September 2019 Aquatic Invaders Keeping Non-Native Species at Bay

Also: River Lessons Storm Recovery

CONNECTICUT • MAINE • MASSACHUSETTS • NEW HAMPSHIRE • • RHODE ISLAND • VERMONT From the Executive Director A Community

Chair Mark Klotz of Problem Solvers Vice Chair Peter LaFlamme • Treasurer Harry Stewart Connecticut: Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, Public Health Commissioner uly 31, 1947. on that day, seventy-two years Renée Coleman-Mitchell, Michael Bisi, Yvonne Bolton, Denis ago, Congress and the New England states Cuevas, Denise Ruzicka, Jane Stahl established the New England Interstate Water Maine: Environmental Protection Commissioner Gerald J Reid, Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Pollution Control Commission to abate water pol- Lambrew, Nancy Beardsley, Brian Kavanah, Travis Noyes, Brian Tarbuck, David Van Slyke lution and promote the water resource interests of Massachusetts: Environmental Protection Commissioner New York and New England. Lofty goals, impossible Martin Suuberg, Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, to attain without ongoing commitments to leader- Kathleen Baskin, Jana Ferguson, Paul Hogan, John Sullivan, F. Adam Yanulis ship, education, collaboration, and service. New Hampshire: Environmental Services Commissioner The Commission serves as a community of problem solvers advancing Robert Scott, Thomas Ballestero, Frederick McNeill, Thomas clean water in the Northeast, in service to our states: Connecticut, Maine, O’Donovan, Nelson Thibault, Robert Varney New York: Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Seggos, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, Mark Klotz, Much of the work we conduct centers around our place-based activities Richard Lyons, Roger Sokol and the over six hundred partners we work with in places like the Long Rhode Island: Environmental Management Director Janet Coit, Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, Janine Burke- Island Sound, Lake Champlain, the and its estuary, and the Wells, Russell Chateauneuf, Alicia Good, June Swallow Narragansett and Peconic Bays. Vermont: Environmental Conservation Commissioner Emily Boedecker, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, Other neiwpcc commitments run to collaboration with our state part- Peter LaFlamme, Dennis Lutz ners advancing concerns through our nineteen issue-oriented workgroups, Executive Director: Susan Sullivan social media efforts and communications, and nearly three hundred days Established by an act of Congress in 1947, the New England of training per year. Since the last issue of Interstate Waters, the neiwpcc Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission is a not-for- staff has hosted five regional conferences and workshops. profit interstate agency that meets the water-related needs of our member states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, We have initiated a new effort to update our brand messaging and visual New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The neiwpcc Commissioners from each member state are identity. We conducted research with our partners and other stakeholders appointed by their state governors. to better understand current perceptions of our team and our work. Our goal is to fully capture what neiwpcc is now, where we collectively want to be in the future, and how we will get there. Volume 3, Number 2 • September 2019 While it is early in the process to assume what our brand will be, I feel Editor: Adam Auster strongly that neiwpcc’s vision for “clean and sustainable water in the Managing Editor: Anna Meyer Northeast by fostering knowledge, public awareness, and interstate co- Contributing Editors: Kale Connerty, Michelle St. John Contributors: Jane Ceraso, Meg Modley, Ryan Mitchell, operation” will play a key role. My expectation is that our values of lead- and Peter Zaykoski ership, education, collaboration, and service will be critical components Graphic Design: Newcomb Studios of where we head in the future. As summer turns to fall and 2019 to 2020, I look forward to our contin- Interstate Waters is published by neiwpcc. It is funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Pro- ued progress abating water pollution and promoting the water resource tection Agency and distributed free of charge to sub- concerns in the Northeast. scribers. To subscribe to Interstate Waters, email us at [email protected]. Type “Subscribe” in the subject field and provide your full mailing address. In the body of your email, please indicate whether you also Sincerely, wish to receive our quarterly email newsletter, iWR.

The opinions and information stated in Interstate Waters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of neiwpcc. Articles in Interstate Waters may be copied and distributed, except as noted. Please credit neiwpcc. New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Susan Sullivan 650 Suffolk Street, Suite 410, Lowell,ma 01854 neiwpcc Executive Director Tel: 978-323-7929 www.neiwpcc.org

2 Interstate Waters • September 2019 The Docket

States Urge Science, Funding, Consultation

New: Federal Budget is largely about streamlining rules for the The Commission wrote to the entire north- siting of energy facilities. east congressional delegation in April to oppose funding cuts proposed by Presi- Ongoing: Clean Water Rule dent Trump to important water programs. The seven neiwpcc states “sternly object” The administration proposed the fol- to a proposed federal rule that would cur- lowing changes in its 2020 budget: tail federal jurisdiction over many water • A 25% cut to the epa’s budget; resources, including most of the nation’s • A 12% reduction in the clean-water wetlands. and drinking-water state revolving funds. In comments in Docket No. EPA- These funds have been instrumental in HQ-OW-2018-0149, neiwpcc also flagged building water infrastructure since the provisions of the proposed rule that would late 1980s; introduce uncertainty, infringe on state • A reduction by one third of funds pro- practices, and complicate the process of vided to states and tribes under Section 106 determining whether a water body is ju- of the Clean Water Act. States use these risdictional. funds to help develop standards, set pollu- Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has tion reduction loads, issue permits, confirm the rule would block states from consid- agreed to hear a case that could reframe compliance, monitor results, and report on ering water-quality impacts that are not the entire question of jurisdiction. successes; within the scope of the Clean Water Act At stake is the definition of the term • Zero funding of Clean Water Act Sec- as redefined by theepa . “waters of the U.S.,” the water resources tion 319 grants. This program funds resto- Comments on the proposed rule will be subject to federal regulation under the ration efforts for water bodies impaired by open for sixty days from the day the rule is Clean Water Act. Last winter the epa pro- nonpoint source pollution; published in the Federal Register. posed restricting jurisdiction to wetlands • Zero funding for key regional programs, In neiwpcc’s May 24 comments, which and water bodies with a surface connection including the Lake Champlain Basin Pro- the epa requested at an informal pre-pro- to navigable waters. gram, the Sound Study, the posal stage, the Commission generally This rule would exclude most of the na- Peconic Estuary Program, and the Narra- blamed any permitting delays on “actions tion’s wetlands, all groundwater, seasonal gansett Bay Estuary Program. or inactions of project proponents, such water bodies, and some ditches, artificially The Commission opposes these cuts. as incomplete applications or changes to irrigated areas such as rice paddies, storm- plans without appropriate communication water-control features, wetlands converted New: Environmental Review with states.” to croplands before 1986, and other water The Commission warned the epa in May The outcomes of accelerated proceed- resources. against a plan to accelerate state review ings, whether certifications or denials, are of discharge permits because the proposal likely to be based on an incomplete record The States Respond would run roughshod over state permitting and consideration of facts. These incom- In April, the epa and U.S. Army Corps of and could subject states to lawsuits. plete state decisions would thus be ripe Engineers denied a request by neiwpcc The agency has not listened so far. for litigation. and others to extend the comment period On August 12, the epa proposed a rule State government would be the de­fend­ on the complex proposal, which takes up in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405 to re- ant in those cases, which would develop­ in sixty-six pages of the tightly spaced Fed- strict further the time states have to certify court the factual record missed during the eral Register. or deny permits, and the grounds on which curtailed state proceedings. Comments on the pending proposal states may make these decisions. In her May 24 letter to epa Adminis- were open for sixty days. By contrast, the The rule would govern state review of trator Andrew Wheeler, neiwpcc Execu- agencies extended comments on the cur- projects under section 401 of the Clean Wa- tive Director Susan Sullivan said that the rent (2015) rule twice, allowing them for ter Act, which bars the epa and other fed- neiwpcc states “categorically reject any more than half a year. eral agencies from permitting discharges regulatory changes intended to streamline The Commission has submitted written unless a state or tribe certifies that the dis- environmental permitting without truly comments in many of the rulemakings and charge would comply with existing wa- comprehensive and effective state-federal informal consultations that the Trump ter-quality requirements. consultations.” administration has initiated in its push In the proposed rule, an application “States have a unique understanding of to shrink federal jurisdiction over water could start the permitting “clock” before waters within their jurisdiction and are best resources. The Commission’s comments the reviewing state has all the information positioned to provide that input,” she wrote. emphasize the role that science should play it requires. Currently, states may ask appli- The epa initiated the new rulemaking in in setting policy. cants to provide the information first. Also, response to Executive Order 13868, which continued on page 4

