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Issue #138, August 2013

Totten and Eld Inlet Section 319 National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NNPSMP) Project

We continue our highlights of the EPA's National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NNPSMP) projects with the water quality findings and recommendations from the Totten and Eld Inlets project in the southern Puget Sound, Washington State. The project's goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural BMPs (e.g., pasture management, riparian area protection, and management of livestock holding areas) and upgrading failing near-shore on-site sewage systems in reducing fecal coliform (FC). The Totten and Eld Inlets project highlighted the importance of good experimental design in watershed studies. For the single watershed monitoring stations, FC fluctuations were high and land use/BMP tracking inadequate, making it difficult to link water quality to BMPS. However, in the paired watersheds, seasonal and transient weather effects could be factored out and a rapid decrease in FC was observed from the BMPS. This design also quantified how quickly the treatment watershed responded to decreases and then increases in animal numbers, with a corresponding decrease and increase in FC.

University of Wisconsin – Platteville's Pioneer Farm Water Quality and Flow Monitoring

We also highlight the water quality system at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Farm, which was established in 2001 with initial efforts devoted to surface water monitoring and development of a baseline dataset that will be used to evaluate water quality benefits from agricultural BMPs including: grazing management, streambank stabilization, filter strips, manure management, and dairy cow dietary phosphorus management. Low-cost and innovative water quality monitoring approaches and devices have been developed, including a prototype low cost, edge-of-field monitoring gauge that can be deployed even in Wisconsin winters.

Also in this issue: 

• ANNOUNCEMENT: 21st Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference and Workshops: Working Together to Protect and Restore Our Water Resources, Cleveland, Ohio | October 28–30, 2013
• CONFERENCE REPORT The 20th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NNPSMP) Workshop: The Secrets of Success: Making the Most of Available Resources was held on October 14-17, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Webcasts on NPS:
• EPA's Watershed Academy
• State Nutrient Reduction Strategies Web Series-A series of webcast initiated by NRCS and USEPA on State Level Nutrient Reduction Strategies
• Urban BMPs and the Bay TMDL Webcast
• New Clean Water Act Section 319 Guidelines Released
• How Green Infrastructure Saves Municipalities Money
• Guide and Online Module for Developing Effective Watershed Plans
• EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation's River and Stream Miles in Poor Condition
• i-Tree Tool for Assessment and Managing Community Forests
• USGS Phone APP for Stream Gages -WaterNow
• Meeting Calendar

Issue #137, October 2012

• Eagle River Stamp Sand Remediation
  

  Author: Joe Rathbun, Michigan Dept. Envir. Quality
  
  This issue of NWQEP NOTES features two watershed studies. We continue our highlights of the EPA’s National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program Projects (NNPSMP) with the current water quality findings from the Eagle River Stamped Sands project in the Michigan Upper Peninsula. This project is an evaluation of remediation efforts to reduce copper contamination from abandoned copper mine spoils that are of a sandy texture (“stamped sands”). Stream channel relocation away from contaminated mine spoils, wetlands, and stabilizing upland stamped sands with topsoil and native vegetation were all documented to be effective. The project’s monitoring efforts revealed that contaminated local ground water was a major contributor to stream copper contaminations; therefore, stabilization alone is not as effective as moving the stream away from the stamped sands and/or moving the stamp sands away from the stream. 

  Protecting Water Quality in Agricultural Watersheds: Lessons Learned from The National Institute of Food and
  Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)
  
  Authors : D. Osmond(1), D. Meals(2), D. Hoag(3), M. Arabi(3), A. Luloff(4), M.McFarland(5), G. Jennings(1), A. Sharpley(6), J. Spooner(1), and D. Line(1)

  (1) NC State University, (2) Ice.Nine Environmental Consulting, (3) Colorado State University, (4) Penn State University, (5) Texas A&M University, (6) University of Arkansas

  We also highlight Lessons Learned from 13-watershed scale agricultural projects from the USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). Many of these lessons are currently being incorporated into the USDA’s new National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). Lessons learned were similar to those demonstrated from other watershed evaluation programs such as the Rural Clean Water Program (RCWP) in the 1980s and NNPSMP in the 1990s to present. They include: the need to identify and direct conservation efforts in critical pollutant source areas, concurrent monitoring of land treatment/use and water quality for both baseline and treatment periods, careful selection of models and calibration/validation with monitoring data, and the recurrent requirement of economic/social incentives for adoption of conservation practices.

  Also in this issue: 
  
  • USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative
  • EPA Releases Document for Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds
  • EPA’s Web Site for Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data
  • New Data Added to EPA’s Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool
  • EPA Publishes Template for Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
  • EPA Competition Encourages Green Infrastructure on College Campuses
  • 20th Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop: The Secrets of Success: Making the Most of Available Resources, Tulsa, OK, October 14-17, 2012
  • Meeting Calendar

Issue #136, December 2011

• Minimum Detectable Change (MDC)
  Author: Jean Spooner, Biological & Agricultural Engineering Dept, North Carolina State University
  
  This issue of NWQEP NOTES focuses upon Minimum Detectable Change (MDC). The MDC is the minimum change in a pollutant concentration (or load) over a given period of time required to be considered statistically significant. Minimum Detectable Change analysis can answer questions like: "How much change must be measured in a water resource to be considered statistically significant? or "Is the proposed monitoring plan sufficient to detect the change in concentration expected from BMP implementation?"
  
