United States Office Of Water EPA840-N-93-004 Environmental Protection (4501F) Summer 1993 Agency &EPA Watershed Events ~ An EPA Bulletin on Integrated Aquatic Ecosystem Protection ~ Non-Traditional Flood Recovery Options Considered by Dave Davis, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency In Thislssue.„ Regional Watershed Activities Call For Presenters - Appalacian Rivers and Watershed Symposium Conference Announcement - EMECS '93 Recent Releases Watershed Events is intended to update interested parties on the development and use of watershed protection approaches. Watershed protection approaches are integrated and holistic That is, they consider the primary threats to human and ecosystem health within the watershed, involve those people most concerned or able to take actions to solve those problems, and then take corrective actions in a comprehensive manner. Direct questions and comments about Watershed Even ts toco-editors: The devastating floods in the up- per Mississippi basin have pro- duced enormous costs in both eco- nomic and human terms, but they have also provided some new and intriguing options for recovery. Historically, this nation has re- sponded to all disasters by almost immediately rebuilding all infra- structure to at least its pre-disaster scale and without much consider- ation for environmental impacts or opportunities. The Mississippi floods of 1993 are being seen in a somewhat different light. For the first time there is broad public dialogue on whether and how we can do better. The dialogue focuses mainly on how to prevent or reduce future devasta- tion on this scale, but also whether there are opportunities presented to make some environmental gains even in the context of rebuilding the levees and other hydrologic "plumbing" infrastructure. Janet Pawlukiewicz, (202) 260-9194 Anne Robertson, (202) 260-9112 Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds U.S. EPA (4501F) 401 M Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20460 i) Printed on Recycled Paper Within this context, non-traditional natural flood and mitigation efforts such as floodway easements and wetland restoration are major top- ics of interest. In the case of the former, the point is to remove struc- tures and other economic goods from the floodplain, eliminate (or not rebuild) levees and simply let the river spread out when in flood stage. This is, in effect, the way nature designed the system in the first place, and it both avoids eco- nomic and other loss in the flood- way area and lessens downstream impacts by lowering the flood peak. In the case of wetlands restoration, the goal is to restore wetlands in tributary systems so that these wet- lands can retain local rainfall, thus reducing downstream flood flows. In both cases, the environment ben- efits from an increased inventory of natural habitat (wetlands, ripar- ian forests) and more normal river- floodplain relationship in terms of chemical, physical, and biological cycles. Likewise, there are eco- nomic benefits from reduced flood losses, and in some cases, the retire- ment of marginal farmlands. The Administration's response to the flood is taking several tacks. The largest and most visible is the traditional response to protecting human health and property. Agri- culture Secretary Espy leads a top- level steering group, supported by a series of task forces focusing on topics such as restoring roads, hous- ing, and drinking water systems, and economic/social recovery in Flood-Continued on Page 8 Recycled/Recyclable O) Printed with Soy/Canola lnk.on paper that Y~ir7 contains at least 50% recycled fiber ------- Page 2 Watershed Events Summer 1993 Nature Conservancy's "Last Great Places" Initiative Helps Big Darby Creek by Steve Jordan, The Nature Conservancy (Ohio Chapter) With the launching of its "Last Great Places, An Alliance for People and the Environment" initiative in May 1991, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) em- barked on a journey to identify and protect rare ecosystems. This initiative marks a departure from TNC's tradi- tional way of doing business. Histori- cally, TNC has operated through a pro- cess which identified the location of rare species, designed a preserve to provide an adequate level of protec- tion for those species of interest, and obtained some type of legal interest in the land contained within the preserve boundaries. However, the conservation and natu- ral resources communities are realiz- ing more and more that a "museum" type approach, where discrete pre- serves are set aside to safeguard a par- ticular species of interest, is perhaps not the best method. Acceptance of this view is increasing in large part because the "museum" methodology fails to recognize that humans have an enormous impact on what takes place within a preserve's boundaries. Hu- mans must be included in any preser- vation scheme because, in many cases, they live and work within the preserve boundaries or at the very least their activities adjacent to the preserves af- fect the preserves. For TNC, the "Last Great Places" ini- tiative is a natural evolution from the smaller sized preserves into large scale projects that recognize the important