Instead of telling homeowners to use fewer pounds of fertilizer because it is good for water quality, Fran Geissler and her staff tie the message to something dear to people’s palates — crabs.
Crabs, the signature food of the Chesapeake Bay region, drive every stormwater management program for the newly formed Stormwater Division in James City County, Va. The chief problem is bacterial contamination of crab, clam, and oyster beds. When authorities issue shellfish advisories in tidal waters, the beds remain closed to fishermen until the water is safe again.
Formed in July 2007, the division and its six full-time and one part-time team members accomplish major objectives by working seamlessly with other branches of county government. Their paths cross constantly because of fragmented responsibilities. Geissler also has two powerhouses at her disposal: the regional stormwater management effort, known as HR STORM, and statewide communities working together to solve stormwater issues.
Her ace in the hole, though, is the county’s well-educated, engaged residents. Anxious to protect their quality of life, they form many vocal, active advocacy groups that rallied around Geissler as she configured each stormwater approach to protecting the shellfish beds.
The result of these combined efforts is an outreach program that provides valuable scientific data, a watershed management strategy geared to restoration and upgrading, and a plan to retrofit the best management practices (BMP) system. The division’s accomplishments are testimony to empowered people working toward a common goal — protecting what they like on their dinner plates.
