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Regional Geographic Initiative (RGI) Multi-media Funding

Also on this page: The Regional Geographic Initiative (RGI) is a grass roots approach for environmental protection tailored to the community. RGI was established in 1994 to help each EPA Region address its own unique environmental challenges. It is a model of government partnering with communities and industries to develop long-term solutions to environmental protection. Many RGI Projects are problems of high regional priority, which are not addressed by national, media-specific environmental programs. For further information, please contact Cynthia Gonzales at 1-800-227-8917 or gonzales.cynthia@epa.gov

RGI projects:

For more information on the Regional Geographic Initiative see the EPA Headquarters RGI web site.

RGI Program Contacts

Region 8 Project Manager

Headquarters Program Manager

Other Region's Project Managers

Regional Geographic Initiative Funded Projects

Click on one of the highlighted Region 8 states to learn about the initiatives in a particular state.

RGI projects are also listed for the Missouri River Basin and for Region 8 as a whole.

State locator Colorado Program Summaries Montana Program Summaries North Dakota Program Summaries South Dakota Program Summaries Utah Program Summaries Wyoming Program Summaries
 

Colorado

Initiative for sustainable, community-based watershed protection organizations in EPA Region 8

Grant Award Amount: $21,000.00

Project Officer: Marc Alston, alston.marc@epa.gov

Project Description: Trees, Water & People (TWP) is seeking funding to continue and further develop our Initiative for Sustainable Community-Based Watershed Protection Organizations in EPA Region 8. This regional program is designed to complement EPA efforts to build local participation in the protection of America's water resources.

TWP has been developing a series of skills enhancement trainings specifically designed to strengthen watershed groups in Colorado and Wyoming. We have also been working to give watershed groups a voice and a role at the state, regional and national level. For example, TWP's National Director, Richard Fox is currently serving his second term as the President of the Colorado Watershed Assembly. He also represented Colorado at the EPA Regional Watershed Roundtables and the National Watershed Forum in Washington.

Statewide watershed protection organizations beyond Colorado have also increasingly become aware of the sustainability test their local watershed groups are facing. They too have been developing trainings and other strategies for building sustainability.

In early 2002, a discussion emerged between several regional and national organizations working on how best to help local watershed group become sustainable. At the 2002 River Network Rally, a meeting was organized between EPA representatives, River Network and several statewide organizations, including Trees, Water & People. Through a series of subsequent teleconferences, the initial coalition expanded to include additional expertise and the core of the national Watershed Organization Sustainability Project was developed.

Since those initial meetings, EPA Headquarters has provided a $10,000 grant through Region 8, enabling River Network to bring regional watershed training groups together to better delineate and plan for a pilot watershed group sustainability-training program for EPA Regions 5 & 8. Discussions to date have called on Trees, Water & People to coordinate the pilot project in Region 8 and the Wisconsin Alliance for Rivers to coordinate the pilot program in Region 5.

Trees, Water & People will be traveling to Athens Georgia December 7th through the 13th to further develop the pilot training with our partners from the EPA, River Network, and regional watershed organizations. While the core of the program has been established, the current proposal is necessarily lacking complete detail since these meetings had not occurred
at proposal deadline.

Stewardship practices for the Cherry Creek watershed

Grant Award Amount: $25,000.00

Project Officer: Ayn Schmit, schmit.ayn@epa.gov

Project Description: The Partners proposes to continue its efforts in several project areas including:

Promoting coordination and collaboration through the Colorado water quality monitoring council (CWQMC)

Grant Award Amount: $15,000.00

Project Officer: Jill Minter, minter.jill@epa.gov

Project Description: The proposed project has two distinct sections:

The coordinator will carry out the goals of the Council, organize meetings, administer Council activities, and manage completion of tasks undertaken by the committees of the Council, including the development of monitoring summaries on the Council's web site, the issuance of monitoring fact sheets, moving towards establishment of STORET as a common database, development of a monitoring methods matrix, and development of aquatic life assessment methods. The Technical Assistant will obtain sufficient information from at least 40 different monitoring groups about the South Platte Basin and provide that information in a template to be uploaded onto a map-based website for public access. Information posted on the web site will include sampling groups and locations, general parameter categories, length of sampling, and an E-mail contact for obtaining further information. This product advances the stated EPA goals of creating a comprehensive assessment of Colorado's waterbodies and of creating data integrity.

