United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office Of Water
(4501F)
EPA 840-N-94-003
Fall 1994
oEPA Watershed Events
A Bulletin on Sustaining Aquatic Ecosystems
Coastal America: A Federal Partnership to Protect, Preserve,
and Restore Our Nation's Coastal Ecosystems
On July 12, 1994, the Coastal
America Principals from 10 fed-
eral agencies signed a new Coastal
America Memorandum of Under-
standing which defines this unique
partnership and ensures that the prin-
ciples of- ecosystem management and
sustainable development guide all
partnership efforts. Coastal America is
a partnership for action to restore and
protect the Nation's coastal resources.
This partnership includes all federal
agencies with management, regula-
tory, or stewardship responsibilities
for coastal resources or whose opera-
tional activities affect the coastal envi-
ronment. The federal partners are the
Departments of Agriculture, Air Force,
Army, Commerce, Defense, Energy,
Housing and Urban Development, In-
terior, Navy, and Transportation and
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. Nine regional teams make
things happen through local projects
in the Great Lakes, Northeast, Mid-
Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf of Mexico,
Southwest, Northwest, Alaska, and
Pacific Islands.
In two years of operation this col-
laborativeproblem-solvingpartnership
has demonstrated a new approach to
addressing complex environmental
problems in a. time of limited re-
sources—a new way of doing business
that goes beyond conventional roles
and demonstrates innovative aggres-
sive action at the national, regional,
and local levels.
In the spirit of reinventing govern-
ment, Coastal America has formed a
series of unique partnerships with state
and local governments, the private sec-
tor, public interest groups, and com-
munity organizations to restore and
protect the coastal environment. To-
day, Coastal America has over 90 ac-
tion oriented projects underway in 23
states involving over 200 non-federal
organizations. Examples include open-
ing up over 150 miles of spawninghabi-
Coastweeks 1994 Celebrates the Nation's Coasts
From September 17 - October 10,
tens of thousands of Americans
participated in a three-week national
celebration of coastal and ocean re-
sources called Coastweeks.
During Coastweeks a variety of
federal, state, and private organiza-
tions reached citizens by hosting thou-
sands of events to raise coastal aware-
ness and understanding. Coastweeks
activities target people of all ages and
include educational, conservation, and
social events. Events in 1994 ranged
fromseafoodfestivals,boatraces, beach
walks, library displays, lectures, fish-
ing contests, children's programs, ma-
rine exhibits, and canoe trips to taking
part in the Center for Marine
Conservation's (CMC) International
Coastal Cleanup and the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion's (NOAA) Walter B. Jones Memo-
rial Awards for Excellence in Coastal
and Ocean Management.
Coastweeks continued on page 7
tat by removing dams and construct-
ing fish passages along major tributar-
ies in North Carolina and Virginia and
restoring habitat in a 651-acre area of
mangroves and seagrasses in Cock-
roach Bay, Florida by removal of non-
indigenous species and general cleanup
efforts.
For more information, contact
Coastal America, 14th and Constitu-
tion Avenues, NW, Room 7843, Wash-
ington, DC 20230, (202) 482-5483.
Ua|te to Protect,
Louisiana Coastal Weiteads (p&,2>
SCS Woyfes. to Keep Beaches Irom
Watershed Management in
the
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-------
Page 2
Watershed Events
Fall 1994
F* *Vii
USAmyCofpt
Agencies Unite to Protect, Restore Louisiana Coastal Wetlands
by Robert Brown, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Twentieth Century has been a
century of devastation for
Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Since
1932, the state has lost over 1,600 square
milesof marsh—an arearoughly equal
to all of Long Island and New York
City combined. Gone are many ex-
panses of marsh grass, ancient stands
of cypress and tupelo, and much of the
nursery habitat for America's largest
fish and shellfish harvests, as well as
wintering habitats for millions of the
Nation's migratory ducks and geese.
No single factor can be cited as the
culprit in the deterioration of these
coastal wetlands, but rather several
natural and human-induced influences
have combined to damage this invalu-
able resource. In southern Louisiana
natural wetland loss factors include
subsidence, sea-level rise, compaction,
and storms, while human causes in-
clude the effects of land-use changes,
levee systems, and oil and gas explora-
tion canals.
Louisiana possesses roughly 40
percent of America's coastal wetlands
and has shouldered as much as 80 per-
cent of the Nation's annual coastal
wetland loss. Wetland losses of up to
40 square miles per year have been
documented for several decades,
though more recent figures released
by the New Orleans District of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in-
dicate the rate of loss has decreased to
roughly 25 square miles a year. Still, if
this rate is not slowed, by the year 2040
Louisiana will lose an area about the
size of Rhode Island, and the Gulf
shoreline will advance inland as much
as 33 miles in some areas.
Stemming the Losses
Against this grim backdrop and
the national "wetlands" definition de-
bate, a tremendous wetland restora-
tion and creation effort is underway in
southern Louisiana. Five Federal agen-
cies—the Corps, the Soil Conservation
Service (SCS), the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S.Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)—as well as the state of Louisi-
ana and the Citizens Participation
Group, representing local special in-
terest organizations, are pooling their
resources and expertise in a monu-
mental effort to preserve or create tens
of thousands of acres of critical coastal
marsh. This concerted outpouring of
concern, hard work, and cooperation
by all parties involved in the coastal
zone is made possible by the Coastal
Wetlands Planning, Protection, and
Restoration Act (CWPPRA) enacted in
1990.
...a tremendous wetland res-
toration and creation effort is
underway in southern Louisi-
ana. ...A concerted outpouring
of concern, hard work, and co-
operation by all parties in-
volved in the coastal zone
makes this endeavor possible.
_The CWPPRA has allocated ap-
proximately $35 million a year since
1991 for wetland protection and resto-
ration projects in Louisiana. The act is
funded by a nationwide gasoline tax
levied on small engines. The state
contributes another 25 percent toward
project construction costs of the pro-
gram.
Task Force Identifies Priorities
The CWPPRA Task Force, which
includes representatives from the five
federal agencies and the state, is re-
sponsible for determining the candi-
date projects to be funded by the ap-
proximately $240 million available
through 1997 for projects in Louisiana.
