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September 08, 2010: SCCWRP will be hosting a 2-day CRAM training course October 5-6 in conjunction with the UC Davis Extension. The course will train participants to conduct an accurate estuarine wetland assessment using CRAM. Registration is available through UC Davis Extension. Participants must have previously taken a 3-day CRAM training module to enroll in this course. For more information, please contact Nancy Barker (530-757-8889; nlbarker@ucdavis.edu) or Chris Solek (714-755-3244; chriss@sccwrp.org). For additional background on the development of CRAM, please visit SCCWRP's website or the CRAM website.
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August 30, 2010: The California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN) website, which contains both data access and data submission portals, went live on August 24. CEDEN was created to simplify and improve access to California's water resource monitoring data by providing services that integrate, standardize, and display data from the State's many diverse monitoring and data management efforts. CEDEN is a is a growing statewide cooperative effort of various water and environmental organizations interested in exchanging water quality and other environmental data from California. In a distributed database model, SCCWRP will participate as one of four new regional data centers: the Southern California Regional Data Center. For more information on this project, please contact Shelly Moore.
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August 24, 2010: Dr. Christopher Solek of SCCWRP’s biology department will present “An Introduction to the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) for California Wetlands” as a webinar sponsored by the California Water Quality Monitoring Collaboration Network (CWQMCN). CRAM is a standardized, cost-effective tool for assessing the health of wetlands and riparian habitats. This event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 from 11:30-12:30. For access information, please contact Erick Burres or Chris Solek. To learn more about CRAM, please visit SCCWRP’s website or cramwetlands.org.
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August 16, 2010: A training video demonstrating the rapid quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) method used in this summer’s rapid methods demonstration project is now available for download from SCCWRP’s website. QPCR is being used to measure beach water quality and make beach warning and closure decisions at several Orange County sites, alongside traditional methods, from July to August 2010. The purpose of the video is to assist in technology transfer and training of laboratory technicians expected to perform the new method. For more information on the training video, please contact Dr. John Griffith.
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July 14, 2010: The SCCWRP Commission’s Rapid Methods Task Force met on June 29 and agreed to move forward with a demonstration project this summer from July 6 to August 31. Throughout this period, a rapid molecular method for Enterococcus (quantitative polymerase chain reaction or QPCR) will be used side-by-side with traditional fecal indicator bacteria quantification methods for monitoring at select beach sites in Orange County. This is the first application in the country using data from rapid molecular methods to make same-day beach warning and closure decisions. As part of the demonstration, electronic signs will be installed at Newport Pier and Huntington, Doheny, and Big Corona State Beaches to communicate the latest data on potential health risks to beach visitors. For more information, check out the video from KTLA news, fact sheet, or SCCWRP’s website.
Example screen showing beach water quality at sampled locations along Doheny Beach.
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July 02, 2010: A 3-day Symposium entitled “Episodic Stream Channels: Imperatives for Assessment and Environmental Planning in California” will be held at SCCWRP November 8-10. The goal of the Symposium is to explore the physical processes, ecological adaptations, and management/conservations challenges of episodic channels in California. It is being organized by the University of California, Berkeley, the California Department of Fish and Game, and SCCWRP. For more information on the agenda and how to register, please contact Dr. Eric Stein.
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June 25, 2010: The Science Advisory Panel for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in Recycled Water issued their final report to the State Water Resources Control Board on June 25. The panel met four times from 2009 to 2010 to formulate their recommendations for CEC monitoring and to receive input from a variety of stakeholders and the public. They were tasked with addressing five questions raised by the State’s Recycled Water Policy. More information about this effort is available on the SCCWRP website or by contacting Dr. Keith Maruya.