n. scott urquhart, director space-time aquatic resources modeling and analysis program (starmap)

EPA & Ecology 2005 # 1

AN ACADEMICIAN’S VIEW OF EPA’sAN ACADEMICIAN’S VIEW OF EPA’sECOLOGY PROGRAMECOLOGY PROGRAM

ESPECIALLY ITSESPECIALLY ITSENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND

ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP)ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP)

N. Scott Urquhart, DirectorN. Scott Urquhart, DirectorSpace-Time Aquatic Resources Modeling Space-Time Aquatic Resources Modeling

and Analysis Program (STARMAP)and Analysis Program (STARMAP)Department of StatisticsDepartment of StatisticsColorado State UniversityColorado State University


TOPICS FOR TODAYTOPICS FOR TODAY

Some DisclaimersSome Disclaimers My Experience and PerspectivesMy Experience and Perspectives Ecology and the Clean Water ActEcology and the Clean Water Act Impact of EMAP and Related ActivitiesImpact of EMAP and Related Activities

(Including examples) Academics and EPA-Relevant Academics and EPA-Relevant

ResearchResearch Importance of Well-Focused Importance of Well-Focused

“Requests“Requestsfor Applications” (RFA)for Applications” (RFA)


SOME DISCLAIMERSSOME DISCLAIMERS

No One Can Speak for All Academics inNo One Can Speak for All Academics inan Area!an Area!

My Funding: A Cooperative AgreementMy Funding: A Cooperative Agreement This talk was developed under the STAR

Research Assistance Agreement CR-829095 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of presenter and STARMAP, the Program he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation.


MY EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVESMY EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVES

Trained as a Statistician, butTrained as a Statistician, but Have Worked with Ecologists for 45Have Worked with Ecologists for 45

Years Years Relevant Post-Doctoral Experience:Relevant Post-Doctoral Experience:

25 years in Agricultural experimentstations

Wildlife and range science Water quality Beneficial uses of sewage sludge Variety of ecology projects


MY EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVESMY EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVES(continued)(continued)

10 years of direct contact with EMAP10 years of direct contact with EMAP From a department of statistics Mainly with aquatic resources

Specifically related to lakes and streams Developed the methodology to

Evaluate the power of EMAP-type designs to detect trend.

Directed STARMAP for nearly 4 YearsDirected STARMAP for nearly 4 Years Developing analysis methodology for

EMAP-type data


ECOLOGY and the CLEAN WATER ACTECOLOGY and the CLEAN WATER ACT The Clean Water Act (CWA) The Clean Water Act (CWA)

Specifically Mentions Aquatic Life AsSpecifically Mentions Aquatic Life As “… the protection and propagation of a

balanced indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife,

and to allow recreational activities …” Statements like this occur at least Statements like this occur at least

2828times in the CWA sections times in the CWA sections numbered 3xxnumbered 3xx

Ecology covers this class of interests!


IMPACT OF EMAP IMPACT OF EMAP and and

RELATED ACTIVITIESRELATED ACTIVITIES The Perspectives and Approaches The Perspectives and Approaches

of EMAP Have Had a Major Impact of EMAP Have Had a Major Impact in:in: EPA’s Offices of Water and Air State Water Quality Agencies

See poster!


See the PosterEMAP Monitoring Design & Design Team



RELATED ACTIVITIESRELATED ACTIVITIES The Perspectives and Approaches of The Perspectives and Approaches of

EMAP Have Had a Major Impact in:EMAP Have Had a Major Impact in: EPA’s Offices of Water and Air State Water Quality Agencies – See poster! National Park Service Forest Service Sub-state authorities, such as the San

Francisco Estuary Institute Near Coastal cooperative efforts Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center


GLEN CANYON DAM GLEN CANYON DAM IMPOUNDS LAKE POWELLIMPOUNDS LAKE POWELL


Have Had Major Impacts on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

OPERATIONS OF GLEN CANYON DAM

Water flow into the Grand CanyonWater flow into the Grand Canyon Temperature of water entering Grand CanyonTemperature of water entering Grand Canyon Sediment entering the Grand CanyonSediment entering the Grand Canyon In the past, the diurnal variation in flowIn the past, the diurnal variation in flow


APPLYING EMAP SITE SELECTION IN APPLYING EMAP SITE SELECTION IN THE GRAND CANYON - BACKGROUNDTHE GRAND CANYON - BACKGROUND

