Agency Pollution Control Agency

Contractor Brown County

SWIFT Contract Number B39747

Project Name Brown County Volunteer Water Monitoring Program

Project Number (if applicable) CR3316

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: In order to begin protecting and restoring Brown County's water resources, it is important that we first understand the water quality within the County. This project will be working in cooperation with individual volunteers to perform grab samples and visual assessments of four waterbody sites in Brown County. The data collected will be a valuable educational tool used to inform the County’s citizens about water quality where they live and pinpoint areas water quality concern. We believe that using volunteers to collect the water quality samples and visual assessments required for this project will result in the volunteers taking personal pride and stewardship in clean water throughout the County.

Sites that will be assessed include Judicial Ditch 10, County Ditch 63, County Ditch 10 and a an unnamed stream that enters into Spring Creek, a DNR designated trout stream. The monitoring sites selected are located within the Middle Minnesota River Watershed, which is impaired for fecal coliform and turbidity. All of the monitoring sites were chosen based on the ability to enhance and provide new water quality data in Brown County. At least one volunteer will be assigned to sample each site over a two year period, but the project will aim to have two volunteers assigned to each site so that the volunteers can either alternate or sample their locations together. Volunteers will be assigned sampling sites based on the proximity of the site to where they live or work. When a volunteer is unable to collect their sample as scheduled and a replacement volunteer is unavailable, then the project intern or project coordinator will collect the sample for that date.

Volunteers will be responsible for collecting samples and completing a visual assessment on their specified body of water on a scheduled basis, which will be defined prior to each monitoring season. Volunteers will sample their sites 10 times per year from mid May to mid October total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, total suspended solids, nitrate+nitrite-nitrogen, total kjedehl nitrogen, ammonia, dissolved oxygen, pH, transparency and water temperature. E. coli will be sampled by project staff in June, July and August twice per month for the 2010 season and then three times per month in the 2011 season. Trained project staff will use a metered probe, with dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature sensors, to collect further water quality data that will back up data submitted by the volunteer monitors. Project staff will also be responsible for collecting all duplicate samples as required by the MPCA. All nutrient and E. coli samples will be taken to Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories in New Ulm for processing. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and transparency will be collected onsite and recorded on a data sheet.

Training for the volunteers will be provided by Minnesota Waters with assistance from the project coordinator before the 2010 monitoring season. Upon completion of water sampling training, each volunteer will receive all the monitoring supplies needed. A training refresher will be held for all volunteers before the 2011 monitoring season in order to remind the volunteers of proper sampling procedures. A recognition dinner will be held upon the completion of each monitoring season to review the data collected and to thank the volunteers for their time spent collecting data.

The Brown County Water Plan Administrator will be the project coordinator for this grant. The project coordinator will oversee the budget, will be responsible for all required reporting to the MPCA and will be responsible for managing all project activities and volunteer efforts. Volunteers will provide data sheets to the project coordinator on a regular basis in order for the coordinator to keep track of project's status in following the established monitoring schedule. The project coordinator will record, report and archive all data collected throughout this project. Evaluation of the project by the project coordinator and the MPCA project manager will occur at the end of the first monitoring season in order to make sure that the project is on track to achieving its goals. A project intern will be hired to assist the project coordinator will the management of entire project.

Project Duration

Start Date Mon, 03/15/2010 - 00:00

Original end date Sat, 06/30/2012 - 00:00

Actual end date Sat, 06/30/2012 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $33065.00

Amendments $0

Contract total $33065.00

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? 352 E710 WY2

Is this a sole source contract? No

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) {Empty}

Evaluator Name Ron Schwartz

Evaluator Email Address ronald.schwarts@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness Excellent

Evaluate the contractor's quality Excellent

Evaluate the contractor's cost Excellent

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Excellent - Brown County did a good job managing the grant and completing the sampling tasks. The weather conditions, drought conditions, caused some problems with not being able to sample but Brown County was able to compensate additional sampling events to make up for most of the missed events.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): {Empty}

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 5 - very satisfied