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 3 Spotlight

ongratulations to Janine Burke- Wells, a neiwpcc commissioner C for Rhode Island. She is the new Heather Radcliffe Is New executive director of the North East Biosol- ids and Residuals Association. Water Resources Leader Jennifer Lichtensteiger, an environmental Division Director Is NEIWPCC Veteran analyst in the Commission’s Wastewater was elected to and Onsite Systems Division, eather radcliffe, who joined neiwpcc in the Massachusetts Water Pollution Control As- 2012, is the new leader of the Commission’s Water Board of Directors for a three- H sociation’s Resource Protection Division. year term beginning July 1. Radcliffe was promoted to division director in June, who is the Victoria O’Neill, Long Island after serving the Commission in a variety of leadership habitat restoration and stew- Sound Study’s roles, including acting division director in 2017. She ardship coordinator, recently completed continues to serve as staff attorney. the Center for Creative Leadership’s Lead- As division director, Radcliffe provides leadership ership Development Program. O’Neill is for initiatives in such areas as water supply, nonpoint- also a co-author of the U.S. Geological Sur- source pollution, climate change, research, and quality “Hurricane Sandy Impacts on Coastal vey’s assurance. She also serves as the Lowell project officer Wetland Resistance,” published in April. for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, overseeing Two neiwpcc “regulars” from Mass­ funding for efforts across Vermont, New York, and achusetts, active contributors to Com- the Province of Quebec. mission workgroups, have been promoted. Radcliffe was the recipient of neiwpcc’s Annual Achievement Award in 2019. became director of the Com- Laura Blake She received an Environmental Merit Award from epa Region 1 in 2015. monwealth’s Watershed Planning Program She holds J.D. and Master of Environmental Law and Policy degrees from Ver- in May and will continue to participate in mont Law School and is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Vermont. multiple workgroups. Lisa Rhodes, a nine- teen-year veteran of the state’s Wetlands Program, is the new Boston Wetlands Pro- The Docket gram chief. Congratulations! continued from page 3 The repeal rule, Docket No. EPA-HQ- In the pending docket, neiwpcc is crit- OW-2017-0203, would revert the entire ical of a proposal to rely on maps from the country to the ad-hoc standard, but the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources new rule would radically change the scope AQUATIC to determine jurisdiction, rather than on of federal jurisdiction. “a verifiable, field-based method, as is cur- Either or both of these rules would take BIOLOGISTS rent state practice.” effect after the epa and Corps issues them, The Commission told the federal agen- unless delayed by more lawsuits. The agen- Save the date for the cies that although maps and aerial photo- cies could issue final rules in either docket 2020 Northeast Aquatic graphs can be useful, “they are not avail- at any time. able in all areas” and in any case “will not The tangle may only be resolved by the Biologists Conference. consistently illustrate the necessary vege- Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear a tation, hydrology, and soil conditions for related case ( of Maui, Hawaii v. Ha- March 4–6, 2020, those streams with questionable jurisdic- waii Wildlife Fund ) in its next term. At is- in Newport, Rhode Island tion.” Moreover, conditions change. sue is a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to treat injection wells as regu- Next Steps lated point sources if they introduce into Comments have closed in the two dockets groundwater pollutants that are traceable that the Trump administration initiated to to the ocean. repeal and replace the much-litigated Clean The appeals court would require a per- Water Rule adopted in 2015. The 2015 rule is mit for these injection wells under the currently in effect in about half of the states Clean Water Act even though the pollut- as a result of a patchwork of court orders in ants are not discharged directly to a juris- cases that are pending appeal. dictional water. The case may allow the Su- The number of states in which the 2015 preme Court to broadly redefine the scope rule is in effect could change, in response of cwa jurisdiction. to petitions from states. A detailed account of the legal roots In the other states, an ad-hoc, and of the issue, “The Meaning of ‘Waters’: A less-certain, way of enforcing a similar Divided Supreme Court Creates a Legal standard applies. That process dates back Thicket,” was published in the March, 2018, to the George W. Bush administration. issue of Interstate Waters.

