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Editor's
Notes:
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F. X. Browne, Inc. recently completed the
first batch alum treatment of a Pennsylvania lake. Teedyuskung
Lake was treated with alum to seal the phosphorus-laden bottom sediments
in order to reduce phosphorus resuspension, and improve dissolved oxygen
levels and water quality in the lake. Stay tuned for future updates
regarding this exciting project.
From all of us at F. X. Browne, Inc., we wish you and yours the warmest of holiday
seasons and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
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Topic
of the Month:
In
keeping with our tradition
at Lake and Watershed News to craft a watershed-related holiday poem each
December, this year we have revised a
beloved winter-themed verse. So sorry, Mr. Frost.
Stopping
by Streams on a Rainy Evening
A Parody of Robert Frost's Stopping
by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose
streams these are I think I know,
The
watershed's a mess now, though.
I
wish they'd stabilize these banks,
And
plant some trees to ease the flow.
I
cannot help but find it queer:
Runoff
without a filter near!
Between
the parking lot and stream
The
rainiest evening of the year.
I
give my sorry head a shake,
And
ask if there is some mistake:
The
stormflow runs across the road,
And
sediment spills from stream to lake.
The
pools are lovely, dark and deep,
But
riffles clogged and banks too steep,
So
cleanup plans I hope to keep,
Lest
banks become a garbage heap,
And
floods the downstream reaches sweep.
And
floods the downstream reaches sweep.
News Clips:
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NPDES Construction Permit Backlog
Cleared in PA Northeast Region
With the help of the new third-party
review system, the PADEP has completed a review of 146 backlogged national pollution discharge elimination system construction permits
that had accumulated, in part, because of new federal stormwater requirements.
More...
Georgia Drought Brews Lake Use
Controversy
Federal biologists have signed off on a plan
to
reduce the flow of water from Lake Lanier, the main water source for
Atlanta and the focal point of a three-state water fight as the
Southeast contends with a historic drought. More...
Pittsburgh to Reward Green Builders
The Pittsburgh City Council recently
approved one green
building incentive and introduced another that they hope will help
further Pittsburgh's reputation as a green-friendly city. More...
Clinton Presidential
Library Builds Green Roof
The William J. Clinton
Presidential Library and Museum has long been touted as an eco-friendly building.
Now the Clinton Foundation is creating a green roof on an area
surrounding Clinton’s penthouse apartment. More...
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Policy
Update:
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Congress overturned
President Bush's veto of the Water
Resources Development Act in efforts to protect Americans from
natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes. The legislation will
allow for critical investments to protect communities from flooding by
building and repairing floodwalls and levees, as well as restoring
wetlands that absorb floodwaters. |
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The Gulf Hypoxia Task Force released its
2008 revised Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan to reduce nutrients flowing from
31 states into the Mississippi River. The revised
plan is open for public comment until January 4. |
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EPA has released a new Report
to Congress assessing the occurrence of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)
in the Lake Michigan drainage basin. The Report identifies EPA actions
to ensure that state permitting and enforcement efforts are consistent
with federal regulations.
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The Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources approved the addition of the Redbank
and Pennypack watersheds to the Pennsylvania
Rivers Conservation Registry. F. X. Browne, Inc. developed the
Pennypack Creek Watershed Conservation Plan in 2006. F. X. Browne, Inc.
integrated public perceptions with scientific study to develop goals for
watershed restoration and stewardship. One of the main priorities of the
Plan was to stress the value of open space along river corridors to
enhance the overall quality of life for nearby residents.
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NJDEP announced that more than $2.1 million in federal grant money has
been earmarked for maintaining and improving recreational trails
throughout New Jersey.
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The Sustainable
Sites Initiative is creating a comprehensive rating system and
guidelines for sustainable site development of all sizes, with or
without buildings. Feedback on the preliminary draft is due January 11,
2008.
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EPA and the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers are extending
the public comment period for the interagency joint guidance on the
scope of Clean Water Act geographic jurisdiction following the U.S.
Supreme Court's decision in Rapanos v. United States. The public comment
period has been extended by 45 days to January 21.
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Give the Gift of Green
This holiday season, give
a gift that keeps on giving back to the environment.
