The H 2O Drop
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
F L O RAI DPAU D
BE
L IPCA R
N TE M
WESNL TE TOTFE R
E NOVFI RTOHNEMSETNOT R
A EL T P G
RR
OO
TU
EC
PTION
A PUBLIC NEWSLETTER OF THE STORET GROUP
FEBRUARY 1, 2009
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Recent Announcements
STORET Replacement Update
Data Quality Assurance Rules
STORET Public Access (SPA)
2008 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida Water Project Funding in Florida Contact Us
We l c o m e t o t h e S TO R E T Wa t e r D ro p
By Dan Marelli, STORET manager
W
elcome to the
FDEP STORET team
newsletter, affectionately dubbed The Water
Drop by our excellent
staff. I am the STORET manager and supervise an excellent group of six highly skilled professionals. These
ladies and gentlemen make my job pleasurable as they
navigate us through the interesting system known as
STORET. They also help all of you in the quest to
make the water quality database in Florida the largest
and best in the nation and although you usually only
deal with one of them let me introduce (L to R and
standing) Edwin (Win) Abbey, Lisa Schwenning,
Lemonteh’ Horne, Vilma Quant, and Julie Zimmerman. I’m the one with the beard and Rebecca James is
sitting next to me.
The Water Drop was Lisa’s idea as a way to communicate from our team to you and to put a human face on
what sometimes may feel like a recurring nightmare
(STORET). The good news is that we are changing our
water quality database for the better. As EPA has transitioned to the Water Quality Exchange (WQX) we
will be replacing our own STORET system with a powerful, user friendly, interactive, and Internet-based application that will allow you to export text files in a
simple format to us. A few of you will be involved in
the brainstorming sessions that will ultimately lead to
the new system, but all of you are important to the
process and we will continue to keep you informed of
our progress.
I will profile all of the staff as the Water Drop continues
and I want to start by telling you something about me.
I was educated as a biologist and became a specialist in
bivalve mollusks (clams, scallops, mussels). I spent 14
years working at the Florida Marine (now Wildlife)
Research Institute in St. Petersburg and then 6 years as
the Director of academic diving at FSU. I still get a
chance to do some research, but mostly work with
freshwater clams and estuarine mussels these days. I
also keep my hand in scientific and recreational diving
education. I have a wonderful wife, Janet, who is also a
diving instructor and I like to play with my 1951 Packard on occasion.
I was fortunate to land at DEP where I work with a talented group of people in the STORET team. They are
dedicated and friendly people who believe in our mission of identifying threatened waters in Florida and
working to restore these waters. You are all part of this
mission and we rely on your hard work and dedication
as well. I believe that if we keep working we will make
a positive contribution to protecting and restoring Florida waters. Thank you and I look forward to hearing
from you.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
A M e s s a g e F ro m t h e E d i t o r
Welcome to introductory issue of The H2O Drop. This newsletter is designed to be an interactive form of communication between you, the data provider, and DEP’s Storet team. It is also a great way to share with other data
providers around Florida things that you have learned from experience. You are encouraged to submit articles,
questions, information, tips, news, funny stories, pictures, or anything else water quality/Storet related from your
area—yet we do not require submissions as this is your newsletter. The H2O Drop will be sent out quarterly to
nearly 100 data providers covering all DEP districts throughout the state of Florida. It will also be distributed with
enough time before the IWR deadlines for the information to be helpful to you.
Comments and submissions can be sent to [email protected]
The Upcoming IWR Run - March 1, 2009
The March 1st run is quickly approaching. This is run 36 and will primarily focus on the Group 3 basins - where
Group 3 is in the second Cycle of Phase 2 in the Basin Rotation Schedule - strategic monitoring and assessment to
develop and update to the draft impaired waters lists. These data will be used to update the impaired waters lists,
develop model results, and create TMDL reports, which will lead into the BMAP process. The Group 3 basins are
Choctawhatchee – St. Andrews Bay, Upper St. Johns, Sarasota Bay – Peace – Myakka, Caloosahatchee and Lake
Worth Lagoon – Palm Beach Coast.
