water quality

Budget woes freeze Tahoe projects

lynellg — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:02:56 -0800

By Adam Jensen / Tahoe Daily Tribune
12/23/08

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Numerous South Shore projects were put on indefinite hold last week following a suspension of critical payments by California officials due to the state budget crisis.

On Dec. 17, the three-member Pooled Money Investment Board voted 3 - 0 to suspend approximately $4 billion in state funds for an estimated 2,000 infrastructure projects throughout California.

“The PMIB took this action to preserve necessary cash resources to pay the day-to-day operational needs of the state for the balance of the fiscal year pending further PMIB action in January,” according to a letter to state agencies from Department of Finance Director Michael Genest. “If loan reimbursement continues at the current pace, the state’s portion of the Pooled Money Invested Account is projected to run out of liquid cash before the end of the current fiscal year.”

The 56-acre project, Sawmill Bike Path, Upper Truckee River Restoration Project, Bijou Area Erosion Control Project, Sierra Tract Erosion Control Project, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s best management practices program and numerous erosion-control projects along state highways are among the Lake Tahoe projects that depend on bond funding suspended by the board’s decision, according to Lake Tahoe Basin officials.

Future funds will only be approved once the state budget crisis is resolved, according to the letter.

The sudden suspension caused anxiety at basin agencies.

About 90 percent of the approximately $20 million the California Tahoe Conservancy has invested annually in the basin during recent years comes from bond funding that’s now suspended, said Conservancy Deputy Director Ray Lacey.
Lacey remains hopeful the funding will return, but said unknowns about the national and global economy persist, and it is “difficult if not impossible” to sell bonds at this time.

“It’s a little frustrating right now for us. We were given a halt order without any follow-up,” said Cindy Wise, a grant coordinator for the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, adding details from the state about how affected agencies should proceed is lacking.

“I’m sure we’ll get that direction, but we haven’t gotten that right now,” she said.
The suspension affected nine projects administered by the water board, including seven projects in the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River watersheds totaling $20 million, Wise said.

Groups like the Tahoe Resource Conservation District and the Sierra Nevada Alliance — a South Lake Tahoe-based network of conservation groups throughout the Sierra Nevada range — implement the projects, Wise said.

Alliance Executive Director Joan Clayburgh said she was forced to lay off several employees because of the suspension of payments.

“It basically just dissolved our watershed program,” Clayburgh said.

The program included various programs to protect water quality, including volunteer water-quality monitoring days and native landscaping programs at Lake Tahoe.
While Clayburgh hoped the program could eventually be rebuilt, she said she was “devastated” by the board’s decision.

Clayburgh said the suspension of payments comes at a particularly bad time, since stimulating the economy through the development of green jobs has been discussed by government officials.

For entire article, please visit website.

Waxman Report: EPA ‘Decimated’ Clean Water Act

lynellg — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:33:46 -0800

By Mike Lillis 12/16/08, The Washington Independent.

California Rep. Henry Waxman (D) might be headed for the chairmanship of the House energy committee, but not before he gets a final shot at the Bush administration from atop the oversight panel.

A report released today from Waxman’s office — a joint effort with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, headed by Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) — found that the Environmental Protection Agency has shown a lax interest in enforcing the Clean Water Act in recent years, leading to hundreds of instances when investigations have been neglected and waterways have been threatened. From Waxman’s statement:

Our investigation reveals that the clean water program has been decimated as hundreds of enforcement cases have been dropped, downgraded, delayed, or never brought in the first place. We need to work with the new Administration to restore the effectiveness and integrity to this vital program.

The controversy surrounds a 2006 Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Water Act (Rapanos v. United States), which restricted traditional interpretations of the law by requiring the EPA and other federal agencies to show that a waterway is a “significant nexus” to “traditional navigable waters” before officials can apply the environmental protections under the act. Following the Bush administration’s interpretation of that vague ruling, Waxman found, the EPA has whitewashed hundreds of potential violations.

The effects, according to the findings, are nationwide. The EPA branch in Dallas, for example, reported in January that it had 76 cases of confirmed oil spills, “but no follow-up for penalties or corrective action has been sought due to difficulties asserting jurisdiction post-Rapanos.”

That same month, officials in the EPA’s Denver office sent notice to the agency’s headquarters that, “We literally have hundreds of OPA [Oil Pollution Act] cases in our ‘no further action’ file due to the Rapanos decision, most of which are oil spill cases.”

Another example: Last February, an official in the EPA’s San Francisco office announced that the agency was abandoning a case against a potential Clean Water Act violator, explaining the reason thusly:

It is time to pull the plug on keeping this case on life support. With the march of time largely attributable to the impact on the case by Senor Rapanos and his merry band of supreme court justices we had lost many many violations due to statute of limitations . . . . So we will withdraw the referral, and save our ammo for another fight.

USGS: Chemicals Remain in Public Drinking Water After Treatment

lynellg — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:01:38 -0800

WASHINGTON, DC, December 9, 2008
Environmental News Service

Low levels of manufactured chemicals remain in public water supplies even after they have been treated in selected community water facilities across the country, according to new research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and released today.

Water from nine selected rivers used as sources for public water systems was analyzed for the study. The populations in communities served by these water treatment plants vary from 3,000 to over a million. Testing sites include the White River in Indiana; Elm Fork Trinity River in Texas; Potomac River in Maryland; Neuse River in North Carolina; Chattahoochee River in Georgia; Running Gutter Brook in Massachusetts; Clackamas River in Oregon; Truckee River in Nevada; and Cache La Poudre in Colorado.

Scientists tested water samples for about 260 commonly used chemicals, including pesticides, solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, personal care and household products, disinfection by-products, and manufacturing additives.

Low levels of about 130 of the chemicals were detected in streams and rivers before treatment in the source water at the public water facilities. Nearly two-thirds of those chemicals were also detected after treatment.

The most commonly detected chemicals in the source water were herbicides, disinfection by-products, and fragrances. Most of the chemicals found were at levels equivalent to one thimble of water in an Olympic-sized pool.

"Low level detection does not necessarily indicate a concern to human health, but rather indicates what types of chemicals we can expect to find in different areas of the country," said USGS lead scientist, Gregory Delzer.

"Recent scientific advances have given USGS scientists the analytical tools to detect a variety of contaminants in the environment at low concentrations; often 100 to 1,000 times lower than drinking-water standards and other human-health benchmarks," he explained. Delzer said that chemicals included in this study serve as indicators of the possible presence of a larger number of commonly used chemicals in rivers, streams, and drinking water.

Many of these chemicals are among those often found in ambient waters of 186 rivers and streams sampled by USGS since the early 1990s, and are correlated with the presence of upstream wastewater sources or upstream agricultural and urban land use. About 120 chemicals were not detected at all. Measured concentrations of chemicals detected in both source water and treated water were generally less than 0.1 part per billion.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Proposed Guidelines to Control Pollution from Construction Sites

lynellg — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:30:57 -0800

EPA News Release date: 11/19/2008
Contact Information: Enesta Jones, (202) 564-4355 / jones.enesta@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. – Nov. 19, 2008) EPA is seeking comments on its proposed guidelines to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites. The proposal would require all construction sites to implement erosion and sediment control best management practices to reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges.

"This proposal builds a foundation for cleaner streams and greener neighborhoods through improved treatment technologies and prevention practices," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water.

In addition, for certain large sites located in areas of the country with high rainfall intensity and soils with a high clay content, stormwater discharges from the construction site would be required to meet a numeric limit on the allowable level of turbidity, which is a measure of sediment in the water. In order to meet the proposed numeric turbidity limit, many sites would need to treat and filter their stormwater discharges.

Construction activities such as clearing, excavating and grading significantly disturb the land. The disturbed soil, if not managed properly, can easily be washed off the construction site during storms and enter streams, lakes, and other waters. Stormwater discharges from construction activities can cause an array of physical, chemical and biological impacts.

Sediment is one of the leading causes of water quality impairment nationwide, including reducing water depth in small streams, lakes and reservoirs.

Information on the proposal and review: http://www.epa.gov/ost/guide/construction/

Erosion properties tested on pile burn footprints

lynellg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:34:33 -0700

Project is the first of its kind in the Tahoe Basin
By Nick Cruit, Sierra Sun, 10/28/08

Drea Traeumer of Em Consulting performs a dye test while Micheal Ukraine, Rachel Arst, and Tim Delaney of Integrated Environmental Restoration Services collect data at a prescribed burn site on Dollar Hill in Tahoe City. The research crew is studying the effects of prescribed burns on erosion and sediment runoff into Lake Tahoe.
Seth Lightcap/Sierra SunA team of scientists meticulously monitored water flowing down a dusty rill Monday as they conducted experiments in the scorched remains of a recently burned pile of brush near Lake Tahoe.