Alternatives evaluation for growth along the I-70 corridor in Eagle County

Grant Award Amount $25,000.00

Project Officer: Karl Hermann, hermann.karl@epa.gov

Project Description: This project aims to clarify the long range planning vision for the entire county, one sub-area at a time; while maintaining a county-wide vision to be determined by an informed public and decision-making body. With the use of CommunityViz software, alternatives can be explored by and communicated to the public and decision-makers, whom will in turn be better equipped to craft the desired outcomes.

New tools for evaluating Alpine sensitivity and water quality in the Upper Animas Watershed, San Juan, CO.

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Mike Wireman, wireman.mike@epa.gov

Project Description: Although a great deal of water quality research has been done in the Animas watershed, the data collected has never been assembled into a package that is useful for land use planners. This project will focus on key areas in the Upper Animas Watershed to:

From this information, an integrated package will be developed for use by the BOCC, Planning Commissioners, County Planner, Assessor, landowners and other agencies. Finally, County officials will be trained in the use of this information as an aid to making informed land use decisions.

 

Montana

Enhancing Watershed capacity and communication in Montana

Grant Award Amount: $20,000.00

Project Officer: Peter Ismert, ismert.peter@epa.gov

Project Description: Montana Watercourse, a neutral, unbiased education, information and support organization, will utilize staff to provide part-time coordination and support for the Montana Watershed Coordination Council, a network of professional water resource workers, as well as funding to support the Annual Coordination Retreat. Additionally, core funding for the Montana Watershed Symposium, hosted by the Montana Watershed Coordination Council and other
sponsors, will allow Montana to showcase watershed efforts, provide need-based training, and articulate a state and regional strategy for building and maintaining watershed groups and efforts.

Sun River watershed water quality monitoring project

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Tina Laidlaw, laidlaw.tina@epa.gov

Project Description: This proposal addresses a monitoring program for all impairments and waterbodies in the entire basin. Funding is being sought for two years for a combined team effort on this watershed water quality monitoring project. This project will work with Montana State University (MSU) Extension Service to have a water quality specialist assist the Sun River Watershed monitor key sites on these waterbodies. The data gathered will be used for water quality plan implementation. The project also has components for laboratory analysis of samples, data input and dissemination, and Water Quality Plan evaluation.

Support to complete source water delineation and assessment reports for US Forest Service public water supplies in Montana

Grant Award Amount: $13,990.00

Project Officer: Marcella Hutchinson, hutchinson.marcella@epa.gov

Project Description: SWDARs were completed by USFS personnel for 21 PWSs as part of a cooperative effort with the Montana Source Water Protection Program (MT SWPP). The USFS staff member was assigned to work on the SWDARs as part of a training assignment but has since taken another position that cannot accommodate continued work on Source Water Protection. However, the USFS staff could supervise a college intern to complete the remaining PWSs if funding was available. The MT SWPP staffs believe that college interns supervised by professional level staff can complete the SWDARs successfully. Under this
proposal, SWDARs for 1 community, 5 non-transient, non-community supplies and 51 transient, non-community PWSs would be completed by the USFS in 52 weeks from the time funding became available.

