A new web resource shows neighborhood, watershed and environmental advocates how to win the use of highly-effective aquatic resource protection measures for shopping centers, townhouse projects, highways and other land development proposals: ceds.org/aquatic.

For more than 40 years CEDS has been helping citizens win cases from Hawaii to Maine.  The new web resource is a compilation of all the best practices used by the government agencies, advocates, attorneys and other experts we’ve worked with in hundreds of cases across the nation.

Of course by aquatic resources we mean wells and other groundwater resources, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes and tidal waters.  Impact prevention measures include innovative negotiating techniques that frequently produce success at a fraction of the usual cost.  Prevention measures also include strategies for improving compliance with aquatic resource protection laws by enhancing public support for enforcement agencies.

Through this web resource we explain how you can determine if a development project is utilizing the very best practices for:

• minimizing construction phase sediment pollution;
• saving sufficient watershed forest and buffers to preserve sensitive resources;
• highly-effective stormwater runoff control measures;
• preventing sewerline leaks;
• minimizing wastewater treatment plant impacts; and
• preparing your own watershed growth management plan.

The new web resource can be viewed at: ceds.org/aquatic.

 EPA’s Nonpoint Source Web Shortcuts & Redirects:

 Getting to Green: Paying for Green Infrastructure, Finance  Options and Resources for Local Decision-Makers summarizes various funding sources that can be used to support stormwater management programs or finance individual projects.  Each type of funding source is illustrated by several municipal programs and contains a list of additional resources.  A comparative matrix is included which describes  the advantages and disadvantages of the various funding sources.

All NEP Publications:  http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/nep/resources.cfm

West Virginia Silvicultural BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES for Controlling Soil Erosion and Sedimentation from Logging Operations

 http://www.wvforestry.com/BMP%20Book%20Complete.pdf

Homeowner Guide For a More Bay-Friendly Property

We are very pleased to announce the release of our final edition of the homeowner stewardship guide. Thanks to everyone for the great feedback and super contributions over the last six months. As you can see, the guide was greatly improved by all the cross-pollination over this time!

This guide presents a step by step approach for analyzing your property to find out whether it makes sense to install a rain garden or other residential stewardship practices. We then take you through the design and installation of several of the homeowner practices, so that you can install them on your own. Many Bay communities offer technical and financial assistance to help you install stewardship practices on your lot. Check out Appendix D for a list of links to these programs

Based on feedback from reviewers we have decided to make this an “open-source” document where communities can edit, format, or delete sections to reflect their local needs and requirements. Please feel free to borrow the photos, schematics and tables for your training purposes although please provide photo credit when indicated

There is a pdf version available for download below. For the adaptable word version, please email Cecilia Lane at watershedgal@hotmail.com

http://chesapeakestormwater.net/2013/04/homeowner-bmp-guide/ 

AgEP’s mission is to assist the agricultural cooperators of West Virginia Conservation Districts with the voluntary implementation of best management practices (BMPs) on agricultural lands in order to conserve and  improve land and water quality. The program offers technical and financial assistance as an incentive to implement suggested best management practices. Additional practice options will be determined by each Conservation District to best address the needs of the district.

The intent of AgEP is to be a simple, user-friendly program in order to encourage participation. Overall program primary objectives include the reduction of nutrients and sediment from entering the waters of the State and increasing farm profitability and sustainability. Each conservation district has the ability to modify the program to address specific agricultural issues in it’s area.

AgEP will provide opportunities for demonstration of site-specific agricultural best management practices and the education of  agricultural operators about innovative management and conservation practices and methods. AgEP supports implementation of new / innovative best management practices. CDs have discretion related to the evaluation and funding of these types of practices. Historically CDs have partnered with WVCA, WVU Extension, NRCS and  other agencies for on-site demonstration of new /innovative practices.

LID includes a variety of practices that mimic or preserve natural drainage processes to manage stormwater. LID practices typically retain rain water and encourage it to soak into the ground rather than allowing it to run into ditches and storm drains where it would otherwise contribute to flooding and pollution problems (see www.epa.gov/nps/lid).

The WV Stormwater Management and Design Guidance Manual is now available for download on WVDEP’s website.  You can access the manual here:

http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/stormwater/MS4/Pages/StormwaterManagementDesignandGuidanceManual.aspx

The manual focuses on the runoff reduction method of managing stormwater on-site to mimic natural hydrology.

PRESS RELEASE DECEMBER 4, 2012

State issuing new stormwater management guide

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has a new tool to help communities reduce the impacts of polluted stormwater on the state’s streams and rivers.

Produced for the WVDEP by the Center for Watershed Protection, the 500-page West Virginia Stormwater Management and Design Guidance Manual is the first of its kind in the state. Both state and federal funds were used for the $150,000 project, which took two and a half years to complete and is based on up-to-date research in the science of stormwater management.

