Proceedings

Abstracts

Speakers

Conference Registrants

Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
 
 
 
 
 
 

Title:    Adapting Porous Pavement and Other Infiltration BMPs to a Cold Climate 
Presenter:   Andrew Potts, Cahill Associates, Pennsylvania 
Presentation Description: Infiltration BMPs provide some of the best techniques for managing stormwater volume and quality, as well as for mitigating peak discharge rates.  Porous pavement is a proven technology with more than a twenty-year performance record, and numerous applications of porous pavement in colder climates will be presented. But more recent applications of Infiltration BMPs will also be presented and discussed, such as infiltration beds under playfields and meadows, porous concrete sidewalks, rain gardens, woodland infiltration trenches, water quality swales, infiltration basins and other techniques.  Design considerations, such as soils testing, construction, winter and normal maintenance will be addressed. Guidelines on porous asphalt and concrete mixes, the underlying stone infiltration beds, and subgrade preparation (uncompacted soil) will be offered.  This presentation will also discuss the process of developing a truly “sustainable” site, beginning with consideration of the landscape, topography, hydrology, and “low impact” strategies.

Title:   Assessment of Cold Weather Highway Runoff Water Quality and BMP
Performance
Presenters:   Eric Strecker, Marcus Quigley, GeoSyntec, Oregon and Massachusetts 
Presentation Description: This is a presentation and discussion of the differences between water quality during snowmelt or rain on snow runoff as measured from  highways and then the performance of BMPs during cold conditions.  The FHWA’s Pollutant Loadings and Impacts from Highway Stormwater Runoff project developed a database on highway runoff water quality from 16 sites in 6 states that included snow washoff/melt events. A characterization of the the snow melt data will be compared to the overall characterisitics of highway runoff.  The National BMP Database (www.bmpdatabase.com) contains studies on BMPs that include snowmelt runoff. For those BMPs with snowmelt data that can be identified (usually via chloride levels and the dates of the events) an assessmet of the peformance of BMPs under cold weather conditions will be presented.

Title:    A String of Pearls: Using BMPs in Sequence to Enhance Nutrient Removals 
Presenter:   Terri-Ann P. Hahn, Landscape Architectural Design Associates, Connecticut
Presentation Description: On a recently completed project in Brewster, NY (on the cusp between Zones 5 & 6) stormwater design specifically targeted removal of phosphorus from stormwater runoff from a new shopping center.  The shopping center was a big box retail project with large parking lots, which will generate significant runoff all year long.  The project is located within the NYC Watershed and required the specific and measurable removal of phosphorus.  The project was expected to generate phosphorus due to stormwater runoff and the discharge from a wastewater treatment plant.  The use of stormwater BMP’s in series, although assumed to work, had never really been confirmed.  At the Highlands, the design in based on two principals. First, that by reducing flow rate and increasing storage time, we would substantially improve water quality; and second, the use of different kinds of BMP’s would help to offset the weaknesses of each individual BMP.  Therefore, we assembled a “string of pearls” to offset the nutrient loads generated by the project.  This presentation is a case study of how the use of these BMP’s in series successfully removed phosphorus from the stormwater runoff.

Title:    The Casco Bay Interlocal Stormwater Working Group: A Case Study of
Regionalism
Presenters:   Jeff Edelstein, Edelstein Associates/Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District, Maine; Katherine Earley, City of Portland, Maine; Brenda Zollitsch, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership 
Presentation Description: How can regionally-based collaborative efforts be supported?  What factors lead to their success or failure?  Eleven municipalities in the Casco Bay Watershed have been working collaboratively on the Stormwater Phase II Program.  This presentation describes: 1) the history of the group and the factors that led to its creation and growth; 2) the group’s approach to implementing Phase II; and 3) the challenges ahead.  The presentation focuses on lessons learned from this effort and how those lessons can help guide other regional efforts towards success. 

Title:    Cold Climate Considerations in Stream Restoration 
Presenters:   Kathleen D. White, Corps of Engineers, New Hampshire
Presentation Description: Stream restoration projects in cold climates may not operate as designed because the effect of climate on stream restoration design has not been adequately addressed. This presentation will discuss planning and design considerations for stream restoration in cold climates.

