URBANWATERS
FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP
Restoring Urban Waters, Revitalizing Communities
Lake Pontchartrain Area Watershed/New Orleans
(Louisiana)
Co-Leads
Brad Klamer
(504)942-3896
bklamer@swbno.org
Brady Skaggs
(504)836-2235
brady@saveourlake.org
Tyler Antrup
(504) 658-7005
tjantrup@nola.gov
Arthur Johnson
(504) 421-9643
ajohnson@sustainthenine.org
Overall Assessment of the Partnership Since Inception
The New Orleans/Lake Pontchartrain area was named the first of the current 19 Urban Waters
Federal Partnership (UWFP) sites nationwide. The partnership has evolved over the last five years
from a network of federally-led stakeholders working together to promote discrete projects into
a locally-led partnership striving to collaborate and leverage resources around thematic
initiatives. Thematic priorities include: Environmental Education, Water Quality, Restoration and
Habitat, and Public Access & Recreation.
Nature of the Partnership
The New Orleans Urban Waters Partnership meets quarterly to identify priorities, plan outreach
events, identify grants and funding opportunities, and share lessons learned. From its conception
in 2011 through 2015, the partnership was led by a federal Ambassador, Mr. Danny Wiegand,
who was on loan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the U.S. Army Corp of
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Engineers. In 2016, a 43-member steering committee participated in a series of transition
planning meetings. The goal of these meetings was to identify the form and strategy that would
be employed to sustain the partnership under local leadership. It was determined during this
transition period that the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) and the City of
New Orleans Office of Resilience would co-lead the partnership, with support provided by the
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable
Engagement and Development. The city and SWBNO committed to provide staff resources and
access to governmental funding not available to non-profit partners; the non-profit partners can
promote inclusion of all sectors of the community. The methods of engagement for the
partnership include: quarterly partnership meetings and email routing lists.
Organizations for Planning and Action
Under federal leadership, the partnership organized and acted on a project-to-project basis, with
five priority projects identified in year one. Those projects included:
•	University of New Orleans Coastal Education and Research Facility (CERF)
•	West End Pier and New Canal Lighthouse
•	Pontchartrain Beach
•	Lafitte Greenway
•	East End Area/Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
Three sets of facilitated stakeholder meetings were conducted in May, July, and November 2015
with the goals of:
•	Developing an approach that would encompass all of the designated UWFP projects and
those that might be added in the future
•	Creating a process for transition of coordination duties from a temporary federal lead to
a local organization or group of organizations
•	Identifying local organizations to serve as Urban Waters "champions" and/or project co-
leads, with federal agency support, after August 2017
During this transition planning it was determined that all projects and initiatives addressed two
overarching themes of community resiliency and environmental justice/economic development.
Within these overarching themes the transition steering committee identified the following four
thematic priorities around which the membership will organize resources and efforts:
1) Environmental Education Identified opportunities to include:
•	Outreach to youth through water-related educational programs through schools and
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summer camps, and possible creation of an Urban Waters Youth Advisory Council
•	Developing interactive programs and educational displays for all age groups and
physical abilities
•	Water education that leads to water-related and green jobs, and possible creation of
an Environmental Education/Employment Committee
•	Recruiting and training professionals to replace the water profession's aging employee
population
2)	Water Quality Identified opportunities to include:
•	Educating adults and youth about the critical need for water quality
•	Promoting awareness of the impact of chemicals and other materials in stormwater on
the bayous' and Lake Pontchartrain's water quality
•	Enhancing water quality data collection and monitoring, including groundwater and
coastal waterways data
•	Engaging citizens in the water data monitoring process through the distribution of water
testing kits
•	Developing exhibits that illustrate the water cycle and placing them in appropriate
Urban Waters projects
•	As needed, mounting a public health water quality education campaign to alert
subsistence fishermen to the risks of eating fish caught in waterways with high levels of
mercury and other toxins
3)	Restoration and Habitat Identified opportunities to include:
•	Emphasizing citizen-driven, small, local restoration and habitat projects that the Urban
Waters Partnership can facilitate and maintain
•	Urban Waters becoming a restoration and habitat projects clearinghouse
•	Urban Waters becoming a local vehicle to connect with systemic, regional restoration
and habitat projects
•	Urban Waters facilitating grants and other funding for local, citizen-driven projects
4)	Public Access (to WaterJ/Utilization Identified opportunities to include:
•	Making it easier for residents to access their waterways, including Lake Pontchartrain, to
make use of the recreational amenities and environmental resources these urban
waterways can afford
•	Raising awareness of opportunities to utilize water resources through education and
signage
•	Augmenting the Lafitte Greenway with other urban access projects
•	Developing Bayou Sauvage and other such waterways and wetlands into accessible
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urban environmental resources
Major Actions Taken Since the Beginning of the Partnership
Project successes as of December 2015:
New Canal Lighthouse The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) led efforts to work with
the U.S. Coast Guard to resolve issues surrounding the rehabilitation of the historic lighthouse
that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The reconstructed lighthouse now serves as a Lake
Pontchartrain tourist attraction and education center, hosting more than a thousand visitors a
month.
West End Pier The pier represents an important access point to the lake. With Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) funding and City of New Orleans support, the project is advancing
well. FEMA recently approved an amendment to the project worksheet for a total of $24 million
in funding.
Pontchartrain Beach Pier LPBF is spearheading this FEMA-funded lake access project. The
foundation secured a lease with the levee district for a year. LPBF also received an Urban Waters
Small Grant.
Lafitte Greenway With support from the Friends of the Lafitte Greenway, the Trust for Public
Land, and others, the City of New Orleans took the lead in successfully developing this 2.6-mile
right-of-way along a former shipping canal and railway connecting the historic French Quarter to
Bayou St. John into a publicly-accessible linear park. Goals included creating recreation areas and
other amenities, including bringing healthy food options to neighborhoods that have become
food deserts. Projects under discussion include restoring the area's community gardens.
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife (NWR) Refuge The City of New Orleans is partnering with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on ways to enhance access to the NWR and Lake Pontchartrain.
Among these are proposed improvements to public access to the wildlife refuge and the
"crabbing" bridge. The New Orleans/Lake Pontchartrain Urban Waters Location Work Plan
provides a detailed description of these and other projects:
http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/2013-work-plan-lake-pontchartrain-areanew-
orleans-louisiana.
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Project successes as of November 2016:
•	Transition planning identified local leadership and local strategic priorities
•	Environmental Education funds were obtained by multiple partners (National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration-Bay Watershed Education and Training, EPA Urban
Waters Small Grants) to improve water literacy and gather water quality data to inform
local policy
Major Impacts of the Partnership
The local partnership has compiled a comprehensive database of all organizations and
stakeholders who align with the four thematic priorities described above. The impact of the
partnership will be far-reaching, as our work will include all appropriate stakeholders for each
theme and partners will be able to easily join teams for grant applications, etc.
Major Actions Planned in the Future
•	The Urban Waters Partnership team will tackle one theme at a time, starting with
Environmental Education. An education-themed planning meeting occurred on July 13,
2016. Local education leadership will continue to engage membership and strengthen
community partnerships to the best of their abilities by leveraging existing funding
sources and identifying potential grant funding
•	Meetings of the entire partnership will be held quarterly, with committee meetings
scheduled more frequently
•	The NOLA Urban Waters website will continue to be available, with co-leads submitting
information to the EPA lead to post
•	The Urban Waters Partnership team will tap resources, including the EPA, to fund
meeting space, etc. [Funding for meeting and facilitation services may be available
through UWFP federal partners and other sources]
•	The Urban Waters Partnership team will post annual reports on project developments
and successes
•	The Urban Waters Partnership team will communicate project opportunities and
successes by publicizing Urban Waters reports to the public through the local news
media and other channels, as well as to local, regional, and federal leadership
constituents
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The following chart indicates leads and co-leads by partnership themes:
THEME
LOCAL CO-LEADS
FEDERAL CO-LEADS
Environmental
Education
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
(LPBF)
Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable
Engagement & Development (L9CSED)
Groundwork NOLA
Resilient New Orleans (RNO)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)
EPA Gulf of Mexico Program (EPA
GOMP)
National Park Service (NPS)
Water Quality
Management
LPBF (all inclusive)
Sewerage & Water Board of New
Orleans (SWB)
RNO
Groundwork NOLA
Living with Water - Greater NO (Possible)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
EPA
EPA GOMP
Citizen-Driven
Small Scale Restoration
Regional Planning Commission (RPC)
City of New Orleans
L9CSED
LPBF
SWB
RNO
Coastal Protection & Restoration
Authority (CPRA)
Common Ground Relief (Possible)
NOLA Parish (Possible)
Jefferson Parish (Possible)
EPA GOMP
USDA National Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
FWS
Public Access/
Utilization
L9CSED
LPBF
Port of New Orleans (PONO)
Trust for Public Land (Possible)
Levee Districts (Possible)
Railroads (Possible)
Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)
FWS
NPS
Major Challenges in the Future
Throughout the UWFP, the role of Ambassador has taken many forms, from federally-funded to
community-appointed. Project leads have agreed to be responsible for Ambassador duties
through the August 2017 transition; however, if funding can be procured, the New Orleans/Lake
Pontchartrain Urban Waters Partnership would benefit from appointing a dedicated Ambassador
to ensure that initiatives are carried out after the initial short-term transition. Grants and other
funding may be available to support the Ambassador position. Keeping stakeholders engaged
without dedicated funding will remain a major challenge for the Urban Waters Partnership
moving forward.
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"Groundwork New Orleans has benefitted from the Urban Waters
Partnership in numerous ways. The Partnership has provided us an
opportunity to collaborate with peers, work with various organizations
and introduce new programs to our green team, a job training program
for high school youth. Through several Urban Waters Small grants,
GWNO has been able to lead our students in the creation of an anti-
dumping campaign called Don't Dump Dat; complete 3 years of water
testing and community education at Bayou Bienvenue in the Lower 9th
Ward as well as, engage and empower youth around the importance of
stormwater management."
Alicia N. Neal, MFA
Executive Director
Groundwork New Orleans
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