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Press Release |
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
NOAA 02-R440
November 7, 2002
CONTACT:
Bridget Hoover
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network
(831) 883-9303
Tamara Clinard Doan
Coastal Watershed Council
(831) 426-9012
Rachel Saunders
NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(831) 647-4237
"FIRST FLUSH" VOLUNTEERS TO SAMPLE RUNOFF ALONG COAST
In an effort to determine the amount of pollution the heavy rains wash into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, more than 24 volunteers worked with sanctuary staff and the Coastal Watershed Council early this morning to collect water samples from the rain's "First Flush" at Capitola and Santa Cruz, Calif. An additional 31 volunteers stand ready in Monterey and Pacific Grove to collect samples once the rains hit Monterey County later today. Based on the findings from 19 collection sites, education programs can then be designed and prioritized to reduce the pollution flowing into the sanctuary. The Monterey Bay Sanctuary is managed by Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This is the third year for the volunteer-based "First Flush" monitoring event to help determine the effects of months of accumulated litter, oil, chemicals and other pollutants washed off city streets and flushed through storm drains into the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. The rain water samples, collected by Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network, will be analyzed for oil and grease, metals, nutrients, bacteria, sediment and toxicity. Runoff is a large source of pollution throughout the country.
"This event provides valuable information to resource agencies and makes the point that even people who live miles away from the Bay may be polluting the sanctuary, without realizing it," said Sanctuary Superintendent William J. Douros.
The volunteers, working with sanctuary staff, have been on-call since late September awaiting the rains. The groups mobilized at 2:00 a.m. in Santa Cruz County to monitor storm drain discharges which will help in identifying areas with high pollutant loads.
Unlike household sewage, storm drain pollution is not cleansed by sewage treatment plants.
"Each year more dedicated citizens participate in the "First Flush" event to help the sanctuary staff collect valuable water quality data along California's Central Coast," said Bridget Hoover, Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network Coordinator. "The event raises public awareness about water quality issues affecting watersheds that drain into NOAA's Monterey Bay Sanctuary."
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network is a consortium of approximately 20 citizen monitoring groups that monitor the health of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The network was established in 1997 and has since provided support, training, and a central forum and database for citizen monitoring programs. "First Flush" is a collaborative effort involving the network and the Coastal Watershed Council. Funding is provided by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Capitola and Santa Cruz. For more information about the sanctuary and this event, please visit http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/monitoringnetwork/events.html
Managed by the NOAA, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary stretches along 276 miles of central California coast and encompasses over 5,300 miles of ocean area. Renowned for its scenic beauty and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, including 33 species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds, 345 species of fishes and thousands of marine invertebrates and plants. For more information, please visit: http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov.
The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) seeks to increase the public awareness of America's maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration, and educational programs. Today, 13 national marine sanctuaries encompass more than 18,000 square miles of America's ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources. In addition, the NMSP is now conducting a sanctuary designation process to eventually incorporate the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve into the national sanctuary system.
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) manages the National Marine Sanctuary Program, and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving, and restoring the nation's coasts and oceans. NOS balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats, and mitigating coastal hazards. To learn more about NOS and the National Marine Sanctuary Program, please visit http://nos.noaa.gov.
