|
Ecological Services Division of Environmental Quality
|
| analysis of documents and permits related to control of nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and urban runoff, point source pollution from industrial and municipal waste treatment facilities, and discharges of dredge and fill material; | |
| review of proposed Federal projects related to mining, agricultural irrigation, range management, and oil and gas development to ensure that habitat quality concerns are adequately addressed; | |
| review of EPA pesticide registration proposals to ensure that potential impacts to fish and wildlife are considered; and, | |
| review of pesticide use on FWS lands to ensure these chemicals are properly applied and, in some cases, to recommend the use of acceptable alternatives such as integrated pest management. | |
| Coordinate with Department of Defense installations and State governments on Sikes Act issues, create and participate in field-level partnership teams to develop, implement and monitor Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMPs) . |
Contaminants Identification and Assessment. Our specialists conduct field studies to determine sources of pollution, to investigate pollution effects on fish and wildlife and their habitat, and to investigate fish and wildlife die-offs. Sites typically assessed include those impacted by pesticides, industrial wastes, oil and hazardous waste spills , and drain water from agricultural irrigation and mining, as well as Superfund sites and other sites contaminated at some time in the past. These specialists have also developed tools such as the Contaminants Assessment Process (CAP) , which was developed in cooperation with the US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division's Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program (external link), to assist in evaluating contaminant threats to national wildlife refuges, as well as other Service lands. In addition, field specialists conduct contaminant surveys prior to the Service buying new lands and evaluate the health of our National Wildlife Refuges through amphibian malformation surveys . Current research projects we are working on in Nevada include:
| Assessment of Environmental Contaminant Uptake by Trust Resources Utilizing the Las Vegas Wash and its Tributaries | |
| Assessing the Impact of Drainage from Abandoned Mines to Aquatic Species in the Western Great Basin | |
| Assessing Potential Impacts of Atmospheric Mercury Deposition to Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge |
|
| Assessing Discharges of Petroleum Products from Urban Runoff to the Truckee River via Stormwater Outfalls | |
| Determining Water Quality Standards in Walker Lake that Promote Recovery of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout |
Contaminant Cleanup and Resource Restoration. Data collected in contaminant assessments is often used to secure compensation for resources lost or degraded by hazardous waste releases or spills. These efforts are part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (Restoration Program). Click below to find out more information on current assessment and restoration efforts involving the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office Division of Environmental Quality.
| Carson River Mercury Site - Churchill, Lyon, and Storey Counties, Nevada (external link) | |
| East Walker River Oil Spill - Mono County, California (external link) | |
| Leviathan Mine Site - Alpine County, California (external link) | |
| Rio Tinto Mine Site - Elko County, Nevada (external link) | |
| Yerington Anaconda Mine Site - Lyon County, Nevada (external link) |
The Service also takes part, through contaminants identification, assessment, planning and restoration, in the Department of Interior's National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP) (external link) . Contaminant specialist are often called in by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (external link) , US Coast Guard (external link), or various other Federal or State agencies responsible for cleaning up a contaminated area, to ensure that fish and wildlife and their habitat are adequately protected during, and upon completion of, the cleanup. Our specialists also work closely with National Wildlife Refuge managers to design and implement actions to cleanup oil and hazardous material on refuge lands.
Invasive Species Management. Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office Division of Environmental Quality works with federal and state agencies and private groups to implement regional and local-level invasive species management activities and share information and new techniques for fighting invasive species. Prevention, early detection, rapid response, and control and management are key components of the National Invasive Species Management Plan and interagency/interdepartmental programs. Communications, education, and research are integral to those key components.
Technical Support. Training field office staff, analyzing contaminant samples, and managing information are all key to the Division of Environmental Quality's success. A large part of the Program's technical support comes from the Analytical Control Facility (ACF) , part of the National Conservation Training Center in Sheperdstown , West Virginia . Staff at ACF are responsible for such things as overseeing all Service chemical analysis and managing the Environmental Contaminants Data Management System. This system is designed to electronically store, analyze, and create reports on the vast amount of analytical information obtained from fish and wildlife tissue samples collected by FWS biologists.
