EPA’s Office of Wetlands,

Oceans and Watersheds

2005 Annual Report

EPA’s Office of Wetlands,

Oceans and Watersheds

2005 Annual Report
Dear OWOW:

It gives me great pleasure to share with you our 2005 Annual Report, which highlights our

achievements during 2005. Among our many accomplishments, we made significant

advances in our water quality monitoring and assessment programs, including data collection for the first-ever Wadable Streams Assessment and the launch of a new National

Assessment Database. In 2005, our National Estuary Program, the Agency’s premier

watershed program, protected or restored more than 100,000 acres of habitat, including

over 22,000 acres of wetlands.

OWOW staff provided invaluable legal and scientific expertise for two Supreme Court

cases that challenged the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction and played a pivotal role

in the drafting of a new wetlands mitigation rule. We also strengthened state and local

programs to protect valuable wetlands resources and advanced efforts to mainstream

wetlands into watershed planning.

Our future sustainability depends on ongoing collaborative efforts on invasive species,

smart growth, and sustainable financing, and I’m heartened that OWOW is heavily invested in these challenging issues through our cross office teams. This past year, the new

OWOW Communications Team launched a series of monthly Webcasts—reaching thousands around the country and globe with training on the latest tools in watershed protection. OWOW also continues to play leading roles on major Administration initiatives,

including the Ocean Action Plan and the Targeted Watershed Grants Program.

I am honored to lead such a high performing office, and I look forward to reporting next

year on our continued progress toward meeting our Agency’s strategic goals of clean and

safe water.

Sincerely,

Diane Regas, Director

Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

May 8, 2006
Office of Wetlands, Ocean and

Watersheds

 2005 Annual Report

Improving Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment.................................................4

Protecting Watersheds....................................................................................................7

Protecting Ocean and Coastal Resources....................................................................12

Protecting Wetlands......................................................................................................17

Advancing Smart Growth.............................................................................................20

Promoting Sustainable Financing...............................................................................21

Addressing Gulf Hypoxia.............................................................................................22

Improving Communication..........................................................................................23

Promoting Watershed Planning...................................................................................24

Strengthening Accountability.......................................................................................25

Providing Healthy Habitat...........................................................................................25
4

New Interactive Database Makes Water Quality Data Easier to Access

and Understand

Improving Monitoring and Assessment

Under §305 of the Clean Water Act (CWA),

EPA prepares a biennial Report to Congress

summarizing the condition of the nation’s

waters as reported by the states. Historically,

these reports have been of limited usefulness

in understanding actual conditions of specific

waters or watersheds. Recognizing the need to

modernize its presentation of nationwide

findings, in 2005, OWOW designed EPA’s firstever interactive on-line database of state water

quality information. This National Assessment Database (NAD) allows users to electronically view assessment findings for individual states, specific waterbodies and watersheds. The NAD allows users to “drill down” to find the level of information they require without

being overwhelmed by data. The successful design and development of the NAD represents a

major step forward for the Agency in effectively providing sound scientific information on the

quality of the nation’s waters in a user-friendly format. www.epa.gov/305b/2002report

Streamlined State Reporting Guidance Provides Major Leap Forward in

Understanding Waterbody Conditions

In July 2005, OWOW issued landmark guidance for states that will help improve the quality of

the reports generated by states on the health of their waters. The Guidance for 2006 Assessment, Listing,

and Reporting Requirements Pursuant to §303(d), §305(b) and §314 of the Clean Water Act consolidates

reporting requirements under several sections of the CWA, thereby streamlining and strengthening

state water quality reports. Specifically, the Guidance provides for reporting of waterbody-specific

designated uses, so that states can more accurately measure and track water quality improvements

over time. The new integrated reports will provide invaluable information to managers in setting

priorities for future actions to protect and restore the health of the Nation’s aquatic resources. This

iteration of the reporting guidance was the most thoroughly vetted and comprehensive to date—

developed in conjunction with the states, reviewed by OMB, and provided for public review before

completion. www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/2006IRG/
5

5

Improving Monitoring and Assessment

Sampling Completed for First Wadeable Streams Assessment:

In 2005, OWOW completed data collection for the Wadeable Streams Assessment.

