NH Watershed Protection and Restoration Forum

Soak Up the Rain New England Webinar Series:

Reaching Public Consensus: Stormwater Funding in Ashland, MA

Tuesday, May 14th, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM EST

Click Here to Register

This webinar will explore the town of Ashland’s three-year effort to adopt and implement a municipal stormwater enterprise fund. Ashland is located in the Metrowest region of Massachusetts with a population of more than 16,500 over 12.9 square miles. One of the greatest challenges for New England municipalities with a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4s) is reaching consensus on stormwater program funding to support implementation of permit requirements. During this webinar, three Ashland town officials will describe their experiences establishing a stormwater enterprise fund for their community. Presenters will discuss the drivers and key steps taken to establish a stormwater enterprise fund; the strategies employed and lessons learned while developing and implementing a stormwater funding program; and recommendations for program implementation and operation. The webinar will also explain the critical roles of stakeholder involvement, creative partnerships, and meaningful public outreach to generate support for funding solutions.

Presenters:

• Maeghan Dos Anjos, Conservation Agent/Director, Town of Ashland, Massachusetts
• Rob St. Germain, Chair, Stormwater Advisory Committee, Town of Ashland, Massachusetts
• Evan White, Project Engineer, Department of Public Works, Town of Ashland, Massachusetts

Click here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9071694805589877506

Who Should Attend:

Municipal decision makers/planners and Department of Public Works (DPW) staff, environmental organizations, practitioners, educators, and interested citizens – anyone who is considering a new project or looking to build on an existing program.

About the Webinar Series

The Soak up the Rain Webinar Series highlights innovative approaches to addressing stormwater in New England, presented by leaders from around the region.

• Hear about stormwater public outreach resources and programs; 
• See who’s soaking up the rain as we showcase green infrastructure projects and programs; 
• Learn about the latest tools and resources from EPA and others for implementing and promoting green infrastructure; and
• Engage with others as we share information about successes, barriers, and lessons learned while implementing green infrastructure in New England communities.

For more on EPA Soak up the Rain: http://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain

For more on Soak Up the Rain New Hampshire: https://www4.des.state.nh.us/SoakNH/

Request for Qualifications

Dam Removal Feasibility Study

Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond

Durham, New Hampshire

The Town of Durham, NH is soliciting letters of interest and qualification statements for engineering services for the Dam Removal Feasibility Study – Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond, in Durham, NH. Please submit qualification statements and backup information totaling no more than 15 sheets on or before 3:00 PM on Tuesday May 7, 2019. Please contact Durham Department of Public Works at (603) 868-5578 or email Town Engineer April Talon, P.E. at atalon@ci.durham.nh.us, for more information.

Register Now!

Greetings,

Clean drinking water is vital to public health and the potential for future economic development. Even very small quantities of contaminating substances in lakes, rivers, or aquifers can limit their use as sources of clean drinking water. Local land use policy, open space planning, and conservation tailored to protecting these resources promote public health and ensure a long-term supply of clean drinking water. Consequently, there are important roles for local officials to play in protecting currently operating public water systems as well as water resources that can serve as future sources of drinking water.

Each year, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) convenes a conference concerning how to protect local drinking water resources that is designed for local planners, conservation commissioners, water supply managers, and other local leaders. This conference has become the largest drinking water “source protection” event in New England and is the only statewide event focused solely on how to protect local sources of drinking water.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) will hold its 2019 Drinking Water Source Protection Conference on Thursday, May 16, at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH. This year’s conference will feature presentations on:

• The statewide private well sampling initiative
• Long-term water source planning
• Updates to NH’s drinking water source protection strategy
• Drinking water source protection priorities at the national, regional, and state level
• Projects related to lake management, land conservation, and public health

….and many more interesting source protection topics!

The conference fee is $65 and includes lunch and refreshments.  Qualifies for 5.0 Technical Credit Hours toward the NH Water Works Operator Certification Program.

REGISTER at the American Ground Water Trust website: https://agwt.org/civicrm/event/info%3Fid%3D286%26reset%3D1

Registration questions? Contact Andrew Stone at AGWT: astone@agwt.org or 603-228-5444.

Other questions? Contact Pierce Rigrod at NHDES: pierce.rigrod@des.nh.gov or 603-271-0688.

EARLY BIRD ENDS MARCH 15^th

REGISTER NOW

The 30^th Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference for the New England states and New York will be held on April 18 & 19, 2019 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Both full conference and single day registrations are available.

Attendee and Exhibitor Early Bird Registration will close March 15^th. All registration will close March 25^th.  Visit the conference website for registration fees and details on booking a room. 

