New Report Documents Health of Delaware Estuary 

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary released its “State of the Estuary Report,” culminating two years of collaboration among environmental scientists in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

To prepare the report, the Partnership worked closely with the Delaware River Basin Commission, state and federal agencies, universities, and its 21-member Science and Technical Advisory Committee to share data and select 26 key indicators. The indicators include human population, land use, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, contaminants, and the populations of species such as eagles, trout, mussels, and crabs.

From the report: "...it should be no surprise that the 2008 State of the Estuary Report tells a story of mixed environmental conditions. In some ways, the Delaware Estuary is healthier than ever before, thanks largely to improvements in wastewater treatment and laws enacted over time. The condition of some species, like bald eagles and striped bass, for example, have remained stable or improved. Unfortunately, the status of other species appears to be getting worse. The total population of Atlantic sturgeon may number less than 1,000 — perhaps even less than 100. Freshwater mussels and brook trout now appear to be absent from much of the region’s non-tidal waterways." http://www.delawareestuary.org/pdf/EstuaryNews/2008/SummerNews08.pdf 

Two Philadelphia Sites Considered Green Showplaces 

EPA considers two sites in Philadelphia among the most eco-friendly, featuring infrastructure and low impact development features.

The two sites are the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia and the Friends Center Headquarters in center city. The Penn Alexander School has a rain garden, porous asphalt pavement, and infiltration bed, and the Friends Center features a vegetated roof and a stormwater capture and reuse system that flushes toilets reducing potable water use by 90 percent. 

EPA Mid-Atlantic Envirobytes, 6/20/2008, http://www.epa.gov/Region3/ebytes/ebytes06_20_08.html 

DEP, Others Act to Protect Aquatic Life From Thermal Shock in Delaware River  

With summer temperatures soaring in the upper Delaware River basin, the PADEP has signed an agreement that will help protect the region's recreational fishing industry. 

Pennsylvania and its decree party partners -- Delaware, New York, New Jersey and New York City – through the Delaware River Basin Commission, unanimously agreed to allow New York's Department of Environmental Conservation to release up to 1 billion gallons of water under the flexible flow management plan (FFMP) to lower water temperatures. The measure is designed to protect the trout in the upper reaches of the Delaware River from higher temperatures that result when water levels are low. Under the agreement, if water in the basin needs to be cooled DEC can release water from the Cannonsville Reservoir any time between now and September 15, but not by more than 1 billion gallons in total. Releases will occur when the three-day average of forecast high temperatures in the vicinity of Hancock, NY, exceeds 90 degrees and the minimum exceeds 65 degrees.

The plan temporarily modifies the FFMP that is in place to control reservoir releases. The FFMP is designed to accommodate suitable temperatures and habitat for trout in the west branch of the Delaware and the upper sections of the east branch and Neversink River, but because of extremely high water temperatures that have been forecast, an augmentation was deemed necessary.

PA Environmental Digest, 7/25/2008, http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=9909&SubjectID= 

Pine Creek Monitoring System Would Alert Residents of Floods 

A monitoring system envisioned for the Pine Creek watershed could ensure that residents in communities such as Hampton, Shaler and Etna will  know when the water is rising. If successful, systems could be installed in other watersheds regularly hit by flooding. 

The monitoring system would record measurements from rain and stream gauges. The data would be compared to a calibrated watershed model to predict when the stream would overflow its banks or top a road. How much warning the system would provide would depend on the storm, with longer prolonged storms providing better warning times than short, intense storms. Etna fire Chief Greg Porter said he'd like to see the Pine Creek system tied into the borough's new early warning system, which consists of a siren that will alert residents to listen to an AM radio station for emergency information. For the system to work, existing models of the watershed -- some of which are woefully out of date -- would have to be updated to take into account development, impervious surfaces, and potentially even storm water detention facilities at individual properties. 

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 7/20/2008, http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_578485.html 

Nutria Blamed for Extensive Wetland Loss Nearly Exterminated

For decades, nutria in the Delmarva Peninsula have been destroying the wetlands of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. But scientists are hoping that will change.