When submitting data for the IWR run, the earlier the data is submitted, the more likely it will be loaded in time for
the analysis. Sometimes we have a second rush of data creating a backlog. To improve the accuracy of the draft impaired waters lists and to reduce the number of any unlikely data issues, if possible, we ask that your agency submit
your valuable data within the 2 weeks before the March 1st deadline. If you have any questions or concerns about
the IWR run, or need assistance with your data, your Storet coordinator would be most happy to assist you.
Group 4 Basins are in Phase 1 - Data necessary for filling assessment gaps and analyzes are collected and analyzed.
Group 5 Basins are in Phase 4 – Development of a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) to achieve TMDLs are initiated with intense coordination and participation with affected stakeholders discussing allocations and implementation strategies.
Group 1 Basins are in Phase 5 – Implementation of adopted BMAPs to achieve TMDLs and monitoring of results is initiated through
public involvement and stakeholder input.
Group 2 Basins are in Phase 3 – Establish TMDLs for waterbody or water segments verified as impaired, using a model (or set of
models) to estimate nonpoint and point source loadings and establish the waterbodies assimilative capacity.
Data Loading Tip of the Quarter
Loading Bacteriological Data:
When loading bacteriological data, make sure samples have start dates, start times, analysis dates, and analysis
times. These 4 elements are part of our recommended quality assessments checks as described in DEP EAS 0101. Without these elements, holding times can not be calculated, which may affect the availability of the data
for the IWR assessment.
For more information on the recommended quality assessment elements, click the link below.
DEP EAS 01-01
2
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
What’s Happening In Your Area?
Statewide
EPA and Florida DEP Work Together to Restore Florida’s
Surface Waters
January 16, 2009
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are taking actions to protect and restore both recreational uses and aquatic life in Florida waters. These actions include EPA issuing a formal determination under the Clean Water Act that
“numeric” nutrient water quality criteria are necessary in Florida, and Florida accelerating its efforts to adopt numeric nutrient criteria into state regulations. Numeric nutrient criteria will significantly improve Florida’s ability to
address nutrient pollution in a timely and effective manner. ...more
NW District
Ultralight-Led Whooping Cranes Reach Florida
January 22, 2009 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Seven of 14 ultra-light led migrating whooping cranes arrived at Florida's St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Saturday January 17 after traveling more than
1,200 miles from their summer grounds at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin. Half of the
flock is expected to remain at St. Marks NWR for the winter. The rest of the birds
will continue south to Chassahowitzka NWR, 65 miles north of St. Petersburg.
"St. Marks has been anticipating the birds arrival for months, and the outpouring of community support around
Wakulla and Leon counties has been phenomenal," said Terry Peacock, Refuge Manager at St. Marks NWR. "We
are thankful for the help of all of our volunteers who have assisted with pen set-up and helped with other preparaMore on Operation Migration
tions around the refuge." ...more
South District
Corps Receives Funds to Develop Holistic Recommendation
for Everglades
December 18, 2008 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
Jacksonville District Commander Col. Paul Grosskruger accepted for the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, a ceremonial check representing $1 million in funding from the
Department of the Interior. The funding, and an agreement between the two agencies, will allow the Corps to immediately begin developing a comprehensive recommendation for ending the ecological damage caused by the 80-year-old Tamiami Trail. ...more
3
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
A Farewell
Since the photo on the front page was taken, we have lost two of our team members to new and exciting
opportunities.
Dan Marelli, our manager, has moved on to pursue his ambitions in scientific diving. Dan was a great person
and a fantastic supervisor. We wish him success in his new endeavors.
Edwin Abbey, coordinator for the south district, has moved on to pursue his ambitions in GIS, taking a supervisory position here at DEP. We congratulate him on his move and wish him the best.
Both will be missed here in STORET.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
A PUBLIC NEWSLETTER OF THE STORET GROUP
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee FL 32399
Phone: (850) 245-8509
* All photos are used with permission of the proprietor
‘He who does not know his way to the sea should take a river for his guide.’
Blaise Pascal – Pensées (“Thoughts”)
OOOOHH - A STORET Word Search !!
SAMPLE
PQL
DATA
ACTIVITY ID
PRIMARY TYPE
EXPORT
ERROR
EXCEDRIN
UPDATE
MIGRATE
4