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Watershed News
November 2007
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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) 2007 West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast
2) North American Wetlands Conservation Act Small Grants Program
3) New Tools for Reducing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution
4) Virginia – Batie Creek Restoration Helps to Protect Unique Karst Habitats
5) EPA’s Watershed Academy to sponsor free November 28th Webcast on Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure
6) River Network – River Rally 2008 Call for Workshops
7) Restore America’s Estuaries – National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Call for Presentations
8) Bathroom Sink Faucets Now Carry WaterSense Label
9) New Water Quality Trading Program Maps on the Web
10) The Center for Watershed Protection Updates Analysis for National Pollutant Removal Performance Database
11) Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
Funding Opportunities
2007 West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast
The West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast is a focused effort under EPA’s Targeted Watersheds Grant Program (TWG). EPA Region 9 is soliciting proposals under this announcement for projects that conserve, restore and protect the water quality, habitat and environment of California coastal waters, estuaries, bays and near shore waters through comprehensive approaches to water quality management. The emphasis is on supporting implementation activities based on existing plans, such as Comprehensive Conservation Management Plans (Clean Water Act Section 320), State programs such as the Integrated Regional Water Management Plans, and local watershed plans. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/region09/funding/wcei.html. The deadline to apply is November 19, 2007.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act Small Grants Program
The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) has created a Small Grants program to promote long-term wetlands conservation activities through encouraging participation by new grantees and partners who otherwise may not be able to compete in the Standard Grants program. Also, the Council believes that a Small Grants program can be important in developing a pool of new partners/grantees who eventually might participate in the Standard Grants program. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Small/index.shtm. The deadline to apply is November 30, 2007.
Watershed Tool of the Month
New Tools for Reducing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution
The EPA Office of Water is rolling out several new tools to help fight high loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus in our waters. The redesigned Nitrogen and Phosphorus web site (www.epa.gov/waterscience/nutrients/) now houses scientific literature reviews, monitoring data, guidance manuals, and Webcasts to help states establish numeric water quality criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus. The new Web site also offers answers to states’ questions about how to use the criteria and a clearinghouse of water treatment technologies and land-use practices. The public can also visit the web site to learn more about this environmental problem and find out what each of us can do about it.
Spotlight: Watersheds at Work
Virginia – Batie Creek Restoration Helps to Protect Unique Karst Habitats
Batie Creek was listed on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company’s improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek's headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319-funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. For more information about this success story, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/state/va_batie.htm.
Webcasts
EPA’s Watershed Academy to sponsor free November 28th Webcast on Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure
EPA’s Watershed Academy sponsors free monthly Webcasts for watershed practitioners from around the globe. On Wed., Nov. 28th, 2007, Geoffrey Anderson, EPA’s Director of Development, Community and Environment Division, Nancy Stoner, Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Clean Water Project, and Noelle Mackay, Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont, discuss how various Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure tools are being used at the regional, watershed and site levels to preserve, enhance and protect our water resources. The speakers will also discuss various approaches, including messaging, research and partnering, to ensure that these tools are successfully implemented. Registration opens November 7th. For more information or to access archived audio versions of past Webcasts, please visit www.epa.gov/watershed webcasts.
Education and Outreach
River Network - River Rally 2008 Call for Workshops
River Network is now accepting workshop proposals for River Rally 2008, to be held May 2-5 at Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, OH. The River Rally is a unique learning and training opportunity for professional and volunteer river and watershed leaders. Now is the chance for you to pass along your knowledge and expertise in one (or more) of the nearly 100 workshops that will be offered. Scholarships are available to workshop presenters.
Proposals should be submitted online by 5 pm (Pacific Time) Nov. 8, 2007. Decisions regarding workshops will be made no later than Dec. 31, 2007. For
more information, visit http://www.rivernetwork.org/news.php?NewsID=39.
Restore America’s Estuaries - National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Call for Presentations
Restore America’s Estuaries is pleased to announce the Call for Dedicated Sessions, Presentations and Posters for the 4th National Conference on
Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration - Creating Solutions through Collaborative Partnerships. The Conference will be held October 11-15, 2008 at the
Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. Proposals are due January 31, 2008. For more information visit
www.estuaries.org/conference.
News
Bathroom Sink Faucets Now Carry WaterSense Label
Consumers will soon be able to identify high-performance, water-efficient sink faucets for their bathrooms now that EPA has released a product specification for ones that use about 30 percent less water than conventional models.
In order to earn the WaterSense label, faucets must be independently tested and certified by a licensed certifying body to meet EPA’s water-efficiency and performance criteria. To meet the criteria, faucets and accessories such as aerators cannot flow at a rate of more than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), or less than 0.8 gpm. WaterSense labeled faucets not only save water, but the have the added benefit of saving energy used to treat, pump, and heat water. In fact, letting your faucet run for 5 minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. For more information and a list of WaterSense labeled plumbing products: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/specs/faucet_final.htm.
