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August 23, 2007
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Welcome
to the newsletter about all things water in Montana!
MONTANA
WATER NEWS will come your way via email every month
with fresh news about meetings and water topics that we hope
is of interest to you. If you do not want to receive this
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| Drought |
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As if a large pond stretches from the eastern banks of the Rio Grande to the western banks of the Mississippi, this southern and mid-western region of the country remains free of drought. Take one step east into Alabama, however, and irrigation water is scarce and drought is in. Head west of the Rio Grande and the soils are dry and streambeds are empty. The mid-western region between Mexico and Alberta bares the brunt of this summer’s drought with dry conditions and blazing temps from Montana to San Diego. But the driest areas are those parts of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee that flank the eastern side of the Mississippi, and no relief is in sight.
With regions in the northern and western parts of Montana in severe drought, our wet June is a distant memory. It’s been a scorcher in Montana this summer. Temperature records have been broken and water has disappeared. The southern and western parts of the state are worried about specific water related-impacts, while the northern region is concerned for effects of the drought on the soil. Fire season started early, temps have been in the upper 90s, and according to NOAA, things are supposed to get drier.
To keep up with drought conditions for Montana and the rest of the United States follow these links:
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| National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR Program Renewed in Montana |
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According to the Montana State University News Service, $9 million has become available to the Montana University System (MUS) through a national grant aimed at rural states. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was renewed on August 1. The MUS is planning to use the money to hire new faculty members and students for two main projects. One project focuses on large river systems and the other on hydrogen. The river researchers will study headwater issues for the Missouri and Columbia River systems to learn more about the human effect on them. The hydrogen researchers want to learn how nature metabolizes hydrogen. They may be able to adapt that knowledge so hydrogen can be used as an alternative fuel. Other uses for the grant are aimed at students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and their exposure to science and technology. Read Evelyn Boswell’s article for more info from the MSU news service at http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=5015 |
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| Riparian/Wetland Training |
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The Montana/Dakotas Interagency Riparian Training Cadre invites private landowners, state/federal/county employees and other interested individuals to attend a 2-day session on assessing riparian/wetland condition. A primary objective of this training is to develop a common vocabulary and understanding of riparian areas among people who work on the land. The session usually includes one day in a classroom and one day visiting streams in the field, but can be customized to fit the need.
There is no tuition, but space is limited. Classes are limited to 30 participants.
The first course will be held in Corvallis (Bitterroot Valley) August
28 - 29 and the second will be in Deerlodge (Upper Clark Fork Valley) September 11 - 12.
For more information on training sessions go to http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ecs/water/pfc.html. |
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| The Fifth Annual River Center Meeting |
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Ecology: When it Comes to Channel Restoration Design, so What?
September 20 - 21, 2007, on the campus of The University of Montana,
four river scientists will discuss the ecological side of river restoration. William Trush (McBain & Trush) and Frank Ligon (Stillwater Sciences) will be featured speakers on river building, while Peter Goodwin (University of Idaho) and Craig Fischenich (Army Corps of Engineers) will cover ecological responses to river building. This fifth annual River Center Meeting will include a field trip on Thursday followed on Friday by the keynote presentations aid a poster session. The talks are hour-long addresses with ample additional time for questions and discussions from the audience. Between 11:00 and 1:00 a buffet lunch will provide a venue for the poster session. Participants are invited to present a poster on any aspect of river science or stream restoration. Go to http://www.umt.edu/rivercenter/conf2007.html for details.
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| Western Governor's Association 2007 Conference |
Water Policies and Planning in the West: Ensuring a Sustainable Future
October 10 - 12, 2007
Salt Lake City, UT
Last year, Western Governors released a report entitled Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future. The purpose of the conference is to develop policy options and identify case studies relating to the following three topics from the report:
- Water planning to deal with challenges resulting from growth.
- Effective watershed approaches to water planning.
- Responding to climate change and drought impacts.
For more information, please view the PDF document at
http://www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/water07.pdf
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| The Large Lakes Conference |
Keeping Our Lakes Clean: Protecting Water Quality in Large Lakes Systems Experiencing Rapid Growth
October 17 - 18, 2007
Polson, MT
The Large Lakes conference is designed to be of specific interest to those who have the responsibility for protecting water quality – county commissioners, planning board members and staffs, city council members as well as city public works and planning departments, and other professionals, including developers and contractors. Participants will receive first-hand information on techniques for dealing with a wide variety of growth-related issues, how to achieve better cooperation and coordination in areas with multiple governmental jurisdictions, how large lake ecosystems work, and how best to protect “critical areas” needed for water quality. It will also provide a wealth of information and inspiration for individuals and members of non-profit organizations interested in public policy and protecting water quality. Sponsored by the Flathead Basin Commission (FBC), the Flathead Lakers, and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the conference will take place at the Kwa-Taq-Nuk Resort on the shores of Flathead Lake in Polson. Contact the FBC if you have questions or would like to register early at http://www.flatheadbasincommission.org.