The destructive nutria undercut the root mat that holds marshes of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge together. They are blamed for the loss of 8,000 acres of marsh that have slipped under the waters of what is now Blackwater Lake. Now, only a few stragglers remain in Blackwater's 27,000 acres after a relentless hunt that killed almost 12,000 of the orange-toothed herbivores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Maryland Nutria Project was put in place to eliminate the pests, a goal they hope to achieve in the next five years.

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Bay Journal, June 2008,  http://www.bayjournal.com/article.cfm?article=3354

Policy Update

Grant Programs 
(Click on a grant for more information)

PennVEST Infrastructure Loans/Grants 

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority published revised cutoff dates for submitting applications for water, wastewater, stormwater and other project funding:

• August 18 for the October 27 board meeting

• November 17 for the January 26, 2009 board meeting

• February 16, 2009 for the April 20, 2009 board meeting

http://www.pennvest.state.pa.us/pennvest/cwp/browse.asp?A=4 

REAP Round 2 Funding

Pennsylvania farmers now have a second opportunity to apply for the first come, first served Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) tax credits that reward farmers for installing conservation practices that reduce erosion and sedimentation. Applications will be accepted starting August 4. Farmers can receive tax credits of up to $150,000 per agricultural operation for 50 or 75 percent of the total cost of a conservation project, depending on the best management practice implemented. Farmers may also qualify for a 50 percent tax credit to purchase no-till planting equipment. http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=145155 

PA Canoe Access Development Grants

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is now accepting applications for grants of up to $5,000 from the Canoe Access Development Fund to help provide improved access to Class 2 and 3 waterways. Applications are due September 5. Non-profit conservation organizations must be the recipients of the grants and a proposed new access site must be located along a Class 2 or Class 3 stream or river featured in the Canoeing Guide to Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia. Grants of up to $4,000 per site are available for the construction and enhancement of access locations for items like: parking areas, creating stabilized access areas and paths to the waterway, purchase of conservation land easement and/or riverside access, paying for a portion of a larger land tract for access, upgrading an existing access location. An additional $1,000 will be provided for a post project 10 year maintenance plan. Prior to submitting an application, an applicant is required to contact Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Eli Long at 724-459-0953 ext. 106 or elong@paconserve.org. http://www.crisciassociates.com/Newsletter/docs/3/CanoeAccessFund.pdf 

EPA Water Quality Trading Funding

The U.S. EPA is now accepting proposals for water quality trading or other market-based projects through its Targeted Watersheds Grants Program. Projects must address reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, or other pollutant loadings that cause low oxygen levels in local waters and which enter the Mississippi River system. Projects must be located in one of the three Mississippi River sub-basins with the highest nutrient loads contributing to hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: the Ohio River (which includes Western Pennsylvania), the Upper Mississippi River, or the Lower Mississippi River. Proposals must be nominated by the governor of the state in which the project resides. EPA will award up to $4.2 million to support approximately 15 to 25 outstanding proposals. Proposals are due September 9. http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/TWG/ 

PA Boating Facilities Grant Program

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is now encouraging county and municipal governments interested in the planning, acquisition, development, expansion, or rehabilitation of public boating facilities to apply for funding through the Boating Facility Grant Program. The deadline for applications is September 30. The program is designed to help local governments provide or improve recreational boat access facilities in their communities that are open to the public. Private businesses, non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding, but are encouraged to partner with their local government for funding. Applicants can seek grants for site acquisition, project design and engineering, development, expansion and major rehabilitation of recreational boat access facilities. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/promo/grants/boat_fac/00boatfac.htm

Eastern Brook Trout Habitat Funding

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture–Fish Habitat Partnership is requesting project proposals that conserve habitats which support healthy, productive populations of brook trout or enhances and restores habitats that have historically sustained brook trout populations. Applications must be received by October 1. Proposals should range from approximately $10,000 to $50,000 in a grant request and must have a minimum of a 1:1 match from other sources. These funds can only be used for on the- ground habitat conservation and improvement projects and related design and monitoring activities.  http://www.easternbrooktrout.net/funding.html 