4 Interstate Waters • September 2019 Workgroup Roundup

Pollution, Regulation, and Collaboration

rom climate change to quality as­surance, states are preparing for F new pollutants, policies, and chal- ­lenges. In Commission workgroups and other forums, staff members from state agencies and the epa share information, ideas, and priorities. All meetings were at the Commission’s Lowell office. Office Kennebec County Sheriff’s

Pollution A snowplow crashed into a gas pump in Bel- grade, Maine, during a mid-March snow- storm in 2018, spilling some 1,900 gallons of gasoline. The protective equipment de- signed to stop leaks in such an event failed, even though the service station had a his- tory of compliance with tanks regulations. In such cases, a rapid response is critical. On June 12 of this year, staff members from Maine’s Department of Environmen- tal Protection told the Underground Storage Tanks Workgroup how they plugged the leak and, later, investigated the equipment fail- ure and removed hundreds of tons of con- taminated soil and snow. Workgroup members also reviewed A 2018 collision in Belgrade, Maine, spilled 1,900 gallons of fuel. neiwpcc­ ’s schedule of upcoming train- ing webinars for ust inspectors. age biosolids used as fertilizer. On a May 3 described a handbook for citizen-science call, Maine and New Hampshire officials organizations that details how to use and On June 13, the Emerging Contaminants described new requirements in their states document quality-assurance measures. The Workgroup heard from Brandon Kernen to test biosolids for pfas. Workgroup mem- agency published the handbook in March (N.H. Department of Environmental Ser- bers from Vermont also described their of 2019. vices) and Scott Stoner (N.Y. Department agency’s statewide sampling plan aimed The roundtable typically convenes twice of Environmental Conservation) about at understanding better the pfas levels in a year, once by conference call and once how state environmental regulators can wastewater residuals. The Vermont plan in person, and members take turns host- respond better when new pollutants will generally support the development of ing the in-person meeting. neiwpcc last emerge. Kernen and Stoner are members of water-quality criteria. hosted the group in 2015. a national committee on emerging contam- inants. The group comprises profession- Regulation On May 21, members of the National als from the Association of Clean Water Quality citizen science, and documenta- Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (np- Administrators (acwa) and the Association tion of process, were two of the topics dis- des) Workgroup discussed recent directives of State Drinking Water Administrators. It cussed at the New England epa’s Quality from epa headquarters to expedite and in- developed recommendations for addressing Assurance Roundtable on May 9. The group crease consistency in permitting across the emerging contaminants in a report that comprises state-agency personnel from states. The epa has consolidated its appli- highlights ways to improve risk commu- neiwpcc’s member states, staff members cation forms, is encouraging more elec- nication, coordination between the states, from epa Region 1, and the Commission’s tronic filing, and is teaching its npdes staff and evaluation and response procedures. quality assurance program manager. to employ management techniques that The full report is available on acwa’s web- At the May meeting, personnel from the epa believes will improve communica- site. New Hampshire’s Department of Environ- tion and speed permit writing. epa Region mental Services described an agency-wide 1 aims to get rid of its permitting backlog As state environmental agencies seek effort to inventory standard operating pro- by 2022 and bring processing time down to a better understanding of the extent of cedures (sops). The initiative’s goal is to six months. Region 1 is directly in charge pfas pollution, the Commission’s Resid- have formal, up-to-date sops for all of the of the npdes programs for Massachusetts uals Workgroup continues to grapple with department’s processes. and New Hampshire. the possibility of contamination from sew- Also at the meeting, epa staff members continued on page 11

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 5 Learning and Travelling on the River that Flows Both Ways The Hudson’s Estuarine Research Reserve

By Peter Zaykoski ing down the river. Usually the salt water Bridge (once the ), at river mile makes it up river to somewhere between 25 (counted from the Battery in lower Man- he ocean tides travel up the Yonkers and Newburgh, and occasionally hattan); Hudson River for 152 miles before as far north as Poughkeepsie. • Iona Island, river mile 45, just downriver Tstriking the foot of the Federal This disparity in the reach between the of Bear Mountain; Dam in Troy, New York. The tidal portion two oceanic influences, tides and salinity, • The Tivoli Bays, river mile 100, near Bard of the river is so long that low tide at the results in conditions that create globally College; river’s mouth comes and goes before high rare habitats, including freshwater tidal • Stockport Flats, river mile 120, just tide reaches the dam in Troy. marshes. north of Hudson. The tides do not drive salt water as far as The “river that flows both ways” is a The Research Reserve’s headquarters are Troy. The extent of salt water is governed river of gradients: in tides, in salinity, in located at the Norrie Point Environmental mainly by the volume of fresh water flow- habitats, and in human population. The Center in Mills-Norrie State Park. river is thus an excellent and singular The Reserch Reserve also serves to ed- Peter Zaykoski is an environmental analyst in place to study changes across those gradi- ucate the public and coastal management the Commission’s Water Resource Protection Di- ents driven by climate change. The Hud- professionals through its programming, vision. Above, Heather Gierloff, the manager of son River National Estuarine Research Re- drawing on the many opportunities avail- the Hudson River National Estuarine Research serve (hrnerr) does just that. able throughout the Hudson Valley. Reserve, visits the site of the Governor Mario M. The Research Reserve comprises four Also, hrnerr belongs to a national net- Cuomo Bridge in 2016 to inspect construction component research sites, spread across work of research reserves in the United and deconstruction. The new bridge replaced nearly one hundred miles of the estuary. States. Through that connection, the data the Tappan Zee Bridge in 2017; both are visible The sites, south to north, are as follows: and information that the Research Reserve in the background. • Piermont Marsh, near the Mario Cuomo develops have national significance.