  
• Also in this issue:
  • Conference report on the 19th Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NNPSMP) Workshop held September 25-28, 2011 in Philadelphia.
  • USDA NRCS Revises National 590 Nutrient Management Standard
  • USDA NRCS Initiative on Drainage Water
  • Ag NPS Regulations (web resources)
  • USEPA Healthy Watersheds Initiative
  • USEPA Biological Assessment Primer
  • USGS Cooperative Water Program (revised web site)
  • USGS Study Show No Consistent Declines in Nitrate Levels in Large Rivers in the Mississippi River Basin
  • New Online Management Tool to Help Guide Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries
  • Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy, Report Released
  • 20th National NPS Monitoring Workshop Monitoring – The Secrets of Success: Making the Most of Available Resources. October 14-17, 2012, Tulsa Oklahoma
  • Meeting Calendar

Issue #135, November 2011

• Statistical Analysis for Monotonic Trends
  Author: Don Meals, Tetra Tech, Inc.
  
  This issue of NWQEP NOTES focuses upon evaluating water quality data for steadily increasing or decreasing trends over a long period of time.  Such analyses are useful for identifying gradual changes that may be due to incremental implementation of BMPs.  Because some of an observed trend may be due to changes in hydrologic or climatic conditions, it is generally necessary to examine water quality data trends with adjustment for these changes.  Adjustment for such explanatory variables as season, streamflow, and precipitation helps isolate water quality trends that may be due to changes in land management.
  
  The parametric and nonparametric statistical tests discussed in this issue are best applicable to long-term water quality data from a single, fixed station such as those found at a watershed outlet or on a lake.  Long-term data sets would be necessary to determine if the changes remain consistent over multiple years.
  
  In order to examine the relationship between long-term trends and changes in land management, it is necessary to track on an annual basis quantitative changes in land use and management over the same period of time.
  
  
• Also in this issue:
  • 20th National NPS Monitoring Workshop Monitoring – The Secrets of Success: Making the Most of Available Resources. October 14-17, 2012, Tulsa Oklahoma.
  • Conference report on the 19th Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NNPSMP) Workshop held September 25-28, 2011 in Philadelphia.
  • USGS Study Documents Declines in Aquatic Life at Early Stages of Urban Development
  • Free LID/BMP Tool for Stormwater Managers
  • USEPA Release of Updated Strategy on Green Infrastructure
  • Incorporating Impervious Cover into Water Quality Plans
  • Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox Upgrade Released
  • Meeting Calendar

Issue #134, September 2010

• Villanova University Stormwater Best Management Practice National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program Project
  by Robert G. Traver, Director, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Villanova University

• Also in this issue:
  • USGS Releases WaterAlert
  • EPA Releases Handbook for CleanWater Act Section 319 Tribal Program
  • Catch the Rain! Rainwater Harvesting Activities
  • EPA Releases New Video on Low Impact Development
  • New USGS Study of Urban Developmenton Stream Ecosystem Health
  • USGS Study Examines Mercury Trends in Fish from Rivers and Lakes
  • Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Cropland Report Release by USDA for Upper Mississippi River Basin
  • Putting Smart Growth to Workin Rural Communities (ICMA report)
  • Army Corps of Engineers LaunchesWebsite on Water & Climate Change
  • 18th National NPS Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 16-18, 2010
  • Meeting Announcements

Issue #133, April 2010

• Waukegan River Illinois National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program Project
  by William P. White, John Beardsley, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State Water Survey, Center for Watershed Science, Peoria, IL
  and Scott Tomkins, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control, Springfield, IL

• Also in this issue:
  • EPA Releases First-Ever Baseline Study of U.S. Lakes
  • EPA Study Reveals Widespread Contamination of Fish in U.S. Lakes and Reservoirs
  • Search EPA’s Section 319 Nonpoint Source Grants Database
  • EPA Launches TMDL Program Results Analysis Web Site
  • EPA Launches “TMDLs at Work” Web Site
  • Center for Watershed Protection Updates National Pollutant Removal Performance Database
  • EPA Releases Guidance to Help Federal Facilities Better Manage Stormwater
  • Call for Papers for the 18th National NPS Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 16-18, 2010
  • Meeting Announcements

Issue #132, September 2009

• Abandoned Mine Drainage in the Swatara Creek Basin: Streamwater Quality Trends Coinciding with the Return of Fish
  by Charles A. Cravotta III USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center

• Also in this issue:
  • New Report: Decentralized Stormwater Controls for Urban Retrofit and CSO Reduction
  • New BMP and LID Whole Life Cost Tools

