Table 3.1 outlines the monitoring plan objectives and the tasks which are intended to address each objective. The monitoring plan is designed as a working document. The results of the monitoring effort will be reviewed on a regular basis to determine whether modifications to the tasks are necessary. Such modifications might include reduction or expansion of the sampling effort.

The following are the working hypotheses underlying the monitoring plan objectives.

  1. The GBP monitoring plan will provide the opportunity to collect information, which, if supplemented and augmented with information collected by the water districts themselves and related ongoing and additional agency investigations, will permit greater understanding of the interactions between a) agricultural drainage management and water quality; and b) selenium fate and transport and environmental health.
  2. The re-routing of agricultural drainage flows to the SLD and Mud Slough is predicted to degrade environmental conditions in Mud Slough initially. A long-term program of selenium load reductions, however, is predicted to improve environmental conditions over time. Monitoring will be critical in determining environmental conditions in Mud Slough, and documenting changes over time.
  3. The re-routing of agricultural drainage flows to Mud Slough is predicted to improve environmental conditions in Salt Slough and the Grasslands channels and to provide improved water management for wetland managers. Monitoring biota, water quality, and sediment in Salt Slough and water quality in the Grasslands channels will document the changes.
  4. The re-routing of agricultural drainage flows into the SLD and Mud Slough is predicted to have little impact on the water quality of the San Joaquin River. A long-term program of selenium load reductions, however, is predicted to improve environmental conditions over time. Monitoring will be critical in determining environmental conditions in the San Joaquin River and documenting changes due to the Project over time.
  5.  Not all of the findings and commitments are of such a nature that they can be measured by environmental sampling.

The monitoring objectives were formulated with these hypotheses in mind and are intended to provide the information necessary to determine whether project commitments are being met.

Monitoring Plan Objectives

The primary objective of the Monitoring Plan is to meet the first goal of the project articulated in Section 1.4.1; i.e., to measure compliance with the environmental commitments included in the Use Agreement, the Environmental Assessment, the Supplemental EA, the FONSI, and the consensus letter to the Regional Board.

The specific objectives of the Monitoring Plan are:

  1. to assess environmental conditions in the SLD by measuring selenium concentrations and other parameters in water, sediment and biota.
  2. to assess the changes in environmental conditions in Mud Slough from pre-project conditions which are related to discharges from the SLD by measuring selenium concentrations and other parameters in water, sediment and biota.
  3. to assess the changes in environmental conditions in Salt Slough from pre-project conditions which are related to the removal of agricultural drainage water from these water bodies by measuring selenium concentrations and other parameters in water, sediment and biota and to verify that poor quality agricultural drainage water is removed from GWD channels by measuring water quality in these channels.
  4. to assess the changes in environmental conditions in the San Joaquin River from pre-project conditions which are related to the re-routing of agricultural drainage water from the Grasslands channels and Salt Slough to the SLD and Mud Slough by measuring selenium concentrations and other parameters in water and biota.
  5. to assess event-driven selenium concentration changes in sediment, water and biota which are related to the project as they are coincident with collecting data to meet other monitoring plan objectives, and by collection of data during unique events as possible.

To achieve these objectives, existing data describing pre-project conditions will be assembled into a readily available database, for comparison with data collected after the GBP is implemented.