docWeiss Lake E coli Project - Alabama Clean Water Partnership
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Weiss Lake E coli Project - Alabama Clean Water Partnership
Weiss Lake’s Dirty Little Secret Or Not A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not • Weiss Dam began operation in 1961 • 30,200 acres • 447 miles of shoreline • Coosa, Chattooga, Little River A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not • Shallow Flats • Large Coves • Under-water drop offs • Deep Channels • Creeks & Streams A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not • Known as Crappie Capitol of the World • Hugh impact on economy of Cherokee County A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not • Alabama Power Lake • Numerous Recreation Lots located in the Flood Easements A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not For Years Rumors Had Floated Around About Weiss Lakes Dirty Little Secret! Untreated Sewage Being Discharged Into The Lake! A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Weiss Lake Improvement Association Wanted To Know • Truth or Rumor Had a Bright Idea • Lets Do E-coli Testing A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Weiss Lake Improvement Association • Organized in 1997 • Community Participation • Non Profit Organization Mission Statement: Work to Maintain, Protect, and Enhance the Quality of Weiss Lake and its Fisheries for Today’s and future Generations to Enjoy A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not How Do We Do That We’re Not Scientist We’re Not Chemist Where Do We Start Which Way Do We Go We Need Some Direction What Will We Do A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Identify Resources • Coosa River Basin Initiative • Alabama Department Environment Management • Alabama Department of Public Health • Equipment Suppliers • Google A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Develop A Plan • Equipment Needs • Space Requirements • Develop Protoc0l • Select Testing Sites • Determine How Data Will be Tracked • Begin Testing • Evaluate Methods and Revise as necessary A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Equipment IDEXX Laboratories Incubator, Sealer, Viewing Cabinet Supplies IDEXX Laboratories Collection Vessels Anti-foam Agent Quanti Trays Colilert A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Space Requirements • Room for Tables, Desk, Shelves, Filing Cabinet, Supplies • Environment Controlled • Adequate Electricty A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Develop Protocol • How will each step in the testing process be conducted • How will this procedure be verified • If we follow these procedures will our results be accurate, reliable, and defendable A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Select Test Sites • Determine where test should be conducted to provide general baseline numbers for the lake • Why did we choose each site • Assign each site a test site number and record GPS information A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not How Will Data Be Tracked • Develop a Chain of Custody Report • Develop Excel Spreadsheet for Data Entry • Binder for Storage for Chain of Custody Reports A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Start Testing A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Following Collection and Holding Protocols A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Verifying Protocols Are Being Achieved A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Mixing Samples With Colilert A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Placing Samples in Quanti-Tray & Sealing A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Place Samples in Incubator for 24 Hours A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Read Test Results A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Record Results on Chain of Custody Report and File in Binder A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Equipment Cost Supplies (200) Gas & Mileage $7085.00 $1350.00 $140.00 • Average Cost Per Sample $12.00 A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Results It’s Like Looking For A Needle In A Haystack A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not Results • Overall E-coli numbers have been lower than expected • Hugh peaks in E-coli after rain events, which decline after 2 to 3 days • Test results are just a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not What Did We Learn • You don’t have to be an “ist” • You will have to adjust • You don’t always get the results you expected • Must be open minded • Don’t be afraid to ask for help • Even when you are discouraged don’t give up A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not WHAT’S THE REAL SECRET? • YOU • YOUR ORGANIZATION • WITH THE DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE • CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE A Dirty Little Secret – Or Not HOW • LOOK FOR PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES • ESTABLISH AND DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS • SEEK AND SHARE INFORMATION BE THE DIFFERENCE
