Watershed News

September 2006

Watershed News is a publication of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. It is designed to provide timely information to groups working at the watershed level.

In this month's newsletter

1) Funding Opportunities: Targeted Watersheds Grant Program - Implementation Grants
2) Targeted Watersheds Grant Program - Capacity-Building Grants
3) EPA Watershed Tool of the Month: Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters
4) Spotlight - Watersheds At Work: Aquilla Reservoir, Texas - Improved Herbicide Management Restores Safety of Drinking Water Source
5) News: New report from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) looks at connections between economic development and smart growth
6) Webcasts: EPA's Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on Using Brownfields Grants for Watershed Restoration and Revitalization
7) Outreach and Education: Getting in Step with Phase II: A Workshop for Stormwater Program Managers, September 20-21, 2006, Lexington, KY
8) Stream Ecosystem Restoration Training Series (SERTS), September 25-29, 2006 and October 23-27, 2006
9) State of River Restoration Practice, a River Ecosystem Restoration Forum, November 15 & 16, 2006, Powell, Ohio
10) Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

Funding Opportunities

Targeted Watersheds Grant Program - Implementation Grants

Targeted Watersheds logo The Targeted Watersheds Grant Program is a competitive grant program that encourages the protection and restoration of the country's water resources through cooperative conservation. The program supports collaborative watershed partnerships that are ready to implement on-the-ground restoration and protection activities designed to achieve quick, measurable environmental results. The goal is to build on existing partnerships and coalitions that have evaluated and assessed their watershed, devised a technically sound watershed plan and are ready to embark on steps to implement their plans. EPA is now accepting nominations of proposals for watershed projects and activities. Nominations must be submitted by either a Governor or a Tribal Leader. Up to $16 million will be made available in grants to watershed-based projects. Watershed project proposals selected for funding will be awarded for up to $900,000 each over a three to five year period, for which EPA requires a 25% non-Federal match. You can find the solicitation and other information about the Targeted Watersheds Grant Program at http://www.epa.gov/twg/ . The deadline for submitting nomination proposals is November 15, 2006.

Targeted Watersheds Grant Program - Capacity-Building Grants

In addition to supporting on-the-ground watershed projects through TWG implementation grants, the TWG program also supports the development and dissemination of tools, training, and technical assistance to strengthen the effectiveness of community-based partnerships working across the country to achieve clean water goals. EPA will award up to $3.2 million in capacity building grants to up to seven leading training organizations to help local watershed groups develop critical skills necessary to improve watershed health. EPA invites organizations that have expertise in watershed training and local capacity building to submit proposals by October 16, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/twg/.

EPA Watershed Tool of the Month

Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

cover of the handbook EPA created this document to help communities, watershed organizations, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies develop and implement watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources. The Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is designed to help anyone undertaking a watershed planning effort, but should be particularly useful to persons working with impaired or threatened waters. The watershed planning process uses a series of cooperative, iterative steps to characterize existing conditions, identify and prioritize problems, define management objectives, and develop and implement protection or remediation strategies as necessary.

The document is structured so that it can be followed step by step though the watershed planning process or so that readers can go to individual sections that highlight specific technical tools for use in the watershed planning effort. You can order a free copy of the Handbook from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP). Contact NSCEP at 800-490-9198 or by e-mail, nscep@bps-lmit.com. When requesting a copy of the Handbook, please refer to EPA document number: EPA 841-B-05-005. You can also download the Handbook at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook/.

Spotlight: Watersheds At Work

Aquilla Reservoir, Texas - Improved Herbicide Management Restores Safety of Drinking Water Source

clipart outline of the state of Texas Aquilla Reservoir is an important source of drinking water and recreation but was found to have excessive levels of the herbicide atrazine beginning in 1997. Project partners initiated efforts to reduce agricultural atrazine sources - and to a lesser extent, urban sources - in the watershed. As a result of technical assistance to corn and sorghum producers, using agricultural best management practices (BMPs), and educating urban residents, atrazine concentrations in Aquilla Reservoir declined by 60 percent. The waterbody now meets atrazine concentration standards, and in 2004 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) recommended that Aquilla Reservoir be removed from the state's 303(d) list of impaired waters for 2004. Find out more information about this success story at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/state/tx_aquilla.htm.

News

New report from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) looks at connections between economic development and smart growth

IEDC's recently released "Economic Development and Smart Growth" highlights the connections between smart growth and economic outcomes such as job growth, occupancy rates, tax base, and private investment. The report, supported with funding from EPA, uses detailed case studies to illustrate economic outcomes in places that have incorporated smart growth development strategies. The case studies profile diverse projects in Lakewood, Colorado; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Paducah, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Portland, Oregon; Burlington, Iowa; Silver Spring, MD; and Columbus, Ohio. Download the PDF of this report at: http://www.iedconline.org/downloads/smart_growth.pdf.

