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1. What services can Streamkeepers provide?

Monitoring

We can help design and implement monitoring plans tailored to your needs. As an example of our potential scope, here is a list of parameters we have monitored since 1999 under a Quality Assurance Project Plan approved by the WA Department of Ecology.

• Gradient
• Flow
• Cross-sectional profile (between permanent monuments)
• Large woody debris (modified TFW Level I)
• Pools (modified TFW)
• Pebble count (Wolman)
• Canopy closure (densiometer)
• Conifer stem count
• pH
• Air and water temperature
• Dissolved oxygen
• Conductivity
• Salinity
• Turbidity
• Fecal coliform (nitrates available as well)
• Noxious weeds
• Photographs
• Minnow trapping
• Redd counting
• Smolt trapping
• Snorkel surveys
• Downloading of continuous data-logging equipment
• Bioassessment based on macroinvertebrates (10-metric genus-level Benthic Index of Biological Integrity)

Our volunteers are familiar with detail-oriented data gathering and should be able to learn virtually any protocol given adequate training and supervision.

Data Management

We manage all of our own data, including QA/QC, data entry and checking, and data reporting, using a custom-designed relational database. We can customize this database to accommodate new types of data and reports.

Outreach & Education

We have created and conducted educational displays, presentations, and activities, for a variety of audiences.

Hands-on Restoration Projects

Our volunteers have helped with stream cleanups, weed pulls, tree plantings, plant surveys, and beach seines. Cold, wet, and muddy won't stop them!

Match for Grants

Our volunteers' time may qualify as an "in-kind match" for certain grant projects.

2. Who has used Streamkeeper data?

We have supplied data to a host of clients ranging from governments to private consultants, in support of watershed planning and restoration, environmental impact assessments, and regulatory development and enforcement.

3. Which clients has Streamkeepers served on a for-fee basis?

Clients who have paid for Streamkeepers' services include:

• Clallam Conservation District: Irrigation ditch pipelining project-planning and project-effectiveness monitoring
• City of Port Angeles and Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe: Fecal coliform sampling
• WRIA 18, 19 and 20 watershed planning groups: Streamflow and water quality monitoring
• USDA Forest Service: Smolt trapping, snorkel/wading surveys, and LWD counts
• Olympic Park Institute: Technical support in creation of educational ecological monitoring programs

4. How can clients contract with Streamkeepers?

For smaller jobs, a simple verbal agreement might suffice. For larger jobs, a more formal contract (Memorandum of Agreement) will probably be necessary. The process of contracting with Streamkeepers will generally involve a number of steps:

• Client presents a proposal.
• Streamkeepers evaluates whether it has or can obtain the human, intellectual, logistical, and financial resources to implement the proposal.
• Negotiation over contract terms and payment.
• Presentation of draft contract to Clallam County officials for approval.
• Signing of documents.

This process is likely to require several weeks.

5. What billing terms might be involved?

Billing terms might involve any of the following approaches:

• Lump sum for entire project
• Billing by time period (e.g., quarterly) or project component (e.g., per sample)
• Broken-out costs:
  • Staff billable time for direct project work (nominal rate is $50/hr, County Planning technical services fee, which includes County overhead)
  • Equipment and supplies (often supplied at no charge, other than maintenance and consumables)
  • Temporary field staff for tasks beyond what volunteers can be expected to perform
  • Streamkeepers overhead (ongoing costs for recruitment, training, database management, etc.)

6. How favorable might terms be?

Due to our use of volunteers to perform many aspects of our operation and the efficiencies afforded by our focus on stream-monitoring activities, we are able to offer terms that would be quite favorable when compared with typical market rates. We also consider projects from worthy clients who are unable to pay.

If interested, contact us and we'll talk!