United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office Of Water
(4501F)
EPA 840-N-97-001
Winter 1997
A Bulletin on Sustaining Aquatic Ecosystems
in this Issue ...
fa th& is**, vw? explore same
of the major, watershed-
agencies, with art efnphasis on
how itiey are managed
at the
slate and Ideal levels,
n the Inside ...
SfatewKte Watershed
Did You Kmw? ft* 7)
Hw Nw Ibarra 8$ {p 12)
Conference Schedule {p 13)
From t» (Srassioots
-------
Page 2
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
FEATURE ARTICLE .. .
Pilot Center
Supports
Biocriteria
Efforts
In the past, efforts to meet the Clean
Water Act objective of "chemical,
physical, and biological integrity"
have focused primarily on chemical
integrity.
However, as chemical pollution
levels have declined, it is becoming
evident that chemical criteria, alone,
are not always enough to protect the
biological community from the
impacts of factors such as sedimenta-
tion, eutrophication, and habitat
alteration. Therefore, EPA is
encouraging states and tribes to
develop biocriteria, in addition to
chemical criteria, as a more compre-
hensive strategy for protecting water
resources.
States and tribes have consistently
indicated that insufficient funds and
lack of technical assistance are the
main obstacles they face in develop-
ing biocriteria programs. EPA's
Biological Criteria program provides
grant funds to states and tribes for
developing biocriteria and produces
technical guidance manuals for each
surface water body type. Yet, there
remains a need for region-specific
technical assistance as states and
tribes use these tools to develop
biocriteria programs.
Watershed Events
To meet this need, EPA is initiating
a Pilot Technical Assistance Center
in Region III. The pilot center is a
prototype for similar centers to be
established in other EPA Regions.
The centers will bring together staff
specialists from federal agency field
offices with technical know-how
useful in developing and implement-
ing biocriteria programs. States and
tribes can then draw from the
expertise provided by the centers to
develop biocriteria programs and
address other environmental con-
cerns.
Two projects have already been
incorporated in the pilot effort: a
watershed investigation on the
Chester River on Maryland's Eastern
Shore and a coastal marine project
investigating the effect of sewage
effluent on marine organisms in
Ocean City, Maryland and Bethany
Beach, Delaware (See related story
in From the Grassroots...).
* A BulfeUn oo Sustaining Aquatic Ecosystem
Adopt-A-
Watershed
Program —
An Educational Program
for Students in the
Farming Community
Initiated in 1995, the Tennessee
Valley Authority's (TVA) Adopt-A-
Watershed Program is shaping a
strong partnership among watershed
committees, local, state, and federal
agencies, the local school system,
and individual landusers. Relying on
convincing research that proves best
management practices (BMPs) help
prevent nonpoint source pollution,
the program is exposing the next
generation of landowners to palat-
able doses of information through
classroom and field trip opportuni-
ties.
Partner agencies such as the Natural
Resources Conservation Service,
Resource Conservation and Develop-
ment, Evergreen and Holston River
Soil and Water Conservation Dis-
tricts, and others are working closely
with high school teachers and their
classes. Together, they map the
watershed, document land uses,
develop and sample a stream,
identify possible problems, and
develop and implement solutions to
correct those problems.
Teachers involved in the program
attend a 40-hour workshop and
receive 3 hours of college teacher
recertification credit. Students
involved in the program get "real-
life" learning experiences, the
opportunity to work with a variety of
resource professionals, and a $100
award (per school) from Monsanto
Company for planting green stripes
(filter strips that trap sediment,
nutrients, pesticides, etc.). TVA is in
the process of acquiring a corporate
sponsor to award students for
implementing other clean water
initiatives. TVA is also looking to
incorporate California's Adopt-A-
Watershed school curriculum (grades
K-12) into its program.
With cost-share funds in southwest
Virginia dwindling, or possibly
being eliminated altogether, the need
for educating landusers is more
crucial than ever before. TVA
believes that Adopt-A-Watershed
will instill a better understanding of
conservation among the heirs of
farmland in Smyth and Washington
Counties, breaking the cycle of
-------
Winter"! 997
Watershed Events
PageS
traditional land use that adversely
affects water quality. An equally
important objective is to demonstrate
the substantial benefits of focusing
on watersheds and working with
communities. Because we cannot be
everywhere, we have learned that we
must partner with those who share
our concern for clean water and
healthy ecosystems if we are to
achieve a sustainable environment
for generations to come.
Planning
Assistance to
States (PAS)
Program
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers'
(Corps) Planning Assistance to
States (PAS) Program, also known
as the Section 22 Program, permits
the Corps to use its technical plan-
ning expertise to support state and
tribal efforts to undertake broad,
statewide, comprehensive water
resources planning. Upon request,
the Corps will cooperate with a state
or tribe in the preparation of plans
for the development, use, and
conservation of water and related
land resources located within state or
tribal boundaries.
Assistance is provided within the
limits of available appropriations,
but $300,000 is the maximum
amount available to any state or tribe
annually. The program is cost-
shared on a 50-50 basis, with the
Corps providing 50 percent of the
funding and the state or tribe provid-
ing the other 50 percent. Typical
problems and opportunities studied
under this program include flood
damage reduction, water supply,
water conservation, water quality,
hydropower, erosion, navigation, and
related environmental resources.
The program can also be used to
assist states and tribes in developing
or revising a State Water Plan.
To date, the Corps has assisted 47
states and 18 tribes through the PAS
program. Studies vary in scope from
environmental investigations for an
individual site to comprehensive
watershed management studies. In a
recent PAS effort, the Gila River
Indian Reservation and the Corps'
Los Angeles District agreed to
conduct a comprehensive water
resources plan for the Gila River
watershed in Arizona. The study
will identify problems and opportu-
nities, assess existing conditions, and
develop and evaluate alternative
solutions in such areas as water
supply, water quality, flood control,
and fish and wildlife habitat.
State and tribal officials who are
interested in assistance for their
communities and who are willing to
share the study costs should contact
the Corps District or Division
program manager in their area.
Local Corps coordinators work with
states and tribes to compile requests.
Each Corps District accommodates
as many studies as possible within its
funding allotment.
Restoring Fish
and Wildlife in
the
Chesapeake Bay
Watershed
In 1984, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's (Service) Chesapeake Bay
Coastal Ecosystem Program
(CBCEP) was established to protect
and restore living resources vital to
the ecological and economic health
of the nation's largest estuary. It
was the first of 11 coastal ecosystem
programs established by the agency.
Through CBCEP, the Service works
with a variety of federal, state, and
local partners and private citizens to:
identify important fish and wildlife
populations; seek solutions to threats
facing these resources; protect,
restore, and enhance wildlife habitat;
and promote stewardship of fish and
wildlife resources through public
outreach.
Since 1984, the Service has been a
major partner in the multi-agency
Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP)
headed by EPA. As the lead federal
wildlife agency, the Service pro-
motes restoration of fish and wildlife
and their habitats. In this role, the
Service facilitated a multi-agency
effort to identify the habitat require-
ments necessary to maintain or
restore 31 Chesapeake Bay "indica-
tor" species, including submerged
aquatic vegetation, shellfish, finfish,
waterfowl, colonial wading birds,
and raptors.
This information is being integrated
into a multi-million dollar CBP
effort, directed by the Service, to
restore wildlife habitat in the water-
shed (see related story in From the
Grassroots...). To date, hundreds of
acres of wetlands, forest, and up-
lands have been restored. Addition-
ally, hundreds of miles of fish
spawning habitat have been re-
opened and nutrient reductions
implemented by the CBP have
contributed to the restoration of
thousands of acres of submerged
aquatic vegetation.
See FEATURE, page 4
-------
Page 4
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
FEATURE, from page 3
In addition to working with partners
outside of the agency, the CBCEP
recruits the expertise of other Service
programs to restore Chesapeake Bay
fish, wildlife, and habitat. Examples
include: restoring eroding shoreline
habitat at Blackwater, Eastern Neck,
and Barren Island National Wildlife
Refuges; working with Service
fishery offices in Maryland, Vir-
ginia, and Pennsylvania to restore
shad, sturgeon, and other anadro-
mous fish through stocking, tagging,
fish passage, and habitat restoration;
and working with the Service's
Partners for Wildbfe programs in
Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylva-
nia to restore wetland and riparian
habitat on private lands.
The CBCEP also works with citizens
to promote landscaping techniques
that minimize nutrient loadings to
the Chesapeake Bay, while providing
wildlife habitat. The Bay Scapes
program, developed jointly with the
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay,
encourages citizens to reduce the use
of chemical inputs through the use of
native vegetation in the home
landscape.
Finally, the CBCEP also interacts
with students through the Schoolyard
Habitat program, providing training
and technical assistance to teachers
and students for the creation of
woodlands, wetlands, and meadows
on school grounds. This "hands-on"
experience brings the Service's
effort full circle, training a new
generation of citizens to assume
responsibility for the stewardship of
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
NRCS Creates
Science and
Technology
Consortium
Natural resources conservation
planning is becoming increasingly
complex. This change is the result
of: increased knowledge about the
interrelationships between the
components of ecosystems, changes
in public expectations, greater
demands on natural resources, and
the emergence of self-initiated
community efforts for natural
resource management on privately-
owned lands.