Issue #131, March 2009

• The Use of Aquatic Insects to Assess the Effectiveness of Stream Restoration in North Carolina
  by Dave Penrose, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Dept, NCSU, Raleigh, NC

• Also in this issue:
  • New Quality Growth Report Released from Southeast Watershed Forum
  • New EPA Educational Stormwater/LID Video
  • New Quality Growth Report Released from Southeast Watershed Forum
  • New EPA Website for Watershed Managers

Issue #130, December 2008

• Stroud Preserve, PA National Monitoring Program Project: Water Quality Functions of a 15-year-old Riparian Forest Buffer System
  by J. Denis Newbold, Susan Herbert, Bernard W. Sweeney, Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, PA
  and Paul Kiry, Patrick Center for Environmental Research at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA

• Also in this issue:
  • LID Center Releases Green Highways and Green Streets Website
  • EPA Releases Climate Strategy for Water
  • New Manual for Stormwater BMPs using Trees and Structural Soils in Highly Paved Areas
  • EPA Publishes Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Issue #129, September 2008

• Lake Pittsfield: Illinois National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program Project
  by William P. White, John Beardsley, and Denise Devotta, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State Water Survey, Center for Watershed Science, Peoria, IL
  and Scott Tomkins, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control, Springfield, IL

Issue #128, June 2008

• Surface Water Flow Meaasurements for Water Quality Monitoring Projects
  by Don Meals and Steve Dressing, Tetra Tech, Inc.

• Also in this issue:
  • Action Plan to Reduce Nutrients to Mississippi River from 31 States Released
  • New EPA Water Quality Web Site -“ATTAINS” - Released
  • New WEF Website on Sustainable Stormwater Best Management Practices
  • University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center 2007 Annual Report The University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center

Issue #127, March 2008

• Getting the Most From Volunteer Monitoring
  by Steven A. Dressing, Tetra Tech, Inc.

• Also in this issue:
  • Center For Watershed Protection Releases Two Manuals of the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series for Free Download
  • New EPA Report on Reducing Costs by Using Low Impact Development Practices
  • New Ranking Procedure from Irish Environmental Protection Agency to identify phosphorus loss potential from grassland agriculture

Issue #126, December 2007

• Nutrient Load Reductions and Streambank Stabilization in Oklahoma's Peacheater Creek Watershed: Successful Implementation of Agricultural BMPs
  by Shanon Phillips, Brooks Tramell, and Stacey Day, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Water Quality Division, Oklahoma City, OK

Issue #125, August 2007

• New York City Watershed: An Eleven-Year Study of the Effectiveness of Agricultural BMPs in Reducing Farm Pollutant Losses
  by Patricia L. Bishop, Jeff L. Lojpersberger, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY
  and Michael R. Rafferty, Water Resources Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Issue #124, March 2007

• The Effect of Urban Stormwater BMPs on Runoff Temperature in Trout Sensitive Waters
  by Matthew Jones, EI and Bill Hunt, PhD, PE, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #123, December 2006

• Stream Restoration and Fish in Oregon's Upper Grand Ronde River System
  by Larry Whitney and Rick Hafele Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland, OR

Issue #122, August 2006

• Lag Time in Water Quality Response to Land Treatment
  by Don Meals and Steve Dressing, TetraTech, Inc.

Issue #121, May 2006

• Walnut Creek, Iowa: The Effects of Land Use Change on Stream Nitrate Concentrations
  by Keith E. Schilling, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  and Jean Spooner, NCSU Water Quality Group, Department of Biological& Agricultural Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #120, February 2006

• Jordan Cove Urban Watershed Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
  by John C. Clausen, Chet Arnold, John Alexopoulos, Karl Guillard, Mary Hull, John Engdahl, Robert Phillips, Michael Dietz, Jennifer Gilbert, Mark Hood, Erik
  Bedan, 1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
  Mel Cote, Environmental Protection Agency
  Bruce Morton, Aquasolutions
  Eric Thomas, Stan Zaremba, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
  Tom Wagner, Town of Waterford
  Don Gerwick, Gerwick Engineering

Issue #119, November 2005

• NC State University Permeable Pavement Research: Water Quality, Water Quantity, and Clogging
  by Eban Z. Bean and William F. Hunt, Ph.D., PE, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #118, August 2005

• Pequea and Mill Creek Watersheds Section 319 NMP Project: Effects of Streambank Fencing on Surface-water Quality
  by Daniel G. Galeone, U.S. Geological Survey

Issue #117, May 2005

• Methods to Reduce Indicator Bacteria Levels in Agricultural Runoff in the Lake Champlain Basin
  by Donald W. Meals, Ice.Nine Environmental Consulting, Burlington, VT
  and David C. Braun, Stone Environmental, Inc., Montpelier, VT

Issue #116, February 2005

• Using Nature's Plumbing to Restore Aquatic Ecosystem: The City of Seattle's Natural Drainage System
  by James N. Levitt and Lydia K. Bergen, Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest, Harvard University
  and Laura Lombardo Szpir, NCSU Water Quality Group

