Underwater ROV based on cuttlefish

I just submitted a grant for training teachers in designing and building underwater ROV's for freshwater research.  As we enter SeaPerch competition season, there's this.

End-of-Course Support - Publishing

Thanks to all who are scrambling to submit work here at the end of the semester. 

But because reporting and sharing is a very big part of stewardship, it's important to me to have you share your work on your blog (or some other strategy).    Email attachments are suitable for immediate purposes, and if you need help publishing it you can make me a blog co-author. 

To add me as a co-author, 

1. Go to Blogger.com 

2. On your dashboard, look for the small "More Options" down-arrow among the options for your blog

3. Choose Settings

4. Under Permissions, choose "Add Authors"

5. Add Jim.Egenrieder@gmail.com

Citation for NSTA Protocols

I cited the NSTA protocols in the Syllabus but not on the Resources document.  If you want to cite one of the 10 NSTA protocols, you can use the following (APA format):

Carlsen, W., Trautmann, N., Krasny, M., & Cunningham, C. (2004). Watershed Dynamics, Student Edition and Teachers' Manual. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Kudos to Sadie for catching this!

VT receives approval for a new Water Resources major

Water Resources Undergraduate Major at Virginia Tech Approved in late 2014 by State Council of Higher Education; Set to Begin in 2015 by araflo In early December 2014, Virginia Tech received approval from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) for a new undergraduate, water resources major at the university.  This followed approval by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during its June 1-2, 2014, meetings.  The new “Water: Resources, Policy, and Management” Bachelors of Science degree will begin in 2015. The program’s academic home will be Tech’s Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.  But the major is designed to be highly interdisciplinary, with involvement and course offerings also in Tech’s colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Urban Studies, Engineering,

Hangout this evening - 7pm

I'll be available online at 7pm EDT to talk with anyone that can join us. We'll use the same combination of two technologies as before (pick one or both): 

1. Google hangout: Look for an email invitation or on G+ at or after 6:55pm 

2. Voice conference call by Uber: Call-in Number: (585) 632-6253 • PIN: 22875

Meanders and Oxbows

These folks have published many nice explanations of natural phenomena.

Try geocaching today, wherever you are.

Adam asked about ideas for containers for hiding geocaches to get people to explore unique areas (like your watersheds!), and I thought I'd share my response with you all.

But most importantly, try geocaching yourself with friends or family.  You can be very successful using only your smart phone with Google Maps or one of the apps below.  Start here by entering your current location:  http://www.geocaching.com/seek/default.aspx  

You'll be surprised how many are nearby and how long you've been living as a muggle.

----------------------------
I use everything from magnetic key cases (I have several of these) to fake rocks (for hiding keys), to up to big 4" tubes.  It's all about what you can hide in plain site, and that depends on location and the number and nature of passersby.  I've seen some people use those Glad containers in which sandwich meat is packaged.  Others use ammo containers  in remote places that allow them to chain it to trees.

You're not allowed to bury your cache, so your selection of container and it's camouflage is often a source of amusement for those who seek them.

I have one large mega vitamins bottle that I wrapped in black duct tape and it hangs between two signs in a neighborhood traffic circle; people regularly comment "I can't believe this doesn't get stolen."  Another that gets even more comments is a magnetic key case on a drain pipe at a bus stop at a community college.  Finding it without "muggles" noticing what you're doing is part of the excitement for the seekers.

Other suggestions: http://goo.gl/SaFmD6

If you're travelling, enter your current address here (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/default.aspx) and go look for a few.  It's a great way to explore with your family while you work up an appetite or advance digestion after dinner.

If you don't have your favorite GPS with you, here are links to free and full-featured phone apps:  http://www.geocaching.com/mobile/default.aspx  The graphic interface of some of these apps make them more fun than a GPS, even if less accurate.

VT Thanksgiving Holiday

I overlooked the VT holiday, so no presentations tonight.  I'm open to troubleshooting and support, and will be logged in and available by phone (571-482-8298) or email after 6pm until 9pm.  But otherwise please enjoy the break and we'll resume presentations next week.  Wear orange if you go out for a rural watershed hike.

Hangout - November 17

It's a busy time, but I'm hoping some folks will be willing to present some of their work.