The manual outlines innovative ways to use plants and soils to reduce runoff volumes and pollutants at development and redevelopment sites. The guide can be used as a design resource by any West Virginia community interested in more effectively dealing with the harmful effects of polluted stormwater to the state’s waterways.

The manual’s chief function, however, is to provide design instruction and guidance on implementing stormwater practices in accordance with West Virginia’s small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit. Forty-seven West Virginia communities are regulated under the MS4 permit.

“This is a resource tool for state stormwater officials, engineers and designers who are required to implement the provisions of the MS4 permit,” said the WVDEP’s Sherry Wilkins, project manager for the Guidance Manual. “By meeting these performance standards outlined in the permit, the MS4 communities will effectively improve the water quality of our streams and rivers and that benefits everybody.”

USDA Announces Federal Resource Guide to Assist Rural Communities

This is a series of experiments about acid mine drainage, geared towards a middle school to early high school grade level.

See attachment.
http://www.wvca.us/news/upload/wvwrc_publications/1598.Handson_AMDExperiments.pdf

A series of websites associated with AMD experiments.  It includes not only the experiments but many additional study resources.  The complete manual is also available to download.

http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Pages/AMD.aspx

Project WET WASH Education Materials Available for Free Download

The Project WET Foundation's award-winning water, sanitation and hygiene materials have been collected on a single, easy-to-access page and are available as free downloads for educators worldwide. Project WET's WASH-related Educator Guides, Kids in Discovery series activity booklets, posters and reports cover multiple aspects of water, sanitation and hygiene, from proper hand washing to water source protection. The materials also promote basic literacy.

Many of Project WET's WASH education materials have been customized and translated in cooperation with local educators in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Materials are available in English, French, Spanish, Kiswahili and Chichewa; the Spanish-language materials have been further customized to reflect cultural and linguistic differences for five countries in Latin America.

To learn more, visit Project WET's WASH page.

New EPA PCB TMDL Handbook Released (PDF) (33 pp, 262K, About PDF)

EPA has issued a technical document titled Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Handbook, which provides EPA regions, states, and other stakeholders with updated information for addressing Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) waters impaired by PCBs.  PCBs rank sixth among the national causes of water quality impairment in the country, and of the 71,000 waterbody-pollutant combinations listed nationally, over 5,000 (eight percent) are PCB-related.  This handbook identifies various approaches to developing PCB TMDLs and provides examples of TMDLs from around the country, complete with online references.  It aims to help states complete more PCB TMDLs and ultimately restore those waters impaired by PCBs.

"The Best Management Practice is the Practice of Common Sense."

Please see attachment for manual.

An informational slideshow on how to build a rain garden.

Please see attachment.

Abstract

An Anchored Reinforced Vegetation System (ARVS) incorporates the combination of a geosynthetic, high strength woven, High Performance Turf Reinforcement Mat and Earth Percussion Anchors and is a system designed to provide erosion protection and armoring in the most critical of applications. Unlike traditional hard armoring techniques, this system is light weight, does not surcharge weak foundation soils, and is easy to maintain without heavy equipment and personnel. (Thompson, Propex, Inc.)  These systems have been traditionally utilized in non-agricultural situations including the Gordy Pumping Station by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans after being breached by Hurricane Katrina, as well as sites along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and by the New York and California Departments of Transportation. 

Soil bioengineering is the use of live and dead herbaceous and woody plant materials in combination with natural and synthetic support materials for slope stabilization, erosion reduction, and vegetative establishment (NRCS).  Although often thought of as a new technology, these practices have been used for many years, as early as the 1930’s by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).  This paper will present demonstration projects conducted by the West Virginia Conservation Agency to control excess streambank soil erosion along pasture land, by utilizing a combination of Anchored Reinforced Vegetation and Soil Bioengineering techniques. 

Please see attachment for additional information.

EPA Handbook for Developing Watershed Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

EPA's Office of Water has issued a "Handbook for Developing Watershed TMDLs" available at:  http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/upload/pcb_tmdl_handbook.pdf

PCB TMDL Handbook (PDF) (33 pp, 262K), December 2011.The Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Handbook provides EPA Regions, states, and other stakeholders with a compendium of updated information for addressing Clean Water Act section 303(d) waters impaired by PCBs.  This handbook identifies various approaches to developing PCB TMDLs and provides examples of TMDLs from around the country, complete with Web references.  It aims to help states complete more PCB TMDLs, and ultimately restore those waters impaired by PCBs.

Fact Sheet: PCB TMDL Handbook (PDF) (3 pp, 57K) December 2011.

