From Doppler to Home Depot, Flooding Has Changed Field Study Sampling

Floods and their devastating effects have dominated headlines around the world. Yet, not every flood leads to death and destruction. Sometimes it leads to a challenging work environment and seemingly impossible study conditions… for everyone outside of Waterborne!

Climate change and its impact has created an ever-changing environment within which our clients continue to operate and produce. Field study clients can’t shut down every time the weather changes, which means that their sampling and regulatory needs must continue, regardless of Mother Nature. Working within the unexpected has become the norm for our field study scientists, who may find themselves employing the latest remote technology or driving to the hardware store to ensure uncompromised study data.

By using all telemetry and technology available, we can ensure clean data and sampling, no matter the weather. Doppler is particularly useful in monitoring water levels at sites and building predictions. Choosing the right Doppler for the job at hand is the first step, followed by accurately deploying its receptors within a field setting in calibration with the data required. Using an internal compass and the Doppler Effect, Dopplers calibrate by sending pulses through water, building ratings curves based on measurements (velocity, width, etc.) that then allowed us to predict and estimate discharge at any given level. Using this data, we can then calculate levels of chemicals in water and confirm current and predict future exposures. On occasion, Doppler data can redefine an original study with more accurate and reliable results.

Drones have also been useful, particularly when access is limited or when mapping out changes over time or predicting future flood paths. For example...

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Seasonal Down the Drain: Washing Down the Dog Days of Summer.

Have you ever considered that down the drain product risks change with the seasons? With summer winding down, the risks associated with suntan lotions (UV filters) and mosquito repellants washing down the drain are starting to slow down and we’re entering the next season. For example, did you know that Fall can be one of the worst times of year for fleas and ticks on dogs and cats? Fleas and ticks are common pet nuisances, and protecting our beloved four-legged companions from these tiny tormentors is a priority for pet owners, the use of flea and tick medications, while effective in safeguarding our pets' health, may pose unintended environmental risks.

Bathing dogs (or cat if you really want a challenge) after applying a flea or tick treatment can wash off down the drain and ultimately end up in your local wastewater treatment plant... >> Read the full article

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Taps Waterborne, Inc. to Create Conservation Public Awareness Across Mississippi

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has selected Waterborne to promote public awareness of NRCS conservation programs focused on soil health and sustainable and climate-smart agriculture across the state of Mississippi. This 36-month project, launched in August 2023.

With a project goal of increasing participation in NRCS programs, including a particular focus on supporting disadvantaged Mississippi farmers and ranchers, Waterborne has developed a customized mobile and desktop-friendly web application that will recommend location and farm-specific best management practices (BMPs) and associated funding opportunities. Access to this web application will help farmers and ranchers with on-farm management decisions, link farmers with NRCS representatives, and increase the adoption of soil and water conservation programs across Mississippi.

EPA: Environmental Modeling Public Meeting; Notice of Public Meeting

EPA will hold an Environmental Modeling Public Meeting (EMPM) on Tuesday, October 10th, with participation via in-person, phone, and webcast options. The EMPM provides a public forum for EPA and its stakeholders to discuss current issues related to modeling pesticide fate, transport, exposure, and ecotoxicity for pesticide risk assessments in a regulatory context. Learn more here and look for Waterborne's presentations during this event:

1) “VFSMOD Input Definitions, Literature References and Sensitivity Analyses for Evaluating Vegetative Filter Strips in Pesticide Risk Assessment”

Authors: Amy Ritter, Rafa Muñoz-Carpena, Jessica Chen, Jane Tang, Johnny Westgate, Eric Henry, Stephen Wente, Megan Guevara, Mike Winchell, Yuzhou Luo, Clint Truman

Presented from 11:15 to 11:35 am

2) “An Analysis of the Appropriate Sampling Frequency Necessary for Pesticide Monitoring Programs in Flowing Surface Waters Using SEAWAVE-QEX”

Authors: Andy Jacobson, Zechariah Stone, and Richard Brain

Presented from 2:10 to 2:30 pm

Waterborne at SETAC Africa's 11th Biennial Meeting

Waterborne's Amy Ritter has co-authored the poster, "Assessment of Potentially Vulnerable Use Areas in Western Africa" to be presented at SETAC Africa's 11th Biennial Meeting on October 9th. The Conference will be held October 8th-11th in Accra, Ghana. Learn more about her poster and read the abstract here.

Waterborne Environmental is a renowned consulting firm that has provided innovative solutions to the world’s most complex environmental problems since 1993. Our experienced, unbiased scientists and engineers work across industries to evaluate environmental, ecological, and human risks. Our work spans across industry and regulatory agencies to support the balance in the needs of a growing population with the environmental impact on our valuable natural resources.

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