In The News......
March 22, 2011 - The Keystone Stream Team held a general meeting from 9:00AM-1:15PM on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, in the Susquehanna Conference Room at PA Fish and Boat Commission Headquarters, Harrisburg, PA. Sspeakers included Harry Campbell with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation who gave an update on the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, Ted Gattino from BlueWing Environmental who gave a presentation on new nutrient reduction technologies, Paul Schweiger with Gannett Fleming who gave a presenation on the use of instream structures for fish passage at low-head dams, Paul Zeph with Pennsylvania Sea Grant who gave a presentation on the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Action Program, and Sarah Whitney, also with Pennsylvania Sea Grant, who gave a presentation on aquative invasive species biosecurity protocols. Please contact Peter Petokas if you have questions about the Keystone Stream Team or if you wish to contribute an agenda item to a future meeting. Guests are always welcome to attend and participate.
Meeting Agenda (Revised)
March 15, 2011 - The 2011 Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference will will be held November 15-17, 2011, at Rock Gap Resort in Flintstone, Maryland. This year's conference will focus on science, engineering, and technology. The conference will provide an opportunity for stream restoration practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to share ideas and lessons learned in stream restoration planning, assessment, design, construction, evaluation, and other topical stream issues. Scientists and practitioners are encouraged to share experiences, network with colleagues, and become involved in shaping the future of stream restoration in the Mid-Atlantic region. The conference committee is accepting abstracts on a variety of topics such as stream impacts, headwater streams, and innovative restoration design tools, methods and adaptations. Abstracts are due May 1, 2011. You can submit abstracts via email at masrc11@gmail.com
January
10, 2010
-
The USGS Virginia Piedmont Regional Curves report has been
completed and is available online at the following URL:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5206/
There are also a number of hard copies available. If anyone is interested,
please send your mailing address to Russ Lotspeich and he will gladly send you a
printed copy.
R. Russell Lotspeich | Hydrologist
Office: 804-261-2637 | Fax: 804-261-2657 | Email:
rlotspei@usgs.gov
U.S. Geological Survey | Virginia Water Science Center
1730 East Parham Road | Richmond, VA 23228 |
http://va.water.usgs.gov
August 28, 2009 -The Keystone Stream Team convened a general meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, in the Susquehanna Conference Room at PFBC-Headquarters, Harrisburg, PA. Nineteen members were in attendance. Presentations were given by Harry Campbell, CBF, Ann Smith, PA DEP, David Goerman, PA DEP, and Bill Weihbrecht. The next Keystone Stream Team general meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, in the Jane Schultz Conference Room at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA. KST general meetings are open to the public. Please contact Peter Petokas if you have questions about the Keystone Stream Team.
August 24, 2009
-
Proposals
are now being accepted for presentations and posters for the 2010 Keystone
Coldwater Conference, titled “Responsible Energy Development: Protecting our
Coldwater Resources”. This conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Council
of Trout Unlimited, will be held on February 19 and 20, 2009, at the PennStater
Conference Center Hotel in State College, Pennsylvania. Proposals are welcome on
topics related to the protection of our coldwater resources as Pennsylvania
continues to be a leader in energy development.
Priority will be given to the following four topics:
*Oil and Gas Exploration and Extraction
*Wind Power Generation
*Access and Transmission Corridors
*Coal Extraction
We want to hear about your ideas, projects and success stories. Presentations
should highlight research, case studies, proactive community action, policy and
regulations, or targeted outreach and advocacy that have played a part in
ensuring environmental protection. You must submit your proposal by
September 15th, 2009. Please visit the following website for
detailed information on proposal submission.
2010 Keystone Coldwater Conference
June 8, 2009 - The Keystone Stream Team is seeking to create a listserv for the group. A listserv will allow members to pose questions and obtain answers from other members. It can be used for discussion of timely topics. It can also be used to post announcements of meetings, workshops, conferences, symposia and the like. Commercial website hosts for listserv services are expensive, so if there is an organization (e.g., college, university, corporation, government) website that can offer listserv to the Keystone Stream Team at low cost or no cost, please contact Peter Petokas.
May 21, 2009
-
Al Jarrett and Larry Brannaka are offering two three-day
stream restoration workshops this summer in the
Ag Engineering
Building on the University Park campus
of Penn State University.
Stream Restoration Workshop I
Stream Morphology, Assessment, and
Classification
114 Ag Engineering
Building
University Park, Pennsylvania
June 16-18, 2009
This 3-day workshop will consist of 2 half-day field exercise/field trips that
integrate stream assessment and classification and 2 days of lecture. The basics
of streams, their assessment and classification, and why they become impaired
will be presented and demonstrated. Restoration funding and regulations will
also be covered. Bring boots or waders. Prerequisite: None.
Stream Restoration Workshop II
Elements of Effective Design
114 Ag Engineering
Building
University Park, Pennsylvania
July 14-16, 2009
This 3-day workshop will consist of 2 half-day field exercise/field trips that
integrate sediment transport and stable stream design and 2 days of lecture.