As part of the first-ever in-depth experiments to determine how prescribed forest burning affects soil erosion in the Tahoe Basin, the team from Integrated Environmental Restoration Services and Em Consulting tested charred craters left by last week’s pile burns near Chinquapin Condominiums in Tahoe City.

Though the test spot is no bigger than the rain shadow left by a car, the impact of their data will effect how decisions are made throughout the Tahoe Basin.

Having already monitored baseline conditions before Calfire’s prescribed burn project, Em Consulting Hydrologist Drea Traeumer and Integrated Environmental scientists teamed up to run rain and rill simulators directly on the footprint of the burned piles.

While the effects of fuels reduction programs on soil properties cause tension around Lake Tahoe, Integrated Environmental rain simulators hope to shed light on the potential for erosion problems caused by water flow.

“We are happy to cooperate with the project,” said North Tahoe Fire Protection District Forest Fuels Program Manager Stewart McMorrow, who helped oversee the prescribed pile burns last week. “It’s important to know what the true effects of pile burning are.”

Discussing a slow environmental process like erosion often causes conflict because it is not easily seen. Hoping to provide “facts, not opinions,” the Integrated Environmental project is a step towards educated management level environmental decisions.

“There’s a lot of dialogue from people who think they know what’s going to happen,” said Kevin Drake Monitoring Manager for Integrated Environmental. “We’re coming up with a body of data to have dialogue with concrete information.”

Data taken from the post-burn tests is only the beginning of a complicated process.

For entire article, please visit website below.

EPA Expands Study of Pharmaceuticals in Waterways

lynellg — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:36:15 -0700

Wed, Oct 22, 2008 on NBC San Diego online

Originally written by ENS, August 6, 2008 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to conduct a detailed study of the disposal methods used by hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices and veterinary hospitals that wish to discard unused pharmaceuticals.

The EPA is seeking more information on the practices of the health care industry to inform future potential regulatory actions, and identify best management and proper disposal practices. EPA has assumed that one facility in seven, approximately 3,500 facilities, would be selected to receive the detailed questionnaire.

To gather this information, the agency has drafted an Information Collection Request and is now seeking public input on the request form. Public comments on the Health Care Industry ICR will be taken for 90 days after it is published in the Federal Register, which should occur shortly.

Drugs taken for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems contaminate U.S. waterways, according to a March 2008 report by the Associated Press National Investigation Team. The findings confirm a 2002 report by the U.S. Geological Survey that was the first nationwide study of pharmaceutical pollution in the nation's rivers and streams.

The questionnaire is one of several actions the agency is taking to strengthen its understanding of disposal practices and potential risks from pharmaceuticals in water.

The agency also is commissioning the National Academy of Sciences to provide scientific advice on the potential risk to human health from low levels of pharmaceutical residues in drinking water. The Academy will convene a workshop of scientific experts December 11-12, to advise the agency on methods for screening and prioritizing pharmaceuticals to determine potential risk.

"The agency's work to increase industry stewardship and scientific understanding of pharmaceuticals in water continues," said Benjamin Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water. "By reaching out to the National Academy of Sciences and requesting information from the health care industry, EPA is taking important steps to enhance its efforts," he said.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Post-Restoration Water-Quality Monitoring: Tracking aquatic habitat improvements

lynellg — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:55:20 -0700

September 2008 issue, The Stormwater Newsletter
By Dan Smith

The Pacific Northwest and the Puget Sound have witnessed a steady onslaught of urbanization during the last century, with the most rapid development occurring from the 1950s to the present. Partnered with human daily activity, widespread urbanization has negatively affected the attributes of most of the region’s aquatic ecosystems.

As large-scale watershed alterations have advanced, the stability and quality of local stream and riparian environs has degraded. The magnitude and frequency of high flows has increased, habitat has disappeared, sedimentation has escalated, and pollutant levels continue to grow. As a result, the magnificent and diverse floral and faunal populations of the Puget Sound, especially native salmon, have become at risk.

Since incorporation in 1990, the city of Federal Way, WA, has completed a number of projects designed to counteract the extensive changes that have affected West Hylebos Creek, an important small stream in the Central Puget Sound that once yielded healthy and plentiful salmon runs. Improvements have included a series of regional stormwater detention facility installations, wetlands rehabilitation, and stream restoration projects that were designed to be consistent with the principal goal outlined in the city’s Surface Water Management Plan: “To protect, preserve, and enhance the beneficial uses of surface water for recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetic enjoyment, aquifer recharge, and open space.”

The city has long recognized the critical connection between riparian characteristics and watershed habitat conditions, and it continues to seek local aquatic ecosystem improvements. In 2004, the city pursued a golden opportunity—the Surface Water Management (SWM) division applied for and was awarded a State of Washington Department of Ecology Centennial Clean Water Fund Grant to fund an innovative restoration project targeting the West Hylebos Creek.

Initiated in 2003, the project was designed to prevent further stream degradation in this altered drainage basin where historical high-energy flows caused severe erosion of the streambed and streambanks. The ambitious undertaking included efforts to address adverse changes that resulted in extensive sediment and gravel transportation, localized flooding, loss of wetland function, and degraded aquatic habitat.

The project also involved a stratagem for ongoing water-quality monitoring with a comprehensive plan modeled to measure the restoration’s effectiveness in reducing pollutant loadings. The essential question being asked was “Will restoration of the stream improve both water quality and aquatic habitat as desired?”

Paul Bucich, surface water manager, addresses the issue by commenting, “Too often a restoration project is constructed and then all the participants from the designers to the permit writers pat each other on the backs, congratulate each other, and then move on without another backward glance—never to learn if the project was a success.” He continues, “With this project, we had the opportunity to partner with a state resource agency to study the long-term effects of our work. Unlike many monitoring efforts, this one had a well-defined question we could craft a monitoring effort around.”
...

For entire article, please visit website.

Water quality award presented to Roland Westergard

lynellg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:25:27 -0700

Special to Carson Times, via RGJ.com
October 17, 2008

Longtime water resource advocate Roland Westergard was recognized today by the State of Nevada for his lifetime of dedication to the protection of the state's water resources.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection presented its 2008 Wendell McCurry Excellence in Water Quality Award to Westergard at a ceremony at the offices of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in Carson City this week, with members of his family and many friends and colleagues in attendance.

The award recognizes his nearly 50 years of work in water quality protection and water conservation education, especially relating to Lake Tahoe.

Westergard is past director of department and played a key role in the Truckee River Operating Agreement, which was signed last month after 20 years of negotiation. A major focus of the agreement is water quality.

As a member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's governing board from 1983 to 1998, including two years as chair, Westergard was instrumental in the development of several milestone water policies, including the bi-state compact with California and the development of water quality standards that establish beneficial uses of the lake and criteria to protect those uses. The compact was approved by Congress and signed into law in 1990.

Widely respected for his integrity and breadth of experience, Westergard is also credited with fighting for the environmental protection of Lake Tahoe and its watershed, especially during the 1980s and '90s, in the face of heavy political pressure from pro-development interests.

"No one is more committed, more passionate, or more persuasive than Roland when it comes to advocating for protection of Nevada's water resources," said Allen Biaggi, the department's director, in presenting the award. "His knowledge and experience in water resource management are virtually unmatched. When he talks about water, everyone listens."

For entire article, please visit website.

EPA faulted on waterway pollution from sprawl

lynellg — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:31:53 -0700

"EPA faulted on waterway pollution from sprawl"
10/15/08, By DINA CAPPIELLO, AP

Source: Directly, Department of Water Resources' California Water News online, October 16, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency is failing to stem the pollution washing into waterways from cities and suburbs, the National Academy of Sciences reported Wednesday. The report's authors urged "radical changes" in how the federal government regulates stormwater runoff so that all waters are clean enough for fishing and swimming.

"The take-home message is the program as it has been implemented in the last 18 to 20 years has largely been a failure, said Xavier Swamikannu, one of the authors and the head of Los Angeles' stormwater program for the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Stormwater runoff is the toxic brew of oil, fertilizers and trash picked up by rain and snowmelt as the water flows over parking lots, roofs and subdivisions.

