LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto
A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
The University of Alabama and the Center for Watershed Protection were awarded an EPA Office of Water 104(b)3 grant in 2001 to collect and evaluate stormwater data from a representative number of NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) stormwater permit holders. The initial version of this database, the National Stormwater Quality Database (NSQD, version 1.1) is currently being completed. These stormwater quality data and site descriptions are being collected and reviewed to describe the characteristics of national stormwater quality, to provide guidance for future sampling needs, and to enhance local stormwater management activities in areas having limited data. The monitoring data collected over nearly a ten-year period from more than 200 municipalities throughout the country have a great potential in characterizing the quality of stormwater runoff and comparing it against historical benchmarks. This project is creating a national database of stormwater monitoring data collected as part of the existing stormwater permit program, providing a scientific analysis of the data, and providing recommendations for improving the quality and management value of future NPDES monitoring efforts. No Louisiana monitoring data included in database.
The National Water Quality Initiative will work in priority watersheds to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in impaired streams. NRCS will help producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces.
The Council was created in 1997 as a vehicle for bringing together diverse expertise needed to develop collaborative, comparable, and cost-effective approaches for monitoring and assessing our Nation’s water quality. The approaches are fundamental to the successful management and sustainability of our waters, and are increasingly important because water issues are becoming more complex, resources are tighter, and the demand for high-quality water continues to grow in order to support a complex web of human activities and aquatic ecosystem needs. The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (Council) provides a national forum for coordination of comparable and scientifically defensible methods and strategies to improve water quality monitoring, assessment and reporting, and promotes partnerships to foster collaboration, advance the science, and improve management within all elements of the water quality monitoring community. Vital to this role, the Council provides a voice for monitoring practitioners across the Nation and fosters increased understanding and stewardship of our water resources.
The Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP) was conducted by EPA and many cooperating agencies. It was the first comprehensive study of urban stormwater pollution across the United States. NURP was established in 1978 as a 5-year program that examined: quality characteristics of urban runoff and similarities or differences at different urban locations, the extent to which urban runoff is a significant contributor to water quality problems across the nation, and performance characteristics and the overall effectiveness and utility of management practices for the control of pollutant loads from urban runoff. Final report from 1983 may be out of date, and no locations of NURP Projects noted in Louisiana.
The USGS NAWQA program provides information that can help managers tailor protection strategies to fit the need, providing high quality water while minimizing costs. As the NAWQA program began, the program sought advice on which contaminants were most important to focus on. There was almost unanimous agreement that nutrients were a widespread and longstanding issue. Examples of two significant projects driven by the NAWQA program include the Nutrients National Synthesis and the SPARROW model. The Nutrients National Synthesis is answering questions such as: • Where are nutrient concentrations high in ground water and surface water? • Are nutrient concentrations changing? Getting better or worse? • Does everyone drink similar quality water? How does mine compare? • Why are nutrient concentrations in my water high (or low)? • How much is natural, and how much have humans added?
This report explores the use of nitrogen in U.S. agriculture and assesses changes in nutrient management by farmers that may improve nitrogen use efficiency. It also reviews a number of policy approaches for improving nitrogen management and identifies issues affecting their potential performance. Findings reveal that about two-thirds of U.S. cropland is not meeting three criteria for good nitrogen management related to the rate, timing, and method of application. Several policy approaches, including financial incentives, nitrogen management as a condition of farm program eligibility, and regulation, could induce farmers to improve their nitrogen management and reduce nitrogen losses to the environment. Similar to 2010 CEAP on Upper Miss Basin. Both analyses assess baseline nitrogen management on cropland according to three criteria: rate, timing, and method.
Building on nearly 20 years of research, the NGOMEX program addresses the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico through the funding of multi-year, interdisciplinary research projects. Current studies are documenting the dynamics of the hypoxic zone over the Louisiana continental shelf and helping to better define the biological, chemical, and physical processes that influence hypoxic zone development and determine its extent, and impacts on fisheries.
A planning document that details scientific, technical, operational and financial components to establish observation systems for cooperative long-term monitoring of northern GOM hypoxic zone.
ArcGIS based tool that aids in making decisions about conservation, restoration, and planning. The Habitat Priority Planner takes away much of the subjective nature of the process by providing a means of obtaining critical habitat analyses that are consistent, repeatable, and transparent. The program allows users to easily test various ideas and "what if" scenarios on the fly, making it the perfect tool to use in a group setting. Participatory mapping process that can help communities make land use decisions.
The Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) is a state/federal program designed to collect, manage, and disseminate fishery-independent data in the southeastern U.S. A main goal is to maximize data collection efficiency to provide managers with the best information possible to make decisions. Three components currently collaborate with NMFS (or NOAA Fisheries): SEAMAP-Gulf, SEAMAP-South Atlantic, and SEAMAP-Caribbean. Each component operates independently, planning and conducting surveys, and disseminating information in accordance with cooperatively established administrative policies and guideline. Congress has allocated SEAMAP funding since 1983. Funds are obligated annually to the southeastern states for surveys and studies via multi-year cooperative agreements. NMFS Office/Region/Science Center staff review and evaluate proposals based on technical merit, soundness of design, ability of the applicant to perform the proposed work, potential contribution of the project to national or regional goals, and appropriateness of proposed costs. The NMFS (or NOAA Fisheries) uses a portion of the funding for its segment of the survey work, plankton sorting, and administrative responsibilities. Surveys of shrimp, groundfish, plankton, and reef fish are conducted in the Gulf of Mexico. Shallow-water trawl and long-line surveys, a survey of Pamlico Sound, fish habitat characterization, and data management are the major activities in the South Atlantic. Spiny lobster and queen conch surveys and reef fish monitoring are important efforts in the Caribbean. Surveys by individual components reflect distinct regional needs and priorities, but surveys in one area often provide data important to researchers in other geographic regions.