40 Gallon Challenge Encourages Citizens and Businesses to Reduce Water Use

The 40 Gallon Challenge is an initiative started in 2011 to encourage citizens and businesses to reduce water use by an average of 40 gallons per person per day.  The 40-gallon amount was targeted because 40 gallons/day amounts to over 1000 gallons per month, and water-use bills are often reported in 1000-gallon increments.  The program’s Web site, at http://www.40gallonchallenge.org/, lets users choose a state and enter a water-reduction pledge amount, and it shows the number of pledges and amount of reductions pledged by state and nationwide.  The site also lists links to state Web sites providing water-saving information.  Water-conservation information from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is available online at http://www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/PollutionPrevention/VirginiaGreen/ResourcesLinks/Water.aspx.  The 40 Gallon Challenge is coordinated by by the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture at the University of Georgia (online at http://apps.caes.uga.edu/urbanag/) and the Southern Regional Drinking Water Program, headquartered at Texas A&M University (online at http://srwqis.tamu.edu/) and its Rural-Urban Interface Education Program Team.

U.S. EPA Asking Public for Hydraulic Fracturing Research Related to Drinking Water Resources; Deadline to Submit Data or Studies is Nov. 15, 2013

On April 30, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had extended from April 30 to November 15, 2013, its deadline for accepting data and scientific literature from the public for the agency’s study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking-water resources.  Following is the EPA’s background statement on its request for information, from the Federal Register notice of the deadline extension, online at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/04/30/2013-10154/request-for-information-to-inform-hydraulic-fracturing-research-related-to-drinking-water-resources.

“In response to public concern, the U.S. Congress urged the EPA to conduct scientific research to examine the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources.  The EPA currently has underway a study to understand the potential impacts, if any, of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources and to identify the driving factors that may affect the severity and frequency of any such impacts.

“The scope of the study includes the full hydraulic fracturing water lifecycle—from water acquisition, through the mixing of chemicals and injection of fracturing fluids, to the post fracturing stage, including the management of flowback and produced water and its ultimate treatment and disposal.  The study includes a review of the published literature, analysis of existing data, scenario evaluation and modeling, laboratory studies and case studies.  A copy of the EPA document entitled, Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources: PROGRESS REPORT can be found on the Internet at: http://epa.gov/hfstudy/pdfs/hf-report20121214.pdf.

“To ensure that the EPA is up-to-date on evolving hydraulic fracturing practices and technologies, the EPA is soliciting relevant data and scientific literature specific to potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.  While the EPA conducts a thorough literature search, there may be studies or other primary technical sources that are not available through the open literature.  The EPA would appreciate receiving information from the public to help inform current and future research.   Consistent with our commitment to using the highest quality information, The EPA prefers information which has been peer reviewed.  Interested persons may provide scientific analyses, studies, and other pertinent scientific information, preferably information which has undergone scientific peer review.  The EPA will consider all submissions but will give preference to all peer reviewed data and literature sources.”

Report on Groundwater Governance in United States Released in May 2013 by University of Arizona

In May 2013, the University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center and Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy released the first report in their “Groundwater Governance in the U.S.” project.  The report, “Summary of Initial Survey Results,” presents findings from a survey of state agency officials, conducted between November 2012 and February 2013.  (Please note that the Virginia Water Resources Research Center completed the survey for Virginia.)  According to the report’s summary, among the findings in the survey were the following: “great diversity in…the scope and extent of groundwater use across the states,” ranging from 3 to 95 percent of human water needs met by groundwater, depending on the state; regional differences within states in groundwater use; the presence of formal groundwater laws and regulations in about 96 percent of states, but “a great diversity in terms of users of groundwater subject to state groundwater regulations”; “diverse tools to manage groundwater use and quantity”; variation in groundwater governance priorities among states; “significant variance in…[state law] recognizing the connection between surface [water] and groundwater…”; differences in capacity of agencies to carry out groundwater-related policies and responsibilities; and differences in public access to groundwater information.  The report is available online at https://wrrc.arizona.edu/groundwater; or contact the or contact the Arizona center at (520) 621-9591, or e-mail: wrrc@cals.arizona.edu.

Susquehanna River Science is Focus of Oct. 7-8, 2013, Forum in Harrisburg, Penn.

