The Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) is accepting inquires by county engineers, administrators, and planners or their staff who would be interested in attending an overnight workshop on improving roadside ditch management to help meet Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality goals. Attendance is by invitation only. Please contact Matt Ellis (ellism@si.edu) by October 1st if you would be interested being invited. (But note that if you wish to reserve a discount hotel room through CRC, you must do so by September 26th.) Here are the specifics from the Workshop Information handout:
Re-Plumbing The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Improving Roadside Ditch Management to Meet TMDL Water Quality Goals
October 9-10, 2014 Tidewater Inn 101 E Dover St. Easton, MD 21601
We are personally inviting you to join a select group of experts from around the Chesapeake Bay watershed to discuss sediment and nutrient issues related to roadside ditch management and various mitigation and design approaches. Specifically, we would very much like to include your perspectives in the Summary Recommendations, which will be distributed to Chesapeake Bay watershed decision-makers. We sincerely hope you can make time to participate in this important discussion. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days and a room block has been established at the Tidewater Inn for all participants. Please RSVP to Matt Ellis (ellism@si.edu) by October 1st.
The complete set of Workshop Objectives is listed below and a Final Workshop Agenda will be distributed soon.
- Share recent scientific assessments of regional surface water quality impacts from ditches alongside low-volume, rural roads;
- Review Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) accepted best management practices to mitigate impacts from roadside ditches and explore novel approaches to treating road runoff;
- Outline additional policy and research and monitoring needs to enhance rural roadside ditch management; and
- Establish a communications network for professionals including decision-makers, practitioners, and scientists, engaged in building better ditch management across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The organizing committee for this workshop consists of:
Kathy Boomer (The Nature Conservancy, MD/DC Chapter – Chair, Conference Organizer); Rebecca Schneider (Cornell University – Chair, Summary Report and Follow-up); Norm Goulet (Northern VA Regional Commission; CBP Urban Stormwater GIT); Steven Bloser (Director, PA Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads); David Orr (Director, Cornell Center for Local Roads); Michael Slattery (USFWS, Chesapeake Bay Program); Jennifer Greiner (USFWS, Chesapeake Bay Program); Donnelle Keech (Allegany Forests Project Director, The Nature Conservancy); Alan Girard (Chesapeake Bay Foundation); Ray Bryant (USDA-ARS); Amy Jacobs (The Nature Conservancy)
RDM Workshop Information Handout (PDF Form)
