At the end of November we offered questions and concerns about Riparian and Wetland Buffers for Water-Quality Protection: A Review of Current Literature, an article that was published in the November issue of Stormwater Magazine.  This week we offer other views on Riparian Buffers.

From the Stroud Water Research Center…

Stroud reports that the single most important factor in determining the quality of a stream’s water is the amount of forested land in its watershed. In 2008, the Stroud Water Research Center published Protecting Headwaters: The Scientific Basis for Safeguarding Stream and River Ecosystems. Although the focus is on headwater streams, the piece discusses forest buffers and how they provide many in-stream benefits including pollutant control, maintaining temperature control, providing food resources and habitat for aquatic organisms, and assisting in bank stabilization.  Click here for an executive summary or here for the full narrative.

From the Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water…

Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water has published its own platform on Proposed Buffer Requirements for Pennsylvania.  Read a summary of select studies reporting percentage of pollutant reductions based on buffer size.  Recommended is a minimum 100-foot buffer on all streams with additional buffer width for Special Protection waters, steep slopes, and more recently, headwaters, and impaired waters.  For the full Riparian Buffer Platform, click here.

admin Stormwater BMPs buffers, Chesapeake Bay, clean water, flood control, forested buffers, green infrastructure, hydrology, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff, stream restoration, watershed protection

A new piece of legislation was introduced on December 3^rd that would significantly help advance green infrastructure throughout the country. American Rivers worked with NRDC, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Low Impact Development Center, and the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators to bring these issues to Rep. Edwards and co-sponsors Russ Carnahan and Steve Driehaus.  Go to the American Rivers web site for more information, or go to the Library of Congress to read HR 4202, The Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2009 text.

admin National clean water, green infrastructure, stormwater legislation, water quality, watershed protection, wet weather

On December 15th, the Environmental Quality Board gave the highest level of protection, Exceptional Value status, to: Young Womans Creek in Clinton, Lycoming and Potter counties; Muncy Creek in Sullivan County; an unnamed tributary to Tunkhannock Creek in Susquehanna County; Spruce Creek in Union County; Blue Eye Run and East Hickory Creek in Warren County; and East Branch Dyberry Creek in Wayne County.

admin Announcements exceptional value streams, special protection waters, stormwater legislation, watershed protection

On December  18^th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its National Water Research Strategy to engage a broader range of researchers in meeting the challenges of protecting and improving our nation’s water resources. The strategy identifies and promotes the research needs of EPA’s national water program to potential partners.

The Strategy identifies four priority themes: Healthy Watersheds and Coastal Waters, Safe Drinking Water, Sustainable Water Infrastructure, and Water Security. Within each theme, research needs are categorized into the following areas: aquatic health effects, human health effects, occurrence and exposure, methods development, and treatment technologies and effectiveness.

More information

Full strategy document  (pdf Download)

admin Announcements clean water, water quality, watershed protection

From the Chesapeake Stormwater Network…

There are roughly 425 small MS4s in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Pennsylvania has the most with about 277, followed by Virginia (80), Maryland (60), New York (~40), and a handful in both Delaware and West Virginia. These small communities must develop local programs that meet six minimum management measures specified by EPA, and are issued five year Phase 2 stormwater permits.

As many as 80% of these communities are on schedule to have their permits renewed or reissued in the next two years-and the Pennsylvania draft Permit currently undergoing review will undoubtedly contain more stringent conditions.

It’s tough to be a stormwater manager in a small MS4. These small communities, often with less than 10,000 residents, have few staff, low funding and limited experience to administer these new stormwater programs. And, to be fair, the States and EPA who write the small MS4s permits, haven’t done a great job helping small communities with much technical assistance, hands on training and resources to launch their new stormwater programs (at least so far). Small communities have been pretty much left to their own devices to figure out how to comply with their new permits.

Last January, Tom Schueler from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network conducted a seminar on building effective stormwater programs for Pennsylvania communities. The seminar featured six short training modules for small MS4 stormwater managers. These modules present the basic small MS4 requirements and provide tips on how to build each program on a shoestring that other successful communities have used, These modules can be accessed below:

▪                Building a Phase 2 MS4 Stormwater Program on a Shoestring

▪                Minimum Management Measure 2: Stormwater Education

▪                Minimum Management Measure 3: Erosion and Sediment Control

▪                Minimum Management Measure 4: Post Construction Stormwater Management

▪                Minimum Management Measure 5: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

▪                 Minimum Management Measure 6: Municipal Good Housekeeping

Visit the Chesapeake Stormwater Network for more…

admin NPDES / MS4 BMPs, Chesapeake Bay, erosion and sediment control, illicit discharge detection and elimination, MS4, municipal good housekeeping, post construction stormwater management, stormwater education