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Strategies for Dealing with Scale Issues When Evaluating Water Quality Projects
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| Presenter(s):
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| Karlyn Eckman, University of Minnesota, eckma001@umn.edu
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| Valerie Were, University of Minnesota, were0005@umn.edu
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| Abstract:
The movement of pollutants in soil and water often crosses jurisdictional boundaries and watersheds. This complicates the evaluation of water quality projects at the local, state and national levels. Tracking the origin of pollutants can be challenging, particularly when human behaviors upstream contribute to pollution carried downstream. Similarly, stakeholders at multiple levels may have very different needs for information, at different scales. For example, state and federal agencies require quantitative evaluation frameworks based upon data that is comparable across watersheds, states and regions. However, local governments and stakeholders often prefer localized data and simple evaluation methods. While the biophysical results of such projects are monitored and evaluated, the social dimensions of water pollution remain largely unevaluated. We offer some strategies for clarifying scale issues based upon our research in Minnesota with diverse audiences, government agencies and waterbodies. We also discuss methods for evaluating the social dimensions of water quality projects.
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