Strategies for designing stable streams will be developed, including sediment
transport, and restoration and habitat structures. The stream design process
will include a case study developed from field collected data. Bring boots or
waders. Prerequisite: Workshop I or equivalent.
The following
website will get anyone potentially interested directly into the information,
descriptions, and registration process for both workshops.
Stream Workshop Information
May 1, 2009 - An urban stream restoration technical conference will be held from 9:30AM-3:30Pm on June 19, 2009, in Arlington, VA. The technical conference will cover the ecology and techniques of urban forest stream restoration and present accomplishments and lessons learned from the Donaldson Run project. For more information on the conference, please visit the link below or contact John Munsell, Forest Management Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech Department of Forestry, Phone: 540-231-1611, Email: jfmunsel@vt.edu
Urban Stream Restoration Technical Conference
April 18, 2009 - Outdoor Life magazine is sponsoring an online "Save-A-Stream Project" competition in partnership with several organizations including Trout Unlimited. A few stream projects will be featured in the online version of the magazine. Selected projects will also receive clean-up materials, manuals and other unspecified supplies. Please use the following link to obtain additional information or to enter a project in the competition. The deadline is 30 June 2009.
April 24, 2009 - Are you interested in following the daily chatter of the Virginia Stream Team? Join the listserv!
April 23, 2009 - The Canaan Valley Institute has announced the Fourth Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference, The Value of Stream Restoration, will take place on November 3-5, 2009, at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Value of Stream Restoration conference will include topics focusing on the benefits of stream restoration, the value of cost benefit assessments, the importance of monitoring, innovative watershed and stream restoration approaches and methods, and changes in policy and regulations that can reduce costs and increase the efficiency of restoration projects. A pre-conference workshop on November 3 will be followed by regular conference sessions and networking opportunities on November 4 and 5, 2009.
The MASRC planning committee will accept abstracts for the 2009 conference until April 30, 2009. Presenters will be notified of their acceptance by June 30, 2009.
Conference Announcement
Call-for-Abstracts
Waterfront
Place Hotel
Greater Morgantown
Convention and Visitors Bureau
April 20, 2009 - Utah State University in Logan, Utah, will be offering two stream restoration short courses. The courses will be offered in two parts:
Part 1: "Stream Restoration Principles," July 13-17, 2009.
The purpose of Part 1 is to provide an overview of hydrologic, sediment transport, geomorphic, and ecological principles applicable to (1) assessment of stream channel condition, (2) developing approaches to stream management and restoration, and (3) evaluating project performance. The course emphasizes the inter-relatedness of hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, geomorphology, aquatic ecology, fisheries, and riparian ecology. Part 1 is intended for agency and consulting industry professionals and others seeking an overview of the scientific basis of stream restoration.
Part 2: "Geomorphology and Sediment Transport in Channel Design," August 10-14, 2009.
The purpose of Part 2 is to present the principles of hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, and geomorphology as applied to design of stream channels in stream restoration projects. Part 2 is intended for professionals involved in channel design.
Peter Wilcock will lead Part 2 together with Jack Schmidt of Utah State University and Tyler Allred of Allred Restoration Inc. The course emphasizes the application of hydraulics, sediment transport, and riparian planting in channel design. The course is taught among the majestic peaks of the Wasatch and Bear River mountains near Logan UT, a delightful place to visit in the summer. The course combines classroom lectures, computer exercises in flow and transport modeling, field exercises that apply the principles learned, and a 2-day channel design exercise on the Provo River, where Tyler Allred has rebuilt 18km of river over the past decade. The course includes advanced lectures in sediment transport and geomorphology, and the students apply spreadsheet tools and 1d flow models in the channel design problem.
The course is offered through Utah State University and Salt Lake City is easy to fly into, Cache Valley is great place to visit in August, and there are endless opportunities for pursuing outdoor adventure before and after the short course.
Prerequisite for the class is a basic knowledge of geomorphic and ecologic principles in stream restoration. You may acquire this knowledge in one of a series of one-week introductory short courses (see below) taught by a collaborative team of instructors or from equivalent experience. We will provide in advance materials on sediment transport and flow modeling for those wishing to improve their preparation.
April 10,
2009
-
The 7th annual
Pennsylvania
Land Conservation Conference will take place on May 7-9, 2009, at the PennState Conference Center, State
College, PA. The theme of this year's conference is "Working
Together to Protect Our Land, Water & Communities." There will be two sessions which may be of particular interest to
this group:
Legacy Sediment and Pennsylvania Streams--The State of the Science, Restoration,
and Policy
Daniel Bain
Ph.D, University of Pittsburgh
Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Ward Oberholtzer, LandStudies, Inc.
Jeff Hartranft, PA DEP
Dorothy Merritts Ph.D,
Franklin and Marshall College
Robert Walter Ph.D, Franklin and Marshall College
Peter Wilcock Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
In recent years, a
number of stream researchers and restoration practitioners have observed that
sediment eroded from upland areas after the arrival of early Colonial settlers
and during centuries of intensive land uses has deposited in valley bottoms
along many stream floodplains. Commonly referred to as Legacy Sediment, this
resulted in the burying pre-settlement streams, and their floodplains and
wetlands. With represe
ntation from academia, state and federal agencies, and the private sector, this
roundtable will explore many of the issues surrounding legacy sediment: the
current state of
the science, outstanding technical questions and concerns, presently employed
removal/restoration practices, and the potential impact to local and regional
water quality programs and regulations.
