|
 |
|
 |
|
UPDATE Fall 1999
Message from the Director
A watershed is the land area from which rainfall drains to a
specific stream or waterbody.
Large watersheds are often referred to as river basins and are
named after the river the
land area drains to, such as the Connecticut River basin. The
watershed of Long Island
Sound includes the drainage areas of multiple river basins,
such as the Connecticut,
Housatonic, and Thames. Extending through New England and, at
the headwaters of the
Connecticut River, right into Canada, the Long Island Sound
watershed covers 16,000
square miles and also includes portions of New York City,
Westchester County and Long
Island. Eight million people live in the watershed, with
millions more within 15 miles of its
shoreline.
All the activities within the watershed cumulatively affect the
quality of adjacent and
downstream waters and, ultimately, Long Island Sound. As a
result, watersheds are used
to organize water management efforts. Watershed management is
the process of involving
local communities and individuals from the watershed as key
partners in the effort.
Collectively, watershed stakeholders assess conditions and
identify problems, set goals,
develop actions plans, and implement improvements.
This issue of the UPDATE highlights efforts to implement a
watershed approach to
protecting the Sound. Two successful examples are detailed, the
Norwalk River
Watershed Initiative and the Westchester County Watershed
Advisory Committees. State
efforts to expand the approach are also presented.
The case for watershed management is building. Two decades of
implementing
national treatment technology requirements for industrial and
municipal waste treatment
facilities have resulted in cleaner waters. Further improvements
will depend on assessing
the cumulative effects of these treatment facilities and the
threats from polluted runoff,
landscape modification, and habitat loss. Local communities,
landowners, and individuals
must be partners to address the underlining issues of land use
and stewardship. And that's
the challenge - effective watershed management requires an
informed citizenry. As a
recent survey conducted by The Center for Watershed Protection1
indicates, many
individuals and homeowners don't understand the watershed
concept and routinely do
things that can cause water pollution. That is not a formula for
strong stewardship of Long
Island Sound's watersheds.
What can you do? Learn about watershed management efforts around
the Sound
highlighted in this issue of the UPDATE. Many include local
watershed associations that
you can join. Try attending your town's planning and zoning
commission meeting. At home,
adopt Sound Gardening landscape practices, inspect your septic
system annually and
pump it out regularly. Pooper-scoop after your dog and dispose
the waste properly. These
are just a few examples. The LISS Supporting the Sound fact
sheet offers more
suggestions. One more thing, try to educate and influence at
least one neighbor. Together,
our efforts can make a real difference.
1A Survey of Residential Nutrient Behavior in the Chesapeake
Bay. The Center for
Watershed Protection.
CAC Corner by David Miller and John Atkin
On October 14, 1999 we went to Washington to testify before the
LIS
Congressional Caucus on behalf of the Citizens Advisory
Committee. We highlighted the
need for increased federal funding and the importance of federal
legislation that is currently
before Congress.
The states of Connecticut and New York have stepped up to the
plate with financial
resources to address the issues identified in the Long Island
Sound Study's
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). New York
passed the
Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act with $200 million dedicated to
Long Island Sound. To
date over $80 million have been appropriated for nitrogen
removal projects at sewage
treatment plants, for nonpoint source pollution control efforts
and for specific habitat
restoration projects. In Connecticut, the Governor and the
General Assembly have placed
$108 million in the State's Clean Water Fund for FY 1999 and
$120 million for FY2000.
The LISS currently receives a little over $1 million a year from
the National Estuary
Program and the LIS Caucus to carry out coordination and
planning efforts. However, the
bulk of the funding to implement the plan, an estimated billion
dollars over the next twenty
years, is coming from the two states. For example, the federal
government is not providing
matching funds to New York's Bond Act, nor is the federal
government providing land
protection funds. The federal government has not invested in the
solutions to the pollution
and open space protection needs of Long Island Sound.
