November 2020 - Issue #89 |
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Project Update:2020 Coastal & Island Specialty Conference Highlights
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On November 16th and 17th, the Center for Watershed Protection hosted its very first Specialty Conference—an event with technical content, industry sponsors, and themed activities that were specifically designed around a focus area under the watershed and stormwater umbrella. We intend to hold an annual Specialty Conference each Fall to complement the National Watershed & Stormwater Conference we offer each Spring, which provides a forum for sharing all kinds of fresh ideas on watershed and stormwater management principles and practices.
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CWPA Member Project Spotlight: WSB Evaluating potential slope failures in Burnsville
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Last year, WSB partnered with the City of Burnsville (Minnesota) to evaluate and address slope failures within the city. The team began with a slope failure risk assessment to determine the likelihood of slope failures and measured risk to city infrastructure, private property and emergency response accessibility. A geohazard risk program was developed and added to the city’s asset management program.
Field results identified several potential failures to the city’s infrastructure including gullying, slides, river migration and springs. Each of the slopes were ranked using a Slope Risk Matrix that identified if mitigation, further study, monitoring or no further action would be required. Using the Slope Risk Matrix, Burnsville identified the highest risk areas and was able to proactively manage and budget for repairs and mitigation strategies.
In the fall of 2019, the city again partnered with WSB to design and construct improvements to address slope failures throughout the city. This was the first project of many that will be completed to address slope failures.
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Early last week, I had the immense pleasure to be a part of the Center for Watershed Protection’s Coastal and Island Conference. I can’t say that I enjoyed the being virtual (I miss people!). but I loved the sessions I got to be a part of and will admit to “geeking out” several times during the conference. I was grateful to have been a part of the technical planning committee for this one and look forward to the annual conference after being on the committee for that one as well. If it’s not already on your calendar put it on there! April 13-16 in St. Petersburg if it doesn’t go virtual as well.
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CWP Announcement: Experts Release First-Ever Plan to Clean Up Pollution from Conowingo Dam, Restore Chesapeake Bay |
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October 14, 2020, Ellicott City, MD – After months of collaboration, a coalition of nonprofits, including the Center for Watershed Protection, have drafted a comprehensive and cost-effective approach to reduce nutrient pollution flowing past the Conowingo Dam into the Chesapeake Bay. This work began in September 2019 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided nearly $600,000 for three projects to further the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), including support for the Center for overseeing the WIP’s development and implementation.
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New Watershed Science Bulletin: MS4 Survey of Best Practices for Winter Maintenance Implemented in Maryland |
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Sodium chloride is a growing pollutant of concern in water bodies throughout the United States. As chloride continues to impair water bodies, regulations to reduce the use of sodium chloride for road deicing will increase. The Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. (the Center) conducted a literature review and survey on best practices for winter maintenance to determine the most prevalent salt-reduction strategies and the amount of implementation in Maryland Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) communities. The literature review included a compilation of the latest information on salt-reduction practices around the country, and the Center used the findings from the literature review to develop the survey. With response rate of 37%, the survey results were able to capture a sample of best management practice implementation in Maryland’s Phase I and Phase II communities. Some of the common concerns with salt-reduction practices are cost, manpower, education, and training. There is also a disconnect between the stormwater managers and the winter maintenance team, indicating a need for improved management and, potentially, implementation of automated data collection systems. This study highlights the tremendous opportunity for salt reduction in Maryland MS4 communities that can improve water quality without sacrificing public safety. Although contractor and private applicators are a large contributor to salt use, the scope of the survey was limited to understanding the baseline winter.
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2021 CWP Webcast Topics Announced! |
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Not only did we announce the topics, but we also made the member package deal available for purchase! 2021 is full of new and exciting topics so we expanded to 10 total webcasts next year. Don't miss this package deal opportunity and register below or learn more:
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CWP 2021 National Stormwater & Watershed Conference is still accepting abstracts! |
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The Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. is now accepting abstracts from those interested in presenting at our 2021 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference. The Conference will take place Tuesday, April 13th – Friday, April 16th, 2021. The National Conference’s central theme is:
Applying Florida’s Water Issues & Solutions to Climatic Regions Nationwide
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Webcast 8: Asset Management
December 9th, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST
Asset management is a popular strategy for maintaining designated levels of service for water and wastewater systems, and the strategy has increased its visibility in the stormwater management field as water quality regulations have proliferated. Asset management provides a structured approach to optimizing life-cycle cost by developing a proactive long-term management strategy of stormwater infrastructures such as pipes, catch basins, and outfalls, as well as green infrastructure practices that require long term maintenance. In this webcast, we will look at how some communities have incorporated an asset management strategy into their stormwater management programs.
Speakers: Trey Shanks of Freese & Nichols, Inc. and Ellen Kohler of the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center
2021 Webcast 1: Pollution Prevention Techniques
January 13th, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST
The reduction of pollutants is an aspect of improving water quality across multiple water related programs, including wastewater treatment and stormwater management. In fact, municipal pollution prevention is one of the Six Minimum Control Measures of the NPDES Phase II stormwater program. Potential sources of pollution can include illicit discharges, gross stormwater solids and inadequate storage practices and may play a major role in contributing to water quality impairments. This webcast will look at the best practices to control pollutant sources and techniques for creating effective P2 programs.
Speakers: Emily Jones of Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District and Susan Sandford of Dane County, WI
2021 Webcast 2: Chlorides and Impacts
February 17th, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST
Excessive sodium and chloride concentrations in stormwater runoff is a growing cause for concern. Research has found chloride concentrations of up to 25% of the concentration of seawater in streams of Maryland, New York, and New Hampshire during winters, and chloride concentrations remaining up to 100 times greater than unimpacted forest streams during summers. Performance of necessary winter maintenance efforts with the risk of increased chloride levels can be a tricky balancing act. This webcast will look how MN communities are addressing the chloride issue and modifying winter maintenance to realize chloride reductions.
Speakers: Connie Fortin of Fortin Consulting and Matthew Morrieum from the City of St. Paul, MN
2021 National Watershed and Stormwater Conference
April 13th - 15th, 2021
The National Conference’s central theme is: Applying Florida’s Water Issues & Solutions to Climatic Regions Nationwide. As the climate changes, our water resource management techniques and research areas must also evolve. While different regions face specific concerns, there are ubiquitous lessons to be learned from our coastal communities that apply to regions throughout the country. This conference will explore high-priority water issues and solutions in Florida’s regional climate and that also hold weight for communities in other climatic regions. For instance, water reuse is a topical area in Florida as well as the arid southwest. The integration of coastal and upland restoration affects all coastal communities. Pollutants such as microplastics, water-borne trash, harmful algal blooms, and emerging contaminants of concern are pervasive across all climatic zones.
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Thank you to our newest CWPA members!
Tom H., Stromsensor, Arlington County, EBSCO, Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board, Pierce County, APEX, Natalie M., Bob B., Robyn L., Frederick County, Town of Dumfries, Erin D., Anna G., Betsy C., David G., Northern Virginia Community College, Olivia P., Wade T., Cecil County, CBT, Julia N., Michael F.
Connect with all of them and over 1,000 members in our community
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