The Task Force has developed a prior-
ity list of projects on an annual basis.
The Citizens Participation Group as-
sists the Task Force by providing pub-
lic review and comment on the priority
list of projects to be funded. Fourteen
projects were selected in the first year
based on their potential for immediate
and high impact on coastal wetlands.
An additional 15 projects were selected
in fiscal year 1993 and 17 more in fiscal
year 1994,. Following the guidance
provided in the act, the Task Force
screened each project for its potential
long-term restoration, cost effective-
ness, and overall quality of the wet-
lands to be preserved and enhanced.
The projects vary in cost up to $8.5
million and include several strategies
for wetland enhancement, including
using dredged material to create marsh,
controlling erosion through the use of
structures, a variety of hydrologic res-
toration efforts, a large scale sediment
diversion, and a series of vegetative
plantings.
In addition to picking annual pri-
ority projects, the Task Force has de-
veloped a Comprehensive Coastal
Wetlands Restoration Plan. This plan
includes priority list projects, but also
much larger efforts involving detailed
study plans and hundreds of millions
of dollars. The over $1 billion worth of
projects will require separate authori-
zations and funding, but taken as a
whole they provide a blueprint for re-
storing much of the coastal zone.
A Diversity of Projects
Each of the lead governmental
agencies is responsible for managing
design.and construction of their
projects selected for funding. The
Corps is using a tried-and-true method
of marsh restoration at several loca-
tions: dredged material is deposited in
places where itcan benefit struggling
marshland. A large scale sediment
diversion through the west bank of the
Mississippi River will create 9,831 acres
of marsh over a 20-year period. EPA is
overseeing a dredged material deposi-
tion project aimed at restoring two
miles of a barrier island off the Louisi-
ana coast. Controlling erosion through
the use of various structures, such as
Longard tubes filled with sand, a rock-
armored structure, and sedimenttrap-
ping devices, is the goal of two state
projects. Similarly, USFWS projects
involve the use of rock dikes and re-
constructed levees, respectively, to con-
trol erosion and block saltwater intru-
sion. Fifteen oil fields criss-crossing
coastal wetlands are the targets of a
water flow restoration project to be
managed by NMFS. SCS is overseeing
a hydrologic restoration effort which
Wetlands continued on page 6'
-------
Fall 1994
Watershed Events
Page;
SCS Works to Keep Beaches from Disappearing
by Cynthia M. Portalatin, USDA Soil Conservation Service
The Mississippi Gulf Coast has "ex-
ploded" in the last two years due
to a rapid growth in casino gambling.
"This growth has been a boom for tour-
ism, but has taken a toll on the area's
beaches," says Joel Douglas, Plant Ma-
terials Specialist for the USDA
Soil Conservation Service
(SCS) in Mississippi. Many
tourists are interested not
only in the casinos but also
the beauty of the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. Excessive human
traffic, coupled with the ef-
fectsof wind erosion, has con-
tributed to severe coastal
dune erosion.
"Coastal dunes scattered
along the beach not only add
beauty to the area but also act
as barriers to control blowing
marshhay cordgrass
serve as a test site to screen several
plant materials with potential for dune
stabilizationinMississippi. Douglas is
working with SCS District Conserva-
tionists as well as local and state agen-
cies to coordinate the plantings. Low
growing, attractive plants
such as sea coast bluestem
and the marshhay cordgrass
are preferred because of their
visual appeal and their abil-
ity to survive in a coastal en-
vironment. Selected plants go
through several years of test-
ing before they are recom-
mended for use in conserva-
tion programs.
"Coastal counties spend
approximately $600,000 an-
nually to replenish beaches
and $100,000 to remove sand
sand and flooding," says Douglas. They that accumulates on U.S. Highway 90,"
also serve as reservoirs of sand to re-
plenish eroded beaches. To provide
these benefits, however, the dune must
be protected. "Coastal dunes are built
by sand that blows into a vegetated
area or artificial structure, such as a
sand fence, erected on the beach," says
Douglas. "Unless dunes are stabilized
with adapted vegetation, they become
vulnerable to degradation by wind and
water."
But thanks to a coastal dune stabi-
lization project being carried out by
SCS and its plant materials program in
Mississippi and Louisiana, there is hope
for saving Mississippi's coastal dunes
and beaches. In Mississippi, SCS is
working with Soil & Water Conserva-
tion Districts in Hancock, Jackson, and
Harrison counties; the Gulf Regional
says Douglas. Some examples of
coastal dune erosion and destruction
caused by human contact include:
• Excessive foot or vehicle
traffic;
• Construction too close to the
water;
• Flattening of dunes by build-
ings; and
• Seawalls.
Essential components of a successful
dune stabilization program include:
• Crosswalks;
• Sand fencing;
• Temporary irrigation systems;
and
• Adapted vegetation.
When properly stabilized and main-
tained, coatal dunes protect upstream
0 areas from excessive erosion and flood-
Planning Commission; the local Beach ing. Says Douglas, "If the dunes can be
Management Department; and the formedandvegetated,thecoastalcoun-
Department of Marine .Resources to ties won't have to worry about replen-
determine the best plant materials for ishing the beaches as often."
stabilizing the dimes. • SCS provides specialized assis-
The Mississippi project is a spin- tance through the SCS plant material
off of acoastaldunestabilization project "
that was initiated in 1984 in Georgia
and Alabama. SCS released four new
plants for stabilizing dunes in that ear-
• !_/
Her effort according to Don Surrency,
Plant Materials Specialist in Georgia.
Hancock County was recently cho-
sen as one of two coastal counties to
^^ A
program in finding vegetative solu-
tions to conservation problems. A net-
work of 26 plant materials centers
(PMC) is strategically located nation-
wide to provide these services as part
of SCS's overall soil and water conser-
vation program.