Stream Restoration Techniques
Ward
Oberholtzer, P.E., Land Studies
Shandor Szalay, AKRF, Inc.
The art and science
of stream restoration has moved beyond armoring channels and banks to hold
streams in place. Today, practitioners recognize the importance of repairing
the stream corridor, a complex and valuable ecosystem which includes the land,
plants, and network of wetlands and streams within it, starting with small
headwater streams. This session will highlight two innovative projects in
Pennsylvania employing a strategic approach to stream restoration: Project
Headwaters, a strategic approach to stormwater management and stream restoration
in a watershed and the Lititz Run Stream Restoration and Floodplain Reconnection
Project.
February 13, 2009 - The NJ section of the American Water Resources Association is presenting a course on river and stream restoration this spring. This course is an exceptional opportunity to train with many of the most prominent and respected academicians and practitioners in the river restoration field today. The course will be presented in a 2-day and 5-day format and both sections begin on April 27, 2009. Additional information may be found at the course web site: http://streamrestorationnj.com.
February 3, 2009 - The Keystone Stream Team convened a general meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, in the Susquehanna Conference Room at PFBC-Headquarters, Harrisburg, PA. Thirty members were in attendance. Presentations were given by Doug Austen, PFBC, Jennifer Hoffman, SRBC, David Goerman, PA DEP, and David Williams. The agenda is posted below. KST general meetings are open to the public. For more information about Keystone Stream Team meetings, please contact Deborah Slawson or Peter Petokas. The next Keystone Stream Team general meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at PFBC-Headquarters, Harrisburg, PA.
October 28, 2008 - The Keystone Stream Team convened a general meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, in the Susquehanna Conference Room at PFBC-Headquarters, Harrisburg, PA. Thirty-one members were in attendance. Presentations were given by Marjorie Zeff and Bruce Bayne - URS, Ruth Sitler - PA-DEP, and Larry Brannaka - USFWS. For more information about future Keystone Stream Team meetings, please contact Deborah Slawson or Peter Petokas.
September
1, 2008
-
Bucknell
University is hosting the
Third Annual
Susquehanna River Symposium
on September 12-13, 2008.
The theme of this year's symposium is
the
Susquehanna River and Agriculture.
Agriculture is a vital part of the economy of Pennsylvania and farming affects
the lives of everyone in the Susquehanna River Basin. The goal of this
symposium is to bring farmers, scientists and the public together to discuss the
complex environmental issues facing agriculture and the Susquehanna River.
Bucknell University Symposium Website
Third Annual
Susquehanna River Symposium Flyer
August 28, 2008 - A workshop entitled A New Direction: Approaches and Strategies for Stream Mitigation n West Virginia will take place at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center in Gilbert, West Virginia, on October 1, 2008.
In April,
the US Army Corps of Engineers released new rules for compensatory mitigation.
Canaan Valley Institute (CVI) is partnering with West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection, industry leaders, and other agencies to host a
workshop to discuss the new rules and basic concepts behind mitigation banking,
the preferred method of compensatory mitigation.
This workshop will focus on how the new rules affect landowners, natural
resource companies, and restoration practitioners. Participants will leave with
a better understanding of the development of the new rules and how they are
currently being implemented. Speakers will also present the steps for
establishing a mitigation bank and the economic benefits of this type of
mitigation. Speakers will include Secretary Randy Huffman of the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection, Terry Sammons of Sammons Law, and
mitigation and restoration experts from CVI, EarthMark, and West Virginia
Division of Natural Resources.
Tuition of $50 includes instruction, manual, lunch, and snacks.
For more information or to register, call Betty Michael at 1-800-922-3601, ext.
252, or visit our website at
www.canaanvi.org, Events and
Education.
May 22, 2008 - The Environmental Center at Bucknell University hosted a stream restoration workshop on May 19-21, 2008. The workshop, entitled Geomorphic and Ecological Factors to Consider in Stream Restoration: How Science can Inform the Public, was attended by more than 40 fluvial geomorphologists, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists, engineers, regulators, and watershed association members. The goal of the workshop was to present the science of fluvial geomorphology and aquatic ecology in a way that the interested public or practitioners of stream restoration will be more aware of the complex dynamics of natural rivers and how to incorporate these factors into their decisions. For information on the workshop, please follow the link below. For additional information, please contact the Workshop Coordinator Benjamin Hayes, Ph. 570-577-1830.
March 11, 2008 - The Maryland Stream Restoration Association (MSRA) will convene a spring meeting on April 3, 2008. Please join the Association Membership for an evening of networking with fellow stream professionals and a thought provoking and lively presentation on a topic of great interest to us all….Will Harmon, P. G. of Baker Engineering will present The Status of Stream Restoration Monitoring Protocols. Will is an experienced stream designer who leads an organization with more than 100 miles of restoration projects in the ground. His presentation will focus on results of a 5-year study of stream monitoring protocols on North Carolina streams. The meeting will begin at 6PM at Edgar's Billiards Club & Restaurant, One East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. For more information, please download the meeting announcement.