Issue #115, November 2004

• Villanova University Stormwater Best Management Practice Research
  by Robert G. Traver, Ph.D., PE, Director, Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Issue #114, August 2004

• Greenroof Research of Stormwater Runoff Quantity and Quality in North Carolina
  by Amy Moran, Bill Hunt, and Greg Jennings, Biological and Agricultural Dept., NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #113, May 2004

• The Sny Magill Watershed National Monitoring Program: A Ten-Year Study on Best Management Practices
  and Their Effects on Water Quality
  by Chad L. Fields, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey

Issue #112, February 2004

• New Thinking in an Old City: Philadelphia's Movement Towards Low-Impact Development
  by Glen J. Abrams, AICP, Philadelphia Water Department

Issue #111, November 2003

• The Morro Bay National Monitoring Program: A Ten-Year Study of Rangeland BMPs
  by Katie McNeill, Karen Worcester, David Paradies, and John H. Davis IV, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, CA
  Dr. Lynn Moody, Dr. Brian Dietterick, Dr. Brent Hallock, and Dr. Jon Beckett, California Polytechnic State University, CA

Issue #110, August 2003

• Water Quality Improvements Resulting from Implementation of Best Management Practices
  in the Lightwood Knot Creek Watershed, South Alabama
  by Marlon Cook and Pat O’Neil, Water Investigations Program, Geological Survey of Alabama

Issue #109, May 2003

• Bioretention Use and Research in North Carolina and other Mid-Atlantic States
  by Bill Hunt, Biological and Agricultural Dept., NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #108, February 2003

• Invasive Exotic Vegetation - An Important Consideration of Ecological Restoration Projects
  by Karen Hall, Biological and Agricultural Dept., NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #107, November 2002

• Whitewater River Watershed (Minnesota) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
  by Greg Johnson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
  Princesa Van Buren, Univ. of Minnesota, Dept. of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
  Neal Mundahl, Winona State University, Biology Department
  Laura Lombardo, NCSU Water Quality Group, Biological and Agricultural Dept., NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #106, August 2002

• Changes in Herbicide Use and Occurence in Iowa
  by Mary P. Skopek, Ph.D., Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey, Water Monitoring Section

Issue #105, May 2002

• Changing Land Use Decision Making One Town at a Time: The NEMO Project at the Ten Year Mark
  by Laurie A. Giannotti and Chester L. Arnold, University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System

Issue #104, February 2002

• Long Creek Watershed Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project: Changes in Land Use/Management and Water Quality
  by Daniel E. Line and Laura A. Lombardo, NCSU Water Quality Group, Dept. of Biological & Agricultural, Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Issue #103, November 2001

• Lake Champlain Basin Agricultural Watersheds Section 319 NMP Project: Measuring Success
  by Donald W. Meals, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission/
  Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Issue #102, August 2001

• Urban Stream Restoration Using a Natural Channel Design Approach
  by Barbara Doll, Jan Patteraon, Greg Jennings, and Carolyn Buckner, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  

Issue #101, May 2001

• Permeable Pavement Use and Research at Hannibal Parking Lot in Kinston, NC
  by Bill Hunt, PE, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  Scott Stevens, PE, City Engineer, Kinston, NC
  

Issue #100, February 2001

• Planning for Success in North Carolina's Watersheds: Watershed Education for Communities and Local Officials (WECO)
  by Christy Perrin, Dept Agricutlural and Resource Economics, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • The stakeholder process is gaining popularity with watershed planning, particularly in addressing nonpoint source pollution. This issue features a program at North Carolina State University charged with convening stakeholders in particular watersheds and facilitating 1) the identification fo water quality issues, 2) recommendations for addressing those issues, and 3) implementation of recommended solutions.

Issue #99, November 2000

• Stone Mountain State park Stream Restoration Project on the East Prong Roaring River
  by Dani Wise-Frederick and Laura Lombardo, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • This issue features a stream restoration project using natural channel design to reduce bank erosion and improve aquatic life. This project is one of the largest of its kind in North Carolina and will be used as a demonstration site to educate professionals and the public on how to restore a stream to a healthy, naturally stable state.

Issue #98, August 2000

• GIS Tools to help Manage Dynamic Urban Watersheds
  by Scott D. Bryant, PE, City of Greensboro Stormwater, Greensboro, NC
  Kenneth A. Carper, PE, Dewberry & Davis, Raleigh, NC
  John Nicholson, PhD, Spatial Solutions, Fort Collins, CO
  
  • This issues features the efforts of one local government to develop and implement a proactive, holistic urban stormwater and watershed management program, incorporating GIS technology. The GIS-based modeling tool will lead to improved decision making by enabling users to evaluate the impacts of alternative land use on stormwater runoff quality and quantity, stream stability and flooding, as well as evaluate alternative mitigation measures.