Mie§a"l£an-<|r Najlcmal
Authority
Mgft Skagg
of Engineers s
U«&
1*3
pt dtect JOB 1qpjdte$* These
approach'^ cort0id$r tN$ primary
ttamfc to
to take.acftbn^jo
a«d lh iafee corrective
For more information on plants for
stabilizing coastal dunes in the south-
eastern United States, contact Wayne
Everett, Plant MaterialsSpecialist, SCS,
South National Technical Center, P.O.
Box 6567, Fort Worth, TX 76115-0567,
(817) 334-5282.
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Page 4
Watershed Events
FaJ11994
Watershed Management in Tampa Bay: A Strategy for Restoration
by Holly Greening and Richard Eckenrod, Tampa Bay National Estuary Program
Tampa Bay was accepted into the
National Estuary Program (NEP)
in 1990. The Tampa Bay NationalEstu-
ary Program (TBNEP) is a four year
program charged with development
and initiation of a "Masterplan" for
long-term managementof Tampa Bay.
Partners in TBNEP include the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA); Florida Department of Envi-
ronmental Protection; Southwest
Florida Water Management District;
the Counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas
and Manatee; and the Cities of St. Pe-
tersburg, Tampa, and Clearwater.
Since initiation of the NEP in
Tampa Bay, participants have agreed
that the final goal for the program is
the restoration, enhancement, and pro-
tection of the bay's critical living re-
sources. This includes both the physi-
cal structure of important habitats and
the animal communities which inhabit
them. Tampa Bay is similar to other
Florida estuaries in that the presence
of seagrass is an indicator of estuary
health, as well as being a critical'habi- •
tat for many organisms. The TBNEP
Management Conference has defined'
the restoration of seagrass to historical
depths (15 to 2 meters) as a long-term
goal. ' , - ' , '
The process used by TBNEP in
developing its watershed management
stra tegy involves a four-step approach.
The first step is to set clearly de-
fined restoration targets. For seagrass,
the NEP Management Conference has
approved the use of the 1950 extent as
an ultimate target for restoration
throughout the bay. Using digitized
aerial photographic information, it is
estimated that approximately 40,000
acres of seagrass existed in Tampa Bay
in 1950 while only 25,000 acres re-
mained in 1990, a 40 percent loss. This
approximatel5,000-acredifferencehas
been adopted by TBNEP as the long-
term restoration target for seagrass in
Tampa Bay. A Geographic Informa-
tion System (GIS) was used to estimate
the locations of the acreage which has
suffered seagrass losses. Much of the
loss occurred in the more urbanized
upper segments of the bay, but losses
also were observed, along the deeper
margins of beds throughout the bay.
The second step of the process in-
volves determining environmental re-
quirements necessary to reach restora-
tion targets. For seagrasses, several
factors may affect growth and health,
primary among them beingthe amount
of light reaching the grass blades. To
estimate water column conditions nec-
essary to allow sufficient light to reach
the bottom at depths to which seagrass
occurred historically, statistical regres-
sion techniques were used to estimate
the relationships between light levels
which reach grass blades at target (i.e.,
historical) depths and "allowable"
National Estuary Program
chlorophyll a concentration in the wa-
•tencolumn. A similar calculation was
made,'to establish the relationship be-
tween light levels and suspended sedi-
ments. Color was not found to contrib-
ute significantly to light attenuation in
the bay.
The final element in determina-
tion of allowable loading is to estimate
nitrogen loading from watershed and
in-bay sources associated with the "al-
lowable chlorophyll concentration."
The range of nutrient loads which is
associated with water clarity require-
ments of sustained seagrass growth to
target depth will then be used to deter-
mine pollutant load goals for water-
shed management action. The pollut-
ant load goal is simply the existing
load minus the allowable load needed
to support seagrass growth to histori-
cal depths.
Recent findings indicate that
Tampa Bay chlorophyll concentrations
may be at or near "allowable" concen-
trations. Recovery of seagrass is being
observed in some areas of the bay.
However, maintaining pollutant loads
at current levels, given that population
in the watershed is expected to in-
crease 30 percent by 2010, will still be a
considerable challenge.
Existing annual loads to the bay
from all sources for total nitrogen (TN),
total phosphorus (TP), and total sus-
pended solids (TSS) has been estimated.
As suspected, nonpoint urban and ag-
ricultural sources are a major contribu-
tor to TN loading, comprising 50 per-
cent of the total load. Atmospheric
deposition directly to the bay contrib-
utes about 27 percent of the total load.
The third step and one of the most
difficult tasks facing the NEP confer-
ence will be the equitable allocation of
long-term pollution load reductions
needed to reach and maintain the al-
lowable loading goal. As a non-regu-
latory entity, the NEP is acting as a
forum for discussion among the major
players (local governments, industries,
and agriculture) a.nd the regulatory
agencies responsible for, implementa-
tion. TBNEP has started- a series olf
working sessions with this group,
which are expected to be ongoing
through the summer of '1995.
A major question during the allo-
cation workshops will be costs esti-
mated ^to reach allocated goals. One
tool which may be useful during these
allocation workshops is a Best Man-
agement Practices (BMP) Optimization
Model currently under development.
This model takes a watershed ap-
proach, providing estimates of the most
cost-effective mix of agricultural and
urban BMPs, given various levels of
funding applied to a basin. Prelimi-
nary results of the model indicate that,
for many watershed basins, the most
cost ef feed ve and efficient management
practices include implementation of
agricultural BMPs first in mixed ur-
ban/agricultural basins.
The fourth step and a key compo-
nent of the process is implementation:
how agreed-upon reduction goals will
be incorporated and enforced. Aprom-
ising technique currently under con-
sideration is the incorporation of
nonpoint source controls into point
Tampa Bay continued onpage 12
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Fall 1994
Watershed Events
Page 5
Understanding the Fate of Toxic Substances in Watersheds:
U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
by David W. Morganwalp, U.S. Geological Survey
The objectives of the U.S. Geolog-
ical Survey's (USGS) Toxic Sub-
stances Hydrology (Toxics) Program
are to provide earth-science informa-
tion that can be used to help prevent or
mitigate contamination of the Nation's
water resources and to develop meth-
ods of sampling, analysis, and data
interpretation for use in water-quality
assessments, site investigations, and
remediation.