 Back to top
We encouraged the Long Island Sound Congressional Delegation to
re-dedicate
their efforts to get federal implementation dollars for LIS by
expanding the State Water
Revolving Loan Fund with set-a-sides to National Estuary
Programs, passing legislation to
ensure permanent annual funding of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund at the $900
million level for open space protection, and securing $50-100
million a year for four years
to match the state expenditures in implementation of Long Island
Sound's CCMP. Federal
matching dollars at this time will have a synergistic impact on
the state programs and
leverage additional local dollars to get the job done.
Currently, there are several bills before Congress that could
give LIS additional
federal support. The Estuary Habitat Restoration bills H.R. 1775
and S. 835 would set up a
funding mechanism for critical restoration efforts on a
partnership basis. The Water
Pollution Control and Estuary Restoration Act H.R. 1096 would
amend the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act to provide funding to States for their
national estuary program
CCMPs. Finally, there is a proposal to increase funding levels
for EPA's Long Island
Sound Office. For the past ten years, the EPA LIS office has
been authorized a budget not
to exceed 3 million dollars by an act of Congress. Senators
Lieberman, Dodd, Schumer,
and Moynihan have introduced S.1632 to extend the budget
authorization for the Long
Island Sound Office through 2005 and increase funding limits to
$10 million a year. Now is
the time to invest in Long Island Sound. We have a unique
coalition of industry, labor and
environmental groups supporting the plan and the two states are
investing unprecedented
dollars toward the Sound's cleanup.
John Atkin is the Connecticut co-chair of the Citizen Advisory
Committe and is the
president of Save the Sound, Inc. in Stamford, CT and Glen Cove,
NY.
David J. Miller is New York's co-chair of the Citizen Advisory
Committee and executive
director of the National Audubon Society of New York State.
After the September CAC meeting in New Rochelle, the Westchester
County Department of Planning staff provided a presentation to
CAC members on the restoration project at Five Islands Park in
Echo Bay. At the conclusion of the presentation Rob Doscher
guided a field tour of the site. The tour concluded with a
spectacular display of bluefish predation on menhaden in the
bay.
Connecticut Watersheds By Mark Parker
Connecticut contains many watersheds and subwatersheds but,
ultimately, nearly
the entire State drains into Long Island Sound. A key component
of the Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) efforts to
improve the water quality and
habitat of the Sound is its Watershed Management Program. The
Watershed
Management & Coordination (WMC) Section, established in 1996,
under the Bureau of
Water Management Planning & Standards Division, includes
programs for river and lake
management as well as geographical information system support.
CTDEP's goals for watershed management include improvements in
water quality,
habitat for fisheries and other wildlife, and recreational
opportunities. CTDEP is currently
focusing on priority sub-watersheds within the five large river
basin areas that drain to the
Sound: Thames (which includes the Pawcatuck and Eastern Coastal
watersheds),
Connecticut, Housatonic, Central Coastal basin, and Western
Coastal basin (Fairfield
County). The WMC is in the process of establishing five "basin
coordinator" positions for
these areas to provide public and local goverment assistance.
The WMC has had an eventful year for each of its constituent
programs, including
the concentrated efforts of the Norwalk and Quinnipiac river
watershed pilot projects.
Additionally, the WMC has continued its liaison efforts with
watershed associations and
municipalities to bring technical assistance to several
watersheds throughout the state.
The WMC conducts outreach and education on river watershed
management activities,
through the quarterly bulletin, River Rundown, the Web site
(http://dep.state.ct.us), and
numerous meetings and conferences. All watershed programs
emphasize nonpoint source
pollution (NPS) abatement. Technical and financial assistance
are also available using
federal Clean Water Act Section 319 and 604(b) funds and state
Clean Water Fund River
Restoration Grants.
