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Webcast Archives
**Note: Archived Webcasts are listed in alphabetical order on the U.S. EPA Technology Innovation
Program Web site.
You can either scroll down the page to find the audio version or you can search the page by seminar archive date or Webcast title.
You can also subscribe to the audio podcast feed of these webcasts in iTunes or another RSS aggregator
Sept. 18, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"The ABCs of TMDLs for Stakeholders"
by Bruce Zander, TMDL Coordinator, EPA Region 8, Denver, CO
Over the last decade, the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program has gone from a fairly quiet water quality planning program
to a program found in just about every water quality manager´s toolbox. A simple GoogleT search for "total maximum
daily loads" now exceeds two million hits in less than a second. What is this program and why all the attention? Who develops
TMDLs, why do they develop them and how do they fit into the watershed process? What is a "303(d)" list and "integrated
report" and why should we pay attention to these? This Webcast will provide an introduction to the 303(d)-listing and TMDL
programs. Case examples will illustrate the various principles of the TMDL program and how this program is being used to guide water
quality control decisions in both the point source and nonpoint source arenas. The Webcast will also describe how you can be involved
in the 303(d) listing and TMDL development efforts in your watershed.
July 18, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) & ART: Combining Science and Art"
by T. Allan Comp, Director, Applachian Coal Country Watershed Team
Building constituencies across disciplinary and physical boundaries can be challenging in watershed work. A project called AMD&ART, winner of the 2005 Phoenix Award for community involvement, successfully combined both good science and art to make a difference in eastern coal country. Dr. Allan Comp, volunteer founder/director of the now-completed project, will discuss how he mobilized a community and a team of scientists, artists, and VISTA volunteers to implement treatment systems that also serve as recreational sites, art parks, educational centers, and historical sites. Thanks to funding and expertise from many stakeholders, including the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, AmeriCorps, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of Surface Mining, EPA and others, environmental and economic degradation due to Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) has been remediated using a multi-disciplinary approach. Join us for this inspirational Webcast and learn some valuable lessons from a true leaders in community-based watershed protection.
September 26, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Assessing Wetlands Loss/Conditions and Restoration"
By Kerry St. Pe, Executive Director, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program,
Michael Scozzafava, Environmental Protection Specialist, USEPA, and
Jan Smith, Director, Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program
Coastal wetlands play an integral role in the health of our nation’s waters and our nation’s fisheries. In addition, they buffer coastal communities against the impacts of storms and sea level rise due to global climate change. Coastal managers and others interested in protecting wetlands can learn from this Webcast presentation, which will highlight two National Estuary Programs impacted by significant wetlands losses.
Kerry St. Pe, Director of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and Jan Smith, Director of the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program, will discuss methods for assessing the condition of wetlands, measuring wetlands loss, and techniques for restoring coastal wetlands. This Webcast will also examine EPA’s wetlands monitoring and assessment efforts at a national scale, including a discussion of the National Wetland Condition Assessment.
June 18, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"ATTAINS -- A Gateway to State-Reported Water Quality Information"
by Dwane Young, EPA's Monitoring Branch, and Sarah Furtak and Shera Bender, EPA's Watershed Branch
EPA recently released a new Web site where water quality managers and the public can go to view a wide range of state-reported water quality information. This Web site, sometimes referred to as ATTAINS, combines two formerly separate databases: the National Assessment Database and the National Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tracking System. The National Assessment Database is for water quality assessment information reported by the states under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act, while the National TMDL Tracking System is for impaired waters information reported by the states under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. ATTAINS gives the “full story” showing which waters have been assessed, which are impaired, and which are being (or have been) restored. This Web site allows the user to view dynamic, continuously updated tables and charts that summarize state-reported information for the nation as a whole, for individual states and waters, and for the ten EPA Regions. Visit ATTAINS at epa.gov/waters/ir.