A four-part approach is used to
achieve these objectives. The four parts
are:
Conduct process-oriented re-
search at contaminated sites.
The sites chosen for research
serve as field laboratories,
where experiments are con-
ducted to gain a better under-
standing of the hydrology of
toxic substances.
Conduct research in an inter-
disciplinary atmosphere,
where researchers from differ-
3)
4)
ent disciplines work coopera-
tively on different facets of the
same problem.
Conduct research at multiple
spatial scales. The results from
laboratory, field, and regional
scale investigations are inte-
grated to bring about a fuller
understanding of contamina-
tion problems.
tershed and in the San Joaquin and
Sacramento Watersheds (California)
and a study of metals in a small moun-
tain watershed in Colorado.
Agricultural Chemicals in the Missis-
sippi Watershed
In 1991, an estimated 100,000 met-
ric tons of pesticides and 6.3 million
metric tons of nitrogen fertilizer were
Emphasize the transferability applied on cropland in the Mississippi
of research results to other Watershed. The Toxics Program spon-
1)
2)
sites. Research is conducted at
a contaminated site to gain
information that can be ap-
plied or transferred, not to
learn about the unique charac-
teristics of the site.
USGS scientists funded by the
Toxics Program conduct research on
the fate and transport of toxic sub-
stances in ground water and water-
sheds. Three examples of such projects,
described here, are studies of agricul-
tural chemicals in the Mississippi Wa-
sored a project to study the occurrence,
movement, and fate of agricultural
chemicals in the Mississippi Water-
shed, where 80 percent of the Nation's
corn and soybeans are produced. A
series of regional reconnaissance stud-
ies were done to determine the tempo-
ral and spatial patterns of occurrence
of nitrate and selected herbicides in
surface water and reservoirs.
A regional reconnaissance of 147
streams in the Mississippi Watershed
Toxics continued on page 11
Locations of USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Studies
WhitewoodCreek * Cmde
Belle Fourche River
ficals
TRANSPORT AND FATE OF
NON POINT SOURCE
CHEMICALS
STREAMS REACH, SURFACE
WATER QUALITY
MSEA STUDY SITES
POINT SOURCE RESEARCH
SITES
COMPLETED STUDIES
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Page 6
Watershed Events
Fall 1994
New Geographic Information System Used to Analyze Tijuana Watershed
• by Eliot Hurwitz and Eileen Kane, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Anew high-technology project,
spearheaded by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration (NOAA), will bring the latest
computer-based environmental and
management tools to bear.on develop-
ment issues in the Tijuana River Wa-
tershed. The project will focus around
the Tijuana River Estuary, a peaceful,
2,500-acre zone straddling the U.S.-
Mexico borderwhere the TijuanaRiver
meets the Pacific Ocean.
Only a few miles from San Diego,
the estuary is the largest remaining
functional wetland in southern Cali-
fornia and provides an important habi-
tat for hundreds of plant and animal
species, including-threatened and en-
dangered species. In recent years, the
health of the estuary has been severely
compromised due to unplanned de-
velopment throughout the Tijuana
River watershed.
With seed funding from NOAA,
plans are now underway to create a
computerized Geographic Information
System (CIS) for the watershed that
will conjunctively display dozens of
environmental, political, and social
variables. The heart of the CIS will be
a new digital model of the entire wa-
tershed, a three-dimensional map cre-
ated by shooting and digitizinga series
of super-high resolution aerial photo-
graphs of the region. Once this digital
base map is created, the GIS can corre-
late inventories of water levels, popu-
lation distribution, agricultural areas,
sources of pollution, soil types, indus-
trial and agricultural areas, vegetation,
% WATERSHED
In response to the i>ve^heI»jJng>\>ccesiS <*£ WATERSHED /93 aadi the
demand for a repeal per|qri»ance,,if federal agendas are Wrfcing together
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information sharing, clarify lihkajgfg -with Diner initiative, examine roles/
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The conference willbe hefd|n tfee FaHMl^S to, Ifee'WasliijngtQin,, DC
Final dates and locations ark-s^ll being set 'Tli£ tismfgrensje wiS int
plenary sessiems, concurrent: s^$i0ft^exlii6^ *es6jrce fe*r, and
{tonal '-
US.
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urban development, and many other
factors. Once completed, trends and
changes to the watershed can be mea-
sured, providing a tool for planning
and management of the estuary.
The project will also include a bi-
lingual outreach program to educate
the public about the important links
Once completed, trends and
changes to the watershed can
be measured...
between the watershed environment,
economic development, and public
health. Mobile exhibits, brochures, and
school curricula will provide current
information produced by the GIS.
NOAA's partners in the project
represent both sides of the U.S.-Mexico
border and include a long list of gov-
ernment and academic partners.
Among others, participants include the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the City
and County of Tijuana, the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection ,Agency (EPA),
SEDESOL (Mexico's counterpart to
EPA), the California Coastal Commis-
sion, the University of California at
San Diego, COLEF (Colagio do la
Fronera Norte), The Nature Conser-
vancy, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Formoreinformation,contactNina
Garfield,NOAA,1305East-WestHwy.,
N/ORM2, Silver Spring, MD 20910,
(301)713-3087.
Wetlands continued frontpage 2
involves constructing 24-to 26 plugs in
abandoned oil field canals, weirs, and
low-level rock dikes in an attempt to
reduce wetland losses.
In the end, the success of these
efforts will depend upon a lot of care-
ful planning, extensive coordination
with all interested parties, hard work,
and even a little luck. If successful, the
CWPPRA projects could usher in a
new era of federal-state-local coopera-
tion.
For more information, contact the
Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, New Orleans District,
P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA
70160-0267, (504) 862-2201.
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Fall 3994
Watershed Events
Page?
Interagency Group Coordinates Federal Surface-Water Data Collection Activities
by Will Thomas, U.S. Geological Survey
TheHydrologySubcommitteeisone
of seven Subcommittees of the In-
teragency Advisory Committee on
Water Data (IACWD). ThelACWDis
composed of representatives of 23 fed-
eral agencies that acquire or use water
information. Most of the projects of
the Hydrology Subcommittee are sur-
face-water oriented. The other six
IACWD Subcommittees focus on
Ground Water, Sedimentation, Water
Quality, Water Use, Spatial Water Data,
and Data Management. Hydrology
Subcommittee projects are conducted
by five current working groups of the
Subcommittee. Following is a brief
description of the activities of these
working groups.