Title: Comparing Stormwater Utilities to Impact Fees
Presenter:   Paul Tischler, Tischler & Associates, Inc., Maryland
Presentation Description: Recovering stormwater capital costs through a stormwater utility or impact fees has different advantages and disadvantages. In this session Paul Tischler will summarize these trade-offs. He will also present an overview of a stormwater impact fee methodology using a case study.

Title:    Design and Construction of Stormwater Management Projects in Alaska 
Presenter:   Clinton Pinks, CBLC Limited Consulting Engineers, Canada
Presentation Description: The Alaska Projects presentation is a chronology of stormwater management projects constructed between 1996 and 2001 from a landscape architectural perspective.  The presentation uses before and after construction imagery to illustrate some of the more challenging design issues and solutions that each project presented.  The projects include a series of small sedimentation basins, the daylighting of an anadromous stream, the construction of the South Anchorage Snow Disposal Site, and the realignment of a creek through wetlands.  The presentation illustrates a variety of revegetation techniques and will be of interest to those practicing in the areas of water quality improvement, native revegetation techniques, and wetlands restoration.

Title:    Designed to Fail: Why Most Commonly Used Designs Will Fail and How to
Fix Them 
Presenter:   Eileen Pannetier, Comprehensive Environmental Inc., New Hampshire
Presentation Description: This presentation focuses on how BMPs fail and how they could be designed better to reduce the maintenance load.  Although everyone is concerned about maintenance, few designs really minimize it or even consider ease of maintenance or low maintenance.  Unfortunately, most engineering design reviews are not catching these problems because the science is so new.  CEI’s maintenance criteria, along with methods to get them implemented at the local level, will be described in this presentation.

Title:    Design of Stormwater Infiltration Systems for Cold Climates: A Case Study 
Presenter:   Daniel Holzman, Jaworski Geotech, Inc., New Hampshire
Presentation Description: Stormwater management regulations are increasingly strict and complex.  On-site stormwater infiltration is a common requirement, raising serious regulatory issues given the fragmented and often conflicting assignments of local authorities, many of whom are not familiar with groundwater modeling and analysis.  For the practicing engineer, design of even a simple subdivision may involve juggling the conflicting demands of the Planning Board, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals, occasionally with state or federal involvement.  This presentation discusses one project in Wakefield, MA, and offers suggestions on presentation of stormwater and groundwater information to various regulatory bodies.

Title: Factoring the Performance of Best Management Practices into the Development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Lake Tahoe
Presenter:   Eric W. Strecker, GeoSyntec, Oregon
Presentation Description: GeoSyntec is assisting the UC Davis in performing BMP assessments and evaluations to support the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board in the development of TMDLs for Lake Tahoe.  This work includes a review of the available urban runoff and BMP performance data and it’s value in assessing BMP performance, conducting an analysis of BMP performance via the use of long-term simulations to assess current BMP implementation levels vs. potential future additional BMPs or changes to sizing requirements, evaluation of the use of potential enhanced BMPs (such as chemical addition), an assessment of basin wide implementation, and potential costs for such implementation.  The work will be conducted over a 3-year period.  This paper will discuss the overall approach  and then report on the first two elements of the assessment of available data and the initial assessment of potential BMP performance via the use of long-term simulation models.  The presentation discusses some of the cold weather challenges.

Title:    Financing Stormwater Planning, Infrastructure and Maintenance: Filling the
Tool Box with Choices and Selecting the Correct Tools for Each Situation
Presenter:   D. Scott Johnstone, Stone Environmental, Inc., Vermont
Presentation Description: Financing a storm water project, from planning through construction, requires different approaches for each community and within each state – approaches that fit with the expectations and accepted norms of the community.  Understanding the available funding choices, including the strings that come with each, that may fill your toolbox is critical.  Key lessons that this presentation will focus on are knowing how and when each tool may be applicable.

Title:    Functional Distribution of the Virginia Beach Stormwater Management Utility 
Presenter:   William J. Johnston, City of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Presentation Description: The Stormwater Utility generates over $11 million per year for the maintenance and operation of the City’s stormwater system.  These funds are distributed into operating, maintenance and capital budgets to support a progressive program.  This presentation details the types of projects and distribution of fields which have proven effective and efficient in meeting both the short term and long term needs for the City of Virginia Beach.