role that humans play in determining the ultimate health of any particular ecosystem. Necessarily, this initiative places less emphasis on simply buying the land and a greater emphasis on working through partnerships. What makes a "Last Great Place?" First and foremost, there must be concen- trations of rare or endangered species of interest. Next, the ecosystem, whether itbe terrestrial or aquatic, must be a high quality example and be eco- logically salvageable, in that it must not be so far degraded as to be beyond the point of no return. And last but certainly not least, there must be the potential for partnerships. The local community must have the will, in a political, business, and private sense, to preserve the ecosystem of interest. The design of any "Last Great Place" takes its cue from the United Nations' Man and the Biosphere Program. Each landscape size project has a core area which encompasses the most critical habitat of the most critical species. Immediately surrounding the core is a buffer area. The buffer area can vary enormously in size and geometric con- figuration. It will encompass the neigh- boring territory where inappropriate human uses of land, water, and natu- ral resources could pose a direct threat to the core itself. The buffer area real- istically is the entire watershed since virtually all activities within the wa- tershed will eventually have an impact on the stream to one degree or another. Eventually, TNC anticipates working at 75 "Last Great Places" sites. To date, the Conservancy has identified 40 of these landscape scale projects. One of these is the Big Darby Creek in Ohio. Big Darby Creek is considered a "Last Great Place" principally because of the great diversity of life which calls the creek its home. Big Darby Creek is the home of 86 species of fish, 12 of which are rare or endangered; 40 species of mussels, 11 of which are rare or endan- gered; 176 species of birds; 34 species of mammals; and enumerable amphib- ians and reptiles. This great calliope of life all exists within a relatively small combined river length of approxi- mately 80 miles. The core area is the stream and the riparian corridor. How- ever, the area of interest is a watershed of approximately 560 square miles. Within that area are a multitude of overlapping jurisdictions. The project is of such a physical size and political and legal complexity, that no one single organization could hope to have a sig- nificant impact working alone. Thus, partnerships take on a role of crucial importance. The Ohio Department of Natural Re- sources has designated approximately 82 miles of the Big and Little Darby Creeks as state "Scenic Rivers." These same areas have been recommended for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic River Program. The Ohio Department of Environmental Protec- tion classifies much of the stream as "exceptional warm water habitat." Surprisingly, the survival of the Big Darby's ecological diversity has been by accident and coincidence rather than the result of purposeful conservation efforts. Accident and coincidence are no longer sufficient to conserve this world class resource. Over the past decade, water quality conditions in the Big Darby have deteriorated due to a number of environmental threats prin- cipally agricultural run-off, deforesta- tion of the stream corridor, and suburbanization. TNC has joined with over 30 public and private organizations to develop innovative biological assessment pro- grams in addition to agricultural, for- est restoration, land-use planning, and protection projects. The project is akin to a large picnic, and each partner brings something different to the table. The United States Department of Agri- culture has designated the watershed as a Hydrologic Unit. This status re- sults in extra funds and personnel for the watershed. It also gives preferen- tial treatment to the farmers of the watershed for inclusion in other fed- eral programs. The Hydrologic Unit is a water quality project with a goal of reducing soil loss by 40 percent. A cooperative venture with research- ers at Ohio State University has led to development of a computer based in- formation system. This model is not only able to track land uses within the watershed, but can also simulate a va- riety of cause and effect relationships between land use changes and water quality. Last Great Places-Continued on Page 3 ------- Summer 1993 Watershed Events Page 3 Regional Watershed Approach Designed for South Florida and the Everglades by Eric Slaughter, U.S. EPA mining, thediversion of water foragri- cultural and other development pur- poses, and the ever-increasing with- drawals of groundwater to serve the population of Miami-Dade. Histori- cally, freshwater from the Everglades coursed into Florida Bay. Over the last decade, the cessation of this flow has created a hypersaline environment with salinities sometimes reaching 52 parts per thousand. Hence, the entire ecosystem hasbeen changed radically. For example, the diversity of sub- merged grasses hasbeen replaced with asingiedominantspeciesofalgae. The huge water withdrawals fromaquifers underlying the region are not returned to the land, but are discharged off- shore