Hydrologic Radio Frequency Working
Group
The Hydrologic Radio Frequency
Working Group recommends, to the
Interdepartmental Radio Advisory
Committee of the National Telecom-
munications and Information Admin-
istration of the U.S. Department of
Commerce, the assignment of specific
frequencies for the transmission of
hydrologic data by federal agencies
and non-federal users. A range of fre-
* quencies has been allocated primarily
for hydrologic purposes and the coor-
dination of specific frequencies is the
responsibility of the Hydrologic Radio
Frequency WorkingGroup. The work-
ing group, comprised of representa-
tives of seven federal agencies, rou-
tinely processes about seven requests
per month for radio frequencies.
Satellite Telemetry Interagency
Working Group
The Satellite Telemetry Inter-
agency Working Group enhances and
improves hydrologic data collection
through the use of Geostationary Op-
erational Environmental Satellites
(GOES) that orbit the Earth. The work-
ing group provides advice and sup-
port to the National Environmental
Satellite, Data and Information Service
(NESDIS) who has the responsibility
for coordinatingGOES hydrologic data
collection. Recent efforts of the work-
ing group include a project to acquire
high data rate transmitters/demodu-
lators for NESDIS at Wallops Island,
Virginia, preparation of a National
GOES Operation Plan, and acquisition
of new high density disks for data stor-
age at NESDIS.
Network Analysis Working Group
The Network Analysis Working
Group encourages interagency coor-
dination in the planning, installation,
use and management of hydro-meteo-
rological data networks. The working
group has prepared an issue paper on
the stream-gaging program that dis-
cusses the effectiveness of the current
surface water quantity information
system, identifies unmet data require-
ments of federal agencies and proposes
actions needed to improve the avail-
ability of surface water quantity infor-
mation. One of the recommendations
in the issue paper is to identify a Na-
tional Baseline Network (NBN) of criti-
cal stream-gaging stations needed to
meet national objectives and priori-
ties. The Network Analysis Working
Group, including representatives from
six federal agencies, has undertaken
the identification of the NBN prima-
rily by documenting the uses of data at
existing streamflow stations and iden-
tifying unmet data needs.
Guidelines For Determining Flood
Flow Frequency (Bulletin 17B) Work-
ing Group
The Bulletin 17B Working Group
is developing additional guidance for
flood-frequency analysis that will
supplement the existing Bulletin 17B
Guidelines used by all federal agen-
cies. The working group, comprised of
representatives of six federal agencies
and an observer from Environment
Canada, has prepared a draft report
entitled "Evaluating the effects of wa-
tershed changes on the flood-frequency
curve." This report describes statisti-
cal techniques for detecting trends and
nonhomogeneiry in annual flood peaks
caused by watershed changes and de-
scribes techniques for flood-frequency
analysis that could be used under
changing watershed conditions. The
report, which will include computer
programs for performing the various
analysis techniques, will likely be pub-
lished in 1995.
Water Surface Profile Models Work-
ing Group
The Water Surface Profile Models
Working Group is evaluating the ap-
plicability of standardizing input and
output from models for computing
water-surface profiles. This working
group has just recently been formed
and is in the early stages of defining
their purpose and scope. An initial
effort of the working group may be to
define the input requirements, capa-
bilities and utility of one-dimensional
steady and unsteady flow models.
For further information about the
IACWD and its Subcommittees, con-
tact Nancy Lopez, Chief, Office of Wa-
ter Data Coordination, 417 National
Center, Reston, VA 22092, (703) 648-
5014.
Coastweeks continued from page 1
The Coastweeks Evolution
This national celebration began in
1982, when Barbara Fegan, a Massa-
chusetts volunteer dedicated to coastal
awareness, created an educational pro-
gram with a few events in Massachu-
setts and called it Coastweek. Over the
years, using a network of local activity
coordinators to focus attention on the
value of our coastal ecosystems
throughout the country, this one-week
celebration each fall has grown to three
weeks.
In 1994, CMC suggested a theme
of "Celebrate, Educate, Participate" for
Coastweeks and further proposed that
Coastweeks events fall under three ,
categories: pollution during the first
week, "critters" during the second, and
habitat during the third week. Local
organizers adopted these suggestions
as they saw fit and as was appropriate
to their local activities.
Coastweeks Activities
This year CMC kicked off
Coastweeks with the 7th International
Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Septem-
ber 17. International Coastal Cleanup
Coastweeks continued on page 10
-------
PageS
Watershed Events
Fall 1994
Local Council Guides Protection for McKenzie River
by Tracy Brown, Lane Council of Governments
TheMcKenzieRiverinOregonflows
about 90 miles from the crest of the
Cascade Mountains westward to join
the Willamette River near the Eugene-
Springfield metropolitan area. With
headwaters in three wilderness areas,
the McKenzie River contains some of
the cleanest water in America. The
1,300-squaremileMcKenzie Watershed
provides a multitude of benefits to the
local area including drinking water for
over 200,000 residents, outstanding
fisheries, hydroelectric generation fa-
cilities, various recreation opportuni-
ties, wildlife habitat, and rich soil for
growing trees and agricultural goods.
In 1991, Lane County and the Eu-
gene Water & Electric Board contracted
with Lane Council of Governments to
do a scoping study of the feasibility of
developing an integrated watershed
management program for the
McKenzie Watershed. Since that time,
U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency
and USDA Soil Conservation Service
funds were appropriated to begin a
three to four year program and de-
velop an action plan for the watershed.
In 1993, a watershed council was
formed to guide the program and to-
day it includes 20 partners represent-
ing 19 organizations. The mission of
the council is to foster better steward-
ship of McKenzie Watershed resources;
deal with issues in advance of resource
degradation; and ensure sustainable
watershed health, function, and val-
ues. The council uses a consensus
decisionmaking process to make deci-
sions. The council hopes to provide a
framework for coordination and coop-
eration among key interests in the wa-
tershed.