PPL Educational Grants Program

PPL is accepting applications for its 2008 Environmental Education Grant Program which focuses on renewable energy and energy conservation projects. Applications are due October 15. Through these competitive grants, schools can receive from $500 up to $5,000 in funding for projects that focus on energy and environmental issues like renewable energy demonstrations, energy conservation and the greening of schools. All qualifying public, private and parochial schools near major PPL facilities are eligible to apply. Schools are strongly encouraged to partner with an organization, association or business that shares their interest in the environment, but the school must submit the application, receive the grant money and have primary responsibility for the project. http://www.pplweb.com/community+partners/our+education+programs/environmental+education+grants.htm

Events 
(Click on an event for more information)

EPA Watershed Webcasts EPA’s Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts, audio versions of which are available on their website. The upcoming July 16 Webcast features "Clean Water State Revolving Fund: What's in it for Watersheds?" Past Webcast topics include Climate Change, Smart Growth, AMD and Art, EPA's STORET system, TMDLs and trading through the National Estuary Program, the Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, Brownfields Redevelopment, Watershed-based NPDES Permitting, Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Protection; Sustainable Financing for Watershed Groups; Phase II Stormwater; Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Sustainable Watersheds; and Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas.  http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts EPA Stormwater Webcasts EPA's popular webcast series for municipal stormwater professionals have resumed. The series will feature stormwater-related webcasts on a variety of topics, including the following: July 23 – Stormwater 101.  September 3 - Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) 301.  Archived webcasts on urban stormwater retrofitting and BMP performance are also available. http://www.epa.gov/npdes/outreach_files/sw_webcasts_2008.pdf PA Dirt and Gravel Road ESM Workshops The Center for Dirt & Gravel Roads and Penn State University will be holding their Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM) Training. The ESM training provides basic knowledge and tools necessary to maintain roads in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive manner. The training is directed towards Municipalities, the Bureau of Forestry, and others entities responsible for unpaved road maintenance. Workshops will be held on the following dates and locations: July 15-16 - York County August 13-14 - Wayne County September 30-October 2 - Annual Dirt and Gravel Road Workshop- Somerset/Westmoreland area  October 1-3 - Annual Dirt and Gravel Road Workshop- Ligioner October 14-15 - Clearfield County  http://www.mri.psu.edu/centers/cdgrs/calendar/calendar.html Pennsylvania River Sojourns Pennsylvania River Sojourns are guided paddling trips, sponsored by the PA Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, the PA Fish & Boat Commission, American Canoe Association and POWR. Sojourn season runs from May through September, and participants can choose whether to paddle just one day or the whole trip. http://www.pawatersheds.org/sojourn/ Villanova “Day of Stormwater” Seminar On August 14, the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership will host “A Day of Stormwater,” featuring seminar presentation, a tour, and a summit at Villanova University near Philadelphia. The mission of the partnership is to advance the evolving comprehensive stormwater management field and to foster the development of public and private partnerships through research on innovative stormwater Best Management Practices, directed studies, technology transfer and education. http://www3.villanova.edu/vusp/events/2008_Stormwater.htm  PA Geosynthetic BMPs for Stormwater Management Workshop On August 14, the Berks, Lebanon, Lancaster and Schuylkill County Conservation Districts, and other partners will hold a workshop in Myerstown (Lebanon County). Topics include: Sediment Control: Perimeter Controls, Inlet Protection, Filter Bags and Tubes, Polyacrylamide (PAM), Erosion Control Blankets Erosion Prevention: Hydraulic applications, Turf Reinforcement Mats (TRMs), Scour Prevention, Transition Mats, Articulating Concrete Blocks (ACBs) Run-off Management: Underground Storage, Pre-treatment, Liners, Pervious Parking and Vehicle Access Treatments Site Stabilization: Cellular Confinement (Load Support, Slope Protection, Earth Retention), MSE Green Walls, Earth Anchors, Geocomposite Drainage Systems, Geofoam, Geotextiles) Workshop participants are eligible for 6.0 Pennsylvania Continuing Education Clock Hours (PA Landscape Architects) or 6.0 CPESC PDUs (Professional Development Units) from CPESC, Inc. http://www.pacd.org/fp/Geo08.pdf NJ Clearwater Festival The 33rd annual Monmouth County Clearwater Festival will be held on August 16-17 in Asbury Park, NJ. The festival includes environmental justice speakers, exhibits by environmental groups, three stages of music acts, children's activities, an environmental poster contest, and more. http://www.mcclearwater.org/festival.php  NJ Wetlands Manual Training Workshop A training workshop will be held on August 19 or 26 to serve as an in-depth introduc tion to the recently published NJ DEP's Regionalized Water-Budget Manual for Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Sites in New Jersey. The manual is designed to provide information to help improve the effectiveness of compensatory freshwater wetland mitigation projects in New Jersey. Pre-registration is required. http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/brochures/intros/wetlandmanual.html  GreenFest Philly The annual GreenFest Philly festival will be held on September 7 at 2nd & South Streets in Philadelphia, PA. This year’s event theme is water. Event activities include a green fashion show, children's activities, vegan pastry contest, eco-poetry contest, green building exhibits, music, food, and much more. http://www.greenfestphilly.org/  PADEP Hearings on Water Resources Plan  The PADEP and the Statewide and Regional Water Resources Committees posted a tentative schedule of public meetings/hearings on the draft Pennsylvania State Water Plan. The meetings and hearings are set for:  Ohio Region - September 8 Great Lakes Region - September 9 Delaware Region - September 11 Lower Susquehanna Region - September 15 Upper/Middle Susquehanna Region - September 17 Potomac Region - September 18 The meetings and hearings are an opportunity for citizens to provide input on drafts of the updated State Water Plan. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/watershedmgmt/cwp/view.asp?a=1426&q=486209  EPA Water Quality Modeling Workshop EPA will convene a water quality modeling workshop, "Water Quality Modeling to Support Management Actions," on September 9 - 10, at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. The meeting is being coordinated with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) conference scheduled for September 11. Attendees of the workshop will obtain an understanding of EPA-supported models that can be used to address regulatory and water quality planning objectives. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/ftp/basins/training/training-200809.html  TMDL Development and Implementation Seminar The Water Environment Federation, in cooperation with the USEPA, will be holding TMDL Development and Implementation: Current Progress and Future Direction, on September 11 in Baltimore, Maryland. This seminar will examine how recently issued policies and guidance are being interpreted and implemented across the country, discuss examples of successful approaches to TMDL development, and share innovations that have led to improvements in TMDL implementation. http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/Seminars/TMDLDevelopment  National Nonpoint Source (NPS) Monitoring Workshop The 16th Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop will be held on September 14-18 in Columbus, OH. The workshop will focus on innovative solutions to NPS issues, effective monitoring techniques, demonstrations of new technologies, application of Best Management Practices (BMPs), and lessons learned from Section 319 National Monitoring Program projects and other watershed projects from throughout the United States. Technical workshops will include topics such as monitoring Low Impact Development (LID) projects, stream morphology analysis tools, and bio-assessment tools. Tours will include Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) monitoring sites, stream restoration sites, alternative urban and agricultural BMPs, and much more. http://streams.osu.edu/conf.php  Wetlands 2008 National Conference Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change will be held on September 15-19 in Portland, OR. The overall goal of this conference is to help wetland professionals in the public and private sectors 1) gain a better understanding of the challenges created by climate change and 2) identify discrete activities and actions to take to reduce and mitigate impacts on wetlands and water resources as well as communities. The conference will also address ongoing changes and challenges in wetlands and water resources management. http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2008/index.htm PA Noxious, Invasive Weed Management Course The first Northeastern Weed Science Society Noxious & Invasive Vegetation Management Short Course will be held in Pennsylvania on September 15-18. The course will stress ecologically-based plant management and include monitoring and assessment, prevention, cultural, mechanical and chemical plant management. Classroom, laboratory and field exercises will be utilized and the program will be designed to encourage interaction between instructors and students. http://www.newss.net/newssnivm.php PA Westmoreland Conservation District Events  The Westmoreland Conservation District’s upcoming slate of programs offers a variety of informative and fun ways to learn more about conservation. While some are geared to specific audiences or an advanced level of technical expertise, anyone is welcome to attend. Upcoming events include: September 26- Conservation Bus Tour – “Top to Bottom” tour of the Sewickley Creek Watershed September 27 - Forestry I Workshop October 16 - Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To January 6-7 - Geographic Information Systems Workshop January 23 - Contractors’ Workshop http://www.wcdpa.com/documents/EdCalendarDr2.pdf  York County Watershed Weekend The Watershed Alliance of York has announced the opening of registration for the 6th Annual Watershed Weekend to be held September 27- 28. The purpose of the Watershed Weekend is to increase public awareness about the importance of local watersheds. Past activities have included educational programs, hiking and paddling tours, stream cleanups, riparian buffer plantings or other activities by various organizations located at venues throughout York County. http://watershedalliance.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/080616newsreleasewsweregopens.pdf  WEFTEC.08 Conference The 81st Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) will be held on October 18-22 in Chicago, IL. It is the largest conference of its kind in North America and offers water quality professionals water quality education and training, as well as technical sessions, workshops, and facility tours. http://www.weftec.org/home.htm NALMS 2008 NALMS 2008 will be held at Château Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, on November 11-14 with the theme "Lake Management in a Changing Environment." The symposium will focus on lake management during unprecedented development, water scarcity, and climate change. Expect an excellent and wide-ranging technical program. More than 30 special sessions and several pre-conference workshops are proposed. http://www.nalms.org/Conferences/2008LakeLouise/Default.aspx APA Regional Conference The 2008 American Planning Association (APA) Regional Planning Conference, "Growing Greener - Planning Healthy Communities for a Healthy Planet," will be held on November 19-21 in Annapolis, MD. http://www.delawareapa.org/2008%20MD-DE%20Conference.html

