Spring 2007
EPA 908-R-07-028
A Publication of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 Ecosystem Protection Program
vvEPA
U.S.EPA
Protection
Agency
8EPR-EP
Denver, CO 80202-1129
In this Issue:
Colorado Source
Water Assessment
and Protection Project
Colorado Watershed
Network Water
Education Program
EPA Relocates in
Denver Headquarters
Algae Speak... To
Those Who Listen
Watershed Plan
Builder
Funding
Opportunities
Conferences and
Training
Publications and
Web Resources
1
2
3
4
5
5
5
6
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Clouds rolling in to enshroud a mountain vista as seen from Lake Dillon, CO.
~ Photo by Bruce Zander
Colorado Source Water
Assessment and Protection
Project Summary/Funding
Opportunity
~ John M. Duggan, Colorado
Department of Public Health and
the Environment
Colorado Source Water Assessment
and Protection (SWAP) is a new
project designed to provide the public
consumer with information about their
untreated drinking water, as well as
provide individuals and communities
with a way to get involved in protecting
drinking water quality. The program
encourages community-based
protection and preventive management
strategies to ensure that all public
drinking-water resources are kept safe
from future contamination.
The Water Quality Control Division
(Division) completed the initial source
water assessment reports for over 1,700
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public water systems in November, 2004. The results can
be reviewed at: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/
SWAP/swapreports.html
The SWAP Project is transitioning from the assessment
phase to the protection planning phase. The long-term
project goal is voluntary development and
implementation of local source water protection
statewide. The success of the program will require a
coordinated effort between the Division and local
interests, such as public water systems, interested
stakeholders, and local governments.
The role of the Division is to assist local protection
planning efforts by supplying the lead protection entity
with the necessary consultation and tools to complete a
protection plan. The Division has formulated a template
that standardizes the protection plan format. The user-
friendly template was developed to accommodate the
needs of a broad size range of public water systems. It is
also available on the SWAP website at
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/
protectionplanningtemplate.html
Funding for protection planning is available from the
State Drinking Water Revolving Fund (SDWRF) set-
asides. The set-asides enable the SWAP program to
provide financial support for protection plan
development. The grant funds will be awarded for two
types of projects: Pilot Planning Projects and
Development and Implementation Projects.
Pilot Planning Project Grants will support exemplary and
comprehensive source water protection plans. These
grants can range up to $50,000 and will require a one-to-
one financial match (cash or in-kind match). The Pilot
Planning grants will also require the protection planning
entity to evaluate the expenses related to replacing the
current water source (acquiring water rights, restructuring
water supply system, economic impacts, etc.). This
additional cost analysis will provide an estimated value of
water resources to reinforce and quantify the importance
and significance of source water protection planning.
Development and Implementation Grants up to $5,000
will be awarded to public water systems and
representative stakeholders committed to developing a
source water protection plan. Proposals are accepted
throughout the year. Grant awards are subject to the
availability of SDWRF set-aside funds.
For more details on grant requirements, guidance and
access to the electronic grant application please visit the
SWAP website at: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/
wq/sw/swaphom.html
In addition, the Division has developed a source
water protection planning DVD/CD toolkit to assist
in developing a protection plan. To get a free copy
of the DVD/CD toolkit, email your contact
information (include mailing address) to
cdphe.wqswap@state.co.us
If you have questions, please contact John Duggan,
SWAP Program Coordinator, Outreach and
Assistance Unit, Water Quality Control Division at
iohn.duggan@state.co.us or call
(303) 692-3534
Colorado Watershed Network Water
Education Program
~ Jo Scarbeary, Colorado Watershed
Network
Colorado needs a water education program; one that
puts education first and prepares students to do real
science, resource management, conservation and
restoration. Furthermore, Coloradoans deserve to
have one of the best K-12 programs in the country
because our water resources and how we manage
them are so unique. We provide water to nineteen
other states and we are the only true headwaters state
in the continental U.S. Water is transferred between
basins throughout the state, and water quality and
land use issues are an increasing concern due to
population growth.
Colorado Watershed Network (CWN) has worked
with students for a long time through River Watch
(http ://wildlife.state.co.us/riverwatch/). A River
Watch teacher once told me River Watch is great
because it is "real science, done by real kids, for a
real local purpose" But we all know that doing real
science ~ science that is credible enough that it's
used by the State Water Quality Control Division, the
Division of Wildlife, and many others ~ is very hard
work. It takes a teacher or volunteer with a passion
and understanding of water issues to coordinate the
monthly trek to the sampling site. But how do we
create a framework to provide for that level of
understanding?
