Non-Point-Source Pollution

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Johnson1723

Excellent article/overview of non-point-source pollution from Center for American Progress. Excellent data on types of pollution, EPA regulatory history (or lack of it),and an excellent case study of the Maumee River and its effect on Lake Erie: The Maumee River … Continue reading →

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UW River Falls – Ecological Restoration Institute

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Johnson1723

UW River Falls — from which I once had a fake ID — opened the Ecological Restoration Institute within the Plant and Earth Science Department.

Like a lot of university-based programs, they’re tackling real-world problems with restoration projects on campus. At this point, they have a target area but haven’t decided what to restore it to: meadow or wetland. So, you know: Stage Zero.

“The hands on experiences prepare students for the work place,” said Kelsey Cowart, Ecological Restoration Institute program manager. “They are earning trainings and with the restoration projects, they will be able to use those skills to provide them experience that will help build their resume.

“We want students to engage in all parts of the restoration process in hopes that will make them more marketable to employers and help them earn a job within their career path that much faster.”

Press release for the opening of the Institute on October 28, 2020.

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Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Johnson1723

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Keeping an eye on this: Environmental impacts of restoring Los Cerritos Wetlands have been studied, and that report is ready for certification. This is an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the overall conceptual restoration plan, according to Mark Stanley, Los … Continue reading →

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Nerdstuff: Social Factors Key to Landscape-Scale Coastal Restoration: Lessons Learned from Three U.S. Case Studies

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Johnson1723

Report on the importance of managing information for successful environmental restoration:  There have been historically fewer reviews, however, that have addressed the suite of societally enabling conditions that existed in ecosystem-scale projects where coastal restoration efforts were sustained for longer … Continue reading →

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Miami Real Estate Underwater

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Johnson1723

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An expert on sea grass I interviewed said an interesting thing: In Miami, there are places that are high demand because they’re a certain height over sea level. They were low demand places, but now developers are realizing the value … Continue reading →

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Trash Removal After Dam Collapse

Posted on November 5, 2020 by Johnson1723

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This is something I don’t usually think about: the amount of trash produced when a dam collapses and causes sudden flooding. In this case, the collapse of the Edenville and Sanford Dams in Michigan generated thousands of tons of trash, … Continue reading →

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Fundraising for Private Ecology Consultant

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Johnson1723

At the Taylor Run Restoration project in Alexandria VA the city has decided to let a private environmental group, the Environmental Council of Alexandria, hire an environmental consultant to study the city’s plan. (I don’t understand how they could stop the group from doing that, but OK.) The Council is raising $6000 via GoFundMe which, as of 11/3/20, they have done. The lede of the article:

The City of Alexandria’s plan to use natural channel restoration on Taylor Run has drawn a significant amount of concern from environmentally-conscious residents — and they’re showing up with money.

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Market Size

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Johnson1723

The search for the mysterious figure of how big the environmental restoration market is continues. The people who’ve put market research together won’t share even the topline without a payme larger than I can afford.

But suddenly: this!

Environmental restoration is a $25 billion industry that generates more direct jobs than steel production in the United States, according to ecosystemmarketplace.com.

Perhaps they’re better at cajoling the market researchers into divulging the headline than I am. (Usually, market research uses topline numbers to garner media interest that promotes the in-depth research they’re really selling. But in this case, apparently not. There are no press release, and this is the first actual figure I’ve seen.

It’s also in the context of an editorial in the Alexandria Times calling for a re-examination of the Taylor Run Stream restoration in Alexandria VA.

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Drilling for Radiation

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Johnson1723

This is fascinating:

For nearly two decades, crews have been pumping and treating water in the area. Crews have also been injecting a solution into the aquifer to encourage naturally occurring microorganisms to consume the trichloroethylene.

Fluor Idaho Environmental Restoration Program Director Rich Abitz in a statement said the new well is needed to reach areas inaccessible using current wells.

I need to find out more about this.

Turns out the area was built to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft.

The nuke plane program was cancelled by President Kennedy. The environmental clean-up of the area was declared “finished” in 1988, including building walkways so visitors could wander around the area to marvel at the idea of nuclear aircraft.

Posted in Groundwater and Soil, Military | Leave a comment

A New Dam Agreement

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Johnson1723

“A dialogue organized by Stanford that brought together environmental organizations, hydropower companies, investors, government agencies and universities has resulted in an important new agreement to help address climate change by advancing both the renewable energy and storage benefits of hydropower and the environmental and economic benefits of healthy rivers.”

https://news.stanford.edu/2020/10/13/new-agreement-u-s-hydropower-river-conservation/

From the agreement itself:

The parties found inspiration in the precedent-setting 2004 agreement involving Maine’s Penobscot River where the Penobscot Nation, the hydropower industry, environmentalists, and state and federal agencies agreed on a “basin-scale” project to remove multiple dams, while retrofitting and rehabilitating other dams to increase their hydropower capacity, improve fish passage and advance dam safety. After project completion in 2016, total hydropower generation increased, more than 2,000 miles of river habitat had improved access for the endangered Atlantic salmon and other species of sea-run fish, and the Penobscot River again helps support the realization of treaty rights and other aspects of tribal culture for the Penobscot Nation

Posted in Dam Removal, River Restoration | Leave a comment