Project Description

In 2005 CWC was a awarded a PGE-SEP grant for the development and implementation of a water quality monitoring training program focused on training participants from the agricultural community of northern Monterey County to conduct water quality monitoring to inform their own management practices.

In light of the 2005 Ag-Waiver program in the Central Coast, agricultural operators, farmers, growers and ranchers, have become aware of growing concern over water quality issues in the Salinas River and Elkhorn Slough watersheds, and their impacts on the ocean and the Montehrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Project History

In October CWC 2006 CWC hosted its first series of 'draft' workshops for the Technical Outreach Community in Northern Monterey County...a "Train-the-Trainers" series for folks currently doing outreach with the Agricultural community regarding all manner of things, and including "Water Quality"!

Draft presentations of four workshops and a field visit were packed into two days and it was well attended by the agricultural support community. Many thanks to the supporting organizations that hosted the workshops; the first day was held at the Monterey County Farm Bureau's conference room, and the second day was held at the ALBA Training Center.

In April 2008 a series of three workshops were held at the ALBA Training Center in Salinas. Twelve hours of Ag Waiver Water Quality Continuing Education Credits were approved for attendance at all three workshops. In-class, hands-on training, field testing and on-farm support were included in the workshops.

Workshop topics included: Current WQ Conditions in our areas (real Ag Waiver data); how to conduct WQ monitoring – what equipment to use and why; when to use a laboratory and how to collect samples; QA-QC definition – and what are the really important steps to producing useable data to inform your operation.

During the workshop series, participants learned how to conduct water quality monitoring at their own operation or in the local stream. The goal of the workshop series: to learn to test for water quality conditions in their area are before someone comes around to tell them about it.

Water quality impacts in our local streams and oceans are real; y learning how to produce reliable data on their own discharges, problems can be identified early and rectified. The series of three workshops were aimed at teaching individuals everything needed to start monitoring water quality on their own operation.

Many thanks go out to the ALBA Training Center for hosting this series of workshops.