Title:    Green Roofs and Urban Stormwater Management: An Industry Review for
Cold Weather Climates
Presenter:   Reid R. Coffman, The Ohio State University, Ohio
Presentation Description: This presentation will introduce the concept of green roofs and describe the state of green roof technology with regard to stormwater management in cold climates. European and North American research will be used to describe the effectiveness of green roofs as a stormwater management tool, while demonstrating the concerns with the technology.  The overall development trends in industry and research will be given.  Recent cold climate projects will provide insight regarding the current level of knowledge.

Title:    Green Roofs: Feasibility and Practicality for Stormwater Management in Cold
Climates
Presenter:   Katrin Scholz-Barth, Scholz-Barth Consulting, Washington, DC
Presentation Description: Green Roof technology is only slowly emerging in the United States. Historically, traditional sod roofs were effectively used to protect building inhabitants from extreme climate fluctuations mostly in northern regions, such as Scandinavia, Greenland, and Alaska.  This presentation will address and compare the contemporary use of green roofs in Europe and the US.  It will point out, by providing some detail about design and construction, how green roofs can be used to maximize energy efficiency and stormwater control.  The presentation will also discuss how varying design parameter influence the practicality of green roof technology particularly in Cold Climates. 

Title:    Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: State/Local Partnerships 
Presenters: Andrea Donlon, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service; 
       Rebekah Lacey, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
Presentation Description: This presentation will focus on state/local partnerships addressing the illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) minimum control measure of the federal Stormwater Phase II Final Rule.  Rebekah Lacey of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) will discuss NEIWPCC’s Phase II Stormwater Workgroup and Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Manual.  Andrea Donlon of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), who collaborated with Rebekah in preparing the IDDE manual, will then discuss NHDES’s IDDE efforts, including technical and financial assistance to municipalities, outreach, and case studies.

Title:    Improving the Corps of Engineers Snowmelt Modeling Capabilities 
Presenter:   Steven F. Daly, Corps of Engineers, New Hampshire
Presentation Description: This presentation describes recent improvements to the Corps of Engineers snowmelt-modeling capabilities in managing the Nation's water resources.  The Distributed Snow Process Model will be included in the next release of the Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System.  In addition the snow process objects developed for HEC- HMS will form the foundation of the Snow Process Modeling in the Corps Water Management System (CWMS). 

Title: Meltwater Treatment Practices: The Basics
Presenter: Gary Oberts, Emmons & Olivier Resources, Minnesota
Presentation Description: Tremendous strides have been made in the understanding and management of snowmelt.  The advent of sophisticated computers and software, the chemical data to finally know what that snowpack will yield to a receiving water, and the behavior of that water as a slug of heavily polluted meltwater enters are all recent advances in the science.  Observations will be made on what we have learned and how it applies to everyday practical application in cold climate regions.  Accompanying this will be the identification on the many information needs that still exist for both theoretical and practical aspects.  This keynote address will set the stage for the conference, which focuses on lessons learned and practical applications for the future.

Title:    Maine Model Stormwater Management Utility 
Presenter:   Todd Janeski, Maine Coastal Program, State Planning Office, Maine
Presentation Description: Stormwater utilities are an increasingly popular means of managing stormwater  runoff at the local level. As both rural and urban development pressures put
 increasing demands on the resources in Maine, local municipalities are faced with
 mitigating the impacts associated with growth. The Maine Coastal Program/ State
 Planning Office has developed a model stormwater utility to be used as the catalyst
 for discussions on utilities in Maine.  This model outlines managerial entities
 ranging from local municipalities to existing districts to quasi-municipal
 organizations and provides suggestions on the fee structure.

Title:    Miller Road: A Case Study in Urban Road Stormwater Treatment 
Presenter:   Michael G. Darga, Wayne County Department of Public Services, Michigan
Presentation Description: Miller Road, located in one of the most industrial areas in the country, is being transformed through a cooperative partnership from a barren roadway into a boulevard greenway with groundcovers, vegetated swales and mechanical methods filtering the pavement runoff prior to discharge.

Title:    Monitoring, Operation and Maintenance of Detention Ponds for Road Runoff 
Presenter:   Carina Färm, Department of Public Technology, Mälardalen University, Sweden
Presentation Description: In the region Mälardalen in Sweden 34 detention ponds for road runoff has been invented regarding aspects of maintenance and operation of the ponds. Four of these detention ponds were also investigated regarding the quality and quantity of accumulated sediment in the bottom of the ponds to be able to estimate the removal efficiency in the ponds.

