United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4501F)
EPA 840-N-98-001
Spring 1998
&EPA Watershed Events
A Bulletin on Sustaining Water Resources and Ecosystems
President Clinton Announces Clean Water Action Plan
Recognizing that we have not
fully achieved the goals of the
Clean Water Act, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore have
announced a far-reaching plan to
protect and restore the Nation's rivers.
In This Issue...
The theme of this issue is "wetlands and
river corridor restoration." As wetlands
and river corridors are often the most
ecologically productive and environmen-
tally sensitive areas within a watershed,
protecting and restoring these critical
areas will contribute to achieving the
goal of "clean and safe water" for both
people and ecosystems. Of special note
is the Administration's Clean Water
Action Plan released in February. This
Action Plan is a significant milestone in
water resources management and a
bold statement for restoring the rivers,
wetlands, lakes, and estuaries that we
use and enjoy every day. Interestingly,
although the theme for this issue was
selected prior to the Vice President's call
for a Clean Water Action Plan, the
articles we received were not only
consistent with the restoration theme,
but the principles outlined in the Plan as
well.
On the Inside...
National News 1
What's Happening in the States? 6
Grassroots Activities 9
Events 10
New in Print 11
lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal
waters. The Administration's Clean
Water Action Plan: Restoring and
Protecting America's Waters was
unveiled in a ceremony in February on
the shore of the Chesapeake Bay and
contains more than 100 recommenda-
tions. Acknowledging the widespread
problems caused by non-point source
pollution, and the importance of clean
water to the ecological integrity of the
Bay, the President emphasized that
"[W]e must curtail the runoff from
farms, from city streets, and
from other diffuse sources that
get into our waterways and
pollute them. Every child
deserves to grow up with
water that is pure to drink,
lakes that are safe for swim-
ming, and rivers that are
teeming with fish." To
achieve these goals, the
President has proposed an
additional $568 million in the
FY '99 budget and a total of
$2.3 billion in additional
funds over the next five years
(subject to congressional
approval).
Polluted runoff is now
the leading cause of water
quality degradation in most of
our surface waters. For
example, 70 percent of our
impaired rivers and streams
are polluted by agricultural
runoff or discharges and 40
percent of surveyed waters still
do not meet their designated uses. Last
October, on the 25th Anniversary of the
Clean Water Act, Vice President Gore
expressed the need to address these
problems with a renewed effort to
finally achieve the overall goal of the
Clean Water Act—"to restore the
physical, chemical, and biological
integrity of the Nation's waters."
In this regard, the Vice President
See CWAP, page 2
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Water is our most precious resource.
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Page 2
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
WatershedEvents
John McShane, Editor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Contributors
Tom Barthelmeh & Mark Biddle, DNREC
Joe Bonnell, Ohio State University
Rob Campellone, National Park Service
John Culp, Tennessee Valley Authority
Abbie Friedman, National Association of
Counties
Gary Goff & Ella Elman, Cornell University
Ray Guther & Ron Scheckenberger, Philips
Planning & Engineering, Ltd.
Pam Hubbard, Regional Municipality of
Hamilton-Wentworth
Karen Kabbes, Kabbes Engineering, Inc.
Kevin McCardle, USDA
John Meagher & John Pai, U.S. EPA
Julie Middleton, IWLA
Andrew Moore, NASCG
Bonnie Mullen & Guy Stefanski, NCDWQ
David Nyman, ENSR
Linda Oros, Ohio EPA
Sylvia Paine, The McKnight Foundation
Harry Shuford, Friends of the Rockaway
River
Nicole Silk & David Braun, The Nature
Conservancy
Leigh Skaggs & Chip Smith, USACE
Mary Sonntag, Erie County
Jessica Strother, Fairfax County Urban
Forestry Office
Richard Sumner, U.S. EPA in Corvallis
Watershed Events provides updated and
timely information to professionals and others
interested in the development and implemen-
tation of the watershed approach and in
achieving watershed goals. The watershed
approach focuses on mitigating the primary
threats to ecosystem and human health and
involving stakeholders to take action in an
integrated, holistic manner. Please direct any
questions or comments to:
John McShane
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
U.S. EPA
401 M Street, SW (4501F)
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 260-0409
mcshane.john@epamail.epa.gov
To be added to the Watershed Events
mailing list, send your name and address to:
Melissa Bowen
TetraTech, Inc.
10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340
Fairfax, VA 22030
bowenme@tetratech-ffx.com
CWAP from page 1
directed EPA and USDA, in conjunc-
tion with other federal agencies, to
develop a Clean Water Action Plan,
emphasizing the need to take a holistic,
watershed approach.
The Clean Water Action Plan is
both a vision statement and a blueprint
for restoring and protecting our water
resources. The Action Plan focuses on
(1) promoting water quality protection
and restoration
on a watershed
basis and (2)
strengthening
core clean water
programs to
protect human
health, increase
natural resources
stewardship, reduce polluted runoff,
and provide citizens and officials with
crucial information. The Action Plan
espouses more than 100 actions that
will directly benefit people and ecosys-
tems including:
• Restoring 25,000 miles of stream
corridors on public lands by 2005.
• Achieving a net increase of 100,000
acres/yr of wetlands by 2005.
• Establishing 2 million miles of riparian
buffers on agricultural lands by 2002.
• Establishing nutrient criteria (specifi-
cally for nitrogen and phosphorus)
tailored to different water bodies and
ecoregions.
• Expanding coastal research monitor-
ing, and polluted runoff controls.
A watershed approach will
encourage federal, state, and local
officials to work together and,
hopefully, to better understand the
interdependence of their programs.
Increased cooperation and integration
among the different departments and
agencies at all levels of government
will also result in more effective and
efficient implementation of programs
and may be instrumental in overcom-
ing some long-standing institutional
barriers to achieving goals. The
watershed approach also promotes
accountability and involves the
public, landowners, and business
interests in the process.
The federal government will also
take an active role in protecting and
restoring water quality in the millions
of acres of land that it holds in trust
for the American people. For
example, the Departments of Agricul-
ture and the Interior will work
together to develop a Unified Na-
tional Federal Policy to promote
watershed protection in areas man-
aged or overseen by the U.S. Forest
Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, Bureau of
Reclamation, Office
of Surface Mining,
and other offices.
The Clean Water
Action Plan is a
major milestone in
water resources
protection in the United States.
When fully implemented, the Action
Plan will have a significant impact on
ensuring clean and safe water for
people and ecosystems for genera-
tions to come.
The Action Plan can be accessed
at www.epa.gov/cleanwater or
www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/cleanwater/
and copies can be obtained by calling
1-800-490-9198.
1
il
Great Blue Heron
ZJo protect your rivers, protect
your mountains.
Emperor Yu of China
1600 BC
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 3
Restoring Wetlands and River Corridors:
Enhancing Ecosystems and Communities
The National Research Council in
its 1992 report Restoration of
Aquatic Ecosystems defined restora-
tion as a "return of an ecosystem to a close
approximation of its conditions prior to
disturbance." The objective of restoration is
to emulate a natural, self-regulating system
that is integrated ecologically with the
landscape in which it occurs. Wetlands and
river corridors are critical areas within
watersheds and their restoration not only
enhances the integrity of aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems, but contributes to
protecting and restoring water resources as
well. Significantly, improving water quality
lias also brought millions of people back to
their rivers and people-oriented waterfront
businesses in many communities are
thriving.
Restored wetlands, like undisturbed
ones, remove pollutants from the waters that
flow through them, such as nutrients and
sediment, which are significant causes of
water quality impairment.
To be effective, restored wetlands must
be integrated, hydrologically and ecologi-
cally, with functionally related lands and
waters. Because effective restoration
requires that many organizations work
together, EPA lias teamed up with others
who are interested in restoring river
corridors, floodplains, and riparian buffers.
This newly organized River Corridors and
Wetlands Restoration Partnership
includes federal agencies, city and county
associations, non-profit organizations, and
corporate members. The purpose of the
group is to share information and develop
broader coalitions of organizations to
accomplish community-based restoration
projects.
"Working with Wetlands and River
Corridor Restoration Partners, a group
of 30 governmental and non-govern-
mental organizations involved in
habitat restoration, EPA will have
cooperated on wetland projects in 500
watersheds by 2005."
—Clean Water Action Plan: Restoring
and Protecting America's Waters
Watershed managers can play an
important role in bringing together the
people, information and the expertise to
ensure that river corridor and wetland
restoration is considered and objectively
evaluated as a viable option in solving water
quality and quantity issues in watersheds.
Restoring the integrity of these critical areas
of our landscape will provide a wide range
of enviromnental and economic benefits for
communities, as well as individual citizens.
across the nation into the 21st century, and
beyond.
EPA lias established a website
exclusively for river corridors and wetlands
restoration partners, programs, and
projects. Information can be accessed at
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/
restore/. For more information concerning
this site or the River Corridors and
Wetlands Restoration Partnership call John
Pai at (202) 260-8076 or e-mail
pai.jolin@epamail.epa.gov
Watershed Plan in Ontario,
Canada, Sets the Framework
for Habitat Restoration
The Red Hill Creek watershed, located
in the City of Hamilton along the western
shores of Lake Ontario, lias been the focus
of an intensive watershed planning process
for nearly 2 years. The Watershed Plan
lays out a schedule of actions as a frame-
work to promote the restoration of valued
ecosystem components in the watershed.
Urbanization of the Red Hill Creek
watershed lias significantly impacted the
quality and quantity of both base and storm
flows. This lias resulted in high levels of
erosion and sedimentation leading to
unstable stream channels and degraded
aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Some of the key recommendations of
the plan include:
• A combined sewer overflow abatement
program (storage facilities).
• Rehabilitation/restoration of 5+ km of
streams.
• A distributed system of constructed
wetlands (retrofit at major outfalls).
• A citywide roof leader disconnection
program.
• Additional research into sources of
specific contaminants.
For more information contact Pam
Hubbard, Region of Hamilton-Wentworth
Watershed Coordinator, (905) 546-2388;
e-mail: phubbard(®liamilton-went.on.ca or
Ron Scheckenberger, Manager of Hydrol-
ogy, Hydraulics, Water Quality and Stream
Morphology disciplines. Philips Planning
and Engineering Limited, (905) 335-2353;
e-mail:
ron.scheckenbeiger@pliihpsconsultants.onca.
Wetlands are critical components of watersheds and provide spawning, nesting, and
feeding areas for many species offish and wildlife.
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Page 4
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
Corps Initiatives
in Wetlands and
Stream Corridor
Restoration
Corps ecosystem restoration
activities typically address wetlands,
riparian, and aquatic ecosystems
focusing on problems associated with
hydromodification or substrate alter-
ation. Ecosystem restoration studies can
be individually authorized by Congress,
such as the multiyear and multiagency
Central and Southern Florida (Ever-
glades) Project [see related article on
page 81, or pursued through one of three
programmatic authorities.
• Section 1135 of the 1986 Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA)
which authorized the Corps to make
modifications to its existing projects
to help improve the quality of the
environment.
• Section 204 of the 1992 WRDA
provides authority to use dredged
material from navigation channels to
protect, restore, and create aquatic and
ecologically related habitats, including
wetlands.
• Section 206 of the 1996 WRDA of
provides additional authority to
engage in aquatic ecosystem restora-
tion projects that improve the quality
of the the environment and is cost-
effective.
In addition the Corps has training
courses on Riparian Zone Ecology,
Restoration, & Management, and three
Wetlands courses focusing on Develop-
ment & Restoration, Evaluation Proce-
dures, and Mitigation Banking. The
Corps has also contributed to the
interagency Steam Corridor Restoration
Handbook and accompanying courses,
currently under development. Corps
training courses are open to individuals
outside the agency on a space available
basis. For more information, contact
the Huntsville Training Division
Registrar's Office at (205) 895-7421.
Corps to Study Restoration
of Riverine Ecosystems
The President's FY '99 budget
for the U S Army Corps of Engineers
includes $25 million for a Riverine
Ecosystem Restoration and Flood
Hazard Mitigation initiative. The
objectives of the program are to
expand the use of nonstructural
measures to reduce flood losses and
to restore the natural resources and
functions of rivers and their flood-
plains.
Floods have caused a greater
loss of life and property and have
devastated more families and
communities in the United States
than all other natural hazards
combined. Despite expansive use of
"flood control" structures, flood
losses have been increasing over the
last few decades and now average
$7.5 billion per year. Historically,
structural measures such as dams,
levees, and channelization projects
have also caused significant adverse
impacts to riverine ecosystems in
watersheds across the country. The
$25 million (which still must be
approved by the Congress) will fund
studies of potential project sites,
coordination with other agencies,
and the development of solutions.
TVA's Innovative
Approach to
Shoreline Erosion
and Stabilization
m
Before—eroding shoreline along U3f%; Chatuge
Reservoir.
After—the same shoreline after being reveg-
etated by TWA.
Shoreline soil erosion is a grow-
ing concern among lake users and
resource managers in the Tennessee
Valley. The Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) and its public and
private partners are responding by
demonstrating innovative stabilization
approaches for reservoir shoreline soil
erosion. "TVA's goal is to stabilize
all critically eroding shoreline sites in
TVA's lake systems through partner-
ships," said Ruben Hernandez, TVA's
Vice President of Land Management.
TVA conducted a comprehensive,
field assessment of shoreline erosion
during 1994-1997 to identify factors
contributing to shoreline erosion.
The assessment documented vegeta-
tion type, vegetative impacts, land use,
and erosion characteristics. "We're
using such techniques as the environ-
mentally friendly process of soil
bioengineering or combining plants
with engineering concepts to correct
erosion problems,'- said Jack Muncy,
Project Leader of TVA.
Native plants, combined with
structural designs such as rock riprap
and coconut fiber rolls, are used.
Some of the major components of this
work are:
• Site-specific treatment that mini-
mizes soil disturbance and installs
BMPs.
• Reshaping of banks to ensure
stability.
• Installation of riprap or other hard
armoring techniques in combination
with soil bioengineer-
ing applications.
• Construction of
exclusion fences to
keep livestock from
impacting riparian
zones.
"In selecting plant
materials for shoreline
stabilization, we use
native woody and
herbaceous plants,"
Muncy added.
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 5
TVA's Banks and Buffers—A Guide
to Selecting Native Plants for
Streambanks and Shorelines is used
as a reference guide.
For more information about
TVA's shoreline stabilization work,
contact Jack Muncy, TVA Land
Management, Norris, TN 37828,
(423) 632-1750.
An Operating System for
Stream Corridor and
Wetland Restoration
Scientists from EPA and the states
of Oregon and Washington gathered
last summer at a workshop in Corvallis,
Oregon, with the objective of exploring
ways to increase the effectiveness of
stream corridor and wetland restoration
projects. What emerged was consensus
that the ecological effectiveness of
restoration can be enhanced by having
practitioners merge their ongoing
activities under what can be termed a
common operating system. Operating
system simply means the linkage of
restoration activities through the
communication and mapped depiction
of restoration activities occurring in
particular geographical areas, with
stated rationale for the work.
Efforts are now under way to test
the systems approach in the Willamette
River Valley of Oregon. The
Willamette Valley Performance
Tracking System (PTS) is scheduled to
produce a "design template" for the
construction of Internet web pages. The
template will embrace the basic
concepts of ecosystem management,
depict how the concepts are applied to
restoration, and then show how they can
be incorporated into existing and new
web page development. It is hoped that
use of the design template and associ-
ated web pages
will exert,
through
communica-
tion, an
organizing
influence on
current
restoration
practices.
The Willamette Valley PTS is
also being viewed as a tool for the
technology transfer and refinement
of existing communication net-
works. The PTS team will take
advantage of other successful
efforts that rely on the Internet to
organize and depict community-
based environmental protection
activities.
New innovations being consid-
ered for the PTS include (1) inte-
grating the concepts of ecosystem
management directly into the
architecture of a web page, (2)
depicting restoration practices as
implemented at varying spatial
scales, (3) displaying work load
commitments and funding alloca-
tions, (4) providing examples of
applied methods, and (5) document-
ing the scientific rationale for
applied methods.
For more information, contact
Richard Sumner with EPA in
Corvallis, Oregon, at (541) 754-
4444 or Cara Berman with EPA
Region 10 (Seattle) at (206) 553-
6246.
National Park
Service Blazes
New Trails in
Conservation
Assistance
The Rivers, Trails and Conser-
vation Assistance Program (RTCA)
helps communities protect and
restore rivers, trails, and greenways
on non-federal lands. By lending
the broad skills and high credibility
of the National Park Service to local
projects, the RTCA can help other
groups achieve their goals. RTCA
is based on the principle of partner-
ships. By working together,
residents, landowners, govermnent
agencies, and private organizations
can meet the challenges of conser-
vation. The National Park Service
works with all of these groups to
help them establish goals, resolve
difficult issues, and reach consensus
on how community resources
should be used and managed. The
National Park Service becomes
involved at the request of the
community, serving as a catalyst for
local action.
For more information, contact
Rob Campellone of the National
Park Service, National Center for
Recreation and Conservation, Room
3606, 1849 C Street, NW, Washing-
ton, DC 20240.
National Park Service and
EPA Meet on Mountaintop
Staff from the National Park
Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conserva-
tion
Assistance
Program and I \ \f
EPA's
Office of
Wetlands,
Oceans, and Watersheds met in
December 1997 in Golden Colorado,
to discuss how to improve coordination
and collaboration on watershed
protection programs and activities.
Regional and headquarters staff from
both agencies participated in the
meeting, which focused on how river
conservation and water programs can
be mutually supportive and compatible.
A facilitated discussion was held at the
end of the meeting to elicit specific
recommendations and action items
relative to ensuring continued commu-
nication cooperation, and coordination
at both the regional and headquarters
levels. For more information contact
Rob Campellone of the National Park
Service at (202) 565-1198 or John
McShane of EPA at (202) 260-0409.
1M abuse land L
ecauSe we
regard it as a commodity.
belonyinci to us. lAJh t
See land as a community to
ina
en we
Iiich we beloncj, we may
?yin t<
•eSpect.
leyin to use It with love and
Aldo Leopold
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Page 6
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE
EPA to Host State Revolv-
ing Fund Workshops
The 10 EPA Regional Offices will
host workshops this spring to improve
usage of the vast resources of the State
Revolving Fund (SRF) to better address
each state's water quality problems. The
SRF has more than $24 billion in assets
available for loans and can fund a wide
variety of water quality projects, includ-
ing agricultural BMPs, urban stormwater
runoff management, wetlands and
riparian zone restoration and protection,
estuary projects, ground water protection,
and many others.
These interactive workshops will be
structured to bring state water quality
representatives from nonpoint source,
wetlands, estuary, watersheds, ground
water, and SRF programs together to
share ideas, learn about each other's
programs, and discuss various issues.
For more information, see CW-SRF
"How to Fund NFS and Estuary
Enhancement Projects, " EPA 909-K-97-
001, July 1997. Copies may be obtained
from EPA by calling (800) 490-9198.
For additional information, contact Nikos
Singelis at (202) 260-5695.
Wetlands Restored in (7
Silver Lake Water- 1 \
shed i I
i \
Wetlands used as a tool | ^
for watershed management?
Absolutely. But the reaction you
would get from most rural landowners
within the Silver Lake watershed is
disbelief. And a few years ago, even
the scientific community would have
been skeptical.
For many years, Silver Lake, in
Dover, DE, has experienced water
quality problems, including nutrient
loading and dissolved oxygen
stresses. Two years ago, the Dela-
ware Department of Natural Re-
sources and Environmental Control
(DNREC) Stormwater Program
conducted a stormwater project
designed to control and filter runoff
around the lake. The success of that
project created interest in water
quality throughout the watershed
drainage. A mechanism was needed
to remedy the transmittal of nutrients
into the headwaters of the watershed.
Restoration, and in a few cases
enhancement, of wetlands was the
tool needed to achieve an improve-
ment in water quality.
An EPA grant was acquired to
develop a watershed wetland restora-
tion plan with emphasis on water
quality and habitat improvements. To
further improve upon this idea,
environmental scientists in the
Division of Water Resources of
DNREC were able to obtain state
funds for a pilot project to pay
easements to landowners interested in
wetlands restoration. Using 1992
aerial color infrared digital
orthophoto quad maps, the scientists
used associated photo interpretation
to locate prior converted cropland
and farmed wetlands to target for this
project. Over 90 percent of the farms
within this watershed have prior
converted wetlands and/or farmed
wetlands in crop production or
pasture. Over 600 acres of restorable
wetlands were identified, of which 50
acres were targeted as part of this
pilot project.
A wetlands restoration project
adjacent to or within the ditches will
provide some or all necessary filtra-
tion functions to alleviate nutrient
loading throughout the watershed. A
monitoring phase should be the next
step, enabling evaluation of the exact
functions being performed by each of
STATES?
these wetlands. For more informa-
tion, contact Mark Biddle, DNREC
Division of Water Resources, Water-
shed Assessment Section, at (302)
739-4691 or e-mail
mbiddle@state.de.us.
Pratt Farm Water Manage-
ment Project
The Delaware Department of
Natural Resources and Environmental
Control (DNREC) has capitalized on
two federal grants to construct the Pratt
Farm Water Management/Wetland
Restoration Demonstration/Education
Project. Funds from EPA's Nonpoint
Source Pollution Program (319 grants)
and the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) were used to match
state funds to construct a unique and
innovative project on the 250-acre farm
of John Pratt, located in the headwaters
of the upper Chester Watershed.
This project is a partnership
involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, EPA, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, NMFS,
DNREC, Mr. Pratt, and several
nongovernmental organizations. The
project is a demonstration of minimal
destructive agricultural drainage
construction techniques and restora-
tion of riparian zones and wetlands
along a 1-mile agricultural ditch
network. Approximately 10 acres of
wetland restoration in marginal
agricultural fields has been completed
along with 10 acres of forested
wetland enhancement.
This project represents a rare
opportunity to demonstrate to the
agricultural and environmental
community, state and federal officials,
and the general public that agricul-
tural drainage and environmental
quality do not have to be mutually
exclusive. For more information,
contact Tom Barthelmeh, DNREC,
Division of Soil and Water Conserva-
tion, (302) 739-4411.
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 7
Dam Removed to Restore Fish and Wildlife Habitats
In December 1997, work began to
remove the Quaker Neck Dam
located in the Neuse River near
Goldsboro, North Carolina. The
voluntary watershed restoration
project, carried out under a public-
private partnership including state
and federal agencies, fisheries
groups, and Carolina Power & Light
Company (CP&L), will improve fish
habitat along a 75-mile stretch of the
Neuse River and help replenish 925
miles of tributary spawning areas.
Anadromous species expected to
benefit by this project include
striped bass, American shad, hickory
shad, and shortnose sturgeon.
The dam, 260 feet across and 7 feet
high, was constructed in 1952 to
provide cooling water to a CP&L
coal-fired electricity-generating
plant. In 1989, a study by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, funded by
the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine
Study (APES), identified the dam as
an obstruction to anadromous fish
migration. In 1991, the Coastal
America Partnership selected the
Quaker Neck Dam as a demonstra-
tion project. In 1992, upon comple-
tion of an Environmental Assess-
ment of the project area, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
awarded APES a $100,000 grant to
support removal of the dam.
CP&L officials were willing to have
the dam removed, but needed
assurances that their water intake
needs would not be jeopardized. In
August 1993, studies performed by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) showed that construction
of a 75-foot-long, sheetpile weir
dam in the plant's intake canal
would provide adequate head for
CP&L's pumps and eliminate the
need for the Quaker Neck Dam.
Shortly thereafter, the US ACE
completed a cost estimate and
design specifications for the weir
dam.
Over the next 3 years, the project
experienced considerable delay due
to complex issues inherent with
multiagency involvement. Agencies
involved in developing a Memoran-
dum of Agreement (MOA) that
identified their roles and responsi-
bilities expressed deep concerns
over liability and insurance issues,
as did CP&L. The U.S. Marine
Corps, willing to demolish the dam
as part of a military training
exercise, was unable to participate
due to procedural constraints. It
became apparent that an agreement
with a private contractor would be
needed to demolish the dam. Early
cost estimates came in over budget,
and it was obvious that additional
funds were needed. In 1995, the
project was awarded $194,000
($97,000 from state funds appropri-
ated by the NC Marine Fisheries
Commission and $97,000 from the
National Fish and Wildlife Founda-
tion). With a sufficient level of
funds on hand, the project regained
momentum,
while
agencies
continued
to negotiate the terms of the MO A.
Finally, in October 1997, the MOA
was officially signed and a contract
was awarded to a private vendor
for $181,000 to construct the weir
in the plant's canal and remove the
Quaker Neck Dam from the river's
main stem.
The success of this project is a
credit to the perseverance and
dedication of all the agencies/
groups involved, which withstood
times of doubt and overcame
countless obstacles. Simply stated,
"It was a project we all believed
in." For more information, contact
Guy Stefanski, Albemarle-Pamlico
Estuarine Study, NC Division of
Water Quality, P.O. Box 29535,
Raleigh, NC 27626; (919) 733-
5083, ext. 585; e-mail:
guy@dem.ehnr. state, nc.us.
Taking part in ceremonies held at the dam site, Secretary of the Interior Bruce
Babbitt credited North Carolina with setting a national example. "We 're remov-
ing a dam today in order to restore a river, " he said. "Bv restoring a river and a
fishery, we will restore and recapture part of North Carolina's heritage, and
restore and repair part of the human spirit. "
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Page 8
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
WETLAND from page 6
Basinwide
Restoration
Will Increase
Wetland Acreage
The North Carolina Wetlands Restora-
tion Program (NCWRP) is an innovative,
nonregulatory statewide program that was
established by the North Carolina State
Legislature in 1996 for the purpose of
restoring wetlands, streams, and
nonwetland riparian areas throughout the
state. The goal of NCWRP is to achieve a
net increase in wetland acres, functions, and
values within each of the state's 17 major
river basins.
To achieve its objectives, NCWRP is
developing innovative watershed-based
strategies, called Basinwide Restoration
Plans, for each of North Carolina's 17 river
basins. To target areas in greatest need of
restoration, priority subbasins were selected
within each river basin based in part on
water quality data from the North Carolina
Division of Water Quality's Basinwide
Water Quality Management Plans.
Funding for the NCWRP's efforts
comes from two sources—appropriations
from the General Assembly to do restora-
tion and fees from individuals who are
required to do compensatory mitigation for
permitted wetland impacts but prefer to pay
into the Wetlands Restoration Fund as an
alternative to performing their own
mitigation. Through the development of
Basinwide Restoration Plans and use of
GIS mapping tools, NCWRP will use
monies from the Wetlands Restoration
Fund to perform compensatory wetlands
mitigation in an ecologically effective way
to ensure that restoration projects address
identified river basin needs. Ultimately,
results are to take the form of increased
wetlands acreage, functions, and values in
each river basin that is of high priority for
protection or restoration.
For more information about the North
Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program
and Basinwide Restoration Plans, contact
Bonnie Mullen at (919) 733-7015, ext. 252,
or write to North Carolina Wetlands
Restoration Program, Department of
Environment and Natural Resources,
Division of Water Quality, P.O. Box
29535, Raleigh, NC 27626-0535.
Ohio EPA Awards
Loan to The Nature
Conservancy
Ohio EPA recently awarded the first
low-interest water pollution control loan to
foster stream bank conservation. The
Nature Conservancy received the
$110,000 loan award to purchase a
permanent conservation easement along
Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County. This
is the first time The Nature Conservancy
has obtained financing for stream restora-
tion and protection from a state revolving
loan fund established under the Clean
Water Act.
"Conservation easements are an
effective way to protect the quality of
streams and their adjacent areas," said
Ohio EPA Director Donald R.
Schregardus. "Restoring and preserving
these riparian areas is an important part of
controlling contaminated runoff that
threatens water quality and stream
habitat."
Ohio EPA recently approved the loan
from the its State Revolving Fund. It will
be repaid over a 5-year period at an
interest rate of 3.2 percent. The Water
Pollution Control Loan Fund is jointly
administered by Ohio EPA and the Ohio
Water Development Authority. Since
1989, this fund has loaned more than $1
billion for a variety of water pollution
control projects.
For more information, contact Linda
Oros at (614) 644-2160. Ohio EPA news
releases are available on the Agency's
World Wide Web page at http://
www .epa. ohio. gov/.
Ecosystem Res-
toration in the
Florida Everglades
The Florida Everglades is
recognized internationally as a unique,
diverse, and productive ecosystem that is
important to our natural heritage. How-
ever, in the last 100 years, the Everglades
ecosystem has been dramatically altered
by the construction of levees and drainage
channels for flood control, navigation,
water supply, and other purposes. These
dramatic changes to the landscape have
adversely affected tens of thousands of
acres of wetlands, water quality, and fish
and wildlife habitats, as well as the quality
of the human environment.
Section 528 of the Water Re-
sources Development Act of 1996
provided the authority and an organiz-
ing framework for partners to begin to
reverse this degradation on a large
scale. The legislation enhances the
Corps's ability to identify, prioritize,
and implement ecosystem restoration
projects in an area extending from
Orlando, Florida, to Florida Bay.
Restoration goals and multipurpose
objectives were developed in consul-
tation with stakeholders based on
work by a Governor's Commission
and the 14-member South Florida
Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.
Working together, partners and
stakeholders have identified and
prioritized 35 "Critical Projects"
which, if implemented, will provide
independent, immediate, and substan-
tial environmental benefits. Letter
reports are being prepared for expe-
dited review and approval with the
objective of completing as many of
the Critical Projects over the next 3
years as will funding will allow. For
more information, contact Chip
Smith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
at (703) 693-3655.
Mad River
Gets Even with
Brass Mill
Through a unique public-private
partnership between the state of
Connecticut, the city of Waterbury,
and General Growth Properties, more
than $30 million of public funds were
expended to clean up the contami-
nated site of the former Scovill Brass
Works in Waterbury, Connecticut.
This remediation made way for
redevelopment of the site and restora-
tion of the adjacent "urban" Mad
River by the developer. Environmental
permitting required measures to protect,
enhance, and restore the watercourse, in
keeping with a statewide initiative to
restore and protect urban rivers. The
resulting project design included modifi-
cations to the impacted stream channel to
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 9
improve its hydraulic function and to
restore aquatic habitat.
Historical alteration of the river
included constructing a run-of-river dam,
realigning a channel through the mill
complex, and confining an extensive
section of river in a rectangular concrete
channel. Restoration work included
lowering of the dam, removal of accumu-
lated sediments (some of which were
contaminated), replacement of the
concrete channel with more natural
materials, introduction of a number of
features to restore and enhance aquatic
habitat, and provisions for fish passage.
This project demonstrated the
importance of public-private partnerships
in financing and permitting river restora-
tion efforts. It also illustrated how civil
engineers, working with fisheries
biologists and wetland scientists, can
draw upon traditional techniques for the
design of hydraulic structures to achieve
an "ecologically engineered" objective.
For more information, contact David C.
Nyman, P.E., Senior Project Manager,
ENSR, 155 Otis Street, Northborough,
MA 01532; (508) 393-6779; e-mail:
dnyman@ensr.com.
Restoration Information
Available from Cornell
As New York State's Land Grant
University, Cornell Cooperative Exten-
sion is involved in developing educational
programming on wetlands and streamside
management. In August 1997, Cornell
hosted a satellite videoconference on
"Constructed Wetlands for the Manage-
ment of Stormwater Runoff," aimed at
informing viewers how to incorporate
construction design features that simulta-
neously achieve optimum water quality
protection and the multiple benefits of
functioning wetlands. The conference
consisted of a review of case studies
followed by presentations on (1) under-
standing natural wetland functions to
ensure success, (2) managing vegetation
and hydrology, and (3) wildlife use of
constructed wetlands. A phone-in Q & A
session concluded the broadcast. A 90-
minute videotape of the conference and
an information packet can be ordered
through the web at:
or from Gaiy Golf,
104 Fernow Hall, Cornell University, NY
14853, (607) 255-2824, fax: 255-2815,
e-mail: grg3@cornell.edu.
In another effort, Cornell University
is developing a constructed wetland
demonstration site on campus to illustrate
stormwater management techniques and
their effectiveness. Half of the wetland
was planted with native plants in 1997 to
enhance wildlife habitat, while the other
half was left barren. Water quality and
wildlife use of the site are also being
monitored. The site
will be featured in a
15-minute promo-
tional video
available in Novem-
ber 1998. The video
is funded by EPA
319 funds. For
information on ordering, the video,
contact Gary Goff at the above address.
Cornell has also recently developed
a "Stand by Your Stream" program
focused on streamside management. It
includes a fact sheet kit, consisting of the
following publications: Streamside
Protection—Why Bother reviews the
importance of riparian zones to water
quality, Streamside Management—Do's
and Don 'ts covers several specific
management recommendations including
planting, and Streamside Restoration—A
Team Effort overviews key ingredients
for a successful restoration project.
Workshop presentations and associated
slide set programs will be available in
summer 1998. Contact Deanna Owens at
108 Fernow Hall, Cornell University, NY
14853; (607) 255-2814, fax: (607) 255-
2815; e-mail: dlo3@cornell.edu.
Ohio State University
Extension's Watershed
Management Education
Network
Ohio State University Extension has
a long-standing record of support for
locally based watershed management
projects. Now Extension agents and
specialists with expertise in water quality
and watershed management are teaming
up as the Watershed Management
Education Network—better known as the
Watershed Team—to enhance and
support the efforts of grassroots water-
shed groups throughout Ohio. The
Watershed Team represents a major
commitment on the part of OSU Exten-
sion to put University and Extension
resources to work toward the goal of
conserving Ohio's water resources
through community action.
In June of 1997, the Watershed
Team led a multiagency group in
organizing the 1997 Connecting Ohio
Watersheds Conference. Conference
attendees were
treated to a host of
presentations and
posters highlight-
ing the latest
techniques and
trends in watershed
management,
outreach education, and program
evaluation. One of the challenges faced
by conference organizers was how to
increase citizen participation. A strategy
that was somewhat successful was to
offer scholarships to nonagency partici-
pants, but the most successful approach
was to allow citizens involved in local
watershed groups to organize and lead
bus tours of several local watersheds. By
guiding their own tours, group members
were able to make agency representatives
more aware of the challenges faced by
local watershed projects.
In the winter of 1998, the Water-
shed Team will launch an outreach
program to facilitate the growth and
development of newly formed local
watershed groups. A few groups will
be targeted initially, and Watershed
Team members will work in partner-
ship with the groups' leaders to identify
strategies for meeting their technologi-
cal, informational, and educational
needs. Personnel and resources from
OSU Extension and the Ohio State
University will then be assembled to
provide group leaders with the appropri-
ate skills, knowledge, and technology.
Long-term support for the participating
watershed groups will be provided
through the system of statewide County
Extension Offices and the Ohio Water-
sheds Online web site. For more
information, you can access the Ohio
Watersheds Online web site at:
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~waternet/.
Wk en th e well $ drij 7 we know
th e worth oj? water.
Benjamin Franklin
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Page 10
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES
The Nature Conservancy's
Freshwater Initiative
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) seeks
to conserve biological diversity by conserv-
ing rare and endangered species and natural
communities, as well as the lands and
waters they need to survive. Historically,
the Conservancy lias focused its efforts
primarily on terrestrial (including wetland)
species and communities. TNC has come
to recognize the accelerating decline and
imperilment of freshwater biological
diversity in the United States and around
the world, the globally significant richness
of freshwater species in the United States,
and the many difficulties confronting
efforts to conserve freshwater habitats. For
the first time in the Conservancy's history,
freshwater has become the focus of the land
of integrated, vigorous, and sustained
conservation practiced on the land. The
Freshwater Initiative (FWI) is a blueprint
for this action.
The Initiative: The FWI is a 5-year
TNC program designed to significantly-
advance the Conservancy's ability to
contribute to freshwater conservation.
* '
%
w
Reestablishing aquatic and riparian habitats, in conjunction
with clean water, will ensure that we achieve the goal of
restoring "...the biological integrity of the Nation's waters. "
Three strategies drive the FWI:
Strategy One: Develop and
disseminate freshwater biological
inventory information and aquatic
community classification tools needed
for large-scale freshwater conservation
planning.
Strategy Two: Make significant
breakthroughs in abating threats to
freshwater species and communities
caused by hydrological alteration and
water quality degradation (particularly
nonpoint source pollution) at sites
selected as research and training
centers for advancing freshwater
conservation.
Strategy Three: Exponentially
increase the quality and frequency of
interactions among staff, partners, and
outside scientists and experts by
providing new tools and approaches
for training, information and data
sharing, and collaboration.
The Sites: As part of Strategy
Two, TNC has selected 37 sites in the
United States and Latin America
where the Conservancy will work to
achieve breakthroughs in reducing two
of the most pervasive threats to
freshwater
biodiversity—
hydrological
alteration and
water quality
degradation. The
sites selected for
inclusion within
Strategy Two will
have access to site-
specific consulta-
tion in the areas of
hydrology,
landscape ecology,
fundraising (public
and private), and
others from staff
within the Conser-
vancy, governmen-
tal and private
conservation
partners, and
academia.
For more information, contact
Nicole Silk, Biohydrology Training and
Information Coordinator, The Nature
Conservancy, (303) 541-0341; e-mail:
nsillc@tnc.org.
Can Oysters Thrive in the
Hackensack River?
An experiment is under way to
determine whether oysters can thrive
in the Hackensack River and the New
York-New Jersey estuary. Undertak-
ing the experiment is the New York/
New Jersey Baykeepers, a waterway
conservation group that is part of the
American Littoral Society. Also
working on the project are students
from the North Hudson Academy in
North Bergen, New Jersey. Oysters
provide a vital function in estuarine
ecosystems by filtering plankton,
other organic matter, and sediment,
which improves water clarity, benefit-
ing a host of species.
As part of the experiment, oysters
are suspended in a mesh net and
measured every 2 weeks. Students
also note the health of the oysters to
determine whether _
any are dying % %
sWM111®
- - "
due to
predation or
the quality of
the water.
Their conclu-
sions will determine if the water
quality is good enough for the oysters
to survive, and thrive, in the
Hackensack River.
High school science teacher
Dominick Coviello says, "It is an ideal
project. Most of the students live near
the Hackensack River and have a
misconception of the quality of the
river. We are already three months into
the project and to the students surprise,
no oysters have died. They have
grown." For more information, contact
Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper,
P.O. Box 1397. Secaucus. NJ 07096.
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 11
Save Our Streams!
In 1996, the Izaak Walton League
of America's Save Our Streams (SOS)
Program started the Wetlands Conser-
vation and Sustainability Initiative.
The purpose of the Initiative is to help
people become wetland stewards by
learning about and understanding
wetland functions and values, and to
foster wetlands conservation among
governments, business interests, and
the general public. The first tool
developed was the Handbook for
Wetlands Conser\>ation and
Sustainability. The handbook outlines
an approach similar to the League's
award-winning Save Our Streams
biological monitoring program. The
goals of the Wetlands Conservation and
Sustainability Initiative are to:
• Help citizens, planners, government
agencies, businesses, and others take
a proactive role to conserve and
restore our nation's wetlands.
• Begin building national network of
wetlands stewards.
• Identify and recruit local wetland
professionals to work with organiza-
tions, businesses, and local commu-
nities in the protection of wetlands.
• Produce effective national tools to
help volunteers with wetland
stewardship projects.
In June 1998, SOS will publish the
second edition of the Handbook for
Wetlands Conser\>ation and
Sustainability. In addition, the new 2-
day introductory wetland workshop
will be offered to the public. At that
time, SOS will start production of a
wetland training video to accompany
the handbook. If you have any ques-
tions about the project, please contact
the Program Director, Julie V.
Middleton, at (800) UG-IWLA or
jvincent@iwla.org.
Preservation, Restoration,
and Development in the
Rockaway River Watershed
The 40-mile Rockaway River,
located in north-central New Jersey,
is a tributary of the Passaic River
which has some of the most serious
water quality problems in the coun-
try. The Rockaway subbasin is the
site of seven Superfund sites, a
defense installation that has been
active for more than 100 years, and a
historic iron mining and foundry
industry. One of the country's first
rural community sewage treatment
systems was created in the 1920s to
protect water quality—an early
example of good environmental
practice being financially sound.
The Present Is Encouraging. The
river, its wetlands, and forests provide
habitats for a wide range of
wildlife
species, and
the basin is
also home
to 200.000 v yM
people. The ) f-
river and its
aquifers supply
drinking water -
directly to more than
500,000 people and affect the
water quality of at least another half
million people.
Clearly, such a wonderful natural
resource needs protection. The
Friends of the Rockaway River is
publishing a major report. Visions &
Strategies, which provides a visual
and conceptual survey of the river,
describes threats to the river and
quality of life, and presents opportu-
nities to revitalize or protect the river
and its natural assets. It offers a
balanced and realistic vision for
conservation and development
activities along the Rockaway. A
companion study. From Visions to
Reality, is also nearing completion; it
includes planning methodology, the
identification of an initial set of
specific projects, and the installation
of a GIS to support planning.
The Future Looks Bright. Mem-
bers of the "Reality" partnership
have already initiated steps to
undertake specific projects. The first
is a wetland mitigation/creation
project at the 70-acre site of an
abandoned sand and gravel quarry.
Other projects on the current list
include protection and restoration of
open space and cultural resources.
wetlands mitigation projects to
reduce urban flooding potential, and
the redevelopment of several
brownfields along the river. In 5
years this local grassroots effort has
moved from neighborhood river
cleanups, to a set of clearly defined
visions, to a long-range planning
methodology, to a series of actions.
For more information, contact Harry
Shuford at (908) 832-5963.
McKnight Foundation Ex-
pands Mississippi River
Program
The board of directors of the
McKnight Foundation has voted to
expand its program of environmental
grantmaking to protect the Missis-
sippi River. Over the next 5 years
McKnight will dedicate $23 million
to river conservation, up from
$10 million during the previous
5 years. McKnight is the largest
environmental funder in the Missis-
sippi Valley.
By the year 2000 McKnight plans
to contribute $5 million a year to
conservation efforts on the Missis-
sippi River and its tributaries. That
compares to about $3 million this
year. The program will continue to
emphasize the Upper Midwest,
although grants are made for work in
all 10 Mississippi River states.
Additional information is also
available in a free booklet, Missis-
sippi River Program: Guidelines for
Grant Applicants. For a copy, call
(612)333-4220.
Zllie VJatlon behaves wellij-it
treats natural resources as
assets which It must turn over to
the next generation Increased,
cl not Impaired, in value.
an I
Theodore Roosevelt
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Page 12
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
Youth Corps as Resources
for Wetland and Stream
Corridor Restoration
Thornton Creek bubbles up beside
a parking lot in North Seattle and
descends through culverts and neigh-
borhoods to Lake Washington. Wet-
lands in Fossil Creek Community Park
filter stonnwater runoff in rapidly
growing Fort Collins, Colorado. The
Second River runs largely unnoticed
through Newark, New Jersey. Prairie
Wolf Slough on the upper reaches of
the Chicago River, formerly fanned,
once again functions as a wetland.
What do these streams and wetlands
have in common? Each has benefited
from hands-on restoration efforts (often
employing bioengineering techniques)
led by state and local youth conserva-
tion and service corps.
Youth corps are unique efforts,
rooted in strong community connec-
tions, that provide young adults ages 16
to 25 with conservation work experi-
ence, basic and life skills education, and
career preparation. Participants in
youth corps—corpsmembers—thrive on
the applied learning possible through
arduous field work carried out as part of
a crew.
EPA has entered into a cooperative
agreement with the National Associa-
tion of Service and Conservation Corps
to demonstrate the effectiveness of
corps in conducting community-based
enviromnental projects such as stream
and wetland restoration, in which EPA
funds are matched at least 1:1 with state
and local resources.
M For more informa-
J tion, contact
W / Andrew Moore at
/ M NASCC, (202)
/ / M 737-6272 or
/ i fi /' c~ma":
I li f // /f amoore@nascc.org.
The Buffalo River—An Urban
River, Natural Corridor
Buffalo's legacy is strongly based on
its strategic location within the Great
Lakes Basin watershed and on the
historic Erie Canal. Commerce through-
out the Great Lakes had been largely
dependent on the "Queen City" as a vital
shipping port, for transporting grain, iron
ore, and coal from the expanding
Midwest. The intense industrialization of
the city resulted in the Buffalo Rivers
being one of the most polluted water-
courses in the nation. What now remains
along the Buffalo River are extensive
brownfields, situated in highly populated
areas and waiting to be rediscovered and
redeveloped.
The enviromnental recovery of this
urban river is a recent phenomenon,
aided by regulatory decree, enviromnen-
tal education, and declining emphasis on
industrial development. Nature is also
demonstrating remarkable resilience, as
indicated by the return of fish and
wildlife to the area. In 1997, Erie
County, with support from federal, state,
and local govern-
ments, completed
the construction of
three "pocket
parks" to restore
wildlife habitat
along the Buffalo
River corridor.
Each parcel,
burdened with residential and construc-
tion debris and situated near combined
sewer outfalls, was reconfigured with
pedestrian trails (see following story). A
wetland was constructed at one site and
native vegetative seed from the largest
emergent marsh along the Niagara River
was transplanted in the new wetland,
allowing for the growth of desirable plant
life.
The habitat sites are key to a vision
of developing a unified greenway/
heritage trail linking noted features
within the Buffalo River watershed.
Residents have expressed interest in site
"ownership," showing community pride
and stewardship of the newly restored
"green space." To advance water quality
studies, nearby schools use the sites as
outdoor classrooms. The enviromnental
town is Saved, not moi%> by the
righteous men in it than hj the
woods and SwampS that Sunrtund it.
Henry David Thoreau
and societal benefits of the project are
immeasurable and the rewards for all
involved numerous. For additional
information, contact Mary L. Sonntag,
Project Manager, or Michael Raab at
(716) 858-6370.
Students Create New
Community Parks Through
County Partnership
Through an innovative Erie County,
NY, partnership, nine students worked to
create three new parks along the Buffalo
River during the summer of 1997. The
students participated in a model project
called Buffalo RiverZCazenovia Creek
Wetlands and Watershed Stewardship
Program.
The program was a cooperative
effort by the Erie County Department
of Environment and Planning, the
Buffalo and Erie County Private
Industry Council, and the West Seneca
Youth Bureau-Americorps Program.
With Americorps members and Erie
County staff as supervisors, students
worked at the park
sites along the
Buffalo River and
Cazenovia Creek
to build trails and
restore fish and
wildlife habitats.
After learning
how to create and
maintain habitats, and how the newly
created parks could enhance the
quality of life for nearby residents, the
students conducted educational
presentations in communities near the
parks and wrote letters to local elected
officials about the importance of the
parks.
A report documenting Erie
County's experience will be available
from the National Association of
Counties in early 1998. To obtain a
copy, contact Abigail Friedman at (202)
942-4225 or e-mail afriedma@naco.org.
For more information on the Erie
County Stewardship Project, contact
Tina Preston, Erie County Department
of Enviromnent and Planning at (716)
858-8555 or e-mail
t i naV/c db g. c o. c ri c. nv. ii s.
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 13
Purple Loosestrife on the
Loose!
The exotic plant purple loosestrife
(Lvthrum salicaria) began to invade
wetlands in the Northeast several
decades ago and is now infiltrating
wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic states. This
attractive-looking waterside plant, a
native of Eurasia, strikes terror and
frustration in natural resource managers
and aquatic ecologists.
Purple loosestrife is an herbaceous
perennial that is usually 3 to 5 feet in
height and lias an ornamental appearance
from the showy spikes of magenta
flowers. One flower stalk can produce as
many as 300,000 seeds. It is found in a
variety of wetland habitats, including
marshes, riverbanks, ponds, and reser-
voirs. The problem is that purple
loosestrife takes over native plant
habitats and crowds out grasses, sedges,
and other emergent wetland vegetation.
Once this process is complete, the plant
reduces and eliminates the mixture of
native plants that many types of wildlife
use for food and cover. Loosestrife
seems to prefer disturbed wetlands,
including those which are restored or
mitigated, as well as stonnwater manage-
ment ponds and facilities.
A variety of eradication methods
have produced varying degrees of
success. They include mechanical
removal, application of a glyphosate
herbicide, and use of beetles that eat
loosestrife. The most effective method
of removal is to pull purple loosestrife by
Sponsored by CF Industries
hand before a population becomes
established.
For more information regarding the
status of purple loosestrife and other
invasive species in your state, contact
your state natural heritage/resources
office or the state native plant society.
The National Association of Exotic Pest
Plant Councils can also provide some
basic assistance. Contact Faith
Campbell; e-mail: EPPCFT@aol.com
or 8208 Dabney Avenue, Springfield,
VA 22152.
Adopt Your Watershed!
A new tool for watershed manage-
ment called Adopt Your Watershed! is
now available to you and your commu-
nity partners It was developed by EPA
in partnership with Know Your
Watershed, River Network, and many
other groups across the country. Its
features include:
• A catalogue of more than 4,000
watershed volunteer groups that can
be sorted by state, by ZIP code, and
even by watershed name.
• Resources to aid watershed volunteer
groups in restoration, monitoring, and
education.
• Examples of groups making a
difference.
Visit EPA's web site at http://
www.epa.gov/surf/adopt. If you do not
have Internet access, call 1-888-450-
9158 and ask for EPA-800-F-97-001 to
learn more.
Applications are now being
accepted for a national
watershed award specifically
for communities and corpo-
rations. Awards will be
based on the success of
innovative solutions to
problems that balance the
economic and environmental
goals of a watershed. For
more information contact
Lura Svestka, Terrene
Institute at (703) 548-5473
or terrinst@aol.com.
Stream Corridor Restoration:
Principles, Processes, and
Practices
A landmark cooperative effort is
under way among an unprecedented
number of federal agencies that have
pooled their expertise in developing a
reference manual to improve the health
of streams.
The agencies are developing the
manual Stream Corridor Restoration:
Principles, Processes, and Practices to
serve as a common technical reference
for stream corridor restoration. This
reference publication can help improve
many of the nation's 3.5 million miles of
rivers that are currently considered
degraded, primarily due to erosion, loss
of habitat, and excess nutrients. It will
help to boost the number of healthy
stream corridors, which provide benefits
such as water supplies, recreational
opportunities, fish and wildlife habitats,
and productive agricultural lands. Its
emphasis on looking at all stream users,
in varying landscapes and at multiple
levels of scales, makes this a unique and
valuable document on restoration.
The document will emphasize the
benefits of least intrusive solutions that
are ecologically derived and self-
sustaining. Stream Corridor Restoration
outlines many alternatives to help people
working on a restoration project to make
more informed decisions. It is intended
primarily for interdisciplinary teams
responsible for planning, design and
implementation of stream corridor
restoration projects. It might also be
useful to others who are working in
stream corridor restoration including
contractors, landowners, volunteers,
individuals, and agency staff.
Information on the handbook is
accessible via the Stream Corridor
Restoration Handbook Home Page:
www.usda.gov/stream_restoration
e-mail: scorridor@usda.gov.
As this issue of Watershed Events was
going to press, President Clinton had
not yet designated the American
Heritage Rivers (see the Fall '97 issue).
It is expected that the announcement
will be made by early May.
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Page 14
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
NEW IN PRINT
Community Based Environmental
Protection: A Resource Book for
Protecting Ecosystems and Communi-
ties. EPA 230-B-96-003. Copies may
be obtained by calling (800) 490-9198.
Beyond Sprawl: Land Management
Techniques to Protect the Chesapeake
Bay, A Handbook for Local Govern-
ments. EPA 903-B-97-005. Copies
may be obtained by calling (800) 490-
9198.
Watershed Training Opportunities.
EPA 841-B-98-001. Copies may be
obtained by calling (800) 490-9198.
Monetary Measurement of Environ-
mental Goods and Services: Frame-
work and Summary of Techniques for
Corps Planners (LWR Report 96-R-24).
To request a copy, fax Arlene Nurthen
(703) 428-8435 or download from the
IWRweb site: http://www.wrc-
ndc.usace.army.mil/iwr/index.htm. For
more information, contact Bill Hansen,
(703) 428-9089.
Identifying Small Group Techniques
for Planning Environmental Projects:
A General Protocol (IWR Report 96-R-
29). To request a copy, download from
the IWR web site: http:// www.wrc-
ndc.usace.anny.mil/iwr/ index.htm. For
more information, contact Joy Muncy,
(703) 428-6009.
Evaluation of Environmental Invest-
ments Procedures Overview Manual
(IWR Report 96-R-30). To request a
copy, fax Arlene Nurthen (703) 428-
8435 or download from the IWR web
site: http://www.wrc-
ndc.usace.anny.mil/ iwr/index.htm. For
more infonnation, contact Joy Muncy,
(703) 428-6009.
Valuing Urban Wetlands: A Property
Pricing Approach (IWR Report 97-R-
1). To request a copy, fax Arlene
Nurthen, (703) 428-8435, or download
from the IWR web site: http://
www.wrc-ndc.usace.anny.mil/ iwr/
index.htm. For more infonnation,
contact Brent Mahan (503) 808-4210.
Resource Significance Protocol for
Environmental Project Planning
(IWR Report 97-R-4).
To request a copy, fax Arlene
Nurthen (703) 428-8435 or download
from the IWR web site: http://
www. wrc-ndc .usace. army. mil/ iwr/
index.htm. For more information,
contact Darrell Nolton, (703) 428-
9084.
Risk and Uncertainty Analysis Proce-
dures for the Evaluation of Environ-
mental Outputs (IWR Report 97-R-7).
To request a copy, fax Arlene Nurthen
(703) 428-8435 or download from the
IWR web site: http://www.wrc-
ndc.usace.anny.mil/iwr/index.htm. For
more infonnation contact Leigh Skaggs,
(703) 428-9091.
Enforceable State Mechanisms for the
Control of Nonpoint Source Water
Pollution. This new study by The
Enviromnental Law Institute is now
available on the NPS homepage to
download only. An HTML version will
be loaded onto the homepage for
viewing of the complete document in
the near future. To access the docu-
ment, go to http://www.epa.gov/
O WO W /NP S/elistudy/.
Stormwater BMP Design Supplement
for Cold Climates. Copies are available
from the Center for Watershed Protec-
tion, 8391 Main Street, Ellicott City,
MD 21043.
Water-Quality Assessment of the
Lower Susquehanna River Basin,
Pennsylvania and Maryland: Design
and Implementation of Water-Quality
Studies, 1992-95. Report 97-583.
Copies are available from Kevin Breen
at (717) 730-6970.
Water-Quality Assessment of the
Lower Susquehanna River Basin,
Pennsylvania and Maryland: Sources,
Characteristics, Analysis, and Limita-
tions of Nutrient and Suspended-
Sediment Data, 1975-90. Report 97-
4209. Copies are available from Kevin
Breen at (717) 730-6970.
Nitrate in Ground Water and Stream
Base Flow in the Lower Susquehanna
River Basin, Pennsylvania and
Maryland. Report 97-4146. Copies are
available from Kevin Breen at (717)
730-6970.
Restoring Streams in Cities:
A Guide for Planners,
Policymakers, and Citizens
Conventional engineering solutions to problems of flooding and erosion are
often extremely destructive to natural enviromnents. Restoring Streams in
Cities is a comprehensive book that presents viable alternatives to traditional
practices that can be used both to repair existing ecological damage and to
prevent damage from happening. A nationally recognized stream restoration
expert, Ann Riley, describes an interdisciplinary approach to stream manage-
ment that does not attempt to "control" streams, but rather considers the stream
as a natural feature of the urban landscape. This very infonnative and practical
publication is available from Island Press, Box 7, Dept. 2AU, Covelo, CA
95428 or by calling (800) 828-1302.
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Spring 1998
Watershed Events
Page 15
EVENTS
APRIL
fax: (312) 454-0411; e-mail:
bobkirs@nipc.org.
29-3 Rivers: The Future Frontier,
Anchorage, AK. Contact the River
Management Society at (406) 549-
0514; e-mail: rms@igc.apc.org.
7-9 Practical Approaches to
Riparian and Wetland Restora-
tion: From the Mountains to
the Plains, Missoula, MT.
Contact Susan Tolliver, Riparian
and Wetlands Research Program,
University of Montana, Mssoula,
MT 59812, (406) 243-2050; fax:
(406) 243-4845; e-mail:
sheba@selway.umt.edu; web site:
www.rwrp.umt.edu.
14-15 Landscape-Level Wetland
Assessment, Arlington, VA.
Contact Jon Kusler, Association
of State Wetland Managers at
(518) 872-1804; e-mail:
aswmi@aol.com.
15-17 Team Wetlands: 101 Ways to
Win for Wetlands, Arlington,
VA. Contact Terrene Institute, 4
Herbert Street, Alexandria, VA
22305. Phone: (800) 726-4853 or
(703)548-5473; fax: (703) 548-
6299; e-mail: terrinst@aol.com.
15-18 North American Lake Manage-
ment Society's 7th Annual
Southeastern Lakes Confer-
ence, Orlando, FL. Contact:
Gene Medley at (406)243-4845;
e-mail: medley@aol.com.
22-25 Enhancing the States Lake
Management Programs: Smart
Growth Strategies to Protect
Lakes and Reservoirs, Chicago,
IL. A post-conference interactive
workshop will be held on
Saturday, April 25, entitled
Getting in Step: A Pathway to
Effective Outreach in Your
Watershed. Contact Bob
Kirschner, Northeastern Illinois
Planning Commission, Natural
Resources Department, 222
South Riverside Plaza, Suite
1800, Chicago, IL 60606.
Phone: (312) 454-0401, ext. 303;
MAY
3-6 Watershed '98 - Watershed
Management: Moving from
Theory to Implementation,
Denver, CO. Contact the Water
Environment Federation at (703)
684-2400; e-mail:
confinfo@wef. org.
9-16 National River Cleanup Week
Knoxville, TN. For more informa-
tion, call (423) 558-3595, fax: (423)
558-3598; e-mail:
branch, terry @epamail. epa .gov.
12-13 Working with Wetlands and
Wildlife, New Orleans, LA.
Contact the Wildlife Habitat
Council at (301) 588-8994.
17-22 22nd Annual Conference of the
Association of State Floodplain
Managers, Mlwaukee, WI.
Contact Diane Watson at (608) 274-
0123; e-mail: asfpm@execpc.com
JUNE
8-11 3rd Annual Watershed Heros
Leadership Conference, Amana,
I A. Contact Jim Porterfiled of the
American Farm Bureau Federation,
225 Touhy Avenue, Park Ridge, IL
60068. Phone: (847) 685-8782; fax:
(847) 685-8969; e-mail:
jimp@fb.com.
JULY
7-9 Monitoring: Critical Founda-
tions to Protect Our Waters,
Sciences - Policies - Manage-
ment, Reno, Nevada. Contact
Joanne Kurklin, Water Quality
Specialist, U.S. Geological
Survey, 202 Northwest 66th,
Building 7, Oklahoma City, OK
73116. Phone:(405) 843-7570.
10-11 Northeast Watershed
Roundtable, Northfield, MA.
Contact Pat Munoz, River
Network at (202) 364-2550.
AUGUST
31-4 International Conference on
Diffuse Pollution, Edinburgh,
Scotland. Contact Rosemary
Plessis, IAWQ Conference
Coordinator, Scottish Environ-
mental Protection Agency,
Erskine Court, The Castle
Business Park, Stirling FK9
4TR, Scotland, UK. Phone:
+44 (0) 1786 457700; e-mail:
rplessis@sepa.org.uk.
SEPTEMBER
27-30 Peaks to Prairies: A
Conference on Watershed
Stewardship, Rapid City,
SD. Contact the Thorne
Ecological Institute, 5398
Manhattan Circle, Boulder,
CO 80303.
Phone: (303) 499-3647;
e-mail:
dir@thorneecoinst.org.
21-24 Sixth National Nonpoint
Source Monitoring Work-
shop, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Contact Lynett Seigley or
Carol Thompson, Iowa
Department of Natural
Resources, Geological
Survey Bureau, 109
Trowbridge Hall, Iowa City,
IA 52242-1319. Phone:
(319) 335-1575;
fax: (319) 335-2754; e-mail:
lseigley@igsb.uiowa.edu or
cthompson@igsb.uiowa.edu.
20-24 WETLANDS '98 - Integrating
Wetlands and Floodplain
Ecosystems Into Watershed
Management, St. Louis, MO.
Coordinated by the Association
of State Wetland Managers and
the Institute for Wetland Science
and Public Policy. For more
information, contact Jon Kusler,
ASWM, P O. Box 269, Berne,
NY 12023-9746; or call (518)
872-1804.
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Page 16
Watershed Events
Spring 1998
River Corridor Restoration and Multi-Objective Management (MOM)
Using Flood Damage Reduction Projects as a Basis for Restoration Work
The Association of State
Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) has
long promoted broadening the
methods of flood damage reduction
to emphasize nonstructural projects,
including stream and wetland
corridor restoration. This approach
has brought about multi-objective
partnerships that view "flood
control" and stonnwater projects as
an organizational and financial base
around which to build water quality
improvements, habitat restoration
designs, linear parks and trails,
ecotourism, and economic develop-
ment, along with other projects of
local importance.
Multi-objective management
projects can stretch project dollars
by bringing together a variety of
partners with a number of different
talents, concerns, and funding sources
and access to various grant programs.
As more local time and money are
contributed, a greater and wider variety
of benefits are obtained. Federal flood
damage reduction projects generally
require a local sponsor who pays a
portion of the cost and maintains the
project. Incorporating stream and
wetland restoration as part of a project
can often provide local governments,
the sponsors, with an even greater
increase in property tax revenue and
reduced maintenance costs.
Two publications on multi-
objective management will help
groups involved in wetland and river
restoration to find partners to
support a holistic, ecosystem
approach. These are the National
Park Service casebook entitled
Floods, Floodplains and Folks,
which is available by calling (202)
565-1200, and the ASFPM
publication, funded by a grant
from the USEPA, entitled Using
Multi-Objective Management to
Reduce Flood Losses in Your
Watershed, available by calling
(608) 274-0123. For other
information, contact Karen C.
Kabbes, Kabbes Engineering, Inc.,
and Chair of the ASFPM's Multi-
Objective Management Commit-
tee, at (847) 842-9663 or e-mail
KCKabbest@aol.com.
Office of Wetlands, Oceans,
and Watersheds (4501F)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Postage and Fees Paid
EPA - G35
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