840R06001
EPA'S TARGET
WATERSHED GRANTS
2005 ANNUAL REPQRT
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                                 4,
        Table  of  Contents
        Executive Summary	2

        2004 Grantees	4
           Bear River	6
           Cape Fear River	8
           Dungeness River	10
           Fourche Creek	12
           Ipswich River	14
           Kalamazoo River	16
           Kenai River	18           _ •
           Lake Tahoe	20          ;j i !l
           Nashua River	22
           Passaic River	24
           Schuylkill River	26
           Siuslaw River	28
           Upper Mississippi River	30
           Upper Sangamon River	32

        2003 Grantee Updates	34
           Bayou Bartholomew	35
           Charles River	36
           Christina Basin	37
^          Clark Fork-Pend Oreille	38
m          Cumberland Basin	39
*•          Dunkard Creek	40
 ^          Great Miami River	41
           Greater Blue Earth River	42
^          Hanalei Bay	43
           Lower Columbia Estuary	44
           Manistee River	45
           Meduxnekeag River	46
           Narragansett Bay	47
           Raritan River	48
           Rathbun Lake	49
           Rio Puerco	50
 *          Upper South Platte	51
           Upper Susquehanna River	52
           Upper Tennessee River	53
           Upper White River	54

        Listing of 2005 Grantees	55

        Capacity Building Grantees	56
           The Center for Watershed  Protection	57
           The International City/County Management Association (ICMA)	58
           The River Network	59
           The Southeast Watershed Forum	60
           The University of Alaska, Anchorage	61

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                             Cape Fear
                                               Fourche Creek
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Water quality trading between point and nonpoint
sources (Bear River)

Economic incentives for conservation development
techniques, including low impact development,
clustering, and other approaches to preserve open
space (Cape Fear River)

Use of native fungi to control bacteria and excess
nutrients (Dungeness River)
Protection and revitalization of wetlands functions
through conservation easements and stream bank
restoration (Fourche Creek)

Incentive based trading within permitting programs
(Ipswich River)

A model trading framework for agricultural
participation,  including phosphorus credit banking
(Kalamazoo River)
Vouchers and other incentive programs to reduce
the use of two stroke outboard motors (Kenai River)
A watershed scale matrix of best management
practices with numeric load reduction
potentials (Lake Tahoe)
New pollutant reduction technologies,
including nitrate-removing wetlands
(Upper Mississippi River)
Use of GIS combined with precision
agriculture technology to reduce nutrients
(Upper Sangamon River)

New incentive programs for foresters to
enhance stewardship and land protection
(Nashua River)
       Dungeness Riv
                                                                          TARGETED WATERSHE
                                 The thirty-four watersheds funded in
                                 Program are spread out across the L
                                 few of the watersheds are in urban c
                                 deserts, forests, mountains, coastal c
                                 of the watershed partnerships reflect
       Siuslaw Rive
, oHanalei Bay
                                                                                         Siuslaw River

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                                    Kalamazoo River
                                                                     Lake Tahoe
d 2004 under EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grant (TWG)
nclude large and relatively small watersheds.  While a
st are in rural and  agricultural areas, flowing  through
\ a bayou.  Although they differ in size and scope, all
je customs and cultural values of the region.
                                                     Charles River
                                                      Ipswich River
                                                     Narragansett Bay
                                                 Passaic River
                                                 Raritan River
                                               Schuylkill River
                                              'Christina Basin
                                                                   N
                                           pe Fear River
 /lap Source: USGS data sets for land
 haracteristics, state boundaries, Hydrologic
 Jnit Boundaries, and Digital Elevation Model
 ivww.national.atlas.gov) Major Rivers (ESRI)
                                               THE BOTTOM LINE
                                               Major reductions in pollution, including
                                               nutrients, sediment, and bacteria
                                               Protected drinking water supply
                                               Increased aquatic habitat and wildlife
                                               Return of native fish and endangered
                                               species
                                               Enhanced recreation opportunities
                                               Reduction in health advisories
                                               Innovative market solutions
                                               Stronger community partnerships
                                               Improved environmental stewardship
                                               Shared success stories and methods
                                               Public education and communication
                                               Catalyst for additional projects
                                               Greater awareness of relationship with
                                               environment
                                                         "This Targeted Watershed
                                                         Grants Program provides
                                                         shining examples of the real
                                                         results we can achieve when
                                                         government, communities,
                                                         private landowners, and
                                                         businesses collaborate to
                                                         achieve our shared goals of a
                                                         healthy environment and a
                                                         strong economy."
                                                                      Benjamin H. Grumbles
                                                                      Assistant Administrator for Water
                                                                      United States Environmental Protection Agency
  Upper Mississippi River
Upper Sangamon River

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• 5ear River
• Cape Fear River
 • Dungeness River
  • Pourche Creelc
h                * t-
          River  §
I
       amazd© River
    Kenai Ri
     LakeT
    • Nashud
       Scnu

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 Bear
 River
                                       UT, ID, WY
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The 7,500-square-mile Bear River watershed begins in
the high country of Utah and flows north and west
through southwest Wyoming and southeast Idaho.
After abruptly turning to the south, the Bear River returns
to Utah and eventually ends its journey as the largest
tributary of the Great Salt Lake. The Conservation
Corridor connecting the northern and southern Rockies
is a critical pathway for migratory birds. Surrounded by
arid desert lands, the Bear River marshes provide for an
abundance of bird life with over 200 waterfowl and
other bird species. Currently, 52 streams and nine lakes
are listed as being impaired in the three states of the
watershed.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Water quality management is compounded by the
transboundary nature of the river, which meanders
through three states and two EPA regions with multiple
jurisdictions and planning authorities.

•  Water quality problems include sediment, nutrients,
   fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, and
   high water temperature.

•  Pollutant sources include animal feeding operations,
   grazing, agriculture, wastewater treatment, degraded
   stream banks, urban development, roads, phosphate
   mining, oil and gas exploration, and logging.
A late summer sunrise over the Bear Lake Marina. Bear Lake is the recreational gem
of the watershed and provides opportunities from boating and camping to ice fishing

 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

 The Bear River Commission will use grant funds to
 develop and demonstrate:

 •  An integrated Watershed Information System (WIS)—
   www.bearriverinfo.org—to facilitate "one stop
   shopping" for data collection, data analysis,
   information transfer, and public outreach

 •  A water quality trading program to allow point and
   nonpoint pollutant sources to trade water quality
   credits

 •  Dynamic water quality modeling to support water
   quality trading and analysis of potential water quality
   management scenarios
                                                                                          Proiect participants
                                                                                          examine a
                                                                                          restoration site.

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                                                                                               **«&Jfc:
 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE

 The Bear River Commission is working with the Bear
 River Water Quality Steering Committee, a group
 composed of the water quality agency specialists from
 Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. The project has
 broad-based participation from many partners,
 including:

 •  Utah,  Idaho, and Wyoming Departments of
    Environmental Quality
 •  Bear River Commission
 •  Bear Lake Regional Committee
 •  Bear Lake Watch
 •  Utah State University
 •  Utah Water  Research Laboratory
 •  Bear River Water Quality Task Force
                                                  I Pro|ect personnel scope out potential sites for tea'
                                                   time streamflow and water quality monitoring
"The Bear River Watershed Information System is providing unprecedented access to
data in the Bear River Basin."
- Jeff Horsburgh, Utah Water Research Laboratory,
  Utah State University, a Project  Leader
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Cape
            1
 River
                                            NC
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The Cape Fear River watershed, North Carolina's
largest, includes 23 percent of the state's land area and
many of the state's most actively growing urban areas.
Home to 27 percent of the state's population, the area
supports jobs in a variety of industries, including both
manufacturing  and agriculture. Almost 300 point source
dischargers share the basin with more than five million
head of swine.  Growth rates currently exceed the
statewide average and water usage within the basin is
expected to increase nearly 95 percent by 2020.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Twenty percent of the basin's waters are impaired.

• Jordan Lake experiences eutrophication due to
   nutrient enrichment. Excess nutrients are also a
   concern all along the river and may contribute to
   the low dissolved oxygen in the estuary.

•  Continued economic growth can potentially cause a
   variety of problems associated with urban and
   suburban development, such as erosion and nonpoint
   source pollution. Accordingly, communities are
   challenged with striking a balance between
   strengthening stormwater management requirements
   and supporting economically beneficial growth.
A farmer discusses a new animal waste management system that will help reduce
nutrient runoff  (Bob Nichols)
 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

 The Cape Fear River Assembly will launch a water
 quality trading program in the Jordan Lake watershed
 of the Upper Cape Fear River Basin. Specifically,
 they will:

 •  Design a trading program that will identify pollution
   control responsibilities, control options, types of
   management practices that should be considered for
   defining credits, and protocols for debiting and
   crediting transactions

 •  Examine combining traditional land management
   practices with nonstructural management practices,
   such as land banking, riparian buffers, and wetland
   restoration

 •  Create economic incentives for developers to adopt
   conservation development techniques such as low
   impact development, clustering, and other
   approaches that preserve open space and provide
   more permeable surfaces

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  A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
  FOR CHANGE

  Formed m 1973, the Cape Fear River Assembly is a
  nonprofit organization governed by a 39-member
  board of directors with equal representation from
  industry, agriculture, public utilities, elected officials,
  and environmental and conservation interests. They are
  further supported in this project by six organizations:

  •  Upper Cape Fear River Basin Association
  •  Middle Cape Fear River Basin Association
  •  Sampson County Friends of Agriculture
  •  Fayetteville Public Works Commission
  •  Yarborough Law Firm
  •  Lower Cape Fear River Program
                                                    Sunset at the entrance to the Cape Fear River
                                                    (Copt  Albert E Theberge, NOAA Corps (Ret)
"Watersheds are waters shared, a shared resource and a shared responsibility.
Accordingly, this resource can be best managed as a team effort. If the rivers were the
circulatory system in the body called North Carolina, then the Cape Fear River system
would be the coronary artery."