through Miami-Dade's ocean outfalls. The effluent's nutrients (es- pecially nitrogen) have been blamed for the destruction of the first of three tiers of reefs which lie off southeast Florida. Realizing that the environmental threats throughout South Florida are interconnected, representatives of Fed- eral environmental and natural re- source agencies formed a federal South Florida Ecosystem Management Task Force. On September 23, the Federal agencies on the Task Force signed an historic interagency agreement (IAG). This IAG commits the signatory agen- cies to consolidate Federal objectives on ecosystem restoration, coordinate research on the South Florida ecosys- tem, establish partnerships with State and Local agencies to support land acquisition initiatives, support expe- dited implementation of Corpspro jects in the Everglades, and develop an inte- grated, long-term proposal and bud- get for ecosystem restoration, mainte- nance, and protection. The decline of the Everglades is now a well-known environmental issue. Very recently however, this decline has also been connected to the declineof Florida Bay and the coral reefs south of Dade and Broward counties. The central problem in the Everglades is the re- duction of freshwater flowing through the region. The reduction results from several human activities including the Florida Keys Water Quality Protec- tion Program. The Task Force is bro- ken into two parts: a high level Steer- ing Committee and a regional Man- agement and Coordination Commit- tee composed of officials who are physi- cally located in the region. Actions have already been initiated by the Task Force including a major program to restore freshwater flows by removing or changing the diversion structures installed over the years by the Corps of Engineers. Meanwhile, a full water- shed approach affecting the entire south Florida region will be imple- mented, beginning with region-wide meetings involving a cross-section of the community to prioritize problems and develop additional action plans. For more information contact Eric Slaughter, (202) 260-1051 or Fran Eargle, (202) 260-1954. The Task Force's major goal is to re- store and protect the resources of the Everglades system which includes Florida Bay. This effort is closely linked to the State's efforts and those of the affected Water Management Districts, local governments and industry, and Tampa Bay Implements Watershed Approach in CCMP The Management Committee of the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program (NEP) will include in its Comprehen- sive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), action plans which en- compass both the larger watershed and Tampa Bay proper. According to Dick Eckenrod, Director, by deciding to de- sign its CCMP in this manner, the Con- ference has applied the watershed pro- tection approach more broadly than most of the other NEPs to date. The Tampa program and the South- west Florida Water Management Dis- trict sponsored the first of several work- shops on watershed management on June 25. Stakeholders from a much larger geographic area than was previ- ously represented in the program par- ticipated. The first workshop focused on reducing pollutant loadings in the streams feeding Tampa Bay estuary. Many key players in the Tampa Bay watershed including utility companies and other major industries attended the June workshop. Eckenrod believes that these sectors must be at the table along with development and financial leaders. Bringing in these parties to join federal, state and local officials; scientists; educators; and citizens is an ambitious first in the NEP and the watershed protection approach. The workshop was so successful that attendees agreed to participate in a series of workshops to help produce the watershed action plans that will be part of the overall CCMP for Tampa. For more information, contact Dick Eckenrod at (813) 893-2765. Last Great Places-Continued from Page 2 The United States Environmental Pro- tection Agency (EPA) has selected the watershed as one of five case studies nationwide for inclusion in the Eco- logical Risk Assessment Program. The methods and guidelines developed through these case studies will help EPA develop an approach to water- sheds which relies on the integrated management of the stresses which are degrading the watershed. There are many more partners all con- tributing in their own way toward pre- serving the Big Darby Creek system for future generations. In the Big Darby Creek Project, TNC continues to carry out its traditional science and stewardship functions in addition to taking on an even more important role as facilitator, forging coalitions among sometimes compet- ing interest groups. As a result the Conservancy and its partners are well on our way to producing a model of how an entire ecosystem can be pre- served without impairing the area's economic potential. For more infor- mation, contactSteve Jordan, (614) 486- 4194. ------- Page 4 Watershed Events Summer 1993 Tackling Nutrients in the Chesapeake Bay Nutrient over enrichment is the big- gest challenge facing the overall effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay. To address the nutrient