Title:    New Research on Impervious Cover 
Presenter:   Deborah Caraco, Center for Watershed Protection, Maryland
Presentation Description: This presentation will summarize recent research on the impacts of urbanization and impervious cover to stream systems.   Drawing on available research from around the country, it will discuss hydrologic, water quality, geomorphologic, and biological impacts of urbanization.  A primary focus of the presentation will be the “impervious cover model” and the thresholds at which stream degradation begins.

Title:    Observation and Modelling of Urban Snow 
Presenter:   Annette Semadeni-Davies, Lund University, Sweden
Presentation Description: Despite the dominance of snowmelt in cold regions, urban drainage systems continue to be designed according to standards developed for short, high intensity rain storms.  During the 1980s and early 1990s, work in Scandinavia and Canada identified fundamental differences between rural and urban snowmelt processes.  They found that snow properties varied both between town and country and within the town depending on land-use.  Moreover, the energy balance is heavily modified by buildings.  Thus melt and runoff generation occurs at different times and rates.  Town centres can have melt rates almost double that of residential areas.  These revelations will come as no surprise to practitioners working in cold regions, however, there is a lack of published material in general literature.  This presentation is both a summary and continuation of the state-of-the-art review found in a UNESCO special report on urban drainage in cold regions.  Topics discussed include snow distribution, snow energy balance, frozen soil and runoff generation and modelling approaches.

Title:    Performance Assessment of Various Stormwater Treatment Facilities: 
Toronto, Canada
Presenter: Tim Van Seters, Stormwater Assessment Monitoring and Performance Program, Canada
Presentation Description: Since 1995, a number of different stormwater management technologies in the Toronto area have been monitored and evaluated through the Stormwater Assessment Monitoring and Performance (SWAMP) Program, a cooperative initiative of federal, provincial and municipal agencies.  Technologies monitored include wet ponds, constructed wetlands, conveyance exfiltration systems, oil grit separators, underground storage tanks and a flow balancing system.  This presentation discusses the design and effectiveness of these technologies, with a particular focus on facility performance and function during cold weather conditions.

Title: Performance of a Vortechs System during Cold Weather Precipitation and
      Snow Melt Events
Presenter:   Vaikko Allen, Vortechnics, Inc., Maine
Presentation Description: Cold weather runoff events present unique flow and pollutant characteristics associated with winter sanding, freezing of impervious areas, and snowmelt.  Factors such as increased conductivity, viscosity and average particle size will be discussed with a focus on their impacts on TSS removal efficiency. Removal efficiencies achieved by the Vortechs System during two field tests will be investigated as compared to removals during warm weather events.

Title:    Performance of Porous Pavement in Cold Climates 
Presenter:   Chris Spelic, Invisible Structures, Colorado
Presentation Description: The interest and the use of porous paving have witnessed tremendous growth over the last 20 years.  We will look at some of the benefits of using these systems in cold climates and how they compare to impervious covers.  Some of the topics to be covered: porous paving as a BMP for cold climates; misconceptions about porous paving; lower maintenance verses imperious paving; porous paving and freezing; plowing and de-icing of these systems, and; current projects and examples.  Porous paving could be the answer for many future projects with designers, architects, engineers and governments looking for alternatives to current problems.

Title:    Problems in Urban Drainage in Cold Climate:  Experience in the North
European Atlantic Region
Presenter:   Sveinn Thorolfsson, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway 
Presentation Description: This presentation deals with problems in urban drainage in the North European Atlantic region, where low temperatures and the snow cause problems due to: 1) frozen ground; 2) snow cover; 3) rain-on-snow; and 4) snow redistribution. Problems are also due to frost heave and freezing in pipes, ice on ground surfaces clogging, gutters and inlets, icing in manholes and storm sewers, and ice in watercourses.  Freezing and melting leads to frequent runoff problems.  The urban drainage systems must be able to handle these conditions. The temperature of mixed wastewater and stormwater conveyed to wastewater treatment plants may be low, less than +5 Co causing operational problems.  Too much stormwater conveyed to overflows and wastewater treatment plants is causing pollution discharges into local recipients.  Urban drainage systems must be protected against freezing, but at a high cost of construction and operation.  Alternative methods for locating water and sewer pipelines in the ground are presented, including the so-called “Shallow trenches” with insulated sewers.  There is a need for development of an urban runoff model to handle these situations.

