About VWMC

Mission

The mission of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council is to promote and facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among water monitoring programs throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Vision

Water resources information of appropriate quantity and quality is available so that the conditions of Virginia’s waters are known and informed decisions can be made on the preservation, protection, and use of the Commonwealth’s waters.

Background

The Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) seeks to foster cooperation and communication among groups involved in all types of water monitoring activities in Virginia. The VWMC is interested in physical, chemical, and biological monitoring, as well as the evaluation of those factors that affect changes in water quality and quantity. The interests of the VWMC include the full range of aquatic resources—ground and surface waters in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments — and associated watershed characteristics in Virginia.

The initiative to form the VWMC began in 1999 in response to needs identified and supported by consensus of the water monitoring community in Virginia. The VWMC was modeled after the national program, the National Water Quality Monitoring Council. Administrative support is provided by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center.

More information about the VWMC's history can be found by reading our annual reports.

Membership

Membership and participation in the activities of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) are open to any person, organization or agency with responsibility for, or interest in, water monitoring in Virginia.  Members of the VWMC collect and/or use water monitoring data in Virginia.

The VWMC promotes collaboration and information sharing among its members and their associated organizations. Because effective monitoring solutions require relationships that span organizational boundaries, the VWMC offers a unique opportunity for dialogue and teamwork among all parties interested in water monitoring.

Approximately 250 members, belonging to over 150 different organizations, contribute to the success of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council.  Our members are from:

Academia

Citizen Groups and Other Nonprofits

Consulting Firms, Industry, and the Regulated Community

Local and Regional Governments

Virginia Government Agencies

Multi-state and Federal Government Agencies

Benefits of Membership:

Receive regular e-mails about regional, statewide, and national water-related events.

Network with other VWMC members.

Participate in VWMC sponsored conferences, educational programs, and other activities

To join the VWMC:

Contact the VWMC’s administrative assistant at vwmc@vt.edu.  Membership is free.

Steering Committee

The Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) Steering Committee provides leadership for the Council. The role of the Steering Committee is to generate ideas of new program areas and help implement the VWMC's program.

The Steering Committee forms ad hoc committees to plan and put into practice the specific activities of the VWMC. Whereas any VWMC member may participate in the ad hoc committees, the Steering Committee members are elected.

Owing to their water monitoring responsibilities, the U.S. Geological Survey and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality serve as permanent members of the Steering Committee. All other members of the Steering Committee serve a three-year term. They are nominated by the VWMC's membership and elected by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee officers and members welcome your suggestions .

The meeting minutes of the VWMC Steering Committee record the discussions and decisions of the committee. Once approved by the Steering Committee, the minutes are made available to the public and can be viewed in the meeting minutes section of our website.

Operating Guidelines

The Operating Guidelines (pdf document) describe the purpose, goals, program activities, organizational structure, and operational procedures of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council. (You may download the Adobe software needed to open pdf documents for free at the Adobe website.)