Nonpoint Pollution | Success Stories | Urban | 2006

Urban Success Stories: Archives (2006)

Note: Highlighted projects are not necessarily funded by the Coastal Nonpoint Program nor do they necessarily represent projects that have been approved by NOAA and EPA to remove remaining conditions on state programs.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

New Hampshire Implements Pet Waste Outreach Project: In the summer of 2005, the New Hampshire Coastal Program along with other Department of Environmental Services (DES) staff, the city of Dover, and resident volunteers launched a Pet Waste Outreach Project to educate dog owners on the value of cleaning up pet waste. The outreach initially focused on the Garrison Road neighborhood in Dover, one of the sites in the Great Bay Watershed where elevated bacteria levels were linked to dog waste.  Due to its success, the program has since expanded city-wide.

To address the dog waste issue, the Pet Waste Committee, formed by neighborhood residents, city officials, Coastal Program and other state staff, developed a multi-faceted outreach strategy to educate people on how to safely and properly dispose of their pets’ waste. The strategy included a logo design contest for children, storm drain stenciling, and distributing dog treats with informational tags to pet owners at events, providing everyone that registers a dog at the Town Hall with a Scoop the Poop Pledge sheet to sign. In accepting the pledge, the dog owner agrees to dispose of his/her pet’s waste in a responsible way. The city has also installed 10 doggie bag and pet waste disposal stations at local parks where dog waste was identified as a problem. 

Follow-up surveys of the pilot neighborhood noted that less dog waste was on the ground, more bags of pet waste were in public trash cans and no bags of waste were left on the ground.  (Residents had reported that bags of waste were being left at the end of the popular dog walking path.) To further evaluate the success of the project, the Pet Waste Committee is also sending out surveys to residents to assess how their behavior has changed. Unfortunately, follow-up bacterial sampling in the spring of 2006 did not reveal a significant decrease in bacteria levels from dogs. However, study participants note that it was an unusually wet spring and additional sampling may be needed.   

The New Hampshire Coastal Program is currently working on a new publication, “The Inside Scoop: How to Conduct a Pet Waste Outreach Campaign.” This guide will show people how to work with local partners to design and implement a well researched and sound education and outreach project to motivate dog owners/walkers to pick up after their dogs and dispose of the waste properly. The guide will be simultaneously released with a grant funding opportunity to help implement the outreach activities in early 2007. The Coastal Program and DES staff will also host a workshop releasing the guide and how to use it.

Puerto Rico Watershed Protection Workshops Held:  The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), in partnership with the Center for Watershed Protection, a non-profit organization specializing in watershed management planning and urban stormwater management, held two workshops in Puerto Rico this summer to provide specialized assistance to coastal managers and other stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of their local planning and management capability for addressing land-based pollution sources. Funding for the workshops were provided through NOAA’s Coral Program.

The goal of the first workshop was to facilitate a process among local agencies to improve coordination and develop some common goals for ensuring implementation and compliance with existing erosion control rules and regulations. Workshop participants included numerous Commonwealth and Federal agencies with responsibilities related to addressing land-based sources of pollution, including the Puerto Rico DNER, Environmental Quality Board, Planning Board, and Aquaducts Authority, and the U.S. EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA and NRCS. The outcome of the workshop was an initial outline for long-term inter-agency strategy and recommendations for a more coordinated approach to addressing erosion and sediment control implementation and compliance in Puerto Rico.

The second workshop brought together staff from nine municipalities in the Caguas-Loiza watershed as well as representatives from homebuilders associations, local design consultants, and contractors. The goal of this workshop was to initiate a pilot project to identify and plan for the implementation of select erosion and sediment control practices in the watershed. The first day of the workshop consisted of a series of presentations focusing on understanding key erosion control implementation issues in Puerto Rico and discussions on priority practices to improve erosion and sedimentation control in Puerto Rico. A half day field trip was held on the second day of the workshop followed by breakout group discussions to develop specific action strategies for Erosion and Sediment Control implementation and compliance in Caguas-Loiza. A small “Implementation Team” was established to continue working towards actual on-the-ground actions for the select erosion and sediment control implementation and compliance measures.

Minnesota Holds Stormwater BMP Tour:  On September 8th, the Minnesota Lake Superior Coastal Program and the South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District coordinated a 3-hour bus tour of nonpoint source reduction sites in the western Lake Superior Watershed. The tour was designed to educate attendees of the Minnesota Waters 2006 Conference, Lake and River Association Members, engineers, local planning staff, and area natural resource managers about effective stormwater control practices for the region. 

Over 40 people participated in the tour, which highlighted innovative stormwater treatment devices including rain gardens, biofiltration basins, underground stormwater storage, grass swales, and open space preservation. Discussion topics at the tour sites included engineering and design aspects of innovative stormwater practices, owner perspectives, future monitoring needs, and important lessons learned.  