Issue #97, May 2000

• Stroud Preserve (Pennsylvania) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
  by Dennis Newbold, Stroud Water Research Center, PA
  Dan Line and Laura Lombardo, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • This issue features a Section 319 National Monitoring Program in Pennsylvania, which is evaluating the effectiveness of riparian reforestation to reduce nutrient and sediment loadings from crop production. Results from the project will be used to establish specific guidelines for planting and managing forest buffer zones in the mid-Atlantic region of the United states.

Issue #96, December 1999

• Swatara Creek Watershed (Pennsylvania) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
  by Charlse Cravotta, U.S. Geological Survey, Lemoyne, PA
  Kevin Tweedy and Laura Lombardo, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • In this issue, the feature article describes one of two projects in Pennsylvania which recently were accepted to EPA's Section 319 National Monitoring Program (NMP). NMP projects typically focus on nutrient and sediment impacts associated with agricultural or urban land uses. The Swatara Creek project is unique in its focus on mining and coal mine drainage, which impaired surface and ground waters through acidity, sulfate and metals contamination. Innovative passive limestone treatment systems are being implemented and evaluated.

Issue #95, July 1999

• Detecting Water Quality Improvements as BMP Effectiveness Changes Over Time: Use of SAS for Trend Analysis
  by Garry L. Grabow, Jean Spooner, Laura A. Lombardo, and Daniel E. Line, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • The third in the Instruction Exchange series, this month's PROJECT SPOTLIGHT continues the discussion on methods and applications for analyzing water quality data from nonpoint source pollution projects. This issue illustrates a statistical method for a gradual change in water quality for the case of BMPs that reach their maximum level of establishment over time. A reader survey is also included in this issue.

Issue #94, March 1999

• Includes an index of all articles published in NWQEP NOTES during 1998.

Issue #93, January 1999

• Detecting Water Quality Changes Before and After BMP Implementation: Use of SAS for Statistical Analysis
  by Garry L. Grabow, Jean Spooner, Laura A. Lombardo, and Daniel E. Line, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
• The second in the series, this month's PROJECT SPOTLIGHT continues the discussion on methods and applications for analyzing water quality data from nonpoint source pollution projects. Whereas last month's issue focused on detecting change using a spreadsheet, this issue addresses the potential advantage from using a statistical package.

Issue #92, November 1998

• Detecting Water Quality Changes Before and After BMP Implementation: Use of Spreadsheet for Statistical Analysis
  by Garry L. Grabow, Jean Spooner, Laura A. Lombardo, and Daniel E. Line, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
• The PROJECT SPOTLIGHT this month describes how to use the tools available in a  spreadsheet for determining statistical significance of water quality changes due to land treatment.

Issue #91, September 1998

• This month's PROJECT SPOTLIGHT, "Designing for Water Quality: NCSU School of Design Builds Upon a Tradition of Community Service to Help Watersheds," addresses water quality issues associated with construction of new urban developments.

Issue #90, July 1998

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Integrative Study Links Gypsy Moth Defoliation, Nitrogen Leakage and Surface Water Quality in Mid-Atlantic Region
• INFORMATION
  • New National Water Quality Inventory is Available
  • Backyard Conservation Campaign
• WWW RESOURCES
•  National Library for the Environment
  • Funding Resources

Issue #89, May 1998

• WWW RESOURCES
  • Volunteer Water Monitoring
  • USDA Water Quality Demo Projects
  • Electronic Bibliographies
• INFORMATION
  • Watershed Training Opportunities

Issue #88, March 1998

• POLICY NOTES
  • Whole Farm Planning
• INFORMATION
  • Watershed Project Symposium Proceedings
  • Section 319 Success Stories: Volume II
  • Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators
  • Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Stormwater (video)
  • Farms & Urban Development (video)
• WWW RESOURCES
  • Enforceable State Mechanisms for the Control of Nonpoint Source Water Pollution
  • Water Quality: A Report To Congress
  • EPA's NRMRL Wet Weather Flow Home Page
  • Clean Water Action Plan
  • SPLASH!

Issue #87, January 1998

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • New York City Watershed (New York) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• WWW RESOURCES
  • Agricultural & Silvicultural Water Conservation Program Launches Newsletter & Web Site
  • Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) 2.0
  • EPA Publications Available on the Web
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #86, November 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Waukegan River (Illinois) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
  • WATERSHEDSS Grass-AGNPS Model Tool
  • America's Private Land: A Geography of Hope
  • Nonpoint Source Pollution Information/Education Programs Conference Proceedings
  • Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection
  • Tracking, Evaluating, and Reporting Nonpoint Source Control Measures
  • Determining the Effectiveness of Nonpoint Source Controls
  • Watershed Protection: Clean Lakes Case Study
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #85, September 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Lightwood Knot Creek(Alabama) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
  • 1996 Nonpoint Source Literature Review
  • Water Quality of Firest Flush Runoff from 20 Industrial Sites
  • Linear Regression for Nonpoint Source Pollution Analyses Fact Sheet
  • Buffer Zones: Their Processes and Potential in Water Protection
  • Building and Using the Model Stream Table
  • Natures Way: Best Management Practices in the Control of Diffuse Pollution (video)
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #84, July 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Bad River (South Dakota) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
  • Section 319 National Monitoring Program: An Overview
    Fourth National Nonpoint Source Watershed Projects Workshop: Summaries of Presentations

