Issue # 25
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Runoff Rundown |
Welcome to the 25th issue of Runoff Rundown, the Center for Watershed Protection's quarterly electronic newsletter!
We hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday season. Winter came late for many of us on the East Coast and we're seeing our first snow this week! The seasonal temps are very exciting - mud angels just don't capture the seasonal feelings from our childhood. Also noticeably absent in the office have been public inquiries re: low impact methods for deicing roadways. So since so many are experiencing their first snows, it's timely to include our article on road salt in this edition (in FYI section below). At the Center, we were able to take a few days off to spend with our families, as well as take part in our annual winter hike! |
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Our Director for Capacity-Building, Rebecca Winer-Skonovd, departed the Ellicott City office this month to relocate with her husband to Sacramento, CA. She will continue with the Center as a program manager from her home office through this fall.
We are pleased to announce that another longtime staffer Karen Cappiella was promoted to Director of Research in December. Paul Sturm was also promoted to Program Manager for Community Watersheds.
On the personal side of staff news, Publications Manager Jessica Ritter and husband Brian welcomed their baby girl, Anastasia Eldon, on December 23rd.
Article 1 of the Wetlands and Watersheds Article Series Wetlands and Watersheds Article 1: "Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality" reviews the current state of wetland science as it pertains to impacts from urbanization and explores the potential management implications for local natural resource managers and land use planners. More than 100 studies reviewed for this article discuss direct and indirect impacts of land development on wetlands and the key role wetlands play in watershed quality. An article summarizing this report was featured in the January/February 2007 issue of the National Wetlands Newsletter published by Environmental Law Institute (ELI). Be sure to check out ELI on the web (http://www.eli.org) and the Center’s wetlands and watersheds website (http://www.cwp.org/wetlands/index.htm) for more information on wetlands management and the articles mentioned here. |
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Center Publication Offerings
For 2007, there are many exciting new changes to our publications catalog! Many publications are now available for free download, some items now have a file download version, and a few items are being offered that haven't been made available for individual sale in several years. Among these is Impacts of Impervious Cover on Aquatic Systems, which is available in print for the first time since its original release in 2003. This book is a comprehensive exploration of more than 225 multi-disciplinary studies documenting the hydrological, physical, water quality, and biological impacts of urbanization and its accompanying impervious cover. Covering many different eco-regions, climatic zones and stream types and with more than 100 graphics and tables, this 150-page report represents the Center's most thorough examination of imperviousness to date. To order: http://www.cwp.org/PublicationStore/TechResearch.htm
PROJECT UPDATES:
What We're Wrapping Up:
When the Autumn 2006 issue was released, Center staff had just left for Ohio to hold the first Watershed Institute in the Midwest. From October 23-26, 80 participants from government, watershed groups, and consultants, representing 26 states and provinces convened south of Columbus, OH for intensive watershed planning training. Two key elements set this Institute apart from past Watershed Institutes:
- it was the first time elements of watershed protection and restoration were incorporated, and
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the agenda followed the process of how to create effective watershed plans from start to finish.
Also for the first time, participants worked throughout the week in small but diverse "watershed teams" and used an actual local watershed as a case study to develop recommendations that would go into a watershed plan. Highlights included the field trip in Grove City, OH where participants conducted key components of both the Unified Stream Assessment and the Unified Subwatershed and Site Reconnaissance methods, and of course the bonfire with its Halloween-inspired haunted watershed cabin!
We have received encouraging feedback from participants including one declaring that "this event renewed my energy to go back home and implement new ideas and techniques that I learned from the instructors and colleagues I met at the Institute." Participants seemed to appreciate the focus on the process of comprehensive watershed planning. One watershed professional explained that while she'd had "several bits and pieces on watershed planning training," she found that the "Institute brought it all together and gave me some key missing pieces I needed!" We welcome all types of feedback from Institute participants, and hope that input continues to roll in as we strive for more exciting and resourceful Institutes in the future.
