2015 StormCon Announces Panel Discussions

From Stones to Drones: Planning and Promoting Your Stormwater Program

Thursday, August 6, 8–11 a.m., in Austin, TX

Background

There will be a three-hour panel discussion designed to allow active MS4 programs to talk about their green, sustainable stormwater programs. Each MS4 panel member will provide first hand experiences of how their program was started and measurable outreach benefits such as public support and successful BMPs. The session would open with an EPA manager explaining the requirements imposed on small and large MS4 communities.

 Title: From Stones to Drones: Planning and Promoting Your Stormwater Program

• EPA overview of MS4 program and the Watershed Resources Registry (WRR is a planning GIS based tool to search for suitable sites for stormwater preservation and restoration opportunities)
• Then, each participant would present for about 20 minutes their General topic. (See below three topics.)
• Then, the audience would have about 45-50 minutes to ask questions.
• If no questions, the panel will have pre-selected questions to further discuss their programs, or ask each other questions about one of the other presentations.

Panel Session General Topics:

• Meeting EPA Regulations
  1. Framework of EPA regulations,
  2. Available EPA guidance, and
  3. How WRR can help BMP selection.
• Planning Stormwater programs
  1. BMP benefits,
  2. Prioritize BMPs
  3. Technical Advances in Watershed modeling (stones to drones portion)
• Selling Stormwater
  1. How to promote City and County stormwater programs to residents and elected officials
  2. Social Marketing: Facebook, Twitter
  3. Public School outreach

Panel Members Include:

EPA staff: Illinois Don Waye, R3 Ralph Spagnolo (Watershed Resources Registry, WRR)

Michael Baker, Anna Lantin,  iWATR presentation (BMP tool)

Jim Peterson, “Using Drones for Watershed Studies”

Bill Stack,  “Effective Stormwater Planning”,  Center for Watershed Management (CWM).

Sandy Hertz, Maryland State Highway Administration, “Effective BMP Construction for Roadways”

Michael S. Herzberger,Geospatial & Engineering Services, GIS Manager

Jason Gillespie, Chief Environmental Monitoring Division, Maryland Environmental Service