- Don Freeman, Cape Fear River Assembly
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Dungeness
 River
                                            WA
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED  SPECIAL?
The Dungeness River of Washington State, located on
the Olympic Peninsula of northern Puget Sound,
originates in the steep Olympic Mountains and flows 32
miles through wilderness, forest, and valley before
reaching its bay. The 200-square-mile  watershed is
home to more than 200 fish and wildlife species and an
important stop for migratory waterfowl. The river
supports seven salmonid species, and the bay is noted
for bountiful crab and other shellfish. Over the years,
the area has been steadily converted from forest to
agricultural and  residential  land uses. An extensive
irrigation system, diverting water for lawns, crops, and
hobby farms, adds to the pastoral setting of the valley.
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, which  has historically
depended on the watershed's cultural and natural
resources, retains treaty rights to fish, hunt, and gather
shellfish here.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Human-induced Impacts have impaired the natural
river and bay processes of the Dungeness. The
combination of watershed health problems has resulted
in human risk, three threatened salmonid species under
the Endangered Species Act, and closure of Dungeness
Bay to tribal and nontribal shellfish harvests, inhibiting
economic and recreational use of the river and bay.
The river has also been placed on the state's §303(d)
water quality list for fecal coliform and low instream
flows.
• Land use changes and physical alterations - such as
  floodplain development, riparian vegetation
  removal, and construction of an extensive irrigation
  system - are factors in flooding, stormwater
  pollution, and overall degraded aquatic habitat.
• Failing septic systems, poor animal keeping
  practices, and inadequate management of
  stormwater runoff have increased nutrient and
  bacterial levels in the river, bay, and irrigation
  ditches.

RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe will use its Targeted
Watersheds grant in two areas. The first is to apply
microbial source tracking technologies to at least six
sites to more precisely define bacterial pollutant
sources. The second is to institute four pollution
prevention  techniques.
• A bio-remediation project will use native fungi to
  control excess nutrients and bacteria.
• A homeowner sewage management program will
   provide  education and cost-sharing incentives in
  septic maintenance and repair.
• A stormwater management project will focus on best
   management practices for homes, roadsides, and
   parking  lots.
• An  irrigation ditch piping project will prevent
   pollutants from entering the irrigation system (by
   joining ditches and enclosing  them in pipe) and
   improve in-streams flows (by eliminating leakage
   and reducing the amount of flow diverted from the
   river for irrigation).

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A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
FOR CHANGE
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe is leading an
 interjurisdictional partnership consisting of:
•  Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
•  Clallam County
•  Clallam Conservation District
•  Cline Irrigation District, Clallam  Ditch Company and
   Dungeness Irrigation Group
•  The Dungeness River Audubon Center
•  Battelle Marine Science Laboratory
                                                                                   A view of the volley
                                                   Scenic image of fhe
                                                   river from the south

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 Fourcne
 Creelc
                                             AR
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The Fourche Creek watershed in Arkansas drains and
filters over 99 percent of the Little Rock metropolitan
area and encompasses at least six third-order streams
and numerous tributaries that discharge into it. The
creek catches, stores, and releases floodwater from the
Little Rock area. A classic urban watershed, the City of
Little Rock cites the economic value and savings from
natural purification in the Fourche Bottomlands to be in
the millions of dollars. However, despite decades of
neglect and abuse, Fourche Creek still boasts more than
50 species of fish, stands of 300-year-old bald cypress,
and core bottomland region that still maintains its
wetland functions. An estimated 90,000 of the
watershed's  108,000 acres lie within the city limits of
Little Rock, and of those, approximately 2,000 are intact
wetlands. The core intact wetland area of Fourche Creek
remains undeveloped, but is surrounded by encroaching
commercial and industrial sites and  crisscrossed by
utility corridors.


ENVIRONMENTAL  CHALLENGES

In 2003, Fourche Creek was identified by EPA as a
federal priority with its Brownfield designation. The
greatest threats to the Fourche watershed include
sedimentation and floodplain encroachment:
• Streambank erosion  and stormwater runoff problems
  exist due to development and urban sprawl.

• Dwindling wetland habitats and floodwater storage
  capacity threaten the watershed's ability to act as a
  natural filter.
                                                     Students learn water quality monitoring techniques
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

As the largest urban environmental restoration project
ever undertaken in Arkansas, the Targeted Watersheds
Grant funds will allow Audubon Arkansas to improve
water quality,  restore wetland functions, and enhance
educational opportunities and community awareness.
The project has six primary goals:
•  Revitalizing wetland function by stabilizing 4,500
   linear feet of rock vane and crib wall; reforesting 50
   acres; enhancing 4,500 linear feet of stream
   corridor; establishing six stormwater retention
   basins; reducing sediments by five percent, plus
   facilitating  one large-scale stream restoration project
•  Increasing  habitat and wetland floodwater storage
   capacity by bringing 20 critical acres of stream
   corridors in the floodplain into perpetual
   conservation easement status
•  Establishing education and watershed awareness
   programs for the public, including students and
   developers
•  Reducing floatable trash by 20 percent through a
   partnership with the City of Little Rock and a Central
   Arkansas waste management firm, which has agreed
   to accept free of charge all litter collected in the
   watershed, as well as build a trash collection device
   across the  main stem of the creek
•  Using the project web site, www.fourchecreek.org, as
   a center for outreach and  communication
•  Continuing to conduct monthly water quality
   sampling at eight sites along Fourche Creek for
   more than 40 parameters

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 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE
 Audubon's broad array of partners includes:

 •  State, county, and local level public partners such as
    Arkansas Forestry Commission, City of Little Rock,
    and Pulaski County Conservation District

 •  Private partners such as Sierra Club, Central
    Arkansas Chapter of Audubon Society, and the Ross
    Foundation
 •  Other supporting groups such as Boy  Scouts of
    America, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural
    Resource Conservation Service

                                                 Interns learn
                                                 about wetland
                                                 and forest
                                                 habitats
                                                                      A project goal .s to reduce floatable trash by 20
                                                                      percent
"The Fourche Creek float was an experience I never thought I would have in the heart
of Little Rock. The ancient trees, the shade, the winding stream channels, and the flash
of birds: green heron, great horned owl, and Mississippi kites. I would never have
known about it had I not been involved with Audubon."


- David Stafford, Sturgis Scholar UALR
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Ipswicn
 River
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?
The Ipswich River winds 45 miles from northeast
Massachusetts to the Atlantic Ocean, where it becomes
part of the 1 7,000-acre Great Marsh estuary ecosystem.
The 1 55-square-mile watershed encompasses all or part
of 22 communities and is a critical source of drinking
water for over 330,000 residents and businesses. The
river has been an economic and ecological asset within
the area since before colonial times, supporting
productive fisheries and shellfish beds, and, for more
than a hundred  years, it supported shipbuilding,
tanneries, and textile  mills.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
The Ipswich River was designated by American Rivers as
the third most endangered river in the nation because of
its extremely low flows and extended periods of no flow.
•  Eighty percent of the water pumped from the river
   and the aquifers within the watershed is shipped out
   of the basin as drinking water or wastewater, creating
   a large new outflow.

•  Additionally, increasing areas of impervious surface
   from development cause flooding and erosion,
   degrade water quality, and prevent natural recharge
   to aquifers within the watershed.
•  Low flows and increased nonpoint source pollution
   result in extremely low dissolved oxygen, high
   temperature, algal blooms, elevated nutrients and
   pathogens.
•  Low and no-flow events and degraded water quality
   have led to repeated fish kills and near full
   replacement of river-dependent fish species with
   species associated with ponds and still water.
Marilyn McCrory of MA Deportment of Conservation and Recreation (foreground)
during a site tour with EPA and the Ipswich River Watershed Association
(Sandra Fancieullo)
 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
 The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and
 Recreation will use its watersheds grant to address the
 impacts caused by extensive pumping for municipal
 water supply and land development. The project will:
 • Quantify the benefit of specific low-cost, natural
   stormwater infiltration and recharge techniques, and
   water conservation techniques
 • Quantify the potential impact of these techniques on
   a watershed-wide scale, through modeling
 • Form the basis for local "water banks," and provide
   essential information to regulators to employ
   incentive-based trading mechanisms within
   permitting programs

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 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE
 The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and
 Recreation is supported in its project through the
 collaborative efforts of several groups:
 •  The Ipswich River communities of Reading,
    Wilmington, North Reading, and Topsfield
 •  The Ipswich River Watershed Association
 •  Rainwater Recovery Systems, LLC
 •  AquaSave
 •  The U.S. Geological Survey
                                         *>r i:Vv''^ <0K
                                        •'*•"  Hi
View of Ipswich River from bridge
(Sandra Fanaeullo)
"With many projects up and running, monitoring underway, and awareness and
interest in what we're doing growing within the watershed, I feel very hopeful about
advancing the understanding of and adoption of low-impact development and water
conservation techniques, with noticeable benefits to the Ipswich River."

- Sara Cohen, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Grant Project Manager
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Kalamazoo
 River
                                          Ml
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?
The 2,020-square-mile Kalamazoo River watershed in
southwest Lower Michigan supports a population of
nearly 500,000 and is comprised of 41 percent forest
and rural open areas, 45 percent agriculture, seven
percent urban, and seven percent open water and
wetlands. Historically, the 160-mile river has been used
as a fishery and for extensive paper milling. Significant
ecological, cultural, and spiritual interests link the
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of the Pottawatomi
(the Gun Lake Tribe) to this basin. The current City of
Kalamazoo was the center of the tribe's dedicated
homelands until the mid-1800s. The tribe maintains
existing and ceded lands within the watershed.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
From a once-prized small-mouth fishery to an
oxygen-starved, milky-white receiving stream for mill
waste, the river now meets most ambient water quality
standards. Significant water quality challenges remain:

•  Eighty miles of the river are still plagued with
   PCB-laden sediments from the paper mill legacy,
   resulting in fish consumption advisories
•  Other select areas are impaired  by nonpoint source
   runoff, nutrient enrichment, and  habitat loss

•  Lake Allegan - a 1,500-acre impoundment 21 miles
   upstream  of Lake Michigan in the lower reaches of
   the watershed - suffers from phosphorus
   over-enrichment and the attendant frequent algal
   blooms, low oxygen levels, and poor water clarity



Lake Allegan is a beautiful lake, but the water is heavily nutrient enriched and affected
by PCBs
 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
 The tribe is involved in this effort by addressing
 eutrophication issues through trading in two phases:
 •  Developing a model trading infrastructure and
   applying mechanisms to include both market-based
   tools, and  a model  trading registry
 •  Developing a transferable model trading framework
   for agricultural participation, phosphorus credit
   banking, education and implementation of
   conservation practices for trading
 Both aspects of the project will be tested and verified
 with real reductions through agricultural participation
 and other partners.

