Mary Ellen Ley, Hydrologist

Education

B.S.

University of Wisconsin (Chemistry), 1985

Experience/Expertise

Quality Assurance, analytical methods, data comparability, monitoring program development, sampling designs, quality control testing, drinking watre regulations, groundwater vulnerability studies

Projects/Duties

State and federal agencies that study and manage the Chesapeake Bay watershed rely on environmental data to help restore and protect water and biological resources. Millions of dollars are spent each year to monitor and model water, sediment, air, submerged aquatic vegetation, oysters, crabs, and fish in the Chesapeake and it's tributaries. To ensure that these data and subsequent decisions are scientifically valid and uniform among agencies, Mary Ellen coordinates the activities of the Chesapeake Bay Quality Assurance Program that include:

Standardization of field and labratory methods for monitoring water quality and biological parameters.

Assessment of performance of field crews and labratories producing data through on-site audits and inter-laboratory quality control studies.

Investigations of problems and inconsistencies in data sets.

Review of Quality Assurance Project Plans prior to EPA approval for funding.

Selected Publications

Ley, M.E. 1994. Monitoring Waivers for Phase II and Phase V Regulations. Journal of American Waterworks Association, May 1994.