To ensure that it could meet the
growing, science-based information
needs of its clients, cooperators, and
partners despite government down-
sizing and restructuring, the Natural
Resources Conservation Service
created a Science and Technology
Consortium, made up of eight
institutes, five centers, five divisions,
a cadre of cooperating scientists, and
a variety of external partners. The
Institutes, established in 1995-1996,
include: 1) Grazing Lands, 2)
Information Technology, 3) Natural
Resources Inventory and Analysis,
4) Social Sciences, 5) Soil Quality,
6) Watershed Science, 7) Wetland
Science, and 8) Wildlife Habitat.
Although each institute has its own
functional area, they are encouraged
to collaborate with each other, as
well as with other divisions of
NRCS, partnering agencies, and non-
governmental organizations.
The Watershed Science Institute
(WSSI) is of key interest to those
pursuing the watershed approach.
WSSI is comprised of a core of eight
agency scientists and specialists
from across the nation who combine
their diverse resource experience,
ecological knowledge, and engineer-
ing skills to prepare effective, field-
oriented, watershed management
procedures and tools. WSSI works to
accelerate the development of tech-
nology for understanding and treating
social, economic, and environmental
concerns within a watershed.
The primary audience for technology
from the institutes is NRCS field
office staff and each proposed project
is always evaluated for its relevance
to this constituency. In 1995-1996,
the WSSI collaborated in approxi-
mately 12 projects, including the
development of fact sheets for an
Interagency Stream Corridor Restora-
tion Handbook (scheduled for release
in late 1997), preparation of a guid-
ance document for using large woody
debris jams in the restoration of large
river systems (scheduled for release in
late 1997), and guidance documents
for managing riparian and wetland
buffers to improve water quality in
watersheds with intensive animal
production (scheduled for release in
1998).
The WSSI has also joined in a col-
laborative effort with EPA Region 10
and others to document the progress
of a community stewardship project
that will produce indicators for rapid
environmental assessment (see related
story in From the Grassroots...).
Funding
Restoration
Efforts in the
Western States
The Bureau of Reclamation (Recla-
mation) has 27 area offices that play
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 5
a significant role in funding restora-
tion projects in the Western United
States.
Since 1994, Reclamation has jointly
funded projects that promote the
health of ecosystems of the Ameri-
can West in partnership with the
National Fish and Wildlife Founda-
tion (NFWF). Established by
Congress in 1984, NFWF is a
private, non-profit organization that
works to foster the conservation of
fish, wildlife, and plant resources
through challenge grants. To date,
NFWF has funded 1,400 projects in
all 50 states and 17 countries,
providing more than $199 million
for conservation.
In 1996, Reclamation, in partner-
ship with NFWF, provided
$828,250 for 14 fish and wildlife
restoration challenge grants in 11
Western states, including one grant
to a Native American tribe. In
addition, another $500,000 has been
awarded for Spring Run and Chi-
nook Salmon restoration activities
in California.
Reclamation and NFWF are work-
ing to expand funding opportunities
for the coming year. Reclamation
received $1.3 million in its 1997
budget to continue the challenge
grants program in the West. (For
examples of projects funded by
challenge grants, see related story in
From the Grassroots...) States and
tribes interested in accessing this
funding should contact the Area
Manger of their local Reclamation
field office to discuss proposals.
More information on Reclamation
field offices is available on the
Internet at URL=http://www.usbr.
gov. (otherwise see the contact box
at the end of the feature section).
Protecting
Forest
Ecosystems
with STREAM
Approximately 43 percent of all
recreation on public lands in the
U.S. occurs in the National Forest
System. Because many rivers and
streams flow through or have their
origins within national forests,
these recreational activities are
often water-based. Congressional
mandates require the USDA Forest
Service to protect national forest
stream ecosystems and the public
benefits they provide.
In 1992, at the request of national
forest managers, a joint venture
between the National Forest
System and Forest Service Re-
search created STREAM, the
Stream Systems Technology
Center. Under STREAM, scientists
from the U.S. Forest Service work
in cooperation with scientists from
the Bureau of Land Management,
the U.S. Geological Survey, and 10
universities to help forest managers
identify and fulfill their aquatic
information needs.
Public policy issues involving
stream flows and the health of
aquatic ecosystems are complex
and necessitate presenting special-
ized technical information in ways
that are useful to managers, the
interested public, and others.
STREAM fulfills this need. The
technical information and profes-
sional know-how fostered by
STREAM are key tools in evaluat-
ing the cumulative effects of human
activities, such as land use changes
and diversions, on stream channels.
STREAM scientists share informa-
tion with more than 2,500 subscrib-
ers from within and outside the
Forest Service in a technical news-
letter called Stream Notes. In
addition, the STREAM publication
Stream Channel Reference Sites is
widely used by federal agencies,
state and local governments, and
private consultants to train people to
effectively measure the characteris-
tics of stream channels.
By working with the National Forest
System, STREAM scientists have
helped to evaluate, restore, and
protect the public benefits of rivers
and streams in our national forests.
For example, STREAM helped the
California's Stanislaus National
Forest assess potential changes to
the Clevey River from a proposed
hydropower development. Scientists
from the Pacific Southwest Research
Station studied changes that oc-
curred in an adjacent stream, Cherry
Creek, following construction of an
upstream dam. STREAM also
helped field teams develop studies to
determine instream flows needed by
the public in adjudications involving
the Snake and Klamath Rivers.
Currently, STREAM is tracking
results of a channel restoration effort
being completed in connection with
a Federal Highway Administration
project in New Mexico's Cibola
National Forest. The results of this
project will be used to guide other
nonstructural channel restoration
efforts in ephemeral streams. (See
related story on STREAM in From
the Grassroots...).
See FEATURE, page 6
-------
PageG
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
FEATURE, from page 5
IDUCATING
NO KOT1E
USDA
Educating Young People
About Water
Recent studies show that people
believe protecting water resources
should be a national priority. The
University of Wisconsin-Extension
has developed a series of educa-
tional materials to help communities
in their ongoing effort to educate
people about the importance of
protecting water resources.
Educating Young People About
Water is designed to help youth
educators create effective water
education programs by integrating
community water issues into
education. The publication series
includes three guides. Each guide
addresses a different aspect youth
water education:
1) A Guide to Goals and Re-
sources introduces over 100
youth water curricula to help
youth leaders find and select
water education activities.
2) A Guide to Program Planning
and Evaluation summarizes
ideas for successful program
planning from over 40 program
managers and provides check-
lists to help design and evaluate
programs.
3) A Guide to Unique Program
Strategies provides brief case
studies of 37 water education
programs taking place across
the country in unique settings,
such as after school clubs,
summer programs, museums,
nature centers, and festivals.
The program also includes a 53-
minute training video to assist
trainers in teaching youth educators
the concepts outlined in the guides.
The video workshop offers a prime
opportunity for youth educators to
practice key skills for designing
successful programs, linking water
education programs to community
issues, and managing and evaluat-
ing local water education programs.
These resources can benefit indi-
viduals looking to improve their
personal skills in managing water
education programs, small planning
groups trying to identify what their
organization or partnership can
accomplish, and local youth leaders
and natural resource professionals
working to develop or enhance
community-based water programs.
The guides and video are available
as a set for $22.95 (including
shipping). They can also be pur-
chased individually for $5 per guide
and $10.95 for the video/video
guide (see the contact box at the end
of the feature article for contact
information).
These agencies are rising to meet
the challenge of better public
service. Whether encouraging
public involvement in determining
priorities or bringing the public the
information and technical services
they need, with each effort, these
agencies are taking another step
toward a truly holistic watershed
approach.
f&tfft&m information on "&rfo$+
fag &&v*m)mnt Closer to
EPA;
Cafit&cfc Slaughter*
(202) 260-1737
TVA:
Carrnefl tarn*
(423) 7S1-7312, or
Darcie Soden
(423) 632*8496
C#s Adopi-A-Watershed;
(916) 628-S334
U,S, Army Corps
of Hngfoeers:
K&nZwieki
(202) 761-0169
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Ka% Reshetiioff
(410) 57^4582
NRCS:
Carolyn Adams
(206)
la-matt:
Bureau of Reclamation;
(202) 208-S007
U.S. Forest Service:
Warren Harper,
(202) 205-1671
Douglas Ryan, or
(202) 205-1524
Larry J, Schmidt
(970) 498-1731
IMv. of Wisconsin Extension
(608) 262*0020
t?artdrew$®fac$taff>
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page?
STATEWIDE WATERSHED APPROACHES
This feature describes statewide watershed protection approaches and projects. For more information on this
feature, please contact Joel Salter at EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, 401 M St. SW, Rm 2104(B) MC
4203, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 260-6051, fax (202) 260-1460, e-mail: salter.joel@epamail.epa.gov.
Alaska's Watershed
Approach — Encouraging
Public Involvement
Alaska has made considerable
progress in the 17 months
since EPA Region 10 and the
Alaska Department of Environmen-
tal Conservation entered into a
partnership designed to facilitate the
state's transition to the watershed
approach. Group consensus has
been reached on all of the major
decision topics and the state's
framework document is scheduled
for release this Fall.