MSRA Spring 2008 Meeting
MSRA Membership Form
MSRA
News Group
March 5, 2008 - The Keystone Stream Team held a general meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2007, at PFBC-Headquarters near Harrisburg, PA. Tom Graupensperger with GTS Technologies addressed the group on Water Quality Enhancement Through Natural Channel Restoration and Stabilization and Scour Control Through Natural Stream Channel Stabilization at Structure Crossings. Benjamin Hayes from Bucknell University addressed the group on Efforts to Improve Trout Habitat in the Upper Kennebec Watershed, Maine. Jeffrey Hartranft from PA-DEP addressed the group on The New and Innovative Floodplain and Riparian Wetland Restoration BMP. The group also discussed the recently-published Science magazine articles listed below. For more information about upcoming Keystone Stream Team meetings, please contact Deborah Slawson or Peter Petokas.
Discussion Paper #1
Montgomery, David R. 2008. Dreams of natural streams. Science
319:291-292.
Discussion Paper #2
Walters, Robert C., and Dorothy J. Merritts. 2008. Natural streams
and the legacy of water-powered mills. Science 319:299-304.
Supporting
Materials for Paper #2
March 6, 2008 - The Keystone Stream Team still has several copies of the VHS tape version of Successful Construction Practices Applied to Natural Stream Channel Design Projects in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands. The videotaping took place during August, 2004, and includes construction methods, installation of instream structures, bank stabilization procedures, and reseeding of disturbed areas along Big Bear Creek, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Anyone wishing to receive a copy of the VHS tape should send an email request including mailing address to Peter Petokas.
February 4, 2008 - Registration is now open for Canaan Valley Institute's 2008 RiverStone Academy courses and workshops. CVI's 2008 Education Catalog offers a full range of classes taught by experts in natural stream design, watershed assessment, and stream processes and morphology. For more information about Canaan Valley Institute's services and programs, visit www.canaanvi.org.
January 18, 2008 - Robert C. Walter and Dorothy J. Merritts of Franklin & Marshall College have published an article entitled Natural Streams and the Legacy of Water-Powered Mills in the 18 January 2008 issue of Science magazine. Please use the following links to see various news releases on this hot topic in watershed restoration.
Franklin & Marshall
College News
New Scientist
New
York Times
PA Environment Digest
January
1, 2008
-
Stantec
has announced the acquisition of
Fuller,
Mossbarger, Scott & May Engineers, the parent company of
RIVERMorph, producer of
RIVERMorph stream assessment, monitoring and natural channel design software.
Please visit the following link for more information on the acquisition.....
Stantec Completes Acquisitions
December
2, 2007
- The USDA
Natural Resources
Conservation Service has released its long-awaited manual of Stream
Restoration Design, National Engineering Handbook Part 654, August 2007.
The CD-based manual contains roughly 1,300 pages of printable material and is
now available at
http://landcare.nrcs.usda.gov or email
landcare@usda.gov or phone 1-888-LANDCARE.
Handbook Contents
On November 8, a panel of experts including Dave Rosgen of Wildland Hydrology, Ft. Collins, CO; Andrew Simon, US Department of Agriculture, Oxford, MS; Richard Hey, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK; Matt Kondolf, University of California, Berkeley, CA; Peter Wilcock, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; and Will Harman, Michael Baker Corporation, Cary, NC, engaged in a lively discussion of various stream restoration approaches and alternatives.
Pre-conference workshops were held on November 6, will included an introduction to RIVERMorph software, process-based geomorphic analysis, and WARSSS. Follow the link below to see the conference abstracts. For more information, please contact Paula Worden at the Canaan Valley Institute or call 800-922-3601, Ext. 223.
MASRC 2007 Conference Abstracts
MASRC 2007
Conference Evaluation Statistics
MASRC 2007
Conference Written Comments
Download NSCD Guidelines for Pennsylvania Waterways
Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference Call-for-Papers
Call-for-Papers Abstract Submission Form
March 12, 2007 --
Lycoming College, Room G11
Heim Science Building, Lycoming County, PA, 7-9 PM
March 13, 2007 --
PA
DEP Moshannon District Office, Centre County, PA, 7-9 PM
Habitat Enhancement Workshop Announcement
2006 Growing Greener I & II Awards
Lycoming College News
*Please note – limited scholarships available. Please email paula.worden@canaanvi.org
Introduction to Stream Surveying -- April 4, 2007
Introduction to Stream Processes & Ecology -- May 14-17, 2007
Assessment & Analysis of Stream Channels and Habitats -- May 29-June 1, 2007
Sediment Sampling Workshop -- July 24-26, 2007
Stream Ecosystem Assessment -- August 5-11, 2007
NSCD Construction Management Workshop -- Fall 2007 (dates dependent on construction schedule)
August 29, 2006 - River Restoration Northwest is now accepting oral presentation and poster abstracts for the upcoming Sixth Annual International Stream Restoration Design Symposium to be held at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington, USA, February 5th through 8th, 2007. This conference focuses on stream restoration questions of concern to project planners, designers, engineers, biologists, regulators, land managers or owners, and community stewards. The intent of the Symposium is to focus on a multi-disciplinary approach to stream restoration, hence a broad range of speakers and topics are encouraged.
