Methods Board Meeting

1
Methods Board Meeting March 2005Highlights

• Most 2-yr workplans for each Workgroup prepared
• Discussed Board involvement in NMN reported
  earlier in Council meeting. Ed Johnson (NOAA)
  Workgroup Chair
• Wadeable Streams Assessment continue work with
  EPA in implementing a bioassessment comparability
  program more later (Laura Gabanski, Jerry
  Diamond)
• Water Quality Data Elements (LeAnne Astin)
• Guide finalized. Need for approval of guide and
  biological data elements by ACWI
• Reviewed draft Habitat WQDE
• Promote WQDEs and offer online implementation
  tools

2
Methods Board Meeting March 2005Outcome

• NEMI (Dan Sullivan, Cary Jackson)
• Vision statement completed
• EST paper appears as a feature article on 4/15
  (very taxing production)
• CRADA under development. Hopefully, will bring
  funding to NEMI project Hach and others
• - Addition of biological and other methods
  ongoing 150 methods in staging area
• Field Activities Committee. Fraceska Wilde
  playing major role.
• NEMI-CBR and expert system peer reviewed and near
  completion. Public release mid-summer

3
Methods Board Meeting March 2005Outcome

• Outreach (Eric Vowinkel, Acting)
• Update and expand scope of public and internal
  web sites
• Next edition of Across the Board in draft
  publish in June/July
• Special edition of IMPACT to focus on methods and
  data comparability after National Conference
• Update Board and delegate lists
• New Workgroup members will help with external
  communications

4
Methods Board Meeting March 2005Outcome

• PBS and Nutrients --Workroups Combined (Ed
  Santoro and Cliff Annis)
• Initiate pilot for evaluating Nitrate Reductase
  method for nitrate determination (Charlie Patton)
• Finalize nitrate DQO paper
• Link with EPA-FEM PBS activity
• Examine data integrity issues

5
Methods Board Meeting March 2005Outcome

• Accreditation (Merle Shockey)
• Facilitate discussion between EPA and states
  regarding EPA reorganization of NELAP
• Currently Workgroup is on hold
• New Technologies (Katherine Alben)
• Eli Greenbaum (Oak Ridge) presentation on
  fluorescent monitoring for algae related to
  water security
• Jim Sinclair (EPA) presentation on algal toxin
  monitoring
• Develop a strategy for entering methods into NEMI

6
Methods Board Advisory Group on Bioassessment
Comparability

• Board Advisory Group formed with first meeting on
  March 8, 2005
• Projects
• Analysis of Wadeable Stream Assessment
  Comparability Study data (March 05 Dec 06)
• Critical Review of the State-of-the-Science of
  Bioassessment Comparability (May Aug 05)
• EPA Guidance on Bioassessment Comparability
  (March 05 June 07)
• National Workshop on Bioassessment Comparability
  (Nov 06)
• New Bioassessment Comparability Studies (Oct 05
  June 07)

7
(No Transcript)
8
Status of Projects

• WSA Comparability Study Data Analysis
• - Some studies completed already with data
  available in late Spring early Summer 2005
  (beginning year 2 of 2-yr program)
• - Results of completed studies will be reported
  in Final WSA Report (Dec 05)
• - Data Analysis meeting of Comparability Study
  cooperators this Summer
• - Board Advisory Group will participate in and
  provide advice to cooperators and EPA at data
  analysis meeting

9
Status of Projects cont.

• Critical Review of State-of-the-Science of
  Bioassessment Comparability
• - Board Advisory Group provided input on design
  of the review and potential sources for the
  procurement at the March 8 Board Meeting
• - EPA will issue a small business competitive
  simplified acquisition for this project in April
  2005 (project duration May August 2005)
• - Board Advisory Group will provide input to the
  project by reviewing progress and the draft report

10
Status of Projects cont.

• EPA Bioassessment Comparability Guidance
• At the March 8th Meeting
• - Board Advisory Group discussed the general
  approach to determining comparability
• - The Board Advisory Group also proposed a
  draft outline for the guidance
• Next Steps
• - The draft outline will undergo further review
  by the Board Advisory Group and EPA Workgroup
• - First draft of guidance available at end of
  the year

11
Status of Projects cont.

• National Workshop New Comparability Studies
• - A National Workshop is planned for Nov 06 to
  coincide with final draft of guidance document
• - New Comparability Studies will be planned for
  FY 06

12
Next Steps

• Complete formation of Board Advisory Group (e.g.,
  add USGS experts)
• Hold Board Advisory Group conference call end of
  April to discuss status of WSA Comparability
  Studies and role in Summer meeting status of
  Critical Review and draft outline of guidance
  document
• Regular Board Advisory Group conference calls
  will be held to discuss and provide input to
  projects