 

North Dakota

Building upon FM River: Communication the health of the Red River of the north

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Stacey Eriksen, eriksen.stacey@epa.gov

Project Description: Specific activities within "Building Upon FM River: Communicating the Health of the Red River of the North" will include:

Hydrologic Unit delineation and digitization in the Red River of the north, ND

Grant Award Amount: $25,000.00

Project Officer: Stacey Eriksen, eriksen.stacey@epa.gov

Project Description: The project will be divided into two phases. The first phase is to complete delineation and digitize five sub basins that are partially delineated. The second phase is to delineate and digitize the remaining eight sub basins. Watersheds and sub watersheds will be delineated at 1:24,00 scale according to Federal Standards. These delineations will then be vectorized. We are requesting funds to hire a contractor to completed delineations and to hire a GIS technician to vectorize the
delineations by heads up digitizing. The digital delegations will be presented to local
stakeholders for review and comment. The GIS technician will then compile the Red River, delineations into the statewide hydrologic unit data set.

 

South Dakota

Volunteer Monitoring in Context in South Dakota

Grant Award Amount: $15,000.00
Project Officer: Tina Laidlaw, laidlaw.tina@epa.gov
Project Description: The Volunteer Monitoring in Context in South Dakota project will achieve its goals through developing and offering Clean Water Act workshops jointly to lake and stream volunteers and offering cross training to monitors, where appropriate, to facilitate a watershed point of view.

 

Utah

Ground-Water quality classification for the Valley Hill aquifer in Morgan Valley, Morgan
County, Utah- A basis for preserving high quality Ground water resources

Grant Award Amount: $20,000.00

Project Officer: Rich Muza, muza.richard@epa.gov

Project Description: The proposed study will consist of an evaluation of current ground-water quality using the Utah Water Quality Board's ground-water quality classification system based mostly on total-dissolved- solids concentrations as follows: class IA (Pristine), less than 500 mg/L; class II (Drinking Water Quality), 500 to less than 3,000 mg/L; class III (Limited Use), 3,000 to less than 10,000 mg/L; and class IV (Saline), 10,000 mg/L and greater. Two other ground-water quality classes, class IB (Irreplaceable) and class IC (Ecologically Important),
are not based on total-dissolved-solids concentrations and are not addressed in our studies. The goal is to document existing water quality, and thus resource value, based on total-dissolved-solids concentrations determined from sampling and analyzing ground water from 50 wells completed in the valley-fill aquifer and with a widespread geographic distribution in Morgan Valley. Potential contaminant sources in the valley will also be mapped via a windshield survey. The product will include GIS maps showing total-dissolved-solids concentrations, ground-water quality classes, and potential contaminant sources. This will provide the scientific background (information) for enacting defendable land-use regulations to protect the quality of Morgan Valley's ground-water resources, without unfairly burdening valley residents or downstream users.

Statewide support for priority Watersheds

Grant Award Amount: $10,000.00

Project Officer: Karen Hamilton, hamilton.karen@epa.gov

Project Description: Utah, as the second driest state in the nation, faces many of the complex problems presented by expanding populations, changes in local economic bases and land uses, and changes in national leadership on water quality protection. Utah Division of Water Quality has in the past developed a diverse set of programs, which address many of the different aspects of water quality. These have ranged from investigations of watershed and riparian processes to studies of manure and nutrient management for feeding operations. Maintaining a healthy agricultural sector while protecting water resources has been a main focus of our efforts. Research in rangeland management and monitoring, wetland restoration and wildlife enhancement, forest best management practices, and fluvial processes all intersect with water quality issues.

Both the public and leaders of Utah consistently identify water resources and water quality in the state as a high priority area. A recent survey performed by the Utah Water Conservation Forum found that 66% express a strong priority for water in the natural environment, and 72% believe that water for agriculture is very important". Utah extension agents have identified better use of available water (irrigation efficiency, improved water yields and help with water audits) and water quality (impacts of animal feeding operations and other nonpoint pollution sources, wetland and riparian issues) as their highest priority issues. Many of the nonpoint source programs in the state have focused on priority watershed projects. These have been successful in engaging stakeholders within the watershed, educating and informing these citizens on the impacts of their activities, and partnering with agencies at all levels to lead to locally led decision-making. The Utah Division of Water Quality has been an active partner in these efforts, providing support through workshops, education, and training as well as involvement on technical advisory committees. The Utah Division of Water Quality has also been active in providing technical support in such areas as assessing impacts, riparian restoration projects, and GIS support.

