Kathy Uccello

Caltrans Tier 1 Total Maximum Daily Load Monitoring, Central and Northern California — Participates in sampling stormwater runoff along California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadways to characterize load inputs and evaluate the effectiveness of installed best management practices as mandated by the California State Water Resources Control Board. Assists with data management, including quality control, verifying and validating laboratory data, and preparing data for uploading to the California Environmental Data Exchange Network database. Assists with writing post-storm technical memoranda for sites in Caltrans Districts 1, 4, 5, and 10 as well as site reconnaissance technical memoranda for sites in Districts 1 and 5 (Humboldt, Mendocino, and Monterey counties).

Central Coast Long-Term Environmental Assessment Network, Monterey Bay, California — Deploys, routinely calibrates, and monitors semiautonomous, high-volume water samplers in the open ocean, rivers, and publicly owned treatment facilities. Collects mussels (Mytilus californianus) for the passive bioaccumulation of data concerning persistent organic pollutants. Performs surface water grabs for the assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nutrients, and bacteria.

Surface Water Total Maximum Daily Load Monitoring, Ventura County, California — Leads sampling teams collecting Calleguas Creek watershed grab samples for analysis. Samples creeks, tidally influenced channels, and urban stormwater infrastructure in Ventura County during storm events and in the dry season for various analytes and general water quality parameters. Monitors, records, and reports storm intensities and stormwater flow volumes. Executes legally defensible stream flow measurement protocols and assists with data management and reporting.

City of Salinas Monitoring and Reporting Program for NPDES Permit, Salinas, California — Assists with the collection of urban samples from three urban drainage outfalls equipped with smart water samplers to characterize the quality of water discharging into receiving waters. Coordinates with analytical laboratories and generates event reports that need to be shared with the City.

Pollutants of Concern in Sediment and Stormwater Runoff Monitoring Program, Northern California — Assists with field activities, laboratory coordination, data handling, and QA/QC related to stormwater NPDES permit monitoring requirements for identifying sources, contributions to bay impairment, loads, and status of pollutants of concern. For sediment, sampling involves collecting surface or subsurface soil and sediment samples from designated locations. For stormwater, sampling involves collecting rainfall runoff at designated locations throughout an event where pollutants of concern are suspected of being present.

City of Gilroy Dry Weather Outfall Inspections, Gilroy, California — Assists with completing inspections of 77 outfalls in the City of Gilroy in sloughs and creeks during dry weather. Compiles detailed notes regarding areas where water is present in the creeks and sloughs and deep enough to pull water quality samples. Notes areas where 1) illicit discharge is too shallow to sample but may not be landscape runoff, 2) there are excessive amounts of trash, and 3) there are homeless encampments (while also noting the approximate number of tents observed). After completion of the creek and slough inspections, performs follow up visits to these waterbodies in the same week to pull samples from all locations with illicit discharge that are analyzed for ammonia, color, conductivity, hardness, pH, potassium, turbidity, fluoride, detergents and surfactants (methylene blue active substances), and E. coli.

Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP) Dry-Season Pesticides and Toxicity Monitoring Program, Santa Clara County, California — Assists with data handling and QA/QC in support of San Francisco Bay Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES permit monitoring requirements.

Bacteriological Source Study, Inner Cabrillo Beach for the Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, California — Participated in collecting beach samples and prepared and analyzed bacteriological samples using Colilert and Enterolert methodologies. Also interpreted bacteriological results and collected DNA samples for a species DNA database.

Watershed Environments and Ecology Laboratory at California State University, Monterey Bay, California — Performed fieldwork for a variety of freshwater ecological studies. Adhered to surface water ambient monitoring program (SWAMP) protocols for the bioassessment of streams in Fort Hunter Ligget. Collected data for an eDNA study to identify California red-legged frog presence. Assisted with experiments to establish eDNA attenuation rates of fish DNA based on environmental factors.

SCVURPPP Low Impact Development Effectiveness Monitoring, Santa Clara, California — Supports determination of the effectiveness of two bioretention facilities designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff. Wet-weather flow and sampling are conducted, using automated sampling systems, to determine pollutant load reductions from infiltration and post-treatment by measuring chemical concentrations at the influent to and effluent from each facility on a flow-weighted basis. Bypass flow measurements of excess runoff are also conducted on a continual basis throughout each event. Assists with laboratory coordination, data management, data validation, equipment preparation, installation, and maintenance.

San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program Low-Impact Development Effectiveness Monitoring, San Mateo County, California — Supports determination of the effectiveness of two bioretention facilities designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff. Wet-weather flow and sampling are conducted, using automated sampling systems, three or four times each year to determine pollutant load reductions from infiltration and post-treatment by measuring chemical concentrations at the influent to and effluent from each facility on a flow-weighted basis. Flow measurements of excess runoff are also conducted on a continual basis at an overflow point in the diversion vault or at the in-basin bypass. Assists with laboratory coordination, data management, data validation, equipment preparation, installation, and maintenance.

Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, California — Performed a GIS analysis of land use and zoning in support of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments regional housing need allocation for Santa Cruz County, which is used by municipalities to create their housing elements.