In
August 1996, the Regional Board requested that the Program
redirect its resources to watershed monitoring. Since
1997, the Program has reoriented its approach toward the
assessment of specific pollutants and condition of designated
beneficial uses. The Program accomplishes a wide variety
of monitoring projects relating to Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment Measures and Programmatic Monitoring Indicators.
Environmental monitoring and assessment measures (EMMs)
are activities that entail the collection of environmental
data through field studies and analysis of information
through assessments. EMMs are coordinated at the local
or regional level and typically fall into one of two general
areas:
- Watershed Assessment
Activities; and,
- Pollutants of Concern
(POCs) Monitoring.
EMMs
are intented to:
- Assist the Regional Board
characterize receiving water quality in urban watersheds
consistent with the priorities of the Watershed Management
Initiative and the Program;
- Identify where and what
type of screening-level monitoring is appropriate; and
- Recognize the need for
site-specific water quality investigations to address
questions that might arise while conducting screening-level
monitoring efforts.
Programmatic Monitoring Indicators (PMIs) are used
to gauge how well performance standards are being met
and control measures are being implemented. Programmatic
monitoring efforts typically include tracking and evaluating
continuous improvements and evaluating the effectiveness
of implementing control programs for pollutants of concern.
Water
Quality Monitoring and Watershed Assessment Fact Sheet