On October 7-8, 2013, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) will hold the 2013  Susquehanna Water Science Forum.  The Susquehanna River, which flows from Cooperstown, N.Y., to Havre de Grace, Md., is the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.  Its watershed covers 27,510 square miles, according to the SRBC.  For more information on the forum: http://www.srbc.net/waterscienceforum/index.htm; phone (717) 238-0423; e-mail: srbc@srbc.net.

The Susquehanna River watershed. Map from the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, accessed at http://www.baygateways.net/map_susquehanna.cfm, 5/3/13.

For other water conferences around the United States and in other countries, please see the Water Central News Grouper post, A Water Conference Sampler from around the United States and Elsewhere.

Economic Impact of Stream-restoration Work in Washington, D.C., Area’s Anacostia River Watershed Documented in U.S. Geological Survey Analysis Released May 2, 2013

On May 2, 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released results of an economic-impact analysis of water-quality and habitat-restoration activities in the Anacostia River watershed in the Washington, D.C., area.  According to the USGS’ news release on the work, restoration activities on Watts Branch—including improvements to the stream channel, sewer lines, park and other green spaces, and wildlife habitat—accounted (directly and indirectly) for  directly or indirectly accounting for “45 jobs, $2.6 million in local labor income, and $3.4 million in value added to the local D.C. metropolitan area in 2011.”  Watts Branch is an approximately five-mile-long Anacostia tributary that begins in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  The Anacostia, in turn, is a Potomac River tributary.  The restoration work, which took place between 2010 and 2011, involved the District of Columbia’s Department of Environment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Water and Sewer, and local organizations.USGS economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Elizabeth Myrick conducted the economic analysis.

Source:USGS Economic Analysis of Anacostia River Shows Potential Value of Restoring Urban Streams Nationwide, U.S. Geological Survey News Release, 5/2/13

Historical Perspective on Oysters and Oystering along the Atlantic Coast Offered in Winter 2013 Issue of Coastal Heritage from South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium

“Lowcountry Living Shorelines—Restoring Carolina’s Reefs,” in the Winter 2013 issue of Coastal Heritage, from the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.  This nine-page article the diverse history of oystering along the Atlantic Coast, with particular focus on the role of replacement oyster shells in maintaining oyster grounds.  A companion two-page article, “Oysters and the Public Trust Doctrine,” discusses how conflict over oyster grounds in New Jersey led to federal court cases holding submerged lands, navigable waters, and other areas that the British king or Parliament formerly held in trust for use by the public were now (after the United States gained its independence) held in such trust by state governments.  The newsletter is available online at http://www.scseagrant.org, or contact the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium at (843) 953-2078; e-mail: Annette.dunmeyer@scseagrant.org.

The Chesapeake Bay is, of course, a major part of the story of the oyster industry.  The illustration below, from the Chesapeake Field Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), gives some perspective on the historical importance, and then dramatic decline, of the oyster industry in Virginia and Maryland.  Illustration accessed online at http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/oysters, 4/30/13.

A Water Conference Sampler from around the United States and Elsewhere for May-November 2013, as of May 15, 2013

Here are some water meetings around the United States, Canada, and other countries from May to November 2013.  If you would like a meeting added, please send basic information to water@vt.edu with subject line: For Water Central Editor.  This post is for non-Virginia events; for water meetings and other events in the Old Dominion, please see the Virginia Water Resources Research Center’s online Quick Guide to Virginia Water Events.

Some of this information in this post was provided by the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC).   For more information about the VWMC, please visit http://vwrrc.vt.edu/vwmc/default.asp.

May 17-20, 2013, St. Louis, Mo: River Rally 2013.  Organized by River Network.  More information: http://www.rivernetwork.org/programs/river-rally.

May 19-23, 2013, Cincinnati, Ohio:  World Environmental & Water Resources Congress.  More information: http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2013/index.html.

May 21-24, 2013, St. Petersburg, Fla.: North American Association of Fisheries Economists Biennial Forum.  More information: http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/naafe/index.html.

Jun. 2-6, 2013, Duluth, Minn.: Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting.  More informaiton: http://www.swsannualmeeting.org/.

Jun. 4-5, 2013, Baltimore, Md.: Annual conference of the Clean Water Coalition.  The Clean Water Coalition is headquartered in Annapolis, Md.  More information: http://choosecleanwater.org/our-conference/2013/; phone (443) 759-3407; e-mail: info@choosecleanwater.org.

Jun. 8-13, Grandby, Colo.: Chapman Conference on Communicating Climate Science–A Historic Look to the Future.  Organized by the American Geophysical Union.  Registration deadline is May 24.  More information: http://chapman.agu.org/climatescience.