The 319 Program and the River Restoration Grant Program are
administered by
the CTDEP's Bureau of Water Management. Section 319 of the Clean
Water Act was
established as a national program to control nonpoint sources of
water pollution. The EPA
defines NPS pollution as that which is ... caused by diffuse
sources that are not regulated
as point sources and are normally associated with precipitation
and runoff from the land or
percolation. The Clean Water Fund River Restoration Program was
established in 1994
as a result of the passage of Public Act No. 94-154 by the
Connecticut General Assembly
and signed by the Governor.
Back to top
CTDEP's Office of Long Island Sound Programs Coastal Programs
Unit created
staff liaison assignments for coastal watersheds. The staff
serve as contacts with coastal
municipal planning and zoning authorities, providing technical
assistance in the review of
coastal development proposals and land use planning. They also
conduct outreach and
education to municipal officials on coastal management-related
issues such as the
connection between nonpoint source pollution and land use.
Mark Parker works for CTDEP Bureau of Water Management, Planning
& Standards
Division and is the LISS Public Outreach Coordinator.
The following is a list of active watershed projects and their
associated contacts:
Quinnipiac River The "Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership,"
is a comprehensive, community-based watershed planning and
implementation project. Contact: c/o Ellie Tessemer, Sec.,115
Cheshire Rd, Wallingford, CT 06492-3334, E-mail: grwp@yale.edu,
State Contact:
Elizabeth Marks (860)424-3930, E-mail:
elizabeth.marks@po.state.ct.us
West River
Contact: West River Watershed Association, c/o Mary Tyrrell,
Yale Center for Coastal and
Watershed Systems, 205 Prospect St, New Haven, CT 06511,
(203)432-3026, State
Contact: Charles Fredette (860)424-3714 Watershed Management
Coordinator, E-mail:
Charlie.fredette@po.state.ct.us
Norwalk River
Contact: Norwalk River Watershed Association, Inc., PO Box 935,
Norwalk, CT 06852,
(203)846-8210, Website: www.ridgefield-ct.com/~adminnrwa, State
Contact: Tess
Gutowski (860)424-3096, E-mail: tessa.gutowski@po.state.ct.us.
See page 4 for more
information.
Sasco Brook
Contact: Sasco Brook Pollution Abatement Committee, c/o Westport
Conservation Dept.,
110 Myrtle Ave, Westport, CT 06880, (203)341-1170, State
Contacts: Elizabeth Marks
(860)424-3930, E-mail: elizabeth.marks@po.state.ct.us, Lee
Dunbar (860)424-3731,
E-mail: lee.dunbar@po.state.ct.us
Mattabesset River
Contact: Middlesex County Soil & Water Conservation District, PO
Box 70, Haddam, CT
06438, (860)345-3219, State Contact: Charles Fredette
(860)424-3714 Watershed
Management Coordinator, E-mail:
charlie.fredette@po.state.ct.us
Pomperaug River
Contact: Pomperaug Watershed Association, Larry Pond
(203)263-3943, Marc Taylor
(203) 264-9191, State Contact: Rob Hust (860)424-3718, E-mail:
robert.hust@po.state.ct.us
Scantic River
Contact: Dave Askew, Tolland County Soil & Water Conservation
District, (860)875-3881,
ext. 108, State Contact: Charles Fredette (860) 424-3714
Watershed Management
Coordinator, E-mail:
charlie.fredette@po.state.ct.us
Hockanum River
Contact: Hockanum River Watershed Association, c/o Doug Smith,
407 Woodbridge Rd,
Manchester, CT 06040, (860)649-5678, State Contact: Stan Zaremba
(860)424-3730
Nonpoint Source Coordinator, E-mail:
stan.zaremba@po.state.ct.us
Jordan Cove
The Jordan Cove Urban Watershed Project is one of 22 projects
nationwide being funded
by CTDEP through an EPA 319 grant. The purpose of the program is
to scientifically
evaluate the effectiveness of watershed technologies designed to
control nonpoint source
pollution, and improve our understanding of nonpoint source
pollution. Contact: Aqua
Solutions, (860)269-7664, Website:dep.state.ct.us, State
Contact: Stan Zaremba
(860)424-3730 Nonpoint Source Coordinator, E-mail: stan.zaremba@po.state.ct.us
Norwalk Watershed Project by Mel Cote
The Norwalk River watershed is located in southwestern
Connecticut and a small
portion of Westchester County, New York, encompassing
approximately 64 square miles
in portions of seven municipalities: New Canaan, Norwalk,
Redding, Ridgefield, Weston,
and Wilton in Connecticut, and Lewisboro in New York. The
Norwalk River watershed was
selected by EPA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and the
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to
demonstrate watershed
management techniques in support of the Comprehensive
Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) and the state's evolving watershed
management approach.