July 19, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Benefits of Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting"
by Patrick Bradley and Jennifer Molloy, EPA's Water Permits Division,
Bob Steidel, City of Richmond Department of Public Works,
and Federico Maisch, Greely & Hansen
EPA is encouraging a watershed-based approach to permitting and is promoting this through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Program. EPA recently issued several policy memos and guidance to promote watershed-based permitting. Webcast instructors will
discuss the benefits of watershed-based permitting, present an explanation of the process and several mechanisms to implement watershed-based
permitting, and outline how EPA will encourage this approach. The instructors will also discuss issues related to managing stormwater and other
wet weather related impacts and present a case study related to activities in the City of Richmond, VA designed to move toward a watershed-based
approach.
July 16, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Clean Water State Revolving Fund: What's in it for Watersheds? "
by Stephanie VonFeck, Environmental Protection Specialist, USEPA's State Revolving Fund Branch and Patti Cale-Finnegan, CWA SRF Program Manager, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
At some point, citizens involved in watershed protection face the question – How do we pay for this? Most quickly realize that there are not enough grant funds to meet the needs for water quality projects. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is a large, flexible, and largely untapped source of funding for watershed projects. It provides over $5 billion each year for traditional stormwater and wastewater projects, as well as over $200 million for nonpoint source projects, such as land conservation, agricultural best management practices, and clean-up of contaminated sites. Join us to hear more about how you can access the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to protect your watershed.
"Earth Guage™: Conveying Environmental Information Through the TV Weather Report"
by Sara Espinoza, National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and Joe Witte, ABC 7 WJLA - TV
Since 2002, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has been working with broadcast meteorologists to add localized environmental
content into the most-watched segment of the local news: the weather report. In partnership with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and others,
NEEF is expanding the local weather report beyond the forecast by helping to transform broadcast meteorologists into “station scientists.”
NEEF’s Earth Guage™ program provides meteorologists with free, weekly environmental information for use on-air, which makes the connection
between the local three-day forecast and environmental impacts on the community, while also giving viewers simple actions to take at home. The program
also provides free online courses that provide a basis background on environmental topics, including watersheds. The Earth Guage™ program, which
is currently reaching more than 159 million viewers in 64 media markets, will be discussed as well as how meteorologists incorporate environmental
content into their newsweathercasts.
June 22, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas"
by Thomas R. Schueler, Director of Watershed Research and Practice
Center for Watershed Protection.
Many communities in the U.S. are experiencing rapid growth and development, and a gradual decline in the quality of their aquatic resources. This Webcast
will highlight effective tools communities can apply to minimize the impact of land development on their streams, lakes and estuaries. It will begin by
showing how impervious cover (IC) is used as a key index of watershed development. Next, current research will be reviewed on the strong relationship between
IC and more than twenty indicators on aquatic quality. This emerging research provides the technical foundation for the Impervious Cover Model (ICM) which
will be discussed at length. The remainder of the Webcast will review the eight tools localities can apply to protect their subwatersheds-watershed planning,
natural area conservation, buffers, better site design, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management practices, non-stormwater discharges and watershed
stewardship. Emphasis is placed on the key watershed planning implications associated with the ICM model, and how the tools can be implemented at the local
government level.
July 20, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"Getting In Step: Developing Your Message and Publicizing it Effectively"
by Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, VA
Is your message being heard? Is it being heard by the people who need to hear it? What makes people respond to or ignore
environmental messages? The key to successful outreach campaigns is targeting your message to specific audiences and getting
those audiences to respond to your message. This Webcast will review the basic building blocks for developing effective outreach
campaigns with a special focus on the tools needed to identify and research target audiences, develop effective messages that will
help achieve your objectives, and identify the most appropriate formats to display your message. The Webcast will also feature
strategies and approaches for working with the media to inform and educate the public on various environmental issues.
October 11, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Getting Started in Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring"
by Linda Green, Program Director, University of Rhode Island Watershed Watch Program and
Danielle Donkersloot, Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Throughout the world, trained volunteers provide an invaluable service: monitoring and providing data on the quality of rivers, streams, lakes,
estuaries, and wetlands. This session will provide a primer on starting a volunteer water quality program. Instructors will discuss key steps to follow,
questions to ponder, examples of success stories, and where the best resources are for further collected data. The data use tiers which are defined by
the purpose of the program, the intended use of its data, and the intended data users. Also, learn about World Water Monitoring Day, celebrated every
October to raise awareness about the importance of water quality monitoring
(http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org).
