![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Watershed News
August 2008
|
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) Water Quality Trading Funding: Proposals due September 9, 2008
2) $5 Million Available for West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast
3) $5 Million Available for San Francisco Bay Area Water Quality Improvement Fund
4) Adopt Your Watershed
5) Niagara River, New York: Remediation of Hazardous Waste Nonpoint Sources Partially Restores Water Quality
6) Webcasts
7) Improved Data Exchange Now Includes Biological and Habitat Water Data
8) New Test Kits Help Manage Farm Nitrate Levels
9) Girl Scout Water Drop Patch Project Receives A Face-lift!
10) World Water Monitoring Day Starts September 18th
11) Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup - September 20, 2008
12) IMRivers Offers Free Online Water Resource Mapping for K-12 Educators
13) Wanted: Water Efficiency Leaders
14) The WaterSense® Program Announces New Educational Materials for Kids and Teachers
15) EPA releases information guides to help public water systems comply with the Ground Water Rule
16) Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change
17) Getting in Step with Phase II: A Workshop for Stormwater Program Managers and Regulators
18) FLOW 2008: Interdisciplinary Solutions to Instream Flow Problems
19) Southeast Stormwater Institute
20) WEFTEC.08 Conference
Funding Opportunities
Water Quality Trading Funding: Proposals due September 9, 2008
EPA is accepting nominations of proposals for water quality trading or other market-based projects for 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, the Upper Mississippi River, or the Lower Mississippi River. EPA will award up to $4.2 million to support approximately 15 to 25 outstanding proposals.
$5 Million Available for West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast
EPA Region 9 is soliciting proposals 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. Proposals due August 25, 2008.
$5 Million Available for San Francisco Bay Area Water Quality Improvement Fund
EPA Region 9 is soliciting proposals for projects that restore and protect the water quality, habitat and environment of the San Francisco Bay and its watersheds through comprehensive approaches to water quality management. The request for proposals includes demonstration projects and studies of approaches that will focus on the effectiveness of an integrated approach for the following water quality priorities: invasive species management, reduction of trash in waterways, innovative wetlands restoration, stormwater management, reductions of pollutants identified in draft or completed Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and climate change impacts on water quality. Proposals due August 25, 2008.
Watershed Tool of the Month
Adopt Your Watershed
To encourage stewardship of the nation's water resources, EPA's "Adopt Your Watershed" campaign challenges citizens and service organizations
to join with the thousands of watershed organizations working to protect and restore our valuable rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, ground water,
and estuaries. Resources on the Web site include a searchable on-line database of watershed organizations, opportunities to get involved in water
monitoring, clean ups and restoration activities, and links to other resources, such as the Girl Scout Water Drop patch. Simply type in your zip
code to locate your watershed and then click on the link for citizen-based groups in this watershed to search for active organizations in your
community.
If you represent a watershed organization, check to make sure that your organization is listed in the database. If not, click on "Add Your Watershed Group" in the left hand sidebar.
Spotlight: Watersheds at Work
Niagara River, New York: Remediation of Hazardous Waste Nonpoint Sources Partially Restores Water Quality
New York's Niagara River flows 38 miles from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming the border between western New York State and the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Niagara River watershed, with its access to inexpensive hydroelectric power and close proximity to rail and shipping routes, was a magnet for heavy industry and chemical manufacturing companies beginning in the early 1900s. By the 1960s, decades of poor management of industrial and hazardous waste had severely impaired Niagara River's water quality. In 1998 New York included the river on its 303(d) list of impaired waters for priority organics. Since then, significant remediation efforts at many sites have improved water quality, prompting New York to propose removing four toxic chemical contaminants from its 2008 303(d) list for both the upper and lower segments of the river.
Webcasts
The Watershed Academy Webcast team will be taking the month of August off. However, please check out the great seminars that can be accessed on-line any time anywhere at Watershed Academy Webcast Seminars Web site.
News
Improved Data Exchange Now Includes Biological and Habitat Water Data
EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) is pleased to announce the release of the new Water Quality Exchange (WQX ) version 2.0, a data transfer system within STORET, which now allows states, tribes and other organizations to share their biological and habitat monitoring results. Since February 2007, WQX version 1.0 has provided way for states, tribes, and other organizations to share physical, chemical and fish tissue water monitoring results. Because many state, tribal, and watershed monitoring programs use biological and habitat data as the basis for assessing water quality, WQX version 2.0 enhances the richness of available data for sharing, analysis, and decision making. All data shared using the WQX framework are available in the STORET Data Warehouse through Web query forms and Web services.
New Test Kits Help Manage Farm Nitrate Levels (by CSREES Staff)
Nitrate is an essential nutrient for plant growth but can become a serious threat to heath or the environment if allowed to accumulate in animals or water systems. A new test kit will help producers manage nitrate concentrations, reduce costly nitrogen fertilizer applications and protect the environment. With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), the Nitrate Elimination Company, Inc. (NECi), in Lake Linden, Mich., developed a series of on-farm nitrate test kits that allow farm managers to see how nitrate is accumulating and being transferred on the farm.
Nitrogen is applied on the farm in a number of forms, including as fertilizer. In soils, nitrogen is converted to nitrate, which is a form most easily used by plants for production of proteins and nucleic acids. Nitrate is also released in animal waste. Over time, the excessive accumulation of nitrate on the farm increases the potential of pollution.
