Newsletter Naming Contest - Win Fabulous Prizes!

F. X. Browne, Inc. is announcing a contest to choose a new name for the Lake and Watershed News.

This year marks the seventh year since F. X. Browne, Inc. began publishing our monthly newsletter, the Lake and Watershed News. We have periodically and consistently upgraded our newsletter layout and content to reflect our readers' requests as well as our company's focus. We feel the time has come to change the name of the newsletter to reflect our firm's growing emphasis on stormwater management, sustainable development, and Low-Impact Development with respect to lake and watershed management. To that end, F. X. Browne, Inc. will award a fabulous prize to the lucky reader who submits a winning newsletter name to our editorial board. (In other words, whichever name our company President Dr. Frank Browne likes, wins). Please submit your entries by August 1 to newsletter@fxbrowne.com with "newsletter name contest" in the subject line.

Thanks and good luck!

EPA Dedicates Courtyard Showcasing LID Techniques

EPA recently held a dedication ceremony to unveil the new Ariel Rios South Courtyard project showcasing low impact development (LID) practices.

EPA is managing stormwater at the site by using natural systems to help absorb, infiltrate, evaporate, or reuse excess stormwater to lessen sewer overflows and runoff from storms. The Ariel Rios South Courtyard project includes the following LID and other sustainable features:

• Two rain gardens (bioretention cells) 

• 564 square feet of permeable concrete and pavers 

• One 1128 gallon cistern for stormwater collection and landscape irrigation 

• Native vegetation 

• Signage made from recycled farm tools 

• Bench made from an historic granite curb 

• Cistern artwork made from recycled glass

A key goal of this demonstration project is to help encourage other government agencies and developers to use LID practices. http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/stormwater_hq/. 

Which Stormwater BMPs Breed More Mosquitoes?

With the proliferation of West Nile Virus (WNV), concerns are higher than ever that stormwater basins may be mosquito breeding grounds. A new article explores the link between various stormwater management practices (particularly detention versus retention ponds) and the proliferation of breeding mosquito populations. 

In Stormwater Management and Mosquito Ecology: A Systems-based Approach Toward an Integrative Management Strategy, John R. Wallace discusses the role of mosquito management as a facet of stormwater management. The article summarizes several different studies that investigated mosquito ecology and abatement with respect to stormwater facilities. 

The article concludes that BMP design options with shallow basin slopes produce fewer mosquitoes (slow-moving water will deter mosquitoes from laying eggs). Generally, BMPs with steep banks tend to have less emergent vegetation and do not produce large numbers of mosquitoes. The article also indicates that detention/extended detention ponds as well as infiltration basins left unmaintained behave similarly to detention ponds, producing large numbers of WNV bird- and mammal-feeding mosquito species. The intermittent wet/dry periods in such structures attract these species of mosquitoes. Shallow marshes and retention ponds produce mostly those mosquito species that play minor or no roles in the transmission of WNV. If detention ponds and infiltration basins are required, the article recommends periodic mosquito monitoring of those facilities near populated areas and appropriate mosquito treatment as needed.

March/April 2007 issue of Stormwater magazine, http://www.stormh2o.com/sw_0703_management.html 

EPA Issues Draft Technical Document on "Options for the Expression of Daily Loads in TMDLs" 

EPA issued a draft technical document for the development of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) called "Options for the Expression of Daily Loads in TMDLs." 

In November 2006, EPA issued a memorandum entitled "Establishing TMDL Daily Loads in Light of the Decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. EPA et. al., No. 05-5015 (April 25, 2006) and Implications for NPDES Permits" that clarified EPA's expectations concerning the appropriate time increment used to express TMDLs in light of the recent decision. (http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/dailyloadsguidance.html.)

The new draft technical document expands on the earlier memorandum, and provides options for developing "daily load expressions" as a routine process in TMDLs calculated using allocation timeframes greater than daily (e.g., annual, monthly, seasonally). The document is written for TMDL practitioners who are familiar with the relevant technical approaches and regulatory requirements pertaining to TMDLs. http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/draft_daily_loads_tech.pdf 

EPA Water Headlines, July 9, 2007

Invasive Species Cookbook Released

Have you ever wondered if nutria tastes like chicken? A new cookbook could help you find out.

Author Joe Franke has released the Invasive Species Cookbook: Conservation Through Gastronomy, a cookbook featuring recipes using various plant and animal invasive species as primary ingredients. The book provides gourmet recipes from some of the world’s finest chefs, as well as some new inventions. According to the author, "Long have we labored in field and kitchen to bring you hundreds of ways to do your ecological duty while filling your bellies for free." Check out the Ragoudain (nutria) a l’orange , homemade kudzu blossom wine, or Japanese knotweed pie. Each section is prefaced by a description of the ecological impacts of the invasive species. The book is available for $24.95 from Bradford Street Press. http://www.bradfordstreetpress.com. 