This Streams Assessment represents the first time that the Agency has used a

statistically-valid survey design that will allow extrapolation of stream conditions

throughout each ecological region of the United States. State participants are

using a common biologically-based protocol and are following a comprehensive

quality assurance program and standardized data management system. The goals

are to provide a status report on the condition and health of the wadeable

streams; help build State capacity for monitoring and assessment; and improve

the comparability and integration of State monitoring and assessment methods.

www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/wsa/index.html

In January 2005, EPA released the National Coastal Condition Report II (NCCR II). A

joint product of the Office of Water and Office of Research and Development (ORD),

the report updates the first NCCR report issued in 2001 and ranks the condition,

extent, and geographical distribution of national coastal ecological resources. The

NCCR II reports that the condition of the Nation’s coastal waters is fair, which

remains essentially the same as in the first report in 2001. The extensive report is

based upon four years of

EPA-sponsored monitoring

data from 23 coastal states

and the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey and

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The report

covers 100% of estuarine waters in the lower

48 states, compared to about 70% in the

previous report. It provides coastal managers with the necessary information to identify existing and emerging trends, target

water quality actions wisely, and effectively

manage those actions to maximize benefits.

www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr/

2nd Coastal Condition Report Offers Comprehensive Assessment of Coastal

Ecological Conditions
6

Wetlands

Grants

Program

Improving Monitoring and Assessment

In 2005, EPA launched a pilot project with Michigan, Texas, Oregon,

and the Wind River Reservation to develop data standards that utilize

the Agency’s enterprise architecture and facilitate the flow of water

quality monitoring data in STORET warehouse, which serves as the

nation’s largest repository of water quality data. In addition, in 2005,

OWOW added 4 million data

sets to STORET and implemented new customer service improvements that

made public access to the

data 200 times faster.

www.epa.gov/storet/

Pilot STORET Projects Advance E-Government

New PART Tools Provides Improved Mechanisms to Measure Water Quality

Improvements

Using its Program Assessment Rating Tool, or PART for short, the

White House’s Office of Management and Budget evaluated the

Surface Water, Oceans and Coastal, and the State §106 grant programs.

As a result of our successful PART process review , OWOW is improving the way it measures the results of its programs. EPA has

developed an improved measure to assess water quality improvement on watershed scale and a new measure to assess incremental

improvement towards water quality standards. The Oceans and

Coastal Program is also developing two new measures, along with

developing more ambitious targets for the current habitat acreage

measure.
7

7

Targeted Watersheds Grant Program

oe i

Listening Sessions Identify Key

Needs of Local Watershed Groups

On April 22, Ben Grumbles officially commissioned the Watershed Managers Forum, a group

of mid-level managers from each of the ten regions and the four OW offices. The Forum was

envisioned at the final meeting of the Watershed

Management Council in May of 2004 as a group

of mid-level managers that would provide dayto-day oversight and be the champions of the watershed approach in the regions. They have been

having biweekly conference calls, held a national

meeting in conjunction with the River Rally including a Dialogue with watershed groups and

held a fly-in of the Regional Water Division Directors to discuss new proposals for watershed

measures in the Strategic Plan.

In January and May 2005, EPA hosted two Watershed Dialogues, including one at River Network’s

prestigious River Rally in Keystone, Colorado, to

solicit input and advice from leaders from the

nation’s premier watershed and river conservation organizations. As a follow-up to these discussions, EPA is developing a national Capacity

Building Strategy to strengthen the capabilities of

local watershed organizations as well the national,

regional and statewide service provider organizations that support them.

The Targeted Watersheds Grant (TWG) Program continues to be an integral

part of the Agency’s watershed approach to clean water by providing assistance to state and local community partnerships to protect inland and coastal

watersheds. In its first three years, the Agency awarded grants averaging

$700,000 to 46 watershed organizations in 34

states. These grants support innovative watershed

projects, including water quality trading and market-based approaches. For example, projects

funded in 2005 include three trading projects,

eight projects that will improve fish habitat, and

two projects focused on acid mine drainage treatment in Appalachia. www.epa.gov/twg.

AA for Water Charters Regional/

HQ Watershed Managers group

on Earth Day

$9 Million Awarded in 3rd Round of Targeted Watersheds Grants

Protecting Watersheds
8

In 2005, OWOW widely distributed its new Water Quality Trading handbook.

This handbook will help water quality managers and watershed stakeholders

determine if trading can be used in their watershed to make cost-effective pollutant reductions that achieve water quality standards. Water quality trading has

gained increasing attention as an innovative approach for achieving water

quality goals at lower cost. Where it is the appropriate tool, trading is a powerful and effective market-based approach to achieving cleaner water. Trading

programs allow facilities to meet regulatory obligations by purchasing equivalent or superior pollution reductions from another source — achieving water

quality improvements in a cost-effective manner. In the handbook three

current trading program designs are reviewed to illustrate different approaches that can be

used to provide essential functions of a trading program such as assuring compliance with the Clean

Water Act and executing and tracking specific trades. www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/

handbook/

National Forum on Water Quality Trading and Mitigation Banking

In conjunction with the Environmental Law Institute, OWOW sponsored the National Forum on

Synergies between Water Quality Trading and Wetland Mitigation Banking in Washington, D.C. in July

2005. The forum brought together experts in wetland mitigation banking with those in the water

quality trading community to facilitate a dialogue on stimulating future markets in water quality

trading. The forum provided an opportunity for a diverse group of experts from the water quality

trading and wetland mitigation banking professions to discuss innovative ways to promote watershed-based strategies to achieve clean water goals through market-based approaches and advance

point/non-point source trading by identifying ‘lessons learned’ from wetland mitigation banking.

