ITEM: CONSENT
CALENDAR
4. AUTHORIZE
EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS FOR PREPARATION OF A THREE-YEAR SUMMARY REPORT OF
BIOASSESSMENT SAMPLING
Meeting Date: August 18, 2003 Budgeted:
Yes
Program/Line Item
No.: Aquatic
Staff
Contact: Thomas Lindberg Resources/Fisheries 2.4-11
Cost Estimate: $4,040
General
Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee
Recommendation: The Administrative
Committee reviewed this item on August 12, 2003 and recommended Board approval.
CEQA
Compliance: N/A
SUMMARY:
The District initiated benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) sampling in Fall
2000. BMI samples are collected at four
locations along the Carmel River in the spring and fall by District staff, and
sent to a certified laboratory for analysis.
Results from the District’s sampling are used in combination with other
habitat quality measurements to form a more complete picture of the biological
health of the Carmel River system.
However a comprehensive analysis of all of the data has not been
conducted to date. The previous three
years of analysis and reporting of BMI have been completed satisfactorily, on
time, and within the budget by the firm of BioAssessment Services (BAS). This item is for authorization to contract
BAS to prepare a summary of all information collected to date. A copy of the
proposal for the report is included as Exhibit
4-A. To minimize costs and
save time, the principal operator of BAS, Thomas King, has estimated up to 34
hours of data entry, literature compilation and report review may be
subcontracted to an assistant at a lower hourly rate, while the bulk of the
analysis and report preparation will be conducted by Mr. King, as described in
the Cost Summary at the end of Exhibit 4-A.
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Acting General Manager to expend
funds totaling up to $4,040 for analysis of BMI samples and preparation of a
three-year summary report. The report
will summarize BMI data collected to date, comment on the status of the Carmel
River, and compare it to nearby streams.
The Administrative Committee considered this item at its August 12, 2003
meeting and recommended approval by a vote of two to zero.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1990, the District has been the lead agency in assessing the
biological health (i.e., biological assessment) of the Carmel River. Steelhead counts, both adults and juveniles,
and water quality analyses (i.e., temperature and other indicator parameters)
have been collected regularly in this effort.
In 1999, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) approved the
California Stream Bioassessment Procedure, based on national Rapid
Bioassessment Protocols approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. CDFG and Regional Water Quality
Boards have recommended adding the sampling of BMIs to biological assessment
and mitigation programs. Examples of
BMIs include the filter-feeding larvae of insects such as caddis flies,
blackflies and mayflies, as well as larvae of predaceous insects such as
stoneflies and dragon flies. BMIs are
frequently used as indicators of overall stream conditions because they are
abundant and taxonomically diverse, provide a wide range of response to changes
in the aquatic environment over time and, unlike fishes, are not as likely to
move from a stressed environment. Furthermore,
they are relatively easy to sample and provide a direct measure of water and
habitat quality, as each species has a known relative tolerance to degraded
conditions.
IMPACT
ON STAFF AND RESOURCES: This item is included on page 48 of the
Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Budget, as a line item under Aquatic Resources Fisheries
2-4-11, Bioassessment Sampling. The
$9,500 budgeted is for both routine laboratory costs to analyze samples, and
for preparation of the three-year summary report. $5,460 remains in the budget for laboratory
services by BioAssessment Services in Fiscal Year 2004. Approximately 30 hours of staff time will be
used assisting in preparation of the summary report.