Andreychek, Heath Kelsey, and Bill Dennison EcoCheck (noaa–umces Partnership) Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, Maryland Member diversity Standardization of indicators and methods Expansion of mt ac e first tributary to produce an annual report card was the Magothy River in 2002, followed by the Chester and Patuxent Rivers in 2007. Since then, the number of groups producing report cards has expanded steadily, increasing on average by one or two groups per year. Currently, there are ten groups producing report cards and participating in mtac. e group would like to continue growing by adding one or two organizations each year and would also like to expand to include more tributary organizations in the greater Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. e gray regions on the map at left are either groups that are being targeted specifically to increase the geographic scope of the group and/or groups that have expressed interest in joining mtac efforts. However, it should be noted that mtac is not exclusive—anyone that wants to participate or attend meetings is welcome. Data Citizen scientists Local, state, and federal agencies Adaptive management cycle Improved understanding Policy planning Implementation Evaluation Monitoring Synthesis Data Review & Analysis & & & & 0 5 10 Miles ± Marshyhope Creek Headwaters Broad Creek Lower Creeks Fishing Bay Salisbury Sharptown Cambridge Seaford Upper EĂŶƟĐŽŬĞ >ŽǁĞƌ EĂŶƟĐŽŬĞ MD DE e Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (m tac) Based on the success of the EcoCheck Chesapeake Bay report card, watershed organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region have begun producing their own tributary-specific environmental report cards with assistance from EcoCheck. ese groups often use data collected by state agencies for their report cards, but also often rely on volunteer citizen scientists to collect water quality data on a finer scale—which is crucial for comprehensive monitoring and protection of their watersheds. Report cards have been shown to successfully generate community interest and understanding of ecosystem health, water quality, and watershed issues. However, these tributary-specific report cards are based on varied and inconsistent indicators, making comparisons from one region to another difficult. To fully develop the potential of volunteer- based monitoring programs, the data they collect, and the report cards they produce, mtac was formed to support collaboration among member groups through the following objectives: • Reach consensus on realistic and meaningful ecosystem health indicators for tidal & non-tidal areas, standard monitoring protocols, and methodologies to calculate index scores & report card grades. • Establish written guidelines for sampling & monitoring design and data analysis for use by existing and future report card projects, as well as by other organizations that use community-based monitoring. • Hold regular meetings for watershed organizations and other interested groups to establish common best practices for the engagement of citizen scientists and development of report cards. Current mtac members represent a diverse range of systems and economic & social groups, but further expansion to include a larger range of groups is desired. For example, all current members are primarily based in Maryland, with many located in Anne Arundel County, one of the wealthiest counties in the state. Less wealthy counties are represented, but not to the same degree. e types of systems represented are also uneven: mtac currently encompasses numerous river systems, one coastal bays system, one lake, and one harbor. e planned expansion of mtac to include groups in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware would increase the variety of systems represented and also allow for increased collaboration and knowledge- sharing pertinent to the region. Average Household Income () Average Household Income (.. dollar) 90,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 0 Inner Harbor Deep Creek Lake Nanticoke Coastal Bays Sassafras Chester West & Rhode Magothy South Severn Patuxent Left: is graph shows the average household income of report card-producing watersheds. It has been calculated by averaging the median incomes of Maryland counties that encompass the watershed, and/or whose boundaries are formed by the watershed. n = number of Maryland counties in direct contact with watershed ( Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov) n = n = n = n = n = n = n = n = n = n = n = Types of systems currently producing report cards 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 Harbors Lakes Coastal bays Rivers Number of groups Tributary groups present their final report cards in different ways. Above, examples of the various styles of current report cards. Acknowledgements mtac is funded in part by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. We would like to thank the following members of mtac for their participation: Chesapeake Bay Program (Katie Foreman); Magothy River Association (Peter Bergstrom); South River Federation (Diana Muller); West/Rhode Riverkeeper (Chris Trumbauer); Patuxent Riverkeeper (Lauren Webster); Chester River Association (Tom Leigh); Maryland Coastal Bays Program (Carol Cain, Cathy Wazniak, Carol McCollough); Sassafras River Association (Jamie Brunkow); Nanticoke River Alliance (Megan Ward); Friends of Deep Creek Lake (Barbara Beelar); Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore (Laurie Schwartz); Octoraro Watershed Association (Rupert Rossettti). 2001 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 Number of report cards ‘10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 e number of groups producing report cards has increased every year since . future New to m tac – Assessment of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor e Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, in collaboration with City government, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and the public, has recently launched the Healthy Harbor Initiative, which will develop a health assesssment of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with EcoCheck and other partners. e Inner Harbor watershed is different from other mtac groups’ watersheds for various reasons, including its large urban footprint. ere are agricultural and forest lands in the upper watershed, but downstream, many streams are paved over and piped underground through stormwater drains that outfall directly into the Inner Harbor, meaning many residents may not even know they exist! e impacts of legacy pollutants from industry and shipbuilding, as well as the passion and commitment of local businesses and attractions to clean up the Inner Harbor in an accelerated time frame, also make the Inner Harbor unique. A baseline conditions report will provide the foundation for an annual report card assessing the ecological health of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. e annual report card will help track progress toward the Waterfront Partnership’s goal of a fishable, swimmable Harbor by 2020. e methods used in the report card will include indicators and sampling & analysis guidelines established by the mtac protocol document.
