The Aquatic Bioassay Team is currently conducting bioassessment work for clients throughout the southern California region who are responsible for MS4 and NPDES permit programs and in close conjunction with the Storm Water Monitoring Coalition (SMC). This work includes project management, assessment and analysis of urban stream sites, physical habitat assessments, taxonomic services, successful completion of special studies, and presentation quality reporting. Several of these projects include:
- Orange County Public Works, Watershed Division. Since 2006, the Aquatic Bioassay Team has conducted the biological monitoring program in both the Santa Ana and San Diego Regions for the OCPWs, Watersheds Division. Over this ten-year period we have successfully completed all project tasks on time and within budget. Our work strictly adheres to the SWAMP bioassessment protocols (Ode et al. 2016) and the SMC 2015 Work Plan (SCCWRP 2015). Our project management for this program has includes detailed communications with the OCPW staff to ensure all sampling, analysis, reporting and data submissions work is conducted in a timely and cost efficient manner. Our responsibilities for this project have included:
- The collection of benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) and attached algae samples collected from SMC regional monitoring sites, including sites for the the San Gabriel River Regional Monitoring Program (SGRRMP) in the Santa Ana Region, in addition to ten targeted and reference sites in the San Diego Region each year. Field collections include SWAMP multi-habitat collections for BMIs and attached algae, physical habitat assessments, CRAM, and the recently added SMC mandated channel modification, hydromodification, vertebrate checklist, and hydrologic states.
- The identification of BMIs to SAFIT Level 2 and QC of 10% of the annual samples by the DFW’s Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory (ABL).
- The identification of attached algae samples in accordance with SWAMP protocols (Stancheva et al., 2015). Ash free dry mass and chlorophyll a analysis are conducted on all attached algae samples.
- The identification of marine and estuarine benthic infauna (BIAs) from 13 estuarine samples collected annually.
- Data analysis to assist with management decision that includes calculation of all required biological metrics, the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI), the Southern California Algae IBI, and multivariate statistics. Each year we provide the written evaluations of these analyses for the Annual Reports for both Regions.
- Maintenance of a comprehensive project database in Access that includes automated data quality routines. These data are then automatically exported into the electronic data submission formats for chemistry, toxicity, biology, CRAM and physical habitat data to SMC, SWAMP and other protocols.
- Participation on the San Diego Creek Causal Assessment Workgroup to assist with the synthesis and interpretation of the datasets being assessed.
- The San Gabriel River Regional Monitoring Program (SGRRMP) (Funded by the County Sanitation District of Los Angeles). In 2007, Aquatic Bioassay took over the implementation of the SGRRMP, the first watershed-wide ambient monitoring program in California. This program includes coordination of the San Gabriel River Technical Workgroup whose participants include the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, Orange County Public Works, the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
- The Aquatic Bioassay Team have conducted sampling, analysis and reporting of datasets for water and sediment chemistry, bioassessment (both benthic macroinvertebrates and attached algae), toxicity testing, physical habitat assessment, CRAM, fish tissue contamination, bacteriology analyses and trash assessments. We have had a 100% completion rate on all site visits and laboratory analyses since the inception of the program. Our teams are proficient in the use of the protocols specified for the SGRRMP including SWAMP (Ode et al., 2016), the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) and the SMC Work Plan (SCCWRP 2015).
- Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) – Since its inception and implementation in 2007, we have created, updated and maintained the SGRRMP QAPP so that its DQO’s accurately reflects the standards of SWAMP for each phase of the program (chemistry, toxicity, biology, microbiology, habitat condition) and for all laboratories participating in the program.
- Annual site reconnaissance – We perform annual site reconnaissance for probabilistically drawn random stations in the lower and upper San Gabriel River Watershed. Our team was the first in southern California (besides the Department of Fish and Wildlife) to begin the systematic process of selecting random sites based on site access, safety, flow and logistics. As a result, SWAMP selected us to help define specific protocols for station selection criteria that are currently applied to all probabilistic sites in the State of California.
- Taxonomy – Our taxonomy team identifies BMIs to SAFIT Level 2 with 10% of the samples sent for QC by the DFW’s Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory (ABL). Attached algae samples are identified in accordance with SWAMP protocols (Stancheva et al., 2015).
- The sampling and identification of marine and estuarine benthic infauna (BIAs) for 3 samples collected annually in the San Gabriel River Estuary.
- Annual Monitoring Summary Reports – Beginning with the first SGRRMP Watershed-Wide Annual Reports in 2006, we established the data assessment approach for each SGRRMP data set, including data analysis, writing, and final report production.
- Access Database System – Aquatic Bioassay developed and has maintained the Access database system that contains data from each phase of the program. This data management system uses rigorous, automated data checks to ensure data quality. We prepare and supply submittals of SGRRMP monitoring data using standardized data formats for chemistry (sediment, water, and tissues), toxicity, infauna, CRAM, fish (abundance), and bacteria to a wide range of programs including SWAMP, CEDEN, WEMAP, the SMC and the project web portal that our team created.
- Presentations and Publications – Our team has provided presentations and publications to a wide range of professional organizations over the past seven years including the National and Southern California Chapters of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC); the National Monitoring Coalition (NMC); the California Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup (CABW), and the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF).
- The Los Angeles River Watershed Monitoring Program (LARWMP) (The Council for Watershed Health). The Aquatic Bioassay team has assisted the Council for Watershed Health (CWH) to conduct the regional monitoring program for the LARWMP since 2008. (The LARWMP is a sister program to the SGRRMP and includes essentially the same program as the tasks described above. Therefore, we only summarize our effort here.) This program includes coordination of the LARWMP Technical Workgroup whose participants include the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Cities of Los Angeles and Burbank, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, to name a few. Aquatic Bioassay scientists have successfully assisted the Workgroup to complete the implementation of each facet of this watershed-wide program that includes water chemistry, sediment chemistry, bioassessment, toxicity, physical habitat, fish tissue contamination and bacteriology. Our team provides sampling, laboratory analyses, data management, data analysis and reporting services for the Technical Workgroup. In addition, we created the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) that set the data quality objectives (DOQs) for each phase of the program.
- Ventura County Watershed District. Since 2002, the Aquatic Bioassay team has been under contract to the Ventura County Watershed Protection Division to conduct taxonomic identification of BMIs and in 2008 the annual bioassessment sampling at up to 18 sites in the Ventura River, Santa Clara and Calleguas Creek watersheds as part of their MS4 permit. Benthic macroinvertebrate identification is conducted following SAFIT Taxonomic Level 2 protocols and QC’d by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Laboratory in Rancho Cordova, CA. Each year all datasets are submitted to the SMC electronically. In addition, our lab conducts all wet and dry weather acute and chronic toxicity testing for the VCWD.
- Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), Malibu Creek Monitoring Program. Since 2006 the Aquatic Bioassay team has provided the LVMWD with annual bioassessment sampling for BMIs and attached algae and physical habitat assessments at up to nine NPDES receiving water sites based on SWAMP protocols (Ode et al. 2016). Benthic macroinvertebrate identification is conducted following SAFIT Taxonomic Level 2 protocols and QC’d by the Department of Fish and Wildlife laboratory in Rancho Cordova, CA. An annual assessment report is presented to the LVMWD that includes all biological metrics, the CSCI, Southern California Algae IBI, and historical trends. In addition, our lab conducts all wet and dry weather acute and chronic toxicity testing for the LVMWD.