Announcements for October 29, 2009:
- Lecture Seminars -- Rob Runkel, USGS -- November 5-6, 2009
- Call for Papers -- National Groundwater Association Annual Conference -- Conference: April 11-15, 2010; Abstracts due: November 6, 2009
- Webinar for State and Regional Water Monitoring Councils, Alliances, and Partnerships -- November 18, 2009
- 30-day Public Comment Period Open on Final Stormwater Regulations -- October 26 - November 25, 2009
- Center for Watershed Protection Webcasts -- Urban Watershed Forestry (November 18, 2009) -- Erosion/Sediment Control (December 15, 2009)
- Stormwater Management: Runoff Reduction Method
- Collaborators Sought for WQ Database
- "National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands" Under Revision
- New EPA Website: Clean Water Act's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
- NASA Report -- "Is the climate warming or cooling?"
- Report: Arsenic in Groundwater
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. Lecture Seminars -- Rob Runkel, USGS
Nov. 5-6, 2009 -- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Nov 5, 2009 (3:30-4:30) -- Bio EEB seminar, 4069 Derring - Tracer approaches for quantifying hydrodynamics and constituent loading in streams and rivers
Nov 6, 2009 (3:30-4:30) -- Geos seminar, 4069 Derring - Mountains, Methods, & Models: Characterizing Reactive Transport in Streams Affected by Acid Mine Drainage
For driving directions and campus maps see: http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/maps/index.html. Co-sponsored by Biological Sciences and Geosciences, Virginia Tech. For more information about the lectures or a field trip to the Brinton Arsenic Mine site in Floyd Co. planned for the morning of Nov 6, 2009, contact: Madeline Schreiber, Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, ph: (540) 231-3377; http://www.hydro.geos.vt.edu/
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2. Call for Papers -- National Groundwater Association Annual Conference
Conference: April 11-15, 2010; Abstracts due: November 6, 2009 -- Denver, Colorado. This annual conference, "Groundwater for a Thirsty World," brings together researchers, natural resource managers, policymakers, and others who supply knowledge and technology needed to address key water issues. Submittal forms and other conference information can be found at: http://ngwa.confex.com/ngwa/2010gws/cfp.cgi
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3. Webinar for State and Regional Water Monitoring Councils, Alliances, and Partnerships
November 18, 2009 --(1:00–2:00 p.m.) -- Teleconference: Dial in number is 1-866-299-3188 and access code is 202-566-1174#. Please click this WebEx link to join the meeting. The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) is hosting it's second webinar . We will feature a presentation by the Virginia Monitoring Council. James Beckley (VA DEQ) will discuss integration of citizen monitoring data into a state system and assessment report and how other states might do this. James will also give a demonstration of an online database tool. We will provide updates on our plans for the 2010 National Monitoring Conference, a national monitoring newsletter, and virtual took kit on establishing and sustaining monitoring councils. To view the presentations given at the first webinar (9/2/09), go to the National Water Quality Monitoring Council webpage at: http://acwi.gov/monitoring/webinars/st_councils-intro_090209/index.html
Please prepare your computer a day or two in advance of the meeting by following these instructions:
- Visit: http://usgs.webex.com
- Select from left menu: "Setup / Meeting manager"
- Click "Set Up" and follow the instructions ("Rich media" is not needed for slides/screen sharing)
For help with WebEx: Visit https://usgs.webex.com, click USGS Help (on left); WebEx software questions: 1-866-569-3239 (24/7); USGS account questions: e-mail gs_help_webinar@usgs.gov
4. 30-day Public Comment Period Open on Final Stormwater Regulations
October 26 - November 25, 2009 --The Soil and Water Conservation Board is receiving comments only on the changes that were made between the proposed regulations and the final regulations adopted by the Board on October 5, 2009. These changes are shown in brackets “[ ]” in the final version of the regulations. Anyone wishing to submit written comments pertaining to these final regulations may do so by contacting the Regulatory Coordinator by:
Mail: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 203 Governor Street, Suite 302, Richmond, Virginia 23219
Fax: 804-786-6141
E-mail: regcord@dcr.virginia.gov.