Title:    Reducing Nutrient Runoff from Agricultural and Urban Sites in Syracuse,
NY
Presenter:   John J. LaGorga, Moff & Assoc. Consulting Engineers, New York
Presentation Description: In January 1989, Onondaga County executed an Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) in settlement of litigation initiated in connection with alleged violations of state and federal water pollution control requirements.  The ACJ obligated Onondaga County to develop a comprehensive watershed model and perform non-point source (NPS) environmental-benefit projects (EPB) in the Onondaga Lake watershed. 
The EBP obligations were met through a demonstration project where best management practices (BMPs) were implemented on three farms and at two urban sites in the Onondaga Lake watershed (Syracuse NY, a cold weather climate).  The major objective of the demonstration project was to document water quality before and after BMP implementations.  The effectiveness evaluation served to demonstrate the measurable water quality benefits of the BMPs.  Water quality data suggests that significant water quality improvements can be achieved by implementing agricultural BMPs. 

Title:    Retrofitting a Public Works Highway Yard with Stormwater Treatment
Practices: A Cold Climate Stormwater Management Implementation Project in the City of Attleboro, Massachusetts
Presenter:   Richard A. Claytor, Jr., Horsley & Witten, Inc., Massachusetts
Presentation Description: The City of Attleboro Highway Maintenance Yard is an older public works facility located on six and a half acres immediately adjacent to, and within the floodplain of the Ten Mile River. Stormwater runoff is a major concern at the site due to the quantity and type of pollutants present on-site, the site's proximity to the river, and because there is currently no treatment or barrier between the site and river.  The consulting firm of Horsley & Witten completed a Stormwater Management Master Plan and construction drawings for the implementation of a suite of stormwater management measures to address pollutant export to the Ten Mile River.  These included both structural and non-structural measures such as bioretention facilities, swales, a sand filter, and two proprietary stormwater management treatment practices. Non-structural measures included recommendations for covering salt mixing and storage areas, more frequent street sweeping, spill containment and clean up procedures, and implementation of a vehicle fleet washing facility.  Several cold climate considerations as well as specific physical constraints governed the selection and design of many of the structural management measures.

Title: Road Salt Impacts to Lakes and Streams from Interstate 93 and Adjacent Roads in Southern New Hampshire
Presenter:   Douglas L. Heath, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England
Presentation Description: Deicing chemicals such as sodium chloride have been applied to Interstate 93 and associated roads in southern New Hampshire since the 1960s. From December 2002 to May 2003, EPA New England, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services collected 412 water samples from 17 streams, two lakes, and seven public water supplies along the 20-mile stretch of the highway and exit ramps. During that winter season, NHDOT applied approximately 28.2 tons of salt per lane mile along the 20 miles from the state line north to Exit 6 in Manchester, NH.  Chloride concentrations in water samples and a high correlation between chloride and specific conductance measured in the field at 15-minute intervals by data-logging devices support the finding that chronic chloride toxicity for macroinvertebrates and fish (230 mg/l) was exceeded in six streams draining the I-93 area.

Title:    Seasonal Effects on Stormwater Microbiology and Effects of Standard
Treatment Methods
Presenter:   Robert Roseen, University of New Hampshire
Presentation Description: Nine stormwater control systems in NH, constructed in general accordance with local town planning guidelines, were selected for the study of stormwater treatment effectiveness.  The selected sites included: retention (wet) ponds, detention (dry) ponds, wet swales, and dry vegetated swales.  Water sampling occurred during the first one-half inch of precipitation.  The overall project objective was to determine whether or not there is a significant difference in water quality treatment effectiveness for microbial pathogens between stormwater control systems that include resident water during dry weather and those that do not.

Title:    Snowmelt Research and Management: Ready for the Next Big Step 
Presenter:   Gary Oberts, Emmons & Olivier Resources, Minnesota
Presentation Description: Tremendous strides have been made in the understanding and management of snowmelt.  The advent of sophisticated computers and software, the chemical data to finally know what that snowpack will yield to a receiving water, and the behavior of that water as a slug of heavily polluted meltwater enters are all recent advances in the science.  Observations will be made on what we have learned and how it applies to everyday practical application in cold climate regions.  Accompanying this will be the identification of the many information needs that still exist for both theoretical and practical aspects.  This keynote address will set the stage for the conference, which focuses on lessons learned and practical applications for the future.