6 Interstate Waters • September 2019 The Lower Estuary of Bear Mountain State Park, protects im- Point Environmental Center, on the east Traveling north from the mouth of the portant habitat for bald eagles and other bank overlooking the water. Inside, we Hudson in for twenty-five birds. The expansive marsh connects the meet Heather Gierloff, who took over as miles brings us to a place where the river upland portion of Iona Island with the west- the hrnerr manager from long-time stew- widens. There we come to Piermont Marsh. ern shore of the river. ard Betsy Blair last year. Just south of the western landing of the In the marsh, we come upon Jim Her- Gierloff navigates the complicated net- Cuomo Bridge, the marsh is the southern- rington, another neiwpcc employee who work of state and federal entities that ad- most component site of the Reserve. is an education specialist for hrnerr. He is minister project funding and manage fa- Here we might find Chris Mitchell, leading a group of canoers who are explor- cilities and component sites. The Research hrnerr research assistant and neiwpcc ing and learning about the marsh. The ca- Reserve works intimately with partners, employee, measuring sediment accretion noe program is one of a suite of educational contributing to and building on the eco- on the surface of the marsh. opportunities offered by the Research Re- system of connected institutions that share Sediment accretion causes marshes to serve that engage children, college students, similar or complementary missions, such as grow vertically, increasing elevation. Six and the public. noaa and the Hudson River Estuary Pro- surface-elevation tables (sets), installed gram. A few doors down from Gierloff’s of- last December, will help the hrnerr staff Norrie Point fice, we meet Ann-Marie Caprioli,hrnerr assess the influence of sea level rise on the We head north, through the aqueous moun- program coordinator and neiwpcc staff marsh and whether the marsh elevation will tain pass. We sail beyond West Point and member, who supports management of the keep up with the water level or whether the then Poughkeepsie. Just before the river Research Reserve. She is running the num- marsh is in jeopardy of drowning. jogs slightly to the west, we find Norrie bers on hrnerr’s budget for next year. This and other monitoring ef- In the lobby, we find Sarah Fer- forts at this location supports the nald, a neiwpcc staff member who is Piermont Marsh site’s role as a Na- hrnerr’s research coordinator. Edu- tional Estuarine Research Reserve cational materials surround us. There System (nerrs) sentinel site. Infor- is a table-sized topographical model mation from sentinel sites across the of the river’s watershed, a six-foot- national network allows researchers long sculpture of a striped bass made to compare the impacts of climate out of marine debris, and many tanks change across a range of conditions hosting native fish species. and to gain insight into management As the research coordinator, Fer- measures and mitigation techniques. nald collaborates frequently with her Back on the water, as we head peers from other reserves in the na- north, tall cliffs on the western shore tional system and with researchers loom over the water. They provide a from the region, nation, and globe. rare visual indication of the water- One of the advantages of being shed boundary. Here, in the south- part of a national network of reserves ern reach of the river, the watershed is the abundance of opportunities to is narrow and its borders are close share knowledge with others work- to the river. As we follow the river ing on coastal science. Fernald, for north, the rock face to the west re- example, is currently working on a cedes and the watershed widens. noaa Catalyst project with partners To the east, the watershed’s edge from the mid-Atlantic region to learn extends to the border of New York about thin-layer placement, the ap- and raggedly mirrors it, meander- plication of dredged sediment on top ing back and forth into Connecti- of marshes to supplement their nat- cut, Massachusetts, and Vermont ural growth. until it abuts the Lake Champlain Sea levels may rise faster than the watershed. To the west, portions of capacity of some marshes to grow ver- the Catskills drain into the Hudson. tically from sediment accretion. This Further north, the , project will help the Research Reserve which draws off New York’s central staff understand and assess the po- valley, feeds into the Hudson just tential of thin-layer placement as a north of Troy. The Hudson begins tool to protect marshes by augment- in the Adirondacks at Lake Tear of ing vertical growth. the Clouds on Mount Marcy. The In another noaa Catalyst proj- river drains most of the southeastern ect, the hrnerr staff is working third of the . with their counterparts at reserves The river narrows and we round in Maine, Oregon, Florida, and New a sharp bend as we enter the Hud- Hampshire to understand how to use son Highlands. Just ahead, along the environmental dna (edna) to monitor western shore, is Iona Island, the coastal ecosystems. This technique second component site of hrnerr. measures the presence of dna from Stewardship of this site, which is part continued on page 12

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 7 One Boat at a Time Vigilance, Outreach, and Care Slow the Spread of Non-Native Species

By Meg Modley and Anna Meyer The spiny waterflea and the fishhook Species Far from Home waterflea, both tiny crustaceans, are inva- When the Lake Champlain Basin Program atthew gorton loves to fish, sive, non-native species that boaters can (lcbp) started its boat-launch-steward and he wants to help ensure inadvertently spread from one lake to an- initiative in 2007, neither the fishhook nor M that future generations of ang- other, leading to disastrous effects. spiny waterflea were in Lake Champlain. lers can enjoy the same thrill of the chase. The invasive waterfleas compete with Both were in Lake Ontario. Native to But in Gorton’s favorite lakes, pop­ native fish and other species for food, caus- Eurasia, the species were introduced to the ulations of native fish are at risk of being ing population shifts that can ripple up a Great Lakes in ballast water in the 1980s— disrupted. food chain. Masses of waterfleas also get like most of the aquatic invasive species in caught on anglers’ fishing gear, making it Lake Champlain. hard to reel in a catch. Scientists have confirmed fifty-one Meg Modley and Anna Meyer are NEIWPCC Gorton became a boat launch steward non-native species established in Lake environmental analysts. Modley is the Lake with the Lake Champlain Basin Program Champlain. Of those, around a dozen are Champlain Basin Program’s aquatic invasive this summer to teach boaters about inva- considered invasive. These species cause species management coordinator. Above, a new sive species and to help them take steps ecological harm, economic harm, or ad- boat launch steward practices decontaminating to prevent the spread of these threats to verse effects on human health. Scientists a boat with high-pressure hot water. fish habitat. are continuing to learn more about which