Reaching outside the agency,
Alaska encourages stakeholders to
be involved as much as possible in
the design process. The state has
been highly successful in attracting
a diverse group of active partici-
pants to aid in the process; a group
of approximately 30 stakeholders
regularly attend monthly meetings.
The Core Workgroup's accomplish-
ments to date include the develop-
ment of (and, more importantly,
agreement on): a mission statement,
the content of watershed plans, a
cycle for carrying out activities
within each watershed, criteria for
targeting watersheds, and watershed
sequencing. The workgroup has
also developed an exhaustive
communication strategy and formed
sub-groups to work on statewide
GIS coordination and environmen-
tal indicators of success.
Did You Know—About Filter Strips?
Iowa State University
msearch shows that 10-foot
wide
70 percent of the
sediment from runolf flowing
A recent revtewof pub-
fished studies shows thai
fitter strips of varying widths
r&wov$ &R average of 43
percent of the herbicides
contained in field mnoft
duririg both natural and
simulated rainfalf,
The key features that shaped
Alaska's approach are its immense
geographic scale and its localized
ecological problems. Due to these
unique characteristics, it is not
necessary, or perhaps even possible,
to address every watershed state-
wide. Therefore, the framework has
a two-prong approach that targets
watersheds currently known to be a
problem, known as "ACTIVE"
watersheds, and performs a continu-
ous "DISCOVERY" on the lesser-
known watersheds.
The "ACTIVE" watersheds will
generally observe a five year
schedule and will follow a seven-
step watershed cycle:
1) Convene a watershed initiative
involving stakeholders;
2) Review and compile existing
information and define goals;
3) Identify issues;
4) Set priorities and targets;
5) Develop strategies;
6) Develop a watershed manage-
ment agreement; and
7) Implement the plan.
This cycle of activities may or may
not be repeated for a particular
watershed in years six and beyond.
The "DISCOVERY" phase takes a
hard look at each of the six major
See APPROACH, page 8
-------
Pages
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
APPROACH, from page 7
hydrologic areas of the state to find
new watersheds to include in the
"ACTIVE" category. This phase
observes a six year schedule in
which one hydrologic region is
examined at a time, although it is
possible that "DISCOVERY" may
occur in more than one region
simultaneously. Several steps of
the watershed process will also be
used for "DISCOVERY," such as
convening stakeholders, gathering
data, and strategic monitoring to a
lesser degree.
For more information, contact
Gregory L. Kellogg at the Alaska
Department of Environmental
Conservation, (907) 269-7689.
Arizona's Watershed
Approach — A Unique
Management Structure
Since last May, the Arizona
Department of Environmental
Quality (ADEQ) has been develop-
ing a framework for managing
water quality on a watershed basis.
Watershed Advisory Committees
made up of representatives from
federal, state, and local agencies,
municipalities, tribes, and landown-
ers/residents determined the goals,
objectives, needs, and products of
the state's watershed approach. The
approach focuses on the following
objectives:
• Empowering local communities
to set priorities;
• Encouraging fair and equitable
actions through public involve-
ment;
• Coordinating environmental
planning and implementation
with other agencies;
• Aligning ADEQ resources to
achieve more efficient, effec-
tive, and responsive customer
service;
• Providing a sound technical
basis to support environmental
decisions; and
• Providing a forum to foster
continuous evaluation and
improvement of environmental
programs and regulations.
The watershed approach divides the
state into 10 Watershed Manage-
ment Zones. In each zone, an
internal ADEQ Watershed Manage-
ment Zone Team works closely
with the Watershed Advisory
Committee. The ADEQ team
reports its zone's needs to the State
Watershed Coordinator, who then
relays them to the ADEQ Section
"round table." The "round table,"
made up of representatives from
each of ADEQ's eight sections,
determines assignments and alloca-
tions based on the reported informa-
tion. A unique feature of Arizona's
watershed approach, this organiza-
tional structure has proven success-
ful.
Arizona's draft Watershed Frame-
work document guides regional
watershed planning in each of the
ten zones according to a six-step
process:
1) Stakeholder Outreach
Involvement;
2) Collect and Evaluate
Information;
3) List and Target Concerns;
4) Develop Management Strategies
and Measures of Success;
5) Compile the Watershed Plan; and
6) Implement and Evaluate the
Watershed Plan;
Watershed planning will rotate
among each of the state's 10 zones
on a five year cycle, with at least
one iteration scheduled to be
completed in each zone by the year
2000. Arizona's final framework
document is scheduled for release
this Fall.
For more information, contact Carol
Aby, (602) 207-4601, or John
Hathaway, (602) 207-4219, at the
Arizona Department of Environ-
mental Quality.
"Qvr future will be
deeply compro-
mised unless we
learn to manage
water as n critical
ingredient of our
fives."
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 9
Whole Basin Management
in Delaware - Developing
Intr a-Agency Harmony
Delaware's Whole Basin
Management strategy is
designed to break down the barriers
between the divisions in the Depart-
ment of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control. The
strategy recognizes that, although
the}' have different focus areas, the
divisions - Air and Waste Manage-
ment, Fish and Wildlife, Parks and
Recreation, Soil and Water Conser-
vation, and Water Resources - share
common ground.
Delaware's approach is to monitor,
assess, and manage all the biologi-
cal, chemical, and physical environ-
ments of geographic areas through-
out the state that are defined on the
basis of drainage patterns. Accord-
ing to Stephen N. Williams,
Delaware's Whole Basin Coordina-
tor, "This means evaluating the
environment in a holistic, multi-
disciplinary manner in which
resources from within and outside
the department focus on issues and
solve problems together."
"The goal is to create a road map
for an ongoing process that will
encourage all the players in a basin/
ecosystem to cooperate in the
management of natural resources
and to help in the coordination of
activities to protect and rehabilitate
those ecosystems," Williams says.
"The primary objectives are to
improve communication between
programs, get maximum mileage out
of sometimes limited resources,
promote public outreach and interac-
tion, and integrate efforts with other
agencies, the private sector, and the
public."
The department is applying the
approach to their first basin, the
Piedmont, comprised of the six
northernmost watersheds in the state.
A basin team, consisting of technical
and managerial staff members from
each division has been formed to
carry out the five-year, eight-phase
plan. The phases begin with plan-
ning and continue through prelimi-
nary assessment, monitoring, analy-
sis of the problems and issues,
development of management and
resource protection strategies, and,
finally, implementation of the plan.
The public will be involved through-
out the process and people will have
the opportunity to express their ideas
and opinions about both environmen-
tal problems and how they want the
environment to look.
The Piedmont Team, currently in the
preliminary assessment phase, is
gathering data and information based
upon mediums, such as land use,
sediment, surface water, water
quantity, living resources, air, soils,
wetlands, and contaminant sources.
Subgroups have been organized for
each medium to unite individuals
from different divisions with a
common interest. The subgroups
will be identifying data gaps, making
recommendations, and prioritizing
issues.
While the Piedmont Team has only
been active for the past seven
months, the participants have
already found the experience to be
very rewarding. Team members
believe the approach provides for a
more direct focus on protecting
natural resources and pulls together
all of the right "pieces" to create the
"big picture." Another immediate
benefit is the data and information
sharing which is taking place
between divisions. This process has
identified the need for the depart-
ment to link divisional databases
and dedicate more resources to
database/GIS management.
For more information, contact
Stephen N. Williams, Delaware
Department of Natural Resources
and Environmental Control, (302)
739-4403.
SRF Funding Framework
Workshops
The State Revolving Fund (SRF)
Branch will be hosting 5 Regional
SRF Funding Framework
workshops this Spring. These
workshops should provide very
useful information on how to
support watershed projects
through the SRF. The workshops
will be most successful if they
have a good mix of program and
SRF staff in attendance! Online
registration is available through
the University of Maryland
Environmental Finance Center at:
http://www.mdsg. umd.edu/mdsg/
envifin/srf. For more information
contact Andy Kurtzman at (301)
405-6384 or Kong Chiu at (202)
260-1722.
March 19-20 Portland, OR
March 26-27 Austin, TX
March 31-Aprl Charleston, SC
April 9-10 Ann Arbor, MI
April 16-17 Boston. MA
-------
Page
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
ORE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE STATES
ceature describes state watershed projects and the lessons states have learned through their
watershed efforts. We welcome your submissions.
Pesticide
This past July, New York Governor
PataM signed a bill establishing a
statewide pesticide registry and a
pesticide water-quality monitoring
program. Known as the Breast
Cancer Bill, the law is designed to
help determine the links, if any,
between breast cancer and pesti-
cides.
The law directs the New York State
Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC) to estab-
lish a water-quality monitoring
program for pesticides in coopera-
tion with USGS and others (includ-
ing the New York State Water
Resources Institute). If imple-
mented, this monitoring program
will fall under the Federal-State
Cooperative Program between the
USGS and New York State agen-
cies.
USGS is already sharing data on the
occurrence and distribution of
commonly used pesticides in ground
water and surface water with the
NYSDEC under the USGS Hudson
River Basin National Water Quality
Watershed Events
Assessment (NAWQA) project.
According to the NYSDEC, this
information is essential for evaluat-
ing pesticide management policies
and practices in New York State.
For more information, contact L.
Grady Moore, USGS District Chief,
(518)285-5659.
