Chapter 2: Program Analysis
2.2.6.9 Feedback
Water Qualify M oniforing,
Evaluation, and
Lesson: Monitoring information has been
n
on
very effective in educating the
water quality and beneficial use support.
2.2.6.8
Manaaement and
The Utah, Florida, Oregon, Idaho,
and Vermont projects had strong
quality
monitoring programs emphasizing pre- and
Lesson: Data management is crucial to the
post-BMP monitoring and above- and below-site
success of a monitoring program. Comput-
sampling. Combined with large land treatment
erized storage is essential. All data should
efforts, these monitoring programs resulted in
documentation of water quality improvements.
be stored in a central project file and
reviewed frequently for efficient integra-
Utah
animal waste
Example: In
tion and subsequent evaluation of hydro-
management systems reduced phosphorus
logic, water quality, and land management
cmtrations by 75% and nitrogen and fecal
variables.
90%. These
reduced the
form by 40
impact of agricultural activity on Deer Creek,
RCWP project data was
Example: Much
an important
supply for Salt Lake City,
stored in STORET, a data storage and retrieval
Utah The project served as a model project to
system used by
protect valued
resources and stimulated
creation of projects in adjacent watersheds.
Example: Oregon RCWP personnel, after evalu-
mid-project, re-analyzed their
ating their
Example: Water quality monitoring documented
data using
analysis. The new results
that animal waste management
installed
gave them a much better
of the
on Oregon dairies reduced bacterial
effectiveness of
Subsequently, there
tion of oyster beds by about 40 to 50%. Sites in
was an increase in the number of farms targeted
Tiliamook Bay restricted to
based
for
implementation.
on Food and Drug Administration classification
one in 1985-86.
decreased from 12 in
The Vermont
project reported
that quarterly analysis and review of the water
Example: Vermont project personnel used water
quality data helped continually
both the
quality monitoring to demonstrate that increas-
sampling program and the data storage systems.
ing the percent of animals under
waste
management decreased fecal coliform levels in
the monitored
Lesson: Methods of data analysis should be
Biological and habitat monitoring was
determined early in the project planning
utilized in Idaho and
to directly moni-
process to ensure that data sufficient for
tor fish habitat in streams. This information
shared with the public in relation to the
the anticipated analysis are collected.
projects' impacts on the quality of recreational
Data management, quality assurance, and
fishing in the project area
resources.
analysis techniques should be clearly de-
fined prior to monitoring.
Monitoring
was used suc-
cessfully in Oregon, Alabama,
Ver-
Example: In
many
quality indi-
mont, Idaho, Utah,
to inform local
cators were measured Some of these indicators
producers and citizens of the impact the RCWP
were dropped
and nutrient monitoring
project was having on their environment
except for nitrate) and others were sampled
erratically. By
end of the project, only two
variables (nitrate and fecal
were used
n Lesson: Water
monitoring can pro-
in the final data analysis.
vide feedback in defining critical areas
needing priority treatment.
Water quality monitoring
utilized
in the Utah, Nebraska, and Florida projects to
critical areas needing high levels of
attention for land
water quality moni-
toring, and evaluation of water quality changes.
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