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Each Greensender
gift box contains a premium reusable water bottle, a reusable organic
cotton grocery bag, an energy-efficient CFL light bulb and an organic
cotton t-shirt. These environmentally-friendly items were selected based
upon their ability to be easily integrated into people’s everyday
lives as well as their high quality and style. According to the Consumer
Recycling Institute and EnergyStar, Americans use 100 billion plastic
bags and 30 billion plastic water bottles every year. By eliminating
plastic water bottle and plastic bag usage, over fourteen million
barrels of oil would be saved annually. And if every American home were
to switch just two incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient CFL light
bulbs, we would collectively prevent 180 billion pounds of greenhouse
gas emissions from entering the atmosphere over the life of those bulbs.
Additionally, each home would save about sixty or more dollars in
electricity costs over the life of the bulbs.
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Ancient Sites Mark the
Winter Solstice
Many ancient cultures
built their greatest and most sacred structures -- tombs, temples,
cairns and sacred observatories -- so that they aligned with the
solstices and equinoxes.
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Of all the stone circles in
the world, the most famous is probably Stonehenge
in England. Stonehenge is a perfect marker of both solstices and large
crowds gather on those days to view the sunrise and participate in
solstice ceremonies.
Newgrange,
a beautiful circular stone megalithic site in Ireland, is estimated to
be 5,000 years old. At the precise moment of sunrise on the winter
solstice, a shaft of sunlight penetrates through entrance and
illuminates a stone basin below intricate carvings.
Maeshowe,
on the Orkney Islands north of Scotland, shares a similar trait,
admitting the winter solstice setting sun. If you can't make it to
Scotland for the solstice, a Solstice
Webcam will help you view the phenomenon.
http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html#architecture
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Link of the Month:
Searchable Stormwater BMP
Inventory Launched
The UNH Stormwater Center and NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal
Officials) have launched the Innovative Stormwater Management Inventory web
site. This searchable and amendable inventory is designed to highlight
innovative BMP strategies implemented throughout New England. http://www.erg.unh.edu/lid/index.asp
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If you've ever wondered what you
might look like as an elf, now you can find out! Submit a photo of yourself
to the Elf Yourself website
and send your jolly elfish image to all your friends!
(Note: F. X. Browne, Inc. does NOT recommend posting goofy pictures of your
boss, mother-in-law, or public officials on said website. Ex-boyfriends are
okay).
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New Tools and
Publications:
EPA Public Water Systems
Communication Guide Released
USEPA
is releasing Talking to your Customers about Chronic Contaminants, a best
practices guide that helps public water systems communicate with the public
about drinking water risks. Chronic contaminants are those that can cause health
effects after continuous long-term exposure. This fact sheet discusses the
importance of communicating with the public about chronic contaminants - both
regulated and unregulated - and describe effective strategies for getting the
message out. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/pdfs/fs_contaiminants_chronic_talkingtocustomers.pdf
Stormwater Calculator Developed
The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has developed a
Green Values stormwater calculator that estimates savings from conventional
versus green development for several scenarios. Choosing development scenarios
(or exact site specifications) and green infrastructure techniques such as
replacing half a lawn with gardens with native landscaping or downspout
disconnection will generate both hydrologic and cost differences between the
conventional system and the green system(s) selected. http://greenvalues.cnt.org/calculator
Wetlands Data Viewing Now
Available with Google™ Earth
A file is now available to
automatically load and view Wetlands Data Web Map Services (WMS) layers into
Google Earth. This viewing method provides access to the wetland polygon data in
combination with the Google imagery. Wetlands data are available for
approximately 60 percent of the conterminous U.S., portions of Alaska, Hawaii,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Trust Territories. This service is provided through the
USFWS Open GIS Consortium compliant Web Map Services. http://wetlandswms.er.usgs.gov/Google.html
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Newsletter
Editor/ Design and Layout:
Rebecca
Buerkett
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Subscribe to this newsletter!
An email version
of F. X. Browne, Inc.'s Lake and Watershed
News is now available. To be added to our mailing list, please visit
http://www.fxbrowne.com/subscribe.
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F. X.
Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
30 Years of Excellence & Innovation
Corporate
Office: Lansdale, PA
Pocono Office: Marshalls Creek, PA
New York Office:
Saranac Lake, NY
For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit:
http://www.fxbrowne.com.
For a printer
friendly version of the newsletter, click here.
Unless otherwise cited, all photos
in this newsletter © Rebecca Buerkett. Photos may not be used or reproduced without
permission.
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