The report said responsibility for managing stormwater must shift from developers to local governments, and permits should be issued on the boundaries of a watershed, rather than state borders. Such a change probably would require a new law and take between five years to 10
years, the report said.

While urban areas cover only 3 percent of the U.S., it is estimated that their runoff is the primary source of pollution in 13 percent of rivers, 18 percent of lakes and 32 percent of estuaries.

Current law is ill-equipped to deal with the problem, the authors said.

Congress required the EPA in 1987 to start issuing permits under the Clean Water Act to industrial and construction sites. But lawmakers changed the focus on water pollution, from industrial discharges and sewage pipes to runoff, a problem that is much larger and harder to
pinpoint. The law is designed to target specific contaminants, when the problem with stormwater often is one of volume. A surge of water after a storm can cause streams to erode and fill waterways with sediment.

Benjamin H. Grumbles, the EPA's assistant administrator for water, said the findings underscored the approaches the EPA is taking. The agency requested the review in 2006, but Grumbles disagreed on Wednesday with the conclusion that the stormwater program was failing.

"We want to accelerate the progress on reducing pollution and managing stormwater. We believe sound science, pollution prevention, and watershed protection will ensure continued clean water progress," he said.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private organization chartered by Congress to advise the government of scientific matters. #

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ixaJrp5XLiIA-Z4Vl1sBsl7oOQUQD93R534O1

Tahoe Keys a center for recreation — and controversy

lynellg — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:03:23 -0700

Adam Jensen, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Few construction projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin highlight the often-conflicting interests of development and environmental protection quite like the Tahoe Keys. Built in the late 1950s and early ’60s, the 740-acre development at the mouth of the Upper Truckee River has alternately been seen as an appealing place to live and an environmental disaster.

An estimated 5 million cubic yards of material were dredged from the marsh at the mouth of the river to create the fingers of land interlaced with 11 miles of backyard waterways that make up the Keys. The effort destroyed much of the river’s marsh and removed a major filtration system from Lake Tahoe’s largest tributary, identified by the Lahontan Water Board as a major source of fine sediment that reduces the clarity of the lake.

The draw of the development is undeniable, and marketing for the neighborhood has changed little over the past four decades.

“Most of the 1,539 members who own homes, townhouses or vacant lots have a private boat dock and are located on numerous lagoons, canals or the Tahoe Keys Marina with its boat-launching ramps,” according to the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association. “Waterfront living provides direct access to Lake Tahoe and its many watersports. At Tahoe Keys, we enjoy breathtaking views of the lake and mountains, and enjoy amenities like tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, spa and more.”

While the attraction of living in the Keys has remained the same, the development more recently has faced a new set of environmental issues, including the fight against the introduction of aquatic invasive species into Lake Tahoe.

Eurasian watermilfoil was discovered in the Keys in the 1980s and, despite efforts to remove it, has spread to numerous locations around the lake. Researchers also have indicated the Keys area is the likely introduction point for a growing population of warmwater fish species around the lake.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Safeguards taken to keep sediment out of river

lynellg — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:43:00 -0700

October 2, 2008
RGJ.com

Sufficient safeguards are in place at a Truckee River construction site to ensure more sediment is not discharged into the water, officials said Wednesday.

Representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Q & D Construction, Inc. met at the site at Booth Street and Idlewild Drive. Photographs taken earlier at the site indicated plumes of sediment were flowing into the river. Since then, the contractor has erected additional containment to prevent a recurrence of the discharge, officials said.

"We feel like they are back on track for compliance," said Dante Pistone, NDEP spokesman.

Q & D Construction is the lead contractor in a $2 million project to replace aging water lines crossing the river.

Project TamesTruckee Floods By Turning To Nature

lynellg — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:53:50 -0700

Sep 18, 2008
KOLO TV-8, Reporter: Ed Pearce

There were speeches beneath the big cottonwoods just east of the Tracy Power Station Thursday morning and shiny shovels stood ready for ceremonial groundbreaking. In fact, ground was broken at what was once the 102 Ranch a month ago. A brand new meander has been carved for the river. Nearby big earth movers are beginning to create what will be new wetlands.

By late fall, this stretch of the Truckee River will start to resemble the healthy habitat nature intended, like another spot a few miles upstream. There what was once McCarran ranch was bought by the Nature Conservancy and the river and the land was restored to something resembling what it was before the ranch was built in the 1880's. In fact, the meander there was built, rock riffles added to the stream bed, native vegetation restored. Nearby new wetlands are already well established. A few years after it was built, it's just about ready for public access and recreation. More than that it's also ready for the next flood.

"It slows the water and when it floods it just spreads out over the flood plain and holds it, creating storage and keeping it from rushing downstream where it could cause damage, says Danielle Henderson, the Natural Resource Manager for the Truckee River Flood Project.”It's like a big sponge."

For entire article, please visit website.

Municipal In-Stream Monitoring

lynellg — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:48:01 -0700

Stormwater E-magazine, September 2008 edition
Accountability in comprehensive sampling
By Lanse Norris

“Water is the one substance from which the earth can conceal nothing; it sucks out its innermost secrets and brings them to our very lips.”
—Jean Giraudoux

What Comprises Comprehensive Sampling?
Since the early ’70s, Cobb County, GA’s municipal in-stream monitoring efforts have evolved into a program that conducts sampling across 21 sub-watersheds at 93 chemical sites per quarter, 24 macroinvertebrate sites per year, 24 habitat assessment sites biannually, and 24 fish sites every five years. Sites were selected considering land use, proximity to industries, and stream confluences of representative reaches.

The chemical data generate a water quality index (WQI) score derived from comparing the value for any parameter of interest with values for the same available parameter from sampling results recorded throughout the Atlanta region. The index itself is a value between 0.00 and 1.00, with 0.00 representing the best value in the database for each parameter. Table 1 shows the Cobb Stream Monitoring Program chemical data for an actual site with each parameter and applicable scores. The aggregate WQI for the site is calculated as the numeric average of the available WQIs shown.

Biological sampling produces macroinvertebrate and fish data, which are scored on an index of biotic integrity (IBI). Habitat assessments are scored on a standardized form following state of Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) protocol.
A Cobb County Water System Watershed Monitoring Program Annual Report is published containing all of the chemical, biological, and habitat data collected; many permits addressing surface waters impacted by wastewater discharge, stormwater, point and non-point sources are maintained by the data. In the report, narratives for each site summarize a year’s worth of changes to the stream channel, riparian zone, and watershed itself as personnel wade upstream and drive through the watershed on the way to each site.

How Comprehensive Is It?
Ions in the Stream. Chemical monitoring parameters and methods are long-established water-quality standards prescribed by the approved 20th edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (Clesceri et al. 1998) and are implicit in environmental regulatory sampling like National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wet-weather ambient trend monitoring. Cobb County Stream Monitoring personnel take extra measures to ensure accuracy and integrity. For example, rather than rely on precarious dissolved oxygen (DO) meter readings, Winkler titration method dissolved oxygen samples are “fixed” in the field for more consistent and accurate analysis by Cobb’s Georgia Association of Water Professionals certified wastewater laboratory. Quality-control samples are collected at the first site for a given stream, and all samples are collected mid-depth in representative flow when possible and preserved in the field before transportation to the laboratory. Field notes supporting chemical sample characteristics are made concerning weather, degree of flow, color, odor, and turbidity.

For entire article, please visit website below.

EPA-Funded DRI proposal for a study on "Regional Clean Water Activities" based in Truckee, Carson, Humboldt Rivers

lynellg — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:18:26 -0700

This project is in progress through DRI, with Alan McKay as one of the PIs. This project was described as an exploration of watershed-specific nuances in algal growth/uptake that may differ significantly from previously held scientific beliefs based on growth in other river systems. Better science will make for more accurate modeling on these systems. -LG

From the problem statement:
"State and local agencies in Nevada are currently under intense pressure to meet conditions of the Clean Water Act (CWA); particularly those related to nonpoint source pollution (Section 319[h]), impaired waters (Section 303[d]) and associated total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Among the challenges facing the state are sparse data, inadequate scientific basis for existing water quality standards, a general lack of decision-making tools such as models and spatial analysis software, and insufficient financial resources to support in-house technical staff. Discussions with state and local stakeholders (e.g., Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, or NDEP; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe; and Washoe County) along with staff from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region IX have helped identify and prioritize a suite of water quality-related activities that address some of the aforementioned water quality challenges. The geographic focus of these activities includes three western Nevada river basins (the Truckee, Carson, and Humboldt rivers). The scientific focus will involve a suite of laboratory and field-scale activities designed to better understand the effects of natural and human factors on ecological function in western river basins. A unifying element for data derived from this research will be application to one or more numerical water quality models, which will lead to improved capability to simulate future conditions under varying management scenarios. "

Find entire proposal document attached.