Stakeholders included representatives from federal and state government, non-profit organizations, academia, and the private sector.

Water Quality Trading Webcast

In December 2005, OWOW hosted a Webcast Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection that

offered practitioners an overview of trading and key lessons learned from successful trading case

studies. The Webcast covered the basics of trading—where it’s happening around the country,

why watershed stakeholders might be interested in adopting trading programs, and the rudiments

of how such programs work. Two hundred and seventy participants from 32 states took advantage of this interactive, on-line seminar.

OWOW Advances Water Quality Trading with Training, Outreach

and Stakeholder Forums

Protecting Watersheds

Water Quality Trading Handbook
9

9

Protecting Watersheds

EPA continues to work with states and tribes to

implement Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

for restoring impaired waterbodies. Over 4,000

TMDLs were completed in FY2005; approximately

19,000 TMDLs have been approved to date. This

year, EPA also fostered new partnerships with the

National Association of Counties (NACo) and the

Forest Service to advance the development and

implementation of TMDLs and implementation

strategies. www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/

OWOW is leading a multi-year effort to “green”

EPA headquarters as a model Low Impact Development (LID) demonstration project. In 2005, conservation practices for the Constitution Avenue

portion of Federal Triangle were installed, including rain gardens that are reducing runoff using

specially amended soils. Runoff from pavement

infiltrates areas with native landscaping and plants

with lower water needs. The rain gardens contain

colorful flowers and other attractive vegetation—

thereby demonstrating how water quality can be

protected through attractive systems that are themselves visual amenities. The project received an

honorable mention in the 2005 Landscape

Contractor’s Association awards, and a commemoratory plaque is being installed at the site. A second phase is now underway in Ariel Rios South with installation of additional rain gardens, cisterns

to store water for irrigation, a high-efficiency irrigation system, porous concrete walks, outdoor furniture constructed with 90% recycled materials, and other features. www.epa.gov/nps/lid/

“Greening” of EPA Headquarters Project Wins Landscape Award

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Number of TMDLs

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Development Continues at

Record Pace

TMDLs completed FY 96-06
10

In August 2005, OWOW launched a new on-line

Watershed Discussion Forum. The forum offers

watershed practitioners a platform to exchange

ideas, so that innovative solutions and ideas can

be easily shared in real-time cyberspace. To date,

more than 800 individuals have registered. http:/

/www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/forum/

forum.html.

Total Maximum Daily Loads

New Water Trading

Manual

Management Measures Guidance

Protecting Watersheds

In 2005, OWOW published three new technical guidance documents to help strengthen the implementation of programs to prevent and control runoff pollutants from urban, suburban and forested lands. The publications are designed to be used by state, territory, and authorized tribal

managers as well as local governments and the public.

· National Management Measures to Protect and Restore Wetlands and Riparian Areas for the

Abatement of Nonpoint Source Pollution http://epa.gov/owow/nps/wetmeasures/.

· National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Forestry http://

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/forestrymgmt/.

· National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas http://

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urbanmm/

To address inconsistency in our definition of

what a watershed approach is, existing descriptions of a watershed approach from some key

OWOW documents were revisited. The resulting definition, ratified at the OWOW managers

retreat, is presented in a short version, 3 or 4

bullets with talking points, as well as a full onepage of text. These formulations, different ways of

describing the same approach appropriate for

different audiences and

contexts, are now being

used across OWOW and

OW to better focus our

message on our priorities.

New Runoff Guidance Advances On-the-Ground Best Management

Technologies

Consistent WatershedApproach

Definition Ratified by Managers

Experimental On-line Watershed

Discussion Forum Initiated
11

11

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Protecting Watersheds

In December 2005, OWOW published a Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed

Plans to Restore and Protect our Waters, which is designed to help communities,

watershed organizations, and state, local, tribal and federal agencies develop

and implement watershed plans to meet water quality standards. The handbook is generally more specific than other guides with respect to quantifying

pollutant loads, estimating load reductions required to meet water quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress. EPA

is making this draft document widely available with the purpose of having it

tested by a variety of watershed partnerships. EPA will consider feedback from

these organizations before issuing the final version. www.epa.gov/owow/nps/

watershed_handbook/

New Draft Watershed Planning Handbook Aims to Accelerate

Watershed Protection

In October 2005, OWOW developed a new §319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web site. The

site features projects receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act §319 program that have

achieved measurable water quality improvements, including the achievement of water quality

standards and the removal from state §303(d) lists of impaired waters. The Web site now boasts

26 clean water success stories, including the return of native fisheries (e.g., Cheat River, WVA.),

increased recreational opportunities in lakes (e.g., Bass Lake, WI), and the reopening of shellfish

beds (e.g., Nooksack River, WA). Each story documents significant reductions in pollutant levels,

including reductions in nutrients, fecal coliform bacteria, sediments, toxic metals, and other

contaminants coming from farms, faulty septic systems, urban areas, abandoned mines, and other

sources. http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/.

Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web Site Launched
12

National Estuary Program Delivers

Measurable Environmental Results

Protecting Oceans and Coasts

EPA’s 28 National Estuary Programs (NEPs) are

achieving measurable environmental results

through collaborative, community-based environmental management. In 2005, over 100,000 acres

of habitat were restored or protected—well above

the target goal of 25,000 acres. The NEPs also

protected or restored over 22,000 acres of wetlands

in 2005. In terms of leveraging resources, the

NEPs averaged a ratio of $1 federal dollar to every $9 in other funds applied to coastal protection. In 2005, OWOW conducted 12 intensive

Implementation Reviews to assess effectiveness

of the NEPs. Eleven NEPs “passed” the review

and one NEP received a “conditional” pass.

www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/

Community Based Watershed

Management: Lessons

Learned from the National

Estuary Program, updates

the very popular document Saving Bays and Estuaries: A Primer for Establishing and Managing

Estuary Programs,

which was published

in 1989. This handbook describes the

highly successful approaches to locallydriven watershed management

implemented by the 28 NEPs. The document

was released at the White House Conference

on Cooperative Conservation. www.epa.gov/

neplessons/

New Handbook Showcases

Innovative Watershed Approaches

In 2005, EPA’s new ocean survey vessel (OSV), the OSV Bold, a decommissioned Navy vessel, was

converted to an oceanographic survey vessel, and Agency scientists began collecting oceanographic

data in ocean and coastal waters of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico in August. The vessel

is equipped with state-of-the-art sampling, mapping, and analysis equipment including sidescan

sonar, underwater video, a nitrox system for

divers, and water sampling instruments. In addition to survey and monitoring work, the Bold

also provides educational opportunities for the

public. www.epa.gov/bold/

State-of-the-Art Survey Vessel Provides Valuable Oceanographic Data
13

13

OWOW Plays Lead Role In Ocean Action Plan

2005 marked the fifth year that EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) sponsored EstuaryLive, which provides

students with a rare opportunity to experience

the hidden treasures of our nation’s estuaries live

via the Internet. Thousands of students across

the country (and even internationally) have

logged on from classrooms and homes to see

naturalists from EPA’s NEP program and NOAA’s

National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)

guide them through estuary habitats and examine various estuarine species. Over 20,000 viewers watched EstuaryLive in 2005. Students are very

involved in the program and can be seen participating in activities such as taking water samples

or seining for fish at the NEP or NERR where the

broadcast is taking place. It is a very unique program that allows students to submit questions

throughout the program which are answered in

real-time.

OWOW continues to play a leadership role in implementing the Ocean Action

Plan, a Presidential priority. The Subcommittee on Integrated Management of

Ocean Resources (SIMOR) was formed in March 2005 as part of the ocean governance structure laid out in the Plan. Comprised of 19 federal agencies and

offices that have a role in ocean and coastal resource management, SIMOR focuses on implementing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes management actions

that will benefit from interagency coordination. During its first year of existence, SIMOR identified four priority areas for initial focus and developed work

plans for each area: supporting regional collaborations; facilitating use of ocean

science and technology in ocean resource management; enhancing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes

resource management to improve use and conservation; and enhancing ocean education. As SIMOR

moves into its second year, the focus will shift to implementation of the work plan actions by the

SIMOR agencies and departments. http://ocean.ceq.gov/.

OWOW played a key role in re-establishing the

Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) in late 2005. The Ocean Action Plan

recommended the re-establishment of the lapsed

Marine Debris Coordinating Committee under the

new name of Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee. The IMDCC is an interagency

body responsible for developing and recommending comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approaches to reduce the sources and impacts of

marine debris to the nation’s marine environment,

natural resources, public safety, and economy. Cochaired by EPA and NOAA, the IMDCC will ensure the coordination of Federal agency marine

debris activities both nationally and internationally, as well as recommend research priorities,

monitoring techniques, educational programs, and

regulatory action.