Since we last reported in July, the Center and Biohabitats, Inc. are finishing the draft Bronx River Watershed Assessment and Management Report for Westchester County, NY. This process involved the prioritization of projects identified during field assessments. Over 100 projects were prioritized including stormwater retrofits, riparian corridor restoration, pervious area management and restoration, and municipal practices and programs. The draft plan will recommend projects for the application of a variety of management practices within the Bronx River Watershed. Look for more comprehensive coverage about the entire project in our next issue.
What we're working on:
The Center has been working on completing a review draft of Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual 3: Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices. This manual is a first of its kind in that it walks communities through the art of stormwater retrofitting in the often constrained urban environment, although it can be applied to suburban areas just as easily. The manual begins by reviewing the impacts of impervious cover and stormwater on a watershed and provides examples of the portion of a subwatershed that will need to be retrofitted to treat a certain amount of stormwater. Chapter 2 identifies the various treatment options that are available to practitioners, including swales, created stormwater wetlands and infiltration practices. Chapter 3 helps identify where treatment is possible within the subwatershed. These areas include storage in road rights-of-way and below outfalls, and on-site practices such as individual streets and rooftops, underground practices, and hotspot operations. Costs for various treatment options are provided here, as well. The last chapter provides a field form and detailed instructions on how to go out in the subwatershed to find these locations and determine the types of practices that may work at a particular site. It also discusses the common constraints of the urban environment that affect the feasibility of retrofitting such as utilities, poor soils or conflicting adjacent land use. This manual will be available in mid-2007.
This week, the Center began its first foray in online university education. With the University of Maryland University College, an online education institution, the Center has developed Introduction to Urban Watersheds (Environmental Management 360). The Center's Director of Research, Karen Cappiella, will facilitate this 15-week, 3-credit undergraduate university course conducted entirely online. It introduces the basics of watersheds and why their management is important. We will be sure to announce in the future any additional plans to teach within UMUC’s undergraduate program.
The Center has been working with Fauquier County and Emery & Garrett Groundwater, Inc. to develop a Fauquier County Water Resources Management Plan. The plan aims to integrate groundwater and surface water protection into a cohesive program. The Center’s role includes analyzing contaminant threats and recommending ordinance and management strategies that address both wellhead protection and water quality.
Last reported in our Spring 2006 issue, the Center has been working with the University of Alabama on an EPA funded-project to develop local stormwater indicator monitoring programs. The goal of this project is to develop a step-by-step process for common monitoring studies that communities may easily implement to test whether their stormwater programs and practices are working. A set of study designs will be used to illustrate how to monitor the impact of stormwater treatment practices and programs, and will provide guidance on the selection and use of monitoring endpoints that are used to indicate effectiveness. Findings from this project will be available in mid-2008.
What We're Starting:
We are following up our 2006 tropical training workshops with pilot watershed planning and assessment work in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in 2007. American Samoa and potentially Guam are also on the calendar for 2007-2008 stormwater and watershed management training.
After completing a watershed plan for Westchester County's portion of the Bronx River this winter (see above), we will be starting work with the Bronx River Alliance and New York City Parks on creating an inter-municipal plan for the entire Bronx River.
The Center will be working with Duffield Associates and the DE Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on watershed plans for the St. Jones and Broadkill watersheds. Thanks to a generous donation from Trimble (http://www.trimble.com), 2007 will be the year we go digital with field data collection using handhelds and ArcPAD software--look for downloadable data entry forms for all you USA users!
We have started work with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission on the development of a Coastal Stormwater Supplement (CSS) to the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual. The first phase of the project involves background research that will guide the development of the CSS. The project will allow us to review recent research on the challenges of stormwater management in coastal areas and will help us adapt stormwater BMP design to Georgia’s coastal environment.
The Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) has asked the Center to provide technical assistance during the Department’s effort to update the state’s stormwater regulations and handbook. DCR has been meeting with a Technical Advisory Committee and has developed draft regulations. The Center will be examining Virginia water quality data from the National Stormwater Quality Database, analyzing various approaches for water quality compliance, recommending stormwater BMP and BMP design factors that can address proposed water quality requirements, and analyzing an appropriate offset fee if all requirements cannot be met on-site. The Center’s phase of the work will be complete in March 2007.
Center focuses on Baltimore Watersheds
In an effort to make a real impact on local watersheds, the Center has decided to focus its efforts intensively in one geographic area at a time with the desired outcome being increased implementation of recommendations made as part of watershed planning efforts. We decided to begin this new concept in Baltimore, MD, continuing our long-standing relationship with both the local governments and watershed groups in the area. (read more...)
UPCOMING INSTITUTES AND WHERE WE'RE SPEAKING :
Coming this fall…
Stormwater Institute 2007!
The intensive, interactive program will focus on:
- Providing practical guidance on municipal stormwater program setup, design and administration, including staffing, budgeting, financing and resources
- Strengthening the technical skills needed to develop and run effective programs for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, illicit discharge detection, pollution prevention, and watershed education
- Offering unique opportunities for participants to receive individualized support from local and national experts
Date and location will be announced soon! Keep an eye on our website for more information.
Other places we're speaking:
February 13, 2007- David Hirschman and Mike Novotney at the International Erosion Control Association's Environmental Connection 2007: "Post Construction: Integrating Smart Growth and Low Impact Development into Municipal Stormwater Programs"
Reno, NV. http://www.ieca.org
March 8-9, 2007- Tom Schueler at Minnesota Erosion Control Association’s 18th Annual Erosion Control and Stormwater Management Conference: "Maximum Control Measures" Minneapolis, MN. http://www.mnerosion.org/meca_2006Conference.htm
March 22, 2007- David Hirschman at the Pennsylvania Stormwater Workshop, Reading, PA.
March 29, 2007 - Rebecca Winer-Skonovd and Jennifer Zielinski at the 1st New England Urban Rivers Conference: The Promise and the Challenge of Urban Rivers. Boston, MA http://www.epa.gov/ne
July 11, 2007- Jennifer Zielinski at U.S. EPA’s Stormwater Webcast Series: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) 201 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1
September 5, 2007- David Hirschman at U.S. EPA’s Stormwater Webcast Series: Post-Construction 201 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1
ARTICLE: Snow, Road Salt and the Chesapeake Bay In honor of our first snow, we include here our guidance on road salt in an article that Tom Schueler wrote several years back. This article examines what happens to the salts and other chemicals applied to the roads and what is known about their impact on the environment. For the complete article, please go to http://www.cwp.org/rr_photos/jan05/snowandsalt.pdf.
MAGAZINE: The Maryland Sea Grant program publishes the Chesapeake Quarterly, which reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. The most recent issue, which also appears on their website (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/CQ/index.html), dedicates the entire issue to Global Warming and the Chesapeake Bay.
WEBSITE: Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network is a website that features a searchable database of different Ecosystem-Based Management tools in coastal and marine environments. http://www.ebmtools.org/
TRAINING: The Conservation Fund offers a variety of training opportunities through their Conservation Leadership Network at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia. The topics range from conservation easements to environmental site design. http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2057&back=true
WEB FORUM: Cacapon Institute is hosting 2nd Annual Stream Cleaner Environmental Forum, an internet-based academic activity where high school students investigate the causes of and solutions for non-point source pollution in the context of the regional effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. For more info: ci@cacaponinstitute.org; or call 304-856-1385.
http://www.cacaponinstitute.org/PHWS%20Signup/PHWS_Environmental
%20Forum%20Signup.htm#Why_Stream_Cleaner_Environmental_Forum
WEBCAST: In December, Tom Schueler was a guest speaker for "Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Building a Local Program to Maintain Your Stormwater Practices and Prevent Pollution from Municipal Operations" as part of the U.S. EPA’s NPDES Webcast series. This presentation covered how to build more effective maintenance programs for the MS4 and stormwater BMPs in order to address NPDES permit requirements and to identify which municipal maintenance operations should be targeted for stormwater pollution prevention efforts. Archived materials from this presentation can be accessed by visiting their website: http://cfpub2.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1
ARTICLE: "Economics of Conservation Subdivisions" by Rayman Mohamed, Wayne State University.