    Special Announcement

• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
  • Urban BMPs in the Long Creek Watershed
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #83, May 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Upper Grande Ronde Basin (Oregon) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
  • Livestock Waste Management in North Carolina: Challenges and Opportunities
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #82, March 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Jordan Cove (Connecticut) Urban Watershed Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
  • Comparison of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Samples Collected Using Different Field Methods

    The Water-Wise Gardener Handbook

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #81, January 1997

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Walnut Creek (Iowa) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
  • Systems of Best Management Practices for Controlling Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution
• INFORMATION
  • Information and Education Guidebook
    National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) Fact Sheets
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #80, November 1996

• SPECIAL NOTE
• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Assessment of Progress of USDA Water Quality Projects
• INFORMATION
  • USEPA Publications
    Merrimack River Initiative
    Colorado BMPs for Agriculture
    Nutrients in the Nation's Water
    Watershed Source Book
    Innovative Planning and Design Strategies to Protect Urban Watersheds
    Water Quality: A Catalog of Related federal Programs
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #79, September 1996

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
  • Massachusetts Bays Program
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Dutch Yardsticks: A New Approach to Nutrient Management
• INFORMATION
  • South Dakota Rural Clean Water Program Project Publications
    1995 Nonpoint Source Literature Review
    National Water Quality Inventory: 1994 Report to Congress
    USDA Great Swamp HUA Project Final Reports
    Land-Use Inventory for Nonpoint Source Evaluation Monitoring
    • Watersheds in Wisconsin

    Buffer Strip Design, Establishment, and Maintenance
    Notice to Users of ISCO Model 3230 Flow Meters
    Position Paper on the Clean Water Act

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #78, July 1996

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  Peacheater Creek (Oklahoma) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
  • Monitoring Land Treatment in Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Projects: The Rural Clean Water Program Experience
• INFORMATION
  • Nutrient Management Publications
    Water Quality Videos from Cornell University
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #77, May 1996

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Evaluating Barnyard BMPs in Wisconsin Using Upstream-Downstream Monitoring
• INFORMATION
  • Third National Nonpoint Source Watershed Monitoring Workshop Proceedings

    Video on Pollution from Urban and Rural Runoff
    Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Basin (NC/VA) NAWQA Program

    • Publications

    Clean Lakes Case Studies
    Pastures for Profit: A Guide to Rotational Grazing
    Watershed Planning Handbook
    Best Management Practices for Wheat

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #76, March 1996

• TECHNICAL NOTE
  • Nutrients In Ground Water And Surface Water of the United States
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #75, January 1996

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • WATERSHEDSS: A Watershed-Scale Decision Support System For Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution
• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
  • The Water Wise Gardener Program: Lessons Learned About Public Education on Water Quality
• INFORMATION
  • Nutrients in Ground Water and Surface Water of the United States
    Integrating a Herbaceous Wetland into Stormwater Management
    Riparian Restoration and Streamside Erosion Control Handbook
    State Regulation of Pesticides
    Farm*A*System Progress Report 1991-1994
    Fundamentals of Urban Runoff Management
• SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
  • Designing and Implementing a Forestry Best Management Practices Effectiveness Monitoring Program
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #74, November 1995

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
  • Lake Champlain Basin Watersheds (Vermont) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
  • Critical Areas in Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Projects: The Rural Clean Water Program Experience
• INFORMATION
  • Bridging Food Production and Environmental Protection in Developing Countries

    CROPS: A Knowledge- and GIS-Based Software System for Farm-Level

    • Planning and Implementation
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #73, September 1995

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Totten and Eld Inlet (Washington) Section 319 National Monitoring
    • Program Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Planning and Managing a Successful Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
    • Project
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #72, July 1995

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Cost-Effectiveness of Agricultural BMPs for Nutrient Reduction in the
    • Tar-Pamlico River Basin
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Identifying and Documenting a Water Quality Problem
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Section 319 National Monitoring Program Brochure
    Fact Sheets on Lessons Learned from the Rural Clean Water Program
    Monitoring Protocols to Assess Trout Spawning Habitat
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #71, May 1995

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Oak Creek Canyon (Arizona) Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    • Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Linking Water Quality Trends with Land Treatment Trends
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Section 319 Nation Monitoring Program Projects: 1994 Summary
    • Report
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #70, March 1995

• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • The Role and Function of Forest Buffers for Nonpoint Source
    • Management in the Chesapeake Bay Basin
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Lake Pittsfield (Illinois) Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    • Project
• SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
•  
  • Third National Nonpoint Watersource Projects Workshop
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Post-Audit Verification of the Model AGNPS in Vermont Agricultural
    • Watersheds
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #69, January 1995