Stream
Partners Go
to Work in
West Virginia
Watersheds
A new grant program in West
Virginia will restore and protect the
state's rivers and watersheds
through local action.
The Stream Partners Program will
provide up to 20 community
organizations with the opportunity
to obtain $5,000 grants. The
$5,000 grants, matched by dona-
tions and in-kind services, will
provide support for community
watershed projects.
"Local residents, throughout the
state, say they want a greater role in
determining how rivers and streams
are protected and restored," accord-
ing to Roger Harrison, Executive
Director of the West Virginia
Rivers Coalition. "The Stream
Partners Program would allow ideas
to 'perk-up' from the local level
instead of the...traditional top-down
state and federal approaches to
water quality improvement."
To qualify for the grants, groups
must be broad-based and include
representatives from industry,
environmental groups, agriculture,
local government, tourism, recre-
ation, and education. Sixty-six
groups applied for funding in 1996.
One local organization, the Davis
Creek Watershed Association, is
seeking a Stream Partners grant to
support restoration of the
watershed's once abundant small-
mouth bass fishery, which has
declined from years of stream
degradation and illegal dumping.
Members of the local community
have organized and adopted the
stream in hopes of restoring it. As
Diana Green, a local landowner and
member of the Davis Creek Water-
shed Association, explains, "Stream
Partners...is a golden opportunity for
groups like ours who have a lot of
motivation and people power but
lack financial resources."
For more information, contact Pam
Moe-Merritt at the West Virginia
Rivers Coalition, (304) 472-0025.
* A Bu]]«io on Sustaining Aqualk
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 11
Building Partnerships for
Clean Water
in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Partnerships
for Clean Water program is uniting
conservation districts, watershed
associations, the Massachusetts
Watershed Coalition, the Natural
Resources Conservation Service,
and other partners to help communi-
ties protect and restore local water-
ways. Primarily an education
campaign aimed at municipal
boards and residents, the Partner-
ships pilot project focuses the
expertise of these partners on
addressing the impacts of polluted
runoff on rivers and streams.
As a first step, the pilot project
conducted a survey of local boards
to identify their information needs.
Feedback from the survey is being
used to publish a monthly bulletin
for municipal officials showcasing
the nonpoint source Best Manage-
ment Practices (BMPs) available for
addressing polluted runoff.
The survey was also used to design
a series of workshops to promote
the benefits of BMPs. These
workshops were tailored to the
concerns of each individual munici-
pal board, including Conservation
Commissions, Planning Boards,
Boards of Health, and Departments
of Public Works.
The pilot project also raised aware-
ness of how people can get involved
in watershed protection by conduct-
ing a "Best and Worst Streams Poll"
that identified problems and re-
cruited people interested in lending
a hand. The project is organizing
and training volunteer stream teams
to survey and monitor local streams.
Technical expertise and funding
from local, state, and federal
partners will then be targeted to
resolve problems identified by the
teams.
In addition to restoring waterways
in central Massachusetts, the
Partnerships pilot will serve as a
model for the establishment of other
clean water partnerships across the
state.
For more information, contact Ed
Himlan at the Massachusetts
Watershed Coalition, (508) 534-
0379.
Tennessee and Ohio
Water Parks Offer Unique
Watershed "Experience"
Visitors to Mud Island in Memphis,
Tennessee have an unique opportu-
nity to experience the Mississippi
River watershed. They can
traverse, or swim, River Walk, a
five-block scale replica of the lower
1,000-mile span of the Mississippi
watershed.
Each 30-inch stride of River Walk
represents an actual mile of the
river. Eight hundred gallons of
water flow through the model each
minute, which empties into a 1.3
million gallon replica of the Gulf of
Mexico.
A similar experience awaits visitors
to a Cincinnati, Ohio. The city has
incorporated a scale model of the
Ohio River, similar to the Missis-
sippi model, in its new riverfront
park.
Other cities could easily replicate
these efforts by constructing scale
models of their local watersheds.
By doing so, they will be creating
an invaluable tool for watershed
education and a refreshing experi-
ence for visitors seeking relief from
the summer heat.
For more information on Mud
Island's River Walk, call 1(800)
507-6507.
American Wetlands
Month '97—
Photo Contest
F
lorida Wetlandsbank,
Institute are sponsoring a
wetlands photo contest to
celebrate American Wetlands
Month, The winning photo
will become the American
Wetlands Month '97 poster
and will N provided to
attendees at the May 7-&,
American Wettend& Month
Celebration: Communities
Working for Wetlands confer-
ence in Ate^ttdfte, Virginia.
The winning photographer will
also fa Ignored 61 Ihfc
conference.
To enter, you must submit a
photo (black and white or
color, S" x T or fc" x 10") of &
accompanied by a completed
entry form, For more informs
tion and an entry form,
contact the Terrene institute:
(709) $49-5473 phOrte, (703)
648*62$$ fax, terrene® grin,
-------
Page 12
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
1996 farm Bill *
Enhancing Public
Participation
The 1996 Farm 8i*s
providing new opporturti-
.lies for pufcdic jrwoJvernent In
and conservation areas. The
Conservation and Wetlands
Reserve Ptograt8at,«r«
rswJhQraed through 2QQ&
with MP to 3&4 miliior* sera*
and ^?S,,000 acres, raspec*
anyone time, In addition,
$200 million wftl be avaitebfe
annually to help agricultural
proetuoers establssrt oonserva-
&** practice* yrwter tfra
Environmental Quality )nc&tv
Oves Program,
The Slate Technical Commit
tees will advise their USOA-
NBCS State Conservationist in
designating prk>ries> This
$irti»$ th$ State T
your USDA/NRGS State
Cons^rvationistv A Ibt Is
available or> the Internet at
your local NRCS I tefel offic«>
FROM THE TRIBES ...
The Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission
Indian tribes have always lived in
every major watershed in Wash-
ington State. Tribal cultures, spiritu-
ality, and economies have centered
on fishing, hunting, and gathering
the natural resources of the region.
Today, tribes in nearly all of the
state's major river basins are con-
cerned with watershed management
programs and the key role these
programs play in protecting their
resources — especially their salmon
fisheries.
In 1974, the treaty Indian tribes in
western Washington created the
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commis-
sion. The commission was estab-
lished as the result of litigation (U.S.
v. Washington) that affirmed tribal
fishing rights reserved in treaties
with the federal government in the
1850's.
The commission assists tribes in
conducting orderly and biologically
sound fisheries and provides the
tribes with a single, unified voice on
fisheries management and conserva-
tion issues. Currently, member
tribes of the commission include the:
Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Puyallup,
Jamestown S'Klallam, Port Gamble
S'Klallam, Elwha Klallam,
Skokomish, Swinomish, Sauk-
Suiattle, Upper Skagit, Tulalip,
Makah, Stillaguamish, Muckleshoot,
Suquamish, Nooksack, Lummi,
Quinault, and Quileute.
Cooperative
Watershed Management
As co-managers of the fisheries,
the tribes recognize that the
fisheries are a basic, but important,
natural resource and that conserving
them requires effective and progres-
sive management. The tribes believe
that a unified effort can best accom-
plish this goal, for their benefit and
the benefit of all the people of the
Pacific Northwest.
To this end, the tribes have under-
taken several cooperative initiatives
focused on integrated resource
management, habitat conservation,
hatchery management, and harvest
management. Tribal activities and
accomplishments to date include the
following:
• In 1985, the United States and
Canada signed the Pacific Salmon
Treaty. The result of a joint effort
among tribes, state government,
sport and commercial fishing
groups, and federal fisheries
officials, the treaty established a
mechanism for cooperative
salmon management, protection,
sharing, and restoration. Fisheries
research is an integral part of the
treaty and tribes conduct exten-
sive data collection and monitor-
ing to manage salmon fisheries in
accordance with the treaty's
goals.
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 13
In 1986, the tribes, in coopera-
tion with the Department of
Fish and Wildlife, developed a
system of watershed planning to
enhance salmon fisheries on a
watershed basis. The tribes and
the state solicited public com-
ments, held hearings, and
developed sub-regional work
teams that identified goals,
objectives, problems, and
opportunities for each water-
shed. The effort has since
produced Comprehensive
Resource Production and
Management Plans for several
watersheds.
Also in 1986, tribes, state
agencies, environmental groups,
and private timber owners
developed the Timber/Fish/
Wildlife (TFW) Agreement to
protect streams and watersheds
from the impacts of logging.
TFW created a cooperative
process for identifying and
applying best management
practices to timber harvesting
operations.
Under the Chelan Agreement of
1990, tribes, state agencies,
environmental groups, agricul-
turalists, counties, cities, and
other water users are pursuing
cooperative approaches for
protecting and enhancing water
resources. Demonstration
projects in the Methow River
and the Dungeness River
watersheds are testing coopera-
tive approaches for addressing
water issues while avoiding
costly litigation.
In 1992, the tribes and the
Department of Fish and Wild-
life completed the Washington
State Salmon and Steelhead
Stock Inventory as the first step
in the Wild Stock Restoration
Initiative. Part of an effort to
restore Washington's depressed
salmon and steelhead runs, the
inventory provides a standard-
ized approach for annual
monitoring of salmon and
steelhead stocks and lays the
foundation for the restoration
program.
