Announcements for October 19, 2009:
- Training Session: Catawba Creek Stream Monitoring -- October 24, 2009
- Webcast: "Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources" -- October 27, 2009
- Workshop: “Water and the Developing Landscape: Stormwater Regulations, Explanations & Opportunities” -- POSTPONED to April 26, 2010
- 2009 Shenandoah Watershed Study Seminar Series -- October 1 - December 3, 2009
- Lecture: Dr. Doug Burns, U.S. Geological Survey: "How to Add Natural Tracers to Your Hydrological Toolbox" -- November 3, 2009
- American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Quality Technology Conference & Exposition -- November 15-19, 2009
- Call for Abstracts: 8th International Conference on Recirculating Aquaculture -- Abstracts due March 5, 2010
- Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program Celebrates 40th Anniversary
- Climate Change Database Clearinghouse
- StreamWatch Releases 2009 Stream Conditions Report
- Chesapeake Stormwater Network Releases First Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Report Card
Please feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the Virginia Water Monitoring Council. Follow VWMC Updates on Twitter by subscribing at http://twitter.com/VaWaterCenter. Special thank you to Thanh Luu, VWMC Intern, for her assistance in pulling together these announcements.
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1. Training Session: Catawba Creek Stream Monitoring
October 24, 2009 (10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.) -- Catawba Creek at Roanoke Cement--Receive training and certification to be a stream monitor! Free Lunch will be provided. Sponsored by the Upper James Resource Conservation & Development Council, in cooperation with Roanoke Cement Company, Virginia Save our Streams, Valley Conservation Council, and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. To register, or for more information, contact Genevieve Goss at genevieve@valleyconservation.org
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2. Webcast: "Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources"
October 27, 2009 -- EPA's Watershed Academy will present the Webcast: "Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources." EPA's Assistant Administrator for Water, Michael Shapiro will join this Webcast and will describe what EPA is doing to address the effects of climate change on water. Other speakers include Karen Metchis (Senior Climate Advisor, EPA's Office of Water) and Lisa Beever (Director, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program in Florida). Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance. Slide presentations are posted in advance and participants are encouraged to download them prior to the webcast at http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. Registration information is also on this website.
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3. Workshop: “Water and the Developing Landscape: Stormwater Regulations, Explanations & Opportunities”
POSTPONED to April 26, 2010 -- The workshop was previously scheduled for October 28, 2009 but has not been postponed. The contact person for the rescheduled event is: Nesha McRae, TMDL/Watershed Field Coordinator, VA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, (540) 332-9238, nesha.mcrae@dcr.virginia.gov. Organized by Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum at James Madison University’s Festival Conference Center. More information will be provided on the Pure Water Forum’s website, www.purewaterforum.org or on the Virginia Watersheds Alliance Web site, www.vawatersheds.org
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4. 2009 Shenandoah Watershed Study Seminar Series
Thursdays, October 1 - December 3, 2009 (12 p.m.-1:00 p.m.) -- Odum Room, 3rd floor Clark Hall, University of Virginia -- The Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) program is the longest continuously conducted watershed research and monitoring program in the National Park System. Over time the SWAS program has evolved to address additional issues that challenge watershed ecosystems in the park, including the legacy of past land use, the impact of forest defoliation by the gypsy moth, and the depletion of nutrients in watershed soils. A variety of presentation topics will be presented throughout the Shenandoah Watershed Study Seminar Series, including: “Spatiotemporal Population Dynamics of the Gypsy Moth in North America,” “Carbon Transformations and Flux in an Appalachian Mountain Watershed,” “How Old is Stream Water?” and others. The detailed seminar series schedule, maps to Clark Hall, and more information can be found at the SWAS website: http://swas.evsc.virginia.edu. For more information, contact Rick Webb at rwebb@virginia.edu
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5. Lecture: Dr. Doug Burns, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Research Hydrologist: "How to Add Natural Tracers to Your Hydrological Toolbox"
November 3, 2009 (10:00 a.m.) -- Virginia Water Science Center, Richmond, VA -- In this presentation, the use of tracer-based models to better understand the source, flow paths, and transit time of water will be discussed, with an emphasis on ground water – surface water interactions. Natural tracers can provide another tool along with the common hydrological and water quality measurements to further our understanding of hydrologic systems. The presentation will include a discussion of the application of tracer-based approaches to the nitrogen cycle in watersheds, and the power of multi-tracer approaches for constraining sources and the processes that shape solute fluxes through hydrologic systems. Visit the Virginia Water Science Center website for directions and more information: http://va.water.usgs.gov
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6. American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Quality Technology Conference & Exposition
November 15-19, 2009 -- Seattle, Washington – Features a technical program, extensive networking opportunities, and the latest in water quality technology and services. Visit the AWWA website for more information and registration form.