Georgia Holds Green Infrastructure Workshop:  Promoting smart land use practices such as low impact development and conservation design, to minimize polluted runoff has been a recent focus of Georgia's Coastal Nonpoint Program. Currently, the Georgia Coastal Nonpoint Program is partnering with the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve to host two, one-day Green Infrastructure Workshops on September 13 and 14th. The workshops will bring together local and state officials, land use planners, zoning officials, coastal developers and many other interested groups to discuss "Green Infrastructure Planning," a new conservation approach that allows land planners, developers and conservation professionals, and citizens to forge a stronger link between land use and land conservation. The workshops will feature a keynote speaker Dr. Mark Benedict, author of Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities, and use a mixture of presentations and case studies to show how green infrastructure planning can be applied in coastal Georgia. Developing and implementing these "Green Infrastructure" programs is also helping Georgia address many Coastal Nonpoint Program urban, hydromodification and wetlands and riparian area management measures.

Ohio Addresses Coastal NPS through Local Watershed Organizations in the Lake Erie Watershed:  To address nonpoint source pollution issues more comprehensively, Ohio has been implementing a watershed planning program throughout the state. In 2002 the watershed planning guidance was revised to require that all watershed plans within the 6217 boundary include a strategy to implement all applicable Coastal Nonpoint Program Management Measures. While the program is voluntary, there is a strong incentive to develop watershed plans as Ohio requires that each watershed must have an approved watershed plan in place to be eligible for federal and state water quality funding from the USEPA, Ohio EPA and Ohio DNR. 

In addition, Ohio’s Watershed Coordinator Grants Program supports watershed coordinator positions throughout the state.  Watershed coordinators work with local stakeholders to develop a comprehensive watershed plan to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of stream segments within the watershed. The coordinators also develop and assist the local watershed group to implement a resource-focused education/information program in the watershed, and work towards making the water resource focused group more permanent. In the Lake Erie Management Area, nine watershed plans have been completed and four others are in development, accounting for approximately half of the 6217 management area.

The Division of Soil and Water Conservation, the Division of Mineral Resources Management, the Ohio Coastal Management Program, and Section 319 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) Program all contributed funds to support the Watershed Coordinator Grants Program. The success of the Ohio NPS Program to date is attributed to the fact that it is based on innovation and voluntary compliance and involves a multitude of local, state and federal agencies working toward a common water quality goal—80 percent of Ohio's surface water in attainment of full water quality standards by 2010.

Georgia Develops Green Growth Guidelines: The Georgia Coastal Program, with support from Coastal Nonpoint Program funding, is pleased to announce the availability of their new "Green Growth Guidelines." The purpose of the manual is to demonstrate how quality growth development strategies can help protect coastal resources while providing superior outcomes both socially and economically. The Green Growth Guidelines outline the environmental, social, and economic benefits of using sustainable development strategies compared to conventional development approaches.  

The guide's main objectives are to: (1) demonstrate how site fingerprinting and sensitive land planning can identify and protect natural resources; (2) provide developers with instructions on how to build with minimal impact to the environment; (3) compare low impact and conventional residential subdivision designs to show economic and environmental benefits of low impact development; (4) demonstrate alternative stormwater drainage solutions that protect the quality of receiving waterbodies; and (5) introduce various soft engineering techniques used to protect and stabilize coastal stream banks from erosion.  

To exemplify how these strategies and techniques can be applied on the coast, an undeveloped tract of land was selected in coastal Georgia as the model site. This 188-acre site, referred to as the "Tupelo Tract," contains natural resource obstacles typical of this region including freshwater streams, wetlands, and critical habitat. In addition, the site is immediately upstream of a large system of tidal marshes, beaches, and creeks. The tract is strategically located along a main thoroughfare with accessible infrastructure, zoned for residential development, and in close proximity to recreational, civic, and commercial facilities making it ideal for residential development.  

The "Green Growth Guidelines" and a companion industry recognition program under development (Green Subdivision Program) serve to address a number of the management measures of the Georgia Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program. These include urban watershed protection, site development, onsite sewage disposal systems siting, and hydromodification, streambank and channelization management measures.

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CNMI Moves Forward with Stormwater Retrofit Projects to Protect Coral Reefs: Laolao Bay and Obyan Beach, two of the most popular dive sites on Saipan, are both very important tourist destinations and coral reef areas for the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands (CNMI). However, both areas are experiencing severe sedimentation problems. Marine monitoring teams have observed the resultant decline in coral populations, and dominance of turf algae.

To improve water quality and restore the reef, the CNMI Coastal Nonpoint Program, within the Coastal Resource Management Office (CRMO), is leading a multi-agency effort to identify the sources of sedimentation and develop projects to address the issue. Partner agencies for this project include the CNMI Department of Public Works, Division of Environmental Quality, Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Northern Marianas College, and federal partners NRCS, EPA and NOAA (through its coastal management and coral conservation programs). They found the primary sources of sedimentation to the areas are chronic erosion of the dirt and gravel access roads, and sedimentation from upland erosion. To rectify this problem, CRMO, with funding from NOAA, contracted an engineering firm to develop plans for erosion controls along the access roads to Laolao Bay and Obyan Beach.

