Virginia Coastal Zone Management - Spring/Summer 2007
Coastal Clips
New Northern Virginia Stormwater Guidebook
Dan Kavanaugh, Director of the Middle Penisula Planning District Commission is interviewed about the tremendous value of the Dragon Run.
Dragon Run DVD
The recently released DVD, The Dragon Run: A Step into the Past, A Strategy for the Future, tells the story of efforts to protect the Dragon Run Watershed and the way of life it supports. The DVD, funded by Virginia CZM, includes interviews with individuals who have been at the forefront of these efforts and who represent varying perspectives on how this protection is being achieved. The DVD provides insight into the many ways in which the Dragon Run is valued. A desire to preserve the Dragon’s ecological value coexists with a desire to protect private landowner rights. How these goals work hand in hand has shaped the planning efforts that have taken place in the Watershed.
By taking this holistic approach to watershed planning, one that is grounded in diverse stakeholder involvement, the Dragon Run Steering Committee and other partners in the Special Area Management Plan have achieved significant results. Their multi-faceted approach, which includes education, land-use planning, sustainable natural resource-based economic development, and estate planning, has established a foundation upon which the mission of the Dragon Run Watershed Management Plan can ultimately be achieved. The mission: support and promote community-based efforts to preserve the cultural, historic, and natural character of the Dragon Run, while preserving property rights and the traditional uses within the watershed.
The DVD is a tremendous outreach tool. Over 500 copies have already been distributed to citizens across the watershed and throughout the Middle Peninsula region. The DVD will be provided to schools and libraries in the watershed in the near future.
– Sara Stamp, MPPDC
2007 Back Bay Forum
The Back Bay Restoration Foundation, in conjunction with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, hosted the Back Bay Forum on March 17, 2007. The Forum was held in Virginia Beach and attracted 140 participants. Some of the topics included histories and current status of resources such as waterfowl, fish and submerged aquatic vegetation in Back Bay. The Forum also covered Phragmites control, phytoremediation, living shorelines, riparian buffers, green roofs and green infrastructure. There was also a panel discussion of water quality issues on Nawney Creek, a tributary of Back Bay that is currently on the impaired waters list because of high levels of bacteria. In addition to sponsoring the Forum, Virginia CZM has provided funds for a project to use water quality models to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of potential best management practices that could be used to address the Nawney Creek impairment. For more information on the Foundation or the Forum, including summaries of presentations, visit the Foundation’s website at www.bbrf.org or contact Susan Admire, the Foundation’s Executive Director, at bbrf@verizon.net.
– Shep Moon, Virginia CZM
New Northern Virginia Stormwater Guidebook
Snow melt and rainwater keep gardens green, streams and rivers full, and wells from running dry. However, serious erosion and water quality problems can occur when there are excess amounts of stormwater and there is a lapse in the maintenance of the facilities that help clean the water and moderate its flow.
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission recently published A Guidebook for Private Owners and Operators, a resource on the topics of managing stormwater runoff and the maintenance of stormwater management facilities. It introduces readers to the maintenance needs for 11 of the most common traditional and innovative best stormwater management practices (BMPs) found in Northern Virginia. The guidebook also provides guidance for planning maintenance costs, contains a troubleshooting guide, and lists local government contacts and additional resources.
The guidebook will be distributed to homeowner associations and other private owners and operators, such as businesses and residents, by local government staff. NVRC will retain a limited number of hardcopies for distribution to other interested parties, upon request. The guidebook is also accessible in Adobe PDF format on the web at www.novaregion.org/bmp.htm and high-resolution copies are available on CD-ROM. For copies, contact Laura Grape, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, at 703.642.0700 or lgrape@novaregion.org.
– Doug Pickford, NVRC
