Annual Report of Activities
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Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater YourEducation Company Name Consortium Outreach Education Involvement June 2009 - April 2010 Annual Report of Activities 7 June 2010 Executive Summary At the beginning of its fifth year of service (2009-2010), the Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium (CWSEC) set forth on an ambitious work plan for stormwater outreach, education, and public participation programming in the Waccamaw River and Coastal Atlantic watersheds, focusing on the urbanized areas in Horry and Georgetown Counties. Under the guidance of the mem- ber municipalities, the CWSEC educators implemented a compre- hensive stormwater education plan that involved diverse activity types ranging from mass media, publications, public exhibits, pres- entations, and workshops to community clean-ups, demonstration projects, volunteer monitoring, and so much more to effectively reach important target audiences in the region. As in years past, educational initiatives were designed to improve not only general storm- “We take great pride in water awareness but also to address the target pollutants of greatest con- cern as identified by monitoring conducted by the Department of Health ensuring that our natural and Environmental Control and by local volunteer monitoring programs in the Waccamaw and coastal watersheds. resources, especially clean Each year, the Consortium continues to grow in the number of ac- water and all the bounty tivities completed. While the educators retained successful activities from previous years, some changes occurred which have improved more direct it provides, will be pro- contact with target audiences, primarily through the use of internet re- sources, an increase in the number of specialized workshops, and greater tected for our children and participation on local councils and committees. The mass media cam- generations to come!” paign that began in year four continued through the summer of 2009 with cable and radio purchases adding approximately 345,000 impressions to those already made through public service announcements and billboards. Ben Powell This report details the activities completed by the CWSEC’s pri- mary education providers in year 5 (June 2009—April 2010). The storm- Regional Coordinator water awareness and water resource protection programs outlined in this for Carolina Clear, report relate to compliance under Minimum Control Measure 1 (public education and outreach) and Minimum Control Measure 2 (public involve- Clemson University ment and participation) of the National Pollution Discharge Elimi- nation System Phase II program. Also, appendices highlighting exceptional projects and programs are included at the end of this report. It is a core objective of the Consortium’s educators to help the member municipalities meet federal requirements under the Clean Water Act to teach citizens about stormwater pollution and involve the public in water resources protection. i Executive Summary FY 09-10 Annual Report Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium CWSEC Annual Report 2009-2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ............................................................................................ i Education Providers .......................................................................................... 1 Consortium Goal and Objectives ....................................................................... 2 CWSEC Partner Focus—Georgetown County .................................................. 3 Public Education Activities ............................................................................... 4 Posters/Exhibits/Billboards .......................................................................................................... 4 WebPages ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Television ................................................................................................................................... 11 Radio ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Publication/Article ...................................................................................................................... 14 Newsletter ................................................................................................................................... 16 Conference .................................................................................................................................. 17 Lecture/Presentation .................................................................................................................. 18 Workshop/Seminar ..................................................................................................................... 29 Council/Committee/Meeting ...................................................................................................... 38 Public Involvement Activities ......................................................................... 46 Community Clean-ups ................................................................................................................ 46 Demonstrations / Installations .................................................................................................. 49 Volunteer Monitoring .................................................................................................................. 53 Other Activities ................................................................................................ 55 Summary of Activities ..................................................................................... 58 Conclusions from Year 5 (2009-2010) ............................................................. 59 Appendix A - 2009 Needs Assessment ................................................................................. A-1 Appendix B - Storm Drain Marking ..................................................................................... A-2 Appendix C - Stormwater Attitudes and Behaviors Telephone Survey........................ A-3 Appendix D - Pond Calls & HOAs ................................................................................ A-4 Appendix E - Stormwater on Wheels ............................................................................ A-5 Table of Contents ii FY 09-10 Annual Report Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium Education Providers Table 1 Summary of Local Education Service Providers Provider Programs Primary Services General Public Education Technical Training Clemson University Carolina Clear Program (Clemson) Internet Tools General Public Involvement Coordinate CWSEC Volunteer monitoring Coastal Carolina Waccamaw Watershed Academy Watershed management planning University (CCU) K-12 & public watershed & stormwater edu- cation and public involvement Murrells Inlet 2020 K-5 environmental education programs In-class and in-field programs (MI2020) North Inlet-Winyah Bay CWSEC website Coastal Training Program National Estuarine Technical workshops Research Reserve Outreach programs and materials for public Coastal Training Program & Public Education Public Education Program Classroom and field experiences focusing on (NIWB NERR) watershed concepts SC Sea Grant Nonpoint Education for Municipal Stormwater education for elected and Officials (NEMO) appointed officials Extension Program (Sea Grant) Public Education Land use and best management practices Waccamaw Community education and involvement and RiverkeeperTM Public Education and Involvement advocacy for water quality and quantity protections (Riverkeeper) 1 Education Providers FY 09-10 Annual Report Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium Goal & Objectives CWSEC Strategic Goal—Develop and implement effective, out- comes-based stormwater education and outreach programs that will meet federal requirements and satisfy the environmental and eco- nomic needs of the community that they serve. Core Objectives 1. Maximize efficiency of stormwater education efforts using a re- gional watershed approach. 2. Help local SMS4s meet NPDES Phase II Stormwater Program permit requirements for public stormwater education, public in- “The conservation of our volvement, and illicit discharge detection by providing educa- natural resources and their tional resources and services such as public education, outreach and community involvement. proper use constitute the fundamental problem which 3. Develop a comprehensive stormwater education plan for the re- underlies almost every other gion that capitalizes on local training resources to meet the needs of local SMS4s. problem of our national life.” 4. Foster collaboration among local service providers to best meet the educational needs of local SMS4s and their constituents. Theodore Roosevelt, 5. Serve as a model for collaborative stormwater education. 7th Address to Congress, 1907 Goals and Objectives 2 FY 09-10 Annual Report Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium Partner Focus—North Myrtle Beach The City of North Myrtle Beach is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the CWSEC service area, and this rapid rate of growth has meant that the city has had to stay on top of its ordinances and stormwater facilities to ensure positive flow and the protection of vital recreational waters and general water quality . The ur- banization of the coastal watersheds and drainages to the Intracoastal Waterway has increased