Jun. 9-13, 2013, Denver, Colo.: 2013 American Water Works Association Annual Conference and Exposition.  More information: http://www.awwa.org/conferences-education/conferences/ace13-annual-conference.aspx.

Jun. 10-12, 2013, Providence/Warwick, R.I.: EnergyOcean International Annual Conference & Exhibition.   More information: http://www.energyocean.com/.

Jun. 11, 2013, Hood College, Frederick, Md.: Drinking Water Sources in the Potomac Basin–2013 Summer Information Exchange by the Potomac Watershed Partnership.  More  information: http://www.potomacpartnership.org/upcoming%20information%20exchange.html; or contact Molly Barkman at phone (304) 856-1385 or e-mail: pwp@cacaponinstitute.org.

Jun. 11-13, 2013, Lake Tahoe, Calif.: Universities Council on Water Resources Annual Conference: Sustaining Water Resources and Ecological Functions in Changing Environments. More information: http://ucowr.org/conferences/2013-conference.

Jun. 24-26, 2013, Washington, D.C.: Science Policy Conference.  Organized by the American Geophysical Union.  More information: http://spc.agu.org/2013/.

Jun. 25-27, 2013, Kearney, Neb.: Annual Nebraska Water Tour.  Organized by the University of Nebraska Water Center.  The theme of this year’s tour is “Managing Nebraska’s Ground and Surface Water Resources.”  More information: http://watercenter.unl.edu; phone (402) 472-3610; e-mail: sress1@unl.edu.

Jun. 24-26, 2013, and Jun. 26-28, 2013, Hartford, Conn.: Summer Specialty Conferences of the American Water Resources Association.  Jun. 24-26 is “Environmental Flows”; more information: http://www.awra.org/meetings/EnvironmentalFlows2013/.  Jun. 26-28 is “Healthy Forests and Healthy Water”; more information: http://www.awra.org/meetings/HealthyForest2013/.  E-mail contact for either meeting is info@awra.org.

Jul. 9-11, 2013, Grapevine, Tex.: Stray Gas Incidence and Response Forum, and Unconventional Oil and Gas Water-management Forum.  Organized by the Ground Water Research and Education Foundation.  More information: http://www.gwpc.org/events.

Jul. 14-17, 2013, Cincinnati, Ohio:  National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Annual Meeting and Summer Conference.  More information: http://www.nacwa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=4.

July 21-24, 2013, Reno, Nev.: Resilient Landscapes, Planning for Flood, Drought, and Fire.  68^th international annual conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.  More information: http://www.swcs.org/index.cfm?nodeID=49416&audienceID=1.

July 21-25, 2013, Baltimore, Md.: 26th International Congress for Conservation Biology.  Organized by the Society for Conservation Biology.  More information: http://www.conbio.org/mini-sites/iccb-2013.

Jul. 28-31, 2013, Portland, Ore.: Chapman Conference on Seasonal to Interannual Hydroclimate Forecasts and Water Management.  Organized by the American Geophysical Union.  More information: http://sites.agu.org/meetings/.

Jul. 28-31, 2013, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Nutrient Removal and Recovery 2013: Trends in Resource Recovery and Use.  Organized bt the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association.  More information:  http://wef.org/nutrients/.

Jul. 29-Aug2, 2013, Chicago, Ill.: National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration.  Coordinated by the University of Florida.  More information: http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu; Beth Miller-Tipton, phone (352) 392-5930; e-mail: bmt@ufl.edu.

Aug. 18-21, 2013, St. Paul, Minn.: International Low Impact Development Symposium.  Organized by the University of Minnesota and several partners.  More information: http://www.cce.umn.edu/2013-International-Low-Impact-Development-Symposium/index.html; phone (612) 624-3708; e-mail: cceconf5@umn.edu.

Aug. 18-22, 2013, Myrtle Beach, S.C.: 2013 StormCon: The North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition.  More information: http://www.stormcon.com/index.html.

Aug. 26-27, Raleigh, N.C.: International Conference on Hydrology and Groundwater Expo.  Organized by Omics Group.   More information: http://www.omicsgroup.com/conferences/hydrology-groundwater-expo-2013/.

Sep. 23-26, 2013, San Diego, Calif.: Oceans 2013.  Organized bv the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Marine Technology Society, and the Scripps Insitution of Oceanography.  More information: http://www.oceans13mtsieeesandiego.org.

