Laulau Bay Volunteer update

Hopefully, everyone that’s a regular reader of this page (or anyone that attended last week’s Environmental Expo) will already know about the Laulau Bay Watershed Restoration Project. For those of you who haven’t heard of it yet, a bunch of different government agencies are teaming up to restore Laulau Bay by replanting trees and shrubs, fixing up the roads, and stopping sedimentation in its tracks. A lot of different agencies are already working hard on the problem, but they just can’t do it alone. So, the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Coastal Resources Management Office (CRM) have launched a new volunteer monitoring program called the Laulau Bay Watershed Watch. Volunteers can participate in any or all of five different ongoing projects, including Reef-flat monitoring, Watershed mapping, Stream sampling, Revegetation, and Community Outreach.

I’ll tell you a little more about each of the different projects in a moment, but first, you might be asking, why should I volunteer? That’s a good question. First, you can get really cool T-shirts, but not only that, you’ll get free training in science and monitoring methods! Students can also get school credit for volunteering in the watershed. Plus, your data will be used by the agencies. How? Another good question! The data may be added to government data that is already being collected, or else used to provide baseline data on the health of the watershed. The data will help the agencies identify changes in water quality over time, and to be able to more quickly notice any emerging problems, such as illegal discharges, dumping, or habitat loss.

So now that you know WHY you should help, let’s see exactly WHAT you will do as a volunteer….

Reef Flat Monitoring Team

The Reef flat team has already been out in the field twice since March, studying algae and invertebrate species and abundances found in the northern and southern Lau Lau reef flats. The team has had a lot of fun snorkeling in the water, identifying what algae and macroinverteb-rates (such as sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and marine snails) are present, and how much is there. Before going out, they get a short lesson in algae identification by the DEQ experts. Next, they set up transect lines and record what they find along the lines, taking photos to add to an online library of sea cucumbers and algae species.

So, why does DEQ care about algae? According to the DEQ biologist, macroalgae, or large plant-like algae, grow and die quickly. Changes in macroalgae communities are linked to seasonal changes in the temperature and nutrient content of waters washing onto the reef flats (tidal exchanges) and to the quality of stormwater runoff (pollution associated with rainfall). Monitoring the changes in algae abundance can help us describe the seasonal changes and the effects of upland pollution on our precious marine system. This program will evaluate how successful the re-vegetation and drainage improvements are for reducing upland pollution. Monthly monitoring of algae communities will complement ongoing coral reef monitoring programs (http://www.deq.gov.mp/mmt/Trend%205.htm) which increase our knowledge of CNMI’s marine ecosystem and assist watershed management.

So far, the team has collected baseline data for two different sites, one in the northern part of Laulau, and one further south. The northern site has mainly two species of algae, but the southern site has a greater variety of algae species. Most probably, this is because water quality is better in the south, as compared with the north. You can see the results of these studies in more detail on the website. Navigate your browser to http://www.deq.gov.mp/mmt/lau_reef_flat_home.htm. Stay tuned to find out more as data is collected. And, if you want to join the reef flat team, call Peter Houk at DEQ, 664-8504. The next survey date will be Saturday, April 30. Volunteers should meet at the Laulau dive site at 8:30 AM with mask, snorkel, and booties or reef shoes.

Watershed Mapping Team

On March 19, an intrepid group of 2 volunteers led by CRM’s Ken Cochrane, tromped through the brush around Laulau Bay with Global Positioning System (GPS) units in hand. The GPS units communicate with satellites to be able to determine their exact location on the globe. Combining this information with a specialized computer program allows mappers to plot out streams, roads, boundaries, and the location of historical relics. At their first field outing, the watershed mapping team began to map the old railroad bed that crosses through the middle of Laulau Bay watershed. The group was formed to map stream and road locations in the watershed. Once they have a better understanding of what’s there, further plans can be made to reduce water flow and sedimentation running down the streams. The old railroad is an important element of the project, because since it falls on public land, it will probably be the location of many of the new improvements. The group is restricting its activities to public lands and to private lands where they have previous authorization from the landowner.

The volunteers are excited about the opportunity to benefit their community, to learn how to use GPS equipment, to get outside and enjoy the boonies, and, in some cases, to earn extra credit for their college courses. If you want to join this fearless bunch, contact Fran Castro at DEQ, 664-8500.

Revegetation Team

CRM is taking charge of revegetating approximately 50 acres of badlands in the northeast portion of the upper watershed. The areas are called badlands because there is little or no vegetation to hold back the soils. As soils erode from this area, sediment is carried by stormwater down to the streams, and eventually makes its way to the reef, devastating Laulau Bay’s marine environment.

The badland areas are owned by the Marianas Public Land Authority and a private landowner. Both MPLA and the landowner have been very supportive of the CRM revegetation plan, and have given CRM permission to access the land. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR) Forestry Division are currently working jointly to produce a revegetation planting plan. This plan will identify plant species to be used for revegetation, and will specify where they should be planted.

The propagation of plant species will be conducted at the DLNR nursery facility in Kagman. Related activities will be conducted by DLNR workers, but also by volunteers who will be trained by DLNR and Dr. Craig Smith of Northern Marianas College (NMC). Volunteers so far include Filipino worker organizations MOVER and CNMI Power, and student volunteers from NMC. The planting will take place during the rainy season, when the plants have the greatest chance of survival. If you would like to be a part of the revegetation team, contact Tim Lang, at CRM, at 664-8300.

Stream Sampling

Although this project hasn’t yet begun, it looks like it will be a fun one! The stream samplers will be trained by DEQ’s Clarissa Bearden to collect water samples at various points along the drainages leading into Laulau Bay. Volunteers will collect samples during rainstorms, and deliver the samples to DEQ within 24 hours. The DEQ lab will analyze them for a variety of different parameters, including ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates. Other characteristics, like pH, turbidity, and temperature, will be tested for in the field. Over time, we will be able to see whether or not the changes being made to the road beds, the stream crossings, and the vegetation, results in improved water quality. Also, the results will tie in with the reef flat monitoring, to see how changes in water quality affect macroalgae and invertebrates in the bay.

Training for this team will begin in mid-May. If you’re interested in being a part of the team, contact Clarissa Bearden at DEQ, 664-8500.

Community Outreach Team

The results of the data collected by volunteers from all of the different projects will be compiled and used in a public awareness campaign educating residents and visitors of Laulau Bay about their environment and the types of pollutants that are present in their surroundings. The campaign, entitled “Know Your Watershed,” will focus on encouraging Laulau Bay stakeholders to become stewards of their watershed. Volunteers will conduct door-to-door surveys of the community, and design and distribute educational brochures. If you would like to join the outreach team, contact Fran Castro at DEQ, 664-8500.

Hope to see you out there at one of these fun activities!

CoCo

(The voice of CoCo was provided by Qamar Schuyler, Coral Outreach Specialist for DEQ, CRM, and DFW.)