By Alexandra McLaughlin, Penn State News

A team of Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteers in Monroe County is helping Stroud Township save money while enhancing water quality in the region.

These Master Watershed Stewards — the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination team — perform stormwater outfall inspections on behalf of the township.

Outfalls are places where stormwater runoff empties into creeks, rivers and lakes, and contaminants in runoff can pollute these waterways.

Outfall inspections, crucial for protecting water quality, typically are carried out by engineering firms at $50-75 per hour. However, the volunteers perform this service for free.

The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, program employs structures such as retention basins, ditches, roadside inlets and underground pipes that collect stormwater from urban areas and discharge it untreated into local water bodies.

Communities classified as “Urbanized Areas” by the U.S. Census Bureau must participate in this program, managed in Pennsylvania by the Department of Environmental Protection under the federal Clean Water Act.

In Monroe County, six municipalities must comply with MS4 regulations, according to James Vogt, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Penn State Extension in Monroe County.

He noted that the Master Watershed Steward team selected Stroud Township as the pilot for its Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination program, which involves developing a system map and educating the community about the dangers of illegal discharges and improper waste disposal.

To discharge stormwater legally, Vogt explained, communities need a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit.

To meet permit requirements, they must develop a stormwater management program focusing on six “minimum control measures” deemed essential by the US Environmental Protection Agency: public education and outreach; public participation and involvement; illicit discharge detection and elimination; construction site erosion control; post construction stormwater management; and pollution prevention and good housekeeping.

“We help communities comply with MS4 requirements by assisting with the first three minimum control measures,” Vogt said. “We support MCMs 1 and 2 through education and outreach using Penn State resources.”

For example, the team distributes educational materials and performs outreach to inform the public about the impacts of polluted stormwater runoff on water quality.

They also encourage public participation in the program’s development and implementation, such as public hearings and stormwater management panels.

The Master Watershed Stewards collaborate with Reilly Engineering, the firm used by Stroud Township, to create a detailed map of outfalls and discharge points. Frequent meetings with the engineering firm help prioritize inspections.

All Master Watershed Steward team members have completed the Department of Environmental Protection Clean Water Academy training on outfall inspections.

Smartphone Inspection App

To streamline the inspection process, Master Watershed Steward volunteer Duane Kerzic developed a smartphone app.

The Department of Environmental Protection requires a lengthy report for each outfall, which Kerzic converted into a fillable form on the app. The app also includes the township map, with a feature that shows completed inspections.

“Instead of walking around with a clipboard full of papers — not ideal on a windy day — we can conduct the entire inspection on our phones and send PDFs, including photos, to Reilly Engineering,” Vogt said. “With our volunteers doing these inspections, the township saves quite a bit of money.”

Vogt said the next step is expanding the app’s availability to other county Master Watershed Steward programs.

The team is seeking funding for broader coverage.

The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations.

The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the Commonwealth.

Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more about the program on the Penn State Extension website.

(Reprinted from Penn State News.)

Upcoming Events - Penn State Extension

-- Penn State Extension: Upcoming Training And Events For Agriculture Conservationists

-- Penn State Extension 5-Part Backyard Stream Repair Webinar Series Starting Aug. 27

-- Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts 3-Part Conservation Cornerstone Webinar Series For Ag Professionals Starting Aug. 27  [PaEN]

-- September 10: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Proper Native Tree Planting For Long-Term Success  [PaEN]

-- September 10--  Penn State Extension (1 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Using Geographic Information Systems to Track Management and Assess Attributes of Forested  Property.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

-- September 11-- Penn State Extension Hosts Rain Barrel Discovery - Explore & Learn Webinar [PaEN]

-- September 12-- Penn State Extension Webinar: On A Few Acres - Permaculture & Risk Management [PaEN]

-- September 14-- Celebrate The World Of Insects At Penn State's Annual Great Insect Fair In State College  [PaEN]

-- September 18-- Penn State Extension Local Comprehensive Plans In PA Webinar, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

-- September 19-- Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Cumberland County Gardening With Nature - Stormwater-Friendly Lawn Care Workshop.  Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th Street in Camp Hill.  7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

-- September 24: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Community Forestry - TreeKeeper - A Tool For Tree Canopy Management  [PaEN]

-- September 24-- Penn State Extension Local Comprehensive Plans In PA Webinar, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. 

-- September 26-- York Master Watershed Stewards Host Tap Talk - Preserving York County Landscapes & Waterways With The Farm & Natural Lands Trust  [PaEN]

-- October 1: Penn State Extension Introduction To On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

-- October 7-9: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop.  Penn State’s University Park campus.

-- October 15: Penn State Extension Installation/Permitting On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

-- October 15-17: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop. Penn State Hazleton.

-- October 28-30: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop. Penn State Beaver

-- October 29: Penn State Extension Maintenance of On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Resource Links:

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Friendly PA Certification

-- Penn State Extension: Why Did My Young Riparian Buffer Tree Die?

-- Penn State Extension: Guide Provides Advice On Managing Spotted Lanternfly

-- Penn State Extension: Shade Tree Commission Spotlight - Lewisburg Borough

-- Penn State Extension: High School Students Learn About Tree Care

-- Penn State Extension: Arborist Short Course Series Starting Oct. 7

-- Penn State Extension: Is That Vine Damaging My Tree?

Related Articles This Week- Watersheds:

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announces $23.8 Million In Small Watershed Grants To Support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Efforts  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training To Hold 3  Multi-Day In-Person Ag Conservation Keystone Training Workshops In October  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Trees For Graziers Host 2 Silvopasture Farm Walks On Sept. 4 In York County, Sept. 11 In Lebanon County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Offers 3-Part Webinar Series On On-Lot Septic Systems Starting Oct. 1  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Holds Watershed Exploration Programs For Students In Grades 6 to 12 From 8 PA Schools In September, October  [PaEN]

-- Upper Delaware Council Announces Honorees For 36th Annual River Valley Awards, Including 4 From Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Seeks Volunteers For Annual Plant-A-Thon Set To Plant 10,000 Native Trees, Shrubs, Perennials Throughout The 4-County Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Pike, Wayne Conservation Districts, Trout Unlimited Chapter Partner On New Stream Keepers Youth Program Oct. 5   [PaEN]

NewClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Why Reducing Farm Pollution In The Chesapeake Bay Region Is A Complex Problem

-- USDA Grant To Fund Penn State AI-Powered Research Into Nitrate Pollution Measurements Database In Chesapeake Bay, Ohio River, Upper Mississippi River Watersheds

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Record National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Funding For Delaware Watershed Restoration In PA, DE, NJ

-- MCall: Stormwater Management Plan Vital For Lehigh Valley’s Future

-- Pike County Conservation District: How To Properly Maintain Your On-Lot Septic System

-- Williamsport Sun: Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Applications Now Being Accepted

-- Williamsport Sun: Winners Of Susquehanna Greenway Photo Contest Announced

-- Warren Times: Warren Conservation District Accepting Photo Contest Submissions Until Sept. 13

-- Williamsport Sun: Susquehanna TU Chapter Meets Sept. 11 For Picnic, Update On Conservation Projects

[Posted: September 4, 2024]

9/9/2024