July 23, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Green Streets: From Gray Funnels to Green Sponges"
by Clark Wilson, Senior Urban Designer for Smart Growth Program, U.S. EPA and Ellen Greenberg, Visiting Practitioner, University of California-Davis
This Webcast discusses how communities can more effectively manage rainwater and snowmelt where it falls. Green streets can make great places, preserve water quality, and restore our nation's waterways. These and other practices including rain gardens, curb cuts, bioswales, and green roofs are helping many urban communities like Portland, Seattle, and Chicago address stormwater runoff as well as provide great aesthetic benefits. In addition, green streets and other environmentally-friendly landscape designs can help minimize urban heat island effect, reduce a community’s carbon footprint, and cool the planet. Join us for this Webcast to learn how your community can incorporate more green designs into long-term urban and transportation planning. Clark Wilson, the lead speaker for this Webcast, presented this same topic as a podcast. Visit Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Audio programs (http://epa.gov/owow/podcasts/) to listen to the podcast.
Feb. 21, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Implementing TMDLs and Trading Through the National Estuary Program"
by Darrell Brown, Chief, USEPA’s Coastal Management Branch;
Mark Tedesco, Director, USEPA’s Long Island Sound Office; and
Gary Johnson, Senior Environmental Engineer, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
The National Estuary Program (NEP), established as part of the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act, is proud to be celebrating its 20th anniversary
of protecting and restoring estuaries of national significance. The program promotes comprehensive planning efforts and actions to help protect 28 designated
estuaries deemed to be threatened by pollution, development, or overuse. The NEP uses a proven approach of: focusing on specific watersheds, using science to
inform decision-making, emphasizing collaborative problem solving, and involving the public. This Webcast will provide an overview of the NEP and will show how
it implements another key Clean Water Act program—the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program. It will include a case study of the Long Island Sound NEP,
which has successfully used its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) as the basis for developing a TMDL. The Webcast will also discuss the
innovative trading program used in Long Island Sound that is reducing nitrogen loads faster and more cost effectively.
June 28 , 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Influencing Behaviors Using Social Marketing"
by Charlie MacPherson, Tetra Tech Inc., and Christopher Conner, Chesapeake Bay Program
Thanks largely to effective discharge regulations over the past 30 years, the quality of our water resources has
improved dramatically. However, many human activities still have negative impacts on the quality of our waterways.
Watershed practitioners increasingly rely on nontraditional approaches to encourage people to alter their everyday
behaviors and help improve and protect our waters. These approaches include social marketing techniques, which apply
traditional commercial marketing approaches to address social issues. Webcast instructors will provide an overview of
social marketing principles and then proceed through the steps needed to make audiences aware of an issue, recognize
audiences' underlying motivations, and encourage behavior change. A case study presentation will highlight the key
social marketing principles used to change behaviors in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
November 29, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Integrating Drinking Water into Watershed Protection"
by Beth Hall, Environmental Protection Specialist, US EPA´s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water,
Sheree Stewart, Drinking Water Protection Coordinator, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and
Christopher Crockett, Manager of Watershed Protection, Philadelphia Water Department
This Webcast will provide a primer on public water supplies and the recently completed source water assessments mandated by the 1996 Safe
Drinking Water Act. Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes or underground aquifers that is used to provide public drinking
water and to supply private wells. While the source water assessments were required and funded, responsibility for implementing protection measures
resides at the state, local and utility level. Instructors will discuss how they have integrated source water protection into their programs by
using technical assistance, partnerships, tools available through the Clean Water Act and other programs, and by collaborating with watershed and
smart growth efforts.
May 17, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Protection"
by Tom Schueler, Center for Watershed Protection
In celebration of American Wetlands Month, this Webcast will explore key ways of integrating wetland protection into local
watershed management efforts. The focus will be on wetlands located in rural, suburban and urban settings and how they are directly and indirectly
impacted by land development. The Webcast will describe how the eight tools of watershed protection can be adapted to strengthen wetland protection,
conservation and restoration.