The deadline for abstract submittal is September 30, 2006. Please submit up to a 500-word abstract to: submissions07@rrnw.org. Author, title, affiliation, contact information and topic category should be included at the top of the abstract (please use the attached abstract submittal form). Please use Microsoft Word format, and use “last name_first name.doc” as the file name. Do not submit abstracts as text in an email, as they will not be considered. Proposals are sought for presentations and posters that address the following focal topics related to stream restoration projects. Individual talks should cover one or more of the suggested topics or some related subject that fits within the theme of this conference. Preference will be given to projects with post-construction monitoring data.
·
Lessons learned
· Establishing restoration priorities
· Working with private landowners and/or community
stewards
· Riparian vegetation and management
· Habitat requirements for non-salmonids
· Ground water / surface water interaction
· Maintenance flows
· Monitoring
· Dam removal
· High latitude projects
· Tidally influenced channels
· Urban streams
If you are interested in chairing one of the above sessions or another session of interest, or if you need further information please contact: Greg Koonce, Inter-Fluve, Hood River, OR e-mail: gkoonce@interfluve.com
Additional Symposium Information
Workshop Objectives:
* To review the basic principles of watershed science and fluvial
geomorphology.
* To work through the entire stream restoration process – from initial design,
through site management an construction, to final clean-up.
* To improve communication between a project’s sponsor, designer, permit
reviewer and site supervisor.
Featured Instructor: Darrell Westmoreland,
North State Environmental, Inc.
Co-Instructor: Angela Greene,
PE, USDA-NRCS Liaison at Canaan Valley Institute
Classroom: Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West
Virginia
Construction Site: Horseshoe Run, Leadmine, West
Virginia
Cost: $650 to consultants
$350 to licensed contractors (valid contractor’s license
required to receive discount price)
Workshop Registration Information
July 20, 2006 - Canaan Valley Institute is sponsoring an NSCD Construction Management Workshop to be held October 26-28, 2006, at Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West Virginia.
Instructor: Darrell
Westmoreland, North State Environmental, Inc.
Equipment World Magazine’s 2005 Contractor of the Year
Designer: Angela Greene, PE, USDA-NRCS Liaison at Canaan Valley Institute
Classroom: Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West Virginia
Construction Site: Horseshoe Run, Leadmine, West Virginia
Cost: $650 to consultants or $350 to licensed contractor (please note: valid contractor’s license required to receive discount price).
Contact Paula Worden or Betty Michael or call (800) 922-3601.
Additional Workshop Information
May 15, 2006 - Buffalo District, in conjunction with ERDC, and the Civil and Environmental Engineering program at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) would like to announce a workshop series for 2007 entitled Engineering for Stream Ecosystem Restoration. Both academic credit and Continuing Education Units are available. The 2007 workshop series will be significantly different than the 2005 or 2006 workshops with new content, field sites and instructors. So we welcome you back if you have taken or are planning on taking any of our other workshops. These three summer workshops are field intensive with classroom instruction held in Buffalo, NY on the SUNY campus and field investigations in local streams and watersheds. The instructors for these workshops are nationally known scientists with local knowledge in the fields of environmental engineering; hydraulics; fluvial geomorphology; watershed modeling and stream ecology. For up-to-date information on 2006 and 2007 workshop dates, course content, instructors, and fees, please visit http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/glp/events.htm
Workshop 1 -
Integrated
Watershed Approach to Stream Management and Design
When: May 14 – 18, 2007
Workshop
2 - Riverine Ecosystem
restoration
When: July 23 – 27, 2007
Workshop 3 - Innovative Bioengineering
Methods and Planting Techniques to Enhance Function of
Streams and Riparian Areas
When: August 20-24, 2007
May 8, 2006 - Forty-two percent of the shallow-stream miles in the United States are in poor condition, and only 28 percent are in good condition, according to a survey released May 5 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The draft Wadeable Streams Assessment is the first statistically valid survey of the biological condition of streams throughout the country, according to the EPA. The survey was based on samples collected at 1,392 sites between 2000 and 2004. Wadeable streams are shallow bodies of water that feed rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The most widespread contaminants found were nitrogen, phosphorous and streambed sediments. Nitrogen and phosphorous contamination, which result from farming operations and fertilizer runoff, are nutrients that increase the growth of algae, decrease levels of dissolved oxygen and cloud the water. Streambed sediments smother aquatic habitat and degrade conditions for fish. Stream conditions varied widely by geographic region. Western streams were in the best condition, with 45 percent of wadeable streams rated good. The worst conditions were in the Eastern Highlands - an area from New England through the Appalachian Mountains - where only 18 percent of the stream miles were in good condition. Comments on the draft Wadeable Streams Assessment are welcome until June 30, 2006.