8 Interstate Waters • September 2019 of swimmers in infested throughout the lake, some­ waters. On top of having times at densities ex­ceeding In addition to the inva- dire ecological twenty-five individuals per sive species already identi- consequences, cubic meter. fied in the lake, many more aquatic invasive Densities decreased in are “on the doorstep” of the following years, but species can also Lake Champlain. Quagga researchers attribute a de- mussel, round goby, hydrilla, have severe cline in the abundance of and starry stonewort found economic impacts several planktonic species in other water bodies pres- and impair human to predation by the spiny ent the greatest threat to use of water bodies. waterflea. the lake. Asian clam has al- Routine monitoring ready been found in other first revealed the presence water bodies in the Lake Champlain Basin, of the fishhook waterflea in August including Lake George in New York and of 2018. Like the spiny waterflea, the Lake Bomoseen in Vermont. fishhook waterflea eats other zooplankton, competing with native fish for a critical Threats Visible and Invisible food source. Gorton is working at the Vermont Fish and By October of 2018, fishhook had Wildlife Department’s John Guilmette Ac- become widespread throughout the lake. cess Area on South Hero Island. It’s a busy At the time, Dr. Tim Mihuc of the Lake day on the launch, which is used mostly by Champlain Research Institute called the recreational anglers in motor boats. invasion “a major change in the Lake With a degree in wildlife and fisheries Champlain food web.” biology, he is at ease asking boaters if they This summer, boat launch stewards have know about invasive species and offering reported that many anglers are returning some key facts if they don’t. He also asks to the launches with gelatinous clusters of important questions—such as where a water­ thousands of fishhook waterfleas fouling craft was last used and if the owner took their lines. any measures to prevent the spread of in- vasive species—that will help program Boat Launch Stewards managers focus future efforts. Matt Gorton is one of ten Lake Cham- Aquatic plants are fairly easy to see and plain Basin Program stewards this year, remove from boats and equipment by hand. and one of the dozens that have worked The trickier part of a courtesy boat inspec- the launches on Lake Champlain since the tion offered by the stewards is finding any steward program began in 2007. residual water that may be lurking in the In the eleven years between 2007 and bilge area, in the motor, livewell, or other 2017, stewards surveyed more than 95,000 compartments. Early-life-stage specimens boats, finding aquatic invasive species on of such species as the zebra mussel and the 5 percent of those boats. The data show spiny and fishhook waterfleas are not vis- that stewards remove many more organ- ible to the naked eye and can survive in isms from boats and trailers leaving Lake small amounts of water. Champlain than from those entering it. In 2018, boats traveled from 132 differ- Voracious Crustaceans ent water bodies in the two weeks prior to LCBP The most recent invasives identified in the their launch in Lake Champlain, and would species are harmful to the Champlain eco- lake, fishhook and spiny waterfleas, are par- move on to visit one of 187 other water system. ticularly troublesome because of how they bodies. These numbers indicate the poten- Water bodies connected to Lake Cham- reproduce. Both can reproduce asexually tial ease and speed of the spread of invasive plain by rivers and canals are the source by parthenogenesis. During the summer species by boats transported by trailers. of most invasives in the lake. The Great season, females grow clones in brood sacks. This information is critically important Lakes have 187 non-native species, com- Thus, relatively few individuals are able to in regional efforts to control the spread of pared to Lake Champlain’s 51. The Hud- establish new populations. aquatic invasive species. For many pristine son and St. Lawrence rivers have 122 and As the weather turns colder toward the inland water bodies in Vermont, Quebec, 87 respectively. end of the summer, fishhook and spiny and the Adirondacks, watercraft that last On top of causing dire ecological waterfleas produce microscopic over- visited Lake Champlain are a great risk. consequences, aquatic invasive species wintering eggs, which can remain dormant The lcbp works closely with partners can also have severe economic impacts for long periods of time, even under dry in the northeast, including state agencies, and impair human use of water bodies. For conditions. Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Water- example, zebra mussels clog water intake The spiny waterflea was first detected at shed Institute, and the Adirondack Park In- pipes. Clearing the pipes and keeping them just two of fifteen long-term monitoring vasive Plant Program. Data collected from clear over time is costly for municipalities. stations around the lake in late August of these programs are used to identify hot The sharp mussels can also cut the feet 2014. By late October, the species had spread continued on page 10

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 9 Invasive Species continued from page 9 Non-Native and Invasive Species Fishhook Waterflea spots of invasive species, focus manage- in Lake Champlain Over Time 2018 ment efforts, and place additional stewards Spiny and decontamination stations. Waterflea In 2017, the lcbp’s steward program ex- 2014 panded to Quebec, making the spread-pre- 50 Alewife vention effort international. The program 2003 also has recently stepped up its efforts with Woodland Pondsnail the establishment of decontamination sta- 1994 tions at several launches in Vermont and Zebra Mussel New York. There, stewards treat high-risk 40 1993 boats with a high pressure, hot water wash Brown Trout and an engine or compartment flush. Water 1980 Chestnut Rainbow Trout What Now? 1940 1972 30 Early detection is critical. That’s where the Largemouth Bass Eurasian 1930 Watermilfoil steward programs come in. In 2018, lcbp 1962 stewards intercepted 609 instances of inva- sive species that might otherwise have been moved between water bodies. In one case, Purple 20 Loosestrife stewards found the quagga mussel—one of 1929 the greatest threats to the lake—on a boat about to launch in Shelburne Bay. Some invasive species can be managed. Yearly mechanical and hand harvesting of 10 water chestnut from Lake Champlain has reduced the area of infestation significantly Non-native species over the last twenty years. Champlain Species in Lake and Invasive Number of Non-native Invasive species However, because the spiny and fish- 0 hook waterfleas’ overwintering eggs are mi- 1883 1920 1960 2000 croscopic and resistant to drying, there are

continued on page 11 LCBP

Above: Scientists have confirmed fifty-one Fishhook Waterflea: Initial Invasion (2018) non-native species established in Lake

LateLate August August EarlyEarly September September LateLate September September OctoberOctober Champlain. Of those, some one dozen are invasive, causing ecological harm, economic harm, or adverse effects on human health. The graph adds species according to the years when first reported. Some years are estimated based on available records.

At left: Densities of fishhook waterfleas at fifteen long-term monitoring stations around

the lake between August and October of Density per cubic meter 2018. Scientists first observed the fishhook 0 waterflea in Lake Champlain in August. < 1 Sampling periods are semimonthly except 1 – 5 for October, which is the entire month. 5 –10

10 – 25 Researchers collected each sample by pulling, or towing, a plankton net vertically 25 – 300 through the water column from just N above the sediments to the water surface. Preliminary reports indicate the waterflea Lake Champlain Long-Term Water Quality Quality Water Long-Term Champlain Lake and Biological Monitoring Program population has rebounded this summer.

10 Interstate Waters • September 2019 After The Storms

he commission’s five-year role Control reported fifty-three New York the last three years, for example, one staff supporting storm recovery in New deaths from the storm, and the state re- member evaluated the potential impact of T York ended last month as the re- ported tens of billions of dollars in prop- proposed construction projects on bats and covery program scales back. erty damage. other wildlife. Hurricane Irene skipped along the east- After Sandy, New York Governor Between the first employees’ start date ern seaboard in 2011, making landfall eight Andrew Cuomo created the Governor’s in October of 2014 and the last employ- times before striking Brooklyn, New York, Office of Storm Recoverygosr ( ) to support ee’s final day in August of this year, the the morning of August 28. recovery from all three storms. To respond Commission employed a total of seventeen Just two weeks later, Tropical Storm Lee quickly, New York turned to neiwpcc to scientists and engineers. They worked in dropped nearly a foot of rain in the Susque- augment the state’s environmental in­ Albany, New Paltz, Long Island City, and hanna River Valley. Binghamton, New York, spection team with a workforce that, at Stony Brook. saw record flooding. peak, grew to ten neiwpcc employees. The The gosr program continues to provide Perhaps the worst blow fell a year later, positions were funded by a federal grant. support to individuals, businesses, and when New York City bore the impact of Most of this staff’s work involved re- municipalities as they rebuild from these Hurricane Sandy at high tide on October viewing and certifying environmental storms and plan for the extreme weather 29. noaa recorded a fourteen-foot storm permits, but some neiwpcc employees of the future. surge on that date at the Battery in south- at gosr performed environmental as- ern . The Centers for Disease sessments related to reconstruction. Over