Dec. 14, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection"
by Lynda Hall, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC and Sonja Biorn-Hansen, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about water quality trading, also known as effluent trading or “cap and trade.” Have you ever
wondered what water quality trading is and how it works? This Webcast will cover the basics of trading—where it’s happening around the country,
why watershed stakeholders might be interested in adopting trading programs, and the rudiments of how such programs work. We’ll cover questions like:
Who are likely credit buyers and sellers? How is the cap determined and how do trades ensure that the cap is met? How can one avoid hot spots? Why is trading
most likely to be used for nutrient reduction? How can we determine whether trading is likely to meet the water quality goals of a particular watershed? We
will also describe the Willamette Partnership, a case study example of a water quality trading program addressing temperature problems within a large river
basin.
March 28, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Key EPA Internet Tools for Watershed Management"
by Ansu John, Environmental Scientist, Tetra Tech, Inc.
EPA’s Web sites include a wealth of information about the nation’s waterbodies and this Webcast will help you learn how to access this information.
Our information is housed in several "national databases" and this Webcast will demonstrate how to query, access and use the information. The
Webcast will showcase a number of the Internet tools that EPA has developed to support development of watershed plans, provide watershed training and help
you get nuts and bolts information about your watershed.
While some of the online tools are straightforward and perform simple functions, others offer capability for multiple-step queries to report information.
Using simple screen shots and step-by-step explanations, the Webcast will explain how to do queries from some key EPA water-related databases, such as water
quality standards, 303(d) listed impaired waters, assessed waters, STORET (water quality monitoring information) and discharge monitoring reports from
permitted dischargers. The session will also provide instruction on using EnviroMapper, an online mapping application that provides an interactive data
query interface to display water-related information on a map.
May 23, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Long-Term Stewardship of Wetlands Mitigation Sites "
by Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Wetlands Division,
Rebecca Kihslinger, Science and Policy Analyst, Environmental Law Institute and
Deborah Rogers, Director of Conservation Science, Center for Natural Lands Management.
Land trusts and other conservation organizations often take over the long-term stewardship responsibilities for wetlands, streams and other aquatic resources that are restored, enhanced, created or preserved as compensatory mitigation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Before taking on such responsibility, these organizations should be well armed with the skills necessary to navigate the Section 404 program. This Webcast will discuss the basics of the Section 404 program as well as the basics of compensatory mitigation, including mitigation policy, mitigation methods and mitigation mechanisms. Speakers will also provide an overview of the roles and risks of becoming involved in mitigation. Finally, the speakers will provide a review of methods to evaluate stewardship tasks, calculate an adequate long-term stewardship endowment and guarantee long-term funding.
Oct. 19, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Sustainable Watersheds"
by Neil Weinstein, Executive Director, Low Impact Development Center, Beltsville, MD
Low Impact Development (LID) is a decentralized or source control approach to stormwater management that focuses on maintaining
or restoring the hydrologic cycle functions in a watershed. This approach is causing many communities and organizations to reevaluate
their stormwater programs to see how LID can be used as part of a comprehensive watershed protection and restoration strategy. This
Webcast will focus on how communities and institutions are using LID techniques to meet a wide range of water resource protection
and community development objectives. It will feature Haymount, a large-scale Traditional Neighborhood Design community in Virginia
that incorporates many LID techniques, and highlight other examples of LID designs and projects from throughout the country.
March 19, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Managing Nutrients in Your Backyard and Your Community"
by Steve Potts, Acting Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Criteria Team Leader, U.S. EPA,
Ondine Wells, Statewide Builder and Developer Coordinator, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, and
Mona Menezes, Stormwater Educator, City of Columbia, Missouri
Nutrient loading from nonpoint source runoff is a common problem in watersheds. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution continue to be included as top causes
of aquatic ecosystem degradation across the nation. This Webcast will examine the serious impacts on water quality from excess nutrients and will highlight
two exceptional programs at the state and local level that encourage homeowners, businesses, and neighborhoods to adopt more sustainable practices to prevent
harmful runoff from yards and lawns. Our first speaker will provide a description of the water quality problems associated with nutrients and a description
of EPA’s national program to set water quality criteria for nutrients, followed by state and community perspectives on nutrient management initiatives
as alternatives to conventional lawn care practices. Join us for this Webcast to learn how your community can encourage more sustainable lawn care practices
to protect water resources.