This article analyzes the profitability of conservation subdivisions relative to conventional designs through analysis of price premiums, improvement costs, and time on the market. The results show that conservation subdivisions are more profitable to developers than conventional subdivisions. http://www.clas.wayne.edu/multimedia/usercontent/File/Geography%20and%20Urban%
20Planning/Recommened%20Readings/Economics%20of%20Conservation
%20Subdivisions.pdf
Events:
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: due February 5, 2007. AWRA 2007 Summer Specialty Conference "Emerging Contaminants of Concern in the Environment: Issues, Investigations, Solutions" June 25-27, 2007. Vail Cascade Resort, Vail, CO. Organized by the American Water Resources Association. The goal of this conference is to provide a balanced interdisciplinary forum on these contaminants, defined as those chemicals or pathogenic microorganisms that are not commonly monitored, but have been shown to occur in the environment and may have the potential to represent an ecosystem or public health risk. http://www.awra.org/meetings/Vail2007/index.html
CONFERENCE: 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference February 8-10, 2007. Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, CA. Organized by the Local Government Commission. http://www.newpartners.org
CONFERENCE: International Conference on Stormwater & Urban Water Systems Modeling February 22-23, 2007. Toronto Airport Hilton, Toronto, ON. Organized by Computational Hydraulics Int. http://www.computationalhydraulics.com/Training/Conferences/confsem.html
CONFERENCE: Smart Growth for Local Governments: Creating and Sustaining Livable Communities February 26-27, 2007. ICMA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Organized by the International City/County Management Association. http://www.icma.org/main/ca.asp?p=1&caid=408&hsid=1&t=0
CONFERENCE: 2nd National Low Impact Development Conference, March 12-14, 2007. Wilmington Hilton Riverside, Wilmington, NC. Organized by North Carolina State University Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/swetc/lid/home.htm
CONFERENCE: Paying for Sustainable Water Infrastructure: Innovations for the 21st Century, March 21-March 23, 2007. Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta, GA. Organized by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and U.S. EPA. http://www.payingforwater.com/
CONFERENCE: APA National Conference – 2007 April 14-18, 2007. Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA . Organized by the American Planning Association. http://www.planning.org/2007conference
CONFERENCE: 2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER)
April 22-27, 2007. Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, MO. Organized by Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at University of Florida, USGS, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007/
CONFERENCE: 3rd Annual ULI Conference "Developing Green: Integrating Sustainability with Success" April 23-24, 2007. Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Organized by the Urban Land Institute. http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=
Conferences&CONTENTID=77144&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
CONFERENCE: River Rally 2007 May 18-22. Dolce Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA. Organized by River Network. http://www.rivernetwork.org/rally/
CONFERENCE: 18th Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference "Seeking New Solutions to Old Problems: The Nonpoint Source Program at 20 Years" May 21-23, 2007. Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel and Spa, Newport, RI. Co-hosted by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. www.neiwpcc.org/npsconference
CONFERENCE: 6th Annual North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition (StormCon’07) Aug. 20-23, 2007, JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Phoenix, AZ. http://www.forester.net/sc.html
CONFERENCE: Wetlands 2007: Watershed Strategies to Protect and Restore Wetland's Ecological and Social Services August 27-29, 2007. Colonial Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center, Williamsburg, VA. Organized by Association of State Wetland Managers. http://aswm.org/calendar/index.htm#symp
Runoff Rundown Team: Lauren Lasher, editor; Tiffany Wright. Contributions from Center staff.
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