This watershed was identified by the LISS as a high priority
basin for nutrient
management, because it reflects the typical impacts associated
with urbanization, and
mirrors other coastal watersheds along the Sound. Another
important factor in the
selection of this watershed was the strong level of interest
among the watershed
municipalities, and local environmental and civic organizations.
The purpose of the
Norwalk River Watershed Initiative (NRWI) is to build local
capacity to restore and protect
water quality and fish/wildlife habitat, and to assist
communities in integrating natural
resource management considerations into local land use planning
and regulatory
programs. The initiative complements habitat restoration and
nitrogen reduction strategies
developed by the LISS to restore the Sound, and builds on
lessons learned from earlier
nonpoint source management programs.
The goal of the NRWI was to produce and implement a
comprehensive watershed
management plan with specific goals, objectives, and milestones
to address outstanding
resource impairments over an 18-month period utilizing a
cooperative community-based
planning process. The planning process began in February 1997
with the establishment of
the NRWI Committee, comprising more than 50 members including
watershed residents,
municipal officials, local organizations, and state and federal
agency representatives. The
Committee subsequently established subcommittees to develop
goals, objectives, and
tasks for four priority areas: water quality; habitat
restoration; land use/flood
protection/open space; and education/stewardship.
A draft plan was released for public comment in April 1998.
Based on input from
area residents and municipal officials, the Committee
reevaluated and revised the plan
and released the Norwalk River Watershed Action Plan in October
1998. The plan was
formally released with a "signing ceremony," where the mayor of
Norwalk and first
selectmen from the other six municipalities, and representatives
from federal and state
agencies signed a pledge committing their support for the plan
and its implementation.
In addition to developing the plan, the Committee quickly began
high priority
implementation activities. These included: securing Clean Water
Act Section 319 nonpoint
source grant funds from EPA and CTDEP to implement riparian
restoration demonstration
projects and develop educational materials on the importance of
restoring and maintaining
vegetated buffers along the river; securing a grant from Trout
Unlimited to restore and
enhance fisheries habitat; establishing an early flood alert
warning system for the
watershed communities; publishing and distributing newsletters
and other public
information materials on the initiative to watershed residents;
and establishing a volunteer,
citizen water quality monitoring program.
With the release of the plan, the work of the NRWI Committee was
completed. The
next step was the creation of the Norwalk River Watershed Action
Plan Advisory
Committee, which is charged with overseeing and coordinating
implementation activities.
The Advisory Committee first met in February 1999 and has 20
members representing
federal, state, and local government, environmental and civic
organizations, and business
and industry. Additional section 319 funding was secured to
support implementation
activities in 1999-2000; these activities include: hiring a
"watershed coordinator" to assist
the Committee; continuing water quality monitoring; restoring
riparian buffers; promoting
septic system maintenance; and working with municipal
departments of public works to
reduce the impact of road sanding practices on the river and its
tributaries. The Advisory
Committee also has received a grant from a local foundation to
supplement the section
319 funds for the watershed coordinator position.
Mel Cote works in the US Environmental Protection Agency, New
England Regional Office
as the Regional Program Manager for the LISS and Connecticut
Nonpoint Source
Program.