I'll be available online at 7pm EDT to talk with anyone that can join us. We'll use the same combination of two technologies as last time (pick one or both): 

1. Google hangout: Look for an email invitation or on G+ at or after 6:55pm 

2. Voice conference call by Uber: Call-in Number: (585) 632-6253 • PIN: 22875

Starting a Non-Profit

Click here.

Hangout tonight - November 10

Many of you told me you'd be unavailable, but I'll be online for a regular "office-hours" Hangout.  I also promised to describe/discuss watershed non-profits. 

I'll be available online at 7pm EDT to talk with anyone that can join us. We'll use the same combination of two technologies as last time (pick one): 

1. Google hangout: Look for an email invitation or on G+ at or after 6:55pm 

2. Voice conference call by Uber: Call-in Number: (585) 632-6253 • PIN: 22875

Recommended Trees (for Arlington)

From the Arlington, VA Environment Pages:

The author/keeper of this information, Vincent Verweij, is a graduate of the MNR program and is now Arlington's Urban Forester.

Recommended Trees

This page lists trees appropriate for planting on private property in Arlington County. The lists have been vetted for trees that are structurally sound if maintained well, and do not contain species known to be invasive. To find a list of trees native to our region, consult Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping (Chesapeake Bay Watershed) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To find out whether a species is native to Arlington County, consult the Virginia Digital Plant Atlas

• For planting on County property (along streets, parks and other public areas), refer to our Tree Planting Program.
• If you're a developer or are performing a large project in Arlington, refer to the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance page. The lists on this page do not apply to the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance.
• Consult the Virginia Tech Tree database for more detailed information and pictures.

Contact the County Urban Forester at vverweij@arlingtonva.us for further questions. The lists on this page are subject to change.

Shade Trees

Shade & Maximum Environmental Benefit

Shade trees can significantly alter the microclimate around a home, resulting in a more comfortable environment and significant savings in heating and cooling costs over time. Large shade trees also provide the most significant stormwater and wildlife benefit.
These trees should be planted with the future in mind. Be aware of overhead powerlines or nearby structures when planting these trees.

Shade Tree List

Small and Ornamental Trees

Small Spaces & Accent

A list of trees perfect for accents, ornamental display, or spaces with low soil space. Consider these species when filling out a landscape, or when maintenance budget is limited. Appropriate for planting under most overhead utilities.

Small Tree List

Evergreen Trees

Screening & Shade in the Summer, Wind Breaks in the Winter

Evergreen trees provide great screening, shade in the summer, and wind breaks in the winter. Evergreen trees also provide year-round wildlife food, crucial for survival during the winter.
Some of the larger evergreens should be planted with the future in mind. Be aware of overhead powerlines or nearby structures when planting these trees.

Evergreen Tree List

Invasive Trees

Do Not Plant These Trees

Invasive plant species degrade the landscape in several ways. In Arlington, invasive plants negatively impact ecosystem health, green infrastructure and canopy coverage. Due to their ability to outcompete native plants, invasive plants have displaced many native species that provide habitat and forage for wildlife. Additionally, invasive plants can disrupt normal forest succession by inhibiting regeneration of native tree species.
For more information on invasive species, check out our Invasive Plant Program.

Invasive Tree List

Master Tree List

Technical Compilation of Recommended Trees for Arlington County

A list of trees appropriate for planting in Arlington County. This list has been vetted for trees that are structurally sound if maintained well, and do not pose an ecological risk due to invasion.
Master Tree List (Excel)

Master Tree List

Hangout tonight - November 3

I'll be available online at 7pm EDT to talk with anyone that can join us. We'll use the same combination of two technologies as last time (pick one): 1. Google hangout: Look for an email invitation or on G+ at or after 6:55pm 2. Voice conference call by Uber: Call-in Number: (585) 632-6253 • PIN: 22875

Please check your email inbox

I sent a message at 4:40pm today.  If you don't see an email from me in your inbox, please check your Spam or Junk folders (maybe there are others from me!).

If you'd like to suggest a time to talk one-on-one this week, please send a few suggestions .  If email exchanges suit you better, that's great too.

Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint

From CBF:

You've been hearing a lot lately about the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, and how when it's fully implemented, it will bring in an additional $22 billion to our regional economy year after year.  But what is it really, and how is it our best—and perhaps last—chance at real clean water restoration in our region? Click here to take a look at our Blueprint infographic to get the full story. Then share it with your friends! It's a good one . . .

