July 2020 - Issue #87
Project Update: An Evaluation of Municipal Policies and their Role in Protecting Forests from Development Impacts
With the support from the Academy of Natural Science at Drexel University’s Delaware Watershed Research Fund, the Center recently finalized a three-year research project in partnership with Rutgers University and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation to analyze the role of municipal land use controls in forest protection.
CWPA Member Spotlight: WS B Mill Pond Habitat Restoration
WSB worked with the City of Champlin to restore and enhance the 42-acre Mill Pond and 1,200 feet of Elm Creek. Over the years, the area became impaired due to agricultural practices and upstream erosion. The restoration of Mill Pond was part of a three-stage effort to restore the Northern Gateway of Elm Creek. Mill Pond has had historically high suspended sediment loads caused by runoff from the creek upstream. The sediment loads resulted in impaired native fish habitat. The goals of the project were habitat restoration, water quality improvement, vegetative restoration and public education.

The WSB team conducted vegetation assessments, developed a seeding and planting plan, and designed a deep and shallow aquatic habitat. A technical advisory panel was created to collaborate on design ideas with stakeholders and to help streamline the permitting process. WSB also secured multiple funding sources including dollars from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the State of Minnesota, Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission, and the City of Champlin.

Mill Pond has historical significance to the area and was created in 1867. Since then, it has become an important recreation area for the Twin Cities region. The restoration project has become an award-winning amenity for the entire community to enjoy the natural areas, fishing, park spaces, connection to Three Rivers Park District, and access to the Mississippi River.
CWP News
Guest blog: Making Nature Great Again: Integrating Biodiversity and Nutrient Targets into Watershed Management
In the early history of pollution management, big pipe dischargers, especially sewage treatment plants, were an obvious primary target for control. The strong and settled regulatory foundation under the Clean Water Act and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program brought measurable progress, but as the millennium approached, much work remained. The Clean Water Action Plan of the Clinton Administration hit center stage in 1998, with a timely if not overdue refocus on nutrients as a significant and growing cause of eutrophication impairments, especially in estuarine watersheds and systems where I have worked for much of my career. Nonpoint source/stormwater management was boosted by treating MS4s (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) and certain Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) as regulated point sources requiring NPDES permits.

Looking To Build A Stormwater Workforce In Your Community?
The Clean Water Certificate (CWC) training program for workforce development provides high quality training opportunities that promotes job growth in the stormwater industry and delivers industry specific, job-readiness skills and knowledge.

New Conference Sponsorship Prices!
The Center for Watershed Protection’s 2020 Coastal and Island Specialty Conference will provide access to stormwater professionals, researchers, and government employees. Your sponsorship is an easy and affordable way to promote your organization to the stormwater community, while supporting the continued development of this field.

Internship Available For Students!
We are seeking a qualified college student or recent high school graduate interested in non-profit, business, marketing, communications or environmental studies, starting August 2020. The unpaid internship provides an opportunity for students to gain hands-on project work experience with a national non-profit organization, while further developing their skills and interests in the environmental field.

Upcoming Events
CWPA Member Virtual Happy Hour
August 12th, 2020, 4:00 - 5:00 PM EST
Grab something to drink and join Ari Daniels from CWP for a east coast happy hour and discuss why Mother Nature is the Best Engineer



Webcast 4: Impacts of Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CECs)
August 12th, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST
Chemicals of emerging concern (CEC), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), pesticides, industrial products and plasticizers can disrupt the endocrine system. Many of these CEC’s have been linked to morphological changes in aquatic habitats. This webcast will present examples of CEC impacts and implications for the larger watershed protection community.

Speaker: Nora Demers of Florida Gulf Coast University & Dr. Serge Thomas of Florida Gulf Coast University


Virtual Ohio Stormwater Conference
August 26th - 28th, 2020
The 2020 Ohio Stormwater Conference is an annual conference dedicated to advance the knowledge and understanding of comprehensive stormwater management for those dealing in all aspects of planning, design, implementation and regulatory compliance.

Webcast 5: IDDE – New Technologies and Techniques
September 16th, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST
Illicit discharges are finally being recognized for playing a major role in contributing to water quality impairments as a substantial contributor of bacteria, nutrients and other pollutants in some watersheds. Recent research has shown that the problems emanating from these sources may be larger than we have imagined. However, controlling these substances through programs such as illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) may be one of the easier, less expensive options for meeting contaminant load reductions. This webcast will look at the recent innovations in best practices to control illicit discharges and gross stormwater solids and provide some case studies to illustrate the quantifiable pollutant load reduction benefits for water quality of these cost-effective stormwater BMPs.

Speakers: Darcy Ebentier of Wood Environment and Infrastructure & Karen Reynolds of Environmental Canine Services LLC


2020 CWP Virtual Coastal & Island Specialty Conference
November 16th - 17th, 2020
The Center for Watershed Protection’s Coastal & Island Specialty Conference will focus on the unique challenges of these communities including the importance of climate resiliency. An opportunity to hear about the broad spectrum of topics and to take a deeper dive into the issues, this conference will focus on connecting those that live and work in areas surrounded by water, information sharing on the most applicable topics of concern, and hearing about case studies as a way to share experiences and best practices. 

2021 National Watershed and Stormwater Conference
April 13th - 15th, 202 1
Join us in St. Pete, Florida
A big thank you to our newest CWPA members!

City of Austin, King County, Kevin M., Washington DC DOEE, Carol Bay, Katherine A., Ira S., Stormwater Maintenance, Michael F., Ginger E., Bill F., Naomi T., Carlton E.

Connect with all of them and over 800 members in our community

The Center for Watershed Protection |  www.cwp.org