At the Agencies 

Nineteen research projects that protect life and property, strengthen the economy, and conserve as well as restore coastal and marine resources were recommended to receive a total of $13.8 million in funding through the 2017 NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants program announced on July 14.
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NOAA and its research partners predict that western Lake Erie will experience a significant harmful algal bloom this summer, potentially reaching levels last seen in 2013 and 2014, though smaller than the record bloom of 2015.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching the Water Finance Clearinghouse, a web-based portal to help communities make informed financing decisions for their drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs. The Clearinghouse provides communities with a searchable database with more than $10 billion in water funding sources and over 550 resources to support local water infrastructure projects. It consolidates and expands upon existing EPA-supported databases to create a one-stop-shop for all community water finance needs. The Water Finance Clearinghouse was developed by EPA's Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center, an information and assistance center that provides financing information to help local decision makers make informed decisions for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure to reach their public health and environmental goals. 
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In the News
Waterways Council, Inc. reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the FY 2018 Energy & Water Development (E&WD), and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It significantly increases FY 2018 funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works Program above the Administration's budget proposal for FY18. The Corps' overall funding level in the Senate bill is $6.2 billion, $190 million above the FY2017 enacted level and $1.2 billion above the President's budget request.
The world's most extensive study of a major stormfront striking the coast has revealed a previously unrecognised danger from climate change: as storm patterns fluctuate, waterfront areas once thought safe are likely to be hammered and damaged as never before. The study, led by engineers at University of New South Wales in Sydney, was published in the latest issue of the Nature journal Scientific Reports. "If you have waterfront property or infrastructure that has previously been sheltered from the impacts of extreme waves, this is worrying news" said Mitchell Harley, lead author and a senior research associate at UNSW's Water Research Laboratory (WRL). "What this study confirms, is that simply by changing direction, storms can be many times more devastating. And that's what we're facing in many locations as the climate continues to change."

In the States and Regions 
 
East Coast 

The city of Miami is bracing for huge costs related to sea level rise. Some will come down the road, but the mayor is ready to spend a lot of money now. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado is worried about sea level rise in his city and his newest proposed budget out Wednesday (July 19) is evidence of that. He's wants commissioners to vote yes and voters to pay for $192 million in spending on sea rise and flood prevention. "I say three cheers for Mayor Regalado. It is time to put the money behind the ideas," said Caroline Lewis, a climate change expert.
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has signed an agreement with Martin County, Florida, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District (Corps) authorizing the use of sand from federal waters as part of a hurricane and storm damage reduction project for Hutchinson Island, Martin County, Fla. Benefits from the beach nourishment are expected to reduce erosion along Hutchinson Island, and restore the beach profile following damages from Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. The restoration will also increase recreational opportunities, and restore habitat for nesting sea turtles and shorebirds.
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The Virginia Institute of Marine Science will get nearly $835,000 in federal funds to support "nature-based infrastructure" to help coastal Virginia counter and recover from flood events. The money is part of the competitive Coastal Resilience Grants program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help vulnerable communities protect against storms and extreme weather. The program requires a 50 percent match from a nonfederal source, which brings the project total to more than $1.25 million. The matching funds will come from VIMS, the College of William and Mary Coastal Policy Center and The Wetlands Watch.
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Gulf Coast 

Louisiana will spend nearly $277 million in federal cash it received after last year's floods to fortify communities against future disasters, mainly through drainage improvements and buyouts of flood-prone properties. Gov. John Bel Edwards is traveling the state to announce projects from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, with an event at Louisiana's emergency preparedness headquarters touting the spending as a way to help the state better withstand the next storm.
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West Coast and Pacific Islands 

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) will develop a high-resolution, real-time wave run-up forecast and notification system for West Maui's coastline with a $500,000 award from NOAA's Regional Coastal Resilience Grants Program. PacIOOS will also model a suite of inundation planning scenarios that take rising sea levels and increasing wave energies into account. Site-specific, short- and long-term forecasts will strengthen West Maui's coastal community and economy by enhancing preparedness and response operations, and by informing future land use planning. The three-year project is expected to begin in October 2017.
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Great Lakes

This summer's western Lake Erie algal bloom - barring unusually strong northeasterly winds or unforeseen biological factors within the lake - should not keep Toledo and other shoreline communities from continuing to produce high-quality tap water, officials said Thursday. Still, it's expected to be the third or fourth largest on record since NASA began aerial surveillance in 2002. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and other agencies announced during their annual briefing with reporters at Ohio State University's Gibraltar Island.
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Announcements & More   

Restore America's Estuaries - Grants available!
As part of National Estuaries Week 2017, RAE will again be offering the Gulf of Mexico Mini-Grants Program! This Mini-Grants Program, similar to last year, is aimed at supporting National Estuaries Week activities including beach cleanups, restoration projects, etc. Organizations planning activities that take place during Estuaries Week, September 16-23, are eligible to apply for grant funding through this program. Applications are due by midnight on Monday, August 7th.

Worth reading! 
Researchers release a study on ecological restoration economy concluding that "the domestic ecological restoration sector directly employs ~ 126,000 workers and generates ~ $9.5 billion in economic output (sales) annually. This activity supports an additional 95,000 jobs and $15 billion in economic output through indirect (business-to-business) linkages and increased household spending."
 
Mark your calendar!

Join American Shore & Beach Preservation Association     (ASBPA) at their National Coastal Conference, with the theme, "Beaches, Bays and Beyond", in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 24-27. Program and registration online at http://asbpa.org/conferences/.

 
The Association of State Floodplain Managers invites you to participate on the National Flood Mitigation & Flood Proofing Workshop on August 14 -17!

The workshop will focus on the following questions: 
  • How do we mitigate against flood risk?
  • How do we make sure existing and new development becomes more resilient to flood hazards?
During the workshop you will  learn  tools, techniques and best practices that the nation's leading floodplain managers, engineers, architects, designers, emergency managers, property managers, owners and others can use to reduce flood risk.

The National Wildlife Federation announced the release of a new publication, Building Ecological Solutions to Coastal Community Hazards: A Guide For New Jersey Coastal Communities.  The guide outlines ecological approaches to mounting coastal hazards such as sea level rise, erosion, saltwater intrusion, flooding and coastal storms. It presents clear solutions that are actionable at the municipal level, highlighting four important coastal systems for New Jersey: coastal urban areas, beaches and dunes, coastal forests and shrublands, and tidal marshes, providing case studies, specific recommendations, and regulatory background.

OneNOAA Science Seminars, 2017  
 
Tile: Timing the flood: sea level rise, tidal flooding and future exposure along America's coasts
 
Date & Time:  August 10, 2017 - 4 pm - 5 pm - SSMC4 Large Conference Room #8150 
 
Seminars are open to the public. For remote access, location, abstracts and more, visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Calendar at:   http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/ 
Seminars are posted in Eastern Time and subject to changes without notice; please check the web page for the latest seminar updates.   

 

The Voice of the Coastal States and Territories on Ocean, Coastal & Great Lakes Affairs

 

The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not represent or reflect the views of CSO.