Estuary Live Celebrates 5-Year

Anniversary

OWOW Helps Launch Interagency

Marine Debris Committee

Protecting Oceans and Coasts
14

 OWOW’s Ocean and Coastal Protection Division

(OCPD) continues to play a leadership role in interagency efforts to reduce aquatic invasive species (AIS) in coastal waters, a major goal in the

Agency’s Strategic Plan. In August 2003, OW issued an Invasive Species Action Plan that identified six priority actions for addressing AIS, including the development of regional and national economic estimates of AIS impacts. A cross-office

group of EPA staff, led by OCPD and the National

Center for Environmental Economics, hosted a

successful July 2005 workshop that convened national experts to discuss conceptual frameworks

and development of bioeconomic tools for estimating economic impacts of AIS. This estimate will

inform Federal policymakers on the magnitude of

AIS economic impacts so that they can determine

the most efficient and effective approaches for AIS

prevention, control, and management.

www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/

aquatic_invasive.html

OWOW continues to work with the US Coast

Guard on their new rulemaking for ballast water

standards, and with the US Government delegation to the International Maritime Organization

meetings to strengthen international guidelines on

ballast water treatment. Over two-thirds of recent

non-native species introductions in marine and

coastal areas are likely due to ship-borne vectors,

and ballast water transport and discharge is the

most universal and ubiquitous of these. EPA is

working in conjunction with our Federal and State

partners to address this source of aquatic invasive

species both domestically and internationally.

www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/.

In December 2005, OWOW published on its website, EPA Authorities for Natural Resource Managers

Developing Aquatic Invasive Species Rapid Response Plan, a document that provides an overview of EPA

authorities that may apply to AIS response or control actions. It represents a tool for state, tribal,

regional, and local natural resource managers developing AIS rapid response and management plans.

The document summarizes sections of the Clean Water Act and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and

Rodenticide Act, and explains how natural resource managers can obtain necessary permits for AIS

eradication or control actions. www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/invasives_management/

New EPA Document Assists Natural Resource Managers in Developing

Aquatic Invasive Species Response Plans

Protecting Oceans and Coasts

Workshop Conducted on Economic

Impacts of Invasive Species

New Ballast Water Standards and

Guidelines Being Developed

The Zebra Mussel The Sea Lamprey
15

15

.

The National Dredging Team (NDT) hosted a national meeting for the 11 Regional Dredging Teams

in February 2005. This meeting provided the opportunity for the Regional Dredging Teams to

identify priority issues, and to share best management practices and lessons learned. The NDT’s

Steering Committee held a meeting in October

2005 to review the NDT’s progress in implementing its Action Agenda and to provide guidance

on current and planned activities. Additionally, the

issue of overdepth dredging was successfully resolved by the NDT through coordination among

the Federal agencies and regional teams, and resulted in the issuance of overdepth guidance by

the Army Corps of Engineers. The NDT, which is

co-chaired by OWOW, continues to facilitate coordination on dredged material management at

the Federal and Regional levels. www.epa.gov/

owow/oceans/ndt/

National Dredging Team Strengthens

Dredged Material Management

EPA/Navy Vessel Discharge

Standards Moving Forward

OWOW Leads Review of Domestic

Legislation to Implement New

Protocol on Ocean Dumping

Protecting Oceans and Coasts

OWOW continues to work with the Department

of the Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard on efforts

to minimize pollution from vessels of the Armed

Forces. A 1996 Amendment to the Clean Water Act

requires that a nationally uniform set of discharge

standards be issued jointly by DoD and EPA.

These regulations would preempt state regulation

of wastewater discharges from Armed Forces vessels. The Phase I rulemaking determined that 25

discharges from Armed Service Vessels require

control devices. A Cumulative Impact Assessment

has been completed, and the Phase II rulemaking

is proceeding to address the first of five batches

of discharges to be regulated. www.epa.gov/

owow/oceans/regulatory/unds/index.html

In 2005, OWOW led the drafting of proposed

changes to the Marine Protection, Research, and

Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) that would be necessary

to ratify the 1996 Protocol to the London Convention on ocean dumping. Ratification of the Protocol, which is part of the Administration’s Ocean

Action Plan, will allow the U.S. to continue (and

take credit for) its outstanding level of marine environmental protection while bringing the rest of

the world community to a higher standard of protection.

OCPD chaired the international technical advisory

group (also called the Scientific Group) for the

London Convention on Ocean Dumping. As Scientific Group Chair, OCPD led the 28th Meeting

of the Scientific Group in May 2005 and assisted

in the development of a workshop on marine pollution prevention in East Asia to be held May 2006.

www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/

dumpdredged/londonconvention.html

OCPD heads up Scientific Group for

the London Convention on Ocean

Dumping
16

Protecting Oceans and Coasts

OWOW Rallies to Support Emergency Relief to the Gulf Stricken Coast

Federal legislation authorizes EPA to develop effluent standards for sewage and graywater discharges from cruise ships operating in the waters of Alaska. In 2005, OWOW and OST completed

the analysis of its Alaska cruise ship sampling to characterize graywater and sewage generated

onboard and to evaluate the performance of various advanced sewage and graywater treatment

systems. Additionally, the Alaska cruise ship survey questionnaire was distributed in order to

collect technical and financial information that will be used to determine the effectiveness, costs,

and impacts of sewage and graywater treatment devices on large cruise ships operating in Alaska.

