Many rivers in the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains remain above flood stage, and the threat of more flooding will continue through the summer, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service forecasters.
With rivers running high and soils completely saturated, just a small amount of rain could trigger more flooding, including in areas that already have seen devastating water levels. Forecasters say this season could rival the Great Flood of 1993, when the Upper Midwest endured persistent, record-breaking floods from April through August, impacting nine states and causing more than $25 billion in damage.
Associations Renew Partnership
In a move to promote nationwide water protection, leaders from the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC), the American Water Works Assn. (AWWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF) have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU).
ABC was established in 1972 with funding from WEF and AWWA, and it has partnered with each organization on numerous efforts. The MOU further defines the partnership and serves as a document pledging support to each organization’s initiatives.
In addition to collaborations that aim to better the industry, WEF’s David Flowers and AWWA’s Chuck Van Der Kolk serve on ABC’s board of directors.
EPA Approves Iowa's List of Impaired Waters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Iowa’s list of impaired waters, which removes 56 waters from the previous impaired waters list and adds 103 waters. The decision brings the total number of impaired waters in the state to 474.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources submitted its impaired waters list to the EPA for review and approval as required by the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA requires the EPA to review the state’s list of impaired waters to determine whether the state reasonably considered available water quality-related data and identifies waters to be listed.
IECA Announces 2011 Presenter of the Year
The International Erosion Control Assn. announced that Barry Fagan, P.E./PLS, CPESC, has received the 2011 Presenter of the Year Award. This award recognizes an outstanding presenter who demonstrates excellence in presentation skills, educational delivery and content preparation.
Fagan was awarded for his course, “The Five Pillars of Construction Site Stormwater Management,” at the association’s Environmental Connection 2011 event in Orlando.
Fagan is the environmental compliance engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation. He is responsible for creating, coordinating and communicating internal and external department policies and goals.
New Storm Water Management Report Released
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) has released a new report titled “Storm Water Management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: Cities Charting the Way Forward.”
Based on a comprehensive survey of storm water practices of GLSLCI members, the report shows municipal storm water management to be in a state of transition across the basin.
There is a range of issues facing municipal storm water practitioners, as well as a wide range of best practices already adopted. A large majority of survey respondents believe that federal, provincial and state requirements are a main driver for storm water action.
Networking News
Michael A. Bednarczyk joined Forrester Construction Co. as senior vice president of project management operations. Bednarczyk brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate.
John Mele, North Atlantic area manager for Hobas Pipe USA, was awarded the 2011 Harry P. Croft Award, presented annually to a member of the New Jersey Water Environment Assn. for his or her service to the association or the field of water pollution control.
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