The most well-respected water curriculum is Project
WET (Water Education for Teachers). According to
a 1999 survey, over 95% of teachers felt Project
WET had a positive impact on students' interest in
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water issues. In Colorado, this program was coordinated
by the generous volunteer time of Gerry Saunders and
Teresa Higgins, both professors at the University of
Northern Colorado. Thanks to the support of our
partners, the Colorado Water Conservation
Board awarded CWN a grant to spearhead water
education throughout the state, using Project WET as the
cornerstone of the program.
As CWN's newly hired Education Coordinator, I will tap
into the wealth of resources provided by the 163
facilitators already trained in Project WET throughout the
state. These facilitators organize and conduct teacher
training workshops. It will be our job to help assist them
and provide information for more detailed trainings, such
as working with the "Discover a Watershed" series. We
are also starting a K-12 Water Education Taskforce. If
you are interested in helping offer scholarships to support
K-12 water education, or in becoming a partner,
facilitator or a member of the committee, contact me at
Jo.Scarbeary@coloradowatershed.org , call (303) 291-
7601, or visit www.coloradowatershed.org
EPA Relocates Its Denver Headquarters
~ Greg Davis, EPA Region 8
During the month of January, 2007, EPA Region 8
relocated its Denver office to a newly constructed
building at 1595 Wynkoop Street. This new Regional
Headquarters is the result of a collaborative effort
between the U.S. General Services Administration, EPA
Region 8, and the lead builder, Opus NW, and is designed
to reduce natural resource consumption and serve as a
model for sustainable development. EPA anticipates that
this building will meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) Gold Certification
requirements for new construction. In partnering to create
a new office space for 750 employees and contractors,
EPA worked to create a building which serves as a
development model in terms of its sustainable
construction, pollution reductions, energy performance,
indoor environment and long-term cost effectiveness.
Sustainable Development and Resource Conservation
EPA placed a significant emphasis on designing a
building that both consumed a minimum of natural
resources during construction and conserved natural
resources through efficient design and use of renewable
resources.
Sails deflect light into the interior core of EPA's Denver
headquarters to maximize natural lighting, in order to
reduce energy consumption and increase worker produc-
tivity.
~ Photo by Greg Davis, EPA Region 8
• Sustainable materials and manufactured products
used include corn-based fabrics and wheatboard
in workstation walls and surfaces, recycled
content in modular carpet and chairs, cork floors,
and bamboo paneling.
• Structure contains recycled steel and concrete
with 25% ash content captured from coal-fired
power plants.
• High efficiency and waterless plumbing features
reduce water consumption by 50%
• 100% of power is generated through wind power
purchases and onsite photovoltaic panels
• 20,000 square feet of vegetated roof captures and
treats storm water and reduces urban "heat
island" effect and improves insulation
Indoor Environment
The indoor environment at EPA's Denver
headquarters was designed to provide a healthy
workplace for its employees. By specifically
recognizing employee's needs in terms of natural
light, ergonomics, and air quality, EPA committed to
creating an environment which reduces sick-days and
improves the comfort and productivity of all its
employees.
• Building fins, sails, sun shelves and an open core
design orients sun to direct significant daylight to
(Continued on page 4)
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75% of work spaces
• An under-floor air distribution system supplies air
efficiency and enhances the air exchange rate for the
building
• All building materials were selected to ensure the
lowest potential for emission of volatile organic
compounds
• An integrated Pest Management and Housekeeping
Program eliminates the use of potentially toxic
materials in the building
For more information visit, the EPA Region 8 web site
at: www.epa.gov/region8/about/newbldg.html
Algae Speak ... To Those Who Listen
~ Sarah Spaulding, US Geological Survey,
Fort Collins Science Center
Algae, a group of organisms that photosynthesize, form
the base of aquatic food webs in marine and freshwater
habitats. In lakes and streams, algae may be green,
slimy and smelly. Algae may be called "pond scum" or
other names even more slanderous and derogatory. I,
however, am a fan of the algae.
The first time I looked through a high-quality
microscope (not those terrible one-eyed things in biology
class, but a microscope with good optics and lighting), I
gasped. What incredible delicate structures, what a
range from simple to complex cells. What an entire
world, hidden from everyday life. I decided there that I
would study the algae for my life's work. It turned out
that I was not the only fan of the algae, and I made
connections with people around the world who were also
entranced.
In the process of learning about algae, I found out that as
early as 1900, people had discovered that algae were
sensitive indicators of biotic condition. European rivers
were heavily impacted by organic effluents and
sedimentation. The species of algae that were able to
grow in such rivers reflected that pollution. The
"sabrobien system" was one of the earliest biotic
indexes, and is a measure of the level of organic input.
Ruth Patrick, a pioneering scientist in the 1950's, was
(and still is at 99) a fan of the diatoms. When she was
young, her father told her that if she was very, very
good, she could look through the microscope at diatoms.
Patrick was the first in the U.S. to diagnose river health
based on organisms, identifying the ecological
relationships of how water quality affects different
diatom species. She was instrumental in determining
the impacts of point sources of pollution on diatoms,
work that set the stage for eventual legislation to
protect rivers and streams.
That early work is reflected in modern biological
assessments and the ongoing efforts of EPA. Diatom
species composition and abundance reflect the biotic
condition of freshwater streams and lakes. Together
with aquatic invertebrates and fish, diatoms are an
indispensable component of federal (EPA
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
(EMAP), USGS National Water Quality Assessment
(NAWQA)) and state monitoring and assessment
programs.
EPA advises state agencies to use multiple
assemblages (algae, macroinvertebrates, and fish) in
biological assessment of streams and wadeable rivers.
Within EPA Region 8, all six states are working
towards following EPA's recommendation to use more
than one assemblage in bioassessment, and all are
engaged in algal monitoring programs.
0.5-
0.4-
0.3-
0.2-
0.1 -
0.0-
Highly mobile diatom species
Graph showing a diatom metric used in the western EMAP pilot.
The x axis shows the categories of sites based on land use and
chemistry variables (R= reference, or least impacted, S = not
categorized, and T = impacted). The y axis shows the total relative
abundance of mobile diatom species. Species that are highly
mobile are favored as sites have greater human influence. The
metric is a measure of sedimentation; diatom species that are
highly mobile are able to move, and escape being buried in
sediments.
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Here in Region 8, Karl Hermann and Tom Johnson are
completing the regional report that will incorporate the
goals of the 5-year western EMAP pilot (Stoddard et al.
2005). The project will include algae and:
• Report on the ecological condition of all perennial
flowing streams and rivers
• Describe the ecological condition of western
streams and rivers with direct measures of plants, fish
and other aquatic life. Assessments of stream quality
have historically relied solely on chemical analysis or
sometimes on the status of game fish.
• Identify and rank the relative importance of
chemical, physical and biological disturbances affecting
stream and river condition
Encourage states to include these design and
measurement tools as part of their state monitoring
programs, so that future condition assessments will be
ecologically and statistically comparable both
regionally and nationally.
For more information, contact Sarah Spaulding at (303)
312-6212 or sarah.spaulding@usgs.gov
Watershed Plan Builder
The Environmental Protection Agency has released the
Watershed Plan Builder, an interactive, Web-based tool
to improve efforts by states and local communities in
protecting and restoring local water resources. The tool
will help local watershed organizations develop
integrated watershed plans to meet state and EPA
requirements and promote water quality improvements.
Polluted runoff is the largest contributor to water
quality problems nationwide.
Once the data are entered, the tool produces an outline
of a comprehensive watershed plan tailored to a specific
watershed. It features links to EPA, other federal
agencies and state water programs. The Watershed
Plan Builder walks the practitioner through various
steps:
• Watershed monitoring and assessment;
• Community outreach;
• Selection and application of available models;
• Best management practices;
• Implementation; and
• Feedback
During the next six months, the Watershed Plan Builder
will be available to watershed organizations, federal and
state agencies, tribes, universities and local
governments to beta test the application and provide
feedback. A team of experts from EPA's water
programs developed the tool, with input from state,
tribal and local agency experts and other local
watershed practitioners.
EPA hosted a Webcast on the Watershed Plan Builder
on May 2, 2007. See:
http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts/
For more information go to:
Watershed Plan Builder:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershedplanning/
Funding Opportunities
DOI Unveils New Healthy Lands Initiative
The Department of the Interior last week announced a new
Healthy Lands Initiative in the 2008 administration budget.
The initiative, developed to reflect the Administration's
commitment to cooperative conservation, seeks to restore
nearly 500,000 acres of land in seven western states.
The President's 2008 budget requests an additional $15
million for the Bureau of Land Management to begin
implementing landscape-scale projects targeted at habitat
restoration, weed management, and improvement of riparian
areas. Federal dollars are expected to leverage an additional
$10 million of contributions from state, local, and tribal
governments. For more information on the Healthy Lands
Initiative, visit http://www.blm.gov
Conferences and Training
Sustaining Colorado's Watersheds Conference
Oct. 2-4, 2007, Breckenridge, Colorado
This conference, Making the Water Quality Connections,
will explore the connections between water quality and land
use, water supply, energy development, wildlife and other
related issues. It will also feature information about
emerging issues and recent developments in water quality
monitoring. Sponsors include AWARE Colorado and the
League of Women Voters of Colorado Education Fund, the
Colorado Watershed Network, the Colorado Lakes and
Reservoir Management Association, the Colorado Watershed
Assembly and the Colorado Riparian Association. For more
information, go to:
http://www.coloradowater.org/conference/ or contact
Cynthia Peterson at 303-861-5195 or
cpeterson@awarecolorado.org.
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Publications and Web Resources
Private Land Conservation in U.S. Soars
Growing efforts to save privately owned farms, ranches and
forests from industrial and residential development now pre-
serve about as much open space each year as is lost to sprawl,
according to a report out last week. The 2005 National Land
Trust Census shows private land under protective trusts and
easements now total 37 million acres, a 54 percent increase
from the last count in 2000. Conservation of private land from
2000 to 2005 averaged 2.6 million acres a year according to the
Land Trust Alliance. This means additional land protected each
year exceeds the 2.2 million acres that USDA has estimated is
converted annually to "developed land. The largest total acre-
age is in conservation easements, legal pacts between landown-
ers and trusts or government agencies that permanently limit
the land's use. The land census says easements have risen 148
percent since the last count. For more information or to view
the full report, go to http://www.lta.org/census/.
Stormwater Webcasts
The first webcast of a series of six for municipal Stormwater
managers was held December 6, 2006. The webcast, was titled
Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Building a Local Program
to Maintain Your Stormwater Practices and Prevent Pollution
from Municipal Operations was hosted by Tom Schueler of the
Center for Watershed Protection.
This webcast discussed maintaining post-construction best
management practices and municipal operations/good house-
keeping. The webcast included a brief discussion of the re-
quirements, examples of successful local programs, the top
maintenance headaches faced by MS4s, and introduced new
tools to help build a successful maintenance program. Check
out his webcast and many others at:
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/training
New Stormwater Guide for Evaluating MS4
Programs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water
published a new MS4 Evaluation Guide on their Stormwater
website at
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/munic.cfm
Available only on the web, the Guide is designed for use by
NPDES authorities to evaluate the quality of Phase I and Phase
IIMS4 programs: for permit compliance, technical assistance
and other purposes. It can be used for comprehensive program
evaluations or for certain components of an MS4 program.
MS4 program managers may also find it helpful as they evalu-
ate their own programs. The document is being provided in
Microsoft Word format so NPDES programs can modify it to
meet the unique components of their programs such as those
required by state regulations.
Key EPA Internet Tools for Watershed
Management
EPA's Web sites include a wealth of information about the
nation's waterbodies and this Webcast helps you learn how
to access this information. Our information is housed in
several 'national databases' and this Webcast demonstrates
how to query, access and use the information. The Webcast
showcases a number of the Internet tools that EPA has de-
veloped to support development of watershed plans, provide
watershed training and help you get nuts and bolts informa-
tion about your watershed.
While some of the online tools are straightforward and per-
form simple functions, others offer capability for multiple-
step queries to report information. Using simple screen
shots and step-by-step explanations, the Webcast explains
how to do queries from some key EPA water-related data-
bases, such as water quality standards, 303(d) listed im-
paired waters, assessed
waters, STORET (water quality monitoring information)
and discharge monitoring reports from permitted discharg-
ers. The session also provides instruction on using Enviro-
Mapper. To view the archived webcast, go to:
www.epa.gov/watershedacademy
Impaired Waters
Check out your local waters on the National Assessment
Database at:
http://www.epa.gov/waters/305b/index.html
For 2002 data or to see 2004 data go to:
http://www.epa.gov/waters/305b/index 2004.html
New Developments in STORET
EPA released the Water Quality Exchange (WQX), a new
data transfer system that makes it easier for states, tribes and
others to submit and share water quality monitoring data
over the Internet. The release of WQX provides for the
transfer of chemical and fish tissue data, and for physical
parameters such as temperature. Also just released is a
Web-based Watershed Summary tool designed to help
water quality managers and the public use the information in
the National STORET Data Warehouse. This tool allows
users to create a summary of available data for an individual
watershed. It shows the types of data available in the Ware-
house for that watershed (such as metals, nutrients, or pesti-
cides), who has entered the data, the period of record for the
data, and how much data are available. The user can then
download the specific data needed for that watershed. Visit
www.epa.gov/storet/ for more information on WQX and
the Watershed Summary.
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New DVD Released Highlighting Local
Governments
EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) has
developed a DVD that highlights how local governments are
addressing aging sewer and water systems. Go to:
http://www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/lgac video/
Arsenic in your Drinking Water?
Just the Facts for Consumers
EPA released a new fact sheet designed to help the public un-
derstand the long-term health risks associated with arsenic in
drinking water. Water systems with arsenic problems can use
this fact sheet as part of their public education efforts. To
download the fact sheet, go to: http://www.epa.gov/
safewater/arsenic/
National Academies Introduce Monthly
Sustainability Update
The National Academies has just instituted a monthly update,
Sustainability at the National Academies, highlighting activi-
ties relating to sustainable development from throughout the
National Academies. Go to:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/
sustainabilityroundtable
King County GW Protection cartoon
Take a minute to watch the King County's, Washington
ground water protection outreach video. Make sure you turn
up the sound!
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/wq/groundwater-
animation.htm
Getting Your Feet Wet with Social Marketing: A
Social Marketing Guide for Watershed
Programs
This online resource, published by the Utah Department of
Agriculture and Food, leads readers through the social market-
ing process using watershed examples and case studies from
throughout the country.
www.ag.utah.gov/conservation/GettingYourFeetWetl.pdf
Using NEMO - Nonpoint Source Education for
Municipal Officials - to Advance Watershed
Management
Webcast audio recording
Chet Arnold from the University of Connecticut's Center
for Land Use Education and Research, John Rosum with
the Connecticut Nonpoint Education for Municipal Offi-
cials (NEMO) Project and Dave Dickson with the
National NEMO Network provide a thorough overview
of the methods, impacts and educational offerings of the
NEMO Program. They also discuss the National NEMO
Network, an organization of 30 affiliated state and local
educational programs. An archived audio recording of
the Webcast can be accessed at www.epa.gov/owow/
watershed/wacademy/webcasts.
New EPA Web Module Offers Watershed
Outreach Training
EPA's Watershed Academy recently posted a free, updated
online training module on "Getting In Step: A Guide to Con-
ducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns." This module
offers a tested step-by-step system to help local govern-
ments, watershed organizations and others maximize the
effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to help solve
nonpoint source pollution problems and protect local water-
ways. The module is based on EPA's free, downloadable
outreach guide "Getting in Step: Guide for Conducting Wa-
tershed Outreach Campaigns."
www.epa.gov/watertraingettinginstep/
Approximately 50 other free online Watershed Academy
training modules are available at
http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/
Real Estate Development Class
EPA Region 8 is offering a free 2-day training entitled
"Real Estate Development and Contaminated Sites:
Achieving Success in Today's Regulatory
Environment" to be held June 20-21, 2007 in the new EPA
Region 8 building in downtown Denver. This course is an
in-depth opportunity to learn how to
redevelop a contaminated property. It is open to State, Lo-
cal, non profits and federal government staff.
All participants must register by visiting
http://www.trainex.org/
Type "Real Estate" in the search box to locate the course
(the first on the list). For information contact heffer-
nan. daniel(gjep a. gov
Household Water Well System Grants
The USDA Rural Development will award Household Wa-
ter Well System (HWWS) grants to qualified private, non-
profit organizations to establish lending programs for house-
hold water wells. The deadline for application is May 31,
2007 for this year. The
approved organizations must set up a revolving loan pro-
gram and provide low-interest loans to eligible
individuals who own or will own a private well
system. HWWS Grant Program Announcement
"Now there is one outstandingly
important fact regarding Spaceship
Earth, and that is that no instruction
book came with it."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller
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»N& v.
Volunteer Monitoring
Tina Laidlaw (406) 457-5016
laidlaw.tina@epa.gov
Wetlands
Paul Mclver (303) 312-6056
mciver.paul@epa.gov
Watersheds and Community-
Based Environmental Protection
GaryKleeman (303)312-6246
kleeman.gary@epa.gov
Ground Water
Darcy Campbell (303) 312-6709
campbell.darcy@epa.gov
Nonpoint Source Pollution
Peter Monahan (303) 312-6946
monahan.peter@epa.gov
EPA Region 8 Environmental
Information Service Center
1-800-227-8917
Natural News
Editor: Darcy Campbell
Layout: Greg Davis
If you have an article concerning ecosystem protec-
tion, watersheds, wetlands or ground water, we
would like to hear from you!
We need your help in updating our mailing list
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Please contact John DiPentino at (303) 312-6594
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Conserve resources and, please share your copy
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Current and archived copies of the Natural News are on the web at http://www.epa.gov/region8/naturalnews
r/EPA
U.S. EPA Region 8
(8EPR-EP)
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202
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