Workgroups Workgroup. Ten percent of funding for sections in their next five-year nonpoint the Farm Bill’s conservation programs source management plans. States discussed continued from page 5 must go to source water protection. Some progress on their plans during the Nonpoint The Wetlands Workgroup was instrumen- workgroup members have since met with Source Pollution Workgroup call on June 26. tal in drafting the Commission’s response the usda’s Natural Resources Conservation Except for Vermont’s plan, which is not to a Trump administration proposal that Service to learn more about how funding due for a year, the plans are due to the epa would end federal protection of most of will be administered. by the end of September. In response to the nation’s wetlands. Workgroup mem- the epa, states are including more infor- bers discussed the proposal in four phone Climate Change mation on coastal resiliency and stormwa- calls over the course of the winter. Their Workgroup members shared their states’ ter infrastructure improvement. States are concerns formed the basis of a six-page approaches to climate-change prepared- also including information about funding letter filed as a comment on behalf of ness during a Water Resource Adaptation of hazard mitigation through fema and the seven neiwpcc states on April 12 in and Climate Change Workgroup meeting on state emergency programs. Docket No. epa-hq-ow-2018-0149. An May 20. Where and how climate change account of the proposal and the Commis- programs fit into state agencies vary. How- Training sion’s response is included elsewhere in ever, all are prioritizing collecting data on The Total Maximum Daily Load Workgroup this magazine (“The Docket,” page 3). the effects of sea level rise, increased storm held a training event on April 9 and 10 for events, and warming temperatures. States state tmdl staff members. Don Kretchmer, Conservation are using those data to provide technical the principal at DK Water Resource Con- Local land conservation projects that protect assistance to communities, plan future in- sulting, demonstrated how to use his Lake source water may get funding through the frastructure, and protect drinking-water Loading Response Model to estimate pol- U.S. Farm Bill, which passed into law in sources. lutant loading to lakes. Several workgroup December. On April 2, Kira Jacobs of epa members reported that their departments Region 1 described funding opportunities The epa is strongly encouraging states have started using the model. The group in the law to the Source Water Protection to develop climate-change-preparedness plans to offer other workshops and is con- sidering one for the epa’s Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program. wasp can Invasive Species with water bodies known to contain inva- be used to predict water quality changes continued from page 10 sive species is recommended. over several years for different pollution The goal of the boat-launch steward pro- scenarios. fewer options for managing them, let alone gram is to foster behavior change so that eliminating them. In these cases, manage- lake users will take precautions to clean, The Water Quality Standards Workgroup ment focuses on containment. drain, and dry their equipment whether helped to plan a training session for new Individuals also can do a lot to mini- a steward is there to remind them or not. state water-quality staff members that mize the risk of spreading invasives and Nonetheless, visitors to Lake Champlain neiwpcc is offering October 9–10. The to protect the lake from non-native species before the end of September may meet workshop will address the three core com- that aren’t yet present. Boaters and anglers Matt Gorton or one of his fellow boat ponents of a standard: designated uses of should follow “Clean, Drain, Dry” practices launch stewards. They’ll be at the busiest water bodies, nutrient criteria, and antideg- and inspect tackle, anchor lines, and other launches around the lake, making sure radation requirements. The training will gear. Hot water, high pressure disinfection everyone knows how to stop aquatic of boats and equipment that are in contact hitchhikers. continued on page 14

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 11 Hudson River Chris continued from page 7 Mitchell, a neiwpcc- individual species in water, soil, and air. hrnerr The hrnerr staff is exploring whether researcher, this technique can gauge the effectiveness and Lisa of actions taken to restore ecosystem con- Williams, nectivity in the watershed. Removing dams an intern, and improperly installed culverts can pro- measure vide these animals access to habitat that marsh had been out of reach. elevation using a The Upper Estuary surface elevation Just around the bend, we spy the Catskill table at the Mountains. This is where Henry Hudson Norrie Point would have seen the range for the first time tidal marsh. as he sailed up the river in 1609. We pass Kingston on the western bank of the river and travel another six miles north to Tivoli Bays, the third hrnerr component site. The two bays vary sig- nificantly in their habitat characteris- tics. Emergent freshwater tidal marsh and swamp dominate the northern bay, while the southern bay is nearly all open water with fringing marshes. A railroad cause- way separates most of both bays from the main river channel. The causeway is punc- Sarah Fernald tuated by low openings that allow water to Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean to spawn; who had not started work as this issue of flow in and out. baby eels hatch from eggs in the ocean and Interstate Waters was going to press. This At the mouth of the Saw , in the migrate into freshwater rivers, streams, and hrnerr research technician will con- South Bay, hrnerr Science Educator Sarah lakes to mature and grow. Each year, volun- duct field activities to support analysis of Mount, another neiwpcc staff member, teers assist the effort to count eels, which weather, water-quality, and nutrient con- works with a group of students from Bard are caught in cylindrical or cone-shaped ditions at the site. College to count glass eels captured as part fyke nets and released upstream. This effort is part of thenerrs System of the Hudson River Eel Project. The tiny The Eel Project has long been an edu- Wide Monitoring Program, which sets da- transparent eel is the juvenile form of the cational resource, and today, the project’s ta-collection protocols that are used across American Eel. Each spring since 2008, the new quality assurance project plan will en- the research reserve system. The protocols project has monitored the migration of the sure that the data gathered may be used for allow researchers and others to compare glass eels as they make their way up Hud- planning and decision-making. and learn from ecosystem characteristics son River tributaries. The North Bay will soon be the prov- across sites in the national system. Adult eels migrate all the way out to the ince of another neiwpcc staff member The Turkey Point Tide Station, installed in 2015 by the hrnerr staff, stands just across the river from the South Bay. Data The National Network from this site are now included in noaa’s he hudson river national estuarine research reserve is one of national tidal gauge network. The tide sta- tion provides real-time information about twenty-nine research reserves in the National Estuarine Research T water levels in the upper Hudson estuary. Reserve system. The system, created in 1972 by the federal Coastal Zone Man- The station fills a gap in tidal information agement Act, is a cooperative program administered by the National Oceanic for the region and will improve tidal fore- Atmospheric Administration and coastal states. hrnerr was established and in- casts and measure sea level rise. Thanks to corporated into the national system in 1982 largely due to efforts by Hudsonia, a Turkey Point’s location, the information nonprofit environmental research institute. from the tide station will also be valuable Each reserve in the system has its own unique history, habitats, and adminis- in understanding the changes in the marsh trative structure. What they share are common focuses and coordinated activities measured by the sets in Tivoli Bays. in research, training, education, and stewardship. Leaving the bays, we head towards the A Future for the Reserve System most northern of the four component sites, Today, in Connecticut, there is an effort to establish what would be Long Island Stockport Flats. We pass the town of Sau- Sound’s first national research reserve. The Land and Water Resources Division in gerties on the eastern shore and the light- the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has nominated house that occupies the point at the mouth for reserve status a site that includes six state-owned properties and a swath of of . subtidal area near the mouths of the Connecticut and Thames rivers. The creek is one of many tributaries to the Hudson River. The tributaries provide