This conference, which is coordinated by New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) in partnership with member states (NHDES this year) and EPA, has become the premier forum for sharing information about nonpoint source pollution (NPS) issues and projects in this region.

Conference attendees will include representatives from public and private sectors in New England and New York State involved in NPS pollution management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments; the private sector; academia; and watershed organizations. For more information about this conference, and to register, please visit here.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in downtown Portsmouth, NH at the current federal per diem rate of $115 + tax. 

Sheraton Harborside Hotel
250 Market Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-431-2300

The room block closes on March 25, 2019. Reservations can be made online, or by calling the hotel toll free number, 888-627-7138, and under the group name: 30th Annual Nonpoint Source Conference. All reservations must be guaranteed by a valid major credit card, which will be supplied at the time of reservation.

We hope to see you in Portsmouth!

#NPS30NH

Lessons Learned on Integrating Water Quality and Nature-based Approaches into Hazard Mitigation Plans

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Eastern: 1:00p.m.-3:00p.m. Central: 12:00p.m.-2:00p.m. Mountain: 11:00a.m.-1:00p.m. Pacific: 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.

A Watershed Academy Webcast
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs have been revised under EO 13653 (Preparing the US for Climate Change), to include climate resilient mitigation activities. EPA is promoting plan integration of FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plans and water quality plans to support projects that reduce natural hazards while emphasizing its water quality benefits.

Though green infrastructure and water quality planning are not new ideas, including them in larger planning efforts, such as hazard mitigation planning, represents a different way of thinking. Pilots have been concluded in Massachusetts; Albany, NY; Huntington, WV; and Ashland, OR. These pilots provide opportunities for learning about successes and challenges, and highlight how communities identify, address, and overcome those challenges. These pilots demonstrate that local stakeholders and communities can use FEMA’s hazard mitigation planning process, a regulatory requirement tied to eligibility for mitigation funding, to educate partners and build support for adoption of measures that mitigate hazards while bettering the environment.

This webcast will look at two completed pilot projects that have successfully integrated watershed planning, green infrastructure practices and source water protection into FEMA hazard mitigation plans.

Learn about how these communities are sharing the benefits, including:

1) Better results and more efficient planning. If watershed planning is part of the hazard analysis, optimal results for water quality, floodplain management, and hazard risk reduction can be achieved.

2) FEMA and other federal funding may be available to water quality projects that also mitigate hazards.

3) More opportunity for green infrastructure solutions to hazards.

4) Reduced flood insurance rates for communities that adopt stormwater policies that reduce risk, including green infrastructure and watershed planning.

5) Potentially meet requirements for reducing water quality impairments faster by management with other risks.

Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance. The webcast presentations are posted in advance at http://www.epa.gov/watershedacademy/watershed-academy-webcast-seminars and participants are encouraged to download them prior to the webcast.

Speakers:
Myra Schwartz, EPA Region 1, Assistance & Pollution Prevention Office
Carrie Robinette, Climate Program Analyst, FEMA
Josh Bruce, Director, Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience – a program of the University of Oregon School of Planning, Public Policy and Management and the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement

Registration:
You must register in advance to attend this webcast. Register at the Watershed Academy webcast website at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedacademy/watershed-academy-webcast-seminars.

The Watershed Academy: The Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA’s Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed approaches. The Academy self-paced training modules and webcast seminars provide current information from national experts across a broad range of watershed topics. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedacademy .

Questions? Please contact WatershedAcademySupport@cadmusgroup.com

Registration is now open for the 2019 NH Water & Watershed Conference

The New Hampshire Water & Watershed Conference (NHWWC) 

March 15, 2019 at Plymouth State University

The NHWWC is a key event for sharing water resource information. For 2019, the event will focus on regional topics such as economy, technology, community partnerships, fish and water fragmentation, sediment, and water quality and quantity.

The conference agenda includes sessions and posters that connect information and research from a variety of water topics.

Our plenary speaker is David Neils, Chief Aquatic Biologist for NH Department of Environmental Services, who will present a talk entitled:

“The million-dollar question: How are New Hampshire’s lakes and rivers doing?

The day is full of talks on a variety of topics. We will also have a panel discussion on “Positive Outcomes to Address a Changing Water Landscape: One step at a time.” Representatives from local communities will share their experiences with implementing projects that address our changing watershed processes. Shane Csiki, administrator of the New Hampshire Geological Survey’s Flood Hazards Program, will facilitate an engaging discussion about recent actions to address new and emerging problems.

Register now as space is limited. 

Questions? Email us at nhwwc2019@gmail.com