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Pesticide Management Area for Surface Water Protection in Northeast
    • Kansas
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Otter Creek (Wisconsin) Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    • Project
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #68, November 1994

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Warner Creek Watershed (Maryland) Section 319 Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • 1993 Nonpoint Source Literature Review
    National Nutrient Management Conference Proceedings
    50 Ways Farmers Can Protect Their Ground Water
    National Water Quality Inventory: 1992 Report to Congress
    Watershed Protection Techniques: A Quarterly Bulletin on Urban
    • Watershed Restoration and Protection Tools

    A Current Assessment of Urban Best Management Practices: Techniques

    • for Reducing Non-Point Source Pollution in the Coastal Zone

    Watershed '93 Conference Proceedings
    Forestry BMP Effectiveness Evaluation Workshops Held
    North Carolina Lake Management Society Formed
    On-Line Environmental Forums

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #67, September 1994

• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
•  
  • The Use of Geographic Information System Images as a Tool to Educate
    • Local Officials About the Land Use - Water Quality Connection
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Point-Nonpoint Source Trading for Managing Agricultural Pollutant
    • Loadings: Prospects for Coastal Watersheds

    Ground Water Protection Strategies
    Technical Workshop on Sediments - Proceedings
    Michigan Extension Publications
    Urban Targeting and BMP Selection

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #66, July 1994

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Massachusetts Implements Clean Water Strategy
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • RCWP Expert: A Knowledge- and GIS-Based Software System for
    • Site-Specific Recommendation of Water Quality Control
      Practices
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #65, May 1994

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • North Carolina's Nonpoint Source Pollution Program for Forestry
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Pequea and Mill Creek (Pennsylvania) Watershed Section 319 National
    • Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Summary of Current State Nonpoint Source Control Practices for
    • Forestry

    Watershed Protection: Catalog of Federal Programs
    Paired Watershed Study Design Fact Sheet
    Groundwater Primer
    Water Quality Effects and Nonpoint Source Control for Forestry:

    • An Annotated Bibliography

    Guide to Federal Water Quality Programs and Information
    Groundwater Protection and Management in Pennsylvania

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #64, March 1994

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Interim Evaluation of USDA Water Quality Projects
    Pennsylvania's Nutrient Management Act
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Citizen's Guide to Watershed Protection
    Stormwater Research Publications
    Managing Wastewater in Coastal Urban Areas
    National Water Summary 1990-91: Hydrologic Events and Stream
    • Water Quality
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #63, January 1994

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Morro Bay Watershed (California) Section 319 National Monitoring
    • Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • 1993 Summary Report: Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    • Projects

    Rural Clean Water Program Evaluation Reports
    Sustainable Agriculture Directory of Expertise

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #62, November 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Nonpoint Source Watershed Project Workshop: Working Toward
    • Measurable Success
• PROJECT SPOTLIGH
•  
  • Sycamore Creek Watershed (Michigan) Section 319 National Monitoring
    • Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • 1992 Nonpoint Source Literature Review
    State and Local Funding of Nonpoint Source Control Programs
    USDA Water Quality Progress Report
    Stormwater Wetland Construction Guide Published
    Soil and Water Quality: An Agenda for Agriculture
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #61, September 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • National Water-Quality Assessment Program Underway at
    • U.S. Geological Survey
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Snake River Plain (Idaho) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • New ACP Cost Share Practice Approved by USDA - ASCS
    Updated Annotated Bibliography of Nonpoint Source Literature
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #60, July 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Special Protection Areas Address Concerns About Nebraska's Ground
    • Water Resources
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Elm Creek Watershed (Nebraska) Section 319 National Monitoring
    • Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Riparian Forest Buffers
    Evaluation of the Experimental Rural Clean Water Program
    National Nonpoint Source Federation
    Watershed Protection Approach
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #59, May 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEW
•  
  • State Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs to be Developed
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Long Creek (North Carolina) Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    Protecting Coastal and Wetland Resources: A Guide for Local
    • Governments

    The Rural Clean Water Program: Protecting America's Water Resources
    Water Quality Videotapes for Young People
    Herbicides and Water Quality Videotape

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #58, March 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Evaluation of the Experimental Rural Clean Water Program
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Sny Magill Watershed (Iowa) Section 319 National Monitoring Program
    • Project
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Lake Management Videotape
    Simple Ways to Save the Bay
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #57, January 1993

• NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • 1994 Water Quality Incentive Projects
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • State-Wide Mapping of Ground Water Vulnerability in Wyoming
• INFORMATION
•  
  • First Annual Workshop of the Alberta Lake Management Society:
    • Protecting and Enhancing Your Lake

    Spring Management and Protection
    Suggestions for State and Local Groundwater Protection Programs
    Lake Liming Guidelines Publication

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #56, November 1992

• RCWP NEWS
•  
  • National Rural Clean Water Program Symposium
    Rural Clean Water Program Publications
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Developing an Integrated Approach to Watershed Management in the
    • Albemarle-Pamlico Watershed, North Carolina
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Review of 1991 Nonpoint Source Literature
    Inspector's Guide for Erosion and Sediment Control
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #55, September 1992