Webcasts

EPA´s Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on Using Brownfields Grants for Watershed Restoration and Revitalization

clipart picture of an instructor EPA´s Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts to offer free for watershed practitioners around the globe. On Wednesday, September 20th, Camilla Warren of EPA's Region 4 Brownfields Program and Wendy Jackson from Freshwater Land Trust will explain funding available to states, communities, and other stakeholders under the Brownfields program and outline a case study about a specific group which was awarded a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant. Registration for this Webcast will open on Sept. 13.

The October 11th webcast, "Getting Started in Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring" will feature Linda Green of Rhode Island Watershed Watch and Danielle Donkersloot of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Learn how to start a volunteer water quality program by using this step-by-step process. This session will provide you with questions to ponder, success stories, and where to find the best resources. Registration for this Webcast will open on Oct. 4. Audio versions of these and past Webcasts are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.

Outreach and Education

Getting in Step with Phase II: A Workshop for Stormwater Program Managers, September 20-21, 2006, Lexington, KY

New federal requirements for regulating stormwater went into effect March 10, 2003. Known as Stormwater Phase II under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, the requirements affect urban areas in municipalities nationwide that have regulated small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). Under Phase II, MS4 communities must develop stormwater programs that address six minimum control measures. Sponsored in part by EPA's Office of Waste Management and Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watershed, the workshop will focus on selected minimum measures required by Phase II-Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation and Involvement, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE), Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping, Construction Site Runoff Management, and Post-Construction Runoff Controls. For more information, visit http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/courses.cfm?program_id=0&outreach_id=200&o_type=1.

Stream Ecosystem Restoration Training Series (SERTS), September 25-29, 2006 and October 23-27, 2006

This one week short course, offered in both September and October, is a collaborative effort of The River Institute and a group of multidisciplinary professionals. This training will provide participants with an advanced look at the fundamental set of skills applicable to stream restoration including biology, hydraulic engineering, fluvial geomorphology, applied design techniques and monitoring. This is an advanced course with experts in the restoration field who will provide field experiments and validation exercises. This course is meant for ecologists, regulators, professional engineers and environmental scientists who have a basic understanding of stream restoration principals including bioassessment, biocriteria and Rosgen Stream Classification and who are looking for that next step in developing and reviewing stream restoration projects that incorporate natural channel design principals in order to meet an improved water quality standard. Space is limited to government employees (federal, state or local) and to the first 30 participants for each week. For more information visit http://riverinstitute.org/home.html.

State of River Restoration Practice, a River Ecosystem Restoration Forum, November 15 & 16, 2006, Powell, Ohio

This 2-day forum will focus on real world solutions for stream restoration projects in the Midwest. Practitioners will present successes, failures and findings from on-the-ground examples. The forum will provide a place for technology transfer and invite discussions on a variety of topics including natural channel design, dam removal, chemical water quality improvement, overwide ditches, 2-stage ditches, in-stream habitat and the use of biocriteria to evaluate success. For more information visit http://riverinstitute.org/home.html.

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

NPDES Permit Writers' Training Course,
September 18^th-22^nd, 2006, Albany, NY and
October 23^rd-27^th, 2006, Woodbridge, Virginia.

The objective of the course is to provide the basic regulatory framework and technical considerations that support the development of wastewater discharge permits as required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program. This free course is designed for new permit writers. Contact Betty Peterson at npdescourse@tetratech-ffx.com.

AWRA Wetlands Restoration Conference
September 18^th-20^th, 2006, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Bring your successes, your challenges and your ideas, listen to the experts, join in the discussion, learn from the others gathered with you and really participate in solving the complex restoration challenges facing the world's wetlands. The Dialogue format puts you in the same room with renowned experts and practitioners. Facilitators for each session create a forum that opens the discussion to include ideas, successes, and even mistakes from everyone in attendance. Everyone benefits from hearing great new ideas, and successes can be imitated, mistakes can be avoided - and ultimately, wetlands restoration efforts across the country and around the world are improved as a result. For more information, visit http://www.awra.org/meetings/Wetlands2006/index.html.

2006 New York City Watershed Science and Technical Conference
September 20^th-21^st, 2006, Fishkill, NY. The conference will bring scientists and technical experts together with watershed stakeholders and the public, to technically inform, present research findings and technical data, exchange ideas, and present information collected to date with regard to the protection of the nation's largest unfiltered surface water supply. For more information, visit http://www.nywea.org/.

14th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop: Measuring Project and Program Effectiveness
September 24^th-28^th, 2006, Minneapolis, MN. This workshop will bring together land managers and water quality specialists to share information on the effectiveness of best management practices in improving water quality; effective monitoring techniques; and statistical analysis of watershed data. For more information, go to http://www.conservationinformation.org/.