Draft Wadeable Streams Assessment Report
May 4, 2006 - On May 3-4, 2006, the Keystone Stream Team and FMSM Engineers held a two-day workshop at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA, on the features and applications of RIVERMorph software and use of the KST Reference Reach Repository. The workshop was was attended by eight members of the Keystone Stream Team.
February 28, 2006 - A Keystone Stream Team General Meeting was held on Tuesday, February 28, 2006, at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. John Balay, KCI Techologies, gave a presentation on his graduate research at Burd Run. David Bidelspach, North Carolina State University, gave a presentation on the North Carolina Stream Restoration Institute. A provisional committee was established to develop protocols and guidance for revision of the NSCD Guidelines.
February 13, 2006 - The First Codorus Watershed Research Forum will be held on March 2, 2006, from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Penn State York Conference Center, 1031 Edgecomb Avenue, York, PA. The forum is sponsored by the Watershed Alliance of York (WAY) and the Penn State York – Codorus Creek Restoration Efficacy Program (CCREP). If you would like to attend please contact Matt Hoch by Friday February 17, 2006, with "Codorus attend" as your subject line.
January 12, 2006 - The Canaan Valley Institute (CVI) has updated their website with presentations from the November 2005 Mid-Atlantic Highlands Stream Restoration Workshop (follow link below for presentations). The Mid-Atlantic Highlands Stream Restoration Workgroup has decided to hold future workshops every other year rather than annually. The plan is to alternate the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Workshop with the Southeast Regional Conference. The next Southeast Regional Conference will held in October 2006 (follow link below for more information). CVI plans to host another Mid-Atlantic Highlands Workshop in the Fall of 2007.
2005 Mid-Atlantic Highlands Stream Restoration Workshop Presentations
2006 Stream Restoration in the Southeast Conference
January 6, 2006 - Mel Zimmerman and the Clean Water Institute of Lycoming College have been awarded an Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection (Growing Greener) Grant to revise the Natural Stream Channel Design Guidelines for Pennsylvania. The $5,989 award will be used to thoroughly revise all of the guidelines chapters. The goals of the rewrite are to improve readability, clarity, and continuity within the guidelines document. The Keystone Stream Team will form a Technical Advisory Committee to oversee the rewrite and provide assistance on technical aspects of the document.
November 17, 2005 - Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell has announced a second round of Growing Greener grant awards for 2005. Pennsylvania will invest 14.4 Million in grants for 129 projects to help local conservation organizations clean up watersheds, enhance environmental protection and revitalize communities across Pennsylvania. Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty made the grants announcement a little more than a week after Governor Rendell announced the first $65 million in grants for 140 projects under voter-approved Growing Greener II bond initiative. The Secretary also said that PA DEP is now accepting applications for the 2006 watershed restoration and protection grants to be awarded in the eighth year of Growing Greener as well as Growing Greener II. The deadline to apply is March 3.
Second Round of Awards for 2005
First Round of Awards for 2005
November 9, 2005 - The Second Annual Mid-Atlantic Highlands Stream Restoration Workshop was held from November 8-9, 2005 at Cacapon Resort State Park, WV. The general purpose of the workshop was to provide an opportunity to share information and identify critical needs for improving the effectiveness of stream restoration programs in the Mid-Atlantic region. This year's theme focused on defining and measuring success in stream restoration programs. More than 150 people attended the workshop including KST members Mel Zimmerman, Peter Petokas, Carl DeLuca, Fran Koch, Gerry Longenecker, Allen Whitehead, Stacy Cromer, Jeff Hartranft, John Balay, and Matthew Azeles. The keynote speaker was Elizabeth Sudduth from Duke University who provided an overview of the National River Restoration Science Synthesis (NRRSS) program. The agenda also featured NSCD/FGM case studies that covered lessons learned, adaptive management, and/or remedial corrective measures. The Third Annual Mid-Atlantic Highlands Stream Restoration Workshop will be held during the Fall of 2007 and will recur on an alternating year basis.
October 27,
2005 - At the October 14, 2005, general meeting, Deborah Slawson of gave a
presentation on a Stream Restoration Design Cost Estimates Tool she developed
based on the draft costs ranges guidelines document. The spreadsheet tool is now
available for download at...
Costs Analysis Spreadsheet
Feel free to download the spreadsheet tool and use it as you wish, but Deborah
asks that you provide feedback to her on how well the tool works for you and any
suggestions you may have to improve it. Please contact Deborah at
hedgerowles@comcast.net.
October 17, 2005 - The U.S. Geological Survey has released a report entitled Development of Regional Curves Relating Bankfull-Channel Geometry and Discharge to Drainage Area for Streams in Pennsylvania and Selected Areas of Maryland. Copies of the report are available for immediate download.
USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5147
October 14, 2005 - A Keystone Stream Team General Meeting was held on Friday, October 14, 2005, at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Jamie Carr from the Academy of Natural Sciences provided an an update of the National River Restoration Science Synthesis (NRRSS) including his work on a river restoration database for Pennsylvania. The group was also provided with an update of the status of the FGM/NSCD Database and Reference Reach Database projects. Deborah Slawson from Versar gave a presentation on a new spreadsheet tool she has created for Costs Analysis of Natural Stream Channel Design.
October 10, 2005 - The EPA's Office of Water recently finalized a new technical methods Web site designed to help watershed managers assess and restore waters with suspended or bedded sediment problems. The centerpiece of the Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) website is a step-by-step, three-phase assessment methodology developed by Dr. David L. Rosgen for detecting sediment problems and source areas, estimating excessive sediment loads, and planning to restore normal sediment dynamics in streams and rivers. Besides the WARSSS methodology, the site also contains the entire sediment model WRENSS, a stream classification tutorial, and a large collection of links to clean sediment information and tools.
July 28, 2005 - The U.S. Geological Survey has released a report entitled Development and Analysis of Regional Curves for Streams in the Non-Urban Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Copies of the report are available for immediate download.
USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5076
July 10, 2005 - Members of the Keystone Stream Team, including Bill Worobec, Dave Putnam, Larry Brannaka, Mel Zimmerman, Peter Petokas, and student interns from the Clean Water Institute, participated in the videotaping of a documentary film on Natural Stream Channel Design. The videotaping took place during August, 2004, and includes construction methods, installation of instream structures, bank stabilization procedures, and reseeding of disturbed areas along Big Bear Creek, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The DVD video entitled Successful Construction Practices Applied to Natural Stream Channel Design Projects in the mid-Atlantic Highlands is now available from the Canaan Valley Institute.
July 3, 2005 - Monitoring Matters is an online newsletter of the Keystone Monitoring Network published by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR). The June 2005 issue contains articles by several Keystone Stream Team members and includes the Big Bear Creek NSCD Project and NSCD Assessment by Mel Zimmerman, NSCD Monitoring by Cheryl Snyder, and Codorus Creek Stream Restoration Monitoring by Bill Weibrecht.
June 8, 2005 - The June 2005 rewrite of Chapter 8 of the Guidelines for Natural Stream Channel Design in Pennsylvania has now been posted. Although still a DRAFT, we expect only minor changes to this document. Comment and suggestions for revision are welcome should be sent to Frank Payer or to Peter Petokas.
May 23, 2005 - The Keystone Stream Team Reference Reach Repository is now online and available for beta testing. Users may enter the site with the login/password sent by email to all KST members or you may create a new user account. Currently, the database will only work with files in RIVERMorph import/export file (.rmx) format -- CSV file functionality will be added at a later date. To use a reference reach file, you must download the file to your computer, open RIVERMorph, open an existing project file or create a new project file, then import the reference reach file into the RIVERMorph project file. Users may upload .rmx files to help populate the database or may enter data manually. A set of test data has been sent to KST members to allow users to test the functionality of the manual data input screens. Feedback to the FMSM Engineers software development team is essential to the success of this project. Please send all comments and recommendations to Peter Petokas.
May 1, 2005 - Long-time Keystone Stream Team member Ron "Trapper" Tibbott has announced that he will retire in June from his position with the PFBC. Ron's contributions to FGM/NSCD and to the Keystone Stream Team are well known and greatly appreciated by all. We wish Ron many wonderful years of relaxation and good health, and welcome Dave Spotts of PFBC as Ron's replacement on the KST!
April 13, 2005 - As a tribute to Don Stover, contributions are being accepted for a memorial gift/project to be carried out at the Erie National Wildlife Refuge, although the exact nature of the memorial will be dictated by the sum of the individual gifts. For those of you wishing to contribute, please send your contributions to Dave Putnam by the end of the month (May 1st). Checks should be made out to the "Erie National Wildlife Refuge".
Dave Putnam
Pennsylvania Field Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
315 S. Allen St., Suite 322
State College, PA 16801-4850
April 10, 2005 - RIVERMorph has announced the release of Version 3.1 of its RIVERMorph Stream Assessment and Restoration Software. RIVERMorph 3.1 contains many new features including the PowerSed Sediment Transport Model developed by Dave Rosgen, ability to upload data from Pocket RIVERMorph, Regional Curves enhancements, and several new resistance equations and near bank stress calculation methods. Current RIVERMorph license holders can download the update for free.
April 4, 2005 - The April 2005 rewrite of Chapter 8 of the Guidelines for Natural Stream Channel Design in Pennsylvania has now been posted. Although still a DRAFT, we expect only minor changes to this document. Comment and suggestions for revision are welcome should be sent to Frank Payer or to Peter Petokas.
April 1, 2005 - RIVERMorph is providing a Regional Curves Database on its website. To view the curves, you must open the database file using RIVERMorph software. There are no other software viewers for the regional curves database. It is a Microsoft Access database, so if you change the name of the file extension to an access format, you can view it through Access. Within Access, however, the graphs are not viewable, just the data. The current database file contains regional curves for NC, OR, and MD provinces.
