Meeting the Stormwater Monitoring Challenges in Three Unique Arid Region Watersheds
Riverside County Stormwater Monitoring Program Meeting the Stormwater Monitoring Challenges in Three Unique Arid Region Watersheds:
Adaptive approaches to regulatory program requirements and demands
March 26, 2019
by Rebekah Guill, M.S., CPESC, CPSWQ, QSP Senior Flood Control Planner/ Monitoring Programs Manager Watershed Protection Division Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District 1 Overview • Introduction to Riverside County • Monitoring Program Challenges • Collaborations and Approaches to Meet Challenges
2 Located in the Inland Empire
Home of ~ 2.4 Million People
Avg. Rainfall Range 3"-26"
3 Total Permittees 27 Cities + Riverside County + Flood Control District + Coachella Valley Water District + County of San Diego
4 Challenges for the County-wide Monitoring Program
Arid Climate
Resource Program Geographical Constraints Challenges Extents
Three Separate Regulatory Entities
5 Santa Margarita Region Arid Watersheds Santa Ana River Region Average Annual Rainfall Average Annual Rainfall Whitewater River Region 11.82" – 15.43" Average Annual Rainfall 10.90" – 14.40" 4.17" – 16.24"
6 Geographical Extents
7 Three Separate Programs
• Receiving Water Stations (1) • Receiving Water Stations (3) • Receiving Water Stations (2) • Outfall Stations (2) • Outfall Stations (7) • Outfall Stations (30) • Quarterly IC/ID Inspections • Bioassessment Stations (4) • Outfall Field Screening (265) • Hydromodification Monitoring • Bioassessment Stations (4) • TMDL Monitoring • Hydromodification Monitoring • Lake Elsinore / Canyon Lake • Regional and Watershed • Middle Santa Ana River Whitewater Special Studies • BIGHT – Regional Marine River Region Santa Ana Monitoring River Region Santa Margarita River Region
8 Meeting the Challenges
Partners and CollaborationsArid Climate Optimizing New Mobilization Technology Criteria Resource ProgramMeeting Geographical Constraints Extents ChallengesChallenges
Three Separate District Real-Time Regulatory Monitoring Storm Entities Support Teams Information
9 Optimizing Mobilization Dry Weather monitoring depends on multiple factors…
Criteria Environmental Access Presence of Set Schedule > 72 dry period Window Coordination Flow
10 Optimizing Mobilization Storms of this area are often… • Convective, highly localized • Flashy, intense, and occasionally unsafe • Short-lived (< 24 hours)
Use of efficient mobilization criteria is essential in an arid environment.
NOAA Forecast NOAA Forecast Criteria 48hr prior 24hr prior EPA Criteria Quantitative Precipitation Updated QPS GO” or “NO GO” District Criteria Statement (QPS) Contact Forecaster Forecaster Discussion (recommended) 11 During Storm: Real-Time Storm Data Reliance on the most current information.
12 Consolidated Monitoring Plan Quality Assurance/ Control Reporting
Mobilization Criteria Documentation/ Recordkeeping
Laboratory Standards Project Contact Organization
Data Acceptance Criteria Standard Operation Procedures
Instrument Calibration/ Watershed Monitoring Plans Measurements
Requirements Methods
Schedules Partnerships and Collaborations
• SPLIT THE EFFORT • DRIVEN BY THE DISTRICT TEAM • MULTI-COUNTY COORDINATION
• DISTRICT MONITORING TEAM • DISTRICT • RIVERSIDE COUNTY • ON BEHALF OF PERMITTEES • DISTRICT MONITORING TEAM (Wet) • COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT • CONSULTANT SUPPORT ONLY FOR STREAM • CONSULTANT MONITORING TEAMS (Dry) MONITORING TEAM ASSESSMENT • CITIES AND COUNTY INVOLVEMENT • SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STORMWATER MONITORING COALITION • SAN DIEGO COUNTY • CONSULTANT MONITORING TEAM • TMDL TASK FORCES • TMDL MONITORING • FACILITATED BY THE SANTA ANA WATERSHED PROJECT AUTHROITY • REGIONAL PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL STUDIES Whitewater • RESPONSIBLE PARTIES • SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STORMWATER River Region Santa Ana MONITORING COALITION River Region Santa Margarita River Region
14 Leveraging Resources
• Data Sharing • Developing Techniques
• Building Regional Standards Collaboration • In-kind Support • Shared Achievements
15 All Hands on Deck! District Team of experienced, Lead Monitoring Staff
The District Volunteer Sampler Program (internal) • Led by experienced, seasoned samplers • Training is offered to staff interested in a sampler support role. • Open to employees from all walks of District services: engineers, planners, drafters, technicians, maintenance crews, reprographic artists, surveyors, and admin staff. • Facilitates monitoring in all 3 regions
16 Continued Efforts to Improve Programs • Regional Programs and Technical Workgroups • Enhanced Data Management Systems • Geographic Information System (GIS)- based tools • Automation of data quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) • Lessons from past permit programs • Special Studies
17 Arid Monitoring Program Success
Partners and Collaborations
Optimizing New Mobilization Technology Criteria
Meeting Challenges
District Real-Time Monitoring Storm Support Teams Information
18 Acknowledgements Thank You to everyone who is dedicated to supporting the Riverside County-wide Programs! Key District Staff Partners Consultants Monitoring Leads Support/Volunteers Desert Monitoring Collaboration Laboratory Support Abigail Suter Jason Swenson Vanessa Duong, Coachella Valley Water District Kayelani Marshall Michael Phipps Ruben Sanchez Wil Gonzalez, Coachella Valley Water District Babcock Laboratories, Inc. Melissa Varela Charlene Warren Robert Laag Andrea Gonzalez Regional Programs Monitoring Support David Ortega Aldo Licitra Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority Sheri Dister Gracie Torres Kahlil Amin Weston Solutions Ava Moussavi Juan Martinez Lake Elsinore/ Canyon Lake TMDL Task Force Maleek Howard Estevan Ochoa Matt Rich Han Yang Santa Ana River TMDL Task Force Wood Environmental Baily Bingham (Including San Bernardino County and Devraj Oza the County of Orange) Dave Renfrew Carlos Villegas Alta Environmental Nathaniel Olivas Southern California
Stormwater Monitoring Coalition 19 Questions For more information about the District’s programs: http://rcflood.org/NPDES/Default.aspx
Rebekah Guill, M.S., CPESC, CPSWQ, QSP Senior Flood Control Planner / Monitoring Programs Manager Watershed Protection Division Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District [email protected]
20