Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling for Equitable Recreation on the Mystic River

EPA Grant Number: R829338
Title: Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling for Equitable Recreation on the Mystic River
Investigators: Deshpande, Vithal V. , Kirshen, Paul , Perez, Grace , Durant, John , Baise, Laurie , Minardi, Lee , Brukilacchio, Lisa , Hammett, Nancy , Chapra, Steve
Institution: City of Somerville , Mystic River Watershed Association , Tufts University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2003
Project Amount: $427,969
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2001) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Environmental Statistics , Water , Air

Objective:

The objectives of this research project were to: (1) collect data on water quality indicators—fecal coliform, Enterococcus, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity—along with data on depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, and meteorological conditions in real-time to develop an "early warning" water quality forecasting model; (2) present real-time and timely water quality data and information to the public using the Internet, color-coded flags, a variety of other printed and visual materials in several languages, and regular advisories in local print and broadcast media (the presentations will turn the data into indices useful for everyday decisions about contact with the water); (3) make recreational users and watershed residents aware of the real-time and timely data, indices, and models available through this project (the focus is on reaching a large segment of the public, including those without easy access to the Internet, to stimulate interest in finding and using the information from the project); and (4) inform watershed residents about the connections between human behavior and water quality through educational efforts that emphasize the value of this information for personal decisions and community health.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

Over the entire project duration, the following milestones were accomplished:

• Equipment installation (first year of the project)

• Experimentation planning (first year of the project)

• Data collection of biological and physical parameters at five locations across the lower Mystic River Basin and Alewife Brook (2 consecutive years during late spring, summer, and early fall)

• Web site design, real-time data collection on the Web (2 consecutive years during late spring, summer, and early fall)

• Planning and initial development for a predictive model based on logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and statistical time series modeling (first year of the project)

• Two sets of predictive models (second year of the project)

• Public participation and input in the Web site design (first year of the project)

• Public meetings and participation for discussing and incorporating suggestions about the pages of the project and modeling issues.

All above-mentioned milestones are required to pursue the State goal of making the river swimmable and fishable by 2010. The data collection and analysis are helping to locate the biological parameters are affecting the stream. It also is helping us to understand the impact of human activities on this vital natural resource in the region. Although funding for this project ended December 31, 2003, there will be additional data collection in the summer of 2004. This data collection and the subsequent implementation of the predictive model on the Web will help us to further understand the health of the river and will also provide an outreach tool for public education about the watershed.

Somerville's EMPACT project announcement was made in the local newspaper Somerville Journal and the national newspaper Boston Globe. There was a formal launch of the program, which was attended by Congressman Michael Capuano, Mayor of Somerville Dorothy A. Kelly Gay, Tufts University President Lawrence Bacow, U.S. EPA Region 1 Administrator Robert W. Varney, several professors from Tufts University, representatives of the City of Somerville, U.S. EPA Region 1 officials, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials, Mystic River Watershed Association members, and the general public. There were several articles in the Mystic River Watershed Association's newsletters on the different aspects of the project. The City of Somerville publicized the news on the environmental portion of the City's Web site and the Tufts University Web site.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

real-time data monitoring, public education, environmental education, public awareness, natural resources, predictive modeling for river quality, aquatic ecosystem, bacteria, community outreach, community tracking, community water quality information system, community-based approach, ecological models, ecology assessment models, fecal contamination, health effects, land management, recreational water, remote sensing, river ecosystems, sediment transport, stream ecosystem, water management options, water quality, water resources, watershed assessment, watershed restoration., RFA, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, Water, ECOSYSTEMS, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Watersheds, Monitoring/Modeling, Water & Watershed, Environmental Monitoring, health effects, stream ecosystems, water quality, water management options, aquatic ecosystem, community-based approach, ecological models, recreational water , watershed assessment, watershed restoration, community outreach, fecal contamination, remote sensing, sediment transport, wetlands, community water quality information system, ecology assessment models, community tracking, land management, aquatic ecosystems, stream ecosystem, water resources, river ecosystems

Relevant Websites:

http://www.mysticriveronline.org Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2002 Progress Report