[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6317598,"mediaKeyId","2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e","parentId",2370582,"title","Council discusses AI, modeling (ROMS/Beck) and frames May meeting priorities","audioSeconds",700,"startMs",4350000,"endMs",5050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e&start=4350&end=5050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e/thumbnail_4350000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6317598/California/Council-discusses-AI-modeling-ROMSBeck-and-frames-May-meeting-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317598-299b1e5fbefc353ccf1ed37389f16f41/orig.mp4?Expires=1777090032&Signature=Wcdzdr1am6q6dWLfO5z~to2STlfAtHbm0LYkqw7zySCk0gZH8wgmKGC9hPHxDxtqglrFa2BY8y8qPLdV4Cp0X4zT5bFliw3R6Cl~-sUWweGUoK6RAUnt12WvwKu1ytlnunVFoizUmjIA5-xee3A1hTQirJGpbWnkMvl59UNcKA1Vev5A0ffpTblImLhftTo7C6FEG7Nc-H2zNYeeJXmsNeFdEETiqcuGKUJdbnrM~azRt7Se2rrlZgybih6djSvquLXD9F4M2Pz0tAVoLiadUnQds0MRt19BezElAL8nSoFov99G0rPhIOcSd-9iuLs1SOaNwbe1PHs3ZUpWITdyog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California Water Quality Monitoring Council","date","2025-02-20T20:58:03Z","article","Members used the latter portion of the meeting to suggest topics for upcoming agendas and to discuss generative AI and modeling applications for monitoring.

Caitlin Kalua and others proposed the council consider modeling topics — including the ROMS/Beck model review and Bay Area modeling work — for the May meeting, and discussed timing for empirical monitoring updates that would complement model outputs.

AI discussion: participants noted exploratory projects that apply machine learning to satellite remote sensing, LIDAR and microscopy for HAB identification. Speakers cautioned about data quality, equity in training datasets and environmental costs of large models. Greg Gerhardt said the State Water Board is preparing pilots and internal guidance for limited, controlled use of generative AI and highlighted that statewide CIO guidance is still developing.

Why this matters: AI and models could improve detection and forecasting of water conditions, but members emphasized that projects must include human oversight, transparent training data and strong data infrastructure before deployment.

Next steps: members asked staff to pursue modeling presenters for the May meeting and to continue tracking AI‑related pilots and guidance. The council also agreed to include equity considerations and working‑group guidance when evaluating web content and tools.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","California Monitoring Council Meeting - February 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members considered potential May agenda items, including modeling (ROMS/Beck and Bay models), AI use cases for environmental data and how to address equity when presenting web content. Members agreed to explore a May focus on wildfire monitoring or a modeling 'grab bag' depending on speaker availability.","taxTitle","California Water Quality Monitoring Council, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76763,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6317603,"Acting director outlines recruitment timeline and budget pressures affecting council work",86,464000,550000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e&start=464&end=550","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e/thumbnail_464000.jpg","/articles/6317603/California/Acting-director-outlines-recruitment-timeline-and-budget-pressures-affecting-council-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317603-d3cda816e190de3d979d5df641851101/orig.mp4?Expires=1777090032&Signature=F0bhLsXcTeCgWpJ6nb-Gsit2yT23n-a4humxAZYirpqo73tzE6P48L8N6PwmVwxovXE70qypcNsZqmUwnUwhPJb1bXgF8scmFYcHB9DTMNIcpkMWoBGZJBA5X3gfvMNaC1dnsoEnKfUM7NwT1zEgSHg7kOqP0m-5o4aidS6ljuTlRmMszPO67nkkarWpsLgugW0m47-WxuJEApvCVLA6f86dEIjGLh75nxE5H6hYOGcKNllZknNcFXPkkIz~gMP8O2iYy4I1AA5EnSlkV3ZZXgB0S2lb9YoYGE7Kug4ezshmkX1R~--B0duV8PoSR7jNoJGOnCIT~zuUW~-zMMRs8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greg Gerhardt, deputy director for information management and analysis at the State Water Resources Control Board and acting director for the council, told members the director vacancy is open and the recruitment window was closing immediately.