EPA is now assessing whether additional effluent standards are necessary. www.epa.gov/owow/

oceans/cruise_ships/.

Sampling Analysis Provides Facts on Vessel Discharges from

Cruise Ships

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, EPA sent its scientific vessel, the OSV Bold, to

assist with a multi-agency effort to assess the near-shore environmental and human health impacts of

the storm. Beginning in September 2005, the Bold conducted a comprehensive monitoring survey

collecting water/sediment/biota samples from the Gulf and Mississippi Sound. Monitoring experts

from EPA’s Wetlands Division and Assessment and Watershed Protection Division helped determine

contaminant levels and assess their potential impacts to the environment and human health. Staff

from the Wetlands Division established

weekly conference calls with all the Federal

agencies collecting and analyzing data and

with the affected states and helped ensure that

all were well informed prior to public release.

EPA’s Wetlands Division, Regional managers,

and State partners also continue to assist with

the long-term recovery of the Gulf Coast area

impacted by the storm surge. They are working with the states, EPA regions and other federal agencies to establish priorities for restoration work to improve the coast’s ability to

survive future tropical storms.
17

17

New Brochure on Mercury in Fish and Shellfish

In 2005, EPA’s Wetlands Division awarded about

$14.8 million in Wetlands Program Development

Grants to states, tribes, and non-governmental

organizations to strengthen wetland protection

programs. Additionally, an innovative three-year

$6 million Wetland Environmental Outcome

Demonstration Pilot (WDP) funded demonstration projects designed to achieve measurable environmental outcomes – in particular, outcomes

consistent with EPA strategic goals of no net loss

of wetlands, net gain in wetland acreage, and protection of vulnerable wetlands. epa.gov/owow/

wetlands/initiative/#financial

Protecting Wetlands

In 2005, EPA provided a unique opportunity for

underserved western partners to learn about recent advances in western wetland science and

management, share experiences, network, and

generate new partnerships. Participants of the first

biannual Western Wetlands Conference included

wetland professionals from state, federal, and

tribal agencies, universities, private firms, and

non-profit groups. Topics included managing

wetlands in arid/semi arid environments with

variable water supplies, gathering and using wetland data and information, and applied wetland

ecology. EPA also worked effectively with Regions, States, and the Army Corps of Engineers to

enhance state wetland programs through state

programmatic general permits and regional general permits. OWOW staff worked closely with

Region 4 in support of Kentucky’s interest to assume the Section 404 permit program.

OWOW provided expert legal and scientific advice in preparation for the Solicitor General’s oral

and written arguments in three important Supreme Court cases (Rapanos, Carabell) regarding

the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction and a

dam/water quality certification case (S.D. Warren).

The Administration argued strongly for maintaining EPA’s current regulatory and non-regulatory

tools to protect wetlands, tributary streams, and

watersheds. www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/SWANCC/index.html

Strong State and Tribal Partnerships

Forged

OWOW partnered with FEMA and the Association of State Floodplain Managers to develop and

deploy a demonstration training module for state

and local watershed planning and pre-disaster

mitigation planning practitioners. The June, 2005

training course was successful in building capacity with regard to combining watershed planning

and pre-disaster mitigation planning goals, objectives, and efforts. The workshop was designed

as a flexible template to be tailored to future training venues involving watershed and floodplain

management/disaster mitigation planning.

OWOW Strengthens Supreme Court

Arguments

Wetland Environmental Outcome

Demonstration Pilot (WDP)

Launched

OWOW Fosters Integration of

Watershed and Hazard Mitigation

Planning
18

Protecting Wetlands

The Wetlands Division worked effectively with Army Corps, the Department of the Army, and the

Office of Management and Budget to ensure EPA perspectives were incorporated into the draft Mitigation Rule (Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources), which is pending final approval at OMB. The rule proposes new standards to promote no net loss of wetlands, improve wetland conservation and restoration and increase the effective use of wetland mitigation banks by emphasizing best available science, promoting innovation and focusing on results. This proposed rule

follows the recommendations of the National Research Council by establishing equivalent, effective

standards for all forms of wetland replacement projects under the Clean Water Act. The Division also

worked with Regions and other partners to frame a 10-year Mitigation Banking communication plan

and action agenda to further strengthen the environmental results of wetlands mitigation banking.

www.epa.gov/wetlandsmitigation/

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an intergovernmental treaty on

the conservation and wise use of natural resources.

Participation in this Convention is required under

the US Government’s obligations and responsibilities as a Contracting Party under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Historically, the Conference

of Contracting Parties (the main decision-making

body of the Convention composed of delegates from

all member States, including the United States) has

further developed and interpreted the basic tenets

of the treaty text and succeeded in keeping the work

of the Convention abreast of changing world perceptions, priorities, and trends in environmental management. Two individuals from the Wetlands

Division were selected by the USFWS to serve as members of the U.S. Delegation to the 9th Conference

of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention in Uganda, November, 2005. They served as experts on technical and policy matters related to wetlands conservation contributing their domestic as well as international experience and expertise in the area of wetlands protection and restoration.