October 6-11, 2013, Madison, Wisc.: 5^th World Conference on Ecological Restoration.  Organized by the Society for Ecological Restoration.  More information: http://www.ser2013.org/.

Oct. 7-8, 2013, Harrisburg, Penn.: Susquehanna Water Science Forum.  Organized by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.  More information: http://www.srbc.net/waterscienceforum/index.htm; phone (717) 238-0423; e-mail: srbc@srbc.net.

Oct. 16, 2013, Lincoln, Neb.: Water Law Conference.  Organized by the Nebraska Water Center.  More information: http://watercenter.unl.edu/WaterLawConf2013/index.asp; Lorrie Benson, phone (402) 472-7372.

Oct. 30, 2013, Brookings, S.D.: Eastern South Dakota Water Conference.  Organized by the South Dakota Water Resources Institute.  More information: http://www.sdstae.edu/abe/wri; (605) 688-4910.

Nov. 3-6, 2013, Austin, Tex.: Green Streets and Highways Development Conference.  Organized by the Transportation and Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  More information:http://content.asce.org/conferences/greenstreets-highways2013/index.html.

Nov. 4-7, 2013, Portland, Ore.: American Water Resources Association annual conference.  More information: http://www.awra.org/meetings/Portland2013/.

Nov. 17-21, 2013, Nashville, Tenn.: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America 34th Annual Meeting.  More information:http://nashville.setac.org/.

2nd Annual New River Festival in Fayetteville, West Va., on June 7-9, 2013

On June 7-9, 2013, the New River Clean Water Alliance is holding the 2nd annual New River Festival, at Old Rivers Resort, 851 Fayette Station Road, Fayetteville, West Virginia.  The event features watershed education, river trips, live music, a paddling film festival, and other activities.  Proceeds from the event go to support the work of the Alliance to promote clean water and community efforts in the lower New River and its tributaries in Fayette, Summers, and Raleigh counties in West Virginia.  Formed in 2009, the Alliance currently includes the Piney Creek Watershed Association, National Park Service, Plateau Action Network, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia Professional River Outfitters Association, and the National Committee for the New River.

For more information about the festival, visit http://newriverfestival.com/, or contact Eric Pories at eric@focusintent.com.

View of the New River from the Grandview Visitor Center, near Beckley, West Virginia, in the New River Gorge National River area.  Photo from National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm, accessed 4/18/13.

 

Cost Reductions and Reduced Water Toxicity Impacts are Among Crop-rotation Diversification Benefits Reported in Iowa State University Study Published in October 2012

“Crop Rotation Study Makes National Media Splash,” in the Winter 2012 issue of Leopold Letter, describes the national interest that followed publication in October 2012 (in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, Vol. 7, No. 10, Oct. 10, 2012) of a study on the costs, profits, energy and chemical use, and environmental impacts of adding one year of red clover, or two years of red clover followed by small grains/alfalfa, into the commonly used two-year corn-soybean rotation.  According to the article, the data from 2003-2011 show that the more diverse rotations reduced fossil fuel use, herbicide use, synthetic fertilizer use, and “herbicide-related freshwater toxicity,”  but that the rotations did not “sacrifice yields or profitability.”  The newsletter article and access to the full research report (“Increasing Cropping System Diversity Balances Productivity, Profitability and Environmental Health”) are  available online at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/leopold-letter/2012/winter/crop-rotation-study-makes-national-media-splash, or contact the Leopold Center at 209 Curtiss Hall, ISU, Ames, Ia. 50010; phone (515) 294-3711; e-mail: leocenter@iastate.edu.

Maryland Watershed Resources Registry, Unveiled in Fall 2012, Uses Mapping Tools to Identify and Rate Wetlands, Streamsides, and Other Areas for Protection or Restoration

In fall 2012, Maryland unveiled the Watershed Resources Registry, a geographic information system  (GIS) tool to locate and evaluate (in a five-star scoring system) the suitability for protection or restoration of wetlands, uplands, steamside areas, and stormwater-infrastructure areas.  The interactive mapping tool is expected to be useful particularly for the Maryland State Highway Administration, private developers, and others who are routinely deal with federal Clean Water Act regulations on impacts to wetlands and other waters of the United States.  The Registry is also seen as a way to guide conservation efforts and funds to lands and waters with the most ecological value.  The Registry Web site is http://www.watershedresourcesregistry.com.