 

Virginia Precipitation and Stream Flow October 7-14, 2014

I'm posting this because we are likely to see some major changes in our regional watersheds today through Saturday.  - Jim
------------------------------

Virginia Precipitation and Stream Flow for the 7-day Period Ending October 14, 2014 by araflo

Below are images showing precipitation in the southeastern United States and stream flow in Virginia over the seven-day period ending October 14, 2014. The Virginia Water Resources Research Center thanks the agencies mentioned below for providing precipitation and stream-flow information and images. For monthly reviews of precipitation, stream flow, and drought, please see the News Grouper posts available at this link: http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/?s=Monthly+Water+Status.

Precipitation

The following maps show southeastern U.S. precipitation amounts over the past seven days (top map), and the percent of normal precipitation for the given location at this time of year (bottom map).  The maps were accessed on 10/15/14 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Southeast Regional Climate Center, located at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill; online athttp://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/precip_maps. As of 10/15/14, these data areprovisional (needing to be verified for accuracy and subject to possible revision).

Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grants

For full documentation, go to the EPA RFP Site.

EPA is soliciting proposals for the management of the Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant. The purpose of the grant is to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds across the country. EPA expects to issue a cooperative agreement to fund a single grantee to manage the Healthy Watersheds Consortium grant program and issue subawards on a competitive basis.

 Eligible applicants for this RFP are non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations, interstate agencies, and inter-tribal consortia which are capable of undertaking activities that advance healthy watershed programs on a national basis. Eligible entities for the subawards include public and private nonprofit institutions / organizations, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, states, local governments, U.S. territories or possessions, and interstate agencies.

Anticipated federal funding under the competition is approximately $3.75 million over six years. Proposals are due January 5, 2015. For detailed information regarding this RFP, please refer to the PDF below and the associated deadline table.

Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant RFP (PDF) (32 pp, 457K, About PDF)

Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Proposal Deadlines

Information Session / Webinar (Check back at a later time for more information)	November 13, 2014
Last day to submit questions about RFP	December 4, 2014
Deadline for receipt of proposal in hard copy or electronically	January 5, 2015

Questions about this RFP must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII by December 4, 2014.

New playboating park at Holtwood Dam on the Susquehanna

Reposted with permission from Lancaster Online.

$4 million whitewater playboating park below Holtwood Dam tested, about to open to public

By AD CRABLE | Staff Writer | Posted 2 hours ago



By remote control, a metal gate opens on the York County side of the Holtwood Dam and impounded Susquehanna river water gushes down a 100-year-old stone fish ladder at 755 cubic feet per second.

Soon, a newly constructed channel is transformed into churning, splashing whitewater reminiscent of a Western river.

The scene last Wednesday morning is just what Matt Samms, a 40-year-old kayaker from Safe Harbor, had been dreaming about for eight years now.

Samms, in a wetsuit, protective helmet  and ear plugs, eases himself into a short, snub-nosed Pyranha kayak that weighs a mere 45 pounds.

Over the next several hours, he and eight other devotees of the whitewater freestyle kayaking sport of playboating spin, surf — even roll underwater on a whim — their kayaks in powerful artificially-created waves and momentum-stopping hydraulics.

They test different flows to see which will make the playground all it can be.

“We’re working out some bugs,” announces Samms as wailing sirens and strobe lights announce the water release from the dam and that the downstream river level will soon be rising. Four bald eagles soar overhead.

After years of planning and initially testy negotiations, the $4 million waterpark built by PPL is about ready to open to the public. Backers believe it will offer world-class whitewater features and become a popular spectator sport that will boost local economies.

The whitewater playground was tested by area kayakers three days last week and it was pronounced ready to rock.

All that remains is for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to sign off on a safety plan for spectators lining the banks. Once that happens, likely a few days to several weeks from now, the park will be open for use by the public.

Samms says it may be open almost daily throughout October and November. To find out when the park will open, and a daily schedule of hours, check out this website. The site is currently inactive until the park gets the green light.

An expansive flat area borders the whitewater where the public can bring lawn chairs and watch the playboaters.

Area kayakers and American Whitewater, a national whitewater advocacy group, mounted a persuasive coalition when they learned that PPL’s expansion of capacity at its Holtwood Dam hydroelectric facility would remove many of the riverbottom boulders that had created what some considered the best playboating features on the East Coast.

Reminder - no meetup on the holiday.

In case you didn't see this on the Anticipation Guide, no meetup tonight.