The Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative celebrates 10 years of successes

Ten years ago, the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) was created as a means to support and connect water quality monitoring initiatives across the Chesapeake region.

Working with volunteers, local governments and nonprofits, the CMC has established a framework and set of monitoring protocols and procedures that allow data collected by various groups to paint a clearer picture of the watershed’s health. Data from across the region is entered into a centralized data hub with numerous resources that can be used by decision makers to protect rivers and streams across the watershed. 

A decade later, not only does the network have many successes to celebrate, but also big plans as they move into the next 10 years. 

CMC’s highlights

The CMC is supported by five partner organizations that provide support to the many monitoring groups within the network. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Izaak Walton League of America, Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia have all joined forces to develop and contribute various tools and resources that keep the project well-maintained. 

Liz Chudoba of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has managed these efforts since the beginning, and is excited to see the work continue in the years to come.

According to Chudoba, one of the biggest accomplishments that the CMC has produced is their Data Explorer, a centralized hub with over one million data points going back to the 1990s. This tool has been utilized frequently by state and federal agencies to better understand water quality, as well as smaller nonprofits who want to assess their local waters. 

Another highlight is the 100+ organizations who have contributed data to the CMC network. CMC’s five core organizations work on the ground with different monitoring groups to either develop or enhance their monitoring operations. Whether it be providing equipment, helping to pick testing parameters or reviewing project documentation, the CMC ensures that organizations across the region are submitting sound data that has local and regional uses.  

Chudoba also notes that the case studies on the CMC website have been a great way of demonstrating how monitoring groups are using data to protect their waterways. This includes a case study on ALLARM, located at Dickinson College, who in 2019, uncovered toxic chemicals leaching into Kreutz Creek from a landfill’s wastewater plant. After being informed of the violation, the landfill constructed a new $23 million water treatment facility that greatly reduces the risk of pollution. 

Focused on the future

While the CMC is making plans for how they can expand their work, their “number one priority moving forward is to continue to maintain the partnerships with the groups that [they’ve] built over the last 10 years,” said Chudoba. 

As part of their goal, the CMC would like to increase the accessibility of their data to make sure those without a background in water quality monitoring can use their tools and resources. The CMC plans on expanding their relationships with research universities, and engaging communities to see how they can best use the water quality data. 

However, growing the CMC network of monitoring groups is still a goal. In the next 10 years, the CMC would like to create accessible pathways for all communities to participate in data collection, especially in areas where there’s been a lack of community science. 

“The CMC can’t happen without all of the individual monitoring groups coming together and collecting all of this data,” said Chudoba.