In addition to these achievements,
the tribes are also implementing the
watershed-based Coordinated
Tribal Water Quality Program.
The program provides the tribes
with a mechanism for addressing
water quality issues on and off the
reservation that are critical to their
economic, spiritual, and cultural
survival. By working with local,
state, and federal governments, the
program has been able to transcend
jurisdictional boundaries, making
efficient use of limited financial
and professional resources.
Most recently, the tribes, the
Department of Ecology, and EPA
Region 10 developed a draft
cooperative agreement for the co-
management of environmental
programs, in particular the Clean
Water Act section 303(d) impaired
waters listing process, including the
prioritization of total maximum
daily load (TMDL) studies. The
initiative aims to build consensus
for identifying problems, imple-
menting solutions, avoiding litiga-
tion, and coordinating tribal, state,
and federal watershed management
activities over time.
For more information, contact Fran
Wilshusen of the Commission's
Water Quality Program, (360) 438-
1180, e-mail: fwilshus@nwifc.wa.
gov; Paul Kraman of the
Commission's 303(d) Program,
(360) 438-1180, e-mail:
pkraman@nwifc.wa.gov; or Chris
Maynard with the Washington
Department of Ecology 303(d)
Program, (360) 407-6484, e-mail:
cmay461 @ecy.wa.gov.
Conference Schedule:
March 6-8, 1997
Building Watershed Partner*
shtps In the Southeast,
Chattanooga, IN. Contact
Don Andttttft, S£ HALMS
Regional Director,
7329, .Is-
9, 1997
Tools for Drinking Water
Protection Satellite Presen-
tatlorL Contact the PBS
Customer Support Center,
.1000^57-2578, internet;
www,pbs,org/als/programs/vc/
May 1 j 997
Community Vfeter
tion for Youth: Focus on
Watersheds Satellite
Videoconference, 12:45-3:00
PttCOT, This vtdeo-confer-
ene© incorporates th<& Educat-
ing
the feature article. For more
tafermiMiofi, 0r to offer a site,
call (888) WATERWf (toil-
free), Internet;
-------
Page 14
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
FROM THE GRASSROOTS ...
This feature describes local watershed protection projects and the lessons localities have
learned through their watershed efforts. We need your input. Please send your submissions to
John Pai, Editor.
EPA's Pilot
Technical
Assistance
Center — Working to
Promote Biocriteria
EPA's Pilot Technical Assistance
Center in Region III (see feature
article this issue) is already helping
establish biocriteria programs, both
inland and on the shore.
In the Chester River Project, the
pilot center is applying biocriteria to
define the effect of nonpoint source
nutrient loadings on water quality.
Since 1994, Maryland DNR has
collected water, sediment, and
biological samples in the agricul-
tural and municipal watershed. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NO A A) Coopera-
tive Laboratory in Oxford, Mary-
land and EPA's Central Regional
Laboratory in Annapolis, Maryland
are assisting in the effort by analyz-
ing the samples for parameters such
as nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved
oxygen, and benthic invertebrates.
Already, a parallel has been ob-
served between high nitrogen and
phosphorus in the agricultural
headwaters of the Chester River and
diminishing diversity of benthic
invertebrates. In the future, the
project will establish biological
reference conditions for the upper
and middle Chester River using data
from other rivers in the region and
will explore water resource condi-
tions of streams entering the river.
Ultimately, the project is intended
to produce a land use management
approach for consideration by state
and local governments.
The pilot center is also surveying a
nine station segment along the
Atlantic Coast from above Bethany
Beach, Delaware to below Ocean
City, Maryland. Three years of data
collection have revealed measurable
impacts on the benthic macro-
invertebrate community at the
sewage outfall discharge sites of
both of these ocean resort cities.
The project has generated interest
from a number of sources: EPA
Region III will use the project's
findings to assist them in their
NPDES (National Pollution Dis-
charge Elimination System) permit
evaluations; the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is following the
project because the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers is assessing the
possibility of establishing a beach
replenishment program in the area;
NOAA biologists are looking to
gain scientific information from the
project; and staff at the EPA Re-
gional lab will use the sampling
sites and samples to improve their
analytical proficiency.
For more information, contact
George Gibson, (410) 573-2618,
e-mail: gibson.george@epa.gov.
Grassland Birds
Benefit from
Chesapeake Bay
Partnerships
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) has taken the lead in
coordinating federal efforts to help
the U.S. Naval Academy (Naval
Academy) restore wildlife habitat at
the Greenbury Point Naval commu-
nications facility. A 231-acre
peninsula in the lower Severn River
and the Chesapeake Bay in Mary-
land, Greenbury Point provides
critical open space and habitat for
the Annapolis area.
In June, the Service coordinated a
20-acre grassland restoration project
at Greenbury Point. Along with
biologists from Maryland's Depart-
ment of Natural Resources, the
Service designed the grassland
restoration project, provided some
native seed material, and donated a
warm-season grass drill for the
effort, as well as a technician to
carry out the planting. The Naval
Academy purchased native warm
season grass seed, as well as seed
for native wildflowers, and mowed
and sprayed the non-native turf
grasses in the restoration area.
Recent data compiled by the
National Biological Service indi-
cates that several grassland bird
species, including the field, vesper,
and grasshopper sparrows; the
eastern meadowlark; and the
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 15
Northern bobwhite are declining in
Maryland and the Northeast.
Restoration of the grasslands on
Greenbury Point is expected to
benefit breeding populations of
these birds. In addition, warm
season grasses provide habitat and
forage for a variety of small mam-
mal species.
The Naval Academy is also incor-
porating a variety of other habitat
restoration initiatives into its facility
resources management plan, such as
mounting osprey nesting platforms,
wildlife food plantings, other warm-
season grassland restorations, and
managing several small impound-
ments as sanctuaries for waterfowl.
The Naval Academy consults with
EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program
(CBP) Federal Agencies Commit-
tee, of which the Service is a
member, to obtain technical and
financial assistance for these
projects. In the future, CBP part-
ners will continue to explore habitat
restoration opportunities at
Greenbury Point and other Depart-
ment of Defense facilities.
For more information, contact
Laura Mitchell at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, (410) 573-4531.
The Watershed
Science
Institute —
Sharing Watershed
Planning Tools
The Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service's (NRCS) Watershed
Science Institute (WSSI) is assisting
in two watershed assessment and
management projects sponsored by
EPA Region 10 and the Portland
Area Metro Regional Government
in Oregon's Clackamas River
watershed.
The first project, the Metro
Clackamas River Watershed
Project, is compiling existing data
on the watershed into a Geographic
Information System, identifying a
rapid assessment methodology for
use in selected sub-basins, and
identifying current citizen steward-
ship activities in the watershed.
The second project, Evaluating the
Effects of Ecosystem Protection, is
supporting the development of
indicators for rapid environmental
assessment to aid community-based
organizations in establishing
environmental benchmarks. These
benchmarks will be useful in
evaluating the effects of land use
management and environmental
protection on watershed health.
The WSSI is supporting these
projects through The Center for
Urban Water Resources Manage-
ment at the University of Washing-
ton. On behalf of the WSSI, the
Center will review, integrate,
evaluate, and summarize the two
projects into a working guidance
document on establishing and using
environmental benchmarks for
community-based approaches to
watershed management. Once
prepared, the guidance document
will be distributed to all NRCS field
offices to assist NRCS staff work-
ing with suburban and urban clients
on watershed scale resource conser-
vation. The guidance document is
scheduled to be released in October
1997.
For more information, contact
Rosemary Furfey, Senior Regional
Planner, Portland Area Metro
Regional Government, (503) 797-
1726, or Carolyn Adams, Director
of the Watershed Science Institute,
(206) 616-5724, e-mail:
houston@geology.washington.edu.
A Partnership
Promoting
Ecosystem Health
Since 1994, the Bureau of Reclama-
tion has teamed with the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation to
fund state and tribal projects that
promote ecosystem health in the
American West. The following are
some of the projects funded by the
partnership this year:
• Hungry Horse Fish Passage,
Montana — The Forest Service
will use a $72,000 challenge
grant and matching funds to
replace culverts for fish passage
on Felix and Harris creeks in
Montana's Flathead National
Forest. The culverts will
reconnect spawning habitat on
11 miles of stream, lost due to
road construction associated
with the construction of the
Hungry Horse Dam in 1953.
Contact Robert Christensen,
(208) 378-5039.
• Hackberry Flat Wetland
Restoration, Oklahoma — The
Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation will
work with public and private
partners to restore 3,750 acres
of wetlands in southwestern
Oklahoma. The project will use
See GRASSROOTS, page 16
-------
Page 16
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
^RASSROOTS, from page 15
a $30,000 challenge grant to
construct water control structures
and revegetate upland areas with
native plants and grasses,
improving habitat for migratory
waterfowl and shorebirds.
Contact Jerry Jacobs, (406) 247-
7718.
Muddy Creek Watershed Resto-
ration, Montana — The Cascade
County Conservation District
will work with the Muddy Creek
Task Force, the Greenfields
Irrigation District, and Reclama-
tion to apply a $41,000 challenge
grant to promote instream
restoration. The project is part
of a watershed restoration plan to
improve water quality in the Sun
and Missouri rivers. Contact
Jerry Jacobs, (406) 247-7718.