NECi conducted a market research study to determine how to effectively educate and inform Michigan farmers about the latest nitrate management strategies and tools. NECi obtained funds through the The Agricultural Innovation Program, a competitive grant program managed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture for additional research and development funding. For more information, visit Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. For information on nitrates in drinking water, visit Consumer Factsheet on: NITRATES/NITRITES.
Girl Scout Water Drop Patch Project Receives A Face-lift!
The popular Water Drop Patch Project, co-produced by Girl Scouts of the USA and the Environmental Protection Agency has been given a face-lift! The manual, designed for adult's use with Girl Scout Brownies through Ambassadors (grades 2-12) and divided into grade-level, age-appropriate watershed activities, now aligns to the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Updated information and new and expanded girl-lead, learning by doing help Girl Scouts: discover, connect, and take action. Girl Scouts who complete the requisite number of activities receive a beautiful patch emblazoned with a white egret. Two exciting new activities added to the revised manual include the construction of a rain garden to help control stormwater runoff and the creation of a watershed outreach video.
The manual can be downloaded for free or ordered by calling the National Service Center for
Environmental Protection at 1-800-490-9198 or e-mailing: nscep@bps-lmit.com.(#EPA 840-B-07-001). Patches can be ordered from the GSUSA on-line store 
or at Girl Scout council shops. Adults should consult with Safety-Wise to ensure Girl Scout safety guidelines are followed when working
with girls. The Water Drop Patch Project is nationally recognized as part of the Girl Scouts' of the USA's Linking Girls to the Land program.
World Water Monitoring Day Starts September 18th
World Water Monitoring DayT (WWMD) is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. The month-long program kicks off each year on September 18 with a data entry deadline of December 18. An easy-to-use test kit enables everyone from children to adults to sample local water bodies for a core set of water quality parameters, and results are shared with participating communities around the globe.
Girl Scouts can work toward earning the Get with the Land or Water Drop patches by participating in World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD). Specific patch requirements, along with the Linking Girls to the Land Resources Guide and links to other Girl Scout awards, are available at the Linking Girls to the Land (LGTTL) Web site.
Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup - September 20, 2008
The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2008. This event attracts almost 400,000 volunteers worldwide who pick up trash and marine debris from the nation's waterways. Last year six million pounds of trash were cleared from oceans and waterways. Girl Scouts (grades 6 and up) can work toward earning the Water Drop patch by participating in the International Coastal Cleanup.
IMRivers Offers 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. IMRivers Junior provides the same great technology and resources as the original IMRivers program. However, 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.
Wanted: Water Efficiency Leaders
EPA is accepting nominations for the 2008 Water Efficiency Leader Awards to recognize organizations and individuals who demonstrate outstanding
leadership and innovation in water efficiency. Winners will be chosen by a panel of national water experts and based on three criteria: leadership,
innovation, and water saved. Nominations are being accepted until Aug. 29, 2008.
The WaterSense® Program Announces New Educational Materials for Kids and Teachers
A Day in the Life of a Drop teaches students about the connections between the sources of the water they use and how that use affects human health and the environment. These fun learning materials include a teachers' guide, two student worksheets, a spreadsheet to track water use at home, and a pledge for students and their families to "filter out bad water habits."
EPA releases information guides to help public water systems comply with the Ground Water Rule
EPA is releasing a new information guides to assist states and public water systems understand requirements of the Ground Water Rule (GWR). The GWR, which was finalized in November 2006, will provide for increased protection against microbial pathogens in public water systems that use ground water as a source of drinking water. Public water systems need to begin actions to comply with the GWR in December 2009.
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change
September 15-19, 2008, 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.
Getting in Step with Phase II: A Workshop for Stormwater Program Managers and Regulators
September 17-18, 2008, Fayetteville, AR. This workshop will provide in-depth training on post construction runoff controls, illicit discharge detection and elimination, pollution prevention/good housekeeping, and stormwater program development and funding. There is a $30 fee for this workshop to help cover the cost of lunch, coffee, and materials.
November 6-7, 2008, Albuquerque, NM.This workshop will provide in-depth training on post construction runoff controls, construction site sediment and erosion controls, stormwater outreach, stormwater TMDLs, and stormwater program development and funding. There is a $100 registration fee for the workshop to cover breakfast and lunch both days.
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.
Southeast Stormwater Institute
October 14-16, 2008, Savannah, GA. The Southeast Stormwater Institute at the Coastal Georgia Center is an intensive, interactive three-day learning experience specifically designed to help public and private sector stormwater professionals develop or improve municipal stormwater programs, particularly NPDES Phase II permit programs; strengthen stormwater design, construction, and maintenance skills for innovative practices in coastal and non-coastal settings; and understand and apply volume reduction criteria, green infrastructure credits, and the new Georgia Coastal Stormwater Supplement.
WEFTEC.08 Conference
October 18-22, 2008, Chicago, IL. The 81st Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference is the largest conference of its kind in North America and offers water quality professionals from around the world water quality education and training. Learn from your peers about the latest practices, technologies, solutions and regulations in the water quality field. Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by participating in workshops and earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) by attending technical sessions.