BEsT MANAGEMENT PRACTICEs HANDbooK - Tahoe BMP

8.14 SHOREZONE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE PROJECTMONITORING AND ASSESSMENT8.14.1 OVERVIEWMonitoring refers to the overall process of data collection, analysis, andinterpretation of either short-term, immediate impacts, or long-term changesover the life of a project. Environmental monitoring is usually conducted forseveral purposes as described below.Monitoring may be required within permit conditions of the relevantregulatory agencies to ensure project impacts are reduced to a less than asignificant level. The most applicable monitoring requirements are related tothe following areas:• Scenic mitigation• Water quality impacts• Fisheries and wildlife habitat• Aquatic invasive species eradication• Littoral processes.• Monitoring activities are used to do the following:• Document compliance with state, regional and local standards• Evaluate the impacts of construction and operation of projects• Determine if the project has deviated from the planning phase and guideany necessary remedial work• Determine compliance and guide project completion and securityreturns if applicableUse monitoring also to determine if the project operations adversely affect thenatural environment. Focus monitoring on those measurable parameters thatprovide valuable information about issues of genuine concern. Marina MasterPlans and projects that require an EIS will have review and monitoringrequirements.Each shorezone area has specific parameters for initial measurement andongoing monitoring. In general, the level of risk to fixed backshore assets willcontrol the level and intensity of monitoring. Potential loss of footpaths,backshore patio decks, or low value amenity areas may only justify investmentin occasional visits by staff to observe or photograph changes to the backshore.At the other end of the risk scale are high value assets such as commercialfacilities, recreational developments, or high-end residential homes. For thesesites, it may well be worth developing a programmatic commitment togathering accurate, frequent, and high resolution measurements, including theinstallation of nearshore monitoring buoys, the commissioning of annual orperiodic Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) aerial topographic surveys andTRPA BMP HandbookCHAPTER 8: Shorezone Protective Structures and BMPs2012 Page 8-87