What's New?
Quick Links:
Information and Technical Assistance Providers
Publications
Model Ordinances
Misc. Tools and Resources
| Information and Technical
Assistance Providers |
 |
Clean Water Network
An alliance of over 1000 organizations that endorse the National
Agenda for Clean Water. which outlines the need for strong clean
water safeguards in order to protect public health and the environment.
http://www.cwn.org/
EPA Urban Watershed Management Branch
Researches, develops, and demonstrates technologies, systems,
and methods required to manage the risks to public health, property,
and the environment from wet weather flows and to renew decaying
urban infrastructure. Offers a variety of technical tools and
resources.
http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/
Joint Center for Sustainable Communities
Provides a forum for cities and counties to work together to
develop long- term policies and programs that will lead to job
growth, environmental stewardship and social well being -- the
three pillars of sustainable communities.
http://www.naco.org/programs/comm_dev/center/index.cfm
Kansas Rural Center
http://www.kansasruralcenter.org
KDHE Stormwater Program
Provides information for communities and construction sites regulated
under Phases I and II of the NPDES stormwater management regulations.
http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/stormwater/index.html
Smart Growth America
A nationwide coalition promoting a better way to grow; one that
protects farmland and open space, revitalizes neighborhoods,
keeps housing affordable, and makes communities more livable.
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
Stormwater Manager's Resource Center
Designed specifically for stormwater practitioners, local government
officials, and others that need technical assistance on stormwater
management issues.
http://www.stormwatercenter.net
USGS Drinking Water Programs
Lists 217 drinking-water related USGS projects in all states
and territories, including source-water assessment projects in
27 states. Also lists on-line publications, and an on-line guide
to source-water assessment.
http://water.usgs.gov/owq/dwi
Water Quality Information Center
Provides electronic access to a broad range of information on
water quality and agriculture.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/
Watershed Management Council
A non-profit educational organization dedicated to the advancement
of the art and science of watershed management.
http://watershed.org/
| Publications |
|
Ahwahnee Principles for Smart Economic Development:
An Implementation Guidebook
Helps communities implement a comprehensive set of principles
for building prosperous and livable places.
http://www.lgc.org/bookstore/land_use/publications/econprinciples.html
Best Nonpoint Source Documents
Highlights some of the best nonpoint source materials for both
professionals and the public. Includes resources from government
agencies, nonprofit organizations, and others.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/bestnpsdocs.html
Community Involvement in Drinking Water Source Assessments
A fact sheet that explains the four steps of source water assessments;
how communities can participate in the assessment process; and
how communities can utilize assessment information for source
water protection.
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/factsh4.html
Compendium of Tools for Watershed Assessment and TMDL Development
Discusses three major categories of models: watershed loading,
receiving water, and ecological. Watershed loading models simulate
the generation and movement of pollutants from the source to
discharge into receiving waters. Receiving water models simulate
the movement and transformation of pollutants through lakes,
streams, and rivers. Ecological models simulate plant and animal
communities and their response to pollutants and habitat modification.
http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/tools/choice.htm
Daylighting: New Life for Buried Streams
Describes how local governments across the country have benefited
from "daylighting" streams – deliberately restoring
rivers, creeks, or stormwater drainages that are covered by culverts
or pipes to the open air. Demonstrates the range of daylighting
projects that have been completed; illustrates how some projects
have been designed, facilitated, and funded; and identifies some
of the challenges encountered and lessons learned.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/W-Daylighting.pdf
Drinking Water from Forests and Grasslands:
A Synthesis of the Scientific Literature
Examines how uses of forests and grasslands impact watersheds
and water quality, measuring effects of recreation and the built
environment; vegetation management; grazing animals, birds, and
fish; and mining and oil and gas development.
http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.jsp?index=1866
Drinking Water and Wastewater Handbook for Local Officials
This handbook will help local officials understand legal and
technical requirements for treatment, storage, and distribution
of drinking water and collection, treatment, and discharge of
wastewater.
http://www.mcet.org/spec_project/LOH.htm
From Assessment to Action:
Protecting Small Town and Rural County Public Water Sources
This report assists small town and rural county decision-makers
to understand the potential threats to their drinking water and
to use new resources and funding to protect them.
http://www.naco.org/programs/environ/source.cfm
Grappling with Growth: What to Do When You Want a Strong Economy
and a Great Place to Live
Discusses four Smart Growth strategies — designing expansion
correctly, ensuring that expansion pays its way, restricting
expansion, and building affordable housing — and suggests
that these are incomplete unless linked to efforts to build the
local economy through Natural Capitalism.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/ER-GrapWithGrwth.pdf
Guiding Principles for Constructed Treatment Wetlands:
Providing Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat
Includes guiding principles for siting, design, construction,
operation, maintenance, and monitoring of constructed treatment
wetlands. Also includes information about EPA policies, permits,
regulations, and resources.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/constructed/guide.html
Internet Watershed Educational Tool
Provides a technical and multi-perspective response to local
watershed issues intended to help educate local officials and
other concerned citizens about water resources.
server.age.psu.edu/dept/grads/parson/research/home.htm
Low-Impact Development Design Strategies:
An Integrated Design Approach
Describes a radically different approach to conventional stormwater
management that combines a hydrologically functional site design
with pollution prevention measures to compensate for land development
impacts on hydrology and water quality.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lidnatl.pdf
Low Impact Development Literature Review and Fact Sheets
A summary of the information available regarding the pollutant
removal effectiveness of the most common Low Impact Development
(LID) practices. Also includes four fact sheets that describing
local projects where LID practices were used.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lidlit.html
National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source
Pollution from Agriculture
Contains information on the best available, economically achievable
means of reducing pollution of surface and ground water from
agriculture.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/agmm/index.html
National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source
Pollution from Marinas and Recreational Boating
Provides information on the best available, economically achievable
means of reducing pollution of surface water runoff from marinas
and recreational boating.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/mmsp/index.html
Protecting Drinking Water - County Partnerships That Work
Profiles of counties working through watershed protection partnerships
and agreements to protect their drinking water.
