PEOPLE/AWARDS

Twelve urban conservation water quality initiative demonstration projects have been selected to receive a total of $820,840 in funding through the Iowa Department of Agriculture’s Iowa Water Quality Initiative. The projects focus on reducing the rate at which stormwater enters Iowa’s rivers and creeks by capturing and absorbing it through conservation measures. The efforts are aimed at improving water quality and reducing flooding. The projects that were awarded funds include:

• Parkway Watershed in Prairie Trail (city of Ankeny)
• Implementing and Educating: Stormwater Management for Education Institutions in Black Hawk County (cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls)
• Tama Building Permeable Alley (city of Burlington)
• Infiltration Practices Along Sixth Street SW Corridor (city of Cedar Rapids)
• Clay County Fair Centennial Plaza (city of Spencer)
• Downtown Denison Urban Conservation Project (city of Denison)
• Five Island Lake Campground Urban Watershed Project (city of Emmetsburg)
• Fourmile Creek Watershed Project Sediment Basin Forebay and Stormwater Wetland (city of Des Moines and Fourmile Watershed Management Authority)
• Walnut Creek WMA Project Implementation: Urbandale and Clive Nutrient Treatment/Flood Storage Wetlands (cities of Urbandale and Clive)
• City of Readlyn Urban WQI: Initial Steps Toward a Large-Scale Effort (city of Readlyn)
• City of Slater Permeable Paver Project (city of Slater)
• • Colby Water Quality Demonstration Park (city of Windsor Heights) 

The City of Beverly Hills (California) announced the hiring of Shana Epstein as its director of public works. Since May 2011, Epstein served as the City of Ventura’s water general manager. Prior to that, she was the City of Beverly Hills’ Environmental Utilities manager.

The City of Lima (Ohio) Stormwater Department and the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District announced that 10 local organizations were named inaugural “Stormwater Superstars.” The honor recognizes a variety of efforts and practices from organizations that have an impact on stormwater runoff and a clean, healthy Ottawa River. Recipients include:

• Alloway (rooftop rainwater harvest and filtration through a rain garden)
• Best One Tire & Service (oil recycling and litter cleanup)
• Lima schools (watershed education and community litter cleanup)
• Lima Memorial Health System (tree planting and ongoing litter cleanup)
• ReStore (repurposing household hazardous waste)
• Runkel Landscape Associates (low phosphorus fertilizer applications and installation of rain gardens, as well as pervious pavements)
• St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (ongoing neighborhood litter cleanup)
• St. Rita’s Health Partners (filtering stormwater through landscape design)
• University of Northwestern Ohio (student stream studies and filtering stormwater through landscape design)
• Wingate by Wyndham (underground stormwater capture with slow release to the storm sewer, and a daily commitment to litter cleanup)

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The American Council of Engineering Companies-Illinois awarded the city of Rockford and Willett, Hofmann & Associates an ACEC Water and Stormwater Merit Award for the Harmon Park Drainage Phase II project. The project is the cornerstone of a 10-phase project to reduce the impacts of flooding in the Rolling Green neighborhood. Phase II involved the transformation of a park into a detention area and green space which is usable during dry weather but carries major stormwater flows during wet weather.

Canada

The Water Environment Federation is offering Stormwater Seminar 2017 on June 15-17 at the Quebec City Congress Center in Quebec City. Visit www.wef.org.

Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is offering Essentials of Hydraulics for Civil and Environmental Professionals seminar on Oct. 11-13 in Madison. Visit epdweb.engr.wisc.edu.

CALENDAR

• June 4-7 American Society of Civil Engineers’ Geo-Risk 2017, Grand Hyatt Denver, Denver. Visit www.asce.org.
• June 11-14 American Water Works Association Annual Conference & Exposition, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia. Visit www.awwa.org.
• June 14-16 Florida Stormwater Association Annual Conference, Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa, Ft. Myers, Florida. Call 888/221-3124 or visit www.florida-stormwater.org.
• June 25-28 American Water Resources Association 2017 Summer Conference: Climate Change Solutions, Sheraton Tysons Hotel, Tysons, Virginia. Visit www.awra.org.
• June 26-29 National Association of Flood and Stormwater Agencies Annual Meeting, Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston, South Carolina. Visit www.nafsma.org.
• July 16-19 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers 2017 Annual International Meeting, Spokane, Washington. Visit www.asabe.org.
• Aug. 4-6 American Society of Civil Engineers’ Younger Member Leadership Symposium, ASCE Headquarters, Reston, Virginia. Visit www.asce.org.
• Aug. 27-30 American Public Works Association PWX (Public Works Expo), Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. Visit www.apwa.net.
• Aug. 27-31 StormCon: North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition, Meydenbauer Center, Seattle. Visit www.stormcon.com.
• Sept. 18-20 National Rural Water Association WaterPro Conference, Reno, Nevada. Visit www.nrwa.org.
• Oct. 8-11 American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Convention, New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans. Call 800/548-2723 or visit www.asce.org.
• Nov. 5-9 American Water Resources Association Annual Conference, Red Lion on the River-Jantzen Beach Hotel, Portland, Oregon. Visit www.awra.org.
• Nov. 6-9 American Society of Civil Engineers’ Operation & Maintenance of Stormwater Control Measures, Denver. Visit www.asce.org.