problem, tribu- tary strategies are being developed by the jurisdictions of the Chesapeake Bay Program — Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The goal of these strategies is to reduce the controllable nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the bay by 40 percent, benefit- ing both the Bay and its tributaries. Public participation is a critical ele- ment of the strategy development. The Problem High levels of phosphorus and nitro- gen havecaused excessive algal growth which has been detrimental to the Bay's other living resources and its water quality. The effects of the nutrient- induced algal growth are two-fold. First, it harms habitat in the Bay's shal- low areas by blocking the light the underwater bay grasses need to grow. The resulting loss of these grass beds robs fish, shellfish, and waterfowl of spawning and feeding areas as well as shelter. Second, when the algae die and sink to the bottom, their decompo- sition consumes much needed dis- solved oxygen in the Bay's deeper ar- eas. Many bottom-living animals such as oysters, clams, and worms which provide food for fish and crabs cannot survive in this reduced oxygen envi- ronment. CEditor's Note: Many estuar- ies, some of which are included in the National Estuary Program and others which are not, experience similar prob- lems.) Sources Nutrients reach the Bay from a variety of sources located within its drainage basin which covers64,000 square miles and extends north to New York, south to Virginia, east to Delaware, and west to West Virginia. More than three- fifths of the nitrogen and half of the phosphorus come from nonpoint sources with the single largest source being agricultural runoff. Chemical fertilizers, animal manure, sewage sludge, and animal wastes that wash out of feedlots and pastures all contrib- ute to agricultural nitrogen and phos- phorus runoff. Other nutrient sources include sewage treatment plant flows and urban and suburban runoff. The nutrient problem has been exacerbated by the loss of the vast forests and other natural buffers within the watershed that once absorbed excess nutrients. Another major source of nitrogen is air pollution. Almost 40 percent of the Bay7 s total nitrogen load may be attrib- utable to atmospheric deposition. The two largest sources of airborne nitro- gen are automobiles and fossil fuel burning power plants. Because offi- cials are uncertain as to how the 1990 amendments to the federal Clean Air Act will be implemented and its poten- tial affect on the Bay, any reductions that result from air pollution controls will be considered as being in addition to, rather than a part of, the 40 percent reduction. History By 1987, the Chesapeake Bay Program determined that if nutrient loads into the Bay were reduced 40 percent, nu- trient enrichment would be reduced sufficiently to replace the depletion of dissolved oxygen, improve water qual- ity, and encourage the recovery of the Bay's living resources to earlier, higher population levels. That same year the Chesapeake Executive Council (the governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia; the mayor of Washing- ton, D.C.; the administrator of EPA; and the chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission) signed the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement adopting the Baywide Nutrient Reduction Strategy to reduce controllable nutrients flow- ing into the Bay by 40 percent by the year 2000. The Council also set a cap on nutrient inputs after the 40 percent reduction is achieved. For nitrogen the cap is 229.9 million pounds per year and for phosphorus it is 15.44 million pounds per year. Phosphate detergent bans in Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia;upgrad- ing of waste water treatment plants; improving compliance with discharge permit requirements at those plants; and better nonpoint source controls havecontributed to a decrease in phos- phorus concentrations in the Bay of 16 percent between 1984 and 1991. Dur- ing the same period nitrogen levels have remained constant. However, nitrogen control efforts are having some effect as evidenced by popula- tion and waste water discharges in- creasing at a faster rate than nitrogen levels. The Tributary Strategies After further study and reevaluation of the 40 percent reduction goal, the 1992 Amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement were signed. These amend- ments commit Pennsylvania, Mary- land, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. to set specific nutrient reduction goals for each of the Bay's major tributaries and develop individual tributary strat- egies to achieve those goals as well as to protect and improve aquatic habi- tats in the rivers. Draft strategies will be completed by December 31,1993. The Tributary Strategies will provide the blueprint for meeting the water- shed-wide annual nutrient reduction targets — 74.1 million pounds for ni- trogen and 8.43 million pounds for phosphorus — announced by the Chesapeake Bay Program on Novem- ber 4, 1992. These targets are to be reached by the year 2000 and are based upon the 1985 base nutrient load — a combination of the 1985 point source discharges of nutrients and the