Landmark agreement settles long-standing river dispute

lynellg — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:03:41 -0700

By MARTIN GRIFFITH,
Associated Press Writer and published online by Lahontan Valley News
September 6, 2008

RENO, Nev. (AP) - With the scenic stream flowing behind them, officials from Nevada, California and the federal government signed a landmark agreement that settles a century-plus-old dispute over the Truckee River's water.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined local and state officials at the signing ceremony Saturday for the Truckee River Operating Agreement. The complex document allocates the river's waters between the two states, and balances the interests of urban users, downstream farmers and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

"I'm so happy that President Bush signed off on it," Reid told a crowd of about 400 at a downtown Reno park. "It's an example of what teamwork and bipartisanship can accomplish."

The Truckee flows more than 100 miles from the California side of Lake Tahoe to its terminus at Pyramid Lake on Nevada's high desert, about 30 miles northeast of Reno.

Under the agreement, California will get two-thirds of Lake Tahoe's water to Nevada's one-third, while Nevada will receive 90 percent of the Truckee's water to California's 10 percent. It also calls for Nevada to get 80 percent of the Carson River's water to California's 20 percent.

The two states approved an interstate compact on the Truckee's waters in the early 1970s, but it was never ratified by Congress. Kempthorne hailed the new agreement, saying it was similar to ones reached in recent years over the Colorado and Snake rivers. He stressed that no one surrendered any water rights under the latest deal.

"This day is part of a new day in the West - a day when step by step, agreement by agreement we resolve all the bitter water disputes in the new spirit of cooperation and partnership," he said.

The deal stemmed from Reid-sponsored legislation passed by Congress in 1990 that directed both states, the U.S., the tribe and the Reno area's water purveyor to settle their differences over the river.

Lawsuits over the Truckee spanning back to the 1800s gave it a reputation for being one of the West's most litigated rivers. Under the settlement, the amount of drought water storage for the Reno area will triple, and Reno, Sparks and Washoe County will provide water rights to improve water quality in the lower Truckee. The river system is the Reno area's only water source.

Officials said the agreement will improve conditions for the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout and endangered cui-ui fish, as well as for Nevada wetlands. It also will enhance recreational opportunities in both states.

A final environmental study by the U.S. Department of the Interior and California Department of Water Resources found no significant adverse impacts from the agreement. The document concluded the settlement would provide a major boost to the river's water quality and fishery.

For entire article, please visit website.

EPA to look at Tahoe drainage systems

lynellg — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:11:31 -0700

Tahoe Daily Tribune article, copied from Wednesday, November 2, 2005
EPA to look at Tahoe drainage systems
By Amanda Fehd

Homeowners and businesses in Tahoe could be installing drainage systems regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for health safety reasons - and not know it.

Representatives from the EPA, Tahoe's planning agency and Nevada's environmental protection agency met by conference call last week to discuss whether drainage systems used in Tahoe fall into a category EPA alleges has the potential to contaminate groundwater. No decision was made.

A variety of drainage systems are used in Tahoe to comply with a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency ordinance requiring most property owners to install devices to catch rain and snowmelt.

Called stormwater best management practices, or BMPs, the systems are intended to prevent soil erosion.

Most not a concern

While most of the drainage systems in Tahoe are not a concern, some may be classified as Class V wells, according to Elizabeth Janes at EPA's Region Nine groundwater office in San Francisco.

Tahoe's rain and snowmelt, called stormwater, is generally very clean, diminishing risk of contamination, according to Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control board, which regulates water quality at Lake Tahoe.

However, certain drainage systems would allow any contaminants, or spills of auto or lawn chemicals, to more easily enter groundwater, according to EPA.

EPA requires inventory information from property owners who install Class V drainage systems because of their alleged potential to contaminate groundwater.

Users must also agree not to allow any substances that are threats to drinking water to enter the systems.

EPA's list of threats to drinking water includes chemicals used in household cleaning, lawn and auto care and is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html#mcls.

The worst kind of Class V well is a drilled hole allowing water directly down to the water table. The technique is not used in Tahoe but has been standard construction practice in other parts of California, Janes said.

But Class V wells can include many other types of underground drainage systems, according to EPA.

Much of South Shore gets its drinking water only from groundwater, while the lake supplies drinking water to most of the Nevada side. Drinking water is constantly monitored for purity.

No decision yet

EPA is not ready to make a determination on designs for residential or commercial BMPs in Tahoe before taking a closer look at them, Janes said.

"We all agreed we need to sit down and look at these on location," said Russ Land, supervisor of the groundwater protection office of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Janes's Nevada counterpart. NDEP provides funding for TRPA's residential BMP retrofit program.

Based on his limited review of residential BMP designs in TRPA's contractors handbook, Land said none fit the definition of a Class V well.

EPA Region Nine was not so sure, Janes said.

The three agencies met after inquiries to EPA from the Tahoe Daily Tribune about whether the Class V wells were used in Tahoe. Area engineers raised the issue with the Tribune.

While Birgit Widegren, head of TRPA's soil erosion team, said it has not been interpreted in the past that Tahoe's designs qualify as Class V, EPA representatives were not certain.

Engineer approved

All Tahoe BMP designs are approved by a state engineer, according to Erik Larson, program coordinator for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, which provides information to owners of homes where BMPs are installed.

Measures are in place to protect groundwater in Tahoe, according to Widegren. Properties expected to release pollution into rain water or snowmelt, like an auto station, are required to treat it before it is allowed to enter the ground.

TRPA's approach to BMPs is very conservative, Janes said. "They aren't ignorant of the vulnerability of their groundwater."

TRPA's BMP ordinance is aimed at reducing soil erosion, one of the main factors in Lake Tahoe's declining clarity.

"The fundamental concept of keeping soil on property is sound and how we do it may evolve over time," said TRPA spokeswoman Julie Regan. "It's a collaborative process and we will be making sure we are all in agreement."

Homes less risky

Residential properties are less of a risk to groundwater than commercial properties, Janes said.

"EPA does not want to discourage anyone from implementing their residential stormwater BMPs," said Janes. But she cautioned property owners to be responsible about chemical use such as fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and auto chemicals.

"What you pump into the ground ends up somewhere," she said.

A fact sheet from EPA says there is concern "there may be a dramatic increase in the use of Class V wells as a (BMP) to dispose of stormwater. Infiltration through stormwater drainage wells has the potential to adversely impact [underground sources of drinking water].

The runoff that enters the stormwater drainage wells may be contaminated with sediments, nutrients, metals, salts, fertilizers, pesticides and microorganisms."

The fact sheet was put out in response to construction practices in Modesto, Janes said. It is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/pdfs/fact_class5_stormwater.pdf.

EPA benthic macroinvertebrate sampling method for physical habitat assessment

lynellg — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:48:16 -0700

US EPA Method for determining physical habitat conditions using method for assessments. This method is being used by PLPT in tandem with benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, to further describe the watershed and potential causes for impaired results in bmi populations.

Enhanced Runoff in Urban Areas as a Tool to Mitigate Loss of Non-Renewable Groundwater

lynellg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:10:16 -0700

Jason M. Keller, M.S., Michael A. Milczarek, M.S., Aaron R. Graham, M.S., Tzung-Mow M. Yao, Ph.D. and Dale P. Hammermeister, Ph.D., GeoSystems Analysis Inc.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 : 3:30 p.m.

Presentation Abstract:
In semi-arid and arid locations the majority of natural recharge occurs in ephemeral stream channels. As areas become urbanized and runoff increases in response to the increased area occupied by impervious surfaces, flow in ephemeral channels also increase, creating an opportunity to capture water as focused recharge. We present case studies of semi-arid urban watersheds in which pre-development and post-urbanization recharge rates have been estimated for varying land use and precipitation scenarios. The case studies show demonstrable increases in groundwater recharge rates in response to increased impervious area (i.e. urbanization) and the focusing of runoff to capture areas. This suggests that under water deficit conditions captured runoff in urban areas can be utilized as a means to mitigate net groundwater loss, but by itself does not offer a complete remedy, and instead can serve as an important part of a larger remediation strategy.

