Transcript Slide 1
A legacy of leading Stakeholder workshop Shaping Sustainable Communities along the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene Corridor: Non-Point Pollution Control and Human Dynamics June 29, 2010 UI Research Park, Post Falls Stakeholder Workshop Objectives Workshop efforts represent an important opportunity to bring together public officials and community leaders with leading scientists to form programs that can address the challenges for this rapidly growing area. Throughout the previous workshop (March 2010) we addressed sustainable development as it related to water, air, transportation, residential development and amenities as well as social dynamics. From that workshop emerged a clearer understanding for both researchers and participants. Participants gained a clearer sense of the institutional and scientific capacity of WSU and UI and developed meaningful ways for the ways that scientific input can influence stakeholder issues. Stakeholder recommendations for University roles Develop a REGIONAL UNDERSTANDING of issues by: Finding solutions/models of success Relaying information/results to community Influencing and reinforce behavior change Facilitating and funding outreach, education, partnerships Identifying make-up of current policies and what needs changing Bringing data to policy makers to influence sustainable and positive change Identifying key stakeholders in problems and include them from the beginning Identifying key goals and figure out a democratic way to reach them Identifying ways to work together even if an agreement can’t be reached about common values or worldviews Creating a regional database that would be available to all How do we get the scientific information from universities to decision-makers? Universities represent a neutral, third party effort for generating objectively based data and analyses for decision makers University presentation on topics to state legislature Increase certainty level of what the ‘facts’ are Facilitate agreement on ‘the facts’ Risk and uncertainty reduction (e.g. thru science modeling) University as clearing house for information (address data gaps) Funding and unity of purpose (i.e., work together for state-of-the-art federal mandates and funding) U.S. EPA Review of the Spokane River Dissolved Oxygen (DO) TMDL May 20, 2010 Introduction On February 12, 2010, Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) submitted the Spokane River Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review under Section 303(d)(2) of the Clean Water Act. A correction to Table 7 of the TMDL was submitted to EPA by Ecology on March 18, 2010. After a full and complete review of the Spokane River DO TMDL and supporting documents, EPA finds that pursuant to Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1313(d), and EPA’s implementing regulations at 40 CFR Part 130, the TMDL satisfies the elements of approvable TMDLs. This decision document presents the rationale supporting EPA Region 10’s decision to approve the Spokane River TMDL. Ecology’s submittal document also contains a Managed Implementation Plan (MIP) which was developed by Ecology and the Spokane River TMDL Collaboration group and which EPA understands Ecology will use to guide implementation of the TMDL. EPA has reviewed the MIP, but – as stated in our approval letter – neither the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) nor its implementing regulations requires EPA to specifically “approve” the MIP, and EPA has not done so. Spokane River Non-Point Source Analysis Project Supplemental Phase 1 Land Use to Phosphorus Concentrations Correlation Supplemental Phase Supplemental Phase 1 Study March 2010 Prepared by: Table 1. Observations of Potential Land Use to Phosphorus Concentrations Sub-basin Lower Spokane Little Spokane Other observations Most of the sub-basin does not have phosphorus data Some high phosphorus concentrations in the uppermost reaches of the sub-basin Hangman Significant intermix of land uses make land use correlations uncertain Upper Spokane, WA Some high phosphorus concentrations in the southern Spokane Valley Upper Spokane, ID Most of the sub-basin has few phosphorus data which are low in concentration and may not be representative Pend Oreille The sub-basin has few phosphorus data for interpretation Coeur d’Alene Lake Most of the phosphorus data in the subbasin are around Coeur d’Alene Lake and River Upper Coeur d’Alene The sub-basin has few phosphorus data for interpretation South Fork Coeur d’Alene Most of the sub-basin does not have phosphorus data St. Joe Most of the sub-basin does not have phosphorus data Water, Sustainability and Climate (new NSF solicitation) The goal of the Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) solicitation is to understand and predict the interactions between the water system and climate change, land use, the built environment, and ecosystem function and services through place-based research and integrative models. Studies of the water system using observations at specific sites in combination with models that allow for spatial and temporal extrapolation to other regions, as well as integration across the different processes in that system are encouraged…. 