Gerhardt said human resources will review applicants after the posting closes, interviews are likely in early March and an announcement about the next director could come by early April. He cautioned that hiring involves a substantial process and asked members for patience during the transition.

Gerhardt and other speakers flagged recent budget reductions and Department of Finance budget letters that are compressing resources available for monitoring work across state agencies. Nick (OIMA) summarized that the signed 2025 state budget and related letters had prompted internal reorganizations, and noted uncertainty in some federal grant programs coming into 2025.

Why this matters: the council’s capacity and the ability of the State Water Board and partners to support monitoring projects and web/data improvements depend in part on staff allocations and external funding. Members said the new director will play an important role in AB 1066 implementation and other statutory duties.

Decisions and follow up: Gerhardt said he will begin interviews and set times for candidate meetings; members were asked to share the vacancy posting and assist with outreach.","Greg Gerhardt said the council director vacancy is in recruitment, outlined an expected interview and announcement timetable, and warned that recent state budget reductions and federal grant uncertainty are compressing monitoring resources across agencies.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6317608,"Council showcases redesigned mywaterquality.c.gov and work‑group portals; members ask for equity and data access improvements",1418,1782000,3200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e&start=1782&end=3200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e/thumbnail_1782000.jpg","/articles/6317608/California/Council-showcases-redesigned-mywaterqualitycgov-and-workgroup-portals-members-ask-for-equity-and-data-access-improvements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317608-cf0bb568fd1b1ffa5cd1357fa996d3ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1777090032&Signature=HUXCCcHXEhISYUrw3R5cNMZUhNmtDuNQuJ9VCeUBKdbKzPXKTiDVofjtCH1P7ddWTT7WTq75VcR-SAKrXYM0JUhqmz5rG-X9QV1st1uDxsimuENxTx4WvdFnrHWb~CJnB9~fX2K2v4N1OdR1VQRkW1xipD5GTVWYVkZ4YMi1xMmHBoCa7NcJg77cMWJ-LA-5lmGRdV0C5QHEV8Jp4nmg8tqbDoDKXLLjPYpx46vzOuuCPOZ~5UoW3-ZQk85V8kCoeBNWBYJjusjNvyonwT51IqvmBq83dok0gM5augmjcDf57cJiBnZH7KIbrDsW8EzewG8p-9wUhYEKYPl810Ct-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The council dedicated a major portion of its meeting to a walkthrough of the updated mywaterquality.c.gov site and individual work‑group portals.

Anna (web lead) and Marissa Van Dyke, manager of the Freshwater and Estuarine Harmful Algal Bloom program, showed a cleaner layout with work‑group pages, a prominent “report a harmful algal bloom” button, and mobile‑optimized navigation. Eric (Safe to Swim cochair) and others praised easier access to maps, dashboards and meeting materials that had been previously buried on older pages.

Why this matters: speakers said improved navigation and standardized pages should make it simpler for the public and practitioners to find monitoring results, report events and access resources. Several participants noted search engines will better index the new structure.

Outstanding issues: multiple speakers urged more work to make content accessible and equitable. Peter Froome and other members proposed a council‑level discussion and equity‑workgroup guidance to de‑jargonize pages, add translations and prioritize key resources for Spanish and other language speakers. Evelyn and Christine (drinking water work group proponents) said the “safe to drink” content is improved but still far from the level needed to answer the public’s basic question: “Is my water safe to drink?” Participants recommended additional resources, clearer guidance and stronger links to public water system reporting.

Data pipeline and timeliness concerns: several members, including Greg Gerhardt and Brian Lawrence, raised the need to link maps and dashboards to open, automated data endpoints so that lab and field results are discoverable and, when appropriate, available more quickly for emergency response. Members discussed the challenges of heterogeneous data sources and the need for standard open data publications for tools such as the SWAMP dashboard and Safe to Swim maps.