http://www.naco.org/programs/environ/sources/DrinkingWater13.pdf
Rapid Bioassessment Protocols: An Introduction
Reviews methods for assessing the health of streams and watersheds
based on the fish, invertebrates, and plants found in streams.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/rbp/
Recommended Practices Manual:
A Guideline for Maintenance and Service of Unpaved Roads
Describes and illustrates cost effective techniques and practices
that can be used to enhance stability and maintenance of unpaved
roadways while reducing sedimentation and improving the quality
of surface waters.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/unpavedroads.html
Reliable Sources: An EPA Guide to Source Water Information
A summary of available source water protection tools produced
by EPA or under contract to EPA.
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/sources.html
Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers,
and Citizens
Offers alternatives to traditional practices that can be used
both to prevent and repair ecological damage to streams.
http://www.islandpress.org/books/bookdata/reststr.html
Smart Growth Tool Kit
Provides step-by-step instructions to help communities get started
and explains the strategies that have worked in other cities.
Case studies help you make the case for smart growth by providing
concrete examples of successful projects. Also includes a resource
guide, program agendas, and a smart growth presentation.
http://www.uli.org
Source Water Protection - A Guidebook for Local Governments
Provides local officials with background information on the importance
of source water protection, recognizing major pollution sources
to drinking water, source water assessment requirements and source
water protection expectations under the Safe Drinking Water Act,
and how to prevent or minimize threats to water supplies.
http://www.naco.org/programs/environ/source.cfm
Street Storage System for Control of Combined Sewer Surcharge:
Retrofitting Stormwater Storage Into Combined Sewer Systems
A case study approach is used to explain the concept through
construction and operation aspects of street storage systems.
http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/repository/epa-600-r-00-065/index.html
Sustainable Development: Prosperity Without Growth
A discussion of the pitfalls of growth and the elements of the
viable alternative, sustainable development.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/ER-SusDevProWoGrth.pdf
Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating, and Reporting the
Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures - Forestry
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/forestry/index.html
Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating, and Reporting the Implementation
of Nonpoint Source Control Measures – Urban
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urban2.html
Toward Understanding New Watershed Initiatives
Discusses characteristics and concepts of watershed partnerships,
elements for evaluating such partnerships, factors that influence
their success, and lessons learned from past and current partnerships.
http://www.tu.org/library/conservation/watershed.pdf
Urbanization and Streams: Studies of Hydrologic Impacts
Contains summaries and analyses of reports and case studies intended
to provide documentation of problems and sources, as well as
a foundation for further investigation.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urbanize/report.html
Visual Tools for Watershed Education
Focuses on how visual tools such as maps, graphics, models, and
stories can help leaders, teachers, and the media communicate
meaningfully on the concept of watersheds.
http://www.neetf.org/watershedfinal.pdf
Watershed Ecological Risk Assessment Case Studies
http://www.epa.gov/ncea/placebas.htm
Watershed Success Stories: Applying the Principles and Spirit
of the Clean Water Action Plan
The thirty success stories presented in this report demonstrate
how coordinating efforts of federal, state, and local partners
can lead to innovative restoration solutions to address a wide
variety of water quality problems.
http://www.cleanwater.gov/success/
| Model Ordinances |
|
Growing Greener Ordinance Language:
Visually Enhanced Zoning and Subdivision Models
An interactive CD-ROM that provides an enhanced, visually interactive
version of the model zoning and subdivision ordinances that appear
in an appendix to the book "Growing Greener: Putting Conservation
into Local Plans and Ordinances" by Randall Arendt (see
Publications section for more information). Included are more
than 50 commentary images and short video clips that illustrate
the model ordinances and help explain and clarify the available
options. Also included are text files that users can copy and,
working with local land-use attorneys, adapt to fit local conditions
in their communities.
http://www.islandpress.org
| Misc. Tools and Resources |
|
Agricultural Management Practices for Water Quality Protection
This web-based training module introduces eight basic types of
agricultural practices that are suitable for reducing or minimizing
water quality impacts, as part of an overall watershed approach.
http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/agmodule/
Alternative Factor Summaries
Summaries and worksheets that focus on the economy, the community,
and the environment.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/ER-AltFactorSumm.pdf
Compendium of Tools for Watershed Assessment and TMDL Development
Discusses three major categories of models: watershed loading,
receiving water, and ecological. Watershed loading models simulate
the generation and movement of pollutants from the source to
discharge into receiving waters. Receiving water models simulate
the movement and transformation of pollutants through lakes,
streams, and rivers. Ecological models simulate plant and animal
communities and their response to pollutants and habitat modification.
http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/tools/choice.htm
Critical Thinking for Sustainable Community Decision-Making:
A Community Leadership Tool
A simple scoring system for use in facilitated group decision-making.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/ER-CriticalThink.pdf
Introduction to Watershed Planning
A web-based training module that introduces a flexible framework
for watershed planning and points out key factors that help make
planning successful.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/planning/
Project Assessment Worksheet:
A Community Decision Making Tool
A worksheet designed to encourage better-informed decisions and
better project design.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/ER-ProjAsstWksht.pdf
Source Water Awareness Media Tool Kit
Designed to help raise community awareness about drinking water
protection issues. Includes guidelines and sample promotional
materials to help local communities launch a successful media
campaign.
http://lgean.org
Wetland Functions and Values
This web-based training module reviews the extraordinary contributions
that wetlands make to our water quality, economy, recreation,
environmental health, and other areas.
http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/wetlands/