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  A STRONG  PARTNERSHIP
  FOR CHANGE
  More than 150 watershed stakeholders have
  participated in watershed activities since 1998.
  The Gun Lake Tribe is coordinating its efforts through
  partnerships that include:
  •  Kieser & Associates
  •  The World  Resources Institute
  •  Area Conservation Districts
  •  The Environmental Trading Network
  •  Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
  •  Michigan Department of Agriculture
  •  USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
           •.  ! f" V'
; Lake Allegan was
 one of the first in
 the state to have
 an approved Total
 Maximum Daily
 Load that covers
 the headwaters to
 the lake
                                                                          Project purtnets work with farmers on conservation practices to
                                                                          reduce nutticntb  iLynn Belts)
"We are delighted to make a contribution that can improve conditions within our ceded
territories in the Kalamazoo watershed. Many American Indians still rely upon
subsistence practices in their lives. Improved water quality and habitat can only create
better living conditions for  all Americans."

- Tribal Chairman D.K. Sprague
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Kenai
 River
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

One of the most important watersheds in Alaska, the
Kenai River provides world-class salmon fishing and
wilderness recreation.  It drains more than 2,200 square
miles and is home to 34 fish species. Its watershed
supports a variety of multiuse recreational activities that
include rafting, kayaking, motor boating, drift guiding,
hunting, snowmobiling, hiking, and camping. Within a
two-hour drive from Anchorage, the watershed is
accessible to over 70 percent of the state's population
and accounts for 19 percent of the state's sport fishing.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

The most immediate concerns facing the Kenai are
related to recreational impacts from in-river motorized
boat use.

•  Hydrocarbon levels exceed water quality standards
   established for fish  and aquatic life in areas of  heavy
   boat use.

•  Habitat loss due to  boat wakes, all-terrain-vehicle
   crossings of stream channels, and culverts are a
   primary source of accelerated erosion.
Th Kenai Ri er supports numerous recreational activities, including world class
salmon fishing
 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

 The Kenaitze Indian Tribe, I.R.A. will use its grant award
 to address these two watershed threats - hydrocarbon
 pollution caused by outboard motors and stream bank
 erosion caused by boat wakes. Project activities will
 protect and preserve the river by implementing
 market-based and stewardship incentives and by
 engaging community members.

 •  The Two-Stroke Boat Motor Buyback Incentive
   Program aims to reduce the effects of hydrocarbon
   emissions from two-stroke boat motors by providing
   cash vouchers to private consumers toward the
   purchase of a nonmotorized drift-boat or a 2006
   manufacture emission compliant motor when the
   two-stroke motor is traded in.

 •  The Boat Wake Erosion Reduction Program will
   reduce the effects of boat wakes on stream bank
   erosion, through a "river-friendly guide" incentive
   program featuring permit fee reductions, a voucher
   program to encourage private consumers to select
   flat bottom or nonmotorized boats when purchasing
   a boat for use on the Kenai  River, and continued
   monitoring and  evaluation of boat wake effects on
   stream  banks.

 •  Ongoing water quality monitoring by the Kenai
   Watershed Forum will  help measure hydrocarbon
   concentrations from outboard  motors. Weekly
   sampling will occur during peak recreation times.

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 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE

 Under the EPA Targeted Watershed Grant, the Kenaltze
 Indian Tribe I.R.A., the Alaska Department of Natural
 Resources, and the Kenai Watershed Forum will
 collaborate to implement project activities. Further
 support comes from:

 •  Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board
 •  Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
 •  Kenai Peninsula Borough
 •  Kenai River Center
 •  Kenai Watershed Forum
                                                                 The Kenoi River
                                                     unset over the Kenai
"This grant offers an excellent opportunity for the tribe to work with our community
partners for the protection of a river which has been the lifeblood of Kenaitze people
for generations."
                                                                   *
- Brenda Trefon, Kenaitze Indian Tribe I.R.A
  www.epa.gov/twg

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Lake   Tah
                                          CA, NV
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

Because of its extraordinary water clarity, Lake Tahoe is
designated an Outstanding National Resource, which
affords it the highest level of protection under the federal
Clean Water Act. At 6,223 feet above sea level in the
Sierra Nevada mountains, the lake spans portions of
both California and Nevada and is a national scenic
and recreational treasure. The second deepest lake in
North America, with a maximum depth measured at
1,645 feet, it is the tenth deepest in  the world. It
contains enough water to cover the entire State of
California to a depth of 14.5 inches. The region's
annual $1  billion economy depends heavily on the
beauty of this sapphire-blue lake, which attracts
millions of visitors each year to its stunning peaks and
beautiful shorelines.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Since 1968, scientists have measured a decline in the
lake's famous water clarity at the alarming rate of one
foot per year due to algae growth and suspended
sediments associated with human activity. During this
time, Lake  Tahoe's clarity, as measured by a plate sized
secchi disk, has declined from 29.5  meters (97 feet) to
22.5 meters (74 feet).

•  Recent research indicates that in-basin atmospheric
   pollutants contribute significantly to the decline in
   clarity.

•  Population increases, air pollution, stream  channel
   erosion, upland erosion, loss of wetlands,  and
   historical sewage disposal have contributed to lost
   water clarity.

•  Nitrogen, phosphorus and fine sediment from
   streams, groundwater, urban runoff, and atmospheric
   deposition are responsible for degrading water
   quality.
Eagle Falls (Jon Paul)


 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

 Numeric limits on urban runoff, construction controls,
 and stormwater treatment for existing and new
 development as established by the Tahoe Regional
 Planning Agency's Regional Plan have been in place
 since 1987. Although both point and nonpoint source
 controls are more prevalent in Tahoe than many places
 in the United States, work currently underway to
 develop a Lake Tahoe Nutrients and Sediment Total
 Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) will allow for more
 scientific, market-based approaches to restoring lake
 clarity to be developed and evaluated. EPA Targeted
 Watersheds Grant funds will be used to:

 • Evaluate the potential for, and if determined to be
   feasible, develop a water quality trading strategy that
   will include cross media (air-water) opportunities and
   will link land use, air  pollution, and best
   management measures to water clarity goals

 • Evaluate new approaches and technologies for
   pollution control at Lake Tahoe, including measures
   to control air-borne pollutants from transportation
   sources

 • Incorporate data on new and traditional Best
   Management Practices (BMP)  into a matrix to
   determine their basin-wide potential to achieve
   required numeric load reductions, information that
   will help guide watershed management decisions
   and potentially enable trading

-------
A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
FOR CHANGE

To restore lake clarity, the Lahontan Regional Water
Quality Board and the Nevada Division of
Environmental Protection will collaborate on developing
the Lake Tahoe Nutrients and Sediment Total Maximum
Daily Load, a holistic watershed plan to address water
quality impairments. The Lake Tahoe  Basin is unique in
that two states (Nevada and California) and numerous
entities have been engaged in watershed protection
efforts for years. The  number, nature, and longevity of
active stakeholder groups demonstrate the high degree
of coordination already occurring. These groups
include:

•  Water Quality and Transportation Coalition

•  Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program

•  Storm Water Quality Improvement Committee

•  Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition

•  Lake Tahoe Science Consortium

•  Numerous government agencies at the federal, state
   and  local level
                                                  Alpine Morning (Jon Paul)

-------
 Nasnua
 River
                                         MA, NH
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?
The Nashua River watershed encompasses 31
communities in north central Massachusetts and
southern New Hampshire. Nearly 240,000 people live
and work within its 538 square miles. Still largely rural,
yet at the edge of a major metropolitan area, the
watershed is over 60 percent forested. The
Massachusetts portion includes a designated
Outstanding Natural Resource Area for cold water
fisheries and supports more than 20 rare or endangered
species. Because groundwater and surface water are
closely linked, the watershed serves as an ideal study
area for integrating drinking and surface water
protection efforts.


ENVIRONMENTAL  CHALLENGES
Protecting existing and future drinking water supply
sources in the face of strong development pressures is a
critical issue for rapidly growing states. Sharply
increasing pressures from rapid growth and the
resultant decline of open space contribute to two
overarching water problems: nonpoint source pollution
of the surface waters and increasingly comprised
groundwater supplies. The  growth  rate in the
Massachusetts towns in the study area is projected to be
25 to 40 percent through 2010, and 70 to 140 percent
in the New Hampshire towns.
• Build out analyses project water demand in
  Massachusetts to far exceed safe yields of ground
  water resources.

• Public water supply land is not adequately protected
  despite state requirements.
• New development poses threats to water quality
  from sodium and chloride, pesticides and fertilizers,
  fecal coliform, and chemicals and solvents.
• Impervious surfaces are about 7 percent, but studies
  suggest 10 percent is the threshold percent to protect
  water resources in the study area.
• About 79 percent of the Squannacook subbasin and
  66 percent of the Nissitissit subbasin are forested
  (research suggests 75 percent as the threshold
  percent to protect water resources).
• Forest land overall is at most only 25 percent actively
  managed.

RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
The Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA),
which has a proven record of success in taking on
difficult environmental issues, will use EPA Targeted
Watersheds Grant funds to:
• Increase incentives to individual and municipal forest
  landowners to voluntarily expand their stewardship
  and  land protection
• Explore market-based opportunity for collective
  landowners through a forestry cooperative
• Increase incentives for foresters to receive training in
  ecological approaches
• Provide practical model conservation and restoration
  sites
• Develop forward-looking  smart growth regulatory
  approaches at the municipal and state level
• Provide baseline water quality information
• Act on new understanding of why some landowners
  can  be resistant to pro-activity
                                   Gulf Brook, a tributary of
                                   the Nissitissit River

-------
                                                                                                 S*«L3**-
  A STRONG  PARTNERSHIP
  FOR CHANGE

  EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds will allow the
  NRWA to continue in its strong collaborative work. This
  project follows directly from the recently completed
  bi-state Source Water Stewardship Demonstration
  Project, in which NRWA, the State of New Hampshire,
  the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Trust for
  Public Land and other organizations all  participated.
  NRWA is currently partnering with:

  •  Beaver Brook Association
  •  New England Forestry Foundation
  •  Trust for Public Land
  •  A broad interstate coalition of stakeholders
                                                   I The mouth of the Nissitissit River
"Working as a broad coalition, the NRWA and its partners are honored that the U.S.
EPA is supporting our proactive project to 'protect today's water for tomorrow' in a
threatened region of our watershed."


- Elizabeth Ainsley Campbell,  Executive Director, Nashua River Watershed Association
  www.epa.gov/twg

-------
 Passaic
 River
                                              NJ
WHY \S THIS WATERSHED  SPECIAL?

The Passaic River, which traverses both New Jersey and a
small portion of New York, has historically been an area
of significant industrial activity and is now one of the
most impacted rivers in the northeast. Approximately
two million people—one quarter of New Jersey's
population—live within 669 square miles of the
803-square-mile watershed. In addition, 23 reservoirs,
all within the nontidal portion of the river, provide
potable water to New Jersey's residents.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
recently funded watershed characterization and
assessment studies. These revealed that surface water
quality standards for nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH,
temperature, pathogens,  metals, and  pesticides are
often exceeded.

•  Phosphorus loads must be reduced to restore water
   quality in the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

•  Nineteen wastewater treatment plants within the
   nontidal portion of the Passaic River watershed
   each discharge more than 1 million gallons per day
   of treated effluent.  The plants, studies assert,
   contribute a large percentage of the phosphorus
   load.

•  Upgrading wastewater treatment plants to meet an
   effluent limitation for total phosphorus would be
   extremely costly. All additional costs would be passed
   on to taxpayers in the  form of higher sewer  rates
   unless a water quality trading program with the
   potential to significantly lower costs is implemented.
                                                      Headwaters of the Passoic River in the Highlands of New Jersey
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds will be used to
develop, implement, and evaluate an effective water
quality trading program for the nontidal Passaic River
Watershed that adheres to EPA's Water Quality Trading
Policy. The focus of the program will include both
point-point source trading and point-nonpoint source
trading. The partners will:

• Review available studies to identify potential trading
  scenarios and examine ongoing projects around the
  country to identify models that can be adopted

• Evaluate potential trading scenarios from a scientific
  and economic perspective and develop a model that
  will quantify potential load reductions and cost
  savings

• Evaluate the public policy and legal aspects,
  including permitting and enforcement implications,
  of water quality trading as it pertains to the Passaic
  River watershed and New Jersey statutes,
  regulations, and policies

• Develop and implement a trading program,
  including facilitating trading negotiations and
  recommending modifications to permits

• Report results at local, regional, and national
  meetings and  in peer-reviewed journals

• Develop a website for the project. A website has
  been initiated  for the project at
  www.water.rutgers.edu/projects/trading/WQTrading.htm

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                           •oft*.
  A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
  FOR CHANGE

  The watershed contains 19 major point sources. Each
  may require different levels of upgrade to achieve water
  quality standards, making a trading program very
  attractive. An active coalition assembled to complete
  this endeavor includes:

  •  The Passaic River Basin Alliance, a nonprofit coalition
    of wastewater treatment plants in the Passaic Basin

  •  Experts from Rutgers and Cornell Universities

  •  The New Jersey Department of Environmental
    Protection

  •  A nonprofit organization of New Jersey
    municipalities

  •  The New Jersey Association of Environmental
    Authorities, a nonprofit organization of state
    wastewater treatment plants, water utilities, solid
    waste facilities, and collection system operators

                                                     I Whippany River, one of the many tributaties to the Passaic River that will be protected
                                                        ugh the water quality trading project
"The EPA Targeted Watershed Grants Program has provided a unique opportunity to
develop a water quality trading program for the Passaic River Basin that brings
together stakeholders with diverse goals, and align their efforts to improve water
quality at reduced cost. We aim to achieve a win-win result for the environment and
our stakeholders."

- Christopher C. Obropta, Ph.D., PE., Rutgers Cooperative Extension
  www.epa.gov/twg

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 Scnuullo'l
 River
                                             PA
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The historic Schuylkill River is not only a working river
but also the source of drinking water for more than 1.5
million people. At 130 miles long, with more than 180
tributaries, the Schuylkill drains 2,000 square miles of
southeastern Pennsylvania and is the largest tributary to
the Delaware Estuary. The watershed is diverse, flowing
from the Appalachians through rich farmland and low
rolling hills into the highly urbanized Atlantic coastal
plain.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Industrialization and  mining in the 19th and 20th
centuries left the Schuylkill as one of the  nation's most
polluted  rivers. In recent years, however, the river's water
quality has improved and migratory fish  are returning,
but problems remain. Major causes of degradation
include stormwater runoff, agricultural practices,
abandoned mine drainage, and sewage overflows.

•  Stormwater is the primary cause of impairment, with
   a total of 273 stormwater impaired stream  miles.
   Most of these are within Montgomery and
   Philadelphia counties, the watershed's most populous.

•  A restoration analysis found that it would cost
   approximately $288 million to design and reconstruct
   all impaired stream miles according to natural stream
   channel design principles. Because this is not a
   feasible restoration strategy, the Stormwater
   Workgroup must ensure that the most recent and
   proven stormwater controls  are used in future
   development and  when retrofitting older areas
   developed without adequate controls.
Last year's winner of the Annual Urban Fun Fishing Fest in the Schuylkill River
 RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

 A near-term restoration initiative was developed to
 address stormwater runoff, agricultural practices, and
 abandoned mine drainage, to promote market-based
 strategies, and to evaluate the efficacy of the Schuylkill
 Action Network as an interjurisdictional approach to
 water quality management. These efforts will help meet
 the requirements and balance the priorities of the Safe
 Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, by
 creating a "fishable, swimmable, and drinkable"
 Schuylkill River. EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds
 will be used to achieve four specific goals:

 • Achieve measurable  pollution reductions

 • Provide a model for moving from source water
   assessment to protection and demonstrate a
   cooperative approach to maintaining coordinated
   actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act and
   Clean Water Act for a large watershed

 • Conduct demonstration projects and explore
   market-based initiatives

 • Implement, over the  next 3 years, more than 40
   demonstration projects relating to stormwater
   impacts, agricultural impacts, abandoned mine
   drainage impacts, and market-based strategies

-------
 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE

 EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds will be used
 under the leadership of Philadelphia Water  Department
 and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to aid the
 Schuylkill Action Network's many partners. These
 include:

 •  State agencies
 •  Local watershed organizations
 •  Water suppliers
 •  Local governments
 •  Federal  government agencies
                                                       School children signing the
                                                       Constitution of the Schuylkill
                                                       Action Network (SAN), which
                                                       is on agreement of watershed
                                                       residents to |om in the SAN's
                                                       efforts to restore and protect
                                                        ; Schuylkill River
"This is a truly collaborative initiative, with thirteen organizations and agencies
implementing 40 diverse projects spread throughout a watershed almost 2,000 square
miles in size. The project managers are all committed and energized for putting the
funds to work on the ground, and I'm excited to be part of making  that happen."

- Jennifer Adkins, Schuylkill Targeted Watershed Grant Coordinator, Partnership for the
  Delaware Estuary
Various boats on the Schuylkill River along
Boothouse Row near Philadelphia
  www.epa.gov/twg

-------
 Siuslaw
 River
                                             OR
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The Siuslaw River meanders 150 miles through Oregon
from the edge of the Willamette Valley to the Pacific
Ocean. Half of its watershed is managed by federal
agencies, industrial timber companies own a third, and
the flat valley bottoms, lower hill slopes, and estuary are
privately owned and  not industrially used. The watershed
includes inland valley oak savanna forests and
meadows; the Coast Range mountains, one of the best
tree-growing areas in the United States; and the tidally
influenced estuary zone. The Siuslaw's stands of
old-growth forest are the largest remaining tracts  of
intact coastal temperate rainforest on the north coast of
Oregon. The basin once supported huge runs of Pacific
salmon, including the largest run of coho salmon  south
of the Columbia River, which is now at less than 2
percent of its historical population and listed as
threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Because
of the fertile soil and moderate climate in the Willamette
Valley, the watershed includes some of the most
productive farming land in the nation.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Eight watershed assessments have been developed for
parts of the basin, in addition to a whole-basin
assessment. Based on these findings, restoration
activities will focus on debris flow cycle, the movement
of organic material, sediment, and water, as well as
riparian connections to streams. Major threats include:

• Draining, diking, and installing numerous tidegates
  in the estuary and valley bottoms, which prevent
  tidal flows in the estuary

• Aggressive forest practices on steep slopes and in
  riparian areas, which have led to an increased risk
  of sediment delivery to streams

• Elevated lead and temperature levels in the river,
  which exceed EPA standards


RESTORATION  ACTIVITIES

This project seeks to implement a basin-wide
restoration initiative to improve the economic integrity
in local communities through restoring natural
processes in the upper basin. It combines innovative
market-based incentives with specific habitat restoration
and monitoring and evaluation projects. Targeted
Watersheds Grant project tasks include:

• Restoring natural landscape processes by repairing
  culverts and  roads

• Using market incentives to reduce the risk of
  sediment delivery to stream channels from  10,000
  acres

• Restoring 30 miles of riparian habitats and processes

• Protecting and restoring a 5-mile estuary corridor

• Developing  and implementing a water quality
  monitoring and evaluation program
     Landowners along the Willamette Valley put buffers along the river
     to improve habitat and water quality (Gary Wilson)

-------
A STRONG  PARTNERSHIP
FOR CHANGE

Since the 1980s, academic researchers, agency
personnel, and community members have been
working to develop and implement an integrated
ecosystem-based approach to restore the Siuslaw. Five
entities - Ecotrust, the Siuslaw Watershed Council,
Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District, Siuslaw
Institute, and Siuslaw National rarest - will manage this
project under the EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant.
Other partners include:

•  Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and
   Siuslaw Indians
'  McKenzie River Trust
*  Shorebank Enterprise Pacific
•  Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership
•  Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts
•  Natural Resources Conservation Service
*  Bureau of Land Management
'  Private landowners and many others
                                                                  Stream in the Coast Moxjntain Range in Oregon
                                                                  (Ron Nichols)
                                     Recreational fly fishing
                                     in a mountain stream
                                     (Ron Nichols)

-------
 Upper
 Mississippi
 River
pp
WHY  IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The Des Moines Lobe, the central focus of this project, is
drained  mostly by the Des Moines, Raccoon, Iowa, and
Skunk rivers in the "prairie-pothole" region in
north-central Iowa. Thanks to artificial drainage, this
land boasts some of the most valuable and productive
farmland in the country. In 2002, the average land value
for the 22-county area making up most of the Lobe was
approximately $2,500 an acre, and more than
80 percent of that area was used for row crops,
42.9 percent for corn and 37.6 percent for soybeans.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Nitrate leaching from extensive areas of drained
cropland in Iowa and other areas along the Corn Belt is
transported down the Mississippi  River and is believed to
be a contributor to hypoxic (low in dissolved oxygen)
conditions in the Gulf of Mexico and to local drinking
water quality concerns. Although  mismanagement and
overuse of fertilizer and manure contributes to water
quality problems, hydrological and land-use changes
(that is, the conversion of prairies and marshes to
row crops) are the leading causes of degradation.

•  Extensive subsurface drainage of the Corn Belt (25
   percent of Iowa is drained) accelerates the transport
   of nitrate entering the Mississippi River.

•  Subsurface drainage creates very productive
   croplands and reduces other water quality concerns.
                    Scientists examine a soil sample (Charlie Rohm)
                     RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

                     A permanent solution to this watershed's challenges
                     involves "structural modifications" of the drainage
                     systems that could have both water quality and crop
                     production benefits. EPA Targeted Watersheds Grants
                     funds will be used to test new technologies involving
                     modified drainage systems, combined with
                     nitrate-removing wetlands. Project partners will:

                     • Use actual soils, topography, and weather data with
                       improved crop growth, hydrologic, and wetland
                       models to design integrated wetlands and controlled
                       or shallow drainage systems to reduce nitrate
                       loading while maintaining or improving crop
                       performance

                     • Develop an optimum drainage-wetland system
                       design for specific study areas with landowner
                       cooperation, install it, and monitor its water quality
                       performance

                     • Conduct outreach to publicize the results to other
                       landowners, the farm media, downstream water
                       users, and policy makers at all levels and explore
                       technology transfer opportunities to other areas in
                       Iowa and beyond

-------
 A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
 FOR CHANGE
 The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
 Stewardship and Iowa State University, which together
 developed the nitrate removal wetland technologies that
 led to Iowa's Conservation Research Enhancement
 Program, lead the project team. Further support
 through expertise, staff, and financial resources
 comes from:
 •  Iowa Drainage District Association
 •  Agri Drain Corporation
 •  Natural Resources Conservation Service
 •  Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
 •  Iowa Environmental Council
 •  City of Cedar Rapids
 •  Des Moines Water Works
                                                     ored wetland  (Lynn Betts)
"Our TWG project is developing new approaches for managing water on cropped
landscapes to reduce the movement of nitrate to streams, and ultimately, to the Gulf
of Mexico hypoxic zone. Farmers will be able to see these technologies through
demonstrations under actual field conditions, both to demonstrate the environmental
gains as well as impacts upon crop production and  farming practices."

- Dean W. Lemke, RE., Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
  www.epa.gov/twg

-------
 Upper
 Sangamon
              <_^
 River
                                           (L
WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL?

The Upper Sangamon River watershed, which lies in
central Illinois, is part of ihe Upper Mississippi River
Basin.  Lake Decatur, formed in 1922 to provide water
for domestic use and processing of agricultural products,
is a prominent feature. The portion of the watershed
above  the lake covers 925 square miles in seven
counties, approximately 87 percent of which is in crop
production. Decatur, population 82,000, is ftie largest
city in the watershed.


ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

The Upper Sangamon River watershed has water quality
problems typical of agricultural watersheds in the upper
Midwest. Numerous problems affect the environment
and the people of the area.

•  Erosion and sedimentation from cropland and stream
   banks have been concerns since Lake Decatur's
   creation.

»  Tile drainage, which is used extensively in the
   watershed, provides agricultural benefits but also
   contributes to erosive forces and nutrient losses.
•  Peak nitrate concentrations in Lake Decatur have
   exceeded the 10 mg/l drinking water standard most
   years since  1980. Monitoring by the Illinois State
   Water Survey in the mid 1990s found the average
   annual nitrate yield to Lake Decatur to be
   23 Ibs/acre.
  Scientists suspect that nutrient loads from this
  watershed and other agricultural watersheds
  sxacerbate hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) in the
  Gulf of Mexico.
' The primary objectives of ongoing soil and water
  conservation efforts are to reduce erosion,
  sedimentation, and nutrient losses to surface waters
  without adversely affecting the agricultural economy
  of the region.

RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds will go towards a
coordinated set of projects to improve water quality
locally, regionally, and in the Gulf of Mexico by
enhancing nutrient management for crop production
and reducing loss of nutrients.

• One project will use GIS-based software and
  precision agriculture technology in on-farm
  experiments to optimize nitrogen management. Risk
  management instruments to protect farmers against
  income losses from reduced application rates will be
  demonstrated and refined.
* A second study will demonstrate drainage water
  management and subsurface bioreactors to reduce
  movement of nitrates through drainage tiles to
  surface waters. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated,
  allowing for this approach to be scored for point
  and nonpoint source trading.
* The third study will address economic and
  environmental benefits from soil testing and variable
  rate technology to improve phosphorus
  management. Economic and environmental results
  will be measured. Stakeholders will evaluate
  projects, disseminate findings, and identify added
  strategies to improve nutrient management and
  reduce losses.

-------
A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
FOR CHANGE
Many watershed management programs for the Upper
Sangamon have already been implemented by various
groups. EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant funds will
support the continued cooperation under the lead of
the Agricultural Watershed Institute. Key participants
and supporters include:
•  University of Illinois Departments of Crop Sciences,
   Agricultural and Consumer Economics, and
   Agricultural and Biological Engineering
•  County Soil and Water Conservation  Districts
   (SWCD)
•  American Farmland Trust's Agricultural Conservation
   Innovation Center
•  Illinois State Water Survey
•  USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
•  Individual farmer-cooperators
•  Technical service providers in the fertilizer industry
IT-
                                                 Mocon County
                                                 SWCD watershec
                                                 tours educate
                                                 urban and rural
                                                 residents about
                                                 conservation
                                                 practices
 nois State Water
Survey personnel
monitor stream flow
and water quality in
the Upper Sangamon
Watershed

-------
i

-------
 Bayou
 Bartholomew
                                                         AR
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES

• Excess sediments

• Loss of habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species

• Log jams affecting stream flow

• Agriculture, deforestation, and land clearing
  activities


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Bayou Bartholomew Alliance is addressing these    The Bayou B°rth°lomew A"'°nce CaP»°'"
issues through various improvement projects focused on protecting and preserving the
area's vast diversity of aquatic life.  Thus far, the alliance's accomplishments include:

• Removing 148 tons of trash from the bayou with the help of citizen volunteers

• Redesigning an old weir to demonstrate to landowners how weirs should be
  constructed to allow for fish and small watercraft passage, and to help maintain
  stream function

• Continuing to provide hardwood tree seedlings at no cost to landowners to restore
  riparian corridors

• Establishing a conservation easement program to
  protect existing  riparian hardwood forests, allowing
  landowners the opportunity to preserve the forests
  while still obtaining some financial benefits

• Completing a carbon site feasibility analysis and
  an analysis of areas of high aquatic biodiversity

• Conducting workshops to educate landowners
  about methods  to minimize impacts on
  water quality
Canoeing among the cypress trees

-------
 Cnarles   River

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• High fecal coliform bacteria levels
• Water shortages
• Rapid development and urbanization
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is
committed to utilizing innovative approaches to
reduce polluted discharges, increase recharge of
rainwater, and restore fisheries. To help advance
these restoration objectives, projects emphasize the
use of flow trading, stormwater recharge, education,
habitat, and research. To date, the association has:
                                          Clsterns help conserve water and reduce runoff
• Installed fourteen 400-gallon, residential cistern-drywall water retention systems to
  allow homeowners to use stored rainwater for irrigation or other uses

• Conducted in-stream bacteriological monitoring, collected precipitation data, and
  implemented statistical computer models to predict water quality levels

• Continued to report water quality conditions by flying color-coded flags at boathouses
  during the summer recreational season

• Completed an economic analysis of flow trading in the basin and water banking
  model to determine subbasin water quantity deficits

• Developed a computer model of
  the Upper Charles River that
  simulates the water budget in
  terms of impervious areas,  water
  consumption, drinking water
  withdraws, and other uses

• Helped launch stormwater mass
  media educational campaign

                              Blue flags fly over the Charles River when water quality is good.

-------
 Cnristina   Basin
                                                          PA, DE
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Point and nonpoint source pollution
• Toxic chemicals
• Fish consumption advisories
• Habitat loss
• Excess sediment and nutrients

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The Christina Basin Clean Water Partnership is
making strides to reduce pollution through
agricultural best management practices, stream
bank restoration, stormwater management, and
residential landscape and runoff control. To date,
the partnership has:
Pike Creek stream restoration pro|ect
  Developed site specific nonpoint source remediation and monitoring programs

  Completed one key stormwater retrofit project

  Completed two nutrient management plans to manage farm runoff

  Continued enlisting local property owners in residential landscape and runoff control
  efforts as part of its Smartyard™ Program

  Completed site selection for three
  stormwater retrofits, two
  contiguous stream
  restorations, and seven
  wetland and stream
  restoration projects
                           Rain gardens provide an attractive, environmentally friendly
                           landscape.

-------
 Clarlc   Torlc-Pend
 Oreill
                                                        Ml ID, WA
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Degradation of riparian areas

• Excessive nutrients and algae growth

• Rapid population growth and urbanization


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Tri-State Water Quality Council is focusing both
on reducing nutrients that are causing excessive algae
blooms and threatening to remobilize heavy metals
contamination,  and on addressing the effects of
population growth on water quality. It is working with
the Blackfoot Challenge, the Flathead Basin
Commission, and the Watershed Restoration Coalition
tO improve livestock management practices, expand   Macromvertebrate sampling on Warren Creek
water quality monitoring efforts, and complete restoration work on key tributaries to the
Clark Fork River and Pend Oreille Lake. Thus far, the council and its partners have:

• Installed six off-stream livestock watering tanks, miles of riparian fencing, and over
  37,000 feet  of pipeline to divert cattle away from stream and river corridors, thereby
  reducing sediment and nutrients

• Initiated streambank restoration measures to reduce erosion and sedimentation,
  restore riparian habitat, and improve stream channel morphology  on over five miles
  of streams

• Implemented a land application system for dairy
  cow manure effluent at a major dairy farm to
  reduce phosphorous loading

• Expanded monitoring programs, analyzed and
  assessed trends in nutrients and algae growth,
  and developed a nutrient pollutant model	
                                        Stream restoration work on Warren
                                        Creek, a tributary to the Blackfoot River.

-------
 Cumberland   5asin
                                                            TN, KY
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Increased development and impervious surfaces

• Water shortages due to rapid stormwater runoff

• Excessive sediment and erosion

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Cumberland River Compact's (CRC) Building
Outside the Box (BOB) Project promotes sustainable
building techniques and low impact development
principles through partnerships and education.
Developers are embracing the project to such a
degree that impacts are expanding beyond the BOB
sites to across the region. CRC achievements, thus far,
are wide ranging.
 Collecting macromvertebrates to measure stream
 quality.
  Now successfully launched, BOB boasts a list of participating professions that has
  grown from 30 to more than 110 members, including many private, public, and
  nonprofit organizations.

  Sustainable building workshops have been held for more than 60 homebuilders.

  The project has educated a host of professional associations about BOB Model Site
  Design principles focused on protecting water quality.

  The first certified low-impact house has been built and a multiple-family residence
  project completed.

  BOB development sites have increased from two
  to four and a second partnering developer with a
  600-acre, 1,000-home development site has
  joined the project.

  A matching grant to carry out groundbreaking
  site runoff monitoring on BOB sites has been
  secured.
A BOB housing development incorpo-
rates low impact principles
  The Southeast Watershed Assistance Network, an interactive website
  (www.watershed-assistance.net) to transfer success stories and lessons learned to
  watershed groups and developers in the southeast and across the nation, is up and
  running.

-------
.   •
in i
         Dunlcard   Creelc
                   PA, WV
        MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
        • Acid mine drainage

        • Toxic chemicals
        • Habitat loss

        PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

        The Greene County Watershed Alliance is
        collaborating with Stream Restoration, Inc. to address
        the impacts from acid mine drainage using clean-up
        technologies, partnership building, and hands-on
        environmental education. To date, the alliance has:
        • Cleaned up an illegal dumping site
          Formed a broad-based watershed organization
          called The Friends of Dunkard Creek that will
          bring together industry, environmentalists, scientists,
          government agencies, and local citizens to help solve
          the water quality problems

          Conducted numerous
          presentations to educate the
          public about the negative
          environmental impacts of acid
          mine drainage

          Created educational displays on
          acid mine drainage, passive
          wetland treatment systems, and
          water quality
Community outreach is an important part of the
Dunkard pro|ect
                                  Fishing is a popular recreational pursuit, but species are in decline
                                  because of acid mine drainage.

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 Great  Miami  River
                                                            OH
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Excess sediments and nutrients
• Alterations to the channel shape
• Loss of streamside vegetation
• Degradation of habitat for aquatic life
• Urban stormwater runoff
• Flood control

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
                                       Site of Hidden Hills wetlands enhancement project
The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) is restoring
valuable water resources by implementing a sound
watershed management approach devoted to
projects focused on reducing nutrients and sediments through performance-based cost
sharing and innovative conservation practices, reducing urban stormwater runoff, and
providing incentives for communities to implement conservation-minded development.
Through a unique network of diverse
partnerships, the district has:

• Completed water quality data collection
  plans for seven project sites

• Identified project sites and established
  agreements with participating landowners

• Finalized project designs and construction
  plans

• Developed and conducted education and
  outreach programs to educate local
  communities about water resource
  protection efforts
                                Landowners discuss wetlands conservation practices

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 Greater  Blue
 Earth   River
                                                          MN, IA
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Excess nutrients and sediment

• Algae blooms

• Loss of wetland habitat and aquatic life

• Lost recreational opportunities

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The Three Rivers Resource Conservation and
Development Council is actively demonstrating
effective ways to improve water quality within the
basin as well as downstream through
partnership-based projects focused on conservation
cost-share, wetland restoration, and public education.
To date, the council has:
• Awarded 107 cost-share contracts for conservation practices
• Implemented 180 on-the-ground conservation practices
• Encouraged third crop rotation to minimize erosion through participation at County
  Fairs with a project called "Conservation on Wheels"

• Worked with various partners to restore 139 acres of wetlands to help improve
  habitat and other valuable functions

• Collaborated with the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,
  and Martin  County to monitor restoration sites and conduct a comparative watershed
  analysis of corn soybean rotation vs. same with Best Management Practices

• Conducted its first, of several, nutrient trials

• Conducted 36 educational presentations for approximately 1,200 people on erosion
  control and rain gardens

• Constructed four rain gardens, which will help reduce runoff and improve filtration
• Established  a thriving network of citizen stream monitoring volunteers
Ram gardens reduce runoff and provide aesthetic
benefits

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 Hanalei   6at)
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Landslides
• Fragile coral reef ecosystem

• Excess sediments and nutrients
• Feral pig landscape damage
• Loss of habitat and aquatic life
• High levels of fecal coliform indicating bacteria
• Agriculture and ranching activities

• Groundwater contamination by sewage

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
                         HI
Scientific diver removes coral larval panels in
Hanalei Bay each summer to estimate coral
recruitment rates
The Watershed Hui is committed to restoring the health of their watershed through a
community-based approach geared towards improving wastewater treatment of
individual septic systems and a centralized wastewater facility. Additional projects are
aimed at extensive public involvement, research, and education. With the help of many
diverse stakeholders, the Hui has:

• Solicited community input on a prioritized list of cesspools to be upgraded to
  septic systems

• Finalized site engineering of replacement septic
  systems and initiated construction on key sites

• Continued to work with government agencies,
  local organizations, and university scientists to
  assess non-point sources of pollution on a
  watershed basis

• Worked with commercial firms to design various
  centralized wastewater treatment options

• Solicited community input and achieved  consensus
  for long-term solutions, including the Use of  .     Hydrologist Matt Rosener measures
  constructed wetlands as a method of treatment    streamfb* m a small tributary of the
                                           Hanalei River

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 Lower  Columbi
 Estuart}
                 OR, WA
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Threatened and endangered species
• Loss of wetlands and habitat
• Rapid development
• Runoff of toxic and conventional pollutants
• Excess sediments

PROJECT  HIGHLIGHTS
The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership is
protecting and restoring the river and its critical
ecosystems through collaborative projects
emphasizing on-tne-ground restoration,
monitoring, and education. To date, the
partnership has:
Volunteers with the Scappoose Bay Watershed
Council use trap nets to assess fish populations in
Scappoose, Oregon
• Leveraged funding for restoration and protection of more than 2,000 acres

• Leveraged $3.8 million dollars in cost-share funds to complete four restoration
  projects

• Completed restoration on 1,265 acres

• Completed all phases of a multi-site project,
  including the reconnection of 555 acres of
  floodplain, removal of four tidegates, and two
  culverts

• Conserved 1 73 acres of land and developed a
  cattle grazing management plan for 300
  additional acres
Ian Sinks of the Columbia Land Trust
leads a stakeholder tour of the Grays
River Conservation and Restoration
pro|ect in Washington
  Removed invasive plants and planted native species on 22 acres of wildlife refuge

  Established a long-term restoration site maintenance agreement with new partners

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 Manistee   River
                                                                 Ml
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Extensive logging

• Loss of vegetation
• Extreme erosion

• Excess sediments

• Loss of habitat for aquatic species
• Potential extinction of threatened or endangered
  species

PROJECT  HIGHLIGHTS
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is focusing on
reducing pollution problems attributable to extensive
logging, and on revitalizing impaired streambanks
and road-stream crossings to improve water quality.
To date, they have:

• Completed three stream bank restoration projects

• Completed one road crossing to reduce streambank erosion

• Improved river access and minimized erosion
  to two sites by building trails and steps in
  high traffic areas

• Concluded preliminary water quality
  investigations to improve sturgeon habitat
  and channel conditions

• Continued efforts to monitor water quality

• Promoted watershed health through
  numerous presentations addressing water
  quality issues and public involvement
Streambank restoration projects will improve water
quality and habitat
                                     Assessing the fish species helps measure water
                                     quality improvements

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 Meduxnelceag
 River
                                                          ME
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Soil erosion from agriculture and livestock activities

• Instream impairments

• Loss of fishery habitat, spawning, and nursery
  areas

• High levels of E. coli bacteria from improper
  sewage connections


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians are using an
innovative combination of winter cover crops,
mulching practices, and storm drain management to
improve water quality. Progress so far includes:     Aenai view of the watershed

• Assisting 20 growers to plant winter cover crops and apply mulch on 1,809 acres,
  saving an estimated 542 tons of soil

• Conducting a seminar, attended by 24 farmers, about mulching practices in potato
  growing
• Conducting a seminar, attended by 13 farmers, to
  demonstrate the use of innovative winter cover
  crops and mulching practices

• Initiating work on Winter Cover Study by compiling
  input from six growers

• Identifying and removing a sewer line connected
  to a storm drain with high levels of bacteria to
  prevent water contamination
                                      The TWG project is helping minimize
                                      sediment buildup by working with farm-
                                      ers on conservation practices

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 Narragansett
 Bau
                                                           RI,MA
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Land and coastal development

• Toxic metals and bacterial pollution

• Hypoxic conditions due to nutrient overloading

• Fishery declines

• Loss of shellfish and other aquatic organisms


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Partnership of Narragansett Bay is reducing
sediment and nutrient loadings to improve water
quality by focusing projects on fish run sustainability
and restoration as well as on research and education.  Fish ladder at Bradford Dam will help restore
To date, achievements include:                   ™9ra'7flsh;u,n* (  ,  ,.   t  .
                                        (Wood-rawcatck Watershed Association)
• Funding a mariculture facility that has produced 26,000 seedlings planted over four
  acres at two sites, seedlings that will support eelgrass restoration without additional
  pressure on natural eelgrass beds

• Securing additional mariculture funding from project partners

• Donating numerous plants to support an
  elementary school's eelgrass program

• Completing a fish passage feasibility study to
  support anadromous fish and ecosystem
  restoration

• Conducting pre-project monitoring to evaluate
  numerous treatment technologies for reducing
  excess pathogens and nutrients

• Engaging project partners and Volunteers in Site    Eelgrass seedlings counted and ready
  monitoring activities                        fror 'ra"f°nt- 
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 Raritan   River
                                                                   NJ
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Aquifers highly vulnerable to drought

• Rapid development and urbanization

• Reduced ground water recharge

• Loss of wetlands and riparian areas

• Increased pollutant loadings and stormwater flows

• High fecal coliform bacteria levels
                                          Project partners celebrate a successful restoration
                                          at Mulhockaway Creek
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, in
partnership with the New Jersey Water Supply
Authority, is carrying out a comprehensive watershed
management plan to address these environmental problems. Projects are focused on
restoration, protection, and pollution prevention. Accomplishments so far include:

• Partnering with 23 municipalities to implement new land ordinances to protect and
  preserve natural resources

• Working with nine local businesses, 10 golf courses, and 20 residents through an
  innovative River Friendly pollution prevention program to address water conservation
  through public involvement

• Restoring stream corridors with vegetated buffers
  to improve water quality and provide wildlife
  habitat

• Continued biological monitoring to assess stream
  quality

• Conducting outreach activities to educate the
  public and local officials about ways to improve
  water quality
                                          A restored streambank.

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 Rathbun    Lalce
                                                                   /A
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Excess sediments and nutrients
• Erosion along stream banks and shoreline
• Algal blooms
• Excess pesticides and herbicide atrazine
• Failing septic systems

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The Rathbun Lake and Water Alliance is reducing
water quality impairment through collaborative
projects focused on agricultural best management
practices, on-the-ground restoration activities,
innovative technology, and education. The alliance
and its partners have to date:
   Forage and livestock workshop
  Developed and applied Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to identify
  priority land that is the source for more than 70 percent of the sediment and
  phosphorous entering Rathbun lake from the watershed

  Assisted more than 200 farmers to evaluate and plan best management practices,
  well over half of whom are applying conservation practices to nearly 6,500 acres of
  land, including terraces, grade stabilization
  structures, and water and sediment
  control basins

  Conducted farm demonstrations, field days
  and workshops for more than 300 farmers on
  alternative uses for priority land, and on
  forage and livestock production as an
  economically viable alternative to row crop
  agriculture
The construction of a terrace will reduce
sediment and phosphorus runoff
  Leveraged more than $4 million from project partners to provide technical and cost
  share assistance to farmers to apply best management practices for priority land

  Leveraged an additional $4 million from project partners to restore 1,700 acres of
  wetland areas that will benefit water quality

-------
Rio   Puerco
                                                                    NM
                                                   Jute bag structures help stop
                                                   erosion and the advance of
                                                   headcuts
MAJOR  ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

• Excess sediment loss and high erosion rates

• Degraded rangeland

• Multi-year drought

• Altered stream channels and stream instability

• Dirt roads that capture and channel runoff


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Rio Puerco Management Committee is actively
addressing these issues through a community-based strategy
emphasizing stream restoration, erosion control technology,
monitoring, and  education. Youth crews were assisted by the
New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps and supported by
Navajo Chapters. Their accomplishments include:

• Building  25 picket weirs and baffles, as well as
  900 "one-rock dams" and other
  structures to reduce erosion

• Covering 2,600 square feet of ground with lopped branches to check sediments

• Building  jute bag structures to stop the advance of headcuts, which entails sewing jute
  erosion control matting into a long bag filled with wood chips and native soil, then
  seeding the bags with deep-rooted plant
  species to hold the slope in place

• Holding two rangeland health workshops and
  a herding clinic with multiple stake holders to
  highlight methods to improve grazing lands

• Conducting numerous onsite educational
  demonstrations for school children and
  rural residents about the importance of using
  soil cover to slow erosion

• Demonstrating the effectiveness of goat
  grazing to control sagebrush and salt cedar    The Range|and Hea|th Kiosk „ used with youth
                                         crews to demonstrate the importance of
                                         maintaining soil cover to slow erosion

-------
 Upper   South


 Plattc	

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Vulnerability to forest fires
• Deforestation
• Excess sediments and erosion
• Severe flooding
• Habitat loss
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) is still
battling the environmental devastation caused by the
2002 Hayman fire. By far, their greatest achievement
has been galvanizing numerous volunteers for
on-the-ground restoration work. With the help
of many, the coalition has:
                      CO
• Restored a total of 6.5 miles of river on
  three sites

• Coordinated more than 10,000 hours of
  volunteer efforts in raking, seeding, and
  mulching more than 120 acres of burned
  lands, and in planting more than 2,500
  trees and shrubs

• Treated more than 225 acres of property
  vulnerable to fire
Pete Gallagher of Fin-Up Habitat Consultants and
Jeff Spohn, Biologist for the Colorado Division of
Wildlife, supervise placement of trees in Eleven
Mile Canyon along the South Platte River. The trees
provide habitat for trout and improve water quality
by stabilizing streambanks
                                 A contractor harvests trees from the Hayman fire area
                                 for use in restoring rivers throughout the watershed as
                                 part of CUSP's Trees for Trout program

-------
 Upper
Susquenanna
 River
                                                  NY. PA
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

•  Steep topography and land use conversion

•  Flooding

•  Excess sediments and nutrients


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

The Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC) is
implementing a results-oriented approach to protect
wetlands and reduce flooding through projects
focused on restoration, stewardship, and education.
To date, the coalition has:

•  Buffered 10 miles of streams, including 82.4 acres
  of stream-side buffers and 38.3 acres of wetlands
  Continued to restore two wetland complexes
  totaling more than 30 acres

  Completed road surveys on 65 percent of
  the project site area to map eroding
  ditches, which are significant sources of
  sediment

  Used Geographic Information Systems
  (GIS) to help locate high priority
  restoration sites
Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Farm Stewardship
Program site Funds provided by USC helped plant
trees and shrubs in this riparian forest buffer and
protect them with tree shelters
                                               USC paid for credits t<
                                               install rip-rap for two
                                               stream stabalization
                                               projects on Choconut
                                               Creek.

-------
 Upper   Tennessee
 River
                                                       VA, TN, NC
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
• Excess sediments, nutrients, toxic chemicals, and
  bacteria
• Agriculture, mining, and logging activities
• Rapid urbanization
• Loss of aquatic species
• Loss of endangered or threatened  species


PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Taking an  innovative watershed management
approach, the Upper Tennessee Roundtable is
committed to reducing pollution to enrich the river's
vast resource capacity. Projects focus  on restoration,
technology, conservation, and education.
Accomplishments include:
• Removing 9,780 cubic yards of sawdust near an impacted creek and applying it to
  strip mined land as a soil amendment
• Co-sponsoring six conferences on  low-impact development

• Conducting two conferences about environmental emergency response

• Conducting a rain barrel workshop attended
  by 36 teachers who made 16 rain barrels to
  aid in stormwater management at schools
  and  homes
• Fencing cattle out of stream and installing
  water system on a farm to implement a
  controlled grazing system
• Promoting use of rain gardens to control
  storm water runoff
• Restoring wetlands and streambanks in a
  priority region
   Upper Tennessee River Roundtable volunteers
   teach children and their parents about the Save
   Our Streams method of water quality monitoring in
   Washington County, Virginia Children search for
   bugs that are indicators of stream health
A stormwater model developed by the Blue
Ridge RC&D helps manage runoff from a
nearby parking lot Thanks to TWG funding,
this model design is being exported by the
Upper Tennessee River Roundtable

-------
E.
Upper  Wnite
River
                                                                  MO, AR
        MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
        • Rapid urbanization and development
        • Excess sediments and nutrients
        • Agriculture activities
        • Faulty septic systems

        PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
        As it continues to face some of the highest
        developmental pressures in the region, the Upper
        White River Basin Foundation is working diligently
        to reduce pollution. To tackle threats, the foundation
        is taking a bi-state watershed management
        approach emphasizing strategic planning, scientific
        expertise, monitoring, and education. To date, the
        foundation  has:
                                      Volunteers learn how to monitor water quality on
                                      the Kings Rtver
          Completed several components of a watershed management plan, including a
          comprehensive watershed assessment

          Held watershed summits to discuss water quality issues

          Distributed follow-up reports to
          summarize the proceedings of the
          summits

          Continued to monitor water quality
                                       Floating down the scenic Kings River

-------
                          1r p I '     ') 'i
                          mi,   i
                                      ,i
       2OO5  Grantees
                Cheat River, WV
                  Friends of the Cheat
                    www.cheat.org
                    304-329-3621
    Tangipahoa River, LA
   Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
         www.saveourlake.org
           504-836-2215
                 Huff Run, OH
                     Rural Action
                  www.ruralaction.org
                    740-767-4938
         Trinity River/

      Lower Klamath, CA
    Yurok Tribe Environmental Program
           707-482-1377
**' (U  **'
«:"*•*,
              Lake Hopatcong, NJ
               Lake Hopatcong Commission
                www.lakehopatcong.org
                    973-601-1070
 Tuttle Creek Lake, NE £> KS
   Tuttle Creek Lake Watershed Partners
           402-471-4227
                 Little River, TN
           Blount County Soil Conservation District
               www.littleriverbigfuture.org
                    865-983-2011
              Presumpscot River/
                Casco Bat, ME
                Casco Bay Estuary Project
              www.cascobay.usm.maine.edu
                    207-780-4820
                Skagit River, WA
                The Nature Conservancy
               www.nature.org/washington
                    360-419-9825
   Upper Sevier River, CIT
 Utah Department of Environmental Quality
           801-539-6825
     Vermillion River, MN
       Vermillion River Watershed
       Joint Powers Organization
www.co.dakota.mn.us/planning/vermillionjpo
           952-891-7011
     Willamette River, OR
       The Willamette Partnership
           503-434-8033
www.epa.gov/twg

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Capacitu   Building;

          \                 J                            <-2


Grantees


COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION AT WORK

In addition to supporting community-driven watershed projects through Targeted
Watershed Grants (TWG), EPA also supports developing and disseminating tools,
training, and technical assistance to strengthen the effectiveness of community-based
partnerships. In 2003, EPA awarded approximately $2.1 million, spread over three
years, in training and education grants to five leading organizations. The grant goals
are to teach local watershed groups critical skills necessary to improve watershed health.
The five awards, which varied in funding levels, reflect models at the national, regional,
and state levels. Their success illustrates the powerful potential of collaborative
watershed partnerships to achieve environmental improvements. Recognizing the high
return on these modest investments, the Agency plans to increase funds for capacity
building. The specific goal of these grants is to better serve both the needs of the
thousands of local watershed groups working for cleaner water across the country, and
the statewide, regional, and national organizations that support them.

CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTEES

• The Center for Watershed  Protection is a national organization dedicated to the
  protection and restoration of watersheds by advancing effective land and water
  management techniques.

• The International City/County Management Association (ICAAA) is a professional
  and educational association for appointed administrators in local government,
  serving nearly 8,000 members worldwide.

• The River Network, a national organization founded in 1989, assists grassroots river
  and watershed groups by providing watershed training, capacity building resources,
  networking, and consultation services.

• The Southeast Watershed Forum is dedicated to building the capacity of individuals,
  organizations, and communities to better protect land and water resources in a nine
  state region.

• The University of Alaska Anchorage - Resource Solutions develops and conducts
  skill-building workshops to facilitate watershed projects that benefit both water quality
  and economic development in rural Alaska.

-------
    It' '»
 The  Center  for
 Watershed   Protection
Using EPA's capacity building grant, the Center for
Watershed Protection (CWP) conducted seven Watershed
Institutes for practitioners from across the country,
reaching a broad mix of local officials, government
agencies, and watershed groups. Designed to equip
leaders with the skills, tools, and confidence to assess,
design, and  implement effective programs in their home
watersheds, the Institute combines classroom time,
design exercises, and field visits. When the formal
training ends, the learning continues for the
organizations in their home watersheds through
consultations and extensive online resources.
Milestones in CWP's Institute training include:

• Leveraged more than $1.5 million in local watershed
  implementation activity for groups across the country
Institute participants learn methods to assess
stream health, such as identifying insects that
hve in streams
• Generated 110 new programs on watershed restoration, protection, and stormwater
  management techniques

• Trained more than 800 watershed professionals

• Generated 14,000 person hours of training

• Matched over $400,000 of non-federal funds to conduct the Institutes

After graduating, members of the Upper Neuse River Basin Association used their new
skills in planning and restoration to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for Little
Lick Creek. This effort brought together experienced  partners from local governments
and the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program. Working with the City of
Durham, the partners successfully linked watershed assessments to infrastructure
maintenance programs, illicit discharge enforcement measures, stormwater program
requirements, and the development of regional indices for stream quality. Restoration
projects are now being prioritized.

The Bronx River Alliance (BRA) worked with CWP to build their technical capacity in
identifying watershed restoration projects. Working with CWP, the alliance organized and
interpreted data from field assessments to generate candidate restoration opportunities
and identify next steps for implementation.

-------
The  International
City/County  Managemen
Association   (ICMA)
 With capacity building funding from EPA, ICMA
 conducted training for about 200 community
 leaders and local government officials through
 successful webcasts broadcast live over the
 Internet. These interactive training programs
 emphasized consensus-building skills as well as
 conservation financing for watershed and
 wetlands protection - critical skills necessary for
 successful watershed planning and
 management.
                                   Each webcast attracted more than 100 participants from
                                   around the country
ICMA's first webcast - Collaborative Problem
Solving and Consensus Building: Effective
Approaches for Watershed Protection and Restoration - introduced participants to the
principles of collaboration, conflict resolution, and consensus building. The program
featured an expert from the University of Virginia's Institute for Environmental
Negotiation and local watershed leaders. The webcast successfully provided information
and tools, shared lessons learned, and assisted in the delivery of effective watershed
management strategies.

The second webcast- Protecting Water Resources through Land Conservation: Funding
Options for Local Governments -  developed in collaboration with the Trust for Public
Lands showcased local government success stories. Attendees gained an understanding
of current conservation finance trends, revenue sources being used by local
governments, voter opinions on water protection, and the importance of good
performance measures in designing funding campaigns.

         ICMA is also developing a Web-based curriculum for watershed groups
         and plans to deliver the information at various local government forums.
         A CD-ROM and other resources have been developed to supplement the
         webcast training. To  order a copy of the CD-ROM, contact LGEAN  at
         877/TO-LGEAN or lgean@icmb.org or visit www.lgean.org.

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The   River   Network
                                         The first group of watershed trainers from six states that
                                         kicked off he Watershed Support Network
The River Network's Watershed Support Network
(WSN) represents a model collaborative approach
- bringing together state, regional, and local
partners to form a formidable cadre of expert
watershed trainers. Last year, the network used
EPA funds and other leveraged resources to
provide intensive watershed training programs in
six states.  These programs included more than
1 75 watershed groups and one-on-one support
services for 94 organizations in Colorado,
Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, West Virginia, and
Wisconsin.

The watershed groups served by the Watershed
Support Network are making a profound
difference in water quality conditions.  Examples
of the improvements include:
• 40 percent reduction in acid mine drainage from the Majestic Mine into the Hocking
  River (Ohio)
• Improved basinwide sewage plan for the Big Darby, a watershed highly valued for its
  ecological diversity (Ohio)
• Improvements in the  Bad River, including improved fish passages and instream flows
  thanks to the repair and replacement of 1,000 culverts identified by citizen volunteers
  (Wisconsin)
• Pollutant reductions in the Gallinas and Rio Grande tributaries, which has made the
  water safer for swimming  and human use (New Mexico)

Participants learned concrete skills that dramatically strengthened their effectiveness.
The groups increased and diversified their funding sources, raised membership,
leveraged additional dollars (including corporate sponsors), built community support,
learned to utilize vital financial and strategic planning tools; and learned technical skills
like monitoring and assessment. Representatives from 14 states graduated as skilled
watershed trainers.

-------
 The  Southeast
 Watershed   Porum
Train-the-Trainer Academy
Using EPA funds, the Southeast Watershed Forum hosted a highly successful Watershed
Leadership Train-the-Trainer Academy - an intensive, 3-day course covering watershed
protection and assessment, best management practices, community consensus building
and conflict resolution - all aimed at protecting water quality and supplies through wiser
land use practices. Every attendee was required to commit to training a minimum of four
other groups in their community; thereby reaching more than 5,000 additional
watershed leaders and practitioners.

Growth Readiness Workshops
In addition, the forum hosted 27 Growth Readiness workshops reaching 80 communities
in four states, with communities in four additional states slated to receive training in
2005 and 2006. These workshops are helping city and county planners, stormwater
managers, and municipal officials design best management practices and growth
patterns that will protect their local rivers, lakes, and groundwater as well as comply with
EPA Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Stormwater Phase II regulations.

Thanks to the Southeast Watershed
Forum, 1 10 local leaders are
actively involved in fostering
watershed-friendly land use practices
throughout the Southeast. Examples of
trainer outcomes include:

• A county-wide watershed permitting
  program (NC)

• A bay-wide nutrient management
  partnership (FL)

• Source water protection provisions
               ,    .   .    /\/A\  The staff and graduates from the Southeast Watershed Forum s 2004
  in COUnty Comprehensive plans (VA)  Watershed Leadership Train-the-Trainer Academy include representatives
N6W riparian Conservation
easements (GA)
                              from cities, counties, watershed groups, land trusts, regional planning
                              agencies, RC&D Councils, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and state
                              ondfederalagenc.es
  New state requirements to review water quality monitoring programs from major
  new developments to ensure compatibility with the Total Maximum Daily Load
  process. (FL)

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more information about the selected watersheds,
      please visH?" wwwiepa.gov/fwg

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