Back to top
New York Watersheds by Libby Smith
New York State has revitalized its commitment to restore and
protect its wealth of
coastal, surface, and underground water resources. Using a
watershed approach to
manage water quality and natural resources, programs at the
state, regional, and local
level consider the many factors that affect rivers, lakes, and
ocean shores.
A watershed is all the land that contributes water and
water-borne pollutants, over
and under the ground, to a specific body of water.
Using a watershed approach means examining all influences within
a hydrologically
defined drainage area instead of viewing individual problems in
isolation. Watershed
planning and management integrate social, environmental and
economic issues within the
drainage area's natural boundaries. In practical terms, using a
watershed approach means
assessing and managing resources as a whole, considering up and
downstream effects of
an action and working cooperatively with all stakeholders.
Because so many aspects of environment, economics, and society
are involved in
a watershed approach, partnerships are a natural and necessary
mode of action.
Communities are best equipped to identify their own problems -
they don't need someone
from the outside to do this for them. But as they may not always
be equipped to solve those
problems, they may need to call upon a variety of experts for
technical advice, funding,
encouragement, and training. An evolving function for federal,
state, and regional agencies
and organizations is helping communities to tackle their own
problems. Building local
capacity is now an important policy direction, a newly
emphasized relationship between
governments and people.
Taking part in the federal Clean Water Action Plan, New York
analyzed its
watersheds for environmental and natural resource factors and
submitted a Unified
Watershed Assessment to EPA in 1998. Through the assessment, the
State identified
those watersheds most in need of restoration and set forth a
five-year schedule to address
high priority areas in each of its major basins. The watersheds
adjacent to Long Island
Sound have been identified as among those that will be addressed
in the first year of the
five year schedule.
The current task is to prepare strategies for watershed
restoration and protection by
utilizing local partnerships, strengthen public health
protections, and target watershed
protection efforts at high priority areas such as Long Island
Sound. In support of this
process, communities will be provided with new resources through
the Clean Water/Clean
Air Bond Act, the Environmental Protection Fund and other
programs to improve municipal
wastewater treatment, control polluted runoff, and enhance
natural resource stewardship.
Libby Smith is the Outreach Coordinator for NYSDEC's Division of
Water. The following is a list of active watershed projects and
their associated contacts:
Manhasset Bay Protection Committee.
This effort is cooperative among the Town of North Hempstead and
the coastal villages
along Manhasset Bay shoreline. Primary concerns are nonpoint
source pollution, including
nutrient loading and sedimentation in Manhasset Bay. Contact:
Lynn Oliva, Manhasset Bay
Protection Committee (516)869-7755
Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee
This is a planning effort by the entire watershed community of
the Harbor. Its plan was
released in May 1998. Contained in the plan is a comprehensive
review and interpretation
of historical water quality data, quantification of pollutant
loading contributions to the
Harbor, review of existing regulations, and recommendations for
management and
restoration projects within the watershed. Contact: LynnOliva,
Hempstead Harbor
Protection Committee (516)869-7755
Glen Cove Creek
The City of Glen Cove is involved in an effort to clean up and
restore the Creek and its
watershed, including sewage treatment plant effluent, habitat
restoration, and nonpoint
source controls. Contact: Thomas Suozzi, Mayor, City of Glen
Cove (516)676-2004; Sally
Dewes, NYSDEC (518)457-7924
Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor
NYSDEC and NYSDOS have developed management plans and strategies
for the harbor.