Asaayi Lake Habitat Restoration,
New Mexico/Navajo Reservation
— The Navajo Nation Depart-
ment of Water Resources will
use a $50,000 challenge grant to
benefit native fisheries by
planting and fencing 40 acres of
riparian habitat. Contact Will-
iam Rinne, (702) 293-8709.
u
G
USGS Goes to
Work on the
River of Promise
The U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) is a signatory agency of the
"River of Promise," a cooperative
initiative aimed at restoring West
Virginia's Cheat River Watershed.
The River of Promise partnership
works to facilitate and coordinate
citizen groups, university research-
ers, the coal industry, corporations,
the environmental community, and
local, state, and federal government
agencies for environmental restora-
tion in the watershed. In addition to
USGS and the U.S. Office of
Surface Mining (both bureaus of the
U.S. Department of the Interior),
task force members include the
West Virginia Rivers Coalition,
Friends of the Cheat, West Virginia
state agencies, EPA, Trout Unlim-
ited, the Preston County Commis-
sion, and Anker Energy (a local
coal company).
American Rivers named the Cheat,
severely polluted by acid mine
drainage from abandoned mines,
one of the 20 most threatened rivers
of 1996. The continuing legacy of
this pollution has been the loss of
fish and wildlife, aesthetic damage,
degraded drinking water, and the
loss of millions of dollars annually
in the local economy from dimin-
ished recreational activities, such as
fishing, boating, and white-water
rafting.
Although eliminating acid drainage
is now a federal government
priority, the problem is so wide-
spread and costly to solve that it can
only be addressed through public
and private partnerships. The River
of Promise initiative has heightened
public awareness and has already
made significant progress in the
watershed.
In the past year, the partnership
initiated acid pollution mitigation
projects in several Cheat tributaries
and began a comprehensive water-
shed assessment to aid in prioritiz-
ing restoration efforts. Members of
the task force have also developed a
watershed approach for monitoring,
evaluating, and remediating acid mine
drainage within the lower reaches of
the Cheat River. In addition, the West
Virginia Department of Environmen-
tal Protection, USGS, and EPA will
each participate in monitoring in the
watershed. The water quality data
collected by USGS will serve dual
purposes, meeting the needs of the
River of Promise initiative and
providing data for USGS's National
Water-Quality Assessment
(NAWQA) Program on the Allegh-
eny-Monongahela River Basin.
For more information, contact David
P. Brown, USGS West Virginia, (304)
347-6131, e-mail: dbrown@usgs.gov.
The Upper Arkansas
Watershed Council -
A Common Sense
Approach
The Upper Arkansas River basin is
no stranger to water-related con-
flicts. Historically, disputes re-
volved around water quantity.
Today, concerns for water quality,
fish, recreation, wetland areas, and
related natural resources reflect the
needs of a growing and changing
community.
A new organization, The Upper
Arkansas Watershed Council, is
working to reduce conflict and
address these needs by improving
communication among diverse
water-related interests in the basin.
As Jeff Keidel, the council's
coordinator, explains, "We recog-
nize that when we sit down and
discuss our needs - not our posi-
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 17
tions - there may be opportunities
for good things to happen." It is an
approach that is working for the 24
member organizations of the
council.
One of the council's early successes
was a meeting of downstream water
users and upstream businesses
regarding the May Caddisfly
Festival celebrated in Chaffee and
Fremont counties. Last year, water
releases from upstream reservoirs
were needed to overcome early
drought conditions on the Eastern
Plans. These elevated river flows
ruined the famed caddisfly "hatch"
and interrupted angling. By under-
standing each other's needs, the
participants agreed to keep river
flows low during the hatch, when-
ever possible, without impacting
water rights.
At the council's first meeting, Lake
County rancher Bernard Smith laid
out the common sense approach -
"If I don't drink coffee with you,
how am I ever going to know your
needs? How are you ever going to
know my needs? They might be
remarkably similar."
For more information, contact
Jeffrey Keidel, Upper Arkansas
Watershed Coordinator, (719) 395-
6035.
Pursuing the Watershed
Approach in Bucks
County, Pennsylvania
Elected officials, township manag-
ers, environmental groups, and
industry representatives participated
in a two-day workshop in
Doylestown, Pennsylvania in
September to review the success of
past watershed efforts and to exam-
ine future watershed challenges. The
group explored how to balance
economic development with open
space, maintain agricultural needs,
and promote a healthy environment
as Bucks County enters the 21st
Century.
The workshop kicked-off with a
history of efforts to protect valuable
natural resources and support eco-
nomic prosperity, followed by a
panel discussion of critical issues of
concern in Bucks County. Following
this organizational session, state
representatives discussed the current
and proposed legislation that will be
used to address some of the issues
and speakers presented case studies
on various watershed management
technologies.
Workshop participants also played a
role, dividing into groups to address
four critical areas of concern: 1)
education, 2) stormwater manage-
ment, 3) groundwater/surface water
issues, and 4) agriculture/urban
interface issues. Each breakout
group addressed the following
questions: What are the critical
short-term needs?; How will these
needs be financed?; What are the
technical challenges?; and What are
the hurdles that need to be over-
come? The groups then reconvened
to share their findings.
In the final session, representatives
from federal, state, and local govern-
ments, environmental groups, and
industry joined in a panel discussion
to present "tool boxes" available for
addressing or supporting the issues
identified in the breakout sessions.
As a follow-up action, the Bucks
County Commission has requested a
report card from the workshop
steering committee.
EPA, the Bucks County Planning
Commission, and the Bucks County
Conservation District sponsored the
workshop in conjunction with several
other state and local organizations. A
similar workshop is being planned for
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
in the near future.
For more information, contact Hank
Zygmunt, EPA Region 3, (215) 566-
5750.
Watershed
Videos Available
Cornell University has
several Watershed *96
videos av«!fafate, including:
Watershed *0 Of) foe Air (1 ttf
mfrwtesft&&6} — An edited
veraion of the final plenary
session of the Watershed '86
conference, this video a fU; Milwau-
kee River, Wfc henry's Fork, ID;
and £dwa«fs Aquifer/Sea?
ttoaek, TX ($34 for all four on
one tape or $19.95 each for
individual project videos),
Contact th& Cornell University
Resource Center* (607) 256-
2090, *H*iat);
-------
Page 18
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
INDUSTRY INITIATIVES
Many industries and industrial associations have participated in the watershed approach at different levels, in
different capacities. The following are a few examples. We encourage their continued involvement and welcome
their submissions to this feature.
PG&E Invests in
Upstream Water Quality
California's Feather Creek
watershed is a prime example
of how investing in upstream water
quality can bring downstream
returns. The Natural Resources
Conservation Service estimates that,
each year, 1.1 million tons of
eroded soil travel down the Feather
River to Pacific Gas and Electric's
(PG&E) Rock Creek Reservoir.
Sedimentation from this erosion has
already reduced the storage capacity
of the electric utility's Rock Creek
and Cresta Reservoirs by 46 and 56
percent respectively. This loss
affects not only PG&E, but the
600,000 electrical power consumers
served by the reservoirs and the 20
million water consumers that rely
on them for a quarter of their water
supply.
In order to protect its reservoirs,
PG&E turned its attention upstream,
initiating a series of meetings with
the government agencies respon-
sible for controlling erosion up-
stream of the dams. In 1985, the
agencies organized into the Feather
River Coordinated Resource
Management (CRM) group and
signed a Memorandum of Under-
standing that established goals and
guidelines for conducting projects
in the watershed.
To date, the Feather River CRM has
completed 40 watershed projects.
For its part, PG&E has invested
$1.1 million towards the effort,
anticipating that, in return, sediment
deposits in the reservoirs will
decrease by as much as 50 percent
over time.
Contact Leah Wills, Feather River
CRM Coordinator, (916) 283-3739.
Golf and the Environment
Consortium Charts
Sustainable Future for the
Nation's Golf Courses
The Golf and the Environment
Consortium, a partnership of
approximately 25 golf, environmen-
tal, and government representatives,
recently released a set of national
principles focusing on environmen-
tal considerations associated with
golf course planning, siting, con-
struction, operation, and mainte-
nance.
The principles are the culmination
of an effort initiated in 1994 by the
Center for Resource Management,
Golf Digest Magazine, the National
Wildlife Federation, and the Pebble
Beach Resort Company to address
issues related to golf and the
environment. Released this past
March at the second meeting of the
Golf and the Environment Consor-
tium, Environmental Principles for
Golf Courses in the United States is
intended to assist golf course owners
in developing and operating their
courses while preserving the beauty,
integrity, and health of the local
environment.
Copies of the principles document
are available for $5.00 each by
contacting Utah's Center for Re-
source Management, (801) 466-
3600.
The Value of
Clean Marinas
EPA's Office of Water recently
released a publication showcas-
ing the economic benefits realized by
marina managers who have imple-
mented environmental management
measures at their marinas. The
following case studies are among the
25 marinas featured in Clean Mari-
nas — Clear Value (EPA 841-R-
1996-003):
Ohio's Battery Park Marina
pumped out more than 1,000
boat holding tanks at its pumpout
and dump station. The amor-
tized annual cost of providing
these services is estimated to be
$317 in addition to a $20 annual
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 19
NEWS BITS
maintenance cost, while income
generated by the pumpout
service in 1995 was $1,500.