Jason M. Keller, M.S., GeoSystems Analysis Inc. Mr. Keller has 8 years of experience performing environmental monitoring and assessment activities. His work focuses on investigating recharge and vadose zone transport behavior using field, laboratory, and numerical studies. His primary interests include quantifying natural and enhanced groundwater recharge, surface cover performance monitoring and modeling, subsurface impact assessments of waste management areas, and physical and hydraulic characterization of unsaturated and saturated zones.

Truckee River Clean Up Day

lynellg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:47:58 -0700

Saturday, September 27th from 9-12 noon from Verdi through Sparks is the 2008 Truckee River Clean-up Day!! Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and Nevada EcoNet are seeking 500 volunteers to clean-up the Truckee River. Volunteers may register at the website below.

If you would like to schedule an interview with KTMB or Nevada EcoNet please contact Lauren Siegel at the below information and we will be happy to join your show to promote this huge community event. Please feel free to pass this poster and press release (attached) to your contacts and media.

Thank you,
Lauren

Lauren Siegel
Executive Director
Nevada EcoNet
(775)323-3433
lauren@nevadaeconet.org

Replicating Natural Runoff Through Retention and Dissipation

lynellg — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:03:14 -0700

A simulation model for estimating retention volumes
By Randel Lemoine, Stormwater E-magazine September 2008

Natural watersheds retain and dissipate most rainwater. This water is retained on the surfaces of vegetation and in ground depressions, such as puddles, wetlands, and marshes. Natural processes such as transpiration by plants, infiltration into the soil, and evaporation dissipate this water. A natural watershed’s retention and dissipation capacity is sufficient to prevent any runoff from occurring during most rainfalls. Occasionally, when there is a heavy rainfall, a small amount of the rainwater becomes surface runoff that enters nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes.
The natural processes that retain and dissipate the rainwater are diminished when land is developed, whether for agriculture or for urban use. Land development removes vegetative cover, fills in low areas, compacts the soil, and creates impervious areas. The result is increased water runoff flowing more frequently across the land and discharging into the watershed’s rivers, streams, and lakes. This increased runoff causes downstream flooding, accelerated soil loss from erosion, unstable stream banks, and pollution of water resources.

Problems in Mitigating Increased Runoff
Detention basins temporarily hold collected runoff and slowly release the water. They are constructed in an attempt to mitigate the downstream flooding problems by limiting the peak discharge rate of the runoff. However, they do not reduce the volume of runoff discharged into the nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes. Consequently, the runoff volume discharged remains greater than when the land was in its natural condition. Therefore, detention basins fail to match the natural runoff pattern that occurred prior to the land being developed. Streambank erosion, stream channel instability, and occasionally even downstream flooding continue to be problems.
Retention basins hold a certain volume of water. There are two types of retention basins: water-quality basins and water-volume basins. Water-quality retention basins remove pollutants collected by the runoff. These basins allow the runoff to pass through after holding it long enough to give natural processes time to remove a percentage of the pollutants. They do not reduce the volume of runoff discharged. Water-volume basins capture and dissipate the runoff, thereby reducing the volume and frequency of discharges from a site. A discharge of runoff occurs only when the runoff volume exceeds the basin’s maximum retention volume. However, the actual volume available for retaining the runoff from the next rainfall depends upon the dissipation of the water held from the previous rainfall. Therefore, a key factor in determining the effectiveness of a water-volume basin is the dissipation rate.
Two commonly used methods for estimating the maximum retention volume for a water-volume retention basin are the “90% Rule” and the “Two-Year-Difference Rule.” The 90% Rule requires the capture of 90% of the runoff coming from a developed site. The Two-Year-Difference Rule requires that the maximum retention volume should be equal to the difference between the two-year runoff from the developed site and the two-year runoff from the site in a natural undeveloped condition. Neither rule addresses the necessary dissipation rate relative to the storage volume. Therefore, it is uncertain that the maximum retention volume derived by these rules will adequately address the adverse effects caused by the increased runoff coming from developed land.

An Alternative Method for Determining Retention Volume and Dissipation
An alternative to these methods is to use a simulation model. This model is set up on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and uses local historical precipitation data. The runoff volume for each day of the simulation is estimated using the TR-55 runoff equations (USDA 1986). The retained water volume for each day is calculated by taking the difference between the precipitation volume and the runoff volume, then subtracting the daily dissipation volume. This retained water volume is added to the precipitation of the next day, which is valid because the effect of the retained water on the next day’s runoff volume has the same effect as if it were part of the precipitation for the next day. Adding the previous day’s retained water to the precipitation provides the continuity needed for determining the appropriate combination of retention and dissipation to replicate the natural runoff.

For entire article, please visit website.

Donner Lake escapes the scrutiny Tahoe gets

lynellg — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:15:22 -0700

By Greyson Howard / Sierra Sun

TRUCKEE - It's just a fact of life: Donner Lake plays second fiddle to Lake Tahoe.

"At the watershed council, we like to say Donner Lake is in the glory shadow of Lake Tahoe," said Lisa Wallace, executive director of the Truckee River Watershed Council. "If it was further away from Tahoe, I think it would be really famous."

But the attention deficit isn't just in the minds of tourists - it's also in the amount of scientific scrutiny the body of water receives. Whereas Lake Tahoe has its own clarity standards, goals and even its own governing entity (the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, or TRPA), Donner Lake doesn't have its own standards or objectives. There is no DRPA.Instead, the lake is lumped into Truckee River watershed standards from the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, said Lauri Kemper, supervising engineer with the board. In fact, Kemper said, Lahontan has no monitoring on Donner Lake compared with the collaborative work on Lake Tahoe of the University of California, Davis, Lahontan and the TRPA. "Lake Tahoe gets more attention because it is federally designated an Outstanding National Water Resource for its extraordinary clarity, purity and unique situation," Kemper said. "But Donner is an important part of the watershed."

Tim Tweedie, a 25-year resident of Donner Lake, has his own observations of the lake over the years. "I am just concerned with the water quality," said Tweedie, who has collected bags of litter from the lake. "When I dive in the water, the distance I can see is less each year." Tweedie said that although fees are being collected and money spent attempting to catch sediment before it reaches Donner Lake, with no baseline water quality data to measure improvements or setbacks, no one knows what good these efforts are doing. One type of litter Tweedie has collected from the lake recently has been fireworks debris. "I love (the fireworks), but is it good for the lake?" Tweedie said.

Steve Randall, general manager of the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District, said the company that runs the annual fireworks show over West End Beach has to clean up after itself. District workers also go back the next day to check, Randall said, and any fireworks that are missed are biodegradable.

Kemper said the Water Quality Control Board studied the effects of fireworks in Lake Tahoe and found that trash is a bigger issue than any chemicals the fireworks might contain. Wallace questioned whether trash is the biggest problem."Between stormwater runoff, erosion and trash, if we were to rank these things, would we focus on litter first? We would want to start at the highest impacts," Wallace said.

The watershed council, along with the U.S. Forest Service and the Truckee Donner Land Trust, has plans under way to restore Negro Canyon, which Wallace said is feeding tons of sediment into Donner Lake through Gregory Creek. "We'll be launching that project in the next three or four weeks," Wallace said.

Billy Mack Canyon to the west also carries sediment into the lake, drawing on sand used on Interstate 80 that ends up in Summit and Frog creeks, she said. "There is literally 6 to 8 feet of sand in the canyon in some places," she said....

For entire article, please visit website.

Questions swirl around Donner's water quality

lynellg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:25:42 -0700

Questions swirl around Donner's water quality By Greyson HowardSierra Sun TRUCKEE -- It's just a fact of life up here; Donner Lake plays second fiddle to Lake Tahoe."At the watershed council, we like to say Donner Lake is in the glory shadow of Lake Tahoe," said Lisa Wallace, executive director of the Truckee River Watershed Council. "If it was farther away from Tahoe, I think it would be really famous."But it isn't just in the throngs of visitors to the region where Donner Lake gets less attention: It's also in the scientific scrutiny the body of water receives for clarity and quality. Lake Tahoe has its own clarity standards, goals, and even its own governing entity, but Donner Lake doesn't have its own standards or objectives. Instead it is lumped into Truckee River watershed standards from the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, said Lauri Kemper, supervising engineer with the board.In fact, Kemper said, Lahontan has no monitoring on Donner Lake - that's in comparison to the collaborative work on Lake Tahoe by the Lahontan water board, UC Davis, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. "Lake Tahoe gets more attention because it is federally designated an Outstanding National Water Resource for its extraordinary clarity, purity, and unique situation," Kemper said. "But Donner is an important part of the watershed. ... For entire article, please visit website.

