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Great Lakes NCCA Enhancements
Citation:
Cotter, A., Dave Bolgrien, J. Scharold, T. Angradi, M. Pawlowski, AND M. Wick. Great Lakes NCCA Enhancements. To be Presented at The Future of NARS, Washington, DC, December 05 - 07, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
Information in this presentation will help EPA OW and states understand how NCCA program enhancements have been developed and deployed in the Great Lakes. The NARS program may adopt some of these approaches as it considered a change in the NARS sampling and reporting cycle (i.e., NARS 2.0).
Description:
In partnership with Office of Water, Region 5, Great Lakes National Program Office, and states, ORD has developed and tested enhancements of the National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA) for the Great Lakes. Enhancements fulfill the objectives the National Aquatic Resources Surveys (NARS) and lake managers but typically are not funded as part of the NARS “base” survey. Enhancements in the Great Lakes have been funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), GLNPO program funding, and ORD since 2009. Design enhancements include the addition of 1) embayments to the base nearshore design, 2) connecting channels to the NCCA frame, and 3) special intensification areas (states, National Lakeshores, and lake basins). Current pilot work on Great Lakes connecting channels is particularly important because these systems have lake, coastal, and river characteristics. ORD is testing the application of NCCA sampling methods. Indicator enhancements include the collection and analysis of phytoplankton, underwater video, and algal toxins. Information from these indicators have been included in NAR and NCCA assessment reports. Some of these enhancements were incorporated into the 2010 and 2015 survey and are being considered for the 2020 NCCA Great Lakes survey. How enhancements might be applied in the NARS 2.0 context will be discussed at this meeting.