Adding increased fuel sales in
the amount of $11,000 associ-
ated with the service, the overall
benefit of the pumpout and
dump equipment totaled
$12,163.
• New Jersey's Winter Yacht
Basin, Inc. installed personal
watercraft drive-on blocks to
improve access to fuel pumps.
The blocks cost $3,138 to
install, but their added conve-
nience brought the company an
additional $6,730 in fuel
income, while eliminating the
expense associated with small
fuel spills common in the past.
• Washington's Elliott Bay
Marina, found that a task as
simple as handing out dog
waste disposal bags (valued at
$0.19 each) saved approxi-
mately $4,000 in labor costs for
waste cleanup.
The marina guide is available from
NCEPI, (513)489-8190.
"to btf&f, a tantt&tfifc te
nothing mom than &&
acceptance of constraints
on
, and beauty offfte fitete
community"
In November 1995 the Corps of
Engineers Vicksburg District and
the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission (AGFC) officially
dedicated an environmental im-
provement project designed to
improve water releases from
Narrows Dam/Lake Greeson. Low
in temperature and dissolved
oxygen, water releases from the
dam were causing adverse impacts
on a native fishery of the Little
Missouri River. The project re-
placed some of the existing trash
racks in Narrows Dam with solid
plates to provide warmer, more
oxygenated water for releases;
constructed three lowhead rock
weirs to provide additional aquatic
habitat, aeration, and minimum
water flow; added 67 boulders in
the river just below the dam for
increased aeration and aquatic
habitat; and modified the cooling
system of the hydroelectric power
system to offset any potential
adverse impacts from higher water
temperatures. Jointly funded by the
Corps and the AGFC, both agencies
will monitor downstream water
quality and fisheries improvements
to gauge the success of the
$300,000 project. In addition, the
AGFC will stock smallmouth bass
and other fish species to assist with
the recovery effort.
In partnership with the Leech
Lake Band of Chippewa Indians,
the St. Paul District of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers recently
modified a reservoir project at Lake
Winnibigoshish, Minnesota to
restore 44 acres of wetlands habitat
for the benefit of migratory water-
fowl. The $78,000 project ex-
tended a water intake pipe through
Winnibigoshish Dam to allow the
Leech Lake Band to supply water to
three diked ponds immediately
downstream. Water levels will be
regulated within the ponds to
restore wetland habitat values for
waterfowl breeding, nesting, brood-
rearing, and feeding. Mallards,
blue-winged teal, and wood ducks
are expected to benefit from the
restored habitat. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
supported the project. For more
information, contact the project
manager, Gary Palesh, St. Paul
District, (612) 290-5282.
The Oregon State University
Extension Service recently
released a half-hour educational
video on the greatest threat to
America's drinking water supplies
— nonpoint source pollution. We
All Live Downstream examines
urban and rural runoff and the
problems it creates for surface and
ground water. Taped mainly in
Oregon's Tualatin River basin, the
video explores how Oregon resi-
dents and government officials are
trying to reduce nonpoint source
pollution. The video is available for
$30 (including shipping) by writing
to Publications Orders, Extension
and Experiment Station Communi-
cations, Oregon State University,
422 Kerr Administrative Services
Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-
2119.
See NEWS BITS, page 20
-------
Page 20
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
NEWS BITS, from page 19
For the Sake of the Salmon
(FSOS), a Pacific region organi-
zation, has obtained a $1 million
appropriation from Congress to
support locally-hired watershed
coordinators in the Pacific states
(California, Oregon, Washington).
To be eligible for coordinator
funding, applicants must have an
established watershed council or
steering committee representing a
broad diversity of stakeholders and
they must incorporate a watershed-
wide perspective (ridge top to
stream channel) in the area they
define as their watershed. In addi-
tion, the watershed must have
anadromous salmonids and the
watershed plan must address their
needs. The deadline for the second
round of funding is March 1, 1997.
For more information and an appli-
cation, contact FSOS, (503) 650-
5447, or e-mail: karen_mcgill@
psmfc.org.
The deadline for applying to
Decome a National Civic League
All-America City is March 27, 1997.
The All-America City (AAC)
awards program recognizes citizen-
based, collaborative efforts to
anticipate problems and to confront
current challenges in communities.
The ten AAC award recipients will
receive $10,000 from The Allstate
Foundation, sponsors of the pro-
gram. In addition to incorporated
cities, the program is open to towns,
villages, neighborhoods, counties,
and other communities. For more
information and an application
package, contact Carole R. Bloom,
Director, All-America City Award
Program, 1(800) 223-6004.
NEW IN PRINT
Regional Recreation Demand
Model (RRDM) —
This Corps model predicts recre-
ation use (visits) and economic
benefits (consumer surplus) for
reservoir projects in a region,
basin, or watershed. For a techni-
cal report on the development and
applications of RRDM (Technical
Report R-96-2), a Users Guide
(Instruction Report R-95-1), or the
RRDM software, contact Jim
Henderson, US Army Engineer
Waterways Experiment Station,
Environmental Lab, 3909 Halls
Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS, 39180,
or via e-mail at
HENDERJ@EX1 .WES. ARMY.MTL.
Civil Works Environmental Desk
Reference (EDR) —
This Corps publication contains
summary profiles of 62 environ-
mental laws applicable to the
Corps' Civil Works program and
full text of 22 executive orders
relevant to the environment and
environmental resources. Contact
Lynn Martin, (703) 428-8065, or
fax (703) 428-8435.
Beyond SRF: A Workbook for
Financing CCMP Implementation
(EPA 842-B-96-002) —
This EPA Office of Water publica-
tion is intended to introduce
different financing approaches for
state, tribal, and local conservation
and restoration efforts. For a copy,
call NCEPI, (513)489-8190.
The Quality of Our Nation's
Water: 1994
(EPA 841-S-94-002) —
This EPA Office of Water publica-
tion, printed in vibrant color,
summarizes information on the
nation's water quality conditions,
problems, and programs. For a
copy, call NCEPI, (513) 489-8190.
Watershed Restoration: A Guide
for Citizen Involvement in Califor-
nia (NOAA Coastal Ocean Pro-
gram, Decision Analysis Series
No. 8) —
This National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration (NOAA)
document explains why citizen, in
addition to government, involve-
ment is essential for the success of
watershed protection and restoration
efforts. Contact NOAA's Coastal
Ocean Office, (301) 713-3338, or
write to Isobel C. Sheifer on the
Internet at isheifer@cop.noaa.gov.
Chesapeake Bay Communities —
Making the Connection: A Catalog
of Local Initiatives to Protect and
Restore the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed (CBP/TRS-142/95, EPA
903-R-95-018) —
Produced by the Chesapeake Bay
Program, this catalog provides
project descriptions and contact
information for local watershed
protection and restoration efforts in
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Contact the U.S. EPA Chesapeake
Bay Program Office, 1-800-YOUR
BAY.
Water Quality: A Catalog of
Related Federal Programs
(GAO/RCED-96-173) —
This U.S. General Accounting
Office report describes 72 federal
programs and initiatives that assist
states, tribes, municipalities, and
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 21
individuals in their efforts to
improve and/or protect water
quality. Contact GAO, (202) 512-
6000.
OSEC Releases "Case Study
Examples" Package —
EPA's Office of Sustainable Eco-
systems and Communities (OSEC)
compiled this package of five case
studies illustrating how EPA can
help enable Community Based
Environmental Protection efforts.
Call Chris Solloway, (202) 260-
3008, e-mail: solloway.chris@
epamail.epa.gov.
The Water-Wise Gardener
Handbook —
Developed by Virginia Cooperative
Extension, this handbook is useful
in educating the public about
maintaining attractive lawns, while
minimizing fertilizer and pesticide
runoff. The handbook is available
for $15 (including shipping) from
the Office of Consumer Horticul-
ture, (540) 231-6254.
Atmospheric Nutrient Input to
Coastal Areas: Reducing the
Uncertainties (NOAA Coastal
Ocean Program, Decision Analysis
Series No. 9) —
This NOAA publication presents
the issues related to atmospheric
deposition, which can account for
10 to 45 percent of nitrogen loading
to waterbodies. Contact NOAA's
Coastal Ocean Office, (301) 713-
3338, or write to Isobel C. Sheifer
on the Internet at isheifer@cop.
noaa.gov.
CYBERSPACE
The following is a listing of Internet Resources which may be of interest to
readers. To be added to the mailing list of "Internet Newsbrief, " an elec-
tronic update service from the EPA Headquarters Library, contact Richard
Hufftne, (202) 260-5080, e-mail: hufftne.richard@epamail.epa.gov. Water-
shed Events appreciates the cyberspace contributions provided by Richard
and other readers.
Watershed '96 Online
URL=http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/
watershed/w96index.html
It's the Watershed '96 conference in
cyberspace! Peruse the plenary
topics, browse a photo album, or
link to related web sites.
USDA Forest Service
Welcome Page
URL=http://www.fs.fed.us/fs/
welcome.html
Access selected information on land
management, research, and state,
private, and international forestry
activities focusing on America's
forested lands.