The support for local workgroups is an ongoing effort. As one group reaches a sustainable level another will be formed.

Building tools to interpret biological Data in Utah

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Tina Laidlaw, laidlaw.tina@epa.gov

Project Description: Utah proposes to hire a contractor (TetraTech) to develop an index of biological integrity (IBI). DWQ will provide the contractor with all existing biological data available for the state and will work with the contractor to insure the State receives the desired deliverables. The IBI will assist Utah DWQ staff in interpreting the results of their biological information. The contractor will determine the number of indices appropriate for the state and work with state staff to establish suitable classification schemes.

Secondly, Utah State University developed a RIVPACS model using a small dataset
collected through EPA's Science to Achieve Results program (STAR). Through this
project, the existing RIVPACS model will be re-run incorporating the larger dataset in an effort to construct a more robust model. Once developed, a version of the RIVPACS model will be available on-line (password protected) and DWQ staff will be provided instruction on how and when to re-evaluate the model. Both approaches (IBI and RIVPACS) and their results will be compared and discussed. A final report will highlight the two assessment tools and provide suggestions on their application by the state program.

A Bioassessment Workshop will be offered to interested Utah DWQ staff. The training will be held at DWQ offices and will be designed to demonstrate the databases and assessment process associated with interpreting Utah's biological data. The three-day training will introduce participants to the details of Utah's IBI and RIVPACS model; familiarize them with the software used to develop the tools; and how to use the data to make decisions. A training manual will accompany this workshop.

 

Wyoming

Watershed approach for collaborative restoration efforts upper snake river

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Peter Ismert, ismert.peter@epa.gov|

Project Description: The main outcome of this project is the establishment of a sustainable watershed network for the upper Snake River. This network will serve as an information clearing house, conduct public forums, and aid in coordinating restoration efforts for streams and wetlands. Community benefits will include greater awareness and appreciation of local water resources as well as an introduction into the potential challenges related to riparian and wetland issues. Communication and coordination will be enhanced between people involved with water resource issues in the Snake River valley.

 

Missouri River Basin

Building a broadbased consituency for Missouri River

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Jim Berkley, berkley.jim@epa.gov

Project Description: This project begins a science-based (but not dominated) dialogue among diverse constituencies (especialy the Tribes), scientists, and managers to synthesize existing information as basis for developing a shared understanding of the river's ecological needs and how the region's economy and communities can benefit substantially. This shared understanding will form the basis of trust relationships among constituencies that will result in a framework for recovery action and identification of prospective pilot recovery actions within context of adaptive management.

 

Regional Projects

Coordinated regional natural resource monitoring and training program for tribal and private landowners with land parcels in areas of CBM development

Grant Award Amount: $30,000.00

Project Officer: Nat Miullo, miullo.nat@epa.gov

Project Description: We have recognized the need for a simple inventory and monitoring protocol or land owner, managers, and Tribal members to voluntarily collect and record annual data of key indicators of soil, water, and plant community types. We will create a monitoring handbook, record sheets, and associated support documents to assist landowners in a simple protocol in how to plan and efficient, meaningful monitoring program with guidelines on site selection, monitoring instructions and data interpretation. After regional pilot testing and landowner feedback of the manual and support tools, we will have a user-friendly, concise on-line handbook. Although environmental benefits may not be immediately recognizable in terms of monitoring data and management changes, we will document voluntary adoption of a protocol which is not currently done prior-to landowner/CBM developer contracts and we will identify significant trends in resource conditions identified by individuals assessing the monitoring tools.


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