Watershed monitoring locations: all agencies

lynellg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:51:29 -0700

PDF of monitoring map created by combining all known sampling locations by agencies between Tahoe City and Pyramid Lake.

7th Annual StormCon, the World's Largest Stormwater Pollution Prevention Conference

lynellg — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:50:49 -0700

August 3-7, 2008 Orlando, Florida

Join us for StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition, August 3–7, 2008, in Orlando, FL, at the Orlando World Center Marriott.
2008 CONFERENCE TRACKS: BMPs Case StudiesThe Construction Site & StormwaterLow-Impact DevelopmentResearch & Testing of BMPs/Technical IssuesStormwater Program ManagementWater-Quality Monitoring
Pre-conference workshop on Integrating Stormwater Programs with TMDLs and Watershed Management Plans: Please visit http://www.stormcon.com/sc_preworkshops.html#1

River bed mats filter, cap pollution: Dredging alternative both less expensive, disruptive

lynellg — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:08:02 -0700

By JASON G. HOWE, Foster's Daily Democrat jghowe@fosters.com June 23, 2008 DOVER: Watching Jeffrey Melton spread mat after mat of textured material across the Cocheco River's muddy flats doesn't look much like groundbreaking research. But those mats — composed of activated carbon and "geotextile" fabric — are part of a revolutionary way to treat sediment pollution. And Melton, with other researchers from the University of New Hampshire's Contaminated Sediments Center, is now testing the mats just outside of downtown Dover, where they will eventually be buried by layers of mud and monitored by a group of UNH students. Federal researchers estimate that 20 percent of the top 6 inches of all sediment in U.S. rivers, lakes, streams and estuaries is contaminated. In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported there were 3,221 fish consumption advisories in state waters. Despite a growing awareness of "green" initiatives and the nation's many environmental woes, sediment pollution does not score high on the "green glamour" scale, Melton said. But the impact is constantly felt by the regular closure of shellfish beds and warnings against eating fish contaminated by heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. The sum result is long-term damage to the nation's waterways. "You can enjoy a great day of fishing, but if you can't eat the catch, there's a problem," said Melton, who helped create the mats as an alternative. Rather than dredging up the problem, or burying it under several feet of sand, the mats can be used to cap and stabilize pollution where it exists. As it rests beneath layers of sediment, it filters chemicals that pass through it. The mats provide an alternative approach to remediation, while more common treatments include dredging or capping sediment beneath several feet of sand. But dredging is expensive, disrupts habitats and leaves cities and towns with the problem of what to do with toxic sediment. Sand caps have not been proven to be a long-term form of remediation and can hinder boat traffic and impact aquatic life. "There's no silver bullet," said Melton. "What we are exploring is potentially a great tool to add to the tool box." For entire article, see website.

FINDING A FIX FOR COLDSTREAM CANYON

lynellg — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:36:53 -0700

By Greyson Howard, Sierra Sun
May 28, 2008

Surveying a fresh set of tire tracks cut deeply into the mud in Coldstream Canyon, Beth Christman and Cyndie Walck explain the challenges of working in one of Truckee’s most troubled watersheds.

“We’ve looked at the whole Cold Creek watershed and know there are tons of problems. It’s the problem child dumping tons of sediment into the Truckee river,” said Christman, program manager with the Truckee River Watershed Council.

The Truckee River is considered impaired by sediment, and the Donner Basin is considered a major contributor, but Christman said within the Donner Basin, Cold Creek is really the problem.

The issue stems from a combination of the natural topography of the canyon and human interference, said Walck, a fluvial geomorphologist with California Department of Parks and Recreation.

“Coldstream is one of the most hammered watersheds I’ve ever been in,” Walck said. “The railroad blew out a lot of the canyon, it’s been logged repeatedly and mined for gravel.”

For entire article, please visit website.

Tests show water's fine, TMWA officials say

lynellg — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:26:48 -0700

By Steve Timko, Reno Gazzette-Journal
May 17, 2008

No pharmaceuticals turned up in the Truckee River water that was sent for testing by the area's largest water supplier.

The Truckee Meadows Water Authority in March sent samples of water taken from the river to MWH Lab in Southern California after the Associated Press reported that up to 41 million Americans drink water contaminated with trace amounts of medicine and endocrine blockers.

After testing for 31 compounds associated with medication and other chemicals, all samples came back at a level described as nondetectable, Paul Miller, TMWA manager of operations and water quality, said at a Friday news conference.

That means there was less than one part per trillion for all of the substances, Miller said. The threshold for detecting the compounds was set at one part per trillion.

"We've gotten so good at detecting things in the water, there is no such thing as zero any more," Miller said.

To view entire article, please visit website.

Report: No chem residue found in Truckee River

lynellg — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:33:40 -0700

By Jenny Goldsmith, Bonanza News Service
May 21, 2008

Results from an analysis on the purity of the Truckee River are back and confirm what Truckee wastewater treatment plant officials have been saying: The major water supply for Reno and Sparks is not contaminated.

In March, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority decided to sample the Truckee River after reports surfaced in an Associated Press investigation into pharmaceutical remnants in major metropolitan water supplies, said Paul Miller, manager of operations and water quality for Truckee Meadows Water Authority.

“The data shows that no pharmaceuticals or endocrine disrupting compounds were detected in the raw or finished water samples,” Miller said in a statement.

There are no direct discharge of treated wastewater into the Truckee River like there are in other municipal areas that are under investigation, but there is an indirect discharge.

The Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency’s wastewater treatment plant — located east of the 267 Bypass and just one mile from the Truckee River — discharges an average of 4.5 million gallons of treated water a day into a disposal field by spray irrigation, said Jay Parker, chief engineer and assistant general manager of the plant.

To view entire article, please visit website.

Illegal dumping discovered on Donner Creek

lynellg — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Greyson Howard, BONANZA NEWS SERVICE
May 13, 2008

Government officials have found trash, car batteries, and motor oil dumped into one of the Truckee River’s tributaries.

The California Department of Fish and Game and Nevada County Environmental Health are investigating illegal dumping in Donner Creek, near the Donner Creek Mobile Home Park on West River Street.

“We found at least one car battery in the river, and lots and lots of trash,” said Game Warden Jerry Karnow. “And as far as hazardous material, we found motor oil — not a huge amount, but significant.”

Karnow said officials were tipped off by local residents, and investigations are ongoing.

“We still don’t know how it got there, and we can’t pin it to the exact people yet,” Karnow said.

At least one person has been cited so far however, he said. The illegal dumping poses risks both to people and to wildlife, Karnow said.

“Some of the trash is hazardous if people get swimming or wading get caught up in it,” Karnow said. “And obviously batteries and petroleum is not good — the big one is aquatic life.” He said no immediate concerns have been raised over Reno/Sparks water supply, and so far only the California and Nevada County agencies are involved.

The dumping site on Donner Creek is just above its confluence with the Truckee River, he said, so impacts could go for miles downstream.

For entire article, please visit website.

Researchers: Lake Tahoe's worsening clarity leveling

lynellg — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Chris Bowman, Sacramento Bee
May 12, 2008

Scientists who for decades reported the famously clear Lake Tahoe to be turning ever murkier have discovered that the decline actually has been leveling since 2001.

Using a new, more sophisticated computer analysis of environmental data on Tahoe, the researchers also found that the shift was not weather-related but more likely the payoff from years of costly and contentious building restrictions to curb polluted runoff into the lake.

"It's a good hypothesis that the land use restrictions and erosion controls have something to do with it," said John Reuter, a lake scientist with the University of California, Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The findings, obtained by The Bee, mark the most encouraging development in 40 years of monitoring the clouding of Lake Tahoe, according to Charles Goldman, who in the 1960s was the first scientist to foresee Tahoe's troubles and act on its behalf.

"There's promise in this data that we've crossed the line," said Goldman, a UCD professor,

The Tahoe researchers stop short of calling the post-2000 clarity measurements an "improvement" because visibility continued to diminish, only at a slower rate than that in the previous 33 years.

For entire article, please visit website.

Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin wins design award

lynellg — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:16:54 -0700

May 5, 2008
METROPOLIS NEXT GENERATION 2008 Winner Announced!
Posted to Inhabitat.com by Mike Chino

The 2008 Metropolis Magazine Next Generation design competition challenged young architects and designers to create a sustainable solution to make the world better, and safer, with ideas related to the theme of ‘water.’ We are thrilled to announce that this year’s $10,000 prize was awarded to San Francisco based architect and CCA professor Eric Olsen! Olsen’s winning design is a Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin, a revolutionary design that promises to provide portable and potable water anywhere that it is needed.