Transcript of Expanding the diversity of the Mid-Atlantic Tributary ... · the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment...
Different watershed organizations collect, analyze, and report their data differently, resulting in data utility that has so far been limited to individual watershed assessments. Greater consistency of data collection and analysis is necessary for information to be used in larger-scale analyses (e.g., the Chesapeake Bay report card and other Bay-wide assessments). Analyses at this scale allow comparative assessments between tributaries and evaluation of the effectiveness of restoration and management actions. mtac was formed to improve the consistency of data collection and analysis among participating organizations. Its goal is to reach consensus on ecosystem health indicators, monitoring protocols, and synthesis methodologies. mtac participants are currently working to produce written protocols that will help ensure uniform and scientifically rigorous monitoring, sample analysis, quality control, and data management for all tidal indicators among current and future groups. A similar protocol document will then be drafted for non-tidal indicators. The mtac group meets once per month to work on developing these protocols, which are scheduled to be completed by January 2011. Although the protocols are still in development, many watershed organizations are already adjusting their methods to be consistent with the group. A seminar series has also been established, and a mtac website is in the works. For now, more information about mtac is available at www.eco-check.org.
Expanding the diversity of the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition
Since the 2006 release of the first EcoCheck Chesapeake Bay report card, environmental report cards have gained increasing popularity and recognition as a public-friendly and scientifically sound method for reporting the health of a waterway. Recently, a number of watershed organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region have begun producing their own tributary-specific report cards. In 2009, the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (mtac) was formed to foster collaboration among watershed organizations and to fully develop the potential of region-specific environmental report cards. This can be accomplished through the standardization of indicators, monitoring & sampling protocols, data analysis methods, and science communication techniques.
Sara Powell, Caroline Wicks, Melissa Andreychek, Heath Kelsey, and Bill DennisonEcoCheck (noaa–umces Partnership)
Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, Maryland
Member diversity
Standardization of indicators and methods
Expansion of mtacThe first tributary to produce an annual report card was the Magothy River in 2002, followed by the Chester and Patuxent Rivers in 2007. Since then, the number of groups producing report cards has expanded steadily, increasing on average by one or two groups per year.
Currently, there are ten groups producing report cards and participating in mtac. The group would like to continue growing by adding one or two organizations each year and would also like to expand to include more tributary organizations in the greater Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The gray regions on the map at left are either groups that are being targeted specifically to increase the geographic scope of the group and/or groups that have expressed interest in joining mtac efforts. However, it should be noted that mtac is not exclusive—anyone that wants to participate or attend meetings is welcome.
Data
Citizen scientistsLocal, state, and federal agencies
Adaptivemanagement
cycle
Improved understanding
Policy planning
Implementation
Evaluation
Monitoring
Synthesis
Data Review & Analysis
&
&
&
&
0 5 10Miles
±
Marshyhope Creek Headwaters
BroadCreek
Lower Creeks
Fishing Bay
Salisbury
Sharptown
Cambridge
Seaford
Upper
MD
DE
The Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (mtac)Based on the success of the EcoCheck Chesapeake Bay report card, watershed organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region have begun producing their own tributary-specific environmental report cards with assistance from EcoCheck. These groups often use data collected by state agencies for their report cards, but also often rely on volunteer citizen scientists to collect water quality data on a finer scale—which is crucial for comprehensive monitoring and protection of their watersheds. Report cards have been shown to successfully generate community interest and understanding of ecosystem health, water quality, and watershed issues. However, these tributary-specific report cards are based on varied and inconsistent indicators, making comparisons from one region to another difficult. To fully develop the potential of volunteer-based monitoring programs, the data they collect, and the report cards they produce, mtac was formed to support collaboration among member groups through the following objectives:
• Reach consensus on realistic and meaningful ecosystem health indicators for tidal & non-tidal areas, standard monitoring protocols, and methodologies to calculate index scores & report card grades.
