Regional Challenges, Regional Solutions… -...
Transcript of Regional Challenges, Regional Solutions… -...
Regional Challenges, Regional Solutions…
Implementing a Watershed Approach
National Non Point Source Workshop Roberta Arena Swann
October 31 - November 3, 2016, Boston Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Academia
Business, Industry, Utilities
Fishermen
Place Based Citizen Groups
NGOs
LocalGovernment
StateGovernment
Federal Government
Who is the Mobile Bay National Estuary
Program?
How does the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Management Conference Work?
Water Quality
Access to Water and Open Spaces
Coastlines (Beaches and Other Shorelines)
Fish
Heritage and Culture
Environmental Health and Resilience
Habitat Ecosystem Services Most Stressed Top Stress Impacts Values
Freshwater Wetlands
Nesting for birds and turtles Biodiversity Wildlife, Fisheries
Land Use ChangeFragmentationDredging and Filling
AccessFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality
Intertidal Marshes and Flats
BiodiversityFisheriesWildlifeWater Quality
SedimentSea Level Rise Fragmentation
AccessBeachesFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality
Streams and Rivers (Riparian Buffers)
FishBiodiversityWater QualitySediment
Freshwater dischargeLand Use Change Sediments
AccessFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality
Highest Ranking Habitats, Ecosystem Services and Stresses
Watershed Selection Criteria1. Priority Restoration Watershed
2. Priority Conservation Watershed
3. Priority Freshwater Wetlands
4. Priority Intertidal Marshes and Flats
5. Priority for Acquisition
6. Protected Lands
7. Outstanding Alabama Water
8. Impaired Waters
9. TMDL presence
10. Point Source Discharges (NPDES)
11. Toxic Release Inventory Sites
12. % Urbanization
13. ADEM Water Quality Survey
14. Watershed Management Plan Old
15. Sediment Study complete
16. Watershed Management Plan – Current
17. ADEM Long-term Monitoring Stations
31 Intertidal HUC 12 Watersheds of Coastal Alabama
• Improve water quality
• Improve habitats
• Protect continued customary uses of biological resources
• Improve watershed resiliency
• Expand opportunities for community access
Goals of the watershed planning …
• Build Partnerships- key stakeholders, community input and concerns
• Characterize the Watershed- causes and sources of impairments, identification of data gaps and estimation of pollutant loads (history, access, SLR and storm surge scenarios)
• Set Goals and Identify Solutions % of pollutant load reductions and management measures to achieve goals
• Design Implementation Program- Initial actions, interim milestones, monitoring plan, education program, and costs and financing opportunities
What is in a plan? (EPA’s 9 Key Elements +)
Why? Section 319 Funding (originally)
How watershed plans are informing coastal restoration.
• Intensive community education and engagement
• Identification of restoration and protection opportunities
• Recommendations prioritized on “biggest bang for the buck”
• Tool for local governments in securing resources
• Justification of projects for Funders
• National Flood Insurance Program Discounts through the Community Rating System
$12 million
$2.1 million
$3 million
Where we are today.
ADEM 319: $1million +
Where we are today.
Watershed Plan Actions:Restoration and Conservation
• Streams
• Freshwater wetlands
• Salt marshes
• Shorelines
• Green infrastructure retrofits
• Invasive species management
• Trash management
Watershed Plan Actions:Intergovernmental Cooperation
Consistent Subdivision Regulations
Increased use of LID practices
Intergovernmental cooperation
Improved litter enforcement
Regional Stormwater Management Options
New water use category? “Outstanding Coastal Water”
Watershed Plan Actions:Community Buy-In
• Volunteer WQ monitoring
• Rain barrel workshops
• Litter clean-ups
• Paddle trips
• Watershed signage
Section 319 as a tool for implementation of plans.
The Good• Available funding
The Bad• Limitations on uses
The Ugly• Unrealistic methodologies
Together,
we will
Thank you.