Virginia Coastal Program: 2002 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2002 Task 49
Grantee:
Rappahannock Area Development Commission
Project Title:
Coastal Resources Technical Assistance Program
Project Description as Proposed:
The RADCO Technical Assistance Program has been developed to meet the needs of our five member jurisdictions for services related to their developing coastal programs and also to provide staff assistance to the Rappahannock River Basin Commission. As the issues of water quantity and quality protection and planning become critical, time is being allocated to assist our localities in addressing these matters. RADCO will also expand its GIS and web site assistance to provide information and products for our localities and the River Basin Commission. The River Basin Commission's mission is to provide guidance for the stewardship and enhancement of water quality and natural resources of the Rappahannock River Basin. It provides a forum for government and citizens to discuss issues affecting the Basin. It promotes communication, coordination and education. Various activities which are beneficial to the Basin are promoted. RADCO's proposed use of funds for the coming year will include:1) Enhancing the Basin Commission's web site and information transfer capabilties by identifying additional Basin-wide information for placement on the page and implementing these upgrades. Of particular focus will be information related to the water supply planning project. 2) Provide staff support to the Commission and its several committees in their work. Data collection and presentation will be necessry as the committees begin to address the issues of water quantity and quality in the Rappahannock River. Assist the Commission's Water Allocation Work Group in furthering the planning process for studying water quantity in the Rappahannock River. 3) Provide Planning Assistance for Rappahannock River Summit VI, and assist the work groups that were created as a result of Summit III and IV (education, urban pollution sources, agriculture, etc.). 4) Production assistance for the Commission's newsletter. The newsletter will receive wide distribution electronically and provide information about the Basin and the Commission's activities. 5) Assist localities with Comprehensive Planning and environmental planning acMay 16, 2006 as requested. 6) Prepare appropriate GIS layers for localities and for the Coastal Zone's GIS Data Coordination with the 8 coastal PDCs and the Coastal Program. Objectives 1-5 will be subcontracted, Objective 6 will be the responsibility of PDC staff.
Federal Funding:
$20,000
Project Contact:
Stephen Manster, 540.373.2890
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
#1:
RRBC Website enhancements - 1) Information has been posted for each
Commission meeting, including agendas, minutes and presentations.
2) Member information kept up to date. 3) August 2003 newsletter.
4) The water supply planning model including instruction on how
to download a demonstration version of the Stella operating software.
Stella is the software that the model was built on and for those
who do not have it the "demo" version allows a user to
run the model but they are not able to save it.
#2: Staff Support to Commission and Committees - 1) Commission meetings
were held on April 9 and July 9 (preparations were also made for
the October 1 meeting). 2) Water Allocation Group meetings on June
25 and September 24. 3) Presentations by the Chairman and Staff
to many of the Governing Bodies in the basin including Stafford,
Spotsylvania and Caroline on the water supply planning project.
Resolutions of support have been passed in Spotsylvania and Caroline.
4) Participation in the Rappahannock Tributary Strategy Team meetings
and working closely with DCR and DEQ to assist with information
to the members of the RRBC, including agenda time at each Commission
meeting and discussion at each WAG meeting.
#3: Planning for Basin Summit VI and assisting in the implementation
of recommendations of Summit V- 1) The Commission revised its work
plan for FY 04 to suspend the annual river basin summits for at
least this year. The Commission felt that given the budget limitations
it faced it would be more effective to concentrate on other activities
including communicating through the website and the individual presentations
to governing bodies on the water supply planning project and the
activities necessary to support the rewriting of the Rappahannock
Tributary Strategy. Additionally the Commission felt it is important
for the staff to participate in the State Water Policy - Technical
Policy Committee. The Commission will reassess this when developing
the FY05 work plan. 2) The planning group for the Summit will be
called together later in the calendar year to make a recommendation
to the Commission at its December 3, 2003 and March 31, 2004 meetings.
Issues that will be considered for the focus of another summit will
be the State's water supply planning regulations and its impact
on localities and the revised Rappahannock Tributary Strategy and
what it will mean to all stakeholders. 3) The Commission Chairman
and Staff were invited to make a presentation to the State Water
Commission on tools needed for enhanced water supply planning at
the local level.
#4: RRBC newsletters. The August 2003 newsletter focused on the
Tributary Strategy update process, low impact development activities
in the basin, Embrey Dam removal and the Commission's work plan.
#5: Comprehensive and Environmental Planning and GIS Assistance
- 1) Initiation of a project for Caroline County to develop a wastewater
disposal system for the Dawn Community. RADCO worked with county
staff to review the Dawn project and develop recommendations on
how to proceed. This review has included meetings/interviews with
local and state officials and staff who are familiar with this project
and similar projects elsewhere, a survey of project documents and
reports, a review of literature on alternative approaches to rural
wastewater projects and a brief review of grant opportunities other
than the sources that have been the focus of past efforts. A presentation
was made to the Board of Supervisors in June with the Board asking
RADCO and County staff to develop alternative solutions by the end
of August. At the August meeting the Board endorsed proceeding with
a Decentralized Wastewater disposal system similar to the systems
currently being installed in Charles City County.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