12 Interstate Waters • September 2019 critical habitat to migratory species includ- ing the eels Mount is counting in Tivoli The Hudson River Estuary Program South Bay. The tributaries bring water, nu- trients, sediment, and pollutants from the reated in 1987 by new york’s hudson river estuary management act, surrounding landscape into the main river C the Hudson River Estuary Program works closely with the Research Reserve. channel. The Estuary Program focuses on improving and restoring the natural features of After traveling for about twenty miles the Hudson River and its watershed, and on providing public education and ac- up the river, we reach the Stockport Flats cess to the resources of the river. The Estuary Program accomplishes its mission component site. Stretching along five miles through collaborative efforts with many government, institutional, and nonprofit of the eastern shore, the site comprises a partners, a robust grants program, and a talented and knowledgeable staff, many mixture of features and habitats. Near the of whom are neiwpcc employees. northern boundary of the component site, at Ferry Landing, another neiwpcc staff measures that retain and improve the sur- return to Norrie Point in time to catch the member is inspecting the condition of the rounding habitat and increase public access most recent webinar in the Sustainable shoreline. He is Dan Miller, the habitat-res- and recreational opportunities. Shorelines series, hosted by Emilie Hauser, toration coordinator for the Hudson River Traditional approaches to shoreline hrnerr’s estuary training program coor- Estuary Program. management include the use of hardened, dinator. Hauser is also a member of the The Estuary Program is a companion pro- geometrically simple designs. These provide neiwpcc staff. gram to the Reserve. The Research Reserve little ecological value and can exacerbate Back on the Hudson, the future for the maintains weather and water-quality mon- erosive forces as waves are reflected, rather Research Reserve looks bright. Although itoring equipment that contributes to the than absorbed by the shore. Nature-based each component site faces local, near-term Hudson River Environmental Conditions shoreline designs mimic natural forms challenges and global, long-term threats, Observing System, an effort coordinated and use natural materials, providing better the ongoing work to gather scientific data by the Estuary Program. hrnerr and the quality habitat in the shore zone. and conduct research will inform efforts Estuary Program team up for the Eel Project Beyond Stockport Flats, there are an- to mitigate those threats in the future. every spring and A Day in the Life of the other twenty or so miles until the end of Through partnership with other reserves Hudson and Harbor in October. Both are the estuary at the Federal Dam in Troy. Not in the system and collaboration with public outreach and citizen-science projects. far north of the dam, the Mohawk River the staffs of other agencies and research As part of hrnerr’s Sustainable Shore- flows into the Hudson. Beyond that, the reserves, hrnerr plays a key role in lines program, Ferry Landing is a demon- path of the river begins its rise up into the environmental problem solving on the stration site for nature-based stabilization Adirondacks. If we turn back now, we can Hudson and around the nation.

Dan Miller explains the workings of the Sparkill Creek eel ladder in the Piermont Marsh. Miller designed and constructed the ladder, dubbed the “eelvator,” using materials from a local hardware store. Volunteers use the bucket shown to lift eels over a dam at that site. Also in the photo at right: Sarah Mount.

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 13 Four Join NEIWPCC Commission as Leadership Shifts

he commission welcomes four O’Donovan is the new Commissioners: Kathleen director of the Wa- T Baskin, Renée Coleman-Mitchell, ter Division of New Katie Dykes, and Thomas O’Donovan. Hampshire’s De- Baskin is the assistant commissioner for partment of Envi- the Massachusetts Department of Environ- ronmental Services. mental Protection’s Bureau of Water Re- He represents des sources. She represents the Department of Commissioner Rob- Environmental Protection Commissioner ert Scott. O’Don- Martin Suuberg. Baskin is the former direc- ovan brings to the tor of water policy for the Executive Office Commission more of Energy and Environmental Affairs, where than three decades of she served for 11 years until 2016. public service and ex- Coleman-Mitchell was appointed as perience as a project Connecticut’s Commissioner of the Depart- manager in the con- ment of Health in February. She served the struction industry. state as section chief of the agency’s Com- Recently, he helped munity, Family, and Health Equity Section with Hurricane Ma- Doug Fine and Mark Klotz share a lighter moment during the Janu- from 2002 to 2016. rie recovery in Puerto ary 8, 2017, meeting of the Commission’s Executive Committee. Fine Dykes is the new commissioner of Con- Rico. stepped down as Commission chair in July. necticut’s Department of Energy and Envi- All of neiwpcc ronmental Protection (deep). From 2015 to thanks outgoing 2018, she chaired the Connecticut Public Commission­ Chair Douglas Fine, who has chair the September Commission Meeting. Utilities Regulatory Authority; she was was accepted the new position of regional dep- The Commission also recognizes outgo- deputy commissioner for energy at Con- uty director in charge of the Massachusetts ing Commissioners Suzanne Blancaflor necticut deep from 2012 to 2015. She is a Bureau of Air and Waste’s Worcester office. (Connecticut), Robert Breault (New York), former chair of the Board of Directors of the Fine had been a member of the Commission David Deen (Vermont), and James Ehlers Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. since 2014. Mark Klotz of New York will (Vermont) for their service to the region.

