The Clean Water Pod

Pinpointing Statewide Bacteria TMDL Solutions in Iowa Lakes

Iowa is home to many lakeside beaches created to provide recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Sand deposited at the water’s edge for public access was found to behave differently than the rest of the lake environment, harboring potentially harmful bacteria concentrations during the summer months when beach going is most popular. In this episode, listen to how watershed improvement professionals from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, including host Jeff Berckes, adjusted their monitoring approach and found creative ways to diagnose and improve water quality at beaches across the state.
About our guest:
Jason Palmer is a Natural Resource Biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Water Quality Improvements Section.

Protecting Clean Water in New Mexico's Rio Hondo

In northern New Mexico, the Rio Hondo is an important ecological, recreational and cultural waterway that winds through Taos Ski Valley. In this episode, host Jeff Berckes speaks with a state agency representative as well as the deputy director of a nonprofit organization focused on water quality. They discuss how the Rio Hondo was successfully delisted from the impaired waters list and a protective TMDL was established, as well as its designation as an Outstanding Natural Resource Waters (ONRW), and the role of local communities and citizen scientists in the process. 
About our guests:
Shelly Lemon is the bureau chief of the Surface Water Quality Bureau in the New Mexico Environment Department.
Rachel Conn serves as the deputy director of Amigos Bravos, a nonprofit water conservation organization in New Mexico.
 
#RioHondo #ONRW #WaterQuality #CleanWaterPod

Using Nature-Based Solutions to Address Nitrogen Pollution on Cape Cod

The population of Cape Cod, Massachusetts nearly triples during the height of the summer tourism season, putting stress on its natural resources. Water quality has become impaired by nutrients, primarily resulting from septic systems. To help protect its beloved waters, local organizations are working on solutions to reduce nitrogen pollution, such as with alternative septic systems and cranberry bog restoration. Host Jeff Berckes speaks with a project manager from a local nonprofit, the deputy director of a regional regulatory agency, and a microbiologist at a septic system testing center.
About our guests:
Jennifer Loughran serves as the project manager for innovative solutions at Barnstable Clean Water Coalition, located in Osterville, MA.
Erin Perry is the deputy director of the Cape Cod Commission, based in Barnstable, MA.
Sara Wigginton, Ph.D. is the microbiologist at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MASSTC), located in Buzzards Bay, MA.
 
#CleanWaterPod #CleanWater #CapeCod #Septic #WaterQuality #Restoration

The Power of Partnership in Maryland’s Choptank River Watershed

The Choptank River flows through Delaware and Maryland into the Chesapeake Bay, serving as an important fishery for the region. Working to improve the health of this watershed, the Envision the Choptank partnership takes a team approach in its efforts to advance water quality, support the ongoing oyster restoration and engage a wide range of stakeholders. In this episode, host Jeff Berckes speaks with the partnership coordinator behind Envision the Choptank, as well as one of its partners and biggest advocates.
About our guests:
Joanna Ogburn is the principal and founder of JBO Conservation, LLC and serves as the coordinator of the Envision the Choptank partnership.
Leslie Grunden is the assistant director of planning with the Caroline County Maryland Department of Planning and Codes. As a partner in Envision the Choptank, she helps develop and implement water quality projects that mutually benefit waterways and communities in the Choptank Watershed.

Oysters: Redefining New Hampshire's Restoration and Restaurant Scenes

Great Bay is a large flooded inland estuary, located along New Hampshire’s coast, and part of the U.S. EPA’s National Estuaries Program. The bay is a recreational resource and recreational fishery, home to a growing oyster aquaculture which supports water quality improvements. In this episode, host Jeff Berckes speaks with an environmental scientist, a shellfish farmer, and a chef that prioritizes locally-sourced food – like Great Bay oysters – to explore the impacts of nutrient reductions to the Great Bay Estuary.
About our guests:
Ted Diers is assistant director of the Water Division at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Dr. Kalle Matso serves as the director of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), which is affiliated with the University of New Hampshire.
Jay Baker is the founder and owner of Fat Dog Shellfish Company, located in Great Bay, New Hampshire.
Evan Mallett is the owner and chef of Black Trumpet Restaurant & Bar, located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Maryland’s Solution to Nutrient Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay

Containing the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay watershed includes almost the entire state of Maryland. This important cultural, economic and natural resource was in decline due to an increase in nutrients entering the Bay. In an effort to restore water quality, Maryland’s Bay Restoration Fund (BRF) was established in 2004, creating a dedicated fund to upgrade wastewater treatment plants to meet nutrient reduction goals. Join host Jeff Berckes as he interviews four environmental professionals from Maryland who share their experience working with the BRF and the changes, challenges and successes of the program they’ve seen along the way.
About our guests:
Kathy Stecker is a natural resources planner within the Water and Science Administration of the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Bob Summers, Ph.D., is the retired secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment and principal of EcoLogix Group, Inc.
Walid Saffouri, P.E., serves as the program administrator of Engineering and Capitol Projects Program with the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Cheryl Lewis is the town manager of Oxford, Maryland.
#WaterQuality #ChesapeakeBay #TMDL #NEIWPCC #Maryland
 

