Opportunities for Conservation Districts to Work with State Source Water Protection Programs

Transcription

1 Opportunities for Conservation Districts to Work with State Source Water Protection Programs February 5, 2019 NACD Annual Conference Deirdre Mason Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

2 Presentation Overview About ASDWA Source Water Collaborative & Toolkit Our Common Ground State Collaboration Examples 2

3 About ASDWA Mission: To protect public health and the economy by providing safe drinking water Members: Drinking Water Program Administrators: 50 states, territories, the Navajo Nation, and the District of Columbia Public Water System Oversight Regulation Technical assistance Funding DWSRF, set-asides Coordination with Multiple Partners Coordinate to prioritize and support drinking water protection

4 State Drinking Water and Source Water Protection Programs Where are they within state government? 16 in state Departments of Health 3 in combined state Departments of Health, Environment, and/or Natural Resources 31 in Departments of Environment or Natural Resources ASDWA s Member and SWP Contact in Texas Cari-Michel LaCaille, Drinking Water Administrator, Water Supply Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Jonathon Haynes, State Source Water Protection Coordinator

5 27 Members American Planning Association American Rivers American Water Works Association Association of Clean Water Administrators Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Association of State Drinking Water Administrators Clean Water Action Clean Water Fund Environmental Finance Center Network Ground Water Protection Council Groundwater Foundation National Association of Conservation Districts National Association of Counties National Environmental Services Center National Ground Water Association National Rural Water Association North American Lake Management Society River Network Rural Community Assistance Partnership Smart Growth America The Trust for Public Land USDA - Farm Service Agency USDA - NRCS U.S. EPA U.S. Forest Service (Northeastern) U.S. Geological Survey Water Systems Council 5

6 Two collaboration toolkits: Online Agricultural Toolkits 1. How SWP partners can work with Conservation Districts 2. How state SWP programs can work with NRCS State Conservationists Goals: Promote source water protection through agricultural practices Facilitate collaboration between source water and USDA partners Contents: Background information and simple steps for working together Meeting materials, agendas, talking points, handouts Key contacts for partners at the state and local levels

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8 Our Common Ground - CDs and State SWP Programs COMMON GROUND Conservation Districts State Source Water Programs Data and Map overlays NWQI watersheds Land use/project areas IDEA Conserv. planning & financial assistance Target areas for surface and ground water protection Best practices to address priority drinking water contaminants (e.g., HABs, nutrients, bacteria, sediment, pesticides) Working lands Willing partners Nutrient management Irrigation practices Manure management Conservation Buffers and wetlands Matching Funds NRCS NWQI, RCPP, CIG (EQIP, CSP, AMA, WRE) FSA CRP GIS maps of SWP and WHP areas Drinking water contaminant sources Water quality data CWA TMDLs and 303(d) Impairments Water utility SWP plans Propose priority areas/projects Identify sources of contamination Conduct susceptibility analysis Provide water quality monitoring data Help measure success Conduct outreach/education DWSRF set-asides (TA, grants & loans) CWSRF, 319 State funds

9 Map Overlay SWP Areas Intake Farmland Protection area WHP Watershed Iowa s hydrogeological ground water site assessment (Geo-Probe, mobile lab)

10 44 of 50 States Use DWSRF Set-asides for Source Water Protection Use of DWSRF set-asides for project funding Varies by state - based on state priorities, policies, and laws Allowable uses Loans and grants to drinking water utilities Land acquisition, conservation easements, livestock fencing, and riparian buffers Technical assistance Source water protection plans Source water (contaminant risk/vulnerability) assessments and GIS mapping Water quality monitoring and hydrologic modeling Public outreach and education State staffing, management, and contract assistance State Rural Water Associations, State AWWA chapters, others

11 Clean Water SRF for Source Waters Sponsorship Programs 7 States (DE, ID, KS, ND, OR, SC, WV) Wastewater utility infrastructure loan - sponsors watershed project for reduced interest rate Cost paid from reduced loan interest rate savings Over $700 million in agricultural BMPs as of 10/ project implementation AFOs and Cropland Maryland and Virginia Farm Credit Banks Provides entire cost for agricultural bmp project Can be partially repaid with USDA grant Minnesota Ag BMP Loan Program CWSRF leveraged with state and local funds $220 million for 13,000 projects