Ending: Web support requested work‑group chairs to submit corrections and content updates to mywaterquality@waterboard.ca.gov; staff said web team would prioritize requests over the next month.","The council previewed a substantial redesign of mywaterquality.c.gov, bringing easier access to work‑group pages, Harmful Algal Bloom reporting, Safe to Swim maps and drinking‑water resources. Members asked for follow‑up on equity, language access and open data pipelines to improve timeliness and public usability.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6317613,"Council members report expanded post‑wildfire water monitoring and push for statewide plan",2346,809000,3155000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e&start=809&end=3155","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2370582-96d3298b4b861c7f9a27bc654544623e/thumbnail_809000.jpg","/articles/6317613/California/Council-members-report-expanded-postwildfire-water-monitoring-and-push-for-statewide-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317613-dbc3281965c6330e9a667c7a2ef6b08d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777090032&Signature=MO~jDKBfDyGuIYE12m~-GerKgabFtuKEvIkrrjn5UA9wtFSAdh0BotG9oMgS~9SGBPv6~f0fSUHW8U3WieEsP~WvTbkerNyaR-VR6x-i-rqUbk9c19X3Z8HYmaeVdTlAJArQh5n3GshiG8hq3L4~WD9eKWZbM~F9tC8~SAIUsR40cT~ZTDtSbMvfq0vhm0c62PNQWwJ1v2C2SgUyC1rquaONFvvw6TrYxGX7c0nV6y~hNY9hSC2tUKqzbpJGY4B7jGxHGh~7slrgiMWG6KTaYdxPRGg3-YO--x3xpkLqpWrUZXQzNGMCqrv8wcaf-C67boxcvmmTC8RDDS9qjqx4EA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greg Gerhardt, deputy director for information management and analysis at the State Water Resources Control Board and acting director of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, opened the meeting with an update on wildfire response and monitoring coordination.

Council members and partners reported an intensive monitoring effort following recent Los Angeles wildfires and rain events. Caitlin Kalua, representing the California Ocean Protection Council and serving as cochair of the council meeting, said OPC funded emergency monitoring and longer‑term coordinated sampling to assess debris, sediment and downstream impacts on beaches, coastal waters and communities. She noted a large number of monitoring partners were involved and that Los Angeles County is maintaining a public database the council hopes to expand with water quality data.

Why this matters: speakers said residents want near‑term answers about water and beach safety after fires and rain events, yet data are often scattered across multiple jurisdictions and posted at different speeds. That fragmentation limits the usefulness of available results during disasters.

Discussion and concerns: multiple participants, including Greg Gerhardt and Caitlin Kalua, said current public data feeds are frequently too slow for emergency needs. Gerhardt said the council should help design an emergency data framework so laboratory results and field samples can be shared more rapidly. Krista Kammer and others discussed ideas for a standardized post‑fire monitoring plan that would specify what to sample, where, and when after a fire.

Possible legislative path: Krista Kammer reported that an assembly member’s office had asked for ideas and that the subcommittee drafting a concept paper on post‑fire monitoring had identified legislation as a potential route to require a statewide plan. Kammer said the office expressed interest in having the State Water Board lead implementation rather than academic institutions, and that a “spot bill” opportunity existed in the near term to indicate legislative interest.

Next steps and limitations: speakers recommended (1) continuing to compile lessons from the recent fires, (2) improving automated data pipelines for emergency sampling, and (3) coordinating with counties and regional boards that host local data portals. Several speakers emphasized that while a legislative mandate could accelerate planning, funding and roles would still need to be specified.

Ending: Council members asked staff and cochairs to follow up with working groups and external partners to scope a May agenda item focused on post‑fire monitoring and to coordinate with legislative staff if a spot bill is pursued.","Council members and agency partners described large coordination efforts after recent Southern California wildfires, discussed gaps in real‑time data access and sampling standards, and raised a possible legislative pathway to require a statewide post‑fire water quality monitoring plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council discusses AI, modeling (ROMS/Beck) and frames May meeting priorities

Acting director outlines recruitment timeline and budget pressures affecting council work

Council showcases redesigned mywaterquality.c.gov and work‑group portals; members ask for equity and data access improvements

Council members report expanded post‑wildfire water monitoring and push for statewide plan