Title:    Stormwater Basins and Aesthetics: Not a Contradiction 
Presenters:   Alan G. LeBlanc, John Z. Olcott, Jr., Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc., New Hampshire; 
       Amy Prouty Gill, City of Nashua, New Hampshire
Presentation Description: Regulatory and legal requirements of how wastewater and stormwater is handled will have a profound impact on how land is developed in the future.  The City of Nashua, New Hampshire, recently took a proactive step with the design and construction of a 2½-acre stormwater basin, benefiting the general public, local residents, and overall ecology of the area.  The presentation details the approach by the city and engineering consultant Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. (CDM) in resolving a major flooding problem and creating a new recreational asset in a dense residential neighborhood.

Title:    Stormwater Infiltration Impacts on Groundwater Quality at Industrial and
Commercial Sites in Southern Maine: Results of Long-Term Compliance Monitoring
Presenter:   John Hopek, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Presentation Description: Monitoring of indicator parameters (specific conductance, chloride, and
pH) from infiltration sites shows adverse impact on downgradient groundwater,
even from largely undeveloped sites.  There is seldom an instantaneous
response to infiltration, but rather a long period over which declining
water quality is established.  This apparently reflects not only the rate of
plume migration, but also contaminant mobility within the infiltration
system and aquifer, which should be expected to vary as these evolve over
time.  Nested-well data show that localized intense recharge drives
infiltrated water through a significant thickness of the aquifer.  Short-term
monitoring is not adequate to assess these impacts on groundwater quality.

Title:    Stormwater Phase II Implementation Costs and Funding Availability 
Presenters:   Kristie Rabasca, Robert Patten, Environmental Engineering and Remediation, Inc.,
Maine
Presentation Description: The MS4 component of the Storm Water Phase II Program is generally (though not technically) considered an unfunded mandate.  The focus of this presentation is to provide an overview of estimated costs for implementation of Storm Water Management Plans, present ways some MS4 communities are reducing costs associated with the implementation of their five-year Plans, and to highlight existing funding sources that are available within New England to help ease the financial burden associated with regulatory compliance.

Title: Stormwater Quality and Quantity Management via Underground Systems 
Presenters:   Gregory R. Baryluk, Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., Massachusetts; 
      Gregg Novick, StormTech, Maine
Presentation Description: Stormwater quality and quantity management has typically been addressed with aboveground systems, such as ponds.  Recently, there has been a shift towards managing stormwater with underground systems.  Stormwater quality is addressed with the use of large diameter (48”–60”) corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe fabricated with interior weir plates and/or polypropylene open bottom chambers wrapped in a geotextile fabric to treat suspended solids and oil and grease.  To address stormwater quantity, a system of pipe laterals and/or polypropylene open bottom chambers connected by manifolds is used.  The use of pre-fabricated cleanouts/risers can provide the access necessary for long-term operation.

Title:    Stormwater Treatment Evaluation Project in Seabrook, New Hampshire 
Presenters:   Scott Nolan, University of New Hampshire;
       Natalie Landry, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Presentation Description: This Project will test the ability of the AbTech SmartSponge media to reduce bacterial contamination into Hampton/Seabrook Harbor from a storm drainage system in Seabrook, New Hampshire.  The AbTech system has been placed in a water quality inlet and the removal efficiencies are currently being evaluated using the Environmental Technology Verification protocols.

Title:    Summary of the Impacts of Urbanization on Selected Maine Streams Detected
by the Maine DEP
Presenters:   Jeffrey Varricchione, Maine Department of Environmental Protection; 
    Susanne Meidel, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, Maine
Presentation Description: Over the years, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has investigated the degradation of the biological, physical, and chemical integrity of numerous stream systems located in urbanizing watersheds around Maine. This presentation focuses on the key findings of completed and current studies of six streams in the greater Portland and Bangor areas. Although variability was present, the impacts of urbanization to the streams generally were similar in nature, and included degradation of biological communities, increases in pollutants, alteration of water temperature regimes, degradation of riparian conditions, and loss of in-stream habitat quality and diversity. Comparative data on these parameters from streams in both urban and non-urban watersheds will be presented.

