San Francisco Area Network Preliminary Water Quality Status Report
Cooprider M. 2004. San Francisco Area Network Preliminary Water Quality Status Report
The San Francisco Area Network (SFAN) is in the process of developing long-term monitoring plans for its parks. Plans will include protocol narratives for each priority ecosystem indicator. Development of the plans (including the water quality monitoring plan) has followed guidance in a May 2002 Memorandum to NPS Regional Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Coordinators: “Development of Park Vital Signs Monitoring Programs and Integration of Water Quality Monitoring” (Appendix C). The memo outlines a three-phase approach for developing monitoring plans that would track trends in environmental conditions throughout the National Parks. In addition to the general I&M guidance, the water quality monitoring plan follows specific planning process steps outlined by the National Park Service’s Water Resources Division (Irwin, 2004) and (Penoyer, 2004). The focus of this document is to summarize existing data and information related to park water resources in order to provide a background for developing the long-term water quality monitoring protocol (Phase III). This document will facilitate the Phase III development process by identifying potential watersheds to be monitored, describing the status of existing data (including a preliminary water quality data analysis), and reviewing current issues & priorities (i.e., monitoring needs). Much of this information was gained in preparation for the Network Water Quality Planning Meetings (“scoping meetings”) and from meeting discussions.