Contact: Rick D'Amico, NYSDEC (631) 444-0467, Sally Ball, NYSDOS
(518)476-1208;
Greg Capobianco, NYSDOS (518)474-8811; Charles McCaffrey, NYSDOS
(518)473-3368
Nissequogue River
The river has been declared a state scenic and recreational
river, which limits the
development along the corridor. The report developed for this in
the 1980s contains natural
resource and hydrology information on the river. Contact: Chris
Balk, NYSDEC
(631)444-0275
Stony Brook Harbor
The Stony Brook Task Force, a committee consisting of
representatives from the towns,
villages, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, citizens
groups and others are
working on a plan for the harbor. The information for this plan
is to be collected by the
Marine Sciences Research Center at SUNY Stony Brook. The Town of
Brookhaven and
the Village of Head of the Harbor have proposed to study the
creek for mitigating the
impacts of stormwater runoff along its entire length. Contact:
Jeff Kassner, Town of
Brookhaven, (631)451-6458
West Meadow Creek
The Town of Brookhaven is collecting information on hydrology,
water quality, and natural
resources with help from Marine Sciences Research Center, SUNY
Stony Brook over
three years (1996-1998). Contact: Jeff Kassner, Town of
Brookhaven, (631)451-6458
Port Jefferson Harbor
The Town of Brookhaven and the Villages of Port Jefferson, Old
Field, Poquott, and Belle
Terre developed a plan to enhance the commercial waterfront area
of southern Port
Jefferson Harbor; improve operating conditions for
water-dependent commercial and
recreational uses; ensure public and vessel safety, improve
conditions for navigation; and
protect and enhance environmental conditions. Contact: Jeff
Kassner, Town of Brookhaven
(631)451-6458
Mt. Sinai Harbor
The Town of Brookhaven and the Mt. Sinai Civic Association
conducted a study that
focused primarily on land use, stormwater runoff and habitat
restoration in the harbor.
There is also work under way on the uses of the harbor. Contact:
Jeff Kassner, Town of
Brookhaven (631)451-6458
Mattituck Creek
Suffolk County SWCD has completed a watershed analysis of
Mattituck Creek. Contact:
Alan Connell, SWCD (631)727-2315
Westchester County
Westchester County's subwatersheds. are developing local
implementation plans that will
reduce nonpoint sources of pollution to their respective
subwatersheds. Contact: Rob
Doscher, (914)285-4423, E-Mail:
rrd1@co.westchester.ny.us
Port Jefferson Harbor
The Town of Brookhaven and the Villages of Port Jefferson, Old
Field, Poquott, and Belle
Terre developed a plan to enhance the commercial waterfront area
of southern Port
Jefferson Harbor; improve operating conditions for
water-dependent commercial and
recreational uses; ensure public and vessel safety, improve
conditions for navigation; and
protect and enhance environmental conditions. Contact: Jeff
Kassner, Town of Brookhaven
(631)451-6458
Mt. Sinai Harbor
The Town of Brookhaven and the Mt. Sinai Civic Association
conducted a study that
focused primarily on land use, stormwater runoff and habitat
restoration in the harbor.
There is also work under way on the uses of the harbor. Contact:
Jeff Kassner, Town of
Brookhaven (631)451-6458
Mattituck Creek
Suffolk County SWCD has completed a watershed analysis of
Mattituck Creek. Contact:
Alan Connell, SWCD (631)727-2315
Westchester County
Westchester County's subwatersheds. are developing local
implementation plans that will
reduce nonpoint sources of pollution to their respective
subwatersheds. Contact: Rob
Doscher, (914)285-4423, E-Mail: rrd1@co.westchester.ny.us
Westchester County Watershed Program by Rick D'Amico
In order to promote the objectives of the LISS, Westchester
County took a
watershed planning approach. In 1992, the County created the
Citizen's Committee on
Nonpoint Source Pollution in Long Island Sound. The committee
included elected officials,
municipal staff, representatives of the construction industry,
environmental advocacy
groups, and Westchester County staff.
The committee documented its findings and made recommendations
to reduce
Westchester's contribution of nonpoint source pollution in a
1993 report. The report
considered: point source nitrogen pollution, nonpoint source
pollution controls, land use,
public education, and financing.