April 10, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Monitoring Watershed Program Effectiveness"
by Steven A. Dressing, Senior Scientist, Tetra Tech Inc.,
and Donald W. Meals, Senior Scientist, Tetra Tech Inc.
There is increasing emphasis on evaluating the results of our efforts to control nonpoint source pollution on a watershed basis. Evaluation must be an ongoing part of any watershed management, based on proper design and data collection. Three types of data are needed to evaluate watershed management projects: administrative, social and environmental. Evaluation or effectiveness monitoring is designed to measure the actual impact of management decisions, such as implementation of nutrient management practices (administrative, social) and resulting impacts of nutrient levels (environmental) in the waterbody. Environmental monitoring needs to focus on specific variables, take place in specific locations, and at minimum frequencies to provide a measure of whether and to what extent the water quality problems are being addressed. Instructors will present an overview of watershed monitoring, three watershed effectiveness monitoring designs, and identify issues to be considered when developing effectiveness monitoring programs.
April 19, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Opportunities for Citizen Involvement in the Clean Water Act"
by Gayle Killam, River Network
This Webcast will highlight opportunities for citizen involvement in state and local implementation of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA provided
specifically for public participation in most elements, yet groups and individuals working to protect and restore water bodies that matter to them may
not know how to use the law in their efforts. To better inform citizens of the available CWA tools, this Webcast will focus on water quality standards
and how they play into the development of the threatened and impaired waters list, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, Section
319 watershed plans, and development and implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
Feb. 15, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Plan2Fund: A Tool to Organize Your Watershed Funding"
by Bill Jarocki and Amy Williams, Environmental Finance Center, Boise State University and
Lee Napier, Deputy Director of Community Development--Grays Harbor County (WA) Department of Public Services.
This Webcast will help you get on the right fundraising track. Presenters will highlight several tools
developed by the Environmental Finance Center to support watershed organizations in their long-term fundraising
efforts. In addition, a real world example from the Pacific Northwest will show how the tools have been applied.
Nov. 16, 2005 Webcast Seminar on:
"Phase II Stormwater"
by Nikos Singelis, Office of Wastewater Management, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC
The Clean Water Act Phase II NPDES Stormwater Program requires approximately 5000 communities around the country to
develop and implement comprehensive stormwater management programs. Our regulations set forth a flexible framework described
by "six minimum" measures, which include public education, public involvement, management of construction site runoff, management
of permanent (or post-construction) stormwater runoff, detection and elimination of illicit discharges, and the application of
stormwater and pollution prevention practices to the day-to-day municipal operations.
This Webcast will open with an overview of the Phase II requirements, noting particular areas where watershed groups can
participate. Arguably, the most important part of the program is the permanent or post-construction minimum measure. The second
part of the Webcast will focus on this measure and will provide an overview of what municipalities need to do to put these programs
in place. We will also discuss how new ideas such as low impact development and smart growth can be integrated into these programs
to help ensure that real water quality benefits are achieved.
Nov. 28, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure"
by Geoffrey Anderson, Director, US EPA’s Development, Community and Environment Division,
Nancy Stoner, Natural Resources Defense Council’s Clean Water Project, and
Noelle Mackay, Executive Director, Smart Growth Vermont
As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we still have considerable distance to travel toward achieving its goals. Increasingly,
the challenges involve how and where communities grow—and how best to address the impacts of land use and development on water resources. Three practitioners
in this Webcast will 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. Our speakers will also discuss various approaches, including messaging, research, and partnering to ensure that
these tools are successfully implemented./p>
March 22, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Sustainable Financing for Watershed Groups"
by Wendy Wilson and Pat Munoz, River Network
This Webcast will explore how watershed groups can achieve long-term financial sustainability. Presenters will provide basic information about
charitable giving and the most promising sources of funding for watershed groups. They will also review the essential elements your group needs to successfully
raise money, examine productive fundraising strategies, and outline how to create a fundraising plan.
September 20, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Using Brownfields Grants for Watershed Restoration and Revitalization"
by Wendy Jackson, Executive Director of Freshwater Land Trust and
Camilla Warren, EPA Brownfields Project Manager for Alabama
This Webcast highlights funding available to states, communities, and other stakeholders under the Brownfields Program.
