Development of a Long Term Monitoring Program from Data Collection to Information Delivery, What We Have Learned Over 22 Years of Sampling on a Large River

Developing a long term monitoring program on a large river can be a daunting task.  Where does one begin?  With an ecosystem as diverse and complex as the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), many of its processes and their interrelationships are not well known.  One way to help understand this multifaceted system is through environmental monitoring.  The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP), a component of the Environmental Management Program, is the Nation’s first large-scale effort to determine the status and trends of key ecological components of a large river.  Multi-agency planning for long term ecosystem monitoring on UMRS began in the 1970s.  Over more than 20-years of monitoring and research we have learned much about both the river and about the process of running a monitoring program.  We will explore the different elements of a large river monitoring program from setting objectives to delivery of information.  Emphasis will be on the evolution of the LTRMP, delving into the details of setting objectives, developing a sample design and protocols, and finally the delivery of data and information to end users which is critical.  The LTRMP has focused on providing different formats including raw data, summarized data, and decision support tools that allow managers to apply new knowledge to both old and new questions.  The LTRMP fills a critical need for the standardized collection, integration, analysis, and reporting of scientific information to UMRS resource managers and decision makers.  The program continues to be widely recognized, both nationally and internationally, as a preeminent large-river science program, contributing significant insights not only to the UMRS, but beyond as well.  Hopefully, others can use the lessons learned in development and implementation of this large river program.