12 Nebraska - DWSRF and CWA 319 Funds Drinking Water Protection Management (Plans) Funding from SDWA DWSRF 15% set-a-side Alternative to CWA Section 319 nine-element watershed management plan for groundwater approved by EPA Region Implementation CWA Section 319 Funding Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) Existing NWQI and RCPP Projects 3 PWS Pilots Population Served Source Waverly 3277 GW Auburn 3460 GWUDI Fairbury 3942 GWUDI

13 Iowa NRCS Projects for Source Water Protection NWQI SWP Pilots Implementation Phase Spirit Lake & Winterset (Cedar Lake) RCPP Middle Cedar River Watershed + more! CIG State SWP pilot projects Current: 52 WASCOBs at 9,600 feet Potential: 75 WASCOBs at 24,600 ft Saturation: 41% by count, 28% by feet

14 Iowa Pooled Funding for SWP Projects Over $1 Million For Local SWP BMP Implementation from Local, State, Federal Partnerships Developed for SWP Pilot Projects NRCS: Conservation Innovation Grant = $90,000 USDA-NRCS & FSA: Program cost-share for BMPs Leopold Center for Sustainable Ag = $90,000 Iowa Water Infrastructure Resource Board CWSRF & DWSRF = Over $500,000 Pheasants Forever: Seeding Dollars & In-kind Local Assistance $ SWCD s: Cost-share & $ for BMP Installation Iowa Dept. of Ag & Land Stewardship = cost-share for BMPs in SWP Pilot Projects

15 Connecticut - Lead Partners NWQI SWP Pilot Farm River Tom Morgart, Connecticut State Conservationist Denise Savageau, President, Connecticut Association of Conservation Districts Lori Mathieu, Pat Bisacky & Eric McPhee, Drinking Water Program, Department of Health Kira Jacobs and Ted Lavery, EPA Region 1 South Central Regional Water Authority (New Haven, CT) CT Source Water Collaborative

16 CT - NWQI SWP Pilot Evaluation/Criteria Data Layers used to Analyze Source Water Protection Opportunities NRCS Land Cover Layer 303d Ag Impaired Watersheds Source Water Protection Areas Conservation planning data Financial assistance data Additional factors Willing participation by producers Number of ag operations NRCS Land Cover Layer 303d Ag Impaired Watersheds

17 Pennsylvania NWQI SWP Pilots 1. Lower Maiden Creek (Reading Area Water Authority); Berks County 2. Swatara Creek (PA American Water - Hershey); Lebanon County PA DEP, EPA R3 & water suppliers met w/ NRCS in August 2018 DEP/EPA interest => karst terrains w/ NO 3 violations Lower Maiden Creek Swatara Creek NRCS interest - staff capacity, producer interest, existing demand and projects, partners for monitoring, etc. Partners: State Water Programs, County Conservation Districts, water utility DEP gave NRCS SWP area GIS shapefiles (1 st time shared with outside agency!) State of PA funds watershed specialist positions in each of the Conservation Districts!

18 Oregon FY19 NWQI SWP 5 Pilots $492,420 Project Partner Goals: Detailed watershed assessment Outreach strategy to address site specific agricultural-related impacts to source water quality Project Area Concerns: Nutrients, sediment, pathogens, pesticides Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Wildfire risk Salmon, fish habitat Environmental Justice issues

19 Canby & Molalla NWQI SWP Pilot Watershed Population served: 16,866 (City of Canby) 9,139 (City of Molalla) Mixed Agricultural Land Uses: Container nursery, cane/field berries Filberts, field vegetables Hay/pasture, grazing/livestock Non-industrial private forest Christmas trees Partners: Clackamas SWCD (lead), NRCS Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Oregon Department of Agriculture Molalla Riverwatch (watershed council)

20 Myrtle Point NWQI Pilot Drinking Water Area Population: 2,600 Concerns: turbidity, periodic geosmin (causing taste and odor concerns), and bacteria Impacts: drinking water treatment and public health Goals: Support TMDL implementation Build capacity at Coos SWCD and with local partners

21 Kansas RCPP Milford Lake Project Value: $2.8 million NRCS Investment: $1.4 million 28 Partners Lead Partner: Kansas Water Office Multiple State Agencies Riley County Conservation District Five Water Utilities: Kansas River Water Assurance District No. 1 Challenges: HABS that impact public water supplies, wildlife, water-based recreation. Solutions: Implementation of conservation practices to reduce nutrients entering Milford Lake. 21

22 Summary Source water protection and agricultural best practices are both highly site-specific processes based on local conditions. Focus on efforts that give you the biggest bang for your buck! REACH OUT TO YOUR STATE SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAMS and other potential partners!

23 Deirdre Mason