Water: Watersheds
Watershed News: July 2006
Watershed News is a publication of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. It is designed to provide timely information to groups working at the watershed level.
In this month's newsletter
1) 2006 Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program - Proposals Due July 17, 2006
2) EPA Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water Cooperative Agreement for Integrating Clean Water, Drinking Water and Land Use Planning Efforts - Applications due July 24, 2006
3) EPA Request for Proposals for Assessment and Watershed Protection Program Grants - Due August 15, 2006
4) Upper Mississippi River Watershed Fund - Pre-proposal Due September 1, 2006
5) Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund - Pre-Proposals Due Fall 2006
6) Center for Watershed Protection Releases Second Article in Series on Wetlands and Watersheds
7) Restoring Virginia's Wetlands: A Citizen's Toolkit Now Available
8) Presentations from the 2006 East Tennessee Environmental Conference Available On-line
9) Wisconsin Priority Watershed Program Helps Fund Low Cost BMPs
10) EPA's Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on the Watershed-based NPDES Permitting
11) The River Institute to Host Three Workshop/Forums
12) Meeting Water Quality Standards with Stream Restoration Projects, August 16 & 17, 2006, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
13) Stream Ecosystem Restoration Training Series (SERTS), September 25-29, 2006 and October 23-27, 2006
14) State of River Restoration Practice, a River Ecosystem Restoration Forum, November 15 & 16, 2006, Powell, Ohio
15) Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
Funding Opportunities
2006 Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program - Proposals Due July 17, 2006
EPA Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water Cooperative Agreement for Integrating Clean Water, Drinking Water and Land Use Planning Efforts - Applications due July 24, 2006
This funding opportunity seeks to demonstrate methods of integrating drinking water protection into land stewardship/conservation and water programs at the local level. In the first 18 months of the project, the successful applicant will work with four to five demonstration states to foster integration of water quality management, drinking water protection and land use planning efforts at the state level that will enable source water protection at the local level. It is expected in the outyears of the project that the successful applicant will identify three to four additional demonstration states, address lessons learned in the demonstration states, and focus on transferring results to other states, communities and/or watersheds.
EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement under this announcement for a total of $600,000. The cooperative agreement is anticipated to be funded at approximately $230,000 for the first year with a maximum of $600,000 total over a 4 year project period, (depending on Agency funding levels and other applicable considerations). The cooperative agreement will demonstrate methods of integrating drinking water protection into land stewardship/conservation and water quality programs at the local and watershed level. For complete details and instructions for applying, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/funding.html. [broken link]
EPA Request for Proposals for Assessment and Watershed Protection Program Grants - Due August 15, 2006
A Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Assessment and Watershed Protection Program Grants (AWPPGs) is posted on the EPA OWOW Funding Website at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding/rfp.html.
This announcement is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to develop effective and comprehensive programs for watershed protection, restoration, and management. The projects that eligible applicants can undertake are diverse. In the past, award recipients have pursued a wide range of activities such as developing management tools, advancing scientific and technical tools for protecting watershed health, improving availability of data and information about watersheds, and training watershed managers and the public about watershed management. All projects funded through AWPPGs must contribute to the overall development and improvement of watershed programs. AWPPG funds may not be used solely for the operational support of specific watershed projects (e.g., support for the implementation of individual watershed projects, the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for specific waterbodies, or for in-depth monitoring for individual waterbodies).
Hard copy proposals must be received by EPA (see Section VII of the RFP) by 5:30 P.M. EDT Tuesday, August 15, 2006, or by electronic submission through Grants.gov
by 11:59 P.M. EDT Tuesday, August 15, 2006. Late proposals will not be considered for funding. Questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII before Friday, August 4, 2006 and written responses will be posted on EPA's website at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding/rfp.html.
Upper Mississippi River Watershed Fund - Pre-proposal Due September 1, 2006
The Upper Mississippi River Watershed Fund (UMRWF) is a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This partnership will provide grants that benefit the stewardship of the forests and the restoration of watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River drainage area. UMRWF projects must be located in the Upper Mississippi watershed, a drainage area of approximately 189,000 square miles in portions of 6 Midwest states-Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. A special focus is placed on projects addressing conservation of priority forest areas, loss of migratory bird habitat, regeneration of bottom land hardwoods, enhancement of water quality and aquatic habitat and outreach and education. Grant awards will range from $10,000 to $75,000. For more information, visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs/upper_miss.cfm.[broken link]
Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund - Pre-Proposals Due Fall 2006
Pre-proposals are now being invited for projects to be funded by: 1) grants for more than $5,000 and up to $200,000; and 2) small grants of $5,000 or less for local conservation or education projects.
The Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund (Fund) finances: a) on the ground habitat conservation, restoration and management projects in and along the Columbia River below the Bonneville Dam and the adjacent Coasts of Oregon (up to and including Tillamook Bay) and Washington (up to and including Willapa Bay) that may be affected by estuarine flows; b) landowner outreach and incentive programs for restoration and management of natural resources in the same geographic area; c) public use and natural/cultural projects that benefit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System; d) collaborative projects from local communities seeking environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to natural resource problems; and e) applied research that is directly related to improvement of natural resources management in the same geographic area. For more information on this grant opportunity, visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs/crecf.cfm.[broken link]
News
Center for Watershed Protection Releases Second Article in Series on Wetlands and Watersheds
The Center for Watershed Protection announced the release of the second article in the Wetlands and Watersheds Article Series: "Using Local Watershed Plans to Protect Wetlands." This series is made possible through a cooperative agreement with the EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds. The articles are aimed at local natural resource managers and land planners with the purpose of providing guidance to local communities on how to integrate wetlands into larger watershed protection efforts. Article 2 presents detailed methods for integrating wetland management into the local watershed planning process. This article and other in the series can be downloaded for free at http://www.cwp.org/wetlands/index.htm.
Restoring Virginia's Wetlands: A Citizen's Toolkit Now Available
Presentations from the 2006 East Tennessee Environmental Conference Available On-line
The 5th Annual East Tennessee Environmental Conference was held on March 9th and 10th in Kingsport, TN. Powerpoint presentations from the conference are now available. Topics include TMDLS, sustainable development, disaster planning, watersheds in mining areas and air quality. To download copies of the presentations, go to http://www.tnenvironment.com/.
Wisconsin Priority Watershed Program Helps Fund Low Cost BMPs
The South Fork of the Hay River Watershed was selected as a Wisconsin Priority Watershed in 1993 and recently the project concluded. A pilot program was developed to provide property tax credits to farmers for developing and following soil conservation and nutrient management plans. Farmers were also required to attend nutrient management classes. By 2005 46% of available cropland in the watershed was covered under soil conservation and nutrient management plans. The Dunn County Land Conservation Division estimates that the pounds of phosphorus used in the watershed was reduced by nearly 50%, with an estimated savings of $4 million. For more information on this project, visit http://dunncountywi.govoffice2.com/.
Webcasts
EPA's Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on the Watershed-based NPDES Permitting
Audio versions of these and past Webcasts are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. There are no scheduled webcasts slated for August. Monthly webcasts will resume in September.
Outreach and Education
The River Institute to Host Three Workshop/Forums
The Center for Applied River Science at The River Institute is an organization of practicing professionals who desire to advance the science and understanding of river ecosystems.
Meeting Water Quality Standards with Stream Restoration Projects, August 16 & 17, 2006, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
This workshop will provide participants with the necessary information needed for a stream restoration project to meet success criteria. Attendees will work toward answering the question "Can Ohio meet the Clean Water Act goals of use attainment for degraded waters?" This workshop presents the first serious look at that issue and the drainage debate.
Stream Ecosystem Restoration Training Series (SERTS), September 25-29, 2006 and October 23-27, 2006
This one week short course, offered in both September and October, is a collaborative effort of The River Institute and a group of multidisciplinary professionals. This training will provide participants with an advanced look at the fundamental set of skills applicable to stream restoration including biology, hydraulic engineering, fluvial geomorphology, applied design techniques and monitoring. This is an advanced course with experts in the restoration field who will provide field experiments and validation exercises. This course is meant for ecologists, regulators, professional engineers and environmental scientists who have a basic understanding of stream restoration principals including bioassessment, biocriteria and Rosgen Stream Classification and who are looking for that next step in developing and reviewing stream restoration projects that incorporate natural channel design principals in order to meet an improved water quality standard. Space is limited to government employees (federal, state or local) and to the first 30 participants for each week.
State of River Restoration Practice, a River Ecosystem Restoration Forum, November 15 & 16, 2006, Powell, Ohio
This two-day forum will focus on real world solutions for stream restoration projects in the Midwest. Practitioners will present successes, failures and findings from on-the-ground examples. The forum will provide a place for technology transfer and invite discussions on a variety of topics including natural channel design, dam removal, chemical water quality improvement, overwide ditches, 2-stage ditches, in-stream habitat and the use of biocriteria to evaluate success.
