N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 17-0305: Establishment of a program to monitor water quality by private citizens under the direction of the department

§ 17-0305. Establishment of a program to monitor water quality by

private citizens under the direction of the department.

1. The commissioner shall establish a program which shall be known as

the "citizens statewide lake assessment program". The purpose of this

program is to establish a network of volunteers belonging to lake

associations throughout the state to monitor the condition of their

respective lakes under the guidance and direction of the department.

The volunteers, designated by the commission, will sample the assigned

lakes on a weekly basis between May and September. Water quality

information will be obtained by measuring water transparency and taking

samples for water chemistry. Samples shall be processed by the

volunteers and forwarded to a contract chemistry laboratory for

analysis.

2. The commissioner shall establish and fill a new permanent position

of program coordinator for the monitoring program within the division of

water.

3. The commissioner shall establish a training program for the purpose

of providing the volunteers with the skills necessary to accomplish

their monitoring tasks. Quality control checks will be carried out on a

regular basis by the program coordinator, and through the lake

classification and inventory survey.

4. The commissioner will provide the volunteers with all of the

equipment and materials necessary to accomplish the monitoring.

5. Chemistry parameters shall include, but are not limited to, tests

for total phosphorus, nitrate, color and chlorophyll. Additional survey

data shall include, but not be limited to, aquatic vegetation surveys,

angler surveys and questionnaires/surveys for water users concerning

problems, issues and use impairment.

6. The program coordinator shall prepare an annual report which will

include a summary of the information collected on the monitored waters

during the previous season. This information shall be distributed to the

program participants and other interested parties.