2012 United States Water Prize Winners

The Clean Water America Alliance recently announced winners of the 2012 US Water Prize, which honors watershed-based approaches toward water sustainability. This year's winners are:

• Frito-Lay, for corporatewide water and energy conservation  stewardship
• The Milwauke Metropolitan Sewerage District, for extending programs to the natural boundaries of the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic's river watersheds
• The Philadelphia Water Department for their Green City, Clean Waters program
• The Project WET foundation for its focus on education
• The Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative for forming collaborative partnerships
• The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for a holistic approach to conservation and watershed management

For details about the US Water Prize and individual projects, visit the Clean Water America website.

Video Contest Winners Inspire Stewardship for the Nation’s Waters

WASHINGTON - The two winners of EPA’s first-ever water quality video contest made videos that will help educate the public about water pollution and give simple steps that people and communities can take to improve water quality.

“We are delighted by the number and quality of contest submissions,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Michael H. Shapiro. “This is another illustration of how new Web technologies allow people to express their passion for water quality in new and exciting ways.”

In the 30 or 60 second category, “Protect Our Water - Check Cars for Oil Leaks” submitted by Lucas Ridley of Trenton, Ga. was the overall winner. His video illustrates one easy step you can take to protect your watershed through proper motor vehicle care.

In the 1-3 minute category, “Dastardly Deeds and the Water Pollution Monster” submitted by Nora Kelley Parren of Hinesburg, Vt. was the winner. Her animated video, made entirely out of discarded paper, illustrates how polluted runoff threatens ecosystems and offers tips people can take to protect water quality. The two winning filmmakers will each receive a $2,500 cash award, and their videos are featured on EPA’s Web site.

To view the two winners' videos, as well as others, visit EPA.

Buffering Wisconsin's water quality with science

Article by Jill Sakai, UW-Madison News

Spring in Wisconsin heralds a new growing season. But the warming temperatures also bring heavier runoff from farm fields, carrying pollution and contaminants into the state’s lakes and streams.

Wisconsin’s waters have long been known to be negatively impacted by agricultural runoff, including phosphorus, nitrogen and sediments. To date, however, attempts to mitigate the resulting damage and improve water quality have been hampered by the problem’s complexity — Wisconsin has a lot of water and a lot of farm fields, and not all interactions between the two are equal.

To read full article, visit UW-Madison News.

EPA Launches “Healthy Watersheds” Initiative and Web Site

EPA has launched a new initiative called Healthy Watersheds that emphasizes protection and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The initiative is being introduced on a new Web site, which provides information on tools to identify and protect healthy watersheds and their components. The Web site provides critical information for making strategic decisions to both protect and restore our nation’s waters. State officials will benefit greatly from the Healthy Watersheds initiative since they generally operate at the scale needed to implement strategic conservation decisions and are well-suited for assessing and managing watershed resources. Local governments, watershed practitioners, and regional agencies will also benefit from this initiative.

The Healthy Watersheds Approach addresses the watershed as a system of biota and habitats that are driven by critical processes such as hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and natural disturbance regimes. Programs that protect and restore aquatic ecosystems are most effective when they recognize and integrate these dynamics and manage watersheds as systems.

While significant progress has been made in protecting and restoring water quality under the Clean Water Act, the nation continues to lose healthy aquatic ecosystems. Preserving healthy watersheds will provide the critical natural infrastructure needed to restore water quality. EPA’s new initiative is predicated on the simple truth that it is much more cost-effective to protect the many benefits provided by healthy watersheds than it is to restore them once they become impaired. Learn more at EPA.

Hydrologist named Gaylord Nelson Professor

A UW-Madison hydrologist widely known for his work in watershed protection has been named the university's next Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor.

Kenneth Potter, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and environmental studies, will hold the honorary title for the next four years. The award includes an annual stipend for flexible research support.

To read full article, go to UW-Madison news.