Goals
Maryland Water Monitoring Council Committees
Assessment and Reporting Committee
1. Identify users of water monitoring data and the level of information they
need or want.
2. List the types of products required to meet the information needs of the
users.
3. Evaluate current methods and forums for reporting and sharing water
resources and related environmental information and identify new ways to
improve the exhange of information.
4. Evaluate available tools and guidelines for the assessment of water
resources.
5. Develope and maintain a central clearinghouse of water resources and
related environmental information.
6. Work with other committees and the Council to develop the formats for
future annual conferences and the written proceedings of presentations and
discussions.
Data Management Committee
1. Develop an inventory of water resources related programs and datasets.
2. Develop a set of minimum data elements (metadata) for water related
databases.
3. Develop a library/index to which agencies can voluntarily submit
information which provides:
a. Descriptions about the data that is currently being collected:
b. Archiving capability to guarantee that the data are available after
project termination or agency dissolution.
Environmental Indicators Committee
1. Compile a list of chemical, physical, and biological indicators useful for
assessing the status and trends of water resources in Maryland.
2. Assess the geographic coverage of existing indicators databases in the
state and nearby regions. Identify areas of overlap and gaps where indicators
are not currently being used.
3. Produce documents with recommendations on how to aply indicators, where
indicators research needs to occur based on the management objectives of
concern, and the respective advantages and disadvantages of each.
4. Ensure that recommended indicators are useful for environmental policy and
management decision making.
5. Ensure that recommended indicators can be effectively communicated for
public outreach and education.
Monitoring Methods Committee
1. Compile a list of past and ongoing water quality-related monitoring
conducted within Maryland. This will include biological, chemical, and
physical monitoring; tidal and nontidal monitoring, and groundwater
monitoring. It will also include monitoring of events or conditions which
take place within the terrestrial portions of the watershed.
2. Compile a list (or library) of approved or proposed monitoring protocols.
This will include protocols which have been developed at the federal, state,
county or local levels, and will include protocols for use by professionals
and/or volunteers.
3. Determine to what extent the comparability of different protocols used to
measure the same or similar parameters has been established.
4. Present initial findings to the MWMC Board. If appropriate, continue to
subsequent goals.
5. Identify appropriate units for further in-depth study (e.g. groundwater
chemistry, freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates).
6. For each unit, prepare a report recommending protocols for use statewide
(recognizing that not all protocols will be usable in all parts of the state
or in all types of waters). Include what is known about comparability
(comparability itself may be a unit).
7. If feasible, design and conduct studies to determine comparability for
situations where appropriate studies cannot be found in the literature.
Planning Committee
1. Prepare an organizational structure and operating guidelines that would
include identification of roles and responsibilities for MWMC and the various
committees operating under the MWMC.
2. Develop a process for a coordinated monitoring strategy: define information
needs, identify technical and institutional barriers to coordinated
activities, and develop an implementation plan to overcome these barriers.
3. Provide for the planning and coordination of periodic workshops, symposia,
and other meetings of/for water monitoring stakeholders to foster information
transfer and communication.
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