For Laolao Bay, the final engineering plans include erosion controls and sediment barriers at nine stream crossings along the access road, as well as paving and drainage structures along a half mile stretch of steeply graded road. Beach access improvements include landscaped parking stalls with permeable pavers, trash receptacles, a handicap access ramp, and barriers to prevent vehicle access to the beach, a prime sea turtle nesting habitat. For Obyan Beach, plans include paving and drainage for the entire half mile access road, and a unique, three-tier series of vegetated settling basins at the base of the road. Culminating a 16-month process, a signing ceremony was held in January signifying the completion of the design phase of these projects. The Coastal Nonpoint Program and its partner agencies continue to move forward with project permitting, and are actively seeking funding for construction.

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North Carolina Conducts Coastal Stormwater Permit Compliance Study: Like with many coastal states, stormwater runoff is a significant source of nonpoint source pollution in North Carolina. However the state has very limited resources to conduct stormwater permit compliance inspections within its twenty coastal counties. Therefore, in 2004, the Coastal Nonpoint Program collaborated with the Division of Water Quality permitting staff to conduct a stormwater permit compliance study within four southern coastal counties in order to gain a better understanding of what the main issues are regarding stormwater permit compliance. The study would enable them to more effectively focus their limited compliance resources and identify gaps where addition education and outreach efforts or policy changes may be needed. North Carolina used Coastal Nonpoint Program and state funds to create a common inspection datasheet, develop a tracking database, and hire a staff person to conduct the inspections. Over a one year period, the staff person made over 500 site inspections to assess stormwater permit compliance. The sites were randomly selected from over 3,600 stormwater permits issued between 1998-2002. Approximately half of the permits examined represented low-density developments and the other half represented high-density. In North Carolina, low-density development thresholds vary from 12-30% impervious surface depending on the classification of the receiving stream. If low density design criteria cannot be met, then high density development requires the installation of structural best management practices to collect and treat stormwater runoff from the project. 

The study found that high density sites had a higher rate of maintenance violations (32.5%) compared to low-density sites (14.5%). Both development densities had minimal impervious surface violations (~4.5%). As would be expected, the study also found that low-density projects, while having a smaller percentage of impervious surface cover, were typically four times larger than their high-density counterparts. Thus, on a per capita basis, low-density developments added considerably more total impervious surface coverage to the landscape compared to high-density projects. The impervious surface impacts from low-density projects, underscores the importance of long-term compliance review for these developments. Currently, North Carolina only requires stormwater permits for high-density projects be renewed periodically.

As a result of the survey, the state has taken over 80 compliance actions to improve stormwater management. The findings are also being used to drive other policy decisions. To improve communication with permittees, especially in regard to maintenance expectations, the State is exploring automating their Design Certification process. Currently the state requires the permittee to certify in writing that the project has been constructed in accordance with the approved stormwater management plan. However, because the system is currently not automated, it has been difficult for the state to track and follow up on the certifications. An automatic tracking system would facilitate this. North Carolina is also considering developing maintenance manuals and maintenance checklists to issue with all permits. In addition, the study findings, combined with other information, were used to evaluate the effectiveness of North Carolina’s coastal stormwater regulations in protecting coastal waters. The evaluation showed that the regulations are not providing the protection needed and efforts are underway to revise the regulations governing new development.

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Delaware Develops Open Space Guidebook: The Delaware Coastal Nonpoint Program helped develop and fund a new open space guidebook and companion DVD for the state, Community Spaces, Natural Places: A Guide to Restoration, Management and Maintenance of Community Open Space. The guidebook helps promote many urban and wetland and riparian management measures by providing communities and landowners with a reference of practical and successful open space management techniques that emphasize natural landscapes. The 56 page guidebook begins by explaining the importance of open spaces for wildlife and stormwater control. The guidebook also presents a step by step process for developing an open space management plan with community involvement and describes how to design different types of open spaces. Several case studies of open space planning efforts in Delaware are provided. Finally, the guidebook lists where to find additional resources such as technical assistance and funding opportunities for implementing open space planning.

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Minnesota Stream Pollution Website Receives Honors: LakeSuperiorStreams.org, a website designed to help the public and local decision-makers understand and minimize stream pollution along Minnesota’s Lake Superior coastline, received a Technical Excellence Award from the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) this month. The award recognizes LakeSuperiorStreams.org for “outstanding research in stream and lake restoration, protection and management.” LakeSuperiorStreams.org was also named Site of the Month for December by the Great Lakes Commission’s Great Lakes Information Network.

The website includes a general section about understanding water quality. Another section, on stormwater management, is geared more towards contractors, developers, and agency decision-makers. The stormwater section includes a site design toolkit which provides best management practices (BMPs) for controlling stormwater runoff, case studies demonstrating how these BMPs have been implemented along the North Shore, and tips for when each BMP would be appropriate given a site’s soil conditions and slope. The website also incorporates real-time water quality data from five area streams with interpretive information and classroom curricula.

LakeSuperiorStreams.org is a collaborative project involving the Natural Resources Research Institute, Sea Grant, the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Department of Education and Facilities Management, the City of Duluth, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the South St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District, and 14 other organizations that form the area’s Regional Stormwater Protection Team. The Minnesota Lake Superior Coastal Program has supported the website through several pass-through grants.

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