PEOPLE/AWARDS
Erik Michelsen, administrator of the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Watershed Protection and Restoration Program, received the inaugural Ron Bowen Environmental Legacy Award from the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy. The honor is named for Ron Bowen, the former director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works and co-founder of the Watershed Stewards Academy. The award honors someone who exemplifies visionary leadership and fosters environmental action through connecting government and private resources.
The New York Water Environment Association presented its Nelson A. Rockefeller Award for environmental leadership to Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. The award goes to elected officials who have made substantial and meaningful contributions to advancing effective environmental programs. Brown earned the award because of his leadership on numerous environmental initiatives around Buffalo, the organization says. The initiatives include the Rain Check program, which aims to reduce stormwater runoff.
The town of Canton (North Carolina) received the Big Creek Award for Partner of the Year from the Haywood Waterways Association. Among the activities in which it participates, Canton is active in the WNC Stormwater Partnership.
The Orange County (California) Water District’s Mid-Basin Injection: Centennial Park project received the Water Treatment Project of the Year Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers-Orange County Branch. The $29.5 million project is in the city of Santa Ana and is scheduled to be completed in fall 2019. Among the project’s benefits, it will free up storage space in the basin near Anaheim to recharge other sources of eventual drinking water, such as more imported water and stormwater, when available.
The city of Vancouver (Washington) is receiving more than $7 million in grant money from the state’s Department of Ecology for stormwater improvement projects and activities. The city uses local stormwater utility funds, provided by ratepayers, as matching contributions to acquire Department of Ecology grants.
Harris County (Texas) is receiving a $320,000 federal grant to evaluate a flood protection strategy that involves building deep underground tunnels to move stormwater to the city’s ship channel. The Harris County Flood Control District would use the grant money from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to study whether the tunnels would be a cost-effective option without overburdening the area’s bayous.
CALENDAR
June 9-12
American Water Works Association ACE19 Annual Conference & Exposition, Denver. Visit www.awwa.org.
June 16-19
American Water Resources Association Summer Specialty Conference: Improving Water Infrastructure Through Resilient Adaptation, Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, Nevada. Visit www.awra.org.
June 17-19
American Society of Civil Engineers International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Visit www.asce.org.
July 7-10
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting, Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston. Visit www.asabe.org.
Aug. 18-22
StormCon 2019, Hyatt Regency hotel, Atlanta. Visit www.stormcon.com.
Sept. 8-11
American Public Works Association Public Works Expo (PWX), Washington State Convention Center, Seattle. Visit www.apwa.net.
Sept. 9-11
National Rural Water Association WaterPro Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. Visit www.nrwa.org.
Oct. 9-13
American Society of Civil Engineers Annual Conference, Miami. Visit www.asce.org.
Oct. 20-23
American Water Works Association Water Infrastructure Conference & Exposition, Hyatt Regency at The Arch hotel, St. Louis. Visit www.awwa.org.
Nov. 3-7
American Water Resources Association Annual Water Resources Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Salt Lake City. Visit www.awra.org.