EPA Strengthens Draft Wetlands Mitigation Rule

Ramsar Treaty: EPA Serves on US Delegation to International

Conference of Parties
19

19

May 2005 marked the 15th Anniversary of American Wetlands Month. The Agency joined its

partners in wetland protection and preservation and others in hosting events throughout the

country highlighting the importance of wetlands. The theme –“It Pays to Save Wetlands” –

drew attention to the economic values of wetlands, such as flood control and water quality

protection. As part of the month-long celebration, the Environmental Law Institute, nonprofits,

EPA and other Federal agencies honored winners of the annual National Wetlands Awards,

recognizing individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to wetlands conservation, research or education. www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands

15th Anniversary of American Wetlands Month: It Pays to Save Wetlands

Photo by Jay Osenkowski

Protecting Wetlands
20

Advancing Smart Growth

In 2005, OWOW’s Smart Growth team developed a partnership (Memorandum of Understanding)

with NOAA and EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (OPEI) to address the impacts of

growth and development on coastal communities. Through this partnership, the team is promoting

innovative and more efficient approaches to support sound coastal growth,

to leverage assets, and to communicate a more consistent message. The

EPA/NOAA agreement implements a major goal of the President’s Ocean

Action Plan by encouraging federal agencies to assist state, tribal and local

stakeholders in developing comprehensive coastal protection strategies. The

new partnership supports state and local innovations through:

♦ Training for local governments

♦ Citizen workshops in cooperation with local governments

♦ Clearinghouse of policies, ordinances, and initiatives

♦ Assessments of local development policies

♦ Expert teams to work on locally identified issues

New Partnerships Advance Protection for Coastal Communities

Partially funded by OWOW, the Governor’s Institute on Community Design is a new partnership

with the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA),

the Smart Growth Leadership Institute (SGLI) and

EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation.

This effort will focus on inspiring leadership at

the state level, providing EPA’s technical assistance

on regional planning and watershed issues, and

bringing Governors and their staffs into contact

with experts in the field to assist them in planning and developing better strategies to protect

water resources and build better communities. Assistant Administrator Benjamin Grumbles participated in the kickoff event in July 2005 with Governors Christine Whitman and Parris Glendening,

and the executive directors of NEA and SGLI.

epa.gov/smartgrowth/gov_institute.htm

In 2005, the Smart Growth team produced a new,

web-based Watershed Academy module, “Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth,”

which provides valuable tools and information

for communities and watershed practitioners on

protecting water resources that can be accessed

anytime, anywhere. This module illustrates how

historical trends in growth patterns and activities on land have become the most significant

challenge for preserving water quality and meeting future water resource goals. www.epa.gov/

watertrain

Governor’s Institute on Community

Design Offers Strategies on

Sustainable Development

Smart Growth Training Now

Offered as A Distance Learning

Module
21

21

To build the capacity of local governments, NGOs, and others involved in watershed management,

OWOW’s Sustainable Funding Team (SFT) surveyed the funding needs faced by the organizations

involved in watershed management and developed several new cutting-edge tools to help address

these challenges.

Promoting Sustainable Financing

Cutting-Edge Funding Tools Strengthen Local Capacity for Watershed

Management

To make information on funding opportunities

more manageable, the SFT helped develop two databases to assist watershed organizations: the Catalog of Federal Funding for Watershed Protection and

the Environmental Finance Center’s Directory of

Watershed Resources. The SFT also completed an

ambitious effort to streamline and reorganize

watershed funding information on the OWOW

Web pages. The Watershed Funding Web site--

www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html--

now serves as a central portal for information on

watershed funding. Users can easily navigate requests for proposals, databases of funding opportunities, sustainable funding principles, finance

planning tools, and a variety of relevant resources.

Plan2Fund helps Groups Track

Funding Needs

Developed in conjunction with the Environmental Finance Center at Boise State University,

Plan2Fund helps organizations determine and

track the funds needed to meet the goals and objectives of their watershed plans.

Searchable Databases and New Web Portal Streamline Funding

Information

New Distance Learning Module

To enable the thousands of nonprofit watershed

organizations to move from federal grants to a

more diversified funding portfolio, SRF is developing a new distance learning module that will

teach nonprofit watershed organizations how to

develop sustainable fund-raising plans to achieve

their mission, goals, and objectives. The module

will be part of the Watershed Academy Web at

www.epa.gov/watertrain

www.epa.gov/owow/funding
22

The Gulf Hypoxia Team continues to achieve positive results in addressing low dissolved oxygen

levels in the Gulf of Mexico. Last year EPA supported the creation of mutli-stakeholder teams from

Ohio to Louisiana that are committed to reducing the over 15,000 square kilometer hypoxic zone.