On-line NPS Encyclopedia, Courtesy of CA EPA

The NPS Encyclopedia is a free on-line reference guide designed to facilitate a basic understanding of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control and to provide quick access to essential information from a variety of sources by providing direct hyperlinks to resources available on the World Wide Web. The NPS Encyclopedia’s companion tool, the MP Miner, allows users to cull data from studies of management practices (peer reviewed and others) by filtering studies using two relevant site-specific variables such as slope, salinity, flushing and soil type.

The purpose of this on-line resource guide is to support the implementation and development of NPS total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and watershed (action) plans with a goal of protecting high-quality waters and restoring impaired waters. The guide is organized around the six land-use categories: Agriculture; Forestry; Urban; Marinas and Recreational Boating; Hydromodification; and Wetlands, Riparian and Vegetative Treatment Systems.

You can access the Encyclopedia online here, or, if you would like a CD containing the NPS Encyclopedia sent to you, please leave your name and mailing address with Kelly Maurie at (916) 327-9530.

The link below is to a handbook created by Penn State Extension titled, “Natural Gas Exploration:  A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land in Pennsylvania”.  It looks like a useful handbook for landowners considering leasing their surface rights for oil and gas exploration.

http://cas.psu.edu/spotlight/gasprimer08_web.pdf

Power Point Slide Show of:
Water Conservation Ideas
Developed by: West Virginia Conservation Agency Watershed Resource Center

Power Point Slide Show of:
West Virginia Best Management Practices of Conservation Practice Standards

Developed by: West Virginia Conservation Agency
Natural Resource Conservation Service

~ The Best Management Practice Is The Practice Of Common Sense.

http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/sustainablefinance/

Many watershed organizations could increase their impact through long-term financial planning. In order to most effectively protect America's waters, watershed organizations must develop and implement strategies to obtain, diversify, and leverage sustainable sources of funding.

This training module is designed to help your watershed organization develop and implement a sustainable funding plan. This module:

• Outlines the six key steps of fundraising plan development
  
  
• Introduces a diverse set of fundraising options
  
  
• Provides case studies of successful finance mechanisms

Our hope is to give both established and new nonprofit watershed organizations a solid methodology for creating finance plans to ensure their own sustainability. This module is intended primarily for nonprofit watershed organizations. State or local governments should visit the EPA Financing for Compliance Page.

We use case studies throughout the module to provide real examples of finance strategies employed by nonprofit watershed organizations throughout the country. The title of this module may suggest a template for creating a written funding plan. While a written plan is one outcome, we hope the process of developing the plan—as outlined in six steps—is of even greater value.

Fun, educational placemat for kids!

Please see attachment for a printable / downloadable placemat.

  Rain Barrel Facts ~

Why Harvest Rainwater?...

Harvesting rainwater will save you money and help the environment at the same time. You can collect a substantial amount of rainwater with a simple system. This extra water can have a significant impact on your water bill.

Rain water is usually collected from the roofs of houses, it picks up very little contamination when it falls. That is, if you keep your roof clean of debris and potential contaminants to maximize purity. The material your roof is made of is also important in how much contamination the water will carry. The chemicals and hard water from many municipal water systems can produce an imbalance in the soil of your garden. Chemical fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, and drought can also disrupt the balance and harmony of the soil. This imbalance causes trees and plants to weaken and makes them more susceptible to disease.

One of the best reasons to start harvesting rainwater with rain barrels is that if you teach and encourage others to do the same, you will help to spread the culture of rainwater collection and in turn help the larger community and the environment. It is always important to remember that every living thing on the planet needs water to survive!

Please see attachment for printable / downloadable fact sheet.

Hampshire County Special Services (HCSS), provides gainful employment to over 60 developmentally disabled adults from Hampshire, Hardy, Grant and Mineral counties.  The program recently teamed up with the Potomac Valley Conservation District (PVCD) to produce a high quality compost made from agricultural wastes and sawdust. Clients are compensated for their efforts in shredding the paper and are involved in transporting the carbon source to the composting demonstration site in Moorefield, WV. The shredded paper is then mixed with agricultural and forestry by-products to produce a high quality soil amendment. This innovative partnership has proven to be a win-win situation for all involved. Clients of HCSS are earning a sense of  purpose and involvement in the project and the community while being compensated for their services.  The PVCD is assisting the environment in the reduction of nutrients potentially entering local water bodies. 

What are the Advantages of Using This Product?

PRODUCTION BENEFITS
· Safe, natural product
· No odor
· Provides valuable slow release of nutrients required for healthy plants
                 Nitrogen
                 Phosphorous
                 Potassium
· Provides many necessary micronutrients not found in commercial fertilizers
· Builds soils while adding organic material
· Helps sandy soils retain water and nutrients and loosens tightly bound clay or soil particles
· Buffers both acidic and alkaline soils
· Encourages healthy root systems

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
· Diverts waste that would typically enter landfill systems
· Alternative use for agricultural nutrients that might typically be over-applied
· Reduces need for water, fertilizers and pesticides in lawns
· Promotes Recycling!