For more information visit http://riverinstitute.org/home.html. [broken link]
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
Third-Party TMDL Development Workshop, July 26th-27th, 2006, Linthicum Heights, MD. Under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Environment Federation will be convening this workshop This one and one-half-day workshop will focus on an overview of third-party TMDLs, the role of stakeholders, case studies and a step-by-step development procedure. The workshop is targeted towards industry, regulatory agencies, and community/watershed groups. The workshop is free and limited to the first 40 registrants. To register or find more information about this workshop, visit http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/TrainingProfessionalDevelopment/Workshops/ThirdPartyTMDL.htm.
2006 Southeast Watershed Roundtable, August 2nd-4th, 2006, Asheville, NC. The Southeast Watershed Roundtable, in cooperation with the North Carolina Statewide Roundtable, will host a forum of watershed stakeholders to foster dialogue and cooperation on watershed programs. This year's theme is "Watershed Management Makes Good Financial Cents: Development Tools for Sustainable Growth." Pre-conference workshops and a tour are scheduled for Wednesday, August 2. State breakout roundtable sessions will be on Thursday afternoon and recapped on Friday morning. Oral, poster, and exhibit presentations will be on Thursday, August 3, through Friday noon, August 4. For more information visit, http://www.southeastwaterforum.org/roundtables/default.asp.
NPDES Permit Writers' Training Course,
August 7th-11th, 2006, Davis, California;
September 18th-22nd, 2006, Albany, NY and
October 23rd-27th, 2006, Woodbridge, Virginia.
The objective of the course is to provide the basic regulatory framework and technical considerations that support the development of wastewater discharge permits as required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program. This free course is designed for new permit writers. Contact: Betty Peterson (npdescourse@tetratech-ffx.com).
Wetlands 2006: Applying Scientific, Legal and Management Tools to the Great Lakes and Beyond, August 28th-31st, 2006, Traverse City, MI. The Association of State Wetland Managers annual symposium will address the application of sound science in wetland protection and restoration in the Great Lakes Region and identify challenges and high priority areas. Special sessions will focus on the role of wetlands in climate change and carbon sequestration, developing a tribal wetlands program and remote sensing and mapping. Visit http://www.aswm.org/ for more information.
2006 New York City Watershed Science and Technical Conference September 20th-21st, 2006, Fishkill, NY. The conference will bring scientists and technical experts together with watershed stakeholders and the public, to technically inform, present research findings and technical data, exchange ideas, and present information collected to date with regard to the protection of the nation's largest unfiltered surface water supply. For more information, visit http://www.nywea.org/.
National Beaches Conference, October 11th-13th, 2006, Niagara Falls, NY. This 3-day conference is sponsored by EPA in collaboration with the Great Lakes Beach Association. It will provide a national framework for discussion of beach water quality issues, exchange of information, and coordination of efforts in research and decision making. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/OST/beaches/.
2006 Watershed Institute, October 23rd-26th, 2006, Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center, Columbus, OH. The Center for Watershed Protection has designed the 2006 Watershed Institute to equip watershed professionals with the tools needed to develop comprehensive watershed plans. This intensive, interactive four-day program will focus on prioritizing funding and staff, field and desktop methods for completing watershed plans, interpreting and integrating data and practical resources to affect change in the community. For complete details, visit http://www.cwp.org/WI06/wi06info.html.
Chesapeake Watershed Forum, November 17th-19th, 2006, U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. This first annual Forum will assist watershed organizations and local governments in watershed planning, protection and restoration. The Forum will feature five Tracks with multiple sessions. The tracks will include: 1) Organizational capacity building and fundraising; 2) Communication the message; 3) Science, technical tools and practices for watershed management; 4) Planning, policies and programs for watershed management; and 5) Collaboration-how to work together and achieve successful watershed management. In addition to the tracks, labs, seminars, networking events and field trips are planned. For more information, contact Lou Etgen (letgen@acb-online.org) or 410-377-6270.
Be sure to check our EPA's new Watershed Discussion Forum![broken link] This new on-line message board offers watershed practitioners and citizens a platform to exchange ideas, so that innovative solutions and ideas can be easily shared. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedforum/ [broken link] and join in! Anyone can view the discussion, but one must register to post messages.
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