Reducing Nutrient Pollution from Septic Systems in Montana’s Flathead Basin

Addressing nutrient pollution resulting from underperforming septic systems in Montana’s scenic Flathead Lake Basin is the topic of episode two. Host Jeff Berckes is joined by three environmental science professionals to discuss issues associated with septic systems, how they can impact water quality, and the role homeowners can play in preventing this type of pollution. They also share their latest research and innovative partner projects that tackle this source of nutrients.
About our guests:
Emilie Henry serves as the program coordinator of the Western Montana Conservation Commission, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Henry develops and supports on-the-ground projects and programs, including surrounding septic leachate, that protect aquatic resources in western Montana.
Nanette Nelson is a research scientist at the Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana. She is an environmental economist with interests in non-market valuation of environmental goods and services and economic impacts of aquatic invasive species.
Mike Koopal is executive director and founder of the Whitefish Lake Institute, a science and education based nonprofit organization. Koopal serves as a governor-appointed member of the Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee and chairs the Western Montana Conservation Commission’s On-site Wastewater Treatment Committee and Technical Committee.

Too Much of a Good Thing: The Role of Nutrients in Water

Host Jeff Berckes kicks-off season two by discussing the role of nutrients in water quality. He is joined by professors Jamie Vaudrey and Jim Cotner to speak about phosphorus and nitrogen – two common nutrients found in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. They explore what these nutrients are, where they come from, and how they impact water quality.
About our guests:
Jamie Vaudrey is an assistant research professor with the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She also serves as the research coordinator for NOAA’s Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve. Vaudrey is involved with EPA’s National Estuary Program, serving on Narraganset Bay’s science advisory committee and the Long Island Sound Study’s science and technical advisory committee. She received a Bachelors in biology with a minor in philosophy from Wellesley College, and completed her Ph.D. in oceanography at the University of Connecticut.
James (Jim) Cotner is a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota. He has studied freshwater and marine ecosystems for more than 30 years, primarily focused on heterotrophic bacteria and ecological stoichiometry. Cotner holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
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Learn more about NEIWPCC at neiwpcc.org.

Perspectives on the Next 50 Years of the Clean Water Act

In the final episode of season one, host Jeff Berckes begins by speaking with Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency, Benita Best-Wong. The season has covered the programs and successes of the first 50 years of the Clean Water Act, and culminates with perspectives from Best-Wong and excerpts from previous guests about the biggest clean water challenges for the next 50 years.
About our guest:
Benita Best-Wong is the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In this role she provides oversight and management of the office’s budget and operations as well as assisting the Assistant Administrator in policy development and implementation. Best-Wong has worked in the environmental field for over 30 years, and has served in leadership positions in the Office of Wastewater Management and the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. She began her EPA career in the Office of Water in 1990 and has also worked in Region 2 as a water permit writer and a manager of the Region’s geographical programs. 
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Learn more about NEIWPCC at neiwpcc.org.

The 4-1-1 on the 319 Program - Nonpoint Problems, Pointed Solutions

States, territories and tribes receive Section 319 grant money to support a wide variety of activities – such as technical assistance, education, training and monitoring – for specific nonpoint source implementation projects. During this episode, hear about the role of local support, volunteer monitoring, and building strong partnerships that make nonpoint programs succeed!  
About our guests: 
Steve Konrady joined the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Quality Bureau in 2016 and is currently the western Iowa basin coordinator for the Water Quality Improvement Section. His duties include managing several regional and statewide water projects funded by multiple federal grants to Iowa from the U.S. EPA, including the Section 319 grant.  
Michaela Lambert is the nonpoint source and basin team section supervisor with the Kentucky Division of Water. In this role, she oversees the implementation of Kentucky’s Nonpoint Source program, including the Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant Program, education and outreach initiatives, and basin coordination efforts for Kentucky’s major river basins. 
Learn more about the Section 319 Grant Program: https://www.epa.gov/nps/319-grant-program-states-and-territories  
Learn more about Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) here: https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/harmful-algal-blooms 
Hear more success stories from the Nonpoint Program: https://www.epa.gov/nps/success-stories-about-restoring-water-bodies-impaired-nonpoint-source-pollution 
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Learn more about NEIWPCC at neiwpcc.org.