Effects of Glen Canyon Dam Effects of Glen Canyon Dam Led to an Adaptive Management Led to an Adaptive Management

Program to moderate these effectsProgram to moderate these effects


MAKING THE ADAPTIVE MAKING THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN WORKMANAGEMENT PLAN WORK

Management Panel is Supported byManagement Panel is Supported by Technical Work Group (TWG) Most needed info supplied by the Grand

Canyon Monitoring and Research Center A USGS organization

Past studies used “hand picked” sites Whole canyon riparian area inferences

needed Peer review panel suggested redesigning

near-river terrestrial studies Using EMAP site selection process NSU invited to assist, and to help lay out

transects


VIEW DOWN TRANSECT AT MILE 12.3VIEW DOWN TRANSECT AT MILE 12.3


CLIFF AT MILE CLIFF AT MILE 135.2135.2

(PARTIAL HEIGHT)(PARTIAL HEIGHT)

NO VEGETATION TRANSECT NEEDED HERE!NO VEGETATION TRANSECT NEEDED HERE!

EMAP SITE SELECTION PROTOCOL EMAP SITE SELECTION PROTOCOL ACCOMMODATES THIS, WHEREAS ACCOMMODATES THIS, WHEREAS TRADITIONAL METHODS DON’T.TRADITIONAL METHODS DON’T.


QUESTION ASKED AT TWG MEETINGQUESTION ASKED AT TWG MEETING Can “Whole Canyon” estimates of Can “Whole Canyon” estimates of

vegetation be obtained from these vegetation be obtained from these results and sampling plan?results and sampling plan?

RESPONSE: YES – with some RESPONSE: YES – with some qualifications:qualifications: For some, but not all, of the responses

evaluated. For the whole Canyon below the 60 kcfs level and by geologic reach More accurate estimates would require quite

a bit of GIS work


SO WHAT?SO WHAT?

A member of TWG had been A member of TWG had been responsible forresponsible for The environmental impact statement

(EIS) For a high flow release in 1996 He said that at that time the EIS

work group recognized that They needed such an estimate, but Available data would not support such

an estimate.



RELATED ACTIVITIESRELATED ACTIVITIES(continued)(continued)

The Perspectives and Approaches of The Perspectives and Approaches of EMAP Have Had a Major Impact in:EMAP Have Had a Major Impact in: … Academic settings

Originally, ecologists vigorously opposed the EMAP approaches because they weren’t the way they were used to doing business.

More recently many ecologists have embraced the kinds of large-area data previously unavailable Example: Zooplankton ecologist


ACADEMICS ACADEMICS and and

EPA-RELEVANT RESEARCHEPA-RELEVANT RESEARCH EPA is a Mission-Oriented AgencyEPA is a Mission-Oriented Agency

It should support research which advances its missions

Aquatic resources and related landscape matters are a part of that mission (in my view)

There is a great distance between much academic research and EPA’s needs.


ACADEMICS ACADEMICS and and

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONPERFORMANCE EVALUATION How Academics are Evaluated?How Academics are Evaluated?

Frequently by their performance in their respective disciplines. Because academics frequently have no

“clientele,” they can’t be evaluated relative to their contributions to their clientele.

Academic research (not applied) often is very important.

Secondary, but increasingly important, is outside $ brought into the institution.


IMPORTANCE OF WELL-FOCUSED IMPORTANCE OF WELL-FOCUSED “REQUESTS“REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS” FOR APPLICATIONS”

How can EPA change academics’How can EPA change academics’ priorities? priorities? By advertising for assistance using well-

focused RFAs Research requirements of an RFA need to reflect

EPA’s needs. Give academics a little room to “do their own thing,”

as a way to encourage them to actively participate Using cooperative agreements

Make sure PIs and directors understand what cooperation means!

Centers can have a valuable role


CONCLUDING THOUGHTCONCLUDING THOUGHT

The Activities at EPA Identified asThe Activities at EPA Identified as Ecology Have Made Contributions! Ecology Have Made Contributions!

Much Work Remains.Much Work Remains. Where Should EPA’s Research NeedsWhere Should EPA’s Research Needs

be Met? be Met? In the EPA Labs, and In academia, using focused RFAs. Cooperation between these two kinds of

organizations needs to be fostered.


END OF PLANNED END OF PLANNED PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION

Questions are Welcome.Questions are Welcome.

n. scott urquhart, director space-time aquatic resources modeling and analysis program (starmap)

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