Title:    The Most Bang for the Buck: Developing a Watershed Restoration Plan for a
Rapidly Urbanizing Vermont Watershed
Presenters:   Lori Barg, Step by Step; Bob Kort, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Vermont
Presentation Description: The rapidly urbanizing Allen Brook watershed in northwestern Vermont fails to meet state water quality standards.  A comprehensive watershed-based approach was taken to present "every tool in the tool box".  The plan was developed with the goal of providing a cost-effective means of restoring waters impaired by nonpoint sources.  The approach ranged from public outreach and education to specific changes in zoning, planning and public works documents to detailed scientific investigation and recommendations for retrofitting over 100 stormwater facilities. Town officials, developers, homeowners associations, and others were involved throughout the process.

Title:    The Virginia Beach Stormwater Utility: A Case Study of the First Ten Years 
Presenter:   Phillip Davenport, City of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Presentation Description: The Virginia Beach Storm Water Utility was implemented in July 1993 and now has ten years of history.  The utility has been identified by many as a model for storm water utilities on the east coast.  This presentation will discuss the financial aspects of the utility including how the utility was established, the basis for charging fees, the actual fees collected and how they are used, and lessons learned. 

Title:    Treatment of Stormwater Runoff from Snow Melt at the Portland Snow Dump 
Presenters:   David Mongeau, Pamela J. Deahl,  Hydro International, Maine
Presentation Description: With significant annual snowfall, and over 340 miles of city streets, the City of Portland, ME, must routinely remove snow from downtown streets in order to keep roads passable in winter.  Historically, much of this snow was dumped in a saltwater basin known as Back Bay.  In the fall of 2000, the City changed this practice and established an inland location at a municipal Public Works facility for placement of snow.  Typically, a detention/retention facility would be used to regulate stormwater flows and control stormwater quality. However, the Portland International Jetport is located approximately 4000 feet from the snow dump location, and a detention pond would be located directly under the approach to the runway.  This location would be in conflict with the FAA policy regarding the potential to attract wildlife near an airport.  Ultimately, the City chose to install two structural stormwater treatment systems.  Manufactured primarily of precast concrete, the treatment systems are installed below grade, thereby avoiding the creation of a wildlife attractant.  This presentation will look at the application of structural stormwater treatment systems for the site in question, and discuss the experiences associated with their use.

Title:    Unintended Consequences 
Presenter:   Evan Richert, University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service,
Maine
Presentation Description: The move, which is necessary, to aggressively contain stormwater runoff may carry with it unintended consequences if not carried out carefully.  In the worst case scenario, the regulation of runoff in urban areas may become a strong incentive to push sprawl farther out from farm and city centers – with the overall affect of exacerbating the very problem intended to be solved.

Title: Using Fluvial Geomorphology to Assess and Restore Streams Impacted by Urbanization 
Presenter: John Field, Field Geology Services, Maine
Presentation Description: Increased runoff and higher peak discharges resulting from urbanization lead to permanent changes in the physical morphology of stream systems.  Fluvial geomorphology provides useful techniques for assessing the impact of urbanization on streams.  Comparisons of impacted sites with natural and altered reference conditions permit a determination of how the impacted site is adjusting to urbanization and how close the stream is to attaining a new equilibrium with the urbanized setting.  An understanding of past conditions and future states in a stream’s morphological evolution will provide guidance on how best to enhance natural stream function in permanently altered watersheds.

Title:    Visualizing Watershed Health: Access to Current Tools 
Presenter:   Jack Kartez, University of Southern Maine, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public
Service, Maine
Presentation Description: Visualization of watershed impacts of impervious surface changes due to growth, using GIS-based models, is now an integral part of nonpoint pollution control planning, management, and (especially) public education outreach.  This demonstration and workshop session will review and display the recently developed, public-domain NOAA-CSC Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT) from NOAA’s Coastal Services Center, which requires calibrated impervious surface coefficients for remote-sensing land cover data.  How to apply ISAT for zoning-based watershed-buildout analysis will be illustrated, audience experience with tools elicited, and alternate types of approaches such as using parcel-based analysis of impervious surfaces, discussed.