As flood tides rise and the world’s largest supply of fresh water sinks into the sea, this year’s Next Generation contest addressed the alarming fact that the most essential element to our existence is in short supply. The Sphere Project Handbook states that a person needs 4 to 5 gallons of water per day to survive, yet up to a third of the global population lives without reliable access to potable water.

Olsen’s Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin directly addresses this crisis with an adaptable vessel that allows for an immediately accessible water infrastructure. The design’s pleated, biomorphic construction takes cues from the water-storing structure of the saguaro cactus, which contracts and expands as it absorbs water. It can be easily rolled for storage and transport, and can even be worn as “a shawl-like kanga for carrying.”

The tough tarpaulin is composed of laser cut LDPE and rubberized nylon and it expands to hold up to 20 liters of water, which is rendered drinkable after five hours of exposure to the sun. This purification method is approved by the World Health Organization, and uses passive solar heat and ultraviolet radiation to kill disease causing bacteria. The tarpaulin’s beauty is in its simplicity: it’s quick, efficient, and requires no filter, chemicals, or additional energy expenditure.

In the May issue of Metropolis Olsen says: “You can imagine that in post-Katrina New Orleans something like this would have been useful as an alternative to the energy required to transport clean water to some other site.” He continues: “It’s really applicable anywhere there isn’t a functioning water infrastructure. Whatever your situation is, ideally it can be incorporated into it.”

....
Eric Olsen grew up in Las Vegas, an intense desert environment where he learned firsthand about the finite nature of our water resources. He graduated from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and currently runs his own architecture practice while teaching at California College of the Arts. His project is a fantastic addition to a grand lineage of Next Generation projects that continue to showcase outstanding designs for a sustainable future.

Sending toxins down the drain: Commercial carwashes the greener way to clean

lynellg — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Alex Breitler, Recordnet.com
April 18, 2008

STOCKTON - The parking lot carwash: It's the time-honored favorite American fundraiser.

Teenagers hoist handmade signs. Soap suds cling to their arms. They grab tangled hoses and rinse - sometimes a car, more often each other.

While the tradition carries on each weekend throughout spring and summer, city officials are asking these baseball teams, cheerleaders, youth groups and other fundraising groups to consider a new kind of carwash - one where you don't get wet.

SOME IDEAS FOR A GREEN CARWASH
• Wash vehicles on grass or a gravel lot, using biodegradable soap. Soil and plants can filter out pollutants before they seep into the groundwater.

• If cars have to be washed on pavement, block off the storm drain inlet and use a pump.

• Try using waterless cleaners (for example, see www.ecotouch.net).

• Use a professional carwash. Call the city at (209) 937-8791 or visit the Western Carwash Association at www.wcwa.org.

• It's still OK to wash your car at home in Stockton, though officials recommend doing it on the grass or on gravel if possible.
The city is funneling these groups toward professional washes, where soapy runoff is captured and treated rather than draining into storm drains and, ultimately, the Delta.

The city's awareness program is pushing fundraising groups to sign on with established businesses that will do all the grunt work, then return a portion of the proceeds to their project.

"We're just encouraging an environmentally friendly alternative," said Sharene Gonzales, Stockton's storm water outreach coordinator. "The city still wants to support these organizations. We just want them to be considerate of what can happen if pollution does enter the environment."

Soap, dirt, grime and car fluids are among the nasties that can slip down the drain during a parking lot car wash. Technically, this is a violation of city code.

Even biodegradable soap is a problem, because as it breaks down it uses oxygen needed by fish.

For entire article, please visit website.

The algae effect: Scientists harness the power of algae to remove nutrients and seidments from storm water

lynellg — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Annie Flanzraich
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza News Editor
April 16, 2008

Nutrients are one of Lake Tahoe clarity’s arch enemies — add too much nitrogen or phosphorous and algae will sprout, clouding the famed crystal clear waters.

So using algae to clean water of the very nutrients that help it grow is a pretty novel idea.

And it’s working, according to research done by Alan Heyvaert of the Desert Research Institute and Steve Patterson of Bio X Design.

“Kind of ironic huh?” Heyvaert said. “It’s kind of a logical natural next step when you think about it.”

Heyvaert and Patterson began their research with the idea that if water was filtered through a tank with a biofilm — a screen covered in a layer of algae and nutrients — the algae would absorb the nutrients it needs to grow.

Then the water filtered out of the tank would be cleaned of some of the nutrients.
“We are using the algae to remove the nutrients that they grow on when they’re in the lake,” Heyvaert said. “In the lake if you put in too much nutrients they grow and you get too much algae.”

The idea seems to be working.

The process removed almost all the nitrogen in preliminary testing the team did last year with synthetic runoff water at a lab in Tahoe City for the Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

For entire article, please visit website.

Heavenly installing filters to treat stormwater runoff (w/video)

lynellg — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Adam Jensen
April 15, 2008

Installation of a $3.2 million stormwater treatment system underneath the parking lot of Heavenly Mountain Resort’s California Base Lodge is expected to be completed today.

The removal of a series of manhole covers in the western corner of the parking lot Monday revealed several large underground tanks, or “vaults” as they’re known, each containing filters looking somewhat like oversized versions of Brita water filters that are used in homes.

“We’re excited,” said Andrew Strain, Heavenly’s vice president of planning and governmental affairs. “This is a great step in the right direction.”

Runoff from the resort’s 14.7-acre California Base Lodge parking lot will flow through the series of six vaults containing a total of 482 filters, said Michelle Gamble, a senior engineer with Carson City-based Resource Concepts Inc., the engineering firm behind the project.

For entire article, please visit website.

UC Davis global warming researcher paints dire picture for Lake Tahoe

lynellg — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:38:08 -0700

By Tom Knudson
March 22, 2008
MAIN NEWS section, Sacramento Bee

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As environmental engineer Geoffrey Schladow launched this week into his startling new findings about the potentially dire consequences of global warming at Lake Tahoe, a member of the audience gasped.

"That was the correct response," said Schladow, who directs the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The news about one of California's recreational jewels was grim. According to a study by Schladow and other Davis researchers, a warming trend already under way could shut down the deep churning of oxygen and nutrients that supports life in the lake – in just 11 years.

That, in turn, could trigger a wave of ecological disruptions from a "dead zone" at the bottom to unprecedented algae blooms near the surface, changing the clear, predominantly cobalt blue lake to murky green.

Schladow characterized such a change as "a really scary thing."

Just as the melting permafrost in the Arctic has proved a living laboratory for studying climate change, scientists are examining large, deep-water lakes – in part because water temperatures at lower depths reflect long-term climatic changes more accurately than temperatures at the surface.

For entire article, please visit website.

4th Biennial Tahoe Basin Science Conference

lynellg — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:21:17 -0700

Science as a Tool in Lake Tahoe Basin Management: Making Sense of Complexity
March 17-19, 2008

Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences and
Hyatt Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa, and Casino
Incline Village, Nevada
Call for Abstracts, Sponsorship and Registration Information is attached!

Effective management and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin is a continuing focus of agency representatives, scientists, stakeholders, and decision-makers. Join us for a three-day conference where individuals involved in the science and management of the Basin can learn about and discuss the latest relevant scientific information and results. This conference brings together professionals involved in the Lake Tahoe Basin, providing an excellent opportunity for networking, education, and the exchange of ideas and information.

Note: For questions, please contact Donna Bloom at 775/626-6389 or view flyer attachment.

New solar-powered water purification technology in testing process

lynellg — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:39:50 -0700

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Reported by: Joe Vignolo, Scott Budman, NBC News
SILICON VALLEY

Our nation has troubled waters, but there may be some technology that can help.

They are already floating in some Bay Area lakes and reservoirs, trying to keep things clean. They're high tech, they're green, and they're working to purify the water you drink.

With both wildlife and home life watching closely, new technology is being tested in the Silicon Valley to help keep our water clean.

It may look like a small floating barge; it's actually a solar powered, lean, green, way to help keep contaminants out of our water supply.

It's called an aerator, aeration being the process of pulling air from the atmosphere into the water to keep pollutants like mercury from getting into the food chain, already used to keep some of your water clean.

For entire article, please visit website.

Testing begins for drugs in river

lynellg — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:29:48 -0700

STEVE TIMKO AND LENITA POWERS
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNA
Posted: 3/11/2008

The major water supplier for Reno and Sparks is checking its water for the presence of pharmaceuticals, officials said Tuesday.