Policy Update

Grant Programs 
(Click on a grant for more information)

MD Urban Greening Grants

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is accepting requests for proposals of up to $50,000 for the Urban Greening Grants Program designed to help Maryland communities implement plans to increase forest canopy, reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality and enhance the quality of life in urban areas. The program seeks applicants who are developing or have developed a comprehensive urban greening program including a greening or urban tree canopy assessment, a goal for enhancing the canopy or green space in the community, and a way to track progress towards the goal. The deadline to submit proposals is July 13. http://www.cbtrust.org/site/c.enJIKQNoFiG/b.2028475/k.E2F6/Urban_Greening_Grant_Program.htm 

Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program

The Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program (DEWGP) provides support to organizations working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the estuary, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. Under the 2007 DEWGP, grants of $20,000 to $75,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that provide for physical restoration of habitat and/or demonstrate innovative or regional approaches for improving the Delaware Estuary Watersheds. Public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations, educational institutions, and local and state government are eligible to apply. A remote workshop for prospective applicants will be held June 27, and applications must be postmarked by July 27.  http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Browse_All_Programs&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=3796

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Grants

The mission of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is to sustain, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats through its Keystone Initiatives Grants Program. The next preproposal deadline is September 1. The Foundation awards matching grants in the categories of bird conservation, fish conservation, marine and coastal conservation, and wildlife and habitat conservation. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Foundation staff prior to submitting a pre-proposal to discuss the applicability of a project to the Foundations priorities. http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Keystone_Initiatives_Grant_Guidelines 

Ohio River Watershed Celebration Grants

Eight lucky watershed groups who participate in the sixth annual Ohio River Watershed Celebration on September 20 will receive one of four $500 or four $250 grants to support local watershed restoration efforts. To be eligible, watershed groups must register for the event and bring a poster display to the Riverboat Cruise. The display will be judged and voted on during the trip by a panel of judges. The award categories are: Community Outreach and Education, Most Innovative and Cutting Edge Projects, Best Overall Display and Best Example of Partnership Group. The results will be announced at the end of the cruise and checks awarded at that time. Grant eligibility requirements include: organizations must be from the Ohio River Watershed; work on a local watershed issue; be a formal or informal association, alliance, conservancy, hunting or fishing club, school group, environmental group, FFA, 4H or other like minded organization; and not be a local, state or federal agency or private consulting firm. http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=7185&SubjectID=

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. Past Webcast topics include 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 U.S. EPA’s Stormwater Webcast Series The US EPA will be holding the following stormwater webcasts: July 11 - Jennifer Zielinski, P.E. will follow-up last year’s IDDE webcast with Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) 201  September 5 - Dave Hirschman will sponsor the Post-Construction 201 webcast  http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1 N-STEPS Nutrient Criteria Statistics Webcast  The EPA Office of Science & Technology is sponsoring a webcast session on developing criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus on July 11. The N-STEPS webcast will present some of the most relevant statistical tools and how non-statisticians can effectively use them. This introduction to regression and trend analysis techniques will also reveal the data needed for each technique, pros and cons, and examples. http://n-steps.tetratech-ffx.com/NTSChome.cfm  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: August 21-22 - Lackawanna County September 10-12 - 2007 Dirt and Gravel Roads Workshop  http://www.mri.psu.edu/centers/cdgrs/calendar/calendar.html Great Green America Fest On July 13-15 the First Annual Great Green America Fest is scheduled to take place at Mount Hope Winery, in Lancaster County, PA. The festival is designed to promote sustainable living, healthy outdoor recreation, and reserving our native wildlife and plants. http://www.greatgreenamericafest.com/  PADEP Nutrient Trading Program Roundtables PA DEP will hold a series of meetings on the benefits of Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Trading Program. Trading allows developers and sewage treatment plants to take credit for pounds of nutrients they remove anywhere in the target watershed. Investing in farm best management practices, planting trees along streams and sharing in an upgrade in another municipality are just a few ways to earn credits. The dates for the meetings are:  July 16- DEP Central Office, Harrisburg July 19- DEP North East Regional Office, Wilkes-Barre July 20- DEP North Central Regional Office, Williamsport. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/news/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=525073  PA Invasive Weed Workshop The Westmoreland Conservation District and the Penn's Corner Resource Conservation and Development Council is sponsoring a workshop and field trip on how to identify and control invasive and noxious weeds. The workshop will be held on July 18 at the Westmoreland Conservation District headquarters in Greensburg. The workshop is geared for landowners who are participating in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and for those who commercially apply pesticides and weed control methods. However, anyone interested in this important topic is welcome to attend. http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=7209&SubjectID=  PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Pennsylvania’s premier conference on abandoned mine reclamation and acid mine drainage cleanup will be held in State College on July 20-21. This year's conference focuses on the following topics:  highlights of the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund reauthorization, draft regulations and roundtable discussions; operation, maintenance and replacement for AMD treatment systems specifics; permitting considerations for AML/AMD projects; and presentations from the makers of new and proven treatment technologies. http://2007.treatminewater.com/  EPA 2007 Fish Forum EPA and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention are co-sponsoring the 2007 Fish Forum on July 23-26 in Portland, ME. Health and environmental officials will join other participants to talk about issues related to assessing and managing health risks associated with the consumption of contaminants in fish. Topics will include sampling and analysis of contaminants of emerging concern; risk assessment, toxicology, and chemical profiles; risk management and communication; health benefits; and biomonitoring. http://fishforum.rti.org/ 2007 Northeast Water Science Forum The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) is sponsoring the 2007 Northeast Water Science Forum - Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products: State of the Science on August 8-9 in Portland, ME. The primary goal of this conference is to bring together scientists, regulators, water and wastewater professionals, and other technical experts to disseminate and evaluate the latest research findings and technical data on pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the water environment. http://www.neiwpcc.org/ppcpconference  Wetlands 2007 The Wetlands 2007 National Symposium, "Watershed-Wide Strategies to Maximize Wetland Ecological and Social Services: Conserving Wetlands to Reduce Natural Hazards, Improve Water Quality, Protect Critical Headwaters, Maintain Biodiversity, and Protect and Restore Coastal Resources," will be held on August 28-30 at the Colonial Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center, Williamsburg, Virginia. This national symposium will examine scientific, legal and management tools available to assess, sustain and improve the ecological and social services provided by wetlands and related water resources. http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2007/wetlands2007.htm Eastern Regional Wetland Restoration Institute The Eastern Regional Wetland Restoration Institute will be held in eastern Kentucky in the Daniel Boone National Forest on September 9-14. The Wetland Restoration Institute is a hands-on program of instruction designed for individuals that work for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and consulting companies who have a strong interest in learning more about highly effective construction and management practices for ecosystem restoration. Participants will travel outdoors each day to examine all facets of wetland management, from identifying wetlands and streams altered hundreds of years ago to participating in actual wetland restoration projects. http://www.kypride.org/cal/erwri.php  NY Watershed Science and Technical Conference  A watershed science and technical conference, "Clean Water Through Protection and Partnership" will be held on September 11-12 in West Point, NY.  http://www.nywea.org/