aver- age nonpoint source discharge from 1984-1987. The Tributary Strategies address the nutrient pollution problem at its source, upstream on the land that drains into the Bay's tributaries which flow into the Bay. When completed, the Tribu- tary Strategies will describe, for each tributaiy, theamountof reduction that is to be made, the amount of that re- duction which had been made since 1985, and how the remaining reduc- tions will be achieved. Management opportunities for controlling agricul- tural, urban, and suburban runoff and ------- Summer 1993 Watershed Events Ecosystem/Watershed Approach Proposed for Pacific Northwest for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in sewage treatment plant flows will be included in the strategies. Specific options for nutrient control include a combination of nutrient management plans and best management practices to reduce agricultural runoff and bio- logical nitrogen removal or the addi- tion of chemicals that effectively re- move nitrogen from waste water. Phosphorus reductions from point sources have proceeded ahead of schedule, and a 40 percent reduction from point sources has already been achieved in some tributaries. There- fore, most of the emphasis will be placed on reducing nitrogen. Com- puter models indicate that achieving the nitrogen reduction will require that the best available (or "limits of con- trol") technologies be used for much of the nonpoint sources in the watershed. Biological nutrient removal will be necessary for many of the sewage treat- ment plants — major point sources for nitrogen. These technologies are often difficult and costly to use. Thus, the Executive Council has called for con- tinuing research efforts to develop new and better ways to control nutrients. In developing their Tributary Strate- gies, states can trade reductions be- tween rivers within the same geo- graphic region and with other states. Trading allows states to spend their money in ways that will achieve the greatest reductions with the most cost- effective strategy and target reductions to best benefit habitat in the tributar- ies. Trades cannot be made in a way that would harm habitats in the rivers. In signing the 1992 Amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, the Chesa- peake Executive Council also stipu- lated that the Tributary Strategy pro- cess "incorporate public participation in the development, review and imple- mentation of the strategies, ensuring the broadest public involvement." Each of the jurisdictions in the Chesa- peake Bay Program is developing a public participation process for its citi- zens. Contact Elliott Finkelstein,Chesa- peake Bay Program, (410) 267-0061. A Northwest Ecosystem/Watershed Workgroup (NEWW), consisting of state, federal, and tribal resource man- agers from the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington has developed a con- ceptual framework and action strat- egy for promoting ecosystem manage- ment at the local, state, and regional levels in the Pacific Northwest. This effort is based on the recognition that increasing political, economic, and so- cial pressures require that we find workable solutions to mounting envi- ronmental conflicts and problems. Resource managers in the Pacific Northwest are faced with a growing number of resource crises that occur over wide geographic areas and within complex biological and physical sys- tems. The in tent of the proposed frame- work is to improve cooperative efforts in ecosystem and watershed protec- tion by providing a means for coordi- nation among agencies, at all levels of government, and other public and pri- vate stakeholders. The goal of the proposed ecosystem approach to natural resource manage- ment is "to create a framework for an ongoing process that will encourage all stakeholders in a watershed to co- operate in planning and management of natural resources and to facilitate the coordination of their activities in ways that protect and rehabilitate eco- systems within each affected water- shed while allowing for sustainable use." Principal objectives include building partnerships, protecting and restoring ecosystems, and developing mechanisms for evaluating successand managing adaptively. This planning and management pro- cess must identify and seek a harmoni- ous balance of economic, environmen- tal, and social uses of resources; moni- tor those uses; and adapt management strategies necessary to achieve specific resource goals. To foster this produc- tive harmony, the NEWW emphasizes development of a stewardship ethic (particularly at the local watershed level), interorganizational partner- ships, involvement, communication, innovation, and producing environ- mental results. Because boundaries form the legal framework for natural resource man- agement, both civil and natural bound- aries must be integrated within the process. However, from an ecological perspective, civil boundaries are less important than the natural boundaries of watersheds and ecosystems. The proposed approach envisions three lev- els of collaboration for integrating hu- man and natural systems—local, state- wide, and regional. Local, whole-basin resource planning and management is the most immedi- ate of these levels. It is here that spe- cific actions must focus on resource protection and rehabilitation. Local watershed coordination should be broadly based and involve all stake- holders. Regional and state-wide co- ordination objectives would empha- size integrated approaches, specific regional or state priorities, education and outreach, and cooperative ap- proaches. The proposed framework has received broad based support and is now being reviewed for adoption by interested agencies and organizations. For more information, contact Ron Lee, EPA Region 10, (206) 553-4013. ------- Page 6 Watershed Events Summer 1993 Cleaning Up Headwaters Mining Waste in the Rockies by Bill Wuerthele, U.S. EPA, Region VIII Widespread destruction of aquatic habitat and the continuous release of toxic metals into the environment from abandoned and inactive hardrock mines is one of the most pervasive environmental problems in mineral- ized areas of the country including the headwaters of the Rocky Mountains where many stream miles have been affected. Historically, headwaters min- ing waste problems were considered insoluble because of their large scope, anticipated restoration costs, and in- stitutional limitations. Today, how- ever, it appears that integrated, multi- program approaches to these complex problems can produce cost effective solutions at targeted sites. A result of this changing view is the Rocky Moun- tain Headwaters Mining Waste Initia- tive begun by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This Initia- tive will foster an integrated, multi- program effort that will bring together the necessary Federal, State, local, and private programs and resources to implementcomprehensi vecontrol and remediation measures on a watershed- by-watershed basis and to prevent fu- ture pollution problems. The primary focus of the Initiative will be clean-up actions, demonstration projects, and the transfer of experience and technology between projects. A key element of the Initiative will be development of a process which ranks the problems in a watershed based on severity and successively attacks those problems in an iterative fashion. Each of the specific projects sponsored and funded through the Initiative will test one or more elements of that process. At present, no "road map" for assured success in addressing the mining waste problem exists. The character of the problem, and the geology and hydrol- ogy of the mineralized areas are such that the release of heavy metals from disturbed areas and mine drains likely will be perpetual. Evaluating and over- coming a problem of this scope re- quires first a good understanding of the problem and second an innovative application of the understanding in developing appropriate clean-up ap- proaches. The only way to gain this understanding is by "doing." As a result, this Initiative is a series of dem- onstration projects which will likely produce both successes and failures from which we will learn. The lessons learned will be applied to developing a "road map" which will allow us to transfer technology to other water- sheds. In Fiscal Year (FY) 1993, EPA, working with several state agencies and other interested stakeholders, selected a number of demonstration projects and remediation actions for sponsorship with Initiative funding. The level of available Initiative funding in FY93 was rather modest, and, as a result, the Initiative has made a modest start. A few examples of funded projects are: • On the mainstem of Clear Creek near Idaho Springs, Colorado, the Irtitiati ve will fund a fisheries habi- tat restoration demonstration project. This project will be spon- sored by the Ci ty of Idaho Springs, and it will be jointly funded with Coors Brewing Company, an ac- tive stakeholder in this watershed. Also, on Clear Creek, the Initiative will fund a demonstration project which will test the effectiveness of passive treatment (e.g., constructed wetlands) in controlling the dis- charge from an historic mine drain. • On the Blackfoot River in Mon- tana, which recently gained na- tional attention as a result of the novella and movie - A River Runs Through It, the Initiative will pro- vide funding to a coalition of local stakeholders through a grant to the Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The funds will be used to help implement the River Corri- dor Management Project which in- cludes restoration of tributary streams impacted by placer min- ing. • On the Upper Arkansas and Eagle Rivers in Colorado, the Initiative will fund aquatic community as- sessments by researchers at Colo- rado State University. This re- search is aimed at developing and testing biologically-based indices of metals impacts. EPA plans to double Initiative funding in FY94. In the meantime, the Initiative is buying a lot of good work and a lot of good will with a relatively small amount of money. In addition to the projects funded through the Initiative, the EPA Region VIII Regional Environmental Monitor- ing and Assessment Program (R- EM AP) proposal will focus on the head- water streams within the mineralized areas of the Southern Rocky Mountain Ecoregion. The proposal has three overall goals which will help develop clean-up targets for the initiative: •Determine the current condition of biological communities in head- waters streams; •Enhance the existing knowledge of biological indicators appropriate for detection of metals impacts; and • Advance our understanding of what constitutes appropriate ref- erence conditions in the mineral- ized areas of the Rocky Mountains. Several different measures of success will be applied to this Initiative. First, since a principal goal of the Initiative is to serve as a catalyst for coordinated, multi-agency and citizen action on streams heavily impacted by mining waste, a qualitative indication of suc- cess will be increased clean-up activity on these waters and a change in the current public perception of these wa- ters as hopelessly lost resources. Sec- ond, within individual watersheds, short-term and long-term quantitative measures of success will be applied. The short-term measures will be completion of specific demonstration or remediation projects. For example, ------- Watershed Events Page 7 Yale Devotes New Center to Study of Coastal Watersheds by Anita Van Breda, Yale University Summer 1993 construction of a passive treatment fa- cility, which reduced metal loadings to a headwaters stream, would be one short-term measure of success. The long-term goal for each watershed will be the restoration of healthy aquatic communities. Since the affected head- water streams and lakes historically supported and are generally ecologi- cally suited to support trout fisheries, a more specific goal might be the resto- ration of heathy trout fisheries. A key element of the Initiative process will be to establish site-specific, measurable aquatic community clean-up targets to serve as the long-term benchmarks by which success will be judged. These targets will be developed using a biocriteria approach based on achiev- able reference conditions for a specific watershed. The Rocky Mountain Headwaters Min- ing Waste Initiative is only a begin- ning. The scope of the problem is large, and significant progress will re- quire a similarly significant commit- ment of resources and, perhaps, new legislative direction. The commitment must be for the long-term. The prob- lems were not created overnight, and their resolution will, likewise, take time. For more information, contact Bill Wuerthele, (303) 293-1586. Recognizing that coastal ecosystems are an integral part of the environment and an essential aspect of a holistic approach to environmental studies, the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University recently formed a new academic program de- voted to coastal and watershed stud- ies. The Center for Coastal and Water- shed Systems expands interdiscipli- nary research of coupled coastal and watershed ecosystems. Viewing coastal waters and their watersheds as inextricably linked, interdependent systems is a unique aspect of our pro- gram. The Center's mission is to inte- grate expertise in terrestrial ecology with research of coastal watersheds in order to solve scientific and policy prob- lems focused at the land/sea margin. The primary faculty responsible for the Center have collective research in- terest in: elucidating metal speciation in natural waters and sediments with an emphasis on the identity and char- acteristics of organic and inorganic colloids and their influence on metal speciation and behavior; the integra- tion of field monitoring and computer modeling to quantify the rates and pathways of water movement through upland, wetland, and estuarine eco- systems; and environmental systems analysis with a focus on the develop- ment and application of operations research methods for environmental and resource management. A sam- pling of current student research in- cludes: a study of recent geological history of Jordan Cove (Long Island Sound); the influence of land use pat- terns on stream chemistry; and origins and implications of resource use con- flict in New York City's Catskill water- sheds. Research efforts of the Center's faculty are modeled after the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, a long term multidisdplinary investigation of the interactions between atmospheric, ter- restrial, and aquatic components of small watershed-ecosystems. Our pro- gram will similarly initiate long-term multidisdplinary studies of coastal ecosystems including the structure, function, and interaction of terrestrial and aquatic resources within the entire watershed. The many policy and man- agement issues to be ad dressed regard- ing the coastal zone are just as numer- ous and complex as the natural science questions. Watersheds cross political and social boundaries, and the coastal zone is often thought of as an indepen- dent shoreline system, the manage- ment and use of which creates ques- tions of a legal, social, and political nature. We therefore view policy and management studies of the coastal zone as integral components of a holistic approach to coastal research. In addition to natural and social sci- ence research, the Center offers field training courses and public outreach and education programs. A 1992-93 public lecture series included "Marine and Coastal Conservation: Science and Policy into the 21 st Century" and "Long Island Sound: Science, Management and Policy." A two day coastal-water- shed research and management train- ing class was held for incoming gradu- ate students in August 1993, and a Caribbean field research methodology class focusing on the relationship be- tween coral reefs and coastal zone management is planned for Spring 1994. For more information, contact the Cen- ter for Coastal and Watershed Systems (203)432-3026. Second International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas * EMECS *93 November 10-13,1993 Baltimore, Maryland EMECS '93 will bring together repre- sentatives of over 40 countries to discuss issues relating to coastal and enclosed seas. The three themes of the conference are governance; coastal science and policy; and stake- holders - citizens and private inter- ests. For more information contact Helene Tenner, EMECS '93 Director, (410) 974-5047. Call for Presenters Appalacian Rivers and Watershed Symposium The steering committee for the AppalacianRiversand Watersheds Symposium is seeking present- ers for their June 2-5, 1994 re- gional symposium to be held in Morgantown, WV. The pre- sentations should respond to serious river, watershed, wet- land; and water quality issues of importance in Appalachia, from New York to Mississippi. For more information, contact Roger Harrison, (304)472-0025. ------- Flood-Continued From Page 1 general. One of the task forces focuses on environmental flood recovery; that is, the question of how to rehabilitate the plumbing system in a more envi- ronmentally benign manner. The Interagency Working Group on Environmental Flood Recovery is co- chaired by the Office of Environmen- tal Policy and the Office of Manage- ment and Budget, and includes high- level representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency, Depart- ment of Interior, Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), and other agencies. The Working Group is following a two-pronged approach. For the short run, the Work- ing Group has developed and issued guidance to the field offices of the construction agencies (Corps, FEMA, and Soil Conservation Service) estab- lishing a process for factoring envi- ronmental considerations into urgent levee and other structural repair. This process is built on the assumption that for many levees, especially those that were actually breached, there is only a very limi ted opportunity for consider- ation of alternatives to repair. Accord- ingly, the process provides for a very limited window of discussion of alter- natives and leaves final, on-site deci- sion authority with the construction agencies and local project sponsors. For other levees and structures which are damaged, but not breached, and which are not critical for the protection of life and high-value property, there is considerable opportuni ty for the con- sideration of alternatives to repair and continuing maintenance. For thisclass of structures, the Working Group is finalizing a longer-term process which has an analytic process comparable to a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as its centerpiece. The group hopes to have this plan in place early this fall. Actual development of the EIS will require a substantial exter- nal outreach and education effort. At the completion of this second phase, the Administration will have the infor- mation needed to establish appropri- ate policies/procedures and to pro- pose legislative changes, if needed, to facilitatea "greener" plumbing system for the upper Mississippi in the future. Other aspects of the flood recovery effort include development of a moni- toring program to determine whether drinking water supplies have been impaired and to evaluate the changes in land patterns, stream flow, flora, and fauna. In addition, the Governor of Kansas has proposed a debt for na- ture swap. Recent Releases Luck Isn't Enough: The Fight for Clean Water - This video explains the causes and effects on nonpoint source pollution, and suggests ways that individual citizens and munici- palities can combat it. Examples are drawn from the greater Long Island Sound region, but the information is applicable to any locale. Copies are $10 each. Call (203) 789-6454. Office of Wastewater Enforcement and Compliance(OWEC) Primer (EPA830- K-93-001) - Gives an overview of the integrated water pollution control, permitting, and enforcement pro- gram activities of EPA's OWEC. Contact EPA's Office of Water Re- source Center, (202) 260-7786. Progress Report: Texas Colonias Sub- Group - Provides an overview of progress to date in the development of a coordinated approach to imple- menting assistance to colonias, un- incorporated neighborhoods on the U.S. side of the U.S. - Mexico border. The Texas Colonias Sub-Group, chaired by the U.S. EPA and includ- ing representatives from several other federal and state agencies, is charged with exploring options for financing drinking water and waste- water infrastructure for the colonias. Contact OscarCabra, (214)655-7110. United States Environmental Protection Agency (4501F) 401M Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20460 FIRST CLASS MAIL Postage and Fees Paid EPA G-35 ------- |