Westchester County's approximately 68,000 acres of Long Island
Sound watershed
area were divided into six subwatersheds. An individual
subwatershed consists of the
drainage basins of one or several adjacent bodies of water. For
example, Subwatershed
#1 includes the drainage basins (only in Westchester County) of
the Silvermine, Mill, and
Mianus Rivers. Each of the six subwatersheds is to develop its
own nonpoint source
pollution control plan developed. All of the subwatersheds
include more than one
municipality. For example, Subwatershed #1 includes the
municipalities of Bedford,
Lewisboro, North Castle, and Pound Ridge.
In order to foster intermunicipal cooperation, Watershed
Advisory Committees
(WACs) were organized, corresponding to the subwatersheds.
Representatives from the
local communities of each WAC are given technical and
administrative support from the
Westchester County Department of Planning. Together, they are
developing local
implementation plans that will reduce nonpoint sources of
pollution to their respective
subwatersheds.
Each WAC's report addresses (or will address) these major items:
Stormwater Management Basins- assessment and recommendations to
improve the
basins' ability to treat stormwater runoff by removing or
filtering out nonpoint source
pollutants;Natural Resources Restoration-assessment and
determination of which streams and
wetlands are most degraded or threatened and specific
recommendations for their
restoration or protection; Local Ordinances and Comprehensive
Plans - recommendations that municipal land use laws and master
plans of development incorporate water quality guidelines and
best management practices for controlling nonpoint source
pollution; and,
Public Outreach and Education -recommendations on how to use the
media to inform the
public, forming partnerships for public outreach and education
efforts, and educating small
business and golf course operators about best management
practices.
Two of the WAC's (3 and 5) plans have been completed and
endorsed by all of their
participating municipalities. WAC 5, which includes the drainage
areas of Pine,
Stephenson, and Burling Brooks, along with Larchmont Harbor, was
the first to be
completed. WAC 3, consisting of the basins for Blind, Beaver
Swamp, and Brentwood
Brooks, and Milton (Rye) and Port Chester Harbors, was also
completed. WAC 4,
consisting of the drainages of the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake
Rivers, and Mamaroneck
Harbor, has been started.
For further information on WACs and Westchester County's
Nonpoint Source
Pollution Control Program, contact: Rob Doscher, Associate
Environmental Planner,
County of Westchester Department of Planning, 148 Martine
Avenue, Room 432, White
Plains, NY 10601, (914)285-4423, E-Mail: rrd1@co.westchester.ny.us,
Web site:
co.westchester.ny.us/planning/environmental/environ.htm.
Rick D'Amico is the New York State Coordinator for LISS.
Back to top
Watershed Resources
LISS CAC watershed subcommittee - Carolyn DuBois, chair
US EPA Office of Water - www.epa.gov/owow/watershed
Watershed Information Network - www.epa.gov/win
Federal funding sources - www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/fund.html
Natural Resources Conservation Service - www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/land/env/wsheds1.html
Model Ordinaces (real-life examples to protecting water quality
-www.
epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance/
Watershed Science Institute - gneiss.geology.washington.edu/~nrcs-wsi/
LIS Dredging Update by Ann Rodney
In August of this year, EPA Region I (EPA) and the US Army Corps
of Engineers
(ACOE) had an unexpected opportunity to conduct side scan sonar
surveys at the four
existing dredge disposal sites in Long Island Sound. {The sites
are Western Long Island
Sound disposal site (WLIS) near Stamford, CT, Central Long
Island Sound disposal site
(CLIS) near New Haven, CT, Cornfield Shoals disposal site (CSDS)
off Old Saybrook and
the New London disposal site (NLDS) near New London}. The EPA's
research vessel, the
Peter W. Anderson was in the Northeast and was available five
days for data collection
using side scan sonar. The data collected from the side scan
sonar will assist the EPA and
the ACOE in assessing how sediments are naturally transported in
these specific areas.
