West Virginia Watershed Network To Meet March 17

Attached is a notice I received from the West Virginia Watershed Network. If you are interested in water quality issues and sampling programs, and how the accumulated data is used, this is a great event to attend.

The West Virginia Watershed Network (WVWN) is planning to hold its semi-annual meeting in Morgantown on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The meeting will be conducted as a forum where speakers from multiple agencies will provide information about ongoing statewide water sampling programs with emphasis on purpose, data collection process, data storage and access. The Forum agenda is available on the WVWN web site at: http://www.wvca.us/wvwn/wvwn_events.cfm. (Note.....notification of changes to or cancellation of the forum will be posted on this website, so please check for updates before traveling to the event.)

The meeting is open to all interested persons at no cost. The meeting will be held at the National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE) on Evansdale Campus at West Virginia University in room 101 AB. For directions to the NRCCE go to: http://www.nrcce.wvu.edu/directions.cfm *Note... Lunch is brown bag. Free parking is available at the WVU Coliseum, where a shuttle bus runs every ten minutes. See the above website for the location of paid parking near the NRCCE building, however it is our understanding, if your vehicle has state or federal license you can park anywhere at no cost.

*Contacts: Rick Buckley OSM 304-347-7162 x3019 Jim Laine WVDEP/DWWM 304-926-0499 x1061 Clairene Bailey OSM 304-347-7158 "West Virginia Forum on Statewide Water Sampling Programs" Tuesday, March 17, 2008 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE) Room 101 AB Evansdale Campus at West Virginia University, Morgantown WV Open to the Public and No Cost to Attend Sponsored by the West Virginia Watershed Network

AGENDA 10:00 am Welcome and Logistics - Jim Laine (WV DEP)
10:05 am Water Monitoring Data Uses and Current Issues - Patrick Campbell (WV DEP) TMDL update, Marcellus Shale, Selenium
10:15 am USGS Flow Gauges/USGS databases - Doug Chambers
10:35 am EPA Region III Water Quality Exchange (WQX) database - Lou Reynolds
10:55 am Ohio River Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) Ohio River Program - Sam Dinkins 11:15 am WV DEP Watershed Assessments - John Wirts
11:35 am WV Department of Agriculture - Matt Monroe
11:55 am Lunch (Brown Bag)
1:00 pm WV DEP Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) - Shelia Vukovich
1:10 pm WV DEP Special Reclamation (Bond Forfeiture) - Alyce Lee
1:20 pm WV DEP Division of Water & Waste Management - NPDES - Bob Bates
1:35 pm WV DEP Division of Mining and Reclamation - NPDES Article 11 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) Article 3 Mining & Trend Network Information - Ken Politan 2:00 pm WV Division of Natural Resources (TBA) 2:15 pm Friends of Cheat - Keith Pitzer
2:30 pm Break
2:40 pm WV Department of Health & Human Resources - Rick Shaver
2:55 pm WV Save Our Streams (WV SOS) Program - Tim Craddock
3:10 pm WV DEP GIS information - Larry Evans
3:30 pm Wrap-up/Comments

Presenter Speaking Points Introduction to the Agency including Agency mission Sampling Plans- purpose for sampling with brief explanation (regulatory, research, program mandate, trends, etc) Locations - How are locations determined? How are locations recorded (GPS)? Collection - Type of collection (grab, composite or continuous) Parameters sampled - water chemistry (pH, dissolved oxygen, fecal, etc) Is flow monitoring included? Does the organization do macroinvertebrate sampling? Frequency of Sampling - how often are samples collected? Analysis - Field or laboratory Agency or contract laboratory Analytical methods reference Data Storage - Paper or electronic Agency database or stand alone Is GIS data available? (Type and date of coverage) Contact for GIS files or questions Data Availability - Is it available to the public Web based system or must it be requested (Is a Freedom of Information Act request required?) Overview of future monitoring plans - brief and concise Final Points Any website links you would like to provide? Identify any reports generated based on sampling program and how reports are accessed (electronic / hard copy) Identify contacts in your organization for follow-up questions or additional information. ~PLEASE PASS THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ALONG TO OTHERS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING!