Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS
A Note from Dave Davis
Just whenyou thought you were getting
the latest buzzwords down ...just when
you had reached the point that "water-
shed", "biodiversity", and "habitat al-
teration" were starting to roll off your
tongue without effort...they drop an-
other big one on you: ECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT! What in the world
is "ecosystem management"? And more
importantly, how does it affect your al-
ready oversubscribed agenda and your
already over cluttered...with buzzwords
. ..mind? Well, there may be some good
news here; ecosystem management is
such a broad concept that it may help
providean organizing context for a whole
variety of other fashionable concepts —
or buzzwords, if you prefer.
Just what is ecosystem management
then? Like most of our other conceptual
terms, there is no precise definition, and
people use it in many different ways. For
our purposes in the OWOW family of
programs, a fairly general definition
works just fine. Thus, "ecosystem" re-
fers to a natural biogeographic unit like
a forest or a grassland together with all of
its structural components (biotic: spe-
cies, populations, communities; and abi-
otic: soils, water, climate, etc.) and all of
the processes that connect the biotic and
abiotic components. Such processes in-
clude energy flows, chemical cycles, spa-
tial relationships, parasitism and other
inter dependencies, and many more.
In this context, "management" (or "pro-
tection") means acting in a manner con-
sistent with the big picture; that is, look-
ing at all of the stressors and influences
on the ecosystem, assessing how they all
affect all — or at least "key" — struc-
Note-Continued on
Spring 1993
EPA Returns to 1987 Wetlands Manual and
NAS Study Begins
To ensure consistency and predictability in the administra-
tion of the Section 404 program, EPA is now using the 1987
CorpsofEngineersWetIandsDelineationManual(l987Manua\).
On January 4, the Assistant Administrator for Water signed
an amendment to the January 19,1989, Memorandum of
Agreement on Section 404 geographic jurisdiction. The
amendment provides that on an interim basis the Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) and EPA will follow the 1987
Manual in making wetlands determinations under Section
404.
Several major differences between the 1987 Manual and the
1989 Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdic-
tional Wetlands (1989 Manual) exist. The 1987 Manual
adheres more strictly to the three-parameter approach,
requiring separate evidence to meet the hydrology, soils,
and vegetation criteria, while the 1989 Manual, under cer-
tain assumptions, allowed the satisfaction of more than one
criterion with a single piece of evidence. Much of the
criticism of the 1989 Manual focused on the potential mis-
'ise of such assumptions to overreach in defining the scope
of Clean Water Act jurisdiction. For the wetland hydrology
criterion, the Corps interprets the 1987 Manual to require
ponding, flooding, or saturation to the surface for at least
five percent of the growing season. In contrast, the 1989
Manual required ponding or flooding, or a water table
within six to eighteen inches of the surface (actual depth
depending upon soil type), for one week or more during the
growing season. For the wetland (hydrophy tic) vegetation
criterion, the Corps interprets the 1987 Manual to strictly
require that at least half of the dominant plant species are
known to occur in wetlands with at least 33 percent fre-
quency. The 1989 Manual includes this same criterion, but
considers any plant community to be wetland vegetation if
it occurs on an undrained hydric soil. The wetland (hydric)
soil criterion is the same in both manuals.
Wetlands-Continued on Page 3
Printed on Recycled Paper
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EPA s Coastal Programs Begin Work with "Know Your Watershed" Campaign
NOAA's National Estuarine Research Re- T „„,„!„, j
serve System (NERRS) Launched
NERRS has been organized as a system of research
reserves and field labs to ensure quality science
focused on applied decision-making in coastal areas.
Representing several coastal decision-making pro-
grams, the Ocean and Coastal Protection Division
(OCPD) has begun to work with NOAA to expand
the ongoing research, monitoring and assessment
necessary for coastal protection.
There are 19 NERRS sites, each with staff and re-
search programs; there are 13 overlaps with Na-
tional Estuary Programs (NEP) and five with Near
Coastal Waters (NCW) projects. NERRS/EPA coop-
eration is already underway in Waquoit Bay, MA,
Hudson River, NY, Weeks Bay, AL, Tijuana River,
CA, Elkhom Slough, CA, South Slough, OR, and
Padilla Bay, WA. In addition, EPA's Chesapeake
Bay Program is working with two NERRS sites in the
Bay, and Region IV is funding the Water Quality
Program portion of the Florida Keys Marine Sanctu-
ary Plan. While conducting ongoing monitoring,
NERRS sites also focus on themes which are changed
about every two years. The current focus is on non-
point source pollution.
In addition to its long-term monitoring, each year the
Chief Scientist of the Sanctuaries and Reserves Divi-
sion selects an additional 13 (approximate) special
projects to be funded in the NERRS sites. Where
NERRS and NEP or NCW estuaries are common, the
opportunity to maximize the research, monitoring,
and action-oriented resources of both programs ex-
ists through cooperative site selection and joint
projects.
This year OCPD, with additional support from EPA's
Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, plans to
jointly sponsor several projects with NERRS. The
projects are being selected with the help of the Re-
gional Near Coastal Waters coordinators. Longer
term opportunities will be forthcoming from mis
ongoing effort and from other cooperative activities
such as the NOAA/EPA response to the Coastal
MonitoringActofl992. Contact Eric Slaughter, 260-
1051.
In an effort to create a national private/public alli-
ance to promote watershed protection activities by
the agricultural community, the National Associa-
tion of Conservation Districts' (NACD) Conserva-
tion Technology Information Center (CTIC) launched
the "Know Your Watershed" campaign in March.
"We anticipate this initiative will help local agricul-
tural leaders join with rural and urban partners to
take the lead in preventing pollution in their water-
sheds," stated Gerald Digerness,presidentof NACD.
He went on to say that, "Agriculture needs to under-
take this initiative to protect water quality, wildlife
habitat, and human health — and to make sure that
it is done in a way that makes the most sense at the
local level."
The "Know Your Watershed" campaign will focus
on preventing problems caused by agricultural run-
off or nonpoint source pollution, /^^roximately 65
percent of nonpoint water polluB*^>omes from
agriculture. The primary pollutants are sediment,
animal waste, and purchased fertilizers and pesti-
cides. This campaign will work to raise the con-
sciousness of the agricultural community about the
affect their actions have on water quality and the
productivity and health of their watersheds. Fur-
ther, the campaign will encourage the agricultural
community to take voluntary action to reduce or
prevent agricultural runoff.
CTIC is not limiting its focus to the agricultural
community. CTIC intends to motivate landowners,
operators, and residents within a watershed to iden-
tify their specific problems and solutions. Commod-
ity groups, farm organizations, farm managers, agri-
cultural retailers, industry, and government are
among the groups thatCnC will encourage to join in
partnerships to address nonpoint pollution.
Initially CTIC plans to conduct eight focus group
meetings throughout the United States. A detailed
work plan will be developed for implementation
through the year 2000. EPA is one of the initial
participants in this campaign. Other participants
include Dupont, Monsanto, American Farmland
Trust, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tennessee
Valley Authority, and the Agricultural Retailer's
Association. Contact Joan Warren, 260-7796.
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
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OWOW Holds Annual National Meeting
This year's third annual 'Tow Wow" followed on
the heels of WATERSHED '93 (see article on page 8),
and watershed management issues were one of the
major focuses of discussion. Several Regional and
Headquarters follow-up activities were identified
including keeping the dialogue with other federal
agencies on watershed protection open, creating
Regional steering committees of federal agencies,
working with other program offices to encourage
them to incorporate watershed protection into their
way of doing business, and encouraging states to
adopt watershed management.
The President's Infrastructure Bill was another area
of discussion. The President designated $47 million
to be distributed by EPA through Section 319 for
watershed protection efforts. This money was to be
spent on projects that would accomplish lasting
environmental improvements and create new jobs.
A filibuster in Congress succeeded in keeping the
Infrastructure Bill from reaching the Senate floor;
and thus the President's stimulus package did not
pass.
In addition to the discussions on cross-cutting is-
sues, all three divisions conducted break-out ses-
sions to focus on division-specific topics. Issues
discussed included the Oceans and Coastal Protec-
tion Strategic Plan (OCPD); Program Diversifica-
tion/Integration: NEPs, Watersheds, Stormwater,
Non-point Source Program (WD); and Status of the
CZARA Implementation Strategy (AWPD).
This meeting also marked OWOW's second anniver-
sary as an office. The annual photo of National
Meeting attendees was taken to mark the occasion.
"Quarterly Highlights" is prepared by the Of-
fice of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
(OWOW). Its purpose is to share information
with our Headquarters and Regional counter-
parts on major events that occurred during the
past quarter, to provide an update on specific
topics, and to advise you of key personnel
changes and upcoming activities. Any ques-
tions or suggestions concerning "Quarterly
Highlights" should be directed to Anne
Robertson of OWOW at 202-260-9112.
Special Events
WATERSHED '93 an Overwhelming
Success
WATERSHED '93, a national conference on
watershed management was held March 21-
24 in Alexandria, Virginia. The conference
brought together more than 1100 people from
federal, state, and local agencies and indus-
trial, agricultural, environmental, and recre-
ational communities to share experiences and
exchange information on watershed manage-
ment. For many of the sessions, there was
standing room only. The final day of the
conference was broadcast by satellite to more
than 35 downlink sites around the country.
The final sesskmof the conference was opened
with an inspiring speech by Administrator
Browner and closed with the reading of a
letter of support from Vice President Gore.
EPA was one of more than 40 sponsors and
cooperators involved with the conference.
Videotapes of the conference can be pur-
chased from Terrene Institute. For more in-
formation, contact Jennifer Paugh (Terrene),
202-833-8317 or Janet Pawlukiewicz (EPA),
260-9194.
Wetlands-Continued from Page 1
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study of
wetlands delineation and functional assessment tech-
niques is expected to help address some of the dif f er-
encesbetweenthel987and!989manuals. Congress
called for this study in EPA's FY1993 appropriations
bill, and the study began on March 15. The NAS will
form a study committee of national experts from
academia, industry, and other sources (excluding
federal agencies). The NAS estimates the committee
will take 18 months to complete the study. EPA is
chairing an interagency advisory group (EPA, Army/
COE, DOI, NOAA, USDA, and DOT) to provide
technical and logistical support to the NAS study
committee. This group will participate in initial NAS
committeemeetingsand coordinate with committeee
members to respond to requests for technical data
and help to coordinate necessary field trips. Contact
Mike Fritz, 260-6013.
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
-------
Future Directions for the Clean Lakes Pro-
gram Being Explored
Since its inception in 1972, the Clean Lakes Program
(CLP) has achieved many successes. For example, in
Silver Lake, Delaware in-lake restoration activities
have been integrated with comprehensive water-
shed nutrient control approaches. Bear Creek Reser-
voir in Colorado provides another good example.
Here eutrophication and low dissolved oxygen lev-
els are among the problems being addressed. In
addition, the Bear Creek Task Force is working to
develop solutions to these in-lake and nonpoint
source pollution problems within the watershed.
The CLP has grown and evolved into an effective
"watershed-based" lake restoration and protection
program.
For many years the CLP has been dependent on last
minute Congressional appropriations. To address
funding uncertainties and other strategic program
issues, AWPD is currently developing a CLP strat-
egy document to assess options for future directions
of the CLP. Future CLP funding, integration of CLP
with other programs, and relative emphasis among
program components are among the key issues be-
ing explored.
In the near future, AWPD will be transmitting to the
Regions a copy of a document entitled "A Commit-
ment to Watershed Protection — A Review of the
Clean Lakes Program" and information on the dean
Lakes strategy. Meanwhile, lake program managers
discussed issues affecting the future directions of the
CLP at the May 5-7 dean Lakes National Program
Meeting in Chicago. AWPD will proceed to develop
a draft strategy during the summer with a final draft
available for review in the fall. Contact Tim Icke, 260-
2640.
Note-Continued from Page 1
tural and process components of the system, and formulat-
ing actions that address the problems in a comprehensive
way. Concerns forbiodiversityloss orendangered species,
forexample,can bemuchrnore effectively dealtwith in this
approach than trying to deal with single species or popu-
lations. If the focus is water quality, the watershed forms
a convenient, natural landscape unit for taking an ecosys-
tem management approach.
Scale is clearly a central issue, and I find that people are
frequently frustrated by the absence of a universal set of
ecosystems that can be catalogued and worked with as we
do with chemicals or particular emission source catego-
ries. While there are indeed a number of useful, readily-
available systems for classifying ecosystems, one size (or
system) does not fit all. To a great degree, we must select
the appropriate scale based on the problem(s) we wish to
solve. For example, if we are concerned with a limited
distribution sedentary population of butterflies, a single
"patch" of prairie or forest may be the ecosystem of
interest. If we are concerned with the effects of acid
deposition and gypsy moth depredation, the whole eastern
deciduous forest ecosystem is the appropriate scale. If, by
contrast, we are focusing on the conservation of neotropical
migratory birds, much of the Western Hemisphere must
be considered. Often, instead of problem-driven scale
selection, we may select our scale based on the attributes
of a particular place of interest in its totality. Thus, we find
ourselves now engaged in ecosystem-level conservation
work in the Chesapeake Bay, the Everglades, the Great
Plains, and the Pacific Northwest old-growth forests.
At this point, the cynic may respond that if all of these
different approaches are ecosystem management, then it
means anything one wants it to and consequenthj, noth-
ing! While that might appear true on the surface, the
underlying distinction is that in the examples cited, the
common theme is that we are looking at all (or nearly all)
of the pieces and formulating action strategies taking into
account the many structural components and ecosystem
processes. Contrast this with our traditional single chemi-
cal - single source -single receptor paradigm which still
dominates much of what we do at EPA.
If you have been following recent events,you know that the
new management team is attuned to this concept. The
President has introduced it in the context of the Pacific
Northwest Forest "Summit" and the Administrator has
used the term on several occasions, notably in connection
with her experiences with the Everglades. Moreover,
when questioned, she indicated that a watershed approach
is one embodiment of the ecosystem management concept.
Moving toward ecosystem management must be an evolu-
tionary, not a revolutionary process. We still have lots to
learn in understanding how ecosystems work, how stresses
affect them, and how various management strategies will
play out. Fortunately, recent conceptual advances in
landscape ecology coupled with significant improvements
in our tools (remote sensing, geographic information
systems) and growing sophistication in our institutional
systems are helping us move along this course. Like any
change, it won't be easy, quick, or painless, but the rewards
will be great, and it may even be fun!
"Ourgreatest challenge in the next century and beyond,
will be to learn to live more harmoniously with our
fellow creatures and to redefine our place within the
complex systems that govern our earthly home." John
Williams, Conductor, The Boston Pops Ordiestn
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
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News Bits
* Regional Watershed Efforts Advanced - In February,
OWOW made approximately $50,000 available to each
Region for Watershed Protection Approach Demostration
Projects. This funding is intended to help the Regions and
other stakeholders either test the approach or build the
institutional infrastructure needed for watershed protec-
tion. Nine out of the 10 Regions submitted their proposals
in March and received their funding in April. The project
focus ranges from a Regional watershed strategy (Region D
to State watershed strategies (Region Vffl) to specific wa-
tershed projects (Region VI) to public outreach/communi-
cation (Region n). Contact John Pai, 260-8076.
* MOU with The Nature Conservancy Signed - In Decem-
ber, EPA and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to facili-
tate the sharing of information, expertise, and experience
between the Conservancy and EPA's water program. On
March 30, a group of about 25 TNC and EPA representa-
tives met to identify a tentative set of joint action items.
These items are being fleshed out and incorporated into an
action plan to guide cooperative efforts over the first year
or two. Contact Dave Davis, 260-7166.
* Nanagansett CCMP Approved - On January 15, the
Narragansett Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Man-
agement Plan (CCMP) was signed. Approval of the CCMP
marked the official completion of the CCMP development
stage. The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program now moves
into the implementation phase. Key actions outlined in the
CCMP for implementation include developing guidance
for municipal officials on the control of non-point source
pollution, environmentally protective land and growth
managementpractices,and storm water managementplans;
addressing all wastewater discharges to the bay water-
shed; and abating discharges from combined sewer over-
flows. Contact Betsy Tarn, 260-6466.
* Start-up Grant for Peconic Bay Issued - The grant for the
start-up of the Peconic Bay Estuary Program was approved
March 15. A public kick-off event for the Peconic Bay
Estuary Program occurred on April 19. Contact Betsy Tarn,
260-6466.
* Final Wetlands Indian Rule Released - On February 11,
the final Wetland Tribal Regulations were published in the
Federal Register. These regulations establish the require-
ments for Indian Tribes to be treated as states for purposes
of assumption of the section 404 program. Contact Lori
Williams, 260-5084.
* Regions Launch Joint NFS Information Projects - Head-
quarters and Regional NFS staff have begun work on
several projects mat will strengthen and bring higher vis-
ibility to the national NFS program. The projects include
producing an updated catalogue of information and edu-
cation materials either funded under CWA section 319
grants or of special merit in addressing NFS water quality
problems; preparing a comprehensive report on CWA
section 319 accomplishments and successes targeted at
Congress, state legislators, governors, constituency
groups, and the general public; and providing assistance
to states in updating their lists of federal assistance appli-
cations and development projects which they intend to
review under the federal consistency provisions of CWA
section 319. All three projects will be completed in FY
1993. Contact StuTuller, 260-7112.
* WORLD Magazine to Highlight Marine Waters - The
September 1993 issue of WORLD, a National Geographic
Society (NGS) magazine for children, will focus on the
health of our world's marine waters. The issue will
contain a 10-page educational insert on ocean and coastal
environments which OCPD staff are working, through a
cooperative agreement, with NGS staff to develop. The
insert will include information and activities to educate
children about ocean, coastal and estuarine resources and
their value to humans, other animals, and the global
environment. Contact Marcy ODell, 260-1904.
Waquoit Bay Near Coastal Water Project Developing
Tool to Identify Nitrogen Overloading Problems - For
the past three years, EPA, the National Science Founda-
tion, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration have jointly funded efforts to address nitrogen
overloading problems in Waquoit Bay, located on the
south shore of Cape Cod. The major goals of this project
are to develop a scientifically sound understanding of the
sources of nitrogen in the Waquoit Bay watershed so that
they can be regulated and to develop simple tools that
town planners can use to forecast and correct nitrogen
overloading problems in coastal waters. Contact Eric
Slaughter, 260-1051.
* Taxonomic Data Base Available - To permit the ex-
change of biological information, OWOW has had a long-
standing alliance with NOAA's National Oceanic Data
Center (NODC) which maintains an extensive file of over
220,000 taxa found in marine waters, fresh water, and on
land. The file is maintained on the EPA computer at RTF
where it is available to supply unique numbers for taxa
found in thefield studies we increasingly rely on. OWOW
and OIRM are working with NODC and USGS as well as
the emerging National Biological Survey to incorporate
the NODC taxonomy into other government data man-
agement systems such as the new STORET, the EMAP
data system, and USGS'sNWISn. Making mis data more
widely available will facilitate comparisons of data from
one agency's studies to those of others. Far more exten-
sive use of mis taxonomy in the studies EPA fosters and
supports can be expected. For access to the taxonomic
file, contact Manning.Lee9EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV on
Internet or Manning.Lee via Email. Contact Lee Man-
ning, (703) 908-2403.
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
-------
Meetings
Grant Training Workshops - OWOW in cooperation
with the Grants Administration Division (GAD), con-
ducted a basic one-day grant training workshop in
seven Regions during the second quarter of FY 1993.
The workshops covered the roles and responsibilities
of the project officer, grantee, and grants specialist
GAD will use these workshops as a basis for develop-
ing a three-day course that they plan to pilot in Regions
IV, VI, and IX and Headquarters during the last quarter
of FY 1993. OWOW is also participating in this effort.
Contact Chris Powers, 260-1770.
State WetlandConservationPlan(SWCP)Roundtable,
January 25 - Objectives for this roundtable included
promoting SWCP as an opportunity for state and local
flexibility in developing wetland protection programs;
building consensus among active groups in Washing-
ton, DC regarding the role of SWCPs in protecting
water resources; and encouraging groups to explore
means of promoting the SWCP program to their con-
stituencies. Contact Sherri Fields, 260-1932.
TMDL Coordinators Meeting, January 26-28 - Issues
discussed at this meeting included the status of state
303(d) list submissions; national and Regional consis-
tency in 303(d) lists; short-term program objectives;
activities for FY 1993; and specific modeling needs.
Contact Don Brady, 260-5368.
STORET Modernization Conference, February 2-4 -
The principal mission of this conference was to allow
participants the opportunity to examine the computer
information architecture that was developed from na-
tionwide Joint Application Design Sessions (JADS) con-
ducted during FY 1992 and to confirm the Entity Rela-
tionship Model created from the information gained at
the JADS. Issues and ideas generated at the conference
will be incorporated into the design of the new STORET
system. Contact Bob King, 260-7028.
Practical Conflict Management: Skills to Resolve
Highway/Wetland Issues, February 2-4 - This three-
day course addresses practical negotiation and com-
munication techniques applicable to resolving issues
that arise during the Section 404 and National Environ-
mental Policy Act review of Federal-aid highway
projects. This course has been jointly developed by
EPA and the Federal Highway Administration. This
presentation of the course served as a pilot Contact
Joseph DaVia, 260-1602.
Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water
Quality (ITFM), February 9-10 - At this fourth meeting,
members reviewed the recommendations made in the
first year report and focussed on each task group's
work plan for 1993. A new task group to focus on
assessment and reportingwasestablished. Pilotprojects
for 1993, criteria for selecting additional pilots, and
outreach activities for 1993 were also discussed. Con-
tact Mary Belefski, 260-7061.
Local Government Workshop for Coastal Managers,
February 10 - This workshop was the first in a series
that are designed to encourage comprehensive plan-
ning among local governments to achieve a balance
between quality development and resource protection.
Contact Marcy aDell, 260-1904.
Future EPA/State Roles: Wetland Conservation Plans,
Assumption, and Other Initiatives, February 11-12 -
Topics discussed included State Wetland Conservation
Plans, wetland water quality standards, 404 assump-
tion, and section 401 certification related to wetlands.
Contact Jeanne Melanson, 260-6073.
Symposium on Ecological Restoration, March 2-4 -
Topics addressed at this symposium included the sta-
tusof restoration science, decision-making and priority
setting, use of existing authorities for restoration, de-
velopment and application of technical tools, and mea-
suring success. Proceedings will be available within
the next few months. Contact Amy Sosin, 260-7058.
Coastal Technical Assistance Workshop, March 18-19
- At this third and final workshop, discussions focused
on innovative solutions in the Gulf of Mexico that can
be transferred nationwide and on identification of tech-
nical areas that are in need of new innovative ap-
proaches. Results of the three workshops will help
direct staff in technical assistance efforts and be incor-
porated into Divisional strategic planning. Contact
Steve Glomb, 260-6414.
People
Welcome to Barbara D'Angelo who has joined
the Wetlands Division on a four month rotation
from Region HI.
Ann Beier is currently on a four month rotation
to the Chesapeake Bay Program in Annapolis.
Best wishes to Barbara Williams, AWPD Divi-
sion Secretary, who has retired.
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
-------
Recent Releases
Ambient Water Quality Monitoring in the United
States: First Year Review, Evaluation, and Recom-
mendations - This report released by the Intergovern-
mental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality (ITFM)
proposes actions to improve ambient water quality
monitoring in the United States and as a result, to allow
better management of water resources. Contact the
Monitoring Branch, 260-7046.
An Approach to Improving Decision Making in Wet-
lands Restoration and Creation - A summary of the
approach that EPA's Wetlands Research Program has
developed to improve decision making in wetland
restoration and creation projects. Contact the Wetlands
Hotline (contractor operated), 1-800-832-7828.
Catalog of State Wetland Protection Development
Grants:EPA Fiscal Year 1992 - A catalog of the projects
that have been funded in FY1992 through EPA's State
WetlandsProtectionDevelopmentGrantProgram. This
catalog is intended to help with information transfer
among State agencies. Contact the Wetlands Hotline
(contractor operated), 1-800-832-7828.
Geographic Targeting: Selected State Examples - This
document is designed to assist government managers
and others implement geographic targeting. Various
approaches are reviewed, key issues involved in devel-
oping a targeting program are explored, and 14 ex-
amples from state and local programs are presented.
Contact Watershed Branch, 260-7076.
Management Measures Guidance and Program Imple-
mentation Guidance for Section 6217 of the Coastal
Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 -The
Management Measures Guidance specifies technology-
based management measures to be used by the States in
developing Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Pro-
grams aimed at restoring and protecting coastal waters.
The Implementation Guidance addresses the processes
and criteria that apply to development and approval of
State coastal zone nonpoint source programs. Contact
Dov Weitman, (202) 260-7088.
Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution - This report
focuses on the state of the national effort to control
nonpoint source (NPS) pollution as of October 1,1989.
This report contains the findings of the state NPS as-
sessments and discusses the state programs that are
addressing the problems identified in the assessments;
the related activities of EPA, other federal agencies, and
other organizations; and achievements to date on con-
trolling NPS pollution. Contact Ann Beier, (202) 260-
7108.
Natural Wetlands and Urban Stormwater: Potential
Impacts and Management - Summarizes the literature
on some of the potential impacts to wetlands from
Stormwater runoff and highlights some state manage-
ment programs. Contact the Wetlands Hotline (con-
tractor operated), 1-800^32-7828.
A Synoptic Approach to Cumulative Impact Assess-
ment - A Proposed Methodology - This report de-
scribes the steps of conducting a synoptic assessment
and illustrates the use of synoptic information through
four case studies. The synoptic approach is designed to
assist wetland regulators in assessing the cumulative
effect of individual wetland impacts within the land-
scape and is intended for situations in which time,
resources, and information are limited. Contact the
Wetlands Hotline (contractor operated), 1-800-832-7828.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Case Studies -
TMDLs pro vide for more stringent water quality-based
controls when technology-based controls are inadequate
to achieve State water quality standards. As of January
1993, seven TMDL case studies have been published.
Each case study discusses the problem, TMDL devel-
opment, pollution control implementation, and follow-
up monitoring. Contact EPA's Watershed Manage-
ment Section, (202) 260-7074.
The Watershed Protection Approach: Annual Report
1992 - This report summarizes activities in EPA Head-
quarters and Regions to adopt and implement water-
shed management. More than 30 project summaries
are included. Contact Anne Robertson, (202) 260-9112.
Watershed Protection: Catalog of Federal Programs -
This catalog is a directory of federal programs that
contribute to and participate in watershed manage-
ment. Contact US. EPA, Watershed Branch, (202) 260-
7074.
Wetlands Education System - A computer-aided in-
structional program with windows-driven text and
illustrations aboutwetland functions, values,and policy.
This program is available on disk, and a VGA card is
needed to run it. Contact the Wetlands Hotline (con-
tractor operated), 1-800-832-7828.
Wetlands Research Plan FY92-96:An Integrated Risk-
Based Approach- This document presents the research
strategy developed by EPA's Wetlands Research Pro-
gram for FY 1992-%. The purpose of this research is to
address the technical needs mat ha ve been identified by
the EPA programs within the Office of Water and the
EPA Regions having legal authority over wetlands.
Contact the Wetlands Hotline (contractor operated), 1-
800-832-7828.
OWOW Highlights
Spring 1993
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Upcoming Events
Region VH OWOW Program Meeting, Kansas City, KSJunc
2-3 - Headquarters staff wiO be visiting Region VD for a
customer-sipplier conference. These meetings are conducted
in all Regions on a rotating basis and provide Headquarters
and Regional staff with an opportunity to share information on
programs and identify ways to improve interactions. Contact
Geoff Grubbs, 260-7040.
Ocean Damping Coordinators Meeting, Portland, OR, June
21-25 - A joint meeting between EPA and the Corps of Engi-
neersfocusingoncurrentoceandumpingissues. This meeting
will bring staff from Headquarters, Regions /Districts, and labs
for both agencies together. Contact Susan Hitch, 260-9178.
CZARA Training Workshops • EPA and NOAA will hold a
series of regional workshops to assist states in beginning to
address the requirements of Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone
ActReauthorization Amendementsof 1990(CZARA). Contact
Stu TuBer, 260-7112. The schedule for the workshops is the
following:
Washington, DC (PA, DE,MD, VA),May 18-20
Cromwell, CT (ME, NH, MA, W, CT, NY, Np, May 24-27
Chicago, IL (WI, MI, MN, OH, IN), June 2-4
Seattle, WA (OR, WA, AK), June 22-24
Atlanta, GA (NC, SC, GA, FL), Jury 13-15
New Orleans, LA (AL, MS, LA, PR, VI, TX) August 3-5
San Francisco, CA (CA) August 17-19
Pacific Islands Meeting (HI, GU, AS, CNMI) Date TBA
TQM Corner
* OW Conducts Customer Survey -
The Office of Water (OW) recently
conducted an internal survey of all
OW employees as commissioned
by the Board of Directors in 1992.
The survey will solicit direct feed-
back and baseline data on a num-
ber of areas in which OW employ-
ees areintemal customers for prod-
ucts or services. For example, the
survey is aimed at specific issues
such as communication, job satis-
faction and employeedevelopment
and training needs.
As of April 23,1993,66.9percentof
OW's workforce has responded to
the survey contractor. The results
of the survey will be used to gener-
ate a priority list of organizational
issues for management action. For
more information, contact John
Alter, 26&4315.
United States Environmental
Protection Agency (WH-556F)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20460
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