The council's adopted work pro-
gram focuses on four topic areas: wa-
ter quality, fish and wildlife habitat,
recreation, and human habitat. Part of
the work program includes the devel-
opment of a comprehensive basin wide
Geographic Information System data-
base. Considerable work has occurred
in compiling existing base data layers
from federal, state, and local agencies
such as land use, zoning, hydrology,
vegetation, and soils. Additional data
layers and analysis will occur as
needed.
Citizen involvement has been an
important part of the council's work.
The council spent its first year holding
a series of meetings to gather ideas
from various interest groups and the
public at large. Open houses were held
at three separate locations in the wa-
tershed to introduce the public to the
watershed council and its activities. In
July, the council produced an eight-
page newspaper education and infor-
mation piece about the watershed man-
agement program, the council, and
general information about watersheds.
The newspaper was distributed to
about 60,000 people in the area through
local newspapers and mailed directly
to all residents in the rural portion of
the watershed. Copies of the newspa-
per are available upon request.
For more information, contact
Kathi Wiederhold or Tracy Brown,
Lane Council of Governments, 125 E.
8th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401, (503) 687-
4283.
Give Water A Han&^A "1994/95
Youth Action Program wHiclipro-5
motes good water management 'prfie-
tieese t home and m. the tfqmmanity.
Choose from among fo^f ac^r^
guides for homo, school,' farm, #& -
community. Comes complete v$th
a leader's Cutely Par|tcip90^
groups may enter thejr. project IntoV
competition by gubmitfeijp ^rojecf "
report by March t, i9|5% For more-
bjentrepreneaiialbankingrpOteittial&
-JfW t*"ankfrtg mMn a: watershed plati-
mng;£rainework> and potential mntri-
t>«tJon io national weted goals- €ott~
, tact Robert Brambaugh, Institute for
Watex? Reso«rces> U,S, Amy Corps of
Engineers? 27>0f Telegraph Rd,, Alex-
tiort; 2) origjtiafttig
staftitory a«thoriry; 4> regulatory
responsible lor enforcing th© staon~
,
StpSttu&y of J benefkaal
resoitr.ce protec:tecl+ The report
designed to lacilita te compari$on.of
of
applimble &tai«laj?d$ and guide*
lines. Contact USC0,£aTth Science
& Geologi-
Box 25286, M$ 517r
current &adow*3(. -stan-
'' "clard^and guidelines pertaining fo
sionally authorized: National Wft- pes|jic|d^
-------
Fall 2994
Watershed Events
Pasje9
November, l£ - Ify 3894? Watershed -
o Gmnfrfanction,
wo&flxop is Irttawjed^ to en-
courage asci support practical and
effigciive- apppach.es. t-o water: shed
stewardship, and allow participants
to
Status of Women wiii address tbe rela- -
tionsltjps fceiween worma asd Iheir"
en^ironnients S>
401M St., &W
67 FAX;
Profeption Conference, c/o Terreae
Jrwtftufeihn? K St., NW, Swte Wlf
Washington, DC 20006,
4md valuer «se&$l -to watershed Ini-
tia-foes, The workshop focuses on
•westers watersheds. Fo,r «K>te in- ,.
formation, contact Thome Ecologi-
cal In$Ht^;539a Manhattan QmSe,. *
Suite 12G, B&ulxler, C0&&03, (303) '
499-3647, FAX: C303) 492-8340. """ * '
% s November 17- IS, 19^4 Mftf Gnatrat-
mter GwtfMm £mj&tew& "Cmmtni-
iies Lending Grdm&wtitsr Protection,"
Thiscprtferencef oe asesongfbnnd wa-
te*i gfotiad waierprotectiott^nd citi-
"zen and commtmity jnobiibattaR, It
_
£haHme- Water Science and
Wtwgmmk Qmf&mce, Athnmati/,
New jersey
The tthjeetivessf thj$ cotiference are
to increase-understanding of the rela-
tiver Sanctions sod vai«e$ of $haUow
water habitats^ to idenliify additional
soxirees and. avaflabte assistance* The
Tke Spirit lives,
This conference n>ar kg Ifee 30th AJV
niveEsaryofiheW£fdern.es&Afii The
cofttosnce wiJ] review ihe wilder-
ness ^mandater assess- accojnjplisli-
mettfe m wjJdetwss Tnaoagemeytt
anet research, and plan £«ture ae~
leaders and officials interested in
groand water |>tateclio« ^wd govern-
ment officials and represeatatives of
be among the topics
niiies on ground wa.terT For more in-
fetation, eorttacf; The <^ot«
FoandaSon, Ed Box 2233B,
NS6S542-255&
to consider how to focus research, to
address ewrrent «naaagei?tenf ques-
tions, Shoreline Aiteration\and
Dredging will be th^ focus of" two
day-long sessions, For,more irtfor-
mafioKi, contact R^Jph Spa^nolo?
Wetlands J>rotectionScetion0BS42),
U.S. EPA Kegio» \Ml €
Building, Hiiladelpnia, FA
4431, (215) $97-3642, FAX: ^
or Bd ward Arnbrogb, Marbe
'
*- For
Region
J ^
Kailer, Nattonal Far% Service, Room
, 1849
NW,
Ground 'Waten Promoting
841 Chestrtpt Building,
e, JPA 19107-4431, (215)
, FAX:
Action,
April 39 ~
Warls «raf
tfw entfor i$rWi4f Wmen Thinking
£laMh/f Acting locally; On the
tv Beijing and &e £& Cmtury,
, Cultfornm
an exchange of practical information
ing for tlie Fourth tlnited^ Nations"
,
wnich. -wilVtake place %iu Beijing-,,
Mc works prefects
- and programs, Session topics will
Include transportation, water re-
soorces, wastewater, waste manage-
ment, and technical management
systems, For more information, con-
tact APWA.Symposium, University
of Washington, Engineering Profes-
sional programs, XP-51, 320t Fre-
mont Ave, North, Seattle,'
(2^543-5539,
-------
Page 10
Watershed Events
Falll994
Reclamation Plays Active Role in Watersheds '94 Expo
by John Redding, Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation actively
participated in the Watersheds '94
Expo in Bellevue, Washington, spon-
sored in part by the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA).
The September 28-30,1994 event
drew an estimated 800 to 1,000 partici-
pants representing a variety of public
and private interests involved in wa-
tershed management activities.
Aside from participating on the
planning committee, Reclamation em-
ployees also helped with financial con-
tributions and other services.
Reclamation's Regional Director
John Keys addressed the general ses-
sion during a panel discussion which
deliberated the topic, "Advancing
Watershed Protection: Challenges and
Opportunities." The panel discussion
offered Keys an opportunity to explain
Reclamation's commitment to water-
shed management. "There is no single
solution to all of these issues and prob-
lems facing us with watershed man-
agement," Keys said. "We need to build
a strong consensus among all who live
and work in the watershed. There is a
lot of work yet to be done, but there are
also clear examples of progress already
taking place."
As an example of workable solu-
tions to watershed management, Keys
referred to the efforts by the Henry's
Fork Council in eastern Idaho. The
council is made up of public and pri-
vatesectorrepresentatives with diverse
interests and goals. "We have people
on that council who would never have
been together in the same room a year
ago. Yet today, they play an active and
vital role in preserving one of the most
pristine waterways in Idaho," Keys
said.
Other panel participants included:
Chuck Clarke, EPA Region 10 Admin-
istrator; Linda Crerar, Washington
State Watershed Council Member; and
Walton Poole, Idaho Division of Envi-
ronmental Quality Assistant Adminis-
trator. Kathy Fletcher, People for Puget
Sound Director, served as panel mod-
erator.
A new portable display and video
featuring the AgriMet program, an ini-
tiative in the Bureau's Pacific North-
west Region, was on display during
the expo. AgriMet is a major water
conservation tool using satellite link-
up to determine site-specific weather
elements throughout the Northwest.
For more information, contact Jane
Ludwig, Bureau of Reclamation, Pa-
cific Northwest Region, 1150 North
Curtis Road, Boise, ID 83706, (208) 378-
5089.
Coastweeks continued from page 7
Day has its roots in Texas where, in
1986,CMCorganizedastatewidebeach
cleanup, and 3,000 volunteers gath-
ered garbage along the state's coast.
Froma single state in 1986, this cleanup
effort has expanded to include 35 U.S.
states and territories and 62 countries.
Cleanups occur not only along the
coasts but also along river banks and
lake fronts.
Each year CMC analyzes the data
collected during the cleanup and pro-
duces a national and international re-
port. On September 7,1994, CMC re-
leased the findings from the 1993 Inter-
national Coastal Cleanup. The 1993
International Coastal Cleanup resulted
in the collection of more than five mil-
lion pounds of garbage, along 5,572
miles of coast by 222,116 volunteers
around the world. Cigarette butts rep-
resented the most frequently collected
debris item with more than 1.7 million
reported in the U.S. alone.
In addition to sponsoring the In-
ternational Coastal Cleanup, CMC
served as National Coastweeks Coor-
dinator in 1994. The Center published
The National Coastweeks Directory, de-
scribing Coastweeks programs and
activities by federal and state govern-
ments and nonprofit organizations.
NOAA and the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) kicked off
Coastweeks with National Estuary
Day, a single day celebration of estua-
rine environments. All of NOAA's
National Estuarine Research Reserves
and many of EPA's National Estuary
Programs participated with lectures,
tours, nature hikes, water quality moni-
1994
COAST
WEEKS
CELEBRATE
EDUCATE
PARTtCI PATE
toring events, and exhibits. NOAA
closed the national celebration during
the final week by recognizing indi-
viduals, nonprofit organizations, en-
vironmentally conscious businesses,
volunteers, and coastal and ocean re-
source managers through the Walter
B. Jones Memorial Awards for excel-
lence in managing coastal and ocean
resources on October 5. Local
Coastweeks activities continued
through Columbus Day, October 10.
Other federal Coastweeks activi-
ties included EPA regional marine de-
bris cleanups and opening NOAA re-
search vessels for public tours. In ad-
dition, NOAA provided partial fund-
ing for hundreds of activities across
the country through Sea Grant college
programs,National EstuarineResearch
Reserves, National Marine Sanctuar-
ies, and state coastal management pro-
grams, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service funded local events through
National Wildlife Refuge sites and
Coastal Ecosystem Programs.
For more information, contact
Linda Maraniss, Center for Marine
Conservation, 1725 DeSales St., NW,
SuiteSOO, Washington, DC 20036, (202)
429-5609. •
-------
FaE 1994
Watershed Events
Page 11
Toxics continued from page 5
was conducted from 1989 to 1990.
Water samples were collected from the
streams to determine the concentra-
tions of nitrates and selected herbi-
cides before and after the spring appli-
cation of agricultural chemicals. This
data resulted in a series of "snapshots"
that demonstrated a spring "flush" of
herbicides from agricultural fields into
streams of the watershed. This recon-
naissance was followed by an inten-
sive temporal sampling of 9 streams
that were selected from the original
147 and a series of temporal samplings
of the main stem of the Mississippi
River and its major tributaries. These
subsequent samplings demonstrated
that the spring flush of herbicides from
agricultural fields is observable across
a range of spatial scales throughout the
watershed, from small streams to the
entire Mississippi Watershed.
The Reservoir Reconnaissance was
designed to determine the occurrence,
temporal distribution, and persistence
of selected herbicides and herbicide
metabolites in the outflow from 76 res-
ervoirs in the Mississippi Watershed.
Preliminary results-show that concen-
trations of herbicides in reservoirs re-
mained relatively high throughout the
year in contrast to streams, which have
high concentrations only in the spring.
However, the concentrations in reser-
voirs are not as high as the concentra-
tions in streams during the springflush.
The higher reservoir concentrations
throughout the year are caused when
reservoirs are filled during the spring
flush of herbicides and water from the
flush is stored in the reservoir.