2006 California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) STORM Conference
September 25^th-27^th, 2006, Sacramento, CA. The CASQA 2006 Conference theme is STORM (Stormwater, Treatment, Operations, Research, and Management) and will feature a full day of in-depth workshops, a plenary session and two full days of concurrent session presentations. Conference participants will find an array of training, learning, and networking opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.casqa.org.

National Beaches Conference,
October 11^th-13^th, 2006, Niagara Falls, NY. This 3-day conference is sponsored by EPA in collaboration with the Great Lakes Beach Association. It will provide a national framework for discussion of beach water quality issues, exchange of information, and coordination of efforts in research and decision making. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/OST/beaches/.

2006 Watershed Institute,
October 23^rd-26^th, 2006, Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center, Columbus, OH. The Center for Watershed Protection has designed the 2006 Watershed Institute to equip watershed professionals with the tools needed to develop comprehensive watershed plans. This intensive, interactive four-day program will focus on prioritizing funding and staff, field and desktop methods for completing watershed plans, interpreting and integrating data and practical resources to affect change in the community. For complete details, visit http://www.cwp.org/WI06/wi06info.html.

9th Annual Wetlands and Watersheds Workshop
October 23^rd-26^th, 2006, Atlantic City, NJ. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists will join the 9th Annual Wetlands and Watershed Workshop this year. The workshop focuses on managing aquatic systems through the watershed approach and will address such as issues as stormwater management, flood management through watershed protection, water quality and public health as it relates to wetland mitigation, the technical/political consequences of wetlands being 303(d) listed, the fate and transport of contaminants and the use of Best Management Practices to protect existing wetlands. To find out more information and for registration materials, please visit http://www.wetlandsworkgroup.org.

AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference
November 6^th-9^th, 2006, Baltimore, MD. For more than 40 years, the AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference has been the place that water resources professionals from all levels of government, academia, and the private sector representing fields as diverse as agricultural hydrology to GIS to wetlands management. AWRA creates an open forum for sharing, discussion, and solving water resources challenges. This year´s conference offers pre-conference workshops and field trips, more than 60 technical sessions with over 240 paper presentations, five panel presentations, posters, exhibits, and an Evening at the Baltimore National Aquarium. For more information, please go to http://www.awra.org/meetings/Baltimore2006/.

Making Connections - People, Lakes, Watersheds
26th International Symposium of North American Lake Management Society
The theme of the 2006 NALMS International Symposium is "Making Connections - People, Watersheds, Lakes." This Symposium will emphasize connections between the past and the present; between natural lakes and reservoirs; between watersheds and lakes; and, of course, between people and lakes. For more information, contact: NALMS Office, 608.233.2836, Email: nalms2006@nalms.org. URL: http://www.nalms.org/symposia/indianapolis/home.htm.

EPA Watershed Tools Course to be offered at Chesapeake Watershed Forum
November 17^th-19^th, 2006, U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. This first annual Forum will assist watershed organizations and local governments in watershed planning, protection and restoration. The Forum will feature five Tracks with multiple sessions. The tracks will include: 1) Organizational capacity building and fundraising; 2) Communication the message; 3) Science, technical tools and practices for watershed management; 4) Planning, policies and programs for watershed management; and 5) Collaboration-how to work together and achieve successful watershed management. EPA will host a session on Key EPA Watershed Internet Tools, which will be presented by Ansu John of Tetra Tech, Inc. In addition to the tracks, labs, seminars, networking events and field trips are planned. For more information, contact Lou Etgen at letgen@acb-online.org or 410-377-6270.

Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Conference -
December 9^th-13^th, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana on the banks of the Mississippi River at the Hilton Riverside Hotel. This conference, sponsored by Restore America's Estuaries (RAE), will bring national attention to the challenges and opportunities for a comprehensive coastal ecosystem restoration effort throughout the U.S., especially along the Gulf Coast. Habitat protection and restoration is essential at all scales for the economic, social, and ecological well being of people in the coastal landscape and the conference will focus on the efforts of federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector and academia, in achieving this paradigm. URL: http://www.estuaries.org.

AWRA 2007 Spring Specialty Conference - 3rd National Water Resources Policy Dialogue
January 22^nd-23^rd, 2007, Arlington, VA. The First and Second National Water Resources Policy Dialogues brought together water resources experts from around the Nation to focus on the policy needs of the Nation. The Third Dialogue will build on the results of these Dialogues with the aim of providing decision makers with guidance in the formulation and development of water resources policies attuned to societal needs and preferences. At the conclusion of the Third Dialogue, an after-action report will be prepared that will be distributed widely within the Administration, the Congress, the Nation's Governors and the attendees of the Dialogue. For more information, visit http://www.awra.org/meetings/DC2007/index.html.

Be sure to check our EPA's new Watershed Discussion Forum! This new on-line message board offers watershed practitioners and citizens a platform to exchange ideas, so that innovative solutions and ideas can be easily shared. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedforum/ and join in! Anyone can view the discussion, but one must register to post messages.

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