National Park Service (NPS)/Water Resources Division (WRD) Water-Quality Monitoring and Assessment (WAQAM) Partnership
In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 413
March 17, 1999
WATER RESOURCES DIVISION MEMORANDUM NO. 99.17
Subject: National Park Service (NPS)/Water Resources Division (WRD)
Water-Quality Monitoring and Assessment (WAQAM) Partnership
The NPS/WRD Water-Quality Monitoring and Assessment (WAQAM)
Partnership (see WRD Memorandum 98.15) is anticipated to continue
in fiscal year (FY) 2000 (pending congressional approval). This
memorandum prescribes the WRD process to propose, select, and fund
District water-quality work for NPS.
The selection of NPS/WRD water-quality work begins with
discussions among NPS Park Superintendents and WRD managers and
scientists. Attachment 1 is the FY 2000 NPS Natural Resources
Stewardship and Science FY 2000 Unified Project and Technical
Assistance Call that was sent by NPS to all park units on
February 26, 1999 (http://wwwoper.er.usgs.gov/memos/99/auto.html). The
NPS Call describes the FY 2000 call for project and evaluation
criteria statements (the NPS equivalent of WRD preliminary project
proposals). Relevant section of the Call are pages 2-10,
I. Instructions and Criteria, and pages 22-25, NPS-US Geological
Survey Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring Partnership.
Park Superintendents who wish to submit WAQAM proposals will be
asked to contact Districts for assistance in developing
preliminary project proposals in accordance with the instructions
provided in the NPS Call. As described in attachments 1 and 2, a
preliminary project proposal consists of a project statement and
evaluation criteria.
Preliminary proposals should be limited to annual funding
levels suggested in attachment 1 (i.e., $100,000 for intensive
studies and $50,000 for synoptic or fixed-station monitoring
studies). Separate preliminary project proposals may be submitted
for studies within a Park (intensive studies, and synoptic and
fixed-station monitoring studies. However, each study will be
constrained to the annual funding levels. Multi-year projects
funded in FY99 (for FY00 work) will be subject to annual review,
approval, and funding, and must prepare and submit a progress
report following the timelines below (see attachment 2).
Also, please note that fixed-station monitoring is planned to
occur on a 2- to 3-year rotation. Thus, long-term (for example,
permanent discharge gaging stations) data-collection sites are
not expected to be part of the program.
District and National Research Program (NRP) scientists who are
interested in or have connections to a Park are encouraged to
approach Park staff with ideas for consideration by the
Partnership program. NRP scientists need to inform respective
District Chiefs of their discussions with Park staff in their
Districts and District scientists are expected to play a role
in any resulting project.
The resulting jointly-prepared (Region-reviewed, as locally
appropriate) preliminary project proposals will be submitted
through District Chiefs to Park Superintendents to NPS for
internal screening and initial prioritization using criteria
described in attachment 1. Note, the sequence of NPS internal
screening and initial prioritization of preliminary project
proposals includes NPS clusters and regions and finally NPS
headquarters. Districts should coordinate with Park
Superintendents to insure meeting NPS cluster and region
timelines for submitting proposals.
Up to 51 of new, highest priority candidate preliminary proposals
will be submitted to an NPS-USGS work group (3 NPS and 3 USGS
members) for final prioritization and funding in FY 2000. If a
proposal is selected for funding, the responsible District must
prepare a fully detailed, Region-approved proposal/work plan
for final acceptance and funding. Continuation of multi-year
projects begun in FY 1999 will be reviewed and approved by the
work group.
As District and NRP scientists prepare preliminary project
proposals with NPS, proposals should include, as appropriate,
the following:
(1) as stated in the attachments, proposed work should contribute
to and focus on an enhanced understanding of Park water-
quality management issues. In addition, proposals are
preferred that address the state of water-quality methods or
process understanding, as appropriate;
(2) Districts are encouaged to collaborate with scientists
from NRP, other Districts, National Water-Quality Laboratory,
or other USGS Divisions and academia;
(3) any identified research must be coordinated with Districts,
integrated into a preliminary project proposal submitted to
a Park, and must clearly support Park issues;
(4) District Chiefs should be the primary liaison to the Parks
regarding the WAQAM Partnership.
The timeline for the steps of the proposal prioritization and
selection process described below is as follows:
[1/--due date set by NPS Park Superintendent & WRD District Chief
2/--due date set by individual NPS Clusters and NPS Regions]
Responsible Item
Due Date Item(s) Agency Recipient
1/ Complete project statement District & District Chief
& evaluation criteria Park staff Regional
statement for each Hydrologist
proposed project Superintendent
2/ Submit approved project Superintendent NPS Clusters &
statement & evaluation Regions
criteria statement
May 28, Submit approved project NPS Clusters & NPS Regions &
1999 statement & evaluation Region HQ
criteria statement
Jun 25, Complete preliminary NPS HQ NPS-USGS
1999 screening & initial Work Group
prioritization of
proposals
Jul 16, Complete evaluation & final NPS-USGS NPS & USGS HQs
1999 prioritization of proposals Work Group
Jul 30, Notify Districts & Parks of NPS-USGS District Chief
1999 proposals selected for Work Group Superintendent
funding
Sep 17, Submit detailed, approved District Chief Regional
1999 work plan Hydrologist
NPS-USGS
Work Group
Oct 1, Approve funding & proceed NPS-USGS District Chief
1999 with work Work Group Superintendent
Questions concerning the NPS/WRD Partnership should be directed to
Walton Low (703-648-5707, wlow@usgs.gov).
(signed)
Robert M. Hirsch
Chief Hydrologist
2
attachments
Distribution: A, B, DC, NAWQA Study Unit Chiefs (1991, 1994, 1997)
**********************************************************************
Attachment 1-- FY 2000 National Park Service Natural Resources
Stewardship and Science FY 2000 Unified Project and Technical
Assistance Call
**********************************************************************
Attachment 2-- FY 1999 Continuing Project Progress Report format
**********************************************************************