The Brownfields Program works with these groups to assess, safely clean up, and reuse Brownfields. "Brownfields" are
lands that typically have hazardous substances and which are redeveloped and reused under this program. The Webcast
showcases the Black Warrior-Cahaba Rivers Land Trust in Jefferson County, Alabama, which has received a $200,000
Brownfields Assessment Grant for the Five Mile Creek Project.
Jan. 18, 2006 Webcast Seminar on:
"Using EPA's Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters"
by Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc., Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, USEPA
NPS Control Branch, Leslie Shoemaker, Water Resources Engineer, Tetra Tech, Inc., and Barry Tonning, Policy Analyst,
Tetra Tech, Inc.
EPA has recently developed the Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters
to assist watershed planners in developing effective plans that will provide an analytical framework to restore water
quality in impaired waters and to protect waters that may be threatened. The Webcast instructors will provide an overview
of the Handbook contents, and then proceed through each of the steps needed to develop and implement watershed plans.
Throughout the Webcast, the instructors will address some of the most common questions that arise in developing watershed
plans such as: How do I know when I have enough data? What if our watershed group doesn't have the skills to do many of
these analyses? How do I know if I've met the requirements to qualify for section 319 funding? There will also be
opportunities to ask questions about the Handbook and watershed planning in general.
Jan. 17, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Using NEMO - Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials - to Advance Watershed Management"
by Chet Arnold, Associate Director, Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), University of Connecticut;
John Rozum, Director, Connecticut NEMO Project, University of Connecticut; and
Dave Dickson, Director, National NEMO Network, University of Connecticut
The Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program is national award-winning program that educates local land use decision makers
on the links between land use and water resource protection. This Webcast will provide a thorough overview of the methods, impacts and educational
offerings of the NEMO Program. The educational offerings, geospatial technology tools including build out scenarios, and local impacts of the
Connecticut and other state programs will be discussed. The instructors will also describe the National NEMO Network, an affiliated group of projects
in 30 states, which may be available to help your watershed or local community.
June 21, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Using STORET Data to Characterize Your Watershed"
by Randy E. Hill, IT Project Manager, US EPA Monitoring Branch,
Dwane Young, IT Specialist, EPA Monitoring Branch and
Kristen Gunthardt, IT Specialist, EPA Monitoring Branch
EPA’s STORET program encourages and supports sound data management – a vital aspect of effective watershed planning and protection –
no matter how large or small the organization. The National STORET Data Warehouse is EPA’s Internet available repository of water quality data.
It contains water quality data of all types – physical, chemical and biological – collected by federal agencies, states, tribes, watershed
organizations, and universities. This Webcast will provide a brief overview of the STORET program and discuss the importance of data management to
watershed protection. Speakers will offer a quick primer on how to access data from the STORET warehouse and use that data to characterize a watershed.
Future developments in STORET – in particular, those relevant to watershed organizations – will also be discussed, as well as how individual
organizations can get involved.
Jan. 16, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"The Wastewater Information System Tools (TWIST) for Managing Decentralized Systems"
by Barry Tonning, Associate Director, Tetra Tech Inc.,
Dr. Sabu Paul, Senior Environmental Engineer, Tetra Tech Inc., and
Stephen Hogye, US EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management
The Wastewater Information System Tool (TWIST) is a Microsoft Access based information management system developed for US EPA to help communities inventory and manage decentralized (i.e., individual and clustered) wastewater systems. The Webcast will provide an overview of watershed and water quality issues related to wastewater management, discuss treatment system options and management, and address the need for inventory systems such as TWIST. The Webcast will also provide an introduction on how to use TWIST and discuss how it can be used to track onsite and clustered sewage systems. Finally, the Webcast will also provide information on other tools for small communities and decentralized system users.
