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Central Coast Ambient Monitoring
Program (CCAMP)
CCAMP is the ambient water quality monitoring program for
the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board in
San Luis Obispo, California. CCAMP is a regional database
that stores a wide variety of data and has structured its
“volunteer” version of the software to address conventional
water quality, bioassessment, transect and habitat data only.
 
Volunteer data provides valuable information that might not
otherwise be available due to personnel shortages and funding
constraints of resource agencies. Below are examples of opportunities
to use volunteer data:
- To determine where education, outreach
efforts and additional resources are needed
- To determine the effectiveness of specific
programs or projects
- To develop a long-term data set which
will provide information on trends related to weather, season,
human land use, stochastic fluctuations, etc.
- To integrate into local and regional
water quality protection programs such as the Phase II Compliance
(EPA regulations for small communities
- To "flag" problem areas that might require
further investigation
For more information, click here.
There are many factors that affect the quality and reliability
of citizen monitoring data. The best volunteer data is that
which has been collected for many years by highly trained
individuals using the most concise, calibrated equipment.
The goal of the Network is to ensure that future programs
achieve these objectives. The network supports volunteers
through pertinent training, hands on experience, sufficient
quality assurance, and scientific review and advice. Those
using the data generated from these efforts must act with
professionalism to ensure it is used appropriately and in
the context in which it was intended.
Factors that affect volunteer data are:
- Training and experience of the volunteer
- Amount of data that is available for
a waterbody
- Sophistication and care of the equipment
being used
- Design of the monitoring program
- Data management and quality assurance/
quality control
For more information, click here.
Click here to
view our Volunteer Data Disclaimer.
For more information:
Use of Volunteer Data
| Quality and Reliability
of Data | Disclaimer
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