For more information, please see the printable / downloable brochure attachment.

http://tagis.dep.wv.gov/wwt//index.html

            The West Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Best Management Practice Manual addresses erosion and sediment control for earth disturbing activities associated with construction.  The manual is designed to assist construction site developers, engineers, designers, and contractors in identifying and implementing the most appropriate best management practices for construction activities.

            The purpose of this manual is to provide standardized and comprehensive erosion and sediment control management practices for implementation on construction projects throughout West Virginia. It is intended that this manual be used as guidance for developing sediment control plans for the West Virginia/National Pollution Discharge Elimination System General Water Pollution Control Permit for Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities. However, the use of other best management practices manuals may also be acceptable. The goal is to reduce the water quality impacts of land-disturbing activities through the design and implementation of effective erosion prevention and sediment control.

Water Conservation - What You Can Do!

A book containing a series of ideas and fact sheets on different methods of water conservation.

For additional information, contact the WVCA Watershed Resource Center at 304.558.0382 or email at wrc@wvca.us.

Nonpoint Source Pollution - A Series of Fact Sheets

For more information, see attachment or contact:
WVCA Watershed Resource Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
Charleston, WV 25305-0193
304.558.0382

Turbidity measures how clear the water is - or isn’t.  Turbid means there is a lot of debris, silt or other stuff floating around. That makes the water dark and murky, which makes it difficult for plants to grow and animals to breath.

Turbidity brochure available through the WVCA Watershed Resource Center. For additional information contact:

Jami R. Thompson
Resource Specialist
WVCA Watershed Resource Center
304.558.0382

An informational brochure on groundwater, what it is, where it comes from, and how kids can help too!

For additional information contact:

Jami R. Thompson
Resource Specialist
WVCA Watershed Resource Center
304.558.0382

http://www.epa.gov/owow/streamsurvey

  CREP

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is another spin off the Conservation Reserve Program that allows farmers to voluntarily idle environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water.

CREP is a partnership with federal and state government and is available to the majority of the geographic areas in West Virginia.

Sign up / Eligibility Requirements

Like CRP, CREP contracts require a 10 to 15 year commitment to keep lands out of agricultural production. CREP provides multiple payments to participants who offer eligible land, including a federal annual rental payment, incentive and maintenance payments.  Cost share to install practices is available at a 50%, plus an additional 40% incentive for a total of 90% cost  coverage.  A one time signing incentive is offered, by the federal government through FSA and also an additional by the state through the Conservation District.

Land must be owned or leased for at least one year prior to enrollment to be eligible, and must be physically and legally capable of being cropped in a normal manner.  Pasture land may also be eligible for the program.

Enrollment is on a continuous basis, permitting farmers to join the program at anytime rather than waiting for specific sign-up periods.

Approved Conservation Practices

The following conservation practices may be eligible for land enrolled into the West Virginia CREP:

· Establishment of Permanent Introduced Grasses and Legumes

· Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses

· Hardwood Tree Planting

· Filter Strips

· Riparian Buffer

 Wetland Restoration

Caring for our Roads and Rivers

Erosion and sedimentation, occur naturally as a result of
 
runoff from development. This sediment and erosion is a

serious challenge to water quality and road maintenance. 

This is a guide to what individuals can do to protect their
 
property and help ensure our rivers and roads are cared

for properly.

A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship, prepared by The Izaak Walton League, provides a consolidation of much otherwise-dispersed information into a clearly written, well organized, easily manageable single volume. 

This handbook is intended to be a basic resource for individuals, classes, organizations, volunteer groups, or communities-- and for those who mentor them -- wishing to carry out environmentally sound, cost-effective stream corridor assessment, enhancement, and stewardship programs.  It will be of great value to readers who want to acquire a solid grasp of the fundamentals of assessing the physical condition and ecological well-being of streams, of what might be done to improve the stability and ecological health of stream corridors, and of implementing effective stream enhancement programs in their communities. 

Available from McDonald & Woodward Publishing, this title is more fully described at www.mwpubco.com/stream.htm. The regular price of $34.95 is currently discounted by 30% to $24.47 now through July 31, 2006.  Bulk discounts are also available for agencies, organizations, and educational institutions. For more information, and to order this publication, please contact M&W Publishing at 800-233-8787. 

Informational fact sheet on available help for dirt roads in WV.

• Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
• Driveway Tips
• Forestry Land Enhancement Program (FLEP)
• Active Oil and Gas Roads

Do you like the outdoors?  Are you 14 - 18 years old?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, West Virginia State Conservation Camp is the place for you!

• Non-point Source Impacts and Solutions
• Erosion and Sediment Control
• Stormwater Management
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
• Proper Road Construction
• Water Quality Education for Watershed Associations, Federal and State
• Best Management Practices (BMP's)