Los Angeles Steering Team

Mission Statement

The Los Angeles Steering Team (LAST) was formed to grow the citizen water quality monitoring effort within the geographical area covered by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board with a networking approach and with participation from the involved agencies. LAST shall provide a forum for water quality monitoring related information sharing, technical assistance, quality assurance exercises, and field monitoring coordination.

INFORMATION SHARING
The LAST will hold forum meetings at least biannualy to facilitate information sharing in the areas of 1.) new technologies 2.) recent findings, reports, or news 3.)upcoming training opportunities, sampling events, and volunteer opportunities.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical assistance will be provided to members of LAST or by other members, the technical advisory committee, and guest speakers at the LAST forum meetings. Members of the LAST may submit technical assistane inquiries via email to the member list serve, or to the chairperson for distribution to the appropriate technical advisors.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Inter calibration exercises will be held at least two times a year by Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI). Quality assurance and quality control issues may also be discussed at forum meetings.

MONITORING COORDINATION
"Snapshot" sampling events will be discussed and coordinated at LAST meetings. Members of the LAST are encouraged to participate in coordinated sampling events, however they are not required to do so. In an effort to utilize volunteer groups to fill agency data gaps, sampling locations shall be coordinated with representatives from the State Water Resources Control Board Clean Water Team.