Assessment of Water Quality Conditions in and around Four Pacific Northwest Coastal Parks
Project ID: P14AC01693
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: University of Washington
Fiscal Year: 2014
Initial Funding: $41,118
Total Funding: $41,118
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Pacific West Region Washington
Principal Investigator: Klinger, Terrie
Agreement Technical Representative: DiDonato, Eva
Abstract: This is a collaborative project to address several research questions concerning estuarine and marine water quality in and adjacent to four Pacific Northwest coastal parks, including San Juan Island National Historical Park, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Olympic National Park, and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Coastal environments include several habitats of concern including estuaries, beaches, and nearshore areas; these are nursery grounds for many species of recreational and commercial importance and they contribute significantly to visitor experiences at these and other coastal parks. This project will compare the condition of estuarine and marine waters within park boundaries to conditions in nearby and adjacent waters, and compare water quality conditions across the four parks. Regional, state, and local estuarine/marine water quality datasets will be synthesized and evaluated to provide a regional overview of water quality inside and outside park boundaries and a new perspective on ocean and coastal water quality. Issues affecting coastal park resources will be identified along with recommended management actions. Publicly available products from this project will provide an important resource to the scientific community, resource managers and the public to help address common water quality concerns around these four coastal parks.
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