2024 was dedicated to getting the PSPP up and running, establishing relationships and effective communication with subaward recipients and our communities, and creating our Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), a long, detailed document required by the EPA under the conditions of our grant. The QAPP includes an overview of the program, specifics about our surface water monitoring plan and site selection framework, all the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for us and our partners to conduct field work, and much, much more. Once the QAPP is reviewed and approved, the PSPP team and all our subaward recipients can begin field work including water quality monitoring, fish tissue analysis, and invertebrate sampling. Shout out to our Research Coordinator, Janelle Groff, for the incredible effort she has made to complete this document and get our program up and running!
This year will mark our first season of surface water sampling. With the help of our GIS specialist, Diane Whited, the PSPP team has been working to finalize a monitoring plan and select sampling sites. We expect to collect at least 500 samples this first year, but likely more. We will be conducting repeated sampling at 24 sites with existing USGS and/or DNRC stream gages. Gage sites provide important data on stream flow, which combined with pesticide concentration data, will allow us to better understand pesticide loading rates. We will also be conducting widespread sampling at sites across the basin to create a broad baseline dataset to understand current pesticide pollution levels and inform future monitoring efforts.
The PSPP team will be attending even more outreach events and conferences in 2025, spreading the word about the program and interacting with community partners to continue to grow our network. At the beginning of the year, the PSPP team and partners formed a new education and outreach working group. This group aims to continue conversations from PSPP Monthly Partner Meetings with a specific focus on creating outreach materials and developing common language to deliver messaging about the PSPP to many different audiences.
2025 will be an exciting year for the PSPP! In addition to launching our surface water monitoring and partner activities, we will also be releasing a call for contract applications for small-scale, local projects that align with program goals, so stay tuned. Engage and connect by signing up for our monthly newsletter and check back for new blog posts in the coming months.