Each Sub-basin team is working to develop nutrient reduction strategies, and has successfully organized the stakeholders in the basins.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Task Force agreed to a Reassessment schedule called for in the

Action Plan in June 2005. The Task Force met in December to assess progress, and agreed by consent

that the Reassessment is moving along as planned. Three symposia are scheduled for 2006, including: Gulf Science (April 25-27, 2006 in New Orleans); Lower Basin Science (June 1-2, 2006 in New

Orleans), and Nutrient Sources, Fate, and Transport (fall 2006 TBD).

EPA's Science Advisory Board will be conducting both the Gulf Science and Basin Science Review. A

call for nominations in various disciplines was place in the Federal Register with a deadline of March

27, 2006. www.epa.gov/owow/msbasin/

Addressing Gulf Hypoxia

Gulf Hypoxia Team Advances Nutrient Reductions Strategies in Sub

basins
23

23

Monthly Webcasts Provide Free Watershed Training for Thousands

around the Globe

Improving Communications

In 2005, OWOW's Communications Team initiated free

monthly Webcasts to offer interactive training for watershed

practitioners around the globe. Each Webcast includes a Webbased slide presentation with a companion audio portion that

can be accessed either by phone or by streaming audio broadcast. These Webcasts are proving to be an extremely costeffective and popular way to communicate with partners and

offer training and expertise for hundreds of watershed practitioners, who often can not afford to attend formal live training. For example, the first Webcast in June 2005, featuring the

Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas, reached 587 participants from 40 States,

the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. In another innovative move, the team has arranged for audio

versions of the Webcasts to be archived and available via EPA's Watershed Academy website. This

means that stakeholders can continue to access these valuable training sessions after the live broadcast. More information, including links to archived seminars as well as upcoming Webcast announcements, can be found at epa.gov/watershedwebcasts

2005 Seminar Presentations Available for Downloading (or as a Podcast)

 December 2005 —Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection

Attendees: 270 participants from 32 states and Canada

 November 2005—Stormwater Phase II Requirements: Improving Stormwater Quality

Attendees: 374 participants from 39 states and Canada

 October 2005—Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques

Attendees: 338 participants from 38 states, Canada and Iraq

 September 2005 —The ABCs of TMDLs for Stakeholders

Attendees: 282 participants from 40 states, Ecuador, Italy and Canada

 July 2005 —Getting In Step: Developing Your Message and Publicizing it Effectively

Attendees: 342 participants from 42 states, Puerto Rico and Canada

 June 2005—Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas

Attendees: 587 participants from 40 states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
24

Promoting Watershed Planning

The Watershed Planning Team has been developing an internet-based Watershed Plan Builder Tool.

The Tool is designed to promote the development and implementation of comprehensive watershed

plans that protect and restore the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.

The Tool will help organizations develop watershed plans that are tailored to the concerns and issues

specific to their watersheds, thus helping them achieve state water quality standards and other environmental objectives. A prototype of the Watershed Plan Builder Tool has been completed and is

being reviewed by the cross office team.

The team’s vision is to enhance the intergration of watershed planning and implementation across

various EPA programs, including Source Water Protection, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System permits, Stormwater Management, Total Maximum Daily Loads, Nonpoint Source Programs

as well as air and land protection programs.

Protoype of Watershed Plan Development Tool Completed
25

25

Strengthening Accountability

New Operating Plan Improves Accountability

OWOW’s Budget team provided outstanding and improved processes and data to enable OWOW to

more effectively manage its financial resources. This included the development of an improved 2005

operating plan that recognized and integrated office-wide priorities and incorporated staff input.

Further, to improve implementation of the plan, the team provided accurate and timely data to track

progress in meeting spending goals under both operating and strategic plans. All of these actions

improved OWOW’s ability to put its money to work faster and with more accountability to meet

environmental protection goals

Providing Healthy Habitat

During 2005, OWOW completed a number of efforts to make our office environment more employeefriendly, and more sustainable. These efforts included:

♦ Developing guidance for staff seeking promotions in OWOW, identifying competencies that managers are seeking;

♦ Developing a set of best management practices to encourage the more widespread approval of

flexiplace applications from staff;

♦ Developing standard procedures for responding to urgent queries (i.e. – fire drills) so that staff

time is used most efficiently;

♦ Expanding and reinvigorating an internal website with frequently asked questions on OWOW

Information & Contacts data;

♦ Setting up a conference room keepers group to ensure conference room equipment and supplies

are always ready for use;

♦ Providing 48 hours of manager development training; and,

♦ Initiating work on a staff development plan, and organizing 2 offerings of training in meeting

leadership and a course on writing skills.
26

For More Information

Visit us on the Web at:

www.epa.gov/owow