• Establish written guidelines for sampling & monitoring design and data analysis for use by existing and future report card projects, as well as by other organizations that use community-based monitoring.
• Hold regular meetings for watershed organizations and other interested groups to establish common best practices for the engagement of citizen scientists and development of report cards.
Current mtac members represent a diverse range of systems and economic & social groups, but further expansion to include a larger range of groups is desired. For example, all current members are primarily based in Maryland, with many located in Anne Arundel County, one of the wealthiest counties in the state. Less wealthy counties are represented, but
not to the same degree. The types of systems represented are also uneven: mtac currently encompasses numerous river systems, one coastal bays system, one lake, and one harbor. The planned expansion of mtac to include groups in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware would increase the variety of systems represented and also allow for increased collaboration and knowledge-sharing pertinent to the region.
Average Household Income ()
Ave
rage
Hou
seho
ld In
com
e(
.. d
olla
r)
90,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
0
Inner Harb
or
Deep C
reek L
ake
Nantic
oke
Coastal
Bays
Sassa
fras
Chester
West
& Rhode
Mag
othy
South
Seve
rn
Patu
xent
Left: �is graph shows the average household income of report card-producing watersheds. It has been calculated by averaging the median incomes of Maryland counties that encompass the watershed, and/or whose boundaries are formed by the watershed.
n = number of Maryland counties in direct contact with watershed (Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov)
n =
n = n = n = n = n =
n = n =
n = n = n =
Types of systems currently producing report cards
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0
Harbors
Lake
s
Coasta
l bay
s
Rivers
Num
ber o
f gro
ups
Miles
N
MTAC membersPotential future members
State lines
V
WV
M
P
D
NJDeep
Creek Lake
Baltimore Inner Harbor
Maryland’s Coastal Bays
PatuxentRiver
MagothyRiver
South RiverWest and
Rhode Rivers
Sassafras River
Chester River
NanticokeRiver
Current membersPotential future members
State lines
V
WV
M
P
D
NJ
Deep Creek Lake
Baltimore Inner Harbor
Maryland’s Coastal Bays
PatuxentRiver
MagothyRiver
South RiverWest and
Rhode Rivers
Sassafras River
Chester River
NanticokeRiver
Miles
N
Tributary groups present their final report cards in different ways. Above, examples of the various styles of current report cards.
Acknowledgementsmtac is funded in part by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.We would like to thank the following members of mtac for their participation: Chesapeake Bay Program (Katie Foreman); Magothy River Association (Peter Bergstrom); South River Federation (Diana Muller); West/Rhode Riverkeeper (Chris Trumbauer); Patuxent Riverkeeper (Lauren Webster); Chester River Association (Tom Leigh); Maryland Coastal Bays Program (Carol Cain, Cathy Wazniak, Carol McCollough); Sassafras River Association (Jamie Brunkow); Nanticoke River Alliance (Megan Ward); Friends of Deep Creek Lake (Barbara Beelar); Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore (Laurie Schwartz); Octoraro Watershed Association (Rupert Rossettti).
2001 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09
Num
ber o
f rep
ort c
ards
‘100123456789
10
�e number of groups producing report cards has increased every year since .
future
New to mtac – Assessment of Baltimore’s Inner HarborThe Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, in collaboration with City government, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and the public, has recently launched the Healthy Harbor Initiative, which will develop a health assesssment of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with EcoCheck and other partners. The Inner Harbor watershed is different from other mtac groups’ watersheds for various reasons, including its large urban footprint. There are agricultural and forest lands in the upper watershed, but downstream, many streams are paved over and piped underground through stormwater drains that outfall directly into the Inner Harbor, meaning many residents may not even know they exist! The impacts of legacy pollutants from industry and shipbuilding, as well as the passion and commitment of local businesses and attractions to clean up the Inner Harbor in an accelerated time frame, also make the Inner Harbor unique.
A baseline conditions report will provide the foundation for an annual report card assessing the ecological health of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The annual report card will help track progress toward the Waterfront Partnership’s goal of a fishable, swimmable Harbor by 2020. The methods used in the report card will include indicators and sampling & analysis guidelines established by the mtac protocol document.