Link Of The Month

Stream Restoration Website

The Stream Restoration website, a community resource hosted by the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics as part of its Stream Restoration Project, is now available online at http://www.nced.umn.edu/Stream_Restoration.html.  The website includes stream restoration resources, a calendar of events and training, information on current research projects, and a Stream Restoration Toolbox that contains stream restoration models, code, and small applications that are useful for applied stream restoration projects.

New Monthly Landowner Guide to Buffer Success

The new Landowner Guide to Buffer Success is now available. The guide describes how to plant, maintain, and enhance the effectiveness of forested stream buffers to improve water quality. Made available through Pennsylvania's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the new Guide provides month by month activities to ensure the success of a buffer, tips to save time and improve outcomes, instructions for invasive species removal, blank areas for making notes for the future, example photos, a summary of how forested buffers help streams, and a list of additional resources. http://www.crcwatersheds.org/var/resources/51-landownerguide_buffer.pdf (large PDF file) 

Better Site Design Handbook Available

The Center for Watershed Protection is making its Better Site Design Handbook available for free download. The Handbook outlines 22 guidelines for more environmentally-friendly development: changes to subdivision and land development and zoning regulations that will better manage stormwater, preserve and enhance existing natural areas, and reduce pollution in local streams. It provides detailed rationale for each principle, from basic engineering principles to actual vs. perceived barriers to implementing Better Site Design; examines practices in local communities; details the economic and environmental benefits of Better Site Design; and presents case studies from across the country. http://www.cwp.org/PublicationStore/bsd.htm 

Stormwater Management Pocket Guide Released

The Center for Neighborhood Technology recently released Water: From Trouble to Treasure, a pocket-sized field guide to help readers understand and advance green stormwater management. The guide gives community groups, homeowners, and others practical ways to capture raindrops where they fall that are simple, affordable, and can replace more costly conventional stormwater approaches. These green solutions include rain gardens, native vegetation, tree planting, rain barrels, and permeable pavement. It offers immediate steps for groups to get started without extensive funding, expertise, or fear of adverse consequences. http://greenvalues.cnt.org/downloads/trouble-to-treasure.pdf. 

Enhanced Water Quality Standards Information Online 

EPA has upgraded their website that provides Agency guidance for administering state and tribal water quality standards. Containing EPA's 1994 Water Quality Standards Handbook, the website has been upgraded to provide over 100 new links to EPA documents and web pages with supporting information. It provides comprehensive guidance for implementing EPA's water quality standards regulation. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/handbook/