FINAL AGENDA (and links to available abstracts)

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Opening Remarks

8:20 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Treating Combined Sewer Overflows and Storm Runoff with Wetlands. John G. Ferrante, Ph.D. and Richard Smardon, Ph.D

8:55 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. Rouge River Marshes Rehabilitation Initiative – Incorporating Natural and Societal Values in Rehabilitation Design. Kenneth M. Dion, Ontario Streams and Mark Heaton, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

9:35 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. New York State’s First Wetland Mitigation Bank – Rochester’s Cornerstone Group Bank in Monroe County. Chuck Rosenberg, Beak Consultants Incorporated

10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. Montezuma Restoration Project. David Odell, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

10:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. Re-introduction of the River Otter to Alder Bottom Creek through the NYSDOT Environmental Initiatives Program. Dennis Money

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch & Keynote Speaker: Susan McAlpine, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), French Creek Project Manager – TNC Initiatives in the French Creek Watershed

12:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Field Trip to TNC project sites (details to follow)

ABSTRACTS:

TREATING CSO AND STORM RUNOFF WITH WETLANDS

By

John G. Ferrante¹, Ph.D. and Richard Smardon², Ph.D.

Urbanization drastically alters the natural hydrologic cycle and destroys natural areas such as wetlands that are important for improvement of water quality and for controlling urban stormwater runoff. In the City of Syracuse there are 66 combined sewer overflow structures and 50-60 overflow events (CSO) each year that add raw sewage to the pollutant mix thus contributing significantly to the degradation of three tributaries to the Onondaga Lake. The hypothesis that many of the water quality problems and degradation of riparian habitat currently in the lake tributaries can be ameliorated significantly with the creation of functional wetlands in the Lake tributaries is to be tested. Phase I of a multiphase program has been completed that evaluated the feasibility of constructing stormwater runoff/CSO discharge treatment wetlands in the urban sector of the City. Comprehensive surveys were conducted and potential sites on the urban tributaries were prioritized on a set of feasibility criteria. A primary site was identified on Harbor Brook. that will allow two separate and uniquely designed wetlands to be constructed. This stream receives significant rural and urban stormwater runoff and 19 CSOs. The design configuration will allow a comparative study to be conducted to evaluate the relative the efficiency of the designs to improve water quality and restore functional wetland habitat in urban areas. Phase II has been funded that will allow the development of final designs, begin the construction of a pilot project and monitoring programs as well as an educational program for the City school system. The overall process is discussed including challenges concerning land and jurisdiction issues, design issues, public involvement, and educational opportunities.

¹ Atlantic states Legal Foundation, ² SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Rouge River Marshes Rehabilitation Initiative - Incorporating
Natural and Societal Values In Rehabilitation Design

By

Kenneth M. Dion, Ontario Streams

During the last 100-150 years, more than 90% of the coastal wetlands in Toronto, Canada have been lost to infill and pollution. Unfortunately, this trend of wetland degradation continues as a result of increased human activities within the watershed upstream, and an abundance of exotic invasive flora and fauna.

The provincially significant Rouge River Marshes represent 55% of the total remaining coastal wetlands in Toronto at 68 hectares, and are inhabited by a variety of significant and endangered vegetation and wildlife species. The Rouge River Marshes Rehabilitation Working Group was established by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) as a multi-stakeholder committee designed to protect, restore and enhance the natural, scenic, educational and cultural values of the Rouge River Marshes in an ecosystem context, and to promote public responsibility, understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of this heritage.

Ontario Streams (a not-for-profit conservation organization) and the OMNR implemented the Rouge River Marshes Rehabilitation Project in order to mitigate the loss of native wetland vegetation resulting from the construction of a parking lot in the 1970s, and an overabundance of exotic flora and fauna (purple loosestrife and carp) by reestablishing 8 hectares of wetland vegetation.

This presentation examines how:

• overpopulations of Canada Geese influence the proliferation of purple loosestrife in a regenerating wetland;
• government agencies, environmental interest groups and members of the community can work together in rehabilitