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Water: Watershed Academy

Webcast Archives

**Note: Archived Webcasts are listed in alphabetical order on the U.S. EPA Technology Innovation Program Web site Exit EPA Disclaimer. You can either scroll down the page to find the audio version or you can search the page by seminar archive date or Webcast title.

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Categories

Agriculture

February 5, 2015 Webcast Seminar
"Ten Years of Watershed Assessment in CEAP: Insights and Lessons Learned"

  • Lisa Duriancik, M.S., CEAP Watersheds Component Leader, USDA NRCS, Resource Assessment Division
  • Dr. Mark Tomer, Research Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment
  • Dr. Deanna Osmond, Professor and Dept. Extension Leader, Soil Science Department, North Carolina State University
  • Dr. Douglas R. Smith, Research Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, TX
  • Dr. Roger Kuhnle, Hydraulic Engineer, USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit in Oxford, MS
  • Dr. Claire Baffaut, Research Hydrologist, USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit

Please join us as we review insights and lessons learned from the past 10 years of USDA's Watershed Assessments in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). CEAP addresses USDA's need to quantify the effects and benefits of agricultural conservation practices. The goal of CEAP Watershed Assessments is to develop scientific understanding of and quantify conservation practice effects at watershed scales. The projects are focused on understanding how the suite, timing, and spatial distribution of conservation practices influences their effect on local water quality outcomes. Modeling, monitoring and human dimensions approaches were utilized in CEAP Watershed projects.

This webcast will highlight accomplishments and knowledge gained from CEAP Watershed Assessments over the last 10 years as well as related science. Presentations will include recent findings and developments, discuss some applications of CEAP Watersheds results, synthesize lessons learned to guide watershed-scale conservation addressing water quality and soil concerns, and propose opportunities for continued advances. Topic areas will include a recently published overview of key findings from ARS CEAP projects as well as new conservation insights related to nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment concerns and will review various approaches to targeting. These insights can be used to help refine conservation and watershed planning and assessment to increase effectiveness and enhance outcomes of restoration.

CEAP Watersheds component is based on a collaborative partnership among USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Farm Service Agency (FSA), universities and others including EPA, USGS, NOAA, and numerous state, watershed and local conservation partners and agricultural producers.

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March 25, 2014 Webcast Seminar
"Improve Water Quality by Using Cover Crops and Other Conservation Systems"

  • Dr. Hans Kok, Coordinator, Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative
  • Dan Towery, President, Ag Conservation Solutions

Join us for a webcast on using cover crops and other conservation systems to improve water quality in agricultural landscapes. Cover crops are plants used to protect and improve the soil on farm fields, especially at times when cash crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans are not being grown. Cover crops can reduce nutrient losses to watersheds by scavenging nitrates that would otherwise be lost to leaching. In addition, cover crops reduce sediment and phosphorus losses to nearby waterways by acting as a vegetative buffer to slow down surface erosion and increase water infiltration. By using cover crops, farmers can provide environmental benefits while also providing other on-farm benefits, including increased soil health, improved water retention, and increased yield. Cover crops are an important conservation practice that can be used in a system of conservation practices to help improve water quality.

This webcast will introduce nutrient cycling and the importance of soil health in agricultural landscape and discuss how systems of conservation practices such as cover crops can help to improve soil nutrient retention and reduce nutrient losses. The webcast will then discuss common cover crop types and highlight a few cover crops that are being used in the Midwest and why farmers are using these cover crop varieties. This webcast will provide basic information on how cover crops and other conservation systems can be used to provide environmental benefits in watersheds across the US.

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July 10, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"USDA's National Water Quality Initiative"

  • Lynda Hall, Chief, Nonpoint Source Control Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
  • Tom Christensen, Chief of Staff for the Regional Conservationists, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Jim Bramblett, Chief of Staff for the Regional Conservationists, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Steve Hopkins, Nonpoint Source Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • John Hubbert, Acting State Conservationist, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Iowa

Learn more about USDA's National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). USDA's NWQI is working in priority watersheds to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in impaired streams, lakes, and other waterbodies. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap sediment, nutrients, and manure runoff. Eligible producers are receiving assistance for implementing conservation practices such as nutrient management, residue management, conservation cropping systems, cover crops, filter strips, and water and sediment control basins. This webcast highlights how this initiative is working and how USDA's NRCS is working with state water quality agencies and others to implement this initiative in priority watersheds.

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June 14, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"Section 319 Agricultural Nonpoint Source Success Stories"

  • Lynda Hall, Chief, Nonpoint Source Control Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Shannon Phillips, Director, Water Quality Division, OK Conservation Commission
  • Nesha McRae, TMDL/Watershed Field Coordinator, VA Department of Conservation and Recreation
  • Greg Sevener, Watershed Specialist, Watershed Bureau, WI Department of Natural Resources

Section 319 Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source Management Program which was established 25 years ago by the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under Section 319, states, territories and tribes receive grants that support a wide variety of activities including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology transfer, demonstration projects, monitoring, and other activities. This webcast will highlight agricultural nonpoint source success stories from Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wisconsin. See more information on all of our current Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories. This webcast is part of our series of Watershed Academy Webcasts in honor of the 40th anniversary of the CWA.

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May 15, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"USDA's NIFA - CEAP Watershed Synthesis: Lessons Learned:

  • Roberta Parry, Senior Agricultural Advisor, US EPA's Office of Water
  • Lisa Duriancik, Coordinator, Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Resource Assessment Division
  • Deanna Osmond, Professor and Department Extension Leader, Soil Science Department, NC State University

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) established university-led watershed-scale research and extension projects in support of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). CEAP addresses USDA's need to quantify the effects and benefits of agricultural conservation practices. This webcast will highlight a study led by North Carolina State University to analyze and synthesize key lessons learned from 13 of these watershed-scale projects on cropland and pastureland. The goal of CEAP Watersheds is to better understand how the suite, timing, and spatial distribution of conservation practices influence their effect on local water quality outcomes. The NIFA study also evaluated social and economic factors that influence implementation and maintenance of practices, as well as education critical to transferring knowledge to farmers, ranchers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to improve practice effectiveness. This webcast will also highlight linkages between USDA's CEAP project and US EPA's Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program. Most of the 13 watersheds studied in the analysis also have 319 projects.

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Clean Water Act

January 30, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"New Recreational Criteria to Better Protect Public Health"

  • Sara Hisel-McCoy, Director, Standards and Health Protection Division (SHPD), U.S. EPA's Office of Science and Technology
  • Dr. Sharon Nappier, Microbiologist, Human and Ecological Criteria Division, U.S. EPA's Office of Science and Technology
  • Tracy Bone, Environmental Scientist, Standards and Health Protection Division, U.S. EPA's Office of Science and Technology

Listen to this archived webcast to learn about EPA's new recreational water quality criteria. In fall 2012, EPA recommended new recreational water quality criteria for states that will help protect peoples' health during visits to beaches and other recreational waters year round. The science-based criteria provide information to help states improve public health protection by providing similarly protective recommendations for both marine and fresh waters, encouraging early alerts to beachgoers and promoting rapid water testing. The new criteria do not impose any new requirements; instead, they are a tool that states can choose to use in setting their own standards. For more information, visit the Recreational Water Quality Criteria website.

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March 21, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"History and Evolution of the Clean Water Act"

  • Rebecca W. Hanmer, U.S. EPA-Retired
  • William (Bill) Painter, Environmental Scientist, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1972 amendments to this landmark environmental law. The 1972 amendments built on a rich history of water quality legislation and marked an important step forward in addressing point sources of pollution. Later amendments to the Act led to addressing nonpoint sources of pollution as well using more holistic watershed-based strategies.

This webcast is the first in a series to commemorate the anniversary of the CWA. The Webcast will provide a brief introduction to the CWA including an overview of key components of the Act and some basic terminology. It will also include a brief history of the Act and some reflections on the evolution of the CWA. We will host additional webcasts this year on different aspects of the CWA such as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the National Nonpoint Source Program, the National Estuary Program and other aspects of the law.

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April 7, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Monitoring and Assessment Under the Clean Water Act"

  • Ellen Tarquinio, Environmental Protection Specialist, EPA's Monitoring Branch
  • William Painter, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Watershed Branch

This webcast focuses on key aspects of monitoring and assessment under the CWA including: 1) collection, assembly and evaluation of water quality data and other relevant information, 2) inferring current waterbody condition based on such data and information, and 3) determining whether or not individual waterbodies meet applicable state water quality criteria.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States. The statute employs a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff. These tools are employed to achieve the broader goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters so that they can support "the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water."

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September 10, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Introduction to Water Quality Standards"

  • Dr. Thomas Gardner, Environmental Scientist, U.S. EPA's National Water Quality Standards Branch
  • Heather Goss, Physcial Scientist, U.S. EPA's National Water Quality Standards Branch
  • William (Bill) Cole, Research Scientist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Water Quality Standards Unit

Join us for this webcast on an "Introduction to Water Quality Standards," the second in a series of webcasts on the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States and it sets broad goals for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's water. Water quality standards (WQS) are aimed at translating the broad goals of the CWA into waterbody-specific objectives.

Tune into this webcast to learn about WQS, which are the foundation of the water quality-based pollution control program mandated by the CWA. The webcast will highlight the three major components of state and tribal water quality standards e.g., designated uses, water quality criteria, antidegradation, and will include a case study of how one state is working to strengthen its WQS program. Future webcasts will highlight other aspects of the CWA including monitoring and assessment, total maximum daily loads, programs for managing point sources and nonpoint sources, and wetland protection.

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July 1, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Introduction to the Clean Water Act"

  • William Painter, Environmental Scientist, USEPA's Watershed Branch

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States. The statute employs a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff. These tools are employed to achieve the broader goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters so that they can support "the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water."

Join us for the first in a series of Webcasts on the CWA. This Webcast will provide an Introduction to the CWA including a brief history of the Act, an explanation of technology vs. water quality-based approaches, and a brief overview of key components of the Act and related EPA regulations. Future Webcasts will focus on key aspects of the CWA including water quality standards, monitoring and assessment, total maximum daily loads, programs for managing point sources and nonpoint sources, and wetland protection.

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April 19, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Opportunities for Citizen Involvement in the Clean Water Act"

  • Gayle Killam, River Network

This Webcast will highlight opportunities for citizen involvement in state and local implementation of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA provided specifically for public participation in most elements, yet groups and individuals working to protect and restore water bodies that matter to them may not know how to use the law in their efforts. To better inform citizens of the available CWA tools, this Webcast will focus on water quality standards and how they play into the development of the threatened and impaired waters list, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, Section 319 watershed plans, and development and implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).

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Climate Change

October 29, 2014 Webcast Seminar:
“Climate Resilience: What to Expect, How to Prepare, and What You Can Learn from Others”

  • Paul Fleming, Manager, Climate and Sustainability, Seattle Public Utilities
  • Dr. Michael Craghan, Lead, Climate Ready Estuaries, Office Of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. EPA
  • Kasey R. Jacobs, Partnership and Outreach Coordinator for the Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative and San Juan Bay National Estuary       Program – Project Coordinator for Climate Ready Estuaries

Join us for a webcast on climate resilience – the capacity of an individual, community, or institution to dynamically and effectively respond to shifting climate impacts while continuing to function at an acceptable level. This webcast will share findings from the most recent National Climate Assessment report concerning climate change and water resources. It will also discuss a new resource from EPA to help communities prepare for climate change impacts. The workbook Being Prepared for Climate Change: A Workbook for Developing Risk-Based Adaptation Plans helps users to create a vulnerability assessment and identify adaptation actions to address their vulnerabilities. The webcast will highlight how the workbook has been used in a pilot project with the San Juan Bay Estuary program. Take home messages from the Webcast include: climate impacts on U.S. water resources, risk-based adaptation planning and decision-making tools and lessons learned from the pilot project.

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May 17, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Saving Water & Energy — Reducing Greenhouse Gases by Improving Efficiency"

  • Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch, US EPA Office of Wastewater Management
  • Jason Turgeon, Environmental Protection Specialist, Energy and Climate Unit, US EPA Region 1
  • Wendy Wilson, Director, Water & Energy Programs for River Network

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has developed several programs in the water sector to help you and your communities make small changes that can lead to big reductions in greenhouse gases. Listen into this webcast to learn how US EPA's WaterSense program can help you find and select water-efficient products that can help your wallet and the environment. The webcast will also highlight actions that water and wastewater utilities can take to save water and energy. Finally, the webcast will include information about how grassroots organizations are getting involved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities.

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December 2, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Climate Change Adaptation Tools for Addressing Water Issues"

  • John Whitler, Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
  • Rebecca West, Deputy General Manager of Engineering and Technical Services, Spartanburg Water, South Carolina
  • Lisa Beever, Director, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Florida

Join us for a webcast on "Climate Change Adaptation Tools for Addressing Water Issues." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed several programs to help communities adapt to climate change including EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) program which provides resources for the water sector to develop and implement long-range plans that account for climate change impacts, and EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) program which works within the National Estuaries Program (NEP) to assess climate change vulnerabilities, engage stakeholders, implement adaptation strategies, and share lessons learned with other coastal managers. Tune into this webcast to learn more about these adaptation programs with case studies from Spartanburg, South Carolina water utilities on addressing climate change impacts including efforts to conduct a vulnerability assessment and stakeholder involvement, and from the Charlotte Harbor NEP which is developing climate change vulnerability assessments, adaptation plans, and indicators under the CRE program.

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October 27, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources"

  • Michael Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. EPA's Office of Water
  • Karen Metchis, Senior Climate Advisor, U.S. EPA's Office of Water
  • Lisa Beever, Director, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Florida

Join us for the "Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources" Webcast. Climate change has been identified as one of EPA's top priorities and the Agency is working to define strategies and actions to address climate change. EPA's "National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change" provides basic information on climate change, the water-related effects of climate change, and the implications for EPA's National Water Program. Tune into this Webcast to learn the latest about what EPA is doing, as well as how Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is developing climate change vulnerability assessments, adaptation plans, and indicators under EPA's Climate Ready Estuary (CRE) program

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May 13, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Wetlands and Climate Change"

  • Dr. Virginia Burkett, Global Change Research at the U.S. Geological Survey
  • Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey,
    Jim Powell, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
  • David VanLuven, The Nature Consevancy-Eastern NY Chapter

Today, the scientific consensus on global climate change is challenging our assumptions about water resources. Wetland habitats in particular are faced with unique challenges due to a number of factors including rising sea levels and variable temperature and precipitation patterns. The importance of wetland functions and ecosystem services will continue to grow as the climate changes. Webcast instructors will discuss the issue from diverse perspectives reflecting the multifaceted approach needed to address the problem. Join us to learn more about the latest research findings, effects on inland and coastal wetlands in Alaska and Maine, and collaborative planning efforts in the Hudson River Valley to build coalitions that support adaptation strategies to protect people and the environment.

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October 3, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Water, Energy, and Climate Change"

  • Susan Kaderka, National Wildlife Federation
  • Don Elder, River Network

Most people now understand that we have a climate problem, but few yet appreciate how big it is or what it will take to solve it. This Webcast will explore the dimensions of this global problem and frame the ensuing discussions about what water quality managers at the federal, state, and local level, along with the watershed protection community, can do to rise to the climate challenge. The speakers will discuss major opportunities to save water and energy together, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting climate change. Watershed practitioners, utilities, community leaders, and agency officials can all benefit from hearing about the profound implications of climate change on our water resources and what we can all do now to protect our future.

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Funding

April 17, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"Using the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund for Nonpoint Source and National Estuary Projects"

  • Stephanie vonFeck, Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Alice Rubin, Environmental Review Coordinator, Washington Department of Ecology
  • Dr. Curtis C. Bohlen, Director, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership"

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a large, flexible, and largely untapped source of funding for watershed protection projects. The CWSRF provides over $5 billion each year for traditional stormwater and wastewater projects, as well as over $200 million for nonpoint source projects, such as land conservation, agricultural best management practices, and clean-up of contaminated sites. Join us to hear more about how you can access the CWSRF for nonpoint source and National Estuary projects. This webcast is part of our series of webcasts in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.

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July 16, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Clean Water State Revolving Fund: What's in it for Watersheds?"

  • Stephanie VonFeck, Environmental Protection Specialist, USEPA's State Revolving Fund Branch
  • Patti Cale-Finnegan, CWA SRF Program Manager, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

At some point, citizens involved in watershed protection face the question — How do we pay for this? Most quickly realize that there are not enough grant funds to meet the needs for water quality projects. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is a large, flexible, and largely untapped source of funding for watershed projects. It provides over $5 billion each year for traditional stormwater and wastewater projects, as well as over $200 million for nonpoint source projects, such as land conservation, agricultural best management practices, and clean-up of contaminated sites. Join us to hear more about how you can access the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to protect your watershed.

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October 17, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Watershed Financing — Moving Beyond Grants"

  • Tim Jones, USEPA Coastal Management Branch
  • Dan Nees, World Resources Institute

Community leaders and local officials often focus watershed protection efforts on one or two funding sources, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's section 319 funds. This approach to funding is understandable given the complexity of the problems, issues, and potential solutions available. Finding public funds — usually in the form of grants — is often the easiest and least politically costly financing solution to very entrenched issues and problems. Yet, anyone with experience in designing and managing watershed restoration projects knows that there is not enough public funding or private grants to recover watersheds and habitat areas. Creating a watershed-financing plan that identifies and leverages sustainable funding sources is key to successful implementation of any community effort, including watershed restoration and protection. Essential elements of developing a watershed finance strategy and key steps in the financing planning process will be discussed. Concepts will be demonstrated through presentation of successful watershed finance case study examples.

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March 22, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Sustainable Financing for Watershed Groups"

  • Wendy Wilson and Pat Munoz, River Network

This webcast will explore how watershed groups can achieve long-term financial sustainability. Presenters will provide basic information about charitable giving and the most promising sources of funding for watershed groups. They will also review the essential elements your group needs to successfully raise money, examine productive fundraising strategies, and outline how to create a fundraising plan.

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February 15, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Plan2Fund: A Tool to Organize Your Watershed Funding"

  • Bill Jarocki and Amy Williams, Environmental Finance Center, Boise State University
  • Lee Napier, Deputy Director of Community Development — Grays Harbor County (WA) Department of Public Services

This webcast will help you get on the right fundraising track. Presenters will highlight several tools developed by the Environmental Finance Center to support watershed organizations in their long-term fundraising efforts. In addition, a real world example from the Pacific Northwest will show how the tools have been applied.

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Harmful Algal Blooms

September 25, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Linking Nutrient Pollution and HABs: State of the Science and EPA Actions"

  • Hans W. Paerl, Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Ellen Gilinsky, Senior Policy Advisor to the Acting Assistant Administrator in the Office of Water at EPA
  • Mario Sengco is a Physical Scientist in EPA’s Office of Science and Technology

Join us on September 25, 2013, for Linking Nutrient Pollution and HABs: State of the Science and EPA Actions, the fourth in an exciting series of free summer webinars about this worsening environmental problem and public health threat. Hans Paerl from UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences will begin by discussing the state of science regarding the link between nutrient pollution and HABs. Ellen Gilinsky and Mario Sengco from EPA’s Office of Water will then discuss the actions EPA is taking to address nutrient inputs as they relate to blooms, including criteria development and state nutrient reduction strategies. They will conclude by offering suggestions for the public on how to minimize nutrient contributions from everyday activities.

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August, 20, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"How to Track a HAB: New Technologies and Methods for Identifying and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms"

  • Steve Morton from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Don Anderson from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Join us on August 20, 2013, for EPA's Watershed Academy webcast on the identification and monitoring of harmful algal blooms. Don Anderson from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Steve Morton from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will continue the series with a discussion of innovative methods for identifying these algae and their blooms, and how both government and research institutions and even the public can help to monitor their outbreak and spread. This webcast series is a part of a broader outreach effort this summer that aims to focus public attention on harmful algal blooms, which are associated with nutrient pollution, and can sicken people and pets, devastate aquatic ecosystems, and be a detriment to the economy.

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July 25, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Perspectives on the Impact to Public Health of Harmful Algal Blooms"

  • Lorraine Backer, Environmental Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control
  • Andy Reich, Program Coordinator for Aquatic Toxins Program, Florida Department of Health

Join us on July 25, 2013, for "Perspectives on the Impact to Public Health of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). This webcast will discuss the various ways HABs threaten the health of people and animals, and what the public can do to stay healthy. Lesley Vazquez-Coriano, a HAB expert in EPA's Office of Science and Technology, will moderate.

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June 25, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"An Overview of Harmful Algal Blooms and their Impacts on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems"

  • Dr. Jennifer Graham, Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Dr. Quay Dortch, Coordinator, Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Join us for the first in a series about harmful algal blooms (HABs), a worsening environmental problem and public health threat. The presentation provides an introduction to HABs, their causes and their impacts.

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January 26, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution and Harmful Algal Blooms in Lakes"

  • Ken Wagner, Water Resource Manager, Water Resources LLC, Wilbraham, MA
  • Russ Gibson, Nonpoint Source Program Manager, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Join us for a webcast titled "Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution and Harmful Algal Blooms in Lakes." This webcast will highlight an emerging issue of nutrient enrichment leading to harmful algal blooms in lakes. The webcast will explain the connection between nutrients and harmful algal blooms such as blue green algal blooms. These algal blooms are causing loss of recreational uses including fishing, swimming and in some cases are resulting in increasing costs for drinking water treatment. The webcast will provide an overview of the issue and will present case studies on Grand Lake St. Mary's in Ohio and Lake Waco in Texas. This Webcast is a first in a series of Watershed Academy Webcasts on the important issue of nutrients and their impact on water resources.

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Lakes

July 15, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Healthy Lakeshores Through Better Shoreline Stewardship"

  • Fred Rozumalski, Landscape Ecologist, Barr Engineering Company
  • Liesa Lehmann, Waterway Protection Section Chief, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Barbara Welch, Outreach Coordinator, Land & Water Bureau, Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Join us for this exciting webcast in honor of Lakes Appreciation Month and learn about improving lakeshore habitat through better shoreline stewardship. EPA's first-ever assessment of the ecological condition of the nation’s lakes, the National Lakes Assessment, identifies poor lakeshore habitat and high levels of nutrients as leading stressors affecting the biological health of lakes. Experts from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maine will share innovative local and statewide lakeshore protection initiatives, touching on both voluntary and regulatory measures. All those who care about lakes—lake and homeowner associations, natural resource agencies, state and local governments, fishermen/women, realtors and others—are invited to learn about threats to our freshwater lakes and ways to make a difference. Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance. Participants are encouraged to download presentations prior to the webcast at Watershed Academy Webcast Seminars. More information on the National Lakes Assessment is available.

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January 5, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"National Lakes Assessment: Reporting on the Condition of the Nation's Lakes"

  • Sarah Lehmann, Team Leader for National Aquatic Resource Surveys, Monitoring Branch, EPA's Office of Water
  • Neil C. Kamman, Chief, Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment and Planning, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Join us for a Webcast to learn about the first-ever assessment of the condition of the nation's lakes. This draft report, the National Lakes Assessment: A Collaborative Survey of the Nation's Lakes, is available for public review and comment. The report shows that 56% of the nation's lakes support healthy biological communities. The report also identifies poor lakeshore habitat conditions and high levels of nutrients as widespread stressors impacting lake water quality in the United States.

Tune into this webcast to learn more about the National Lakes Assessment (NLA), which is the latest in a series of surveys of the nation's aquatic resources being conducted by EPA and its state and tribal partners. The NLA provides unbiased estimates of the condition of natural and man-made freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs greater than 10 acres and at least one meter deep. Using a statistical survey design, 1,028 lakes were selected at random to represent the condition of the larger population of lakes across the lower 48 states. The NLA presents data on the extent of lakes that support healthy biological communities, selected stressors impacting lake quality, and information on recreational indicators of lake condition such as microcystin, an algal toxin which can harm humans, pets, and wildlife. The NLA also reports on lake trophic status and includes comparisons of current data to 1972 data on wastewater-impacted lakes.

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Low Impact Development

Oct. 23, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
“National Stormwater Calculator”

  • Tamara Mittman, Environmental Engineer, U.S. EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management
  • Dr. Lewis Rossman, Environmental Scientist, U.S EPA’s Office of Research and Development
  • Olivia Odom Green, ORISE Fellow, U.S EPA’s Office of Research and Development

Join us for a webcast introducing U.S. EPA’s new National Stormwater Calculator. This new calculator is designed for property owners, developers, landscapers and urban planners. It can help users decide which stormwater management practices to install. The desktop application allows users to estimate the amount of stormwater runoff from a site using different practices such as a rain garden or a green roof. The tool uses local soil conditions, slope, land cover and historical rainfall records.

The Calculator is phase one of the Stormwater Calculator and Climate Assessment Tool package announced in the President’s Climate Action Plan. More climate scenarios will be added to the Calculator by the end of this year. You can download the calculator and view informational materials at the National Stormwater Calculator page.

Tamara Mittman of U.S. EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management will provide an introduction to the Stormwater Calculator and Dr. Lewis Rossman of U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory will give a demonstration of the calculator. Dr. Rossman was the lead modeler developing the tool and will take users through its important features. Olivia Odom Green, an ORISE Fellow in U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory, will describe how this tool was used to compare different stormwater utility credit programs in communities across the U.S.

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December 9, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Designing LID to Work: Lessons Learned from North Carolina"

  • Dwane Jones, Extension Associate, North Carolina State University, Cooperative Extension
  • Heather Burkert, RLA, LEEP-AP, H. Burkert & Co., Landscape Architect

Join us for the webcast on “Designing LID to Work: Lessons Learned from North Carolina.” North Carolina is a geographically diverse state spanning mountain, piedmont and coastal regions, making its low impact development (LID) implementation progress a model for many states across the country. North Carolina State University is a national leader in the study of LID and has advanced LID research and implementation, including the development of the state’s LID guidance, the “North Carolina LID Guidebook.” The NC State Cooperative Extension’s LID certification program also has the potential to be replicated nationally. This webcast will feature a discussion of barriers to LID implementation and the progress that is being made to address them from a “boots on the ground” perspective of the NC State Cooperative Extension, as well as a landscape architect who is making LID a reality.

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August 11, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Re-Visioning Landscapes with LID: The Houston Experience"

  • Justin Ring, PE, Senior Project Manager, Edminster, Hinshaw, Russ & Assoc.
  • Christopher Browne, LEED AP, Manager, Land Planning and Development Services, Edminster, Hinshaw, Russ & Assoc.
  • Frank Liu, President, Lovett Interests, Inc.
  • Robert C. Adair, President, Construction EcoServices

Join us for the "Re-Visioning Landscapes with LID: The Houston Experience" webcast. During the past winter, the Houston Land/Water Sustainability Forum sponsored a national Low Impact Development (LID) Design Competition. The competition was created to educate design professionals, decision makers and the public on the economic, environmental and quality-of-life positive impacts of LID. The design teams, most of whom had no previous experience with LID, created designs for three real developments being planned around greater Houston—a green roadway, urban redevelopment, and a suburban residential design. This webcast will feature participants from all portions of the competition—competition organizers, competition winners, and design judges. This webcast will also feature a discussion of the competition's ripple effect on Houston's design/build community as well as the building ordinances in Houston. The competition is spawning interest beyond Houston on the benefits of LID. See for yourself what's behind the buzz.

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February 18, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Green Roofs: Beautiful and Innovative Solutions to Stormwater Pollution"

  • Steven W. Peck, Founder and President of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
  • Robert D. Cameron, Center for Green Roof Research at Penn State University
  • Tom Liptan, Portand's Bureau of Environmental Services

Many communities across the country are struggling to address impacts from stormwater runoff on their water resources due to increased development. Innovative low impact development practices such as green roofs can help manage stormwater runoff very effectively and provide communities with beautiful amenities. In addition to capturing runoff, they help slow it down, thereby reducing the overall volume of runoff that can lead to flash flooding and streambank erosion. Aside from water quality benefits, green roofs add beauty and habitat in urban areas. They also help conserve energy, mitigate urban heat islands, and reduce a community's carbon footprint. Join us for this exciting Webcast to learn more about these natural solutions to water pollution. Our three expert speakers will discuss the benefits of green roofs and share their experiences as leaders/pioneers in the green roof movement in the United States and North America.

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December 3, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Using Rain Gardens to Reduce Runoff — Slow it down, spread it out, soak it in!"

  • Jenny Biddle, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Pamela Rowe, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection in Maryland
  • Lynn Hinkle, ASTRA Communications and Goin' Green

Many communities across the country are struggling to address impacts from stormwater runoff due to increased development. Green or low impact development practices such as rain gardens can help manage runoff effectively as well as provide aesthetic benefits. Rain gardens can increase property values, add beauty and habitat, reduce a community's carbon footprint, as well as provide important water quality benefits. Join us for this exciting Webcast to learn more about these natural solutions to water pollution. Our speakers will discuss the benefits of rain gardens and share their experiences with successful community rain garden programs.

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July 23, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Green Streets: From Gray Funnels to Green Sponges"

by Clark Wilson, Senior Urban Designer for Smart Growth Program, U.S. EPA and
  • Ellen Greenberg, Visiting Practitioner, University of California-Davis

This webcast discusses how communities can more effectively manage rainwater and snowmelt where it falls. Green streets can make great places, preserve water quality, and restore our nation's waterways. These and other practices including rain gardens, curb cuts, bioswales, and green roofs are helping many urban communities like Portland, Seattle, and Chicago address stormwater runoff as well as provide great aesthetic benefits. In addition, green streets and other environmentally-friendly landscape designs can help minimize urban heat island effect, reduce a community's carbon footprint, and cool the planet. Join us for this webcast to learn how your community can incorporate more green designs into long-term urban and transportation planning. Clark Wilson, the lead speaker for this webcast, presented this same topic as a podcast. Visit Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Audio programs (https://epa.gov/owow/podcasts/) to listen to the podcast.

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February 20, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Wastewater Utilities Using Sustainable Watershed Approaches"

  • Andy Crosland, Sustainable Infrastructure Coordinator, U. S. EPA
  • Kevin Shafer, Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
  • Stephanie Farrell, Engineering Services Coordinator, Hallsdale-Powell Utility District

As a nation, we have built an extensive network of infrastructure to provide the public with access to water and sanitation. Much of the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in the U.S. was built in the 30 years following World War II, mirroring the increase in population. Utilities are facing tremendous costs to rehabilitate and replace this infrastructure. EPA has a new initiative to promote Sustainable Infrastructure and help utilities identify the best practices to address a variety of management challenges. This Webcast will provide a brief introduction to EPA's Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative and will highlight the work of two utilities to use sustainable watershed management approaches.

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November 28, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure"

  • Geoffrey Anderson, Director, US EPA's Development, Community and Environment Division
  • Nancy Stoner, Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean Water Project
  • Noelle Mackay, Executive Director, Smart Growth Vermont

As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we still have considerable distance to travel toward achieving its goals. Increasingly, the challenges involve how and where communities grow — and how best to address the impacts of land use and development on water resources. Three practitioners in this Webcast will discuss how various Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure tools are being used at the regional, watershed and site levels to preserve, enhance, and protect our water resources. Our speakers will also discuss various approaches, including messaging, research, and partnering to ensure that these tools are successfully implemented.

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November 16, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Phase II Stormwater"

  • Nikos Singelis, Office of Wastewater Management, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC

The Clean Water Act Phase II NPDES Stormwater Program requires approximately 5000 communities around the country to develop and implement comprehensive stormwater management programs. Our regulations set forth a flexible framework described by "six minimum" measures, which include public education, public involvement, management of construction site runoff, management of permanent (or post-construction) stormwater runoff, detection and elimination of illicit discharges, and the application of stormwater and pollution prevention practices to the day-to-day municipal operations.

This Webcast will open with an overview of the Phase II requirements, noting particular areas where watershed groups can participate. Arguably, the most important part of the program is the permanent or post-construction minimum measure. The second part of the Webcast will focus on this measure and will provide an overview of what municipalities need to do to put these programs in place. We will also discuss how new ideas such as low impact development and smart growth can be integrated into these programs to help ensure that real water quality benefits are achieved.

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October 19, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Sustainable Watersheds"

  • Neil Weinstein, Executive Director, Low Impact Development Center, Beltsville, MD

Low Impact Development (LID) is a decentralized or source control approach to stormwater management that focuses on maintaining or restoring the hydrologic cycle functions in a watershed. This approach is causing many communities and organizations to reevaluate their stormwater programs to see how LID can be used as part of a comprehensive watershed protection and restoration strategy. This webcast will focus on how communities and institutions are using LID techniques to meet a wide range of water resource protection and community development objectives. It will feature Haymount, a large-scale Traditional Neighborhood Design community in Virginia that incorporates many LID techniques, and highlight other examples of LID designs and projects from throughout the country.

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Nutrient Management

November 30, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Nitrogen and Phosphorus Webinar Series: Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies"

  • Denise Keehner, Director, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Rosaura Conde, Biologist, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Steve Preston, Regional SPARROW Modeling Coordinator, U.S. Geological Survey

Join us for this webinar entitled “Nitrogen and Phosphorus Webinar Series: Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies.” This webinar will help states and others understand key tools they can use to combat this serious and growing environmental problem. Over the last 50 years, the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution entering our nation’s waters has escalated dramatically. For example, 30 percent of U.S. streams have high levels of N and P pollution. Also, reported drinking water violations for nitrates have doubled in the last eight years. The webinar will highlight tools that states can use to develop state N and P pollution reduction strategies. The webinar will demonstrate EPA’s new N and P Pollution Data Access Tool (NPDAT) that is designed to help states develop N and P reduction strategies. The webinar will also demonstrate the new, interactive SPARROW Decision Support System (DSS), designed by U.S. Geological Survey. The DSS can be used by water managers, researchers, and the general public to map long-term average water-quality conditions and source contributions by stream reach and catchment, as well as track N and P transport to downstream receiving waters, such as reservoirs and estuaries. The DSS is available online at the SPARROW Decision Support System.

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September 21, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Series: State and Local Policies to Restrict the Use of Lawn Fertilizers"

  • Ron Struss, Research Scientist, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
  • Bevin Buchheister, Maryland Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission
  • Dr. John Lehman, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan

Fertilizers, leaves, grass clippings, animal waste, and eroded soil are all sources of nutrients. When they are swept or washed into the street or nearest storm drain, they end up in your local lake or river where they can cause algal blooms and other water quality problems. This webcast will highlight legislation passed by Minnesota, Michigan and the Chesapeake Bay states to restrict the use of lawn fertilizers and will share key lessons learned. This webcast is one in a series on the important issue of nutrient pollution.

The presentation will be posted in advance at www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. Participants are encouraged to download the presentation prior to the webcast. Also, Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance.

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March 29, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Series: Nitrate in Ground Water"

  • Jill Jonas, Director, Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Audrey Eldridge, Coordinator for the Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  • Neil M. Dubrovsky, PhD, Chief, Nutrients and Trace Elements National Synthesis Project, National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA), U.S. Geological Survey

Join us for a webcast titled "Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Series: Nitrate in Ground Water." This webcast will highlight an emerging issue of increased nitrate loading to ground water, a growing national concern. According to EPA’s most recent data, public water systems using ground water as a drinking source serve about 105 million people nationwide. The total number of people drinking ground water increases when factoring in households supplied by private drinking water wells. Ground water can become contaminated by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) leaching from the land surface into the ground water supply. In a September 2010 report, Nutrients in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater, the U.S. Geological Survey monitored and documented nitrate levels above 10 mg/L, which is the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations through the Safe Drinking Water Act, in over 20 percent of shallow household wells in agricultural areas. Additionally, from 1998 to 2008, the number of nitrate violations recorded at public water systems around the country has nearly doubled. Surface sources of drinking water are also at risk as, for example, stormwater runoff can carry nutrients directly to rivers, lakes and reservoirs – some of which are used as drinking water supplies. Capital costs to remove nitrates from public water systems or to provide alternative water supplies for individual households can be very high, with some communities spending millions of dollars. The webcast will provide a national overview of the nitrate in ground water issue and highlight a case study in Oregon’s Southern Willamette Valley. This webcast is a second in a series of Watershed Academy Webcasts on the impacts of nutrients on water resources.

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March 1, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Managing Nutrients in the National Estuary Program"

  • Holly Greening, Executive Director, Tampa Bay Estuary Program
  • Kimberly Paulsen, Peconic Estuary Program Coord., Suffolk County New York Department of Health Services
  • Ed Lewandowski, Executive Director, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Join us for a webcast to learn about different approaches to nutrient management that are being used by several projects in the National Estuary Program (NEP). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's NEP includes 28 estuary projects, most of which are experiencing serious nutrient enrichment issues (see National Estuary Program for more information). This webcast will highlight how three NEP projects — Tampa Bay in Florida, Delaware Inland Bays in Delaware, and Peconic Bay in New York State — are addressing nutrient issues.

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January 5, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"National Lakes Assessment: Reporting on the Condition of the Nation's Lakes"

  • Sarah Lehmann, Team Leader for National Aquatic Resource Surveys, Monitoring Branch, EPA's Office of Water
  • Neil C. Kamman, Chief, Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment and Planning, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Join us for a webcast to learn about the first-ever assessment of the condition of the nation's lakes. This draft report, the National Lakes Assessment: A Collaborative Survey of the Nation's Lakes, is available for public review and comment. The report shows that 56% of the nation's lakes support healthy biological communities. The report also identifies poor lakeshore habitat conditions and high levels of nutrients as widespread stressors impacting lake water quality in the United States.

Tune into this webcast to learn more about the National Lakes Assessment (NLA), which is the latest in a series of surveys of the nation's aquatic resources being conducted by EPA and its state and tribal partners. The NLA provides unbiased estimates of the condition of natural and man-made freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs greater than 10 acres and at least one meter deep. Using a statistical survey design, 1,028 lakes were selected at random to represent the condition of the larger population of lakes across the lower 48 states. The NLA presents data on the extent of lakes that support healthy biological communities, selected stressors impacting lake quality, and information on recreational indicators of lake condition such as microcystin, an algal toxin which can harm humans, pets, and wildlife. The NLA also reports on lake trophic status and includes comparisons of current data to 1972 data on wastewater-impacted lakes.

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December 1, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"An Urgent Call to Action: Nutrient Innovations Task Group Report"

  • Ephraim S. King, Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water
  • Craig Cox, Midwest Vice President, Environmental Working Group
  • Walter L. Baker, Director, Utah Division of Water Quality, Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Nutrients have been identified as one of the top causes of water quality impairment in the United States. This webcast will present findings from the new report called An Urgent Call to Action: Report of the State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group posted at Water Science Home Page. Tune into this webcast to learn about this report, which characterizes the scope and major sources of nutrients, and includes recommendations to address the issue. The webcast will also include a presentation from the Environmental Working Group on effective ways to address nutrient pollution from agriculture. And finally, Utah's Department of Environmental Quality will share successful approaches to reduce nutrient pollution from agricultural livestock and municipal sewage treatment plants.

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October 7, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia"

  • Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. EPA
  • Nancy Rabalais, Ex. Director and Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
  • Darrell Brown, Associate Director, Oceans and Coastal Protection Division, U.S. EPA
  • John Kessler, Assistant Chief, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Ohio Department of Natural Resources

In 2008, the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico was the second largest on record - bigger than the State of Massachusetts, and the second largest in the world, after the Baltic Sea. This oxygen-depleted water, referred to as the hypoxic zone, is largely caused by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution mainly from the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basins. In 1997, a partnership of federal, state, and tribal agencies established the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force to understand the causes and effects of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and to coordinate activities to help reduce the hypoxic zone. The Task Force developed a 2001 Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In spring 2008, they completed a reassessment of the science, and in June released an updated 2008 Action Plan. Join us for this webcast to learn more about the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico, improvements in the 2008 Action Plan, and how EPA and other federal agencies and state agencies are implementing actions to reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin.

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March 19, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Managing Nutrients in Your Backyard and Your Community"

  • Steve Potts, Acting Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Criteria Team Leader, U.S. EPA
  • Ondine Wells, Statewide Builder and Developer Coordinator, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods
  • Mona Menezes, Stormwater Educator, City of Columbia, Missouri

Nutrient loading from nonpoint source runoff is a common problem in watersheds. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution continue to be included as top causes of aquatic ecosystem degradation across the nation. This webcast will examine the serious impacts on water quality from excess nutrients and will highlight two exceptional programs at the state and local level that encourage homeowners, businesses, and neighborhoods to adopt more sustainable practices to prevent harmful runoff from yards and lawns. Our first speaker will provide a description of the water quality problems associated with nutrients and a description of EPA's national program to set water quality criteria for nutrients, followed by state and community perspectives on nutrient management initiatives as alternatives to conventional lawn care practices. Join us for this webcast to learn how your community can encourage more sustainable lawn care practices to protect water resources.

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February 21, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Implementing TMDLs and Trading Through the National Estuary Program"

  • Darrell Brown, Chief, USEPA's Coastal Management Branch
  • Mark Tedesco, Director, USEPA's Long Island Sound Office
  • Gary Johnson, Senior Environmental Engineer, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

The National Estuary Program (NEP), established as part of the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act, is proud to be celebrating its 20th anniversary of protecting and restoring estuaries of national significance. The program promotes comprehensive planning efforts and actions to help protect 28 designated estuaries deemed to be threatened by pollution, development, or overuse. The NEP uses a proven approach of: focusing on specific watersheds, using science to inform decision-making, emphasizing collaborative problem solving, and involving the public. This webcast will provide an overview of the NEP and will show how it implements another key Clean Water Act program — the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program. It will include a case study of the Long Island Sound NEP, which has successfully used its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) as the basis for developing a TMDL. The webcast will also discuss the innovative trading program used in Long Island Sound that is reducing nitrogen loads faster and more cost effectively.

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Outreach and Education

October 27, 2011 Webcast Seminar:
"Conducting Effective Stormwater Outreach"

  • Don Waye, Nonpoint Source Outreach Coordinator, EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Holly Galavotti, Environmental Protection Specialist, EPA's Office of Water's Water Permit Division
  • Kathy Hoppe, Environmental Specialist, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management.

This webinar will help state and local agencies, municipalities, watershed groups and others design effective outreach initiatives. It will showcase EPA's Nonpoint Source (NPS) Outreach Toolbox, which offers a variety of stormwater TV, radio and print ads and other tools. Featured products cover: general stormwater, lawn and garden care, pet care, septic system care, motor vehicle care, and household chemicals. The webinar will also feature ThinkBlueMaine. This successful awareness and behavior change outreach effort by the ThinkBlueMaine partnership included the development and airing of a 30-second Public Service Announcement (Devil Ducks)and the creation of posters, doorhangers and other products. Recent survey results show a marked increase in public understanding and a willingness to take actions to protect water quality. Visit their website to see some of their effective products. Exit EPA Disclaimer

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August 15, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Earth Gauge™: Conveying Environmental Information Through the TV Weather Report"

  • Sara Espinoza, National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
  • Joe Witte, ABC 7 WJLA-TV

Since 2002, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has been working with broadcast meteorologists to add localized environmental content into the most-watched segment of the local news: the weather report. In partnership with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and others, NEEF is expanding the local weather report beyond the forecast by helping to transform broadcast meteorologists into "station scientists." NEEF's Earth Gauge™ program provides meteorologists with free, weekly environmental information for use on-air, which makes the connection between the local three-day forecast and environmental impacts on the community, while also giving viewers simple actions to take at home. The program also provides free online courses that provide a basis background on environmental topics, including watersheds. The Earth Gauge™ program, which is currently reaching more than 159 million viewers in 64 media markets, will be discussed as well as how meteorologists incorporate environmental content into their news weathercasts.

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July 18, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) & ART: Combining Science and Art"

  • T. Allan Comp, Director, Applachian Coal Country Watershed Team

Building constituencies across disciplinary and physical boundaries can be challenging in watershed work. A project called AMD&ART, winner of the 2005 Phoenix Award for community involvement, successfully combined both good science and art to make a difference in eastern coal country. Dr. Allan Comp, volunteer founder/director of the now-completed project, will discuss how he mobilized a community and a team of scientists, artists, and VISTA volunteers to implement treatment systems that also serve as recreational sites, art parks, educational centers, and historical sites. Thanks to funding and expertise from many stakeholders, including the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, AmeriCorps, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of Surface Mining, EPA and others, environmental and economic degradation due to Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) has been remediated using a multi-disciplinary approach. Join us for this inspirational Webcast and learn some valuable lessons from a true leaders in community-based watershed protection.

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June 28, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Influencing Behaviors Using Social Marketing"

  • Charlie MacPherson, Tetra Tech Inc.
  • Christopher Conner, Chesapeake Bay Program

Thanks largely to effective discharge regulations over the past 30 years, the quality of our water resources has improved dramatically. However, many human activities still have negative impacts on the quality of our waterways. Watershed practitioners increasingly rely on nontraditional approaches to encourage people to alter their everyday behaviors and help improve and protect our waters. These approaches include social marketing techniques, which apply traditional commercial marketing approaches to address social issues. Webcast instructors will provide an overview of social marketing principles and then proceed through the steps needed to make audiences aware of an issue, recognize audiences' underlying motivations, and encourage behavior change. A case study presentation will highlight the key social marketing principles used to change behaviors in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

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July 20, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Getting In Step: Developing Your Message and Publicizing it Effectively"

  • Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, VA

Is your message being heard? Is it being heard by the people who need to hear it? What makes people respond to or ignore environmental messages? The key to successful outreach campaigns is targeting your message to specific audiences and getting those audiences to respond to your message. This Webcast will review the basic building blocks for developing effective outreach campaigns with a special focus on the tools needed to identify and research target audiences, develop effective messages that will help achieve your objectives, and identify the most appropriate formats to display your message. The Webcast will also feature strategies and approaches for working with the media to inform and educate the public on various environmental issues.

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Tools and Data

April 23, 2014 Webcast Seminar:
"How's My Waterway: Making User-friendly Water Information Even Friendlier"

  • Douglas J. Norton, Environmental Scientist, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

Join us for this Webcast to learn about an enhanced version of “How's My Waterway,” an app and website to help people find information on the condition of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the continental United States from their smart phone, tablet or desktop computer.

The How's My Waterway app and website, uses GPS technology or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide information about the quality of local water bodies. The new version of the site includes data on local drinking water sources, watersheds and efforts to protect waterways, as well as a map-oriented version of "How's My Waterway" designed for museum kiosks, displays and touch screens.

The enhanced version includes new data and improvements based on user feedback to the original site, including localized information on:

  • The waterways that supply drinking water to communities.
  • The health of watersheds and organizations working to protect watersheds.
  • Permits that limit pollutant discharge into waterways.
  • Efforts to restore waterways to protect and improve fish habitats by the National Fish Habitat Partnerships.

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Nov. 19, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Re-engaging Your Volunteer Monitoring Organization"

  • Julie Vastine, Director, Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM)
  • Kris Stepenuck, Coordinator, Wisconsin Water Action Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program
  • Dr. Bill Deutsch, Emeritus Research Fellow, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University and Director, Alabama Water Watch

Are you a volunteer water monitoring coordinator who wants to keep your program strong and active for years to come? If so, take a moment to think about your group’s dynamics and structure. Have you achieved what you initially set out to do?  Has the momentum of the group faded? Are you wishing that someone else would step up and share the burden of leadership activities? If these questions resonate with you and/or your program, then this webcast is for you!

In the larger watershed community it is common for the energy and number of volunteers to ebb and flow. All too often groups form in response to an urgent issue or have strong momentum in the beginning, but then interest and motivation tapers off. Don’t worry, that is part of a natural organizational development progression. There are several ways to assess and address volunteer engagement lulls. This three-part webcast will look at volunteer engagement, efforts, and outcomes at the community, state, and national level.

The first part of the webcast will review go-to volunteer monitoring online forums and resources. The second part will look at volunteer recruitment and retention from the community group level then transition into discussing the findings and action items identified through the Alabama Water Watch 20-year assessment. In the third part of the webcast we will explore how our volunteer monitoring community is doing on a national level by looking at trends, successes, and outcomes. Through this interactive event, participants will learn about tools, resources, and strategies to re-engage their volunteer water monitoring program and celebrate our successes across the nation.

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April 3, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Draft National Rivers and Streams Assessment 2008-2009: A Collaborative Survey"

  • Susan Holdsworth, Chief, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch and Co-Chair of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council
  • Ellen Tarquinio, Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch

Join us for a webcast on the Draft National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) which is a study on the health of the nation's rivers and streams, from the largest "great rivers" to the smallest headwater streams. This draft study conducted by U.S. EPA and its state, tribal, federal and other partners was recently released, and is now available for public review and comment at National Aquatic Resource Surveys. This survey — the first of its kind in the nation — combines an assessment of the nation's rivers with the second national survey of small wadeable streams. The Webcast presents the key findings from the survey.

The survey uses a random sampling design to provide regional and national estimates of the condition of rivers and streams. States and tribes used consistent sampling and analytical procedures to ensure that results can be compared across the country and over time. NRSA is one of a series of surveys being implemented to periodically generate statistically-valid and environmentally relevant reports on the condition of the nation's water resources. These collaborative assessments are also intended to improve monitoring across jurisdictional boundaries and to enhance the ability of states and tribes to assess and manage water quality.

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March 13, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Water Quality Exchange: A Tool for Tribes, Volunteer Monitors and Others to Share WQ Data"

  • Susan Holdsworth, Chief, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch and Co-Chair of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council
  • Dwane Young, Senior Data Advisor, IT Team, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch
  • Michael Brennan, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow and IT Team, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch

Join us for a webcast to learn more about how Tribes, volunteer monitoring organizations and others can enter their water quality monitoring data into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Water Quality Exchange (WQX) and make the data available to the public via the Water Quality Portal. While the webcast is open to anyone, the focus of this webcast will be on simple methods smaller organizations can use to transfer their water quality data into WQX Web. WQX Web provides a framework for users with small data sets to share water quality monitoring data over the Internet.

WQX Web is a web-based data entry tool that enables data owners to upload their data to EPA's STORET Data Warehouse using a MS Excel spreadsheet. Once the data are in STORET, they can be safely stored and can be viewed and downloaded by a wide variety of potential data users. The webcast will help water quality program managers, data managers, and others understand WQX, how it relates to STORET and the Water Quality Portal, and how to begin submitting data using WQX Web.

For more information, visit:

The webcast included a slide presentation as well as a demonstration of how to enter water quality data into WQX Web.

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November 28, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"How's My Waterway? and Other Water Quality Apps"

  • Douglas J. Norton, Environmental Scientist, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Krystyn Tully, Vice President, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Toronto, Canada
  • Jared Robinson Criscuolo, Founder and Executive Director, Below the Surface

Join us for a webcast to learn more about the new "How's My Waterway" website and other water quality apps. These new apps have great potential to let users quickly learn about waterways anywhere. EPA recently launched a new website to help people find information on the condition of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their smart phone, tablet or desktop computer. The How's My Waterway (https://www.epa.gov/mywaterway) website uses mobile device location or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide information about the quality of local water bodies. This website was released on the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which Congress enacted on October 18, 1972, giving citizens a special role in caring for the nation's water resources. Forty years later, EPA is providing citizens with a technology-based tool to expand that stewardship.

The webcast will also highlight the SwimGuide app Exit EPA Disclaimer (http://www.theswimguide.org) which helps you find your closest beach and provides beach status information. Finally, the webcast will showcase the Riverview app Exit EPA Disclaimer (http://belowthesurface.org) which lets you share pictures of your favorite river and share information on its condition.

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October 23, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"Using the New Water Quality Portal"

  • Susan Holdsworth, Chief, U.S EPA's Monitoring Branch and Co-Chair of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council
  • Nate Booth, Lead Architect, Center for Integrated Data Analysis, U.S. Geological Surbey, Madison, WI
  • Charles Kovatch, STORET Team Leader, U.S. EPA's Monitoring Branch

Listen to this Webcast to learn more about the new Water Quality Portal (Portal) for water quality data - a team effort by the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC). The Portal brings together chemical, physical, and microbiological data from USGS's National Water Information System (NWIS) and EPA's Storage and Retrieval Data Warehouse (STORET) and provides it to scientists, policy-makers, and the public in a single, user-friendly web interface. The Portal reduces the burden to data users searching, compiling and formatting water monitoring data for analysis. This Webcast includes both informational presentations and a demonstration of the Portal. The Webcast also highlights EPA's Water Quality Exchange (WQX-Web) which is a web-based data entry tool that enables data owners to upload their data so the public has access to the data through the new Water Quality Portal.

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February 22, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"Recovery Potential Screening: A Tool for Comparing Impaired Waters Restorability"

  • Douglas Norton, Environmental Scientist, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
  • and Tatyana DiMascio, ORISE Fellow, Watershed Branch, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds

This webinar will help states, watershed groups and others become acquainted with a new website and methodology for analyzing and comparing restorability differences among watersheds. The website provides step-by-step screening directions, time-saving tools for calculating indices and displaying results, summaries of over 120 ecological, stressor and social indicators, a recovery literature database, and several case studies.Recovery Potential Screening was developed to assist complex planning and prioritizing, provide a user-customizable but systematic and transparent comparison approach, and help improve restoration program results. See the Recovery Potential Screening website.

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May 4, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Tools for Protecting Coastal Wetlands"

  • Dr. Bill O. Wilen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Danielle Bamford, The Baldwin Group on contract to NOAA's Coastal Service Center
  • Marcia Berman, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Join us for a special American Wetlands Month Webcast highlighting three valuable tools available for improving decision-making related to coastal wetland protection and restoration. A recent report shows that despite a national trend of net gain of wetlands in the conterminous United States, the coastal watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico lost 354,000 acres, or about 59,000 acres per year during the period from 1998-2004. This Webcast will provide information on several tools that can help address impacts on coastal wetland ecosystems from immediate impacts (development) to long-term (sea level rise) in order to help improve decision-making and provide readily accessible information to practitioners.

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April 15, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Watershed Central: A New Gateway to Watershed Information"

  • Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, US EPA's Nonpoint Source Control Branch
  • Kim Balassiano, Information Management Specialist, US EPA's Office of Environmental Information
  • Joe Williams, Supervisory Environmental Scientist, US EPA's Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Ada, OK

Many communities across the country struggle to find the right approaches, tools and data to include in their watershed plans. EPA recently posted a new Web site called Watershed Central, a "one-stop" tool, to help watershed organizations and others find key resources to protect their local watershed. Watershed Central helps users find environmental data, watershed models, local organizations, and guidance documents and other information depending on the task at hand. It also contains links to watershed technical resources and funding, mapping applications to help find information specific to named watersheds, and includes a "Watershed Wiki" that watershed practitioners may use to collaborate. Join us for this exciting webcast to learn about Watershed Central including instructions on how use the new Watershed Wiki.

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June 18, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"ATTAINS — A Gateway to State-Reported Water Quality Information"

  • Dwane Young, EPA's Monitoring Branch
  • Sarah Furtak and Shera Bender, EPA's Watershed Branch

EPA recently released a new Web site where water quality managers and the public can go to view a wide range of state-reported water quality information. This Web site, sometimes referred to as ATTAINS, combines two formerly separate databases: the National Assessment Database and the National Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tracking System. The National Assessment Database is for water quality assessment information reported by the states under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act, while the National TMDL Tracking System is for impaired waters information reported by the states under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. ATTAINS gives the "full story" showing which waters have been assessed, which are impaired, and which are being (or have been) restored. This Web site allows the user to view dynamic, continuously updated tables and charts that summarize state-reported information for the nation as a whole, for individual states and waters, and for the ten EPA Regions. Visit ATTAINS.

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January 16, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"The Wastewater Information System Tools (TWIST) for Managing Decentralized Systems"

  • Barry Tonning, Associate Director, Tetra Tech Inc.
  • Dr. Sabu Paul, Senior Environmental Engineer, Tetra Tech Inc.
  • Stephen Hogye, US EPA's Office of Wastewater Management

The Wastewater Information System Tool (TWIST) is a Microsoft Access based information management system developed for US EPA to help communities inventory and manage decentralized (i.e., individual and clustered) wastewater systems. The Webcast will provide an overview of watershed and water quality issues related to wastewater management, discuss treatment system options and management, and address the need for inventory systems such as TWIST. The Webcast will also provide an introduction on how to use TWIST and discuss how it can be used to track onsite and clustered sewage systems. Finally, the Webcast will also provide information on other tools for small communities and decentralized system users.

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June 21, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Using STORET Data to Characterize Your Watershed"

  • Randy E. Hill, IT Project Manager, US EPA Monitoring Branch
  • Dwane Young, IT Specialist, EPA Monitoring Branch
  • Kristen Gunthardt, IT Specialist, EPA Monitoring Branch

EPA's STORET program encourages and supports sound data management — a vital aspect of effective watershed planning and protection — no matter how large or small the organization. The National STORET Data Warehouse is EPA's Internet available repository of water quality data. It contains water quality data of all types — physical, chemical and biological — collected by federal agencies, states, tribes, watershed organizations, and universities. This Webcast will provide a brief overview of the STORET program and discuss the importance of data management to watershed protection. Speakers will offer a quick primer on how to access data from the STORET warehouse and use that data to characterize a watershed. Future developments in STORET — in particular, those relevant to watershed organizations — will also be discussed, as well as how individual organizations can get involved.

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May 2, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"The Watershed Plan Builder: EPA's New Interactive Web-based Tool Designed to Promote the Development of Comprehensive Watershed Plans"

  • Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Nonpoint Source Control Branch
  • Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc.
  • Vladi Royzman, Water Resources Scientist, Tetra Tech, Inc.

EPA has recently developed the Web-based tool, Watershed Plan Builder to help organizations develop integrated watershed plans to meet state and EPA requirements and promote water quality improvement. The Plan Builder leads you through a series of steps to produce a customized narrative outline of a wathershed plan for your watershed, populated with the relevant datasets, information resources and analysis tools. This tool is designed to get you started, providing a framework for your watershed plan and tips on what should be included in your plan and how to obtain additional information. Much of the instructional text in Plan Builder is taken from EPA's Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters, which was written to assist watershed planners in developing effective plans that will provide an anlytical framework to restore water quality in impaired waters and to protect waters that may be threatened. The Webcast instructors will provide background on the development of the tool, give an overview of the Plan Builder contents and then navigate through the Plan Builder in a live on-line demonstration.

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March 28, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Key EPA Internet Tools for Watershed Management"

  • Ansu John, Environmental Scientist, Tetra Tech, Inc.

EPA's Web sites include a wealth of information about the nation's waterbodies and this Webcast will help you learn how to access this information. Our information is housed in several "national databases" and this Webcast will demonstrate how to query, access and use the information. The Webcast will showcase a number of the Internet tools that EPA has developed to support development of watershed plans, provide watershed training and help you get nuts and bolts information about your watershed.

While some of the online tools are straightforward and perform simple functions, others offer capability for multiple-step queries to report information. Using simple screen shots and step-by-step explanations, the Webcast will explain how to do queries from some key EPA water-related databases, such as water quality standards, 303(d) listed impaired waters, assessed waters, STORET (water quality monitoring information) and discharge monitoring reports from permitted dischargers. The session will also provide instruction on using EnviroMapper, an online mapping application that provides an interactive data query interface to display water-related information on a map.

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January 17, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Using NEMO (Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials) to Advance Watershed Management"

  • Chet Arnold, Associate Director, Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), University of Connecticut
  • John Rozum, Director, Connecticut NEMO Project, University of Connecticut
  • Dave Dickson, Director, National NEMO Network, University of Connecticut

The Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program is national award-winning program that educates local land use decision makers on the links between land use and water resource protection. This Webcast will provide a thorough overview of the methods, impacts and educational offerings of the NEMO Program. The educational offerings, geospatial technology tools including build out scenarios, and local impacts of the Connecticut and other state programs will be discussed. The instructors will also describe the National NEMO NetworKan affiliated group of projects in 30 states, which may be available to help your watershed or local community.

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October 11, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Getting Started in Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring"

  • Linda Green, Program Director, University of Rhode Island Watershed Watch Program
  • Danielle Donkersloot, Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Throughout the world, trained volunteers provide an invaluable service: monitoring and providing data on the quality of rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands. This session will provide a primer on starting a volunteer water quality program. Instructors will discuss key steps to follow, questions to ponder, examples of success stories, and where the best resources are for further collected data. The data use tiers which are defined by the purpose of the program, the intended use of its data, and the intended data users. Also, learn about World Water Monitoring Day Exit EPA Disclaimer (http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org), celebrated every October to raise awareness about the importance of water quality monitoring.

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June 22, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas"

  • Thomas R. Schueler, Director of Watershed Research and Practice Center for Watershed Protection

Many communities in the U.S. are experiencing rapid growth and development, and a gradual decline in the quality of their aquatic resources. This Webcast will highlight effective tools communities can apply to minimize the impact of land development on their streams, lakes and estuaries. It will begin by showing how impervious cover (IC) is used as a key index of watershed development. Next, current research will be reviewed on the strong relationship between IC and more than twenty indicators on aquatic quality. This emerging research provides the technical foundation for the Impervious Cover Model (ICM) which will be discussed at length. The remainder of the Webcast will review the eight tools localities can apply to protect their subwatersheds-watershed planning, natural area conservation, buffers, better site design, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management practices, non-stormwater discharges and watershed stewardship. Emphasis is placed on the key watershed planning implications associated with the ICM model, and how the tools can be implemented at the local government level.

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Watersheds: Protection and Planning

Wednesday, March 18, 2015
“ELI/TNC Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects”

  • Dr. Rebecca Kihslinger, Wetlands Program Director, Environmental Law Institute, San Francisco, CA
  • Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, Wetlands Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Mark P. Smith, Deputy Director, North American Freshwater Program, The Nature Conservancy, Boston, MA
  • Nicholas Miller, Science Director, The Nature Conservancy, Madison, WI

Please join us for a webcast on The Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI’s) and The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) recently released handbook to advance the use of a watershed approach in the selection, design and siting of wetland and stream restoration and protection projects, including projects required by compensatory mitigation. This joint report called “Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects” is posted on ELI’s and TNC’s Website. The handbook was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other private funding sources.

The webcast will give listeners a broad overview of the handbook, which was developed to increase the use of a watershed approach to help ensure a holistic approach to wetland and stream restoration projects that also contribute to goals of improved water quality, increased flood mitigation, improved quality and quantity of habitat and increases in other services and benefits. The webcast will explain how the handbook provides a framework for how to carry out the watershed approach, defines a range of different approaches, and offers examples of how these approaches have been applied across the country. It will also feature a case study from Wisconsin.

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Jan. 14, 2014 Webcast Seminar:
"EPA's Healthy Watersheds Program Promotes Planning for Green Infrastructure at the Landscape Scale - A Case Study of New York"

  • Karen Engle, Green Infrastructure Coordinator, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Karen Firehock, Executive Director, Green Infrastructure Center Inc.
  • Amanda LaValle, Coordinator, Ulster County Department of the Environment

Join us for a webcast on planning for green infrastructure (GI) at the landscape scale, highlighting New York State's new GI planning guide. Green infrastructure in the context of landscapes is the interconnected natural systems and ecological processes that provide clean water, clean air, and critical wildlife habitat.  This webcast will help states and local governments understand the importance of planning to protect GI landscapes by using a strategic land­scape approach to open-space conservation.  By using this approach, local communities, landowners, and organizations work together to identify, design, and conserve their local land network,  and the multiple ecological and economic benefits it provides. A GI plan entails assessing an area's existing natural assets to determine the greatest priorities for protection and resto­ration, along with implementation strategies.

This three part webcast will introduce a landscape scale approach toward GI planning and provide a planning example conducted at the county level. The first part of the webcast will highlight why New York State sought to develop a GI plan and how they went about it. The second part will introduce the multiple benefits of GI and GI planning as a key tool to ensure that land use conservation decisions are made using the best available data and objective information. The webcast will conclude with a case study of GI planning in Ulster County New York. This example will highlight the various steps of GI planning and demonstrate how GI maps are created and evaluated. The case study will provide a planning model that may be replicated at other counties across New York and nationwide.

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May 1, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Using Social Indicators in Watershed Management Projects"

  • Dr. Linda Prokopy, Associate Professor, Natural Resources Planning, Purdue University
  • Dr. Kenneth Genskow, Associate Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Join us for a webcast on “Using Social Indicators in Watershed Management Projects.” Working with landowners and managers to find effective and practical solutions to water quality problems is crucial to achieving environmental goals. Social indicators provide information about the social context, awareness, attitudes, capacities, constraints, and behaviors in a watershed or project area. Using social indicators can help resource managers and conservation professionals understand target audiences, select effective interventions, and evaluate their impacts.

At the end of this Webcast, participants will understand some basic concepts of behavior change and have the tools to use a framework for using social indicators in nonpoint source management work.

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May 15, 2012 Webcast Seminar:
"USDA's NIFA - CEAP Watershed Synthesis: Lessons Learned"

  • Roberta Parry, Senior Agricultural Advisor, US EPA's Office of Water
  • Lisa Duriancik, Coordinator, Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Resource Assessment Division
  • Deanna Osmond, Professor and Department Extension Leader, Soil Science Department, NC State University.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) established university-led watershed-scale research and extension projects in support of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). CEAP addresses USDA's need to quantify the effects and benefits of agricultural conservation practices. This webcast will highlight a study led by North Carolina State University to analyze and synthesize key lessons learned from 13 of these watershed-scale projects on cropland and pastureland. The goal of CEAP Watersheds is to better understand how the suite, timing, and spatial distribution of conservation practices influence their effect on local water quality outcomes. The NIFA study also evaluated social and economic factors that influence implementation and maintenance of practices, as well as education critical to transferring knowledge to farmers, ranchers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to improve practice effectiveness. This webcast will also highlight linkages between USDA's CEAP project and US EPA's Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program. Most of the 13 watersheds studied in the analysis also have 319 projects.

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October 13, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"EPA's Healthy Watersheds Initiative: Protecting Our High Quality Waters and Watersheds"

  • Laura Gabanski, Healthy Watersheds Initiative Lead, U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
  • Rick Hill Planning and Policy Manager, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
  • Stephen Stanley, Project Manager, Puget Sound Characterization Project, Washington Department of Ecology SEA Program

Listen to this exciting webcast on the new Healthy Watersheds Initiative. While most EPA water quality programs have focused on restoring impaired waters, the new Healthy Watersheds Initiative encourages states, local governments, watershed organizations and others to protect and maintain healthy waterbodies as well. Healthy watersheds provide our communities with drinking water, recreational opportunities, environmental benefits and services, including clean water for healthy aquatic ecosystems, habitat for fish and wildlife, and better resilience against storms and floods, climate change and future land use changes. Protecting healthy watersheds will result in considerable savings over time if the need for costly restoration can be avoided in watersheds that would otherwise become impaired by cumulative impacts of multiple stressors. Listen to this webcast to learn what tools EPA is developing to help promote Healthy Watersheds and to hear about what several states are doing to protect their healthy watersheds.

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September 15, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"A Watershed Dialogue: How Can We Build the Capacity and Effectiveness of Watershed Groups"

  • Don Waye, Capacity Building Team Lead, EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
  • Wendy Wilson, National Director of Organizational Development, River Network, Hye Yeong Kwon, Executive Director, Center for Watershed Protection
  • Christine Olsenius, Executive Director, Southeast Watershed Forum
  • Glynnis Collins, Executive Director, Prairie Rivers Network

Join us for "A Watershed Dialogue: How Can We Build the Capacity and Effectiveness of Watershed Groups?" This webcast will feature an exchange of ideas on supporting local stakeholder efforts to protect and restore watersheds. Our panelists will discuss how EPA and other organizations are addressing the needs of watershed groups by providing technical tools and support to the local level and what more could be done. This is an opportunity for watershed groups and anyone involved in water protection and restoration efforts to share their views on how we can improve our collective effectiveness.

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April 10, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Monitoring Watershed Program Effectiveness"

  • Steven A. Dressing, Senior Scientist, Tetra Tech Inc.
  • Donald W. Meals, Senior Scientist, Tetra Tech Inc.

There is increasing emphasis on evaluating the results of our efforts to control nonpoint source pollution on a watershed basis. Evaluation must be an ongoing part of any watershed management, based on proper design and data collection. Three types of data are needed to evaluate watershed management projects: administrative, social and environmental. Evaluation or effectiveness monitoring is designed to measure the actual impact of management decisions, such as implementation of nutrient management practices (administrative, social) and resulting impacts of nutrient levels (environmental) in the waterbody. Environmental monitoring needs to focus on specific variables, take place in specific locations, and at minimum frequencies to provide a measure of whether and to what extent the water quality problems are being addressed. Instructors will present an overview of watershed monitoring, three watershed effectiveness monitoring designs, and identify issues to be considered when developing effectiveness monitoring programs.

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November 29, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Integrating Drinking Water into Watershed Protection"

  • Beth Hall, Environmental Protection Specialist, US EPA´s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
  • Sheree Stewart, Drinking Water Protection Coordinator, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  • Christopher Crockett, Manager of Watershed Protection, Philadelphia Water Department

This webcast will provide a primer on public water supplies and the recently completed source water assessments mandated by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes or underground aquifers that is used to provide public drinking water and to supply private wells. While the source water assessments were required and funded, responsibility for implementing protection measures resides at the state, local and utility level. Instructors will discuss how they have integrated source water protection into their programs by using technical assistance, partnerships, tools available through the Clean Water Act and other programs, and by collaborating with watershed and smart growth efforts.

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September 20, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Using Brownfields Grants for Watershed Restoration and Revitalization"

  • Wendy Jackson, Executive Director of Freshwater Land Trust
  • Camilla Warren, EPA Brownfields Project Manager for Alabama

This webcast highlights funding available to states, communities, and other stakeholders under the Brownfields Program. The Brownfields Program works with these groups to assess, safely clean up, and reuse Brownfields. "Brownfields" are lands that typically have hazardous substances and which are redeveloped and reused under this program. The webcast showcases the Black Warrior-Cahaba Rivers Land Trust in Jefferson County, Alabama, which has received a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant for the Five Mile Creek Project.

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July 19, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Benefits of Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting"

  • Patrick Bradley and Jennifer Molloy, EPA's Water Permits Division
  • Bob Steidel, City of Richmond Department of Public Works
  • Federico Maisch, Greely & Hansen

EPA is encouraging a watershed-based approach to permitting and is promoting this through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program. EPA recently issued several policy memos and guidance to promote watershed-based permitting. Webcast instructors will discuss the benefits of watershed-based permitting, present an explanation of the process and several mechanisms to implement watershed-based permitting, and outline how EPA will encourage this approach. The instructors will also discuss issues related to managing stormwater and other wet weather related impacts and present a case study related to activities in the City of Richmond, VA designed to move toward a watershed-based approach.

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January 18, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Using EPA's Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters"

  • Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc., Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, U.S. EPA NPS Control Branch
  • Leslie Shoemaker, Water Resources Engineer, Tetra Tech, Inc.
  • Barry Tonning, Policy Analyst, Tetra Tech, Inc.

EPA has recently developed the Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters to assist watershed planners in developing effective plans that will provide an analytical framework to restore water quality in impaired waters and to protect waters that may be threatened. The webcast instructors will provide an overview of the Handbook contents, and then proceed through each of the steps needed to develop and implement watershed plans. Throughout the webcast, the instructors will address some of the most common questions that arise in developing watershed plans such as: How do I know when I have enough data? What if our watershed group doesn't have the skills to do many of these analyses? How do I know if I've met the requirements to qualify for section 319 funding? There will also be opportunities to ask questions about the Handbook and watershed planning in general.

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December 14, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection"

  • Lynda Hall, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC
  • Sonja Biorn-Hansen, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about water quality trading, also known as effluent trading or "cap and trade." Have you ever wondered what water quality trading is and how it works? This Webcast will cover the basics of trading — where it's happening around the country, why watershed stakeholders might be interested in adopting trading programs, and the rudiments of how such programs work. We'll cover questions like: Who are likely credit buyers and sellers? How is the cap determined and how do trades ensure that the cap is met? How can one avoid hot spots? Why is trading most likely to be used for nutrient reduction? How can we determine whether trading is likely to meet the water quality goals of a particular watershed? We will also describe the Willamette Partnership, a case study example of a water quality trading program addressing temperature problems within a large river basin.

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November 16, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Phase II Stormwater"

  • Nikos Singelis, Office of Wastewater Management, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC

The Clean Water Act Phase II NPDES Stormwater Program requires approximately 5000 communities around the country to develop and implement comprehensive stormwater management programs. Our regulations set forth a flexible framework described by "six minimum" measures, which include public education, public involvement, management of construction site runoff, management of permanent (or post-construction) stormwater runoff, detection and elimination of illicit discharges, and the application of stormwater and pollution prevention practices to the day-to-day municipal operations.

This webcast will open with an overview of the Phase II requirements, noting particular areas where watershed groups can participate. Arguably, the most important part of the program is the permanent or post-construction minimum measure. The second part of the webcast will focus on this measure and will provide an overview of what municipalities need to do to put these programs in place. We will also discuss how new ideas such as low impact development and smart growth can be integrated into these programs to help ensure that real water quality benefits are achieved.

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September 18, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"The ABCs of TMDLs for Stakeholders"

  • Bruce Zander, TMDL Coordinator, EPA Region 8, Denver, CO

Over the last decade, the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program has gone from a fairly quiet water quality planning program to a program found in just about every water quality manager´s toolbox. A simple GoogleT search for "total maximum daily loads" now exceeds two million hits in less than a second. What is this program and why all the attention? Who develops TMDLs, why do they develop them and how do they fit into the watershed process? What is a "303(d)" list and "integrated report" and why should we pay attention to these? This webcast will provide an introduction to the 303(d)-listing and TMDL programs. Case examples will illustrate the various principles of the TMDL program and how this program is being used to guide water quality control decisions in both the point source and nonpoint source arenas. The webcast will also describe how you can be involved in the 303(d) listing and TMDL development efforts in your watershed.

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June 22, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas"

  • Thomas R. Schueler, Director of Watershed Research and Practice Center for Watershed Protection.

Many communities in the U.S. are experiencing rapid growth and development, and a gradual decline in the quality of their aquatic resources. This webcast will highlight effective tools communities can apply to minimize the impact of land development on their streams, lakes and estuaries. It will begin by showing how impervious cover (IC) is used as a key index of watershed development. Next, current research will be reviewed on the strong relationship between IC and more than twenty indicators on aquatic quality. This emerging research provides the technical foundation for the Impervious Cover Model (ICM) which will be discussed at length. The remainder of the webcast will review the eight tools localities can apply to protect their subwatersheds-watershed planning, natural area conservation, buffers, better site design, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management practices, non-stormwater discharges and watershed stewardship. Emphasis is placed on the key watershed planning implications associated with the ICM model, and how the tools can be implemented at the local government level.

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June 22, 2005 Webcast Seminar:
"Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas"

  • Thomas R. Schueler, Director of Watershed Research and Practice Center for Watershed Protection

Many communities in the U.S. are experiencing rapid growth and development, and a gradual decline in the quality of their aquatic resources. This Webcast will highlight effective tools communities can apply to minimize the impact of land development on their streams, lakes and estuaries. It will begin by showing how impervious cover (IC) is used as a key index of watershed development. Next, current research will be reviewed on the strong relationship between IC and more than twenty indicators on aquatic quality. This emerging research provides the technical foundation for the Impervious Cover Model (ICM) which will be discussed at length. The remainder of the Webcast will review the eight tools localities can apply to protect their subwatersheds-watershed planning, natural area conservation, buffers, better site design, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management practices, non-stormwater discharges and watershed stewardship. Emphasis is placed on the key watershed planning implications associated with the ICM model, and how the tools can be implemented at the local government level.

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Wetlands

May 14, 2014 Webcast Seminar:
"Living Shorelines - Types, Tools, and Techniques"

  • Tracy Skrabal, Senior Coastal Scientist and Southeast Regional Manager, North Carolina Coastal Federation
  • Pam Mason, Senior Coastal Management Scientist, Center for Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
  • Dr. Danielle Kreeger, Science Director, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE)

Join us for a webcast on living shorelines - erosion control practices that protect the natural structure and function of shorelines through strategic placement of materials including native plants, sand, and stone. Unlike traditional erosion control structures (such as bulkheads and seawalls), living shorelines can stabilize shorelines while maintaining natural processes and land-water connections that are important for wildlife and clean water. This webcast will introduce living shoreline projects and explain the values of such projects and their implementation methodologies. Important points to be covered include: site selection criteria, appropriate techniques for differing energy regimes, innovative practices, and implementation tools.

This webcast is being held in celebration of American Wetlands Month. For more information you can see the May is American Wetlands Month site. Living shorelines help maintain wetlands by incorporating them into their design when appropriate and by allowing an opportunity for wetlands to migrate in response to sea level rise.

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April 7, 2014 Webcast Seminar:
"Waters of the U.S. Proposed Rule"

  • Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, Office of Water, U.S. EPA
  • Donna Downing, Jurisdiction Team Leader, Wetlands Division, U.S. EPA

Join us to learn more about the recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) jointly released proposed rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation’s water resources. The proposed rule will benefit businesses by increasing efficiency in determining coverage of the Clean Water Act. This Webcast will provide a broad overview of the proposed rule and its costs and benefits. View the proposed rule.

Determining Clean Water Act protection for streams and wetlands became confusing and complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006. For nearly a decade, members of Congress, state and local officials, industry, agriculture, environmental groups, and the public have asked for a rulemaking to provide clarity.

The proposed rule clarifies protection for streams and wetlands. The proposed definitions of waters will apply to all Clean Water Act programs. It does not protect any new types of waters that have not historically been covered under the Clean Water Act and is consistent with the Supreme Court’s more narrow reading of Clean Water Act jurisdiction.

"We are clarifying protection for the upstream waters that are absolutely vital to downstream communities," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said when the rule was released March 25. "Clean water is essential to every single American, from families who rely on safe places to swim and healthy fish to eat, to farmers who need abundant and reliable sources of water to grow their crops, to hunters and fishermen who depend on healthy waters for recreation and their work, and to businesses that need a steady supply of water for operations."

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Sept. 17, 2013 Webcast Seminar:
"Wetlands Supplement: Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Planning"

  • Kerryann Weaver, Environmental Scientist, US EPA Region 5
  • Chad Fizzell, Wetlands GIS Specialist, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
  • Siobhan Fennessy, Professor, Kenyon College

Join us for a webcast on the "Wetlands Supplement: Incorporating Wetlands into Watershed Planning." This new document published by U.S. EPA Region 5 is a supplement to U.S. EPA's Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters and is intended to encourage the inclusion of proactive wetland management in the watershed planning process. Wetlands are the crucial link between the land and water and play an integral role in the healthy functioning of watersheds. The Supplement promotes using a watershed approach that protects existing freshwater wetlands and maximizes opportunities to use restored, enhanced, and created freshwater wetlands to address problems including habitat loss, hydrological alteration, and water quality impairments. This new document is available at:  EPA Region 5 Wetlands Supplement: Incorportating Wetlands into Watershed Planning (PDF) (130 pp, 2MB).

KerryAnn Weaver of U.S. EPA Region 5 will provide an overview of the Supplement and Chad Fizzell of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will discuss an approach Michigan has developed to help watershed groups assess the location, condition and function of wetlands as part of the watershed planning process. Siobhan Fennessy, a Professor at Kenyon College, will discuss an approach that identified a suite of sites and then predicted their suitability for restoration in the Cuyahoga River watershed in northern Ohio.  Both are case studies highlighted in the Wetlands Supplement.

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May 4, 2010 Webcast Seminar:
"Tools for Protecting Coastal Wetlands"

  • Dr. Bill O. Wilen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Danielle Bamford, The Baldwin Group on contract to NOAA's Coastal Service Center
  • Marcia Berman, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Join us for a special American Wetlands Month webcast highlighting three valuable tools available for improving decision-making related to coastal wetland protection and restoration. A recent report shows that despite a national trend of net gain of wetlands in the conterminous United States, the coastal watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico lost 354,000 acres, or about 59,000 acres per year during the period from 1998-2004. This webcast will provide information on several tools that can help address impacts on coastal wetland ecosystems from immediate impacts (development) to long-term (sea level rise) in order to help improve decision-making and provide readily accessible information to practitioners.

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May 28, 2009 Webcast Seminar:
"Wetlands & Reconnecting Youth with Nature"

  • Richard Louv, Chairman of the Children and Nature Network
  • Suzanne Pittenger-Slear, President and CEO of Environmental Concern Inc.
  • Davon Kenneth Johnson, Earth Conservation Corps

As more Americans dwell in cities and suburbs, our society has become increasingly distanced from the natural world. More sedentary lifestyles, a reliance on electronic devices for creative play and entertainment, more structured "free-time" and less opportunity to explore outside have only added to this separation for children. The absence of everyday connections with nature can have a very negative effect � if our youth don't have meaningful experiences with nature, how will they come to care for and appreciate it and spearhead the next generation of environmental stewardship? Join us for a special American Wetlands Month webcast as we explore this issue, hear from distinguished speakers about their efforts to change these trends, and discuss the unique role wetlands can play in reconnecting young people with nature.

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May 13, 2008 Webcast Seminar:
"Wetlands and Climate Change"

  • Dr. Virginia Burkett, Global Change Research at the U.S. Geological Survey
  • Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey, Jim Powell, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
  • David VanLuven, The Nature Consevancy-Eastern NY Chapter

Today, the scientific consensus on global climate change is challenging our assumptions about water resources. Wetland habitats in particular are faced with unique challenges due to a number of factors including rising sea levels and variable temperature and precipitation patterns. The importance of wetland functions and ecosystem services will continue to grow as the climate changes. Webcast instructors will discuss the issue from diverse perspectives reflecting the multifaceted approach needed to address the problem. Join us to learn more about the latest research findings, effects on inland and coastal wetlands in Alaska and Maine, and collaborative planning efforts in the Hudson River Valley to build coalitions that support adaptation strategies to protect people and the environment.

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October 3, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Water, Energy, and Climate Change"

  • Susan Kaderka, National Wildlife Federation
  • Don Elder, River Network

Most people now understand that we have a climate problem, but few yet appreciate how big it is or what it will take to solve it. This Webcast will explore the dimensions of this global problem and frame the ensuing discussions about what water quality managers at the federal, state, and local level, along with the watershed protection community, can do to rise to the climate challenge. The speakers will discuss major opportunities to save water and energy together, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting climate change. Watershed practitioners, utilities, community leaders, and agency officials can all benefit from hearing about the profound implications of climate change on our water resources and what we can all do now to protect our future.

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September 26, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Assessing Wetlands Loss/Conditions and Restoration"

  • Kerry St. Pe, Executive Director, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
  • Michael Scozzafava, Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA
  • Jan Smith, Director, Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program

Coastal wetlands play an integral role in the health of our nation's waters and our nation's fisheries. In addition, they buffer coastal communities against the impacts of storms and sea level rise due to global climate change. Coastal managers and others interested in protecting wetlands can learn from this webcast presentation, which will highlight two National Estuary Programs impacted by significant wetlands losses.

Kerry St. Pe, Director of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and Jan Smith, Director of the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program, will discuss methods for assessing the condition of wetlands, measuring wetlands loss, and techniques for restoring coastal wetlands. This webcast will also examine EPA's wetlands monitoring and assessment efforts at a national scale, including a discussion of the National Wetland Condition Assessment.

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May 23, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"Long-Term Stewardship of Wetlands Mitigation Sites"

  • Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Wetlands Division
  • Rebecca Kihslinger, Science and Policy Analyst, Environmental Law Institute
  • Deborah Rogers, Director of Conservation Science, Center for Natural Lands Management

Land trusts and other conservation organizations often take over the long-term stewardship responsibilities for wetlands, streams and other aquatic resources that are restored, enhanced, created or preserved as compensatory mitigation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Before taking on such responsibility, these organizations should be well armed with the skills necessary to navigate the Section 404 program. This webcast will discuss the basics of the Section 404 program as well as the basics of compensatory mitigation, including mitigation policy, mitigation methods and mitigation mechanisms. Speakers will also provide an overview of the roles and risks of becoming involved in mitigation. Finally, the speakers will provide a review of methods to evaluate stewardship tasks, calculate an adequate long-term stewardship endowment and guarantee long-term funding.

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May 2, 2007 Webcast Seminar:
"The Watershed Plan Builder: EPA's New Interactive Web-based Tool Designed to Promote the Development of Comprehensive Watershed Plans"

  • Stuart Lehman, Environmental Scientist, EPA's Nonpoint Source Control Branch
  • Charlie MacPherson, Public Outreach Specialist, Tetra Tech, Inc
  • Vladi Royzman, Water Resources Scientist, Tetra Tech, Inc.

EPA has recently developed the web-based tool, Watershed Plan Builder to help organizations develop integrated watershed plans to meet state and EPA requirements and promote water quality improvement. The Plan Builder leads you through a series of steps to produce a customized narrative outline of a wathershed plan for your watershed, populated with the relevant datasets, information resources and analysis tools. This tool is designed to get you started, providing a framework for your watershed plan and tips on what should be included in your plan and how to obtain additional information. Much of the instructional text in Plan Builder is taken from EPA's Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters, which was written to assist watershed planners in developing effective plans that will provide an anlytical framework to restore water quality in impaired waters and to protect waters that may be threatened. The webcast instructors will provide background on the development of the tool, give an overview of the Plan Builder contents and then navigate through the Plan Builder in a live on-line demonstration.

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May 17, 2006 Webcast Seminar:
"Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Protection"

  • Tom Schueler, Center for Watershed Protection

In celebration of American Wetlands Month, this webcast will explore key ways of integrating wetland protection into local watershed management efforts. The focus will be on wetlands located in rural, suburban and urban settings and how they are directly and indirectly impacted by land development. The webcast will describe how the eight tools of watershed protection can be adapted to strengthen wetland protection, conservation and restoration.

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