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| 2008 Montana Water Calendar |
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The 2008 Montana Water Calendar is in development and we would like your help. The Water Center is looking for high resolution, high quality photos that will work with our overall theme of water and stream restoration. Please send your best shots to stephen.guettermann@montana.edu. |
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| 24th Annual Montana Section AWRA Conference Registration |
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Registration for the annual Montana Water Conference co-sponsored by the Montana Water Center and the Montana Section of the American Water Resources Association (MT AWRA) will open on August 1. Go to http://awra.org/state/montana/events/conference.htm for more registration information. |
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| Water Training Webcast |
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On Wednesday, September 5, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a webcast training event on the Incident Command System (ICS). The training is designed to help water and wastewater utilities to better understand ICS. On Tuesday, September 6, EPA will host another training on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The webcasts will begin at 2:30 PM EST on each day and last 2.5 to 3 hours. Both courses are required for NIMS compliance. Although the webcasts were initially developed for Alaska and Hawaii they should be just as valuable for those in the continental US who cannot travel. Registration and participation in the webcasts is free and the webcast instructors will administer the FEMA ICS-100 and IS-700 exams at the end of each respective webcast. This will allow participants to receive their FEMA certification for these two courses.
To register, please go to http://horsleywitten.com/ICStraining/ and click on the link for dates and locations. On the next page, click on the link for the Alaska and Hawaii webcasts. For more information, contact John Whitler, EPA Environmental Protection Specialist at Whitler.John@epa.gov, or (202) 564-1929. |
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| The United Nations Environment Program on Sustainability Communications |
A Toolkit for Marketing and Advertising Courses is a free and downloadable resource from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at http://www.unep.fr/sustain/advertising/
events_specifics/Education%20Kit_EN.htm. The program proposes resources for the educators training tomorrow’s marketing and communication professionals. It is not a “turnkey” teaching syllabus but a flexible, interactive tool which provides a synthesis of theoretical and methodological knowledge illustrated by numerous specific case studies. The program aims to demonstrate and analyze the business and the marketing potential of sustainable development in the framework of corporate social and environmental responsibility. It will also help marketing and communication professionals become more aware of the key role they can and should play by responding to new consumer demand for sustainability. Visit http://www.unep.fr/sustain/advertising/ads.htm for more information. |
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| Do
you have more news?
The Montana Water Center News welcomes your stories about water and water issues that face Montana. If you have a short story you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send your information to water@montana.edu. |
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Take
special note of upcoming national and local water meetings
on the Events
Calendar at MONTANA WATER. |
 Assessing Proper Functioning Condition (PFC), Corvallis, August 28 - 29, 2007 [INFO] |
American Fisheries Society 137th Annual Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, September 2 -6, 2007 [INFO] |
12th European Congress of Ichthyology,
Cavtat, Croatia, September 9 - 13, 2007 [INFO] |
Assessing Proper Functioning Condition (PFC), Deer Lodge, September 11 - 12, 2007 [INFO] |
2007 Yellowstone Greening Conference,
Big Sky, MT, September 11 - 14, 2007 [INFO] |
46th Annual Association of Conservation Engineers Conference,
Missoula, September 16 - 20, 2007 [INFO] |
Western Water Law, The Best in th West, New Trends & Developments, Las Vegas, NV, September 17 - 18, 2007 [INFO] |
14th German Dam Symposium /7th ICOLD European Club Dam, Freising, Germany, September 17 - 19, 2007 [INFO] |
13th International Conference on Fish and Shellfish Pathology, Grado, Italy, September 17 - 23, 2007 [INFO] |
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MWCC Fall Training,
Seeley Lake, September 17 - 19, 2007 [INFO] |
Celebration & Dedication of the Muggli Fish Passage,
Miles City, September 19, 2007 [INFO] |
Fifth Annual River Center Meeting: Ecology - When it Comes to Restoration Design, so What?,
Missoula, September 20 - 21, 2007 [INFO] |
73rd Annual School for Water & Wastewater Operators & Managers,
Bozeman, September 24 - 27, 2007 [INFO] |
7th International Symposium of Fish Parasites,
Viterbo, Italy, September 24 - 28, 2007 [INFO] |
MNA 6th Annual Conference,
Billings, September 24 - 26, 2007 [INFO] |
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