New Water Quality Trading Program Maps on the Web
Curious about where water quality trading is happening around the country? Check out EPA’s new water quality trading maps--now live on the web! EPA has created two trading maps: the first map shows trading programs that have traded at least once, as well as state level trading programs. The second map shows trading programs that received EPA funding. Each map is clickable - just click on the state in which you are interested and it will take you to more information on that state's trading programs. The maps are located on EPA’s Water Quality Trading web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/tradingmap.html.
The Center for Watershed Protection Updates Analysis for National Pollutant Removal Performance Database
The Center for Watershed Protection has updated its National Pollutant Removal Performance Database, Ver. 2, published in 2000, to include
an additional 27 studies published through 2006. The updated database was statistically analyzed to derive the median and quartile removal values for each
major group of stormwater BMPs. The brief technical paper presents the data as box and whisker plots for the various pollutants found in stormwater runoff.
The Pollutant Removal Database Report is available for free download as a PDF at
http://www.cwp.org/PublicationStore/special.htm#pollut2.
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
2007 National Conference on Agriculture & the Environment
November 7-9, 2007, Monterey, CA. The Central Coast Agricultural Water Quality Coalition announces the 2007 National Conference on
Agriculture & the Environment, a consortium of university and private researchers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies with an
interest and expertise in agriculture and natural resource protection. The purpose of the conference is three-fold: (1) to highlight trends in data
collection methodologies and data findings; (2) examine case studies in agricultural and environmental stewardship; and (3) foster the cross pollination of
new ideas, technologies, and methodologies among leading resource protection professionals. For more information visit
www.agwaterquality.org/2007conference/.
"Turning a New Leaf" Conservation Landscaping Conference
November 9, 2007, Annandale, VA. Troubled by all the development in your community? Want to know how to protect water quality and conserve
wildlife habitat where you live? Then mark your calendar now for the 2nd annual "Turning a New Leaf" conference on November 9, 2007 hosted by the
Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council. The one-day regional conference, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Community
College in Annandale, features tracks on conservation landscapes, green development, and creative stormwater management. Topics include eco-friendly lawns;
native alternatives to traditional plantings; backyard forests; rain gardens; techniques for stream restoration; and public-private partnerships for green
development. Exhibits will also showcase an "eco-marketplace." Registration begins on August 1, 2007. For more details, visit
chesapeakelandscape.org.
2007 STORET/WQX Conference
November 27-29, Austin, TX. EPA’s STORET Team will host the 2007 STORET/WQX Users Conference in Austin, Texas. This conference will be a great opportunity for water quality data managers, program experts, and information technology (IT) specialists to meet together and share information about STORET and the new Water Quality Exchange (WQX) framework. Water quality data management and program specialists of all kinds are invited to attend, including representatives from States, Tribes, Interstate Commissions, watershed organizations, academia, and organizations that are concerned with beach monitoring and health. For more information, visit the conference web site at www.epa.gov/storet/2007conf.html.
West Virginia Watershed Network (WVWN) Semi-Annual Meeting: The State of Restoring West Virginia Streams Polluted by Acid Mine Drainage
December 3, Morgantown, WV. The Network has invited several speakers to discuss the state of restoring West Virginia streams polluted by acid
mine drainage. The meeting is open to all interested persons at no cost. The meeting will be held at the National Research Center for Coal and Energy
(NRCCE) on Evansdale Campus at West Virginia University (WVU) in room 101 AB. For directions to the NRCCE go to:
http://www.nrcce.wvu.edu/directions.cfm.
River Network - Watershed Support Network - Training for Trainers
December 5-8, Seabeck, WA. The 3rd Training for Trainers is organized by River Network and the Watershed Support Network.
The purpose of the event is to help those who empower and inform citizen-led efforts across the country to protect watersheds and human health. Training
for Trainers event is a unique chance for us to come together, develop our skills and share experiences from the field. Participants will include
organizers and trainers in non-profit organizations and agency-based watershed training programs from across the country. For more information, visit
http://www.rivernetwork.org/.
7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities Conference
February 7-9, 2008, Washington, DC. The program will include a dynamic mix of plenaries, interactive breakouts, implementation workshops,
specialized trainings, and optional tours of local model projects. It will feature the latest on cutting-edge smart growth issues, implementation tools
and strategies, best practices, interactive learning experiences, new partners, new projects, and new policies. Visit
www.newpartners.org for more information.
Save the Date: FLOW 2008: Interdisciplinary Solutions to Instream Flow Problems
October 7-9, 2008, San Antonio, TX. Sponsored by the Instream Flow Council, the conference will provide opportunities to learn about
creative, interdisciplinary tools and approaches to instream flow problem-solving, explore the latest developments in instream flow science, policy and
public dialogue and build collaborative decision-making skills through an interactive session with Professor Larry Susskind of Harvard Law School’s
Program on Negotiation. For more information, visit
www.instreamflowcouncil.org/.
Be sure to check EPA and Watershed Funding Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html
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