Monitoring Strategy

During development of the Management Plan, the Estuary Partnership and several organizations responsible for monitoring developed the Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Strategy for the Lower Columbia River (Monitoring Strategy). The monitoring program identifies four general monitoring areas – water column, toxics in sediments, toxics in tissues, and habitat and biological integrity. It also includes recommendations for specific monitoring actions and special studies needed to provide critical information and support monitoring objectives. The Monitoring Strategy sets the framework for how coordinated environmental monitoring can be accomplished.

Implementing the Monitoring Strategy involves a phased approach. Key decision factors include: funding; priority ranking; availability of existing programs and resources; critical information needs; and the existence of established protocols and procedures for measuring desired parameters. The phased approach calls for initially establishing a coordination structure and developing cooperative agreements among agencies. As the program gets underway, other proposed actions will begin based on available resources. Over time, as sustained funding is secured, the entire program will be implemented.

The collaborative development of the Monitoring Strategy represents an important precedent in developing an integrated, comprehensive monitoring program for the lower Columbia River. It shows a clear commitment among key partners to the concept of studying the ecosystem as a whole rather than as a number of independent parts. The Estuary Partnership is playing a critical role in assuring long term monitoring will happen by supporting the continuation and enhancement of existing monitoring programs, initiating new monitoring efforts, and providing the structure to ensure there is an ongoing, comprehensive approach to ecosystem monitoring.