Written comments (including email) must include the name and address of the commenter. In order to be considered, comments must be received between October 26, 2009, and November 25, 2009. Public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. on November 25, 2009 except that written comments hand delivered to the Department office must be received by noon on the closing date. For more information, see http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/lawregs.shtml
5. Center for Watershed Protection Webcasts
For more information and to register, visit http://www.cwp.org/Webcasts/. Continuing education credits (CEUs) are available for attending CWP webcasts. Both of these webcasts costs $99.
Urban Watershed Forestry -- November 18, 2009 (12-2pm) -- Discusses the art and science of using trees to protect and restore our watersheds. Topics covered: Urban Tree Canopy 101, Advanced Urban Tree Canopy, and, Urban Tree Accounting. A virtual field trip to learn hands-on planting and maintenance techniques.
Erosion/Sediment Control - December 15, 2009 (12-2pm) -- Provides an introduction to the elements of effective local erosion and sediment control programs. Addresses NPDES MS4 construction site runoff control requirements, developing meaningful erosion and sediment control plans, reviewing the effectiveness of site-level erosion and sediment control practices, and developing an effective plan review, inspection, and enforcement process. The webcast will also address training and certification and using third-party inspectors to ease the burden on local program resources.
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6. Stormwater Management: Runoff Reduction Method
The method accounts for the runoff reduction capabilities of both LID-type and conventional practices. The method is accompanied by a compliance spreadsheet that allows site designers to experiment with 14 different categories of practices. The final outcome from the spreadsheet is a post-construction pollutant load for total phosphorus, as well as an adjusted curve number that can be applied to larger storm events. For more information, see the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation website: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/lr2f.shtml
The method was developed by the Center for Watershed Protection and the Chesapeake Stormwater Network. Supporting BMP specifications can be found on the Virginia Stormwater BMP Clearinghouse, maintained by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center: http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/swc/NonProprietaryBMPs.html
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7. Collaborators Sought for WQ Database
Fernanda Dalcanale, a Ph.D student at Colorado State University, is looking for students and researchers interested in collaborating on a virtual database. The goal is to provide tools for dynamic ways to exchange water quality information. The database allows users to contribute water quality data and write new applications for the network itself. The main purpose is to transform scattered information into structured knowledge. If interested, contact Fernanda at dalcanale@wqin.org. To view information posted on the Water Quality Knwledge and Information Network see: http://www.wqin.org.
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8. "National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands" Under Revision
The list is being revised for the first time since 1988 by panels of botanists and wetland ecologists. The revised list will be available for public review and comment during fiscal year 2010. For more information, please contact NRCS Wetland Team Leader Dr. Norman Melvin at (817) 509-3572 or via email at norman.melvin@ftw.usda.gov, or visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2009/090209/techtip090209.html
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9. New EPA Website: Clean Water Act's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
A new EPA website provides information about the Clean Water Act's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program results to technically specialized audiences including conservation districts, TMDL developers, state water programs and university researchers. The website provides a Clean Water Act "Impaired Waters Program Pipeline" navigation feature, fact sheets, EPA reports and websites, EPA grantee reports and websites, publications, and datasets related to this effort. The TMDL Program Results Analysis website is available at http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/results
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10. NASA Report -- "Is the climate warming or cooling?"
Authors: David Easterling and Michael Wehner -- The report states that short-term cooling trends do not imply the world is no longer warming. To read a summary of the report, go to http://climate.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=175. In another recent report, NASA addresses characteristics of the current El Niño season and how the phenomenon is viewed in different parts of the world. The report is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2325
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11. Report: Arsenic in Groundwater
Describes the occurrence and causes of arsenic contamination and its effects on health and food production. It provides information about arsenic in groundwater and presents the arsenic problem to the public. Download the report at http://www.igrac.net/publications/302
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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 