RIVERMorph Regional Curves Database
March 27, 2005 - On Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005, Don Stover passed away. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, April 2nd, 10:00 a.m., at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. A "Celebration of Life" will be held immediately following Mass in the Church's Social Hall. Cards and letters can be sent to Nancy Stover, 27203 Pinney Road, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-6451. Don will be remembered for his friendship and his skillful operation of heavy equipment used on stream restoration projects. Don can be seen applying his skills in Bill Worobec's stream restoration video (see below). The Keystone Stream Team is especially thankful to Bill for having dedicated his film to Don Stover. The family has asked that memorial gifts in Don's honor be given to the Erie National Wildlife Refuge. Their address is 11296 Wood Duck Lane, Guys Mills, PA 16327-9499.
February 11, 2005 - A Keystone Stream Team General Meeting was held on Friday, February 11, 2005, at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The agenda included a presentation by Jeff Chaplin of USGS entitled Regional Curve Development in Pennsylvania and Selected areas of Maryland. A new NSCD video produced by Bill Worobec was shown over lunch. The DVD video entitled Successful Construction Practices Applied to Natural Stream Channel Design Projects in the mid-Atlantic Highlands will soon be available from the Canaan Valley Institute.
January 26, 2005 - In partnership with the Keystone Stream Team, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Watershed Management, held a Watershed Academy for Watershed Managers and Specialists on Wednesday, January 26, 2005, at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania. The workshop provided training on Cost Analysis for FGM/NSCD projects in Pennsylvania. Participants were taken step-by-step through the four phases of stream restoration and their associated costs. Joan Sattler served as the workshop moderator. Presentations were made by Carl DeLuca, Larry Brannaka, Gerry Longenecker, and Terry Rightnour. Other Keystone Stream Team members in attendance included Al Sever, Peter Petokas, Allen Whitehead, Barbara Beshore, Cheryl Snyder, and Fran Koch. The workshop agenda and powerpoint presentations are available below.
If you have questions about the Watershed Academy program, please email Barbara Beshore or you may telephone her at 717-772-5961.
November 30, 2004 - Members of the Keystone Stream Team, including Joan Sattler, Rudi Erb, Stacy Cromer, Fran Koch, Larry Brannaka, Peter Petokas, and Alan Whitehead, were in attendance at the Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Workshop held at Cacapon Resort State Park, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, from November 30-December 1, 2004. The workshop was sponsored by the Canaan Valley Institute and included sessions on Regional Curves, Reference Reaches, Sediment Transport, Stream Bank Erosion, and Restoration Monitoring and Evaluation.
November 5, 2004 - A Keystone Stream Team General Meeting was held on Friday, November 5, 2004, at the DEP Southcentral Regional Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Highlights of the meeting included an online tour of Reference Reach Database Mockup being developed by FMSM Engineers, a tour of the new Keystone Stream Team website, regional updates on how Pennsylvania's NSCD projects fared during Hurricane Ivan, a discussion of how to pursue revision of the NSCD guidelines, and an update on the progress of Cost Ranges Work Group. The next general meeting of the Keystone Stream Team is planned for February 11, 2005.
October 18, 2004 - Members of the Keystone Stream Team, including Mel Zimmerman, Fran Koch, Peter Petokas, Nathan Havens, and Carl DeLuca, participated in a teleconference with George Athanasakes, John Heinz, and Ray Rush of FMSM Engineers and RIVERMorph. Also participating were Scot Cox and Russ Wagner from PA DEP. Conference participants were asked to log into a website to view a mockup of the new software database being developed for the KST. As the tour of the software mockup proceeded, participants were able to provide feedback to the software development team. The new software is expected to be an important agenda item during the next regular Keystone Stream Team meeting on November 5, 2004. Arrangements are underway to have George Athanasakes online with the software mockup during the next KST meeting.
October 10, 2004 - RIVERMorph is now offering a special price to Keystone Stream Team members for it's RIVERMorph Stream Assessment and Restoration Software. KST members will receive an additional discount of 15% off the current special price of $3,495. This would put the price at $2,995. The standard price to governmental agencies and universities is $2,450. The special KST discount will be in effect until February 1, 2005.
RIVERMorph Order Form for KST Members
October 1-2, 2004 - Members of the Keystone Stream Team, including Tim Clippinger, Rudi Erb, Casey Clapsaddle, Mel Zimmerman, Fran Koch, Gerry Longenecker, Don Miller, and Peter Petokas, were in attendance at the Fifth Annual Pennsylvania Watershed Conference held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, on October 1-2, 2004. The workshop was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. Tim, Rudy, and Casey gave presentations on NSCD-related topics during three breakout sessions. Fran Koch served as a breakout session moderator. The Keystone Stream Team hosted an informational booth, with poster displays and brochures for meeting participants.
September 10, 2004 - Members of the Keystone Stream Team, including Joan Sattler and Peter Petokas, attended the Frank Kocher Memorial Park Grand Opening on Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. The new park is integrated with an NSCD project along 1800 feet of adjacent Fishing Creek. A few of the FGM structures, including cross-vanes and j-hooks, are handicapped accessible for fishing and other recreational uses.