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7. Call for Abstracts: 8th International Conference on Recirculating Aquaculture
Abstracts due March 5, 2010. Conference dates: August 20-22, 2010, Roanoke, Virginia – Oral and poster presentations accepted. Topic sessions include Recirculating Aquaculture Systems in Penaeid Shrimp Culture, Salmonids, and Mollusk Culture; Process Control; Fish Health/Recirculating Aquaculture Biosecurity; Culture of Algae as an Alternative Fuel Source; Innovative Feeds for Recirculating Aquaculture Systems; Sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, and more. For further submission instructions, go to http://www.recircaqua.com/abstract.html. Complete details on the conference can be found at: http://www.recircaqua.com/icra.html. Contact Ms. Terry Rakestraw with questions or submissions by phone (540-231-6805), fax (540-231-9293), or e-mail (aqua@vt.edu).
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8. Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Keep an eye out for the Scenic Rivers Program’s 40th anniversary celebratory events; plans include river floats and a photo contest. The Scenic Rivers Program provides a level of protection to rivers or streams that have outstanding scenic beauty, historic importance, recreation significance, and natural characteristics that make them stand out amongst Virginia’s many rivers. Over the past 40 years, the program has had many successes, including: 24 river sections totaling 529 miles in 12 of Virginia’s 14 major watersheds, and in approximately 35 counties and cities. For more information, contact: Lynn Crump, Scenic Rivers Program Manager, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, lynn.crump@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5054. Also, more information is available on the DCR web at: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational_planning/srmain.shtml.
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9. Climate Change Database Clearinghouse
Climate change has very likely left a signal in natural resource status and productivity in Virginia. This signal may exist within in a variety of data ranging from crop and forest production, to fishery landings, to spatial distribution of plant and animal species. These data, however, are not well known or easily accessible. Therefore, efforts to conduct studies which may reveal important trends are hampered because no coherent assembly of information exists. This clearinghouse assembles an online bibliography of available datasets that are described and documented by category or class. The website provides unlimited access to the latest data files, metadata and data originators to support development of predictive scenarios of climate change impact. The entire Climate Change Database Report can be accessed at the Center for Coastal Resources Management website: http://ccrm.vims.edu/climate_change/index.html
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10. StreamWatch Releases 2009 Stream Conditions Report
StreamWatch performs long-term monitoring at representative sites located throughout the Rivanna watershed. The full report is available for download at www.streamwatch.org/reports. For a quick visual overview, see the Google Maps display at www.streamwatch.org/stream-conditions.
11. Chesapeake Stormwater Network Releases First Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Report Card
Tom Schueler, of the Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN), has put together the first annual “Bay-wide Stormwater Performance Scorecard.” The report distills the complexity surrounding stormwater into a simple report card on where each state stands in implementing ten core existing stormwater regulatory programs. The Chesapeake Stormwater Network prepared this comprehensive analysis by comparing current state efforts to objective Bay-friendly performance benchmarks. The full report and more information from its author can be found at: http://csn.squarespace.com/blog/2009/9/30/chesnet-storm-news-no-11.html#one, or CSN’s website http://www.chesapeakestormwater.net.
Information provided to the members of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council
To learn more about the Council, please browse the rest of our website or contact Jane Walker at the address below. If you have any water-monitoring related news of regional or statewide interest, send it to Jane Walker and ask that it be distributed to VWMC membership. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support these information updates and other VWMC activities. Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to Jane Walker, VWMC administrator, at the address below.
Jane Walker
Research Associate
Virginia Water Resources Research Center
210 Cheatham Hall (0444)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: 540-231-4159
Fax: 540-231-6673
Email: janewalk@vt.edu
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© 2009 Virginia Water Resources Research Center 