Link Of The Month

New StormwaterPA Website 

The PADEP has just launched a new StormwaterPA website to help Pennsylvanians apply the most effective, proven techniques in stormwater management. StormwaterPA features video case studies, BMP resource materials, regulatory information, and planning information. The site also organizes information based on user, such as municipalities, developers, and engineers. The website is based on the Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual developed by DEP that contains a wealth of technical information on practices communities can adopt. Visit the new site at http://www.stormwaterpa.org/ 

F. X. Browne, Inc. was on the committee for developing the Pennsylvania Stormwater BMP Manual. For more information about stormwater management, stormwater BMPs, and stormwater engineering, please contact info@fxbrowne.com. 

Grist Guide Published

The fine folks at Daily Grist have published, Wake Up and Smell The Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day. Wake Up And Smell The Planet guides readers through the day with tips on green living, with the humor and wit Grist is known for. Purchase a copy from Powells.com and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to American Rivers.

Improved WQX 2.0 Includes Biological and Habitat Data

The EPA Office of Water has released Water Quality Exchange (WQX ) version 2.0, a data transfer system which now allows states, tribes and other organizations to share their biological and habitat monitoring results. This is an improvement over WQX version 1.0, which provides a way for states, tribes, and other organizations to share physical, chemical and fish tissue water monitoring data. All data shared using the WQX framework can be accessed on-line in the STORET Data Warehouse, EPA's repository for water quality data. http://www.epa.gov/storet/wqx.html 

Free Online Water Resource Mapping for K-12 Educators 

IMRivers announces the launch of IMRivers Junior, a mapping application geared toward students and ecological education. The goal of IMRivers Junior is to create a community of students passionate about water conservation, and to provide those students an invaluable educational resource. The IMRivers Team will donate a Web site and one year of service to your organization, so you may teach your students about the importance of waterways and waterway conservation. http://imriversjr.wordpress.com/ 

Understanding the Clean Water Act: An Online Course

The River Network is proud to announce the resurrection of the online course, Understanding the Clean Water Act. Course content will help users isolate specific water quality problems, identify possible solutions, develop and leverage existing programs and build effective outreach tools. The course is appropriate for staff, interns, volunteers and board members interested in learning more about the force of the Clean Water Act and related tools. http://www.cleanwateract.org 

CWP Post-Construction Stormwater Manual Published

The Center for Watershed Protection has published a guidance manual for post-construction stormwater management, "Managing Stormwater in Your Community: A Guide for Building an Effective Post-Construction Program." This guide provides practical tips, and also features a series of downloadable tools that are designed to be modified by local programs to assist with program implementation. The guide covers topics ranging from program planning, integrating stormwater with land use planning, developing locally-appropriate stormwater criteria, stormwater inspection and maintenance programs, and program evaluation and tracking. The tools include a program self-assessment; model post-construction stormwater ordinance; plan review, inspection, and maintenance checklists; and more. http://www.cwp.org/postconstruction