Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Watershed Assistance Program
Overview of 319 Annual Report
Each state must annually report progress on NPS pollution reductions.
Format for 2000 report followed the NPS Management Program’s 1999 Update.
EPA would like to see reporting on load reductions and more watershed success stories.
Input is needed for this years report.
Workgroup Meetings: Items to concentrate on:
Challenges not being addressed
Resources not being used
Workgroup reports: AMD
Discussed items/challenges brought up at AMD/AML conference held previous weekend.
New technologies to pursue for Demo projects:
AMD/sewage combination treatment systems
High aluminum discharges
High volume acidic discharges (>1,000 gpm)
Success stories: Highlight load reductions of discharges; too difficult/expensive to determine instream load reductions. How to better report our successes. E-facts available but information not being used.
Operation & maintenance issues will continue to need attention and additional funding. Should this funding be added to original grant? Should a fund be set up and allotted for O&M as needed?
Why aren’t all the AMD-impacted streams on the 303(d) list? How do we get them on the list?
The public doesn’t always know which watersheds are considered high priority and may receive special review for funding.
How to educate watershed associations on the benefits of remining?
Some milestones in management plan are not being met - how do we improve?
Workgroup should meet more frequently/add new members. Potential new members: Joe Allison - Ebensburg DMO, other DMO reps, Bob Hedin - Hedin Environmental, Bob Eppley - Blacklick Creek WSA, Terry Schmidt - Skelly & Loy, Bill Capouillez - PA Game Commission, SRBS rep, DEP BMR rep, Watershed Specialists in AMD areas.
AG
TMDLs – will NPS/319 be targeted more in TMDL approved watersheds?
Linkage between Action Plan goals and TMDLs?
Largest issues for Agriculture now:
Phosphorus in Nutrient Management Planning and on watershed scale
Sediment loading e.g. Susquehanna River
* Research shows sediment ↔ phosphorus link
Issues – Challenges
Focus goals on more of a watershed scale? Can we get a better handle on gaining measureable results this way? Example: CAO’s milestone (a). Can we use Nutrient Management Plan implementation here?
Standard Approach for tracking accomplishments
Chesapeake Bay Program
Growing Greener
319
Nutrient Management Grants Program
How to obtain load reduction data by stream reach or watershed? BMP efficiencies are used in the Chesapeake Bay Program. Can these be applied elsewhere in Pennsylvania? We need consistent methods to quantify load reductions.
Resource Needs
Lack of Conservation Planning – staff in conservation districts, NRCS Engineering Assistance. PACD Technical Assistance grant can help meet this need.
Areas where we can possibly improve
Use better environmental indicators
Examples:
Water quality monitoring data
Stream reaches removed from the 303(d) list
Direct input from field staff for sediment load reduction
Environmental Futures Team process
Learning from Chesapeake Bay Program experiences
Hydromodification
Regional Curves
Secure the remaining funding
Peidmont almost ready for publishing
Begin second curve
Urban areas are challenge; lack of gauge station
Skelly & Loy – Paxton Creek and Spring Creek Union Deposit to Susquehanna River
Watershed specific urban regional curve
Add Implementation step to develop regional curves for Pennsylvania
Recommendation for 2001 Annual Report:
Put all accomplishments under milestones and add examples of success/accomplishments
Cumulative accomplishments with emphasis (highlights) on current (past) year
Brief summary of progress on major goals. Highlight current (reporting year) success stories
Pull together overlapping goals from Action Plans and acknowledge progress in attaining major goals and objectives
Significant challenges, resource needs and unaddressed issues
Stormwater/Urban
Expand BMP Handbook to include water quality and Technical Guidance as it relates to Pennsylvania
Stormwater Management Program Field ID SWM BMPs → developing GIS related database and digital library
Antideg Guidance Manual
Watershed groups – resource inventory (GIS layers)
WREN – Outreach Source Water Protection Watershed Support
SWM Plans requirements for inclusion of water quality components
Phase II Workgroup/Implementation Strategy
Dirt and Gravel Road Efforts – Development of Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads – PSU
SW BMP Protocol – new technologies
Workgroup meeting week of September 10
Silviculture
Other sources of accomplishments (BOF/SFI)
Extension example CD’s – foresters Wayne, Lebanon, Westmoreland
Active member on workgroup: Jim Finley and Bill Elmendorf
#5 BMP manual vs. E&S Manual
#7 New add E&S Manual as milestone
#4 Video – Don’t do until updates of BMP Manual/E&S Manual BMP Baseline – Increase participants
#2 PA Trust Fund
All others – on-going/completed
Environmental Futures Teams: Handout from Ken Currie
Major initiatives will relate to improvement of the environment
9W: limited data available or lack of trustworthy data
Website will be available for reports of teams - June 15 - external website will go on line: DirectLink-EFP2
Public meetings have been held or will be held
Comment: better names needed for teams - they don’t reflect area of coverage
NPS milestones fit in with some of the EFP2 indicators
New Annual Report Format:
How to better show results/improvements
More specific information needed
Make a more showy report with photos - available to public
Report should include overall improvements, not just those of previous year