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Oakwood Lakes - Poinsett South Dakota RCWP Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Assessment of Environmental and Economic Effects of Nonpoint Source
    • Pollution Controls in the Herrings Marsh Run Demonstration
      Watershed Using GIS and NPS Modeling
• INFORMATION
•  
  • USDA-SCS Assessment Report on Physical Impacts of Water Quality
    • Projects

    Farmer to Farmer Videos
    Sustainable Agriculture Summaries
    Handbook on Managing Cover Crops Profitably

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #54, July 1992

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Long Pine Creek Nebraska RCWP Project
    Gaston County Surface Water Quality Assessment
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Nonpoint Source Modeling for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Best
    • Management Practices (Part 3)
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Guidance for Water Quality-Based Decisions: The TMDL Process
    Citizen's Guide to Preventing Water Pollution
    Sustainable Agriculture Video
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #53, May 1992

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Double Pipe Creek Maryland Rural Clean Water Program Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Nonpoint Source Modeling for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Best
    • Management Practices (Part 2)
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #52, March 1992

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Tillamook Bay Oregon Rural Clean Water Program (RCWP) Project
• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
•  
  • Nitrogen Management in Iowa
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Nonpoint Source Modeling for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Best
    • Management Practices (Part 1)
• INFORMATION
•  
  • RCWP Water Quality Monitoring Report
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #51, January 1992

• RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • Farm Operator Survey
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Taylor Creek - Nubbin Slough Florida Rural Clean Water Program
    • Project
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Nonpoint Source Watershed Workshop Proceedings
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #50, November 1991

• RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM NEWS
•  
  • RCWP On-Site Evaluations
• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • Rock Creek Idaho Rural Clean Water Program (RCWP) Project
• INSIDE NCSU WATER QUALITY GROUP
•  
  • Nonpoint Sources: Review of the 1990 Literature
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Associating Changes in Water Quality Monitoring Data With Nonpoint
    • Source Control Programs
• INFORMATION
•  
  • 1990 RCWP National Workshop Proceedings
    Rural Clean Water Program: Lessons Learned Brochure
    Rock Creek Rural Clean Water Program Bibliography
    Gully Erosion and Control Structures Video
    The Common Cents Solution Video
    Computer Model of Reservoir Quality
    Farming for the Future
    Technical Writing Video
    WQHDYDRO Program
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #49, September 1991

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • St. Albans Bay Vermont RCWP Project
• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
•  
  • County-by-County Nutrient Assessment and Distribution of Animal
    • Manure in North Carolina

    Farm*A*SYST Program Goes Nationwide

• INSIDE NCSU WATER QUALITY GROUP
•  
  • New Specialist Joins the Group
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Water Quality Monitoring for NPS Control Programs
• INFORMATION
•  
  • Erosion Control Field Manual Published
    Agricultural BMPs Applicable to Virginia
• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #48, July 1991

• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
•  
  • Water Quality - The Challenge is Crystal Clear Slide Show
• INSIDE NCSU WATER QUALITY GROUP
•  
  • Jean Spooner Promoted to Group Leader
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Censored Data Values: Description and Effect of Censoring on Statistical
    • Trend Analyses (Part 2)
• INFORMATION
•  
  • SCS and ARS Undertake Water Quality Computer Model Evaluation
    Conservation Tillage Fact Sheets
    New Guide Will Help Farmers Use Sustainable Options in 1990
    • Farm Bill

    Video Trains Citizen Stream Monitors
    Conservation Tillage Symposium Proceedings
    Comprehensive Biblography of Water Quality Educational Materials
    Biblography of Western U.S. Macroinvertebrates
    Video Addresses Farm Chemicals and Water Quality

• EDITOR'S NOTE

Issue #47, March 1991

• PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
•  
  • 1990 Rural Clean Water Program Workshop
• EXTENSION EXCHANGE
•  
  • Guidelines for Developing Information and Educational Strategies for
    • Priority Watershed Projects of the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source
      Water Pollution Abatement Program
• INSIDE THE NCSU WATER QUALITY GROUP
•  
  • Sarah Brichford, NWQEP NOTES Editor, Heads Northwest to Indiana
    New Newsletter Editor Joins the Staff
• TECHNICAL NOTES
•  
  • Censored Data Values: Description and Effect of Censoring on Statistical
    • Trend Analyses (Part 1)
• INFORMATION
•  
  • NWQEP Annotated Biblography of Grazing Best Management Practices
    Video Details Erosion Sedimentation Control Practices
    Rural Clean Water Report Evaluates Improvement in Water Quality from
    • Agricultural Best Management Practices

    U.S. EPA's National Survey of Pesticides in Drinking Water Wells

    • Phase 1 Report

    OTA Releases Report on Agrichemical Contamination of Groundwater
    Fertilizer Handling Video

• EDITOR'S NOTE