The Truckee Meadows Water Authority doesn’t expect to find such drugs in any significant quantity, said Paul Miller, manager of operations and water quality for TMWA. But no test has ever been done before, so a sample was taken Monday and shipped out for examination, Miller said. Results should take several weeks for the test that costs about $2,200.

“Don’t scare the customers,” Miller said. “We shouldn’t expect any contamination of the Truckee River water.” Sparked by reports of an Associated Press investigation into pharmaceuticals in municipal water supplies, water officials decided two weeks ago to look for someone to measure trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water.

The Associated Press reported Monday that an array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.

For entire article, please visit website below.

State asks locals to watch the watershed

lynellg — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:34:24 -0800

Plan will monitor sediment flowing into the Truckee River
By Julie Brown/Sierra Sun
March 6, 2008, 11:49 AM

Placer County and the Town of Truckee are partnering to develop a comprehensive strategy to monitor the water quality of the Truckee River watershed and combat sediment that is clouding the river.

But first, they are looking to the local community to see what monitoring efforts are already underway.

“Our job is to look at the big picture,” said Bill Schell, contract manager with the Placer County stormwater quality division. “And coordinate [the data] so it all makes sense, and it’s consistent and timely. [A comprehensive monitoring plan] gives us a better pulse of what’s happening on the river, itself.”

Because of the levels of sediment in the river — in addition to the importance of the Truckee River for drinking water, agriculture, restoring groundwater supplies and recreation — the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes the Truckee as an “impaired” river.

The monitoring plan, which was issued to Placer County and the Town of Truckee as a technical directive by the State of California’s Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, will ultimately pinpoint where sediment is entering the Truckee River watershed.

For entire article, please visit the website.

Fernley flood victims file restraining order against city, county

lynellg — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:37:34 -0800

www.rgj.com
STAFF REPORT
2/29/2008

FERNLEY--Attorney Robert Hager on behalf of his over 100 clients, who are Fernley flood victims, filed a temporary restraining order/mandatory injunction against the City of Fernley and Lyon County.

The order asks that the city and county clean the streets and yards of debris as a result of flooding that occurred on Jan. 5.

Attorney Treva Hearne, of Hager and Hearne law firm, argued as the city streets become drier the areas that have been contaminated with the debris will become airborne.

She said, "We want a restraining order before the court as quickly as possible to clean up the dirt, mud and silt in the streets in Fernley. It's for everyone in Fernley. You don't want to wait until the stuff is airborne."

To view entire article, please visit website.

DDT found in Sierra lakes

lynellg — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:23:41 -0800

Long-banned pesticide surfaces in Sequoia park.
By Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee
02/27/08

Sequoia National Park officials are warning rangers and hikers that fish in two popular high Sierra lakes are dangerously contaminated by DDT, a pesticide Valley farmers gave up more than a generation ago.

The danger was reported this week in the results of a six-year federal study of air contaminants in 20 national parks from Denali in Alaska to Big Bend in Texas.

Researchers found 70 wind-borne contaminants, including mercury, in some of the more remote wilderness locations on Earth.

"National parks are often considered pristine," said Sequoia spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet. "But national parks are not immune to pollution from hundreds or even thousands of miles away."

To view entire article, please visit website below.

DROUGHT WATCH 2008 - LONG TERM SOLUTIONS

lynellg — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:11:02 -0800

Join us for the First in a Four-Part Series of Informative Workshops on
Recycled Water
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - NO ADMISSION FEE
WORKSHOP #1 “SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS”

DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 2008
TIME: 8:30 A.M.

Panel Discussion will explore recycled water “Risks and Technology” issues. What are the key potential health risks? Can the treatment process ensure adequate removal of pathogens to safe drinking water standards? Addressing social issues and concerns.

For more info please visit website below.

Natural drainage a solution to Carson River pollution

lynellg — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:11:20 -0800

Susie Vasquez, The Record-Courier
February 19, 2008

Depending on the day and the amount of water flowing, the Carson River carries between 36 and 68 percent more phosphorus than it should, just one of the pollutants identified in the river.

The river has been placed on the list of impaired or threatened water bodies in Nevada and phosphorus levels are being monitored, but no real progress has been made with respect to cleanup, according to Susan Donaldson, water quality education specialist for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Phosphorus comes from fertilizers and waste, but the primary culprit in Carson Valley is the disturbance of soils, she said.

"Phosphorus binds to soil particles and is released when the soil is disturbed," she said. "We need to stabilized the soil here, but we're not doing a good job of it."

To view entire article, visit website.

Truckee River TMDL case study (historical document, 1994)

lynellg — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:09:53 -0800

EPA TMDL Case Study, EPA 841-F-94-006, August 1994, Number 13

Documentation of original load allocations of N, P, and TDS as well as one wasteload allocation in the watershed.

Please visit website for information.

USGS Nevada Water Science Center Water-Resources Data — Surface Water

lynellg — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:39:29 -0800

NV Statewide water-resources data published herein for the 2004 water year comprise the following records:
Water discharge for 182 gaging stations on streams, canals, and drains.
Discharge data for 95 partial record stations and miscellaneous sites, and 16 springs.
Stage and contents for 21 ponds, lakes and reservoirs.
Water levels for 19 continuous observation wells, and 889 periodic observation wells.
Water-quality data for 114 stream, canal, spring and drain sites and 138 wells.
Precipitation totals for 39 stations.
Water withdrawals for 11 wells.

To view maps of collection sites, and data view website below.

Pasture wetlands help filter runoff

lynellg — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:40:50 -0800

Source: Visalia Times-Delta
January 29, 2008

What a relief! Researchers at the University of California have found that wetlands have some benefits for the farmers and ranchers on whose land they reside.

The finding comes after two decades of incessant drumming by environmentalists claiming that something good can come from the bogs and swamps that dot the land. Endless regulations to protect and preserve them have been developed, particularly at the federal level. Even with the stimulating news that the overgrown puddles provide more than shelter for weeds, frogs, salamanders, mosquitoes, algae and several other insects and assorted wildlife many farmers with unsightly year-around mud holes are still likely to think of them as unproductive nuisances.

But the researchers have found that levels of E. coli, for example, in streams draining some of California's range country are reduced by an average of 74 percent when they run through a wetland. In other words, the bacteria level of water draining out of a wetland is lower than it is in the stream that feeds it. Before encountering the wetland a typical stream is likely to pick up any number of bacteria from cattle, wild animal and bird feces or other sources along its meandering way.

To view entire article, please visit website.

County joins effort to protect watersheds

lynellg — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:24:17 -0800

SUSAN VOYLES, RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 1/16/2008

A comprehensive approach to manage watersheds to improve water quality in the Truckee River was endorsed Tuesday by the Washoe County Commission.

The county would join Reno, Sparks and other agencies to reduce pollutants, sediments and salts from entering storm drains, creeks and other waterways before entering the river. It's one way to improve the river aquatics, Pyramid Lake and avoid more than $100 million in upgrades for additional nitrogen removal at the Reno-Sparks sewer plant.

A model and regulations to oversee the watershed cleanup are being researched by California State University in a "white paper" for Reno, said Rosemary Menard, county water resources director.

For entire article, please visit website below.

AWWA Slates Events For Early 2008: Inorganic Contaminants Workshop, Nutrient Pollution Analysis, and Sustainable Water Sources

lynellg — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:58:48 -0800

1/7/2008

Inorganic Contaminants Workshop
Jan. 27–29, 2008, Albuquerque, N.M.

This biannual workshop draws more than 200 scientists and engineers to examine the latest in research, treatment technologies, and analytical methods for inorganic contaminants.

After a review of inorganics research by the Awwa Research Foundation and the regulatory climate, the opening session of the Inorganic Contaminants Workshop examines chromium treatment with anion exchange, arsenic removal by adsorption, and contamination from lead pipe scaling.
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Sustainable Water Sources: Conservation and Resource Planning

Feb. 10–13, 2008, Reno, Nev.

This biennial conference combining related programs on water conservation and water resources management will focus on the effects of climate change on sustainable water sources.

The Sustainable Water Sources Conference & Exposition begins with three optional workshops?a full-day workshop on protecting source waters from large-scale changes in vegetation and two half-day workshops, one for new conservation professionals and another on cost–benefit analysis for conservation programs.

The opening session on Monday, February 11, brings two high-powered speakers on the issue of climate change to the podium: Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security, and David Yates from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. After their presentations, the audience will be invited to share in an open discussion.

For more information on workshops, conferences, and speakers, please visit website.