Feb. 20, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Wastewater Utilities Using Sustainable Watershed Approaches"
by Andy Crosland, Sustainable Infrastructure Coordinator, U. S. EPA,
Kevin Shafer, Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and
Stephanie Farrell, Engineering Services Coordinator, Hallsdale-Powell Utility District
As a nation, we have built an extensive network of infrastructure to provide the public with access to water and sanitation. Much of the drinking water
and wastewater infrastructure in the U.S. was built in the 30 years following World War II, mirroring the increase in population. Utilities are facing
tremendous costs to rehabilitate and replace this infrastructure. EPA has a new initiative to promote Sustainable Infrastructure and help utilities
identify the best practices to address a variety of management challenges. This Webcast will provide a brief introduction to EPA’s Sustainable
Infrastructure Initiative and will highlight the work of two utilities to use sustainable watershed management approaches.
Oct. 3, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Water, Energy, and Climate Change"
by Susan Kaderka, National Wildlife Federation and
Don Elder, River Network
Most people now understand that we have a climate problem, but few yet appreciate how big it is or what it will take to solve it. This Webcast will
explore the dimensions of this global problem and frame the ensuing discussions about what water quality managers at the federal, state, and local level,
along with the watershed protection community, can do to rise to the climate challenge. The speakers will discuss major opportunities to save water and
energy together, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting climate change. Watershed practitioners, utilities, community leaders, and agency
officials can all benefit from hearing about the profound implications of climate change on our water resources and what we can all do now to protect our
future.
Oct. 17, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"Watershed Financing -- Moving Beyond Grants"
by Tim Jones, USEPA Coastal Management Branch and
Dan Nees, World Resources Institute
Community leaders and local officials often focus watershed protection efforts on one or two funding sources, such as the Environmental Protection
Agency′s section 319 funds. This approach to funding is understandable given the complexity of the problems, issues, and potential solutions available.
Finding public funds – usually in the form of grants – is often the easiest and least politically costly financing solution to very entrenched issues
and problems. Yet, anyone with experience in designing and managing watershed restoration projects knows that there is not enough public funding or private
grants to recover watersheds and habitat areas. Creating a watershed-financing plan that identifies and leverages sustainable funding sources is key to
successful implementation of any community effort, including watershed restoration and protection. Essential elements of developing a watershed finance
strategy and key steps in the financing planning process will be discussed. Concepts will be demonstrated through presentation of successful watershed
finance case study examples.
May 2, 2007 Webcast Seminar on:
"The Watershed Plan Builder: EPA's New Interactive Web-based Tool Designed to Promote the Development of Comprehensive Watershed Plans"
by Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Nonpoint Source Control Branch,
Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc. and
Vladi Royzman, Water Resources Scientist, Tetra Tech, Inc.
EPA has recently developed the Web-based tool, Watershed Plan Builder to help organizations develop integrated watershed plans to meet
state and EPA requirements and promote water quality improvement. The Plan Builder leads you through a series of steps to produce a customized
narrative outline of a wathershed plan for your watershed, populated with the relevant datasets, information resources and analysis tools. This
tool is designed to get you started, providing a framework for your watershed plan and tips on what should be included in your plan and how to
obtain additional information. Much of the instructional text in Plan Builder is taken from EPA's Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to
Restore and Protect Our Waters, which was written to assist watershed planners in developing effective plans that will provide an anlytical
framework to restore water quality in impaired waters and to protect waters that may be threatened. The Webcast instructors will provide background
on the development of the tool, give an overview of the Plan Builder contents and then navigate through the Plan Builder in a live on-line
demonstration.
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May 13, 2008 Webcast Seminar on:
"Wetlands and Climate Change"
by Dr. Virginia Burkett, Global Change Research at the U.S. Geological Survey, Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey,
Jim Powell, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and David VanLuven, The Nature Consevancy-Eastern NY Chapter
Today, the scientific consensus on global climate change is challenging our assumptions about water resources. Wetland habitats in particular
are faced with unique challenges due to a number of factors including rising sea levels and variable temperature and precipitation patterns. The importance
of wetland functions and ecosystem services will continue to grow as the climate changes. Webcast instructors will discuss the issue from diverse perspectives
reflecting the multifaceted approach needed to address the problem. Join us to learn more about the latest research findings, effects on inland and coastal wetlands in
Alaska and Maine, and collaborative planning efforts in the Hudson River Valley to build coalitions that support adaptation strategies to protect people and the environment.
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