SHEP Monitoring Components
Activities of the SHEP monitoring program include Pre-Construction, Construction and Post-Construction components:
- Pre-Construction Monitoring: establish baseline databank/conditions to assist with impact assessment during later phases
- Monitoring During Construction: ensure the construction process is within the environmental constraints imposed by EIS and approvals of the resource agencies
- Post-Construction Monitoring: verify that project does not produce more impacts than predicted and mitigation features function as intended
The following table shows a summary of the major components of the SHEP monitoring program and the period of performance for each monitoring element. Appendix D of the Final EIS contains more information about the program and its requirements. Click each element for a description of the work.
| Post Deepening of Entrance and Inner Harbor (Completed in March 2022) | Monitoring Element | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Post Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDF Effluent | March 2022-23 Report Dec/23 |
March 2023-24 Report Dec/24 |
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| Wildlife Use in 14A/14B (Avian/Terrestrial Field Counts) | March 2022-23 | March 2023-24 | March 2024-25 | |||||||||
| 14A/14B Inflow/Effluent* | March 2022-23 Report Dec/23 |
March 2023-24 Report Dec/24 |
March 2024-25 Report Dec/25 |
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| 14A/14B Bird Tissue Analysis | March 2022-23 |
March 2023-24 | March 2024-25 | |||||||||
| Sampling Exposed Miocene for Cadmium** | • | • | ||||||||||
| Post Construction Flow Rerouting Features (Completion Date TBD) | Monitoring Element | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Post Year 10 |
| Monitoring of 8 Continuous Water Quality Data Recorders | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 2 Intensive Water Quality/Hydrologic Monitoring Events | • | • | ||||||||||
| 2 Bathymetric Surveys in Unique Areas | • | • | ||||||||||
| Hydrodynamic/Water Quality Model Assessment | • | • | ||||||||||
| Freshwater Interface Determination | • | • | ||||||||||
| Chloride Monitoring at Abercorn Creek Intake | • | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Groundwater Chloride Monitoring | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| Monitoring of 12 Marsh Sites (Chloride/Hydrologic/Vegetation) | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| Shortnose Sturgeon Distribution in Estuary | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| Fish Distribution Along Marshes | • | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Impact Assessment Review (Comprehensive Physical Data/Model Comparison and Review) | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| Shortnose Sturgeon and Striped Bass Habitat Monitoring | • | • | • | |||||||||
| Post Construction Fish Passage at NSBLD (Completion Date TBD) | Monitoring Element | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Post Year 10 |
| Shortnose Sturgeon Distribution at NSBL&D | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| Post Construction Marsh Restoration at 1S (Completion Date August 2022) | Monitoring Element | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Post Year 10 |
| Monitoring of Marsh Restoration Site (1S)*** | September 2023 | September 2024 | September 2025 | September 2026 | September 2027 | September 2028 | September 2029 | |||||
*While Appendix D only calls for one year of post construction monitoring 14A/14B Inflow/Effluent because we are currently in the process of raising the 14A dikes to provide additional capacity for more cap material we are going to continue to monitor effluent coming out of 14A/B until the successful clean cap on 14A is completed which could take several years. ** This monitoring is actually tied to maintenance dredging cycles. We are required to test the following reaches for two O&M dredging cycles: ***Base Year: Frequency of monitoring: Quarterly. Period of monitoring: November 2022 to September 2023. |
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The table above reflects the timeline and current schedule for the SHEP Monitoring Program during the Post-Construction phase of the SHEP project. A table showing previous schedule for the program during Pre-Construction, Construction and Post-Construction can be found here.