Water Treatment Path for Kids
URL=http://www.epa.gov/OW/
OGWDW/kids/treat.html
Children of all ages can follow a
drop of water from its source,
through the treatment process.
Encyclopedia of GAP Analysis
URL=http://www.nr.usu.edu/gap/
Information on GAP, a Geographic
Information System (GIS) applica-
tion developed by Michael Scott
and others at the University of
Idaho. GAP superimposes GIS
layers, such as vegetation, topogra-
phy, and rare and endangered
species distributions, in order to
identify potential gaps in conserva-
tion programs aimed at providing
habitat and conserving biodiversity.
Surf Your Watershed
URL=http://www.epa.gov/surf/
EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans,
and Watersheds is developing this
watershed web site on the Internet.
Surf Your Watershed will allow web
surfers to find their watershed,
request a map, search for informa-
tion, and contribute information.
River Network Online
URL=http ://w w w. ri vernetwork. org/
-rivernet
Provides tools to help people
organize to protect and restore
rivers and watersheds.
Science Advisory Board (SAB)
URL=http://www. epa.gov/sciencel/
Browse the SAB's 1995 and 1996
reports, background information
about the organization, and the most
current issue of HAPPENINGS.
Educating Young People
About Water
URL=http://www.uwex.edu/erc/
ywc/
Provides materials, searchable by
grade level or by subject, that can
help users develop community-
based, water education programs
that target youth while forming key
community partnerships (see related
story in the feature article at the
beginning of this issue).
-------
Page 22
Watershed Events
Winter1997
Five Fundraising
Strategies for
New Watershed Groups
by Pat Munoz, Program Manager at
River Network, a national nonprofit
organization working to help
grassroots watershed groups. Read-
ers are encouraged to contact Pat at
(202) 364-2550 for information on
these and other fundraising strategies.
>ne of the biggest challenges a newly estab-
lished watershed group faces is raising money
to carry out its programs. Here are five things your
new group can do to raise your first year's funding:
1) Find a Few Good Friends — To get started,
most groups need to find a few generous sup-
porters who will provide the seed capital to get a
project rolling and underwrite major expenses,
such as postage and printing. These friends may
be individuals, businesses, local foundations, or
government agencies. Take the time to do some
research, talk to community leaders and friends
who work at other non-profits and prepare a list
of prospective supporters. Then prepare a
simple case statement outlining the problem and
what your organization plans to do about it.
Armed with your list and your case statement,
get on the phone and start talking. Set up visits
with prospective supporters. Tell them about
your work and how it will benefit the commu-
nity and then ask them to help by contributing a
specific amount.
2) Hold a Special Event — While events take time
to plan, they are one of the best ways to put your
organization front and center in the community.
Events can raise money while informing the
community about your organization, involving
volunteers, recruiting new members, and attract-
ing media coverage. Try to pick an event that
you can repeat year after year to create a source
of reliable income. Incorporate creative add-
ons, such as sponsorship by local businesses.
3) Build a Membership — Building a base of
committed members and volunteers is essential
to the survival of any grassroots watershed
organization. This won't happen overnight, but
with care, your members will become a steady
source of income. One successful strategy
employed by some organizations has been to
collect names and addresses of riverside land-
owners by reviewing land ownership and tax
records. Armed with the list, you can rely on
mailings or door-to-door visits to publicize your
project and gain support. Another alternative is
to host a project party in your home and invite
potential members. Whatever strategy you use
to build membership, you will need to devise a
system for recording the names and addresses of
your members so that they can be kept informed.
4) Hold a Public Meeting — Is your watershed in
crisis? If you are working on a high visibility
issue, a public meeting is a good strategy for
mobilizing the volunteer and financial resources
needed to get the project off the ground. Pick a
date and time that will allow for the largest
possible attendance and publicize the meeting
thoroughly in the paper and by posting flyers.
Limit the agenda to three topics: 1) the problem;
2) your strategy and examples of how similar
strategies have succeeded elsewhere, and 3) your
need for time and dollars. Then pass the hat.
Often volunteers, in addition to funding, will
come forward.
5) Look for In-Kind Donations — Often, what you
need to accomplish your programs are services
(writing, printing, planting, hauling) or goods
(computers, furniture, lumber, trees). Try to get
these items donated. In many cases, people who
cannot contribute cash, will contribute goods,
services, and even office space for a cause with
which they can identify. Local businesses may
be more eager to get involved if you can give
them visibility in the community. By contrast,
large companies usually react to their employees
desires, so you should ally with an influential
employee who can act as your spokesperson.
-------
Winter 1997
Watershed Events
Page 23
Fountain Creek Watershed Project
Lessons Learned in
Fountain Creek
by Karen V. Guglielmone, Chair,
Information Resources
Focus Group
Human activity throughout the
Fountain Creek watershed
exacerbates the creek's natural
propensity for variable streamflows
and streambank erosion. In April
1995, the Pikes Peak Area Council
of Governments and the U.S.
Department of the Agriculture,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) joined forces to
address these problems, jump
starting the Fountain Creek Water-
shed Project.
Within one year, with the help of a
Watershed Coordinator, the Foun-
tain Creek Watershed Project
(FCWP) is on its way, creating a
shared vision for the watershed,
educating the public, and determin-
ing what information is needed to
make the most informed decisions
for solving problems. Already, we
have learned some valuable lessons
that could be useful to other water-
shed initiatives:
DESIGNATE A LEADER! The
FCWP needed a champion (a
coordinator) to keep momentum.
BE SURE YOU ARE COMMU-
NICATING! A key role of the
FCWP Coordinator is to ensure that
all stakeholders are using the same
vocabulary.
BE ORGANIZED 1! The FCWP
discovered early on that we needed
to have a workable organizational
structure.
BE ORGANIZED 2! All FCWP
Steering Committee and Focus
Group meetings have a focused
agenda that is sent out before the
meeting.
BE REALISTIC 1! It took some
time for the Steering Committee to
accept the fact that stakeholders will
become more interested and active
once they see how the process can
affect them.
BE PATIENT! Actively participat-
ing stakeholders have been ex-
tremely anxious for the severe
erosion problems along Fountain
Creek to be solved. This has created
tremendous pressure to get projects
on the ground, even before there is
stakeholder buy in, adequate fund-
ing, and scientific assurance that the
best management practices will work
and will not create additional dam-
age downstream.
SECURE LONG TERM FUND-
ING! The FCWP has been funded
over the past year by grants from the
NRCS and EPA Region 8. Limited
funding has made it difficult to plan
wholeheartedly for activities beyond
one year and has led the Steering
Committee to discuss strategies for
getting our stakeholders to reach into
their own pockets.
For more information, contact Karen
Guglielmone, (303) 743-5436.
Watershed Events
Protection Agency
Debbie Nubbd,
Army
Kathyfteshefltoff, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Sewe
Carolyn Adams & Larry Sabich,
Natural ftesources
Cuftaift,. U
of
Neit Berg, U.S. Fores* Service
Maiy Am Rontm, Cooperative
State Research:,
and £xten$!on
\J,Sf geological Survey
8t0&* Kane, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
update intsrested partks on tbe
development and ase of watershed
Ifcese
itoeats to SUMS®** 3ndecosy$tero
faeaKb '9W&8* &$ watershed,
iovotw &ose p«opte mostasn*
Cfeflied Of aWe to take actions to
solve those problems, w& then take
and holistic manner,
£»$*e& questions m& coownents
aboat Watershed Evem t&
Qffuze of Wetlands, Ck»a»s,
401 M Street, SW
-------
Page 24
Watershed Events
Winter 1997
National Watershed Assessment Program
"T*
II
Watershed Assessment Program {NWAiP}*
fe designed lo coSect, organize, and evaluate
muilpte soyrcesof eiwiftwwneifrt^ information 10
of the United Stales; identify those at r isfc; empower
<5tti«ens to 10am wreabaut their watersheds and
work io protect them; provide for dialogue among
the many pablte »vJ private partner wNo can help
assess and improve the condition of their water-
sheds; ami measure progress toward watershed .f
prolecJionQo^ In PNase 1 oflliteproje^, ^FA
has takers trie ie^d lo work wfth partners in aggre-
and other federal and private jjartiws io character*
fee ttie condition ol tneae watersheds, In l*ns»e 2,
states and tribes wi8 fake the iead, worklnf with
EPA IRegions and other partners, to ase 1ne data to
Of
more data are needed. Also m Phase 2, EPA will
continue to improve NWAP data and add sec
important missing elements; feiologicai integrity,
habftat , ground water, coastal waters condition, air
j^TiOng the Sever* soyroefcof data belnQ o$ed to
characterize watershed: conditions are the state
water q«a% assessment reports prodwcexl under
section 305{b) and fish consumption advisories, A
set of vtilrterateiiity indicators (e,g,» aquatic species
at risk, nyoVologic modirlcation) wiH aiso be included
in the watershed characterization.
The draft NWAP projducits were transmuted to the
states and tribes for review In January. Completed
products will be ready in May, for more informa-
tion, contact Sarah tehmann at (202) 260-7021,
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(4501F)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
John Wolf
First Class Mail
Postage and Fees Paid
EPA
G-35
l Resources
580 Taylor Ave E-2
Annapolis, MD 21403
------- |