Welcome to the 12th edition of Runoff Rundown, the Center for Watershed Protection electronic newsletter! You are receiving this newsletter either because you are on the Center's regular mailing list or because you have asked to subscribe. If you would like to elect not to receive future newsletters and updates, REPLY to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. You can visit us online at http://www.cwp.org.
Here's what
we have for you in this issue:
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* Staff
News
* This Just In
* Project Updates
* Upcoming Workshops
* Article: Urban Watershed Restoration Manual (WURM)
* Article: Lessons Learned from the First Watershed Leadership Institute
* FYI
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STAFF NEWS:
After surviving both a tumultuous office move AND Hurricane Isabel, the Center's happy family continues to expand in our brand-new offices. We welcomed former intern Tiffany Wright as a full time staffer last month, along with new intern Sarah Weammert. After a wonderful reception at the Baltimore National Aquarium in Baltimore on September 17, Hye Yeong Kwon has begun cracking the whip as the new Executive Director of the Center, while Tom Schueler buckles into his new role as the Center's Director of Watershed Research and Practice.
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THIS JUST IN:
* Fall SPECIAL: Beef up your multimedia watershed library with a fabulous bargain: get a full set of our popular slideshows on six CD-ROMS, along with a handsome hardbound copy of "The Practice of Watershed Protection" packed with 150 articles on all aspects of watershed protection, for just $150, a $45 savings off the list price! Order through our homepage at http://www.cwp.org.
* Practice of Watershed Protection articles available online! All 150 articles from The Practice of Watershed Protection are now available individually in .PDF format from our online store at http://centerforwatershedprotection.goemerchant7.com/. Access research on virtually every aspect of watershed protection instantly, with no waiting or shipping costs!
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PROJECT UPDATES:
The Center's first Watershed Restoration Institute last month was a raging success by all accounts! More than 85 watershed managers, consultants, and federal, state and local government employees joined us for a week that turned out to be more productive, enlightening, and fun than we ever could have hoped. See who came, check out some of the pictures, and thank our generous sponsors here: http://www.cwp.org/WRI_Report.htm. We're already gearing up for the next round of Institutes, with planning in the works for at least two more next year. For details on some of the lessons we learned this first time around, see the article below.
Builders for the Bay is also trekking along. The Paxton Creek, PA roundtable members reached full consensus on their code change recommendations last month; watch for the consensus document to be available soon. Another Builders for the Bay roundtable in James City County, VA is scheduled to kick off in early December (visit http://www.buildersforthebay.net for more details). In a related project, staff expect to kick off a Coastal Bays local roundtable in Worcester County, MD by the end of the year.
While the frenzy of the Institute has died down, staff remain busy working on the Watershed Restoration Manual (parts of which debuted in draft form at last month's Institute; see article below) and the Urban Forestry Manual. Both of these are slated for finals in 2004.
The Center is working with the USDA Forest Service in a cooperative agreement to develop a manual on how to use trees to protect and restore urban watersheds. The manual will contain detailed designs and other information on how to integrate trees and stormwater treatment practices (STPs). We are currently in the research phase, and are looking for studies related to the design of STPs to incorporate trees, or data on properties of trees that affect their use in STPs, as well as considerations for using trees and STPs in different locations in the urban environment. If you know of any relevant studies, or for more information, contact Karen Cappiella at 410-461-8323 or kc@cwp.org.
In other project news, staff recently completed an update of Maryland's Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area 10% Rule Guidance Manual. For more information on Maryland's Critical Area Commission, visit: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/criticalarea/.
The Center won a proposal to begin work in Skiffes Creek in James City County, where we are happy to continue work after completing a host of restoration and assessment projects over the past three years. In early November, staff expect to begin more work for the State of New York, and we also hope to kick off several projects with our suite of Community Watershed organizations: the Paxton Creek Watershed Education Association, Gwynns Falls, Friends of Sligo Creek, and South River Federation. You can learn more about our Community Watersheds program area here: http://www.cwp.org/Community_Watersheds.htm.
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WORKSHOP/CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
For
details, see our calendar at http:/www.cwp.org/calendar.htm.
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ARTICLE: Urban Watershed Restoration Manual (WURM)
A large number of communities are now engaging in urban watershed restoration to repair stream habitat, reduce pollutant inputs and improve the quality of the urban environment. In some cases, restoration is prompted by state and federal regulations such as TMDLs, municipal NPDES stormwater regulations, and source water protection. In other cases, restoration is driven by local concerns about the quality of water resources. Little information, however, is available to guide local governments and watershed organizations as they enter this relatively new and technically challenging arena.
Never fear, the Center is here! We have a long track record in producing innovative and useful guidance materials that are heavily used by practitioners, such as the Rapid Watershed Planning Handbook, Better Site Design, the Practice of Watershed Protection, and Stormwater Managers Resource Center website at http://www.stormwatercenter.net.
Along those same lines, we have spent the better part of the year developing the Urban Watershed Restoration Manual (WURM), a practitioner's guide to restoring urban watersheds. Presented in a series of modules, WURM introduces an integrated framework for urban watershed restoration, outlines effective techniques for assessing urban watersheds, and provides a comprehensive review of watershed restoration techniques. A provisional table of contents for the series can be viewed here. http://cwp.org/RR12_WURM_TOC.pdf
Eleven modules in total, WURM will be organized to present practical and useful information on the actual techniques of watershed restoration that can be conveniently accessed and used by planners, engineers, stream biologists and municipal officials. Each part will be profusely illustrated, and will present detailed field methods, practice specifications, costs, applicability and tips on implementation.
Expect WURM to appear as 11 stand-alone virtual publications in .pdf format in spring 2004.
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ARTICLE: Lessons Learned from the First Watershed Leadership Institute
As the twin problems of declining water quality and reduced water availability become increasingly prevalent, the ranks of small watershed groups around the country continue to swell. Almost 4,000 of these small watershed groups exist at last count, dedicated to causes that range from public outreach to watershed management to political advocacy. Many organizations are staffed exclusively with volunteers or with only a handful of paid employees, and while they may have a strong commitment to the health of the watershed, they often lack the skills necessary to make a difference on the ground.
The Center for Watershed Protection (Center) developed the Watershed Leadership Institutes to fill this critical gap in watershed management with a trio of programs designed to provide concentrated training in watershed restoration, watershed protection, and stormwater management. Along with technical skills training, the Institutes also include sessions designed to help watershed leaders expand the capacity of their organizations and make sure that projects actually get implemented.
The first Watershed Institute was held last month in Reisterstown, Maryland, a rural area west of Baltimore. Read the full article to find out what we learned at this inaugural session here: http://www.cwp.org/RR12_WRI.pdf
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FYI
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Have comments, questions, feedback, or want to unsubscribe? Email Heather Holland at hkh@cwp.org, or contact the Center for Watershed Protection, 8390 Main Street 2nd Floor, Ellicott City, MD 21043, phone: 410-461-8323.