Workgroups tification exams. Five ofneiwpcc ’s seven solving using common wastewater treat- continued from page 11 member states use abc exams in some ment formulas. The group also finalized the also cover implementing a standard and form for wastewater certification. Asso- fall course schedule, which begins in early other important policies. It will be led by ciation representatives argued that stan- September. neiwpcc has managed train- experienced state staff members as a re- dardization ing for Massachusetts since 2005. gional complement to the epa’s national • promotes reciprocity so that an operator Water Quality Standards Academy. can move easily from state to state, Aquatic Biology • protects water plants legally from claims The Northeast Aquatic Biologists Work- Should one size fit all states when it of negligence in the certification process, group met May 8 to share news before comes to testing operators of water and • provides for exams that are themselves the busy summer monitoring season. The wastewater plants? Or do local differences well tested across a large user base. group reflected on the Northeast Aquatic in geography, technology, and regulation State certification personnel also dis- Biologists Conference that took place ear- mean it is better to test environmental cussed issues related to locations for com- lier in the year. The conference included a professionals differently in Maine than in puter-based testing and the inclusion of panel discussion by neiwpcc’s Volunteer Arizona? trial exam questions. The abc uses trial Monitoring Workgroup. The aquatic biolo- These issues took center stage at a questions to develop new ones. gists workgroup has a new co-chair, Katie meeting of northeast wastewater and DeGoosh-DiMarzio. She is a neiwpcc em- drinking-water certification authorities The Massachusetts Training Advisory Com- ployee who supports Rhode Island dem’s convened by neiwpcc’s Wastewater Certi- mittee agreed to add a new advanced math monitoring work. DeGoosh-DiMarzio will fication Workgroup on July 23. At the meet- class to the fall training schedule. The de- help plan the 2020 nab conference, which ing, the Association of Boards of Certi- cision was made during the group’s June will take place next March in Newport, fication (abc) made the case for a single 19 meeting, based on feedback from the Rhode Island. uniform set of examinations, in terms of instructor of the Advanced Operation of standardization, reciprocity, professional- Municipal Wastewater Treatment class. The Stormwater ism, and exam quality. additional one-session math course will aim A Stormwater Workgroup meeting on The abc is an international nonprofit to close the gap between operators with dif- March 20 helped to develop topics and association that develops and provides cer- ferent skill-levels and will focus on problem continued on page 15

14 Interstate Waters • September 2019 Parting Shot A Boatload of Control Judy Preston/Connecticut Sea Grant

teve gephard, a fisheries sci­ Cove in the Connecticut River Estuary on Left unchecked, this area could easily entist at the Connecticut Depart­ July 29. Gephard is at right. be filled in and choke important native S ment of Energy and Environmental Also helping were Margot Burns of the underwater vegetation that is critical to Protec­tion, lent boats and staff to the effort Connecticut River Council of Governments spawning and resident fish. to remove invasive water chestnut (Trapa and Judy Preston of the Connecticut Sea According to the online Invasive Plant natans) from an inlet north of Salmon Grant and Long Island Sound Study. Atlas of the , Trapa natans is a rooted, floating plant that invades shallow to deep, fresh water Workgroups authority to municipalities or managing habitats in the northeastern United continued from page 14 extensive stakeholder outreach. States. It can grow in 12–15 ft (3.6–4.6 m) identify participants for two issue-specific, Large-scale solar farms were the focus of water and forms dense, floating mats, ad hoc meetings in April, as follows. of a regional conference call on April 29. To often three layers deep. The...mats of Trapa natans restrict On April 5, state and epa officials met receive their stormwater construction gen- light availability, reduce the oxygen in Lowell to discuss how to balance storm- eral permits, developers of solar farms must content, and displace other emergent and water pollution reduction with their ca- sub­mit and implement stormwater man- floating vegetation. It also limits boating, pacity to issue and enforce permits. epa agement plans to minimize erosion and fishing, swimming and other recreational Region 1 and some neiwpcc states have runoff from clearcutting and construction. activities. Trapa natans is native to received petitions to use their “residual des- However, some contractors are ignoring Europe and Asia and was first observed ignation authority” under the Clean Wa- best practices in violation of their permits, in the United States in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. ter Act to regulate stormwater pollution paying fines as a cost of expediting devel- to water bodies with total maximum daily opment. State and epa officials explored Small populations of water chestnuts loads. Those petitions have called for reg- such solutions as issuing cease-and-desist can be controlled by hand pulling before ulation of private land parcels with paved orders and incentivizing developers to seed formation, typically in July. Large in- surfaces. A single petition can trigger hun- build on existing impervious surfaces such festations may require the use of mechan- dreds of permits. Officials compared vari- as roofs or parking lots. The discussion will ical harvesters or aquatic herbicides. ous approaches to exercising their residual continue this September at the next Storm- designation authority, such as delegating water Workgroup meeting.

Volume 3, Number 2 • Interstate Waters 15 Non-profit Org U. S. Postage PAID Manchester, NH Permit No. 724 650 Suffolk Street, Suite 410 Lowell MA 01854

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Events

September 4, neiwpcc webinar: September 21–25, Chicago, January 14–17, Mobile, Ala.: Novel electrochemical water Ill.: weftec Annual Technical Association of Boards of treatment technology. Exhibition and Conference. Certification, “Innovation in bit.ly/9-4_waterwebinar bit.ly/weftec2019 Certification” annual conference. abccert.org September 10, neiwpcc September 22–25, Rockport, webinar: uv-led for Primary Me.: New England Water Works January 26–29, Boston, Mass.: Disinfection: Discovering ideal Association, annual conference. New England Water Environment applications. bit.ly/newwa2019 Association’s annual conference. bit.ly/neiwpcc_waterwebinar annualconference.newea.org October 9–10, Lowell, Mass.: September 12–13, Saratoga Water Quality Standards Training. February 3–5, New York, N.Y.: Springs, N.Y.: Fall meeting New York Water Environment October 30–31, Washington, Association’s annual meeting. of neiwpcc’s governing D.C.: Association of State bit.ly/NYWEA2020 Commission. and Territorial Solid Waste , San Antonio, September 14, Oyster Bay, N.Y.: Management Officials, annual February 4–5 Tex.: Association of Clean Estuary Day 2019. With the meeting. bit.ly/astswmo2019 Long Island Sound Study and Water Administrators, 2020 January 9–10, Lowell, Mass.: Peconic Estuary Program staffs. National Stormwater Roundtable. bit.ly/2019estuaryday Winter meeting of neiwpcc’s bit.ly/acwastormwater governing Commission. , Newport, September 17–19, New Orleans, March 4–6 R.I.: Northeast Aquatic La.: Workshop 2019, lust Sharing Biologists conference. Solutions to Advance LUST bit.ly/neiwpcc_nab2020 Cleanups. bit.ly/LUSTworkshop

A single fishhook waterflea (actual size) is typically six to thirteen millimeters in length. On our front cover: A tangle of waterfleas from Lake Champlain, September 2018. The clump, actually just a few centimeters across, includes many fishhook waterfleas, some spiny waterfleas, and fishing line. At left, a fishhook water­ flea, highly magnified. Cover photos courtesy of the Lake Champlain Research Institute. Story, page 8.

Interstate Waters • March 2019