California Water Quality Monitoring Council (CA Senate Bill 1070)

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Announcements

  • Welcome Prop 1 Applicants! - Guidance on the WRAMP framework for monitoring and assessment is available on our website.
  • Save the Date - 10th National Monitoring Conference, May 2-6, 2016 in Tampa, Florida
    This national forum is for all water stakeholders, including federal, state, tribal and local water professionals, non-profits, academia, volunteer citizen scientists, and industry. Come to exchange information, network, develop partnerships and new skills, and see the latest technology related to the water resources we know and love -- rivers and streams; lakes; wetlands; coastal waters and estuaries; groundwater; and processed water -- that are all part of this great gathering. Conference themes attract professional papers and posters on topics that range from monitoring and assessment, to protection and restoration, to cutting-edge technologies and methods.
  • Environmental Data Summit White Paper Available for Public Comment
    In June 2014, the Delta Stewardship Council hosted an Environmental Data Summit to explore data challenges identified by the Delta Science Plan. One outcome of the Summit is a draft vision document, Enhancing the Visions for Managing California's Environmental Information. This paper is a preliminary synthesis of ideas explored during the Summit that have emerged from initiatives, current programs, and the experiences of individuals from State and federal agencies, academia, private, and non-governmental entities. Comments on the public review draft are being accepted until March 18.
    • The Monitoring Council endorsed the recommendations contained in this white paper as being consistent with earlier Monitoring Council recommendations.
  • Monitoring Council releases First Triennial Audit of Implementing A Comprehensive Monitoring Program Strategy for California
    The California Water Code requires the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a triennial audit of the effectiveness of the Monitoring Program Strategy developed by the Monitoring Council in 2010. Cal/EPA Secretary Rodriquez requested that the Monitoring Council conduct a self-audit.
  • Executive Director Jon Marshack presents an overview of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, its workgroups and the My Water Quality portal at a Delta Science brown bag seminar jointly hosted by the Delta Science Program, Ecosystem Restoration Program, and Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (10/13/14)
  • Monitoring Council comments on the draft Interim Science Action Agenda of the Delta Science Program, Delta Stewardship Council (10/6/14)

Background

In November 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency to establish the California Water Quality Monitoring Council (Monitoring Council). The MOU was mandated by CA Senate Bill 1070 (Kehoe, 2006) and requires the boards, departments and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency to integrate and coordinate their water quality and related ecosystem monitoring, assessment, and reporting.

CA Senate Bill 1070 (Water Code Sections 13167 and 13181) and the MOU require that the Monitoring Council develop specific recommendations to improve the coordination and cost-effectiveness of water quality and ecosystem monitoring and assessment, enhance the integration of monitoring data across departments and agencies, and increase public accessibility to monitoring data and assessment information. While the Monitoring Council may recommend new monitoring or management initiatives, it will build on existing effort to the greatest extent possible. The Monitoring Council published its initial recommendations in December 2008, and its recommendations for A Comprehensive Monitoring Program Strategy for California in December 2010.

Membership

The membership of the Monitoring Council is intended to represent a variety of water quality related interests. Monitoring Council members are selected by the Secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the Natural Resources Agency. The Monitoring Council has allowed each Member to designate and Alternate who would participate on those occasions when the Member is unable to participate in person.

    CalEPA logo
  • California Environmental Protection Agency (Co-Chair)
    • Jonathan Bishop, Chief Deputy Director
      State Water Resources Control Board
    • Alternate: Greg Gearheart, Deputy Director
      Office of Information Management and Analysis
      State Water Resources Control Board
    California Natural Resources Agency logo
  • California Natural Resources Agency (Co-Chair)
    • Vacant
      California Department of Water Resources
    • Alternate: Stephani Spaar, Chief, Office of Water Quality
      Division of Environmental Services
      California Department of Water Resources
    Water Resources Control Board logo
  • California Drinking Water Program
    • Karen Larsen, Assistant Deputy Director
      Program Management Branch
      Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board
    • Alternate: Bruce H. Burton, P.E., Chief
      Northern California Drinking Water Field Operations Branch
      Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board
    Sanitation Districts of LA County logo
  • Regulated Community - Publicly Owned Treatment Works
    • Phil Markle, Environmental Scientist
      Water Quality and Soils Engineering
      Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
    California Stormwater Quality Association
  • Regulated Community - Storm Water
    • Armand Ruby
      California Storm Water Quality Association and Armand Ruby Consulting
    • Alternate: Geoff Brosseau
      California Storm Water Quality Association
    East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition
  • Agriculture
    • Parry Klassen, Executive Director and Board Chairman
      East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition
    • Alternate: Bruce Houdesheldt, Manager
      Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition
    Truckee River Watershed Council logo
  • Citizen Monitoring Groups
    • Beth Christman, Director of Restoration Programs
      Truckee River Watershed Council
    CCA logo
  • Public
    • Sara Aminzadeh, Executive Director
      California Coastkeeper Alliance
    • Alternate: Travis Pritchard, Program Director
      San Diego Coastkeeper
    SCCWRP logo
  • Scientific Community
    • Steve Weisberg, Executive Director
      Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
    • Alternate: Ken Schiff, Deputy Director
      Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
    ACWA
  • Water Supply
    • Sarge Green
      California Water Institute and Association of California Water Agencies
    • Alternate: Adam Walukeiwicz, Regulatory Advocate
      Association of California Water Agencies
    USEPA logo
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Liaison (non-voting)
    • Terry Fleming
      Water Division
      Pacific Southwest, Region 9

Meetings

Meetings of the Monitoring Council are open to the public. Actions of the Monitoring Council are advisory to Cal/EPA and the Natural Resources Agency. Please visit our Meetings web page for details.


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