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 This workshop has been cancelled!

Throughout the country, 319(h) grant funds from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) are being used to support the efforts of various groups to develop watershed restoration and protection plans. These watershed-based plans are typically being developed to serve as a detailed implementation plan to achieve the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reduction requirements for impaired waterways. Plans are also being developed to protect pristine waterways from becoming degraded. The plans include the identification of pollution sources (or potential sources) on a watershed scale, identification of management practices to address these pollution sources, and estimation of the load reductions that will be achieved by implementing these management practices. To accomplish these requirements, water quality monitoring and modeling is typically needed. Additionally, a public participation component needs to be incorporated into the planning process. A Watershed Restoration Planning Committee is one way of engaging local stakeholders into the process. These stakeholders provide assistance in developing the plan, as well as implementing the recommendations of the plan. The final Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan results in a prioritized list of recommended best management practices (BMPs) for addressing the water quality concerns in the watershed, including a schedule for implementation and a criteria to evaluate the load reductions being achieved and the water quality improvements. This final plan serves as a blueprint for watershed restoration and protection activities in the watershed.

The objective of this workshop is to provide a comprehensive introduction to watershed restoration and protection planning while interjecting relevant examples and perspectives from invited speakers. In October 2005, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published a draft of the Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters. The Handbook provides a wealth of information for various stages of the planning process. This includes building stakeholder support, motoring and interpreting new data, identifying pollutant sources and loads, and designing and implementing restoration projects to address those sources. The workshop segments will follow the format of the Handbook. At the same time it will, provide several examples of the Handbook’s methods in practice and perspectives on lessons learned. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program will serve as the host of the workshop and is currently at various stages of preparing watershed restoration and protection plans for eight watersheds. Additional speakers will represent lessons learned in other parts of the country.

Speakers:

Christopher Obropta, Rutgers University

Stuart Lehman, USEPA

Brian Benham, Virginia Tech

This workshop has been cancelled!