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Water Headlines for June 1, 2007Benjamin H. Grumbles Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. In This Week’s Water Headlines:
Report: Beachgoers Can Expect Good ConditionsAmerica’s beach scorecard topped 95 percent during 2006, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s just-released Annual Beach Report. Of more than 676,000 beach days, fewer than five percent were restricted due to contamination-related closings. More than half of the actions lasted for two days or less. More than 3,700 beaches were monitored by 35 states and territories under EPA’s Beach Program. Fewer beaches were in the program than in 2005 due to consolidations and corrected state survey data. Beach contamination often results from stormwater running off streets, fields, forests, and other sources. "We’re seeing progress in keeping America’s beaches clean but significant challenges remain," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "The administration is committed to working with our partners to prevent pollution, monitor water quality, and provide the public with timely and useful information on beach closures and advisories." (Beach days are those counted during the customary beach season for a given area. Many are seasonal, although beach days may be counted for most or all of a calendar year in warmer climates.) EPA and its state partners are improving data collection and reporting, which will provide a more complete picture of the nation's beaches. The EPA Beach Grant program has made available $62 million to 35 coastal and Great Lakes states and territories since the passage of the BEACH Act in 2000. The funding level for beach monitoring will continue at $9.9 million this year. EPA beach research centers on new and ongoing activities meant to establish benchmarks, explore emerging technologies and refine methodology. Each of these actions is focused on preventing the pollution that can make the beaches and waters unsafe:
National Summary: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/seasons/2006 June is National Oceans MonthThe President has proclaimed June 2007 as National Oceans Month. Especially during National Oceans Month, we underscore our commitment to being good stewards of the oceans and recognize all who are dedicated to making our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes cleaner, healthier, and more productive. By continuing to work together, we can conserve and enjoy the splendor of these magnificent waters now and for generations to come. A number of ocean-related activities are underway during the month of June, including a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the National Estuary Program. The proclamation is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070531-6.html. Watershed Academy June 21st Webcast to feature STORET—EPA’s repository of water quality monitoring dataOn May 23, 2007, EPA’s Watershed Academy sponsored a Webcast on "Long-Term Stewardship of Wetland Mitigation Sites" featuring Palmer Hough from US EPA’s Wetlands Division, Jessica Wilkinson from the Environmental Law Institute, and Deborah Rogers with the Center for Natural Lands Management. The Webcast covered the basics of the Clean Water Act Section 404 program and compensatory mitigation. Speakers also covered potential stewardship opportunities in mitigation. The seminar attracted more than 266 participants from 36 states and D.C. The archived version of the Webcast is now posted at http://www.cluin.org/live/archive.cfm. On June 21st, the Academy will host a Webcast on EPA’s water quality data STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) system. Speakers will provide an overview of the STORET program and discuss the importance of data management to watershed protection. They will provide a quick primer on how to access data from the STORET system and use that data to characterize a watershed. Future developments in STORET – in particular, those relevant to watershed organizations -- will also be discussed. For more information or to access archived audio versions of past Webcasts, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts Watershed Tool of the MonthSTORET Subscribe to Water HeadlinesPlease forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA’s Office of Water. To subscribe to the Water Headlines listserve: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe Water Headlines first name last name (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe Water Headlines Robert Jones)
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