For more information on USGS
research on pesticides in the Missis-
sippi Watershed, contact Donald
Goolsby, USGS, Box 25046, Denver
Federal Center, MS 406, Denver, CO
80225-0046, (303) 236-5950 extension
209.
Agricultural Chemicals in the San
Joaquin and Sacramento Watersheds
The study of agricultural chemi-
cals in the San Joaquin and Sacramento
Watersheds is part of a larger study on
thefateofanthropogeniccontaminants
in the San Francisco Bay Estuary, Cali-
fornia. The San Francisco Bay receives
a diverse group of anthropogenic con-
taminants from its watershed. The
Bay's major subwatersheds are the
watersheds of the San Joaquin and Sac-
ramento Rivers, which drain the Cen-
tral Valley of California. The Central
Valley is an area of intensive agricul-
ture, where farmers apply approxi-
mately 18,000 metric tons of pesticides
annually, 10 percent of the Nation's
total pesticide usage.
The objectives of the San Francisco
Bay project are:
1) To determine how contami-
nants from riverine and local
sources are transported and
transformed under varying
hydrologic conditions;
2) To determine the ultimate fate
of these contaminants; and
3) To develop approaches to de-
tect and quantify ecological
responses to contaminants in
this river-estuary system.
This project has included studies on
the fate of pesticides discharged into
the San Francisco Bay's river-estuary
system; the fate and distribution of
organiccontaminantsinbay sediments;
the history of organic, as well as inor-
ganic, contaminants in the bay; and the
adverse effects of trace metals on
benthic aquatic organisms.
Studying the fate of pesticides in
the Bay has shown that the primary
••determinants of pesticide distribution
in the river-estuary system are the geo-
graphic location of the pesticide
source(s)A the biogeochemical proper-
ties of the pesticides, and the hydrol-
ogy of the system. For example, USGS
researchers have shown that several
peaks of pesticide concentrations oc-
cur with the first rains after pesticide
application. These peaks are highly
episodic, and their magnitude and du-
ration are dependent on the timing of
application,- the intensity of rainfall,
and the hydrodynamics of the river
systems. The peaks can be tracked all
the way into the eastern part of the San
Francisco Bay. Field studies such as
these measure the. distribution of pes-
ticides in the water column, sediments,
and biota. When combined with labo-
ratory studies of the biogeochemical
properties of the pesticides and hydro-
dynamic modeling, these results can
be used to predict distributions of or-
ganic contaminants under different
conditions or in other environments.
For additional information on
USGS research on pesticides in the San
Francisco Bay Watershed, contact
Kathryn Kuivila, USGS, Room W-2510,
Federal Building, 2800 Cottage Way,
Sacramento, CA 95825, (916) 978-1648
extension 357.
Metals in a Small Mountain Water-
shed in Colorado
Years of mining in the Leadville,
Colorado area have resulted in acidic
mine drainage from mine wastes and
tailings that contributes heavy metals
to the Upper Arkansas River. These
metals are toxic to aquatic life in the
watershed. Under the auspices of the
Toxics Program, USGS researchers
have been investigating the transport
of metals in St. Kevin Gulch—a small
mountain watershed in the Upper Ar-
kansas River Basin. St. Kevin Gulch is
affected by acidic mine drainage from
abandoned silver and zinc mines.
USGS researchers have shown that the
chemistry and cycling of colloidal ag-
gregates of iron oxyhydroxides and
iron oxyhydroxysulfates control the
transport of arsenic, copper, lead, and
zinc in the stream by sorption. In addi-
tion, photoreduction by sunlight also
exerts a control on the transport of
metals in the stream. Photoreduction
of the ferric iron in colloids to ferrous
ironcanreleasemetal ions to thestream.
These instream transformation pro-
cesses that affect metals have been stud-
ied by tracer-dilution experiments.
These experiments defined the hydro-
logic transport processes, and allowed
the identification of the controlling
chemical processes.
Studies of St. Kevin Gulch have
provided valuable insight into the
mechanisms of metal transport and
transformation in streams contami-
nated by mine drainage. For more
information on USGS research on toxic
metals in St. Kevin Gulch, contact Briant
Kimball, USGS, 1745 West 1700 South,
Room 1016 Administrative Building,
Salt Lake City, UT 84104, (801) 975-
3384.
Toxics continued on page 12
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Page 12
Watershed Events
Fall 1994
Tatnpa Bay continued from page 4
source permit requirements. Through
thisprocess, each participant will com-
mit to reach a percentage of their allo-
cated final load reductiongoal through
the 5-year permit process. When per-
mits are renewed, progress toward the
ultimate goal will be evaluated and
adjustments made toward achieving
the final goal in the second 5-year per-
mit renewal, and so on. The primary
benefit to the regulated community is
that participants are included in shap-
ing their permit requirements at the
ground floor level. A major benefit for
the regulatory agencies is a true water-
shed-based approach, with a common
goal for all sources in the watershed.
TheTBNEP participants have com-
mitted to implementation of the final
agreed upon allocation strategy. To
date, EPA and the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection have ex-
pressed support for the concept, and
will be participating in the allocation
discussions.
The Tampa Bay management com-
munity has agreed that the protection
and restoration of living resources in
the bay is of primary importance.
Through the proposed watershed man-
agement process, Tampa Bay area gov-
ernments have the opportunity to pro-
vide the water quality requirements
necessary to meet long-term living re-
source restoration goals.
For more information, contact
Holly Greening, TBNEP Scientist,
TBNEP, 111 Seventh Ave. South, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701, (813) 893-2765.
Toxics continued from page 11
Conclusion
It is hoped that these interdiscipli-
nary studies of the hydrology of toxic
substances in watersheds will provide
scientific underpinning for the deci-
sions that water resource managers
have to make. For more information
on the Toxics Program, contact David
W. Morganwalp, USGS, 412 National
Center, Reston, VA 22092, (703) 648-
5720.
Request lor Submissions
Lessons front the
The winter iss«e- wil focus oa
lessons learned from the. Missis-
sippi flood #$ they apjjjy to wa-
tershed mariagetnent an
------- |