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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The District of Columbia's Nonpoint Source Management Program focuses on
urban NPS pollution such as nutrients, sediments, toxics, and bacteria entering
its surface and groundwaters. The program sponsors a variety of activities,
including educational programs and materials, and demonstration projects of new
NPS control technologies.
Educational Project Brings Understanding of Urban NPS
The problem of managing nonpoint source pollution in an urban area calls
for a creative solution. By pooling - resources and using section 319 funds,
the District of Columbia was able to develop an innovative education -
resources center and a model that brings attention to the NPS problem and how
to prevent it. The Anacostia River, which flows through the nation's capital,
has long suffered from neglect and pollution. In 1993, the American Rivers, a
conservation group, named the river among the nation's most threatened. In
addition, the Chesapeake Bay Program's executive council recently designated
the Anacostia as a toxic hot spot.
To draw attention to the problem, in April 1992 the District of Columbia
dedicated an Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC), the nation's first
serving a totally urban population. Located on the river's bank in Anacostia
Park, the center offers fishing clinics and aquatic education programs to
students and city residents. From April to September, 6,685 guests -- including
then President George Bush, Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly, Maryland Governor Donald
Schaefer, and D. C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton--visited the center. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the District of - Columbia government
provided the funds to renovate the former National Park Police substation,
donated by the National Park Service.
Under the D.C. NPS Management Program, $60,000 funded through section 319
was used to develop a clean water demonstration project at the center. The
urban BMP, a sand filter stormwater management facility constructed under an
adjacent parking lot, highlights urban nonpoint source pollution problems and
solutions. It removes oil, grit, and other suspended solids from parking lot
stormwater runoff in urban conditions, such as limited space and high land
cost.
Through a memorandum of understanding, the D.C. NPS Management Program and
the D.C. Fisheries Management Program, which runs the center, are conducting
NPS educational activities. Using $10,000 of section 319 funds, the University
of the District of Columbia built a model of the sand filter for the center.
The 6 by 2 by 3-foot acrylic model shows visitors how the filter operates.
Students, teachers, fishers, and others can see how everyday activities, such
as driving a car or - discarding trash, contribute to the Anacostia's
pollution. The model and accompanying literature--a flier written by D.C. NPS
staff--show a direct link between stormwater runoff and river pollution.
Few youngsters can connect the drops of oil on a parking lot or the
improper disposal of a soft drink cup to the water quality problems of a
distant waterbody. But the link between the parking lot and NPS facility and
the nearby river is easy to see. Also, incorporating this information into
fishing clinic curricula and other educational activities provides yet another
connection between water quality, aquatic organisms, and NPS pollution. In
addition to education, the project also focuses on prevention. The D.C. NPS
Management Program continues to encourage both educators and other NPS
professionals to use the BMP model and the center as a demonstration site.
Section 319 funds and staff coordination were crucial in taking advantage of
this unique educational opportunity and will benefit environmental education in
the District of Columbia for a long time to come.
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