18 month Planning Grant: “Sustainability Dynamics for Water Resources in a Rapidly Urbanizing and Climatically Sensitive Region” Planning Grant Objectives Objective One: Systematically integrate data/products from existing biophysical and engineering model outputs including water quantity, quality, climate simulations, land use, and pollution sources. Objective Two: Collect new data on how human dimensions within the SCC impact sustainable management of water resources. The following conceptual foci emerged from stakeholder engagement and scientific expertise. Part A: Assess political jurisdiction impact on decision making for sustainable water management. Part B: Analyze cultural and local ecological knowledge of water management and different groups’ concepts and values of sustainability. Part C: Assay the types of uncertainty manifest among political jurisdictions and social networks and assess its impact on decision making regarding sustainable water management. Objective Three: Integrate biophysical and human dimensions data through modeling efforts. Objective Four. Build capacity through an education and engagement program that involves current and future partners and stakeholders. Top issues for Universities to address: •Water quantity and quality •Land use •Transportation •Air quality •Barriers to regional management •Environmental Quality Science of Complex Systems Figure 2. S-TURNS and SCC ULTRA-Ex Research Area. NSF-USFS Solicitation Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA) The long-term goals of an ULTRA program are to understand the dynamic couplings between human and natural systems as influenced by cultural variations and multijurisdictional governance, and to develop a process of integrating science with decision making and policy implementation. Issues Associated with Water Quality Requiring Study Land use parameters: historical, zoning, civic planning, etc. Private property activities: irrigation, fertilization, Lawn maintenance Agricultural management activities: fertilization, crop management Soil properties: chemistry, structure, mapping Transportation: current and planned, storm water influence, chemical inputs Air pollution: N deposition, urban sources of particulates influencing snowpack Other regional issues impacting Urbanization The corridor occurs along a major transportation corridor and across WA and ID producing contrasting and very different political and policy aspects. The adjacent public and tribal lands provide important quality of life amenities but also raise urban-wildland conflicts. Relationships with tribes in the region will be very important in the planning process. The rapid expansion into surrounding forest environments converts natural forests into urban/suburban/exurban forests. Changing environment and climate increases the probability of urban forest fires with ramifications not only for property damage and health, but also for institutional management of risk and insurance. Changes in biodiversity patterns and invasive species have followed urbanization. Heavy metal contamination from past mining activities has created a superfund site in Idaho that is impacting water quality in downstream environments. Recreational values from lakes and rivers have changed tax structures and land values as well as provided important tourism economies and quality of life values. The region is a climatic transition zone between continental and maritime air masses and snowpack conditions in the region are very close to the water/ice transition phase meaning minor changes in winter temperatures could greatly alter snowpack duration, spring runoff, length of growing season, summer drought conditions and subsequent fire risk. Examples of existing biophysical data • USGS Washington Water Science Center - groundwater – http://wa.water.usgs.gov/projects/svrp/publications.htm • Idaho Department of Environmental Quality – surface water – http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/tmdls/ spokane_river_upper/spokane_river_upper.cfm • Spokane County - Nonpoint study and links – http://www.spokanecounty.org/WQMP/content.aspx?c=1810 • WA DOE Loading for Lake Spokane (Long Lake) – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0403006.pdf • Spokane River Forum – Links to water quality data sets – http://www.spokaneriver.net/ Existing models and projects Lake Spokane CE-QUAL-W2 Modeling – DOE, USACE, Portland State University http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/spokaneriver/dissolved_oxyge n/technical.html Aquifer surface water capture in Spokane River – Idaho Water Resources Research Institute AIRPACT-3 windblown dust and air quality predictions – WSU Laboratory for Atmospheric Research http://lar.wsu.edu/research/regional-aq.html Technical Assistance for Rural groundwater development in Idaho. IWRRI and U of Idaho http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/gwemo/ Ongoing University Research • Weather station data and soil moisture monitoring in the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene corridor. • USGS/WSU MODFLOW model of the Spokane ValleyRathdrum Prairie aquifers. WA Water Research Center • Determination of the impact of inter-basin water transfer on Spokane River water quality and quantity. M. Barber WSU • Using participatory modeling as a decision support tool for assist with aquifer management. A. Beall, U of I Waters of the West • Techniques and Obstacles in Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Water-Related Needs and Issues in the Pacific Northwest; Jennifer Adam, WSU Possible Future Research • Improving understanding of the role of subsurface flow in surface water quality – Determine fate of phosphorus in groundwater – Improve aquifer recharge estimates • How to achieve resolution of regional, transboundary issues • How to resolve TMDL challenges to urbanization • Quantify effectiveness of riparian buffers for removing phosphorus. • Assessing the impact of climate changes on water timing, quantity and quality. SCC Web Site http://www.uidaho.edu/research/scc www.ctech.com