Also, the data may be used to study the potential habitat value
of these sites for finfish,
shellfish, and other marine organisms. The data collected have
not yet been analyzed.
EPA and the ACOE conducted two public workshops in October: one
in Port
Jefferson, NY (10/12) and one in Stratford, CT (10/13).
Approximately 50 people were at
each workshop, and represented a variety of interests (shellfishermen,
marine industry,
environmental groups, public officials, private citizens, and
others) {Notice of the
workshops was mailed to approximately 3000 people and a series
of fact sheets were
developed and produced for the workshops. The fact sheets were
mailed to approximately
2000 people.}
These workshops were designed for small group discussions on
four fact sheet
topics: Data Review and Recommendations, Site Screening Process,
Evaluation Factors
for Site Screening, and Dredging Needs & Alternatives. The
format of the group
discussion was brainstorming, which was guided by a series of
questions. The information
gathered from these workshops will be reviewed and will assist
the EPA and the ACOE to
focus and clarify the continuing development of the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The Draft Work Plan originally targeted for release in September
has been delayed.
Instead information gathered at the October workshops (& June
Public Scoping meetings)
will be used in completing the Draft Work Plan.
If you would like to be placed on the Long Island Sound EIS
mailing list, give
comments, or would like more information please contact: Ann
Rodney:
US EPA - New England Region
One Congress Street
Suite 1100, CWQ
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1538 or fax (617) 918-1505 E-mail: rodney.ann@epa.gov
Program News
Great News! The TMDL for nitrogen highlighted in the Spring 1998
issue of
UPDATE, is here. A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load, establishes
the maximum
amount of a pollutant, in this case, nitrogen, which may be
introduced into a waterbody
while ensuring that water quality standards are met after the
application of
technology-based or other controls. Since the primary pollutant
contributing to low
dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) levels in Long Island Sound is
nitrogen, the TMDL is a very
important tool for implementing state water quality standards
for dissolved oxygen.
An adequate amount of oxygen dissolved in the water is one of
the most important
criteria used to define a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The
reduction in oxygen impacts fish
presence and production, reducing available marine life habitat
by 50% during peak
hypoxic periods. EPA and the states of New York and Connecticut
agreed to develop the
TMDL to administer and enforce the 58.5% nitrogen reduction
target adopted in 1998.
The TMDL for nitrogen will focus on dissolved oxygen attainment
through nitrogen
reduction from point and nonpoint source pollution as well as
atmospheric deposition. The
TMDL will be subject to public review and comment separately by
Connecticut and New
York consistent with their respective public participation
requirements. As a result, a series
of public meetings will be scheduled in both states. This is an
opportunity for concerned
citizens to come out and voice their opinions. Your comments are
important.
Announcements regarding the times and places for these public
meetings will be
made shortly, so be on the lookout for them.For the latest
information about the TMDL and
opportunity to comment on it visit our Web site
www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lis
Calendar of Events
November 15, 1999, Small Grants Proposal submittal deadline
December 7, 1999, Small Grants Review Team Meeting in Stamford,
CT
December 9, 1999, CAC Meeting in Old Lyme, CT see page 2 for
more details
January 6, 2000, LIS Total Education Network Meeting, contact
Kristen Consolati at (203-327-
9786) Save the Sound, Inc. for more information
January 10, 2000, LISS Budget Proposal deadline
January 20, 2000, Management Committee Meeting in Stamford CT,
contact Joe Salata (203-977-1541) for more information
March 9, 2000 CAC Meeting in New York
March 30, 2000 LIS Implementation Team Meeting
March 31, 2000 LIS Educators Conference, Norwalk Aquarium,
contact Kim Raccio (203-852-
0700 ext 245) for more information.
Back to top
|
|
|
Long Island Sound Study
EPA Long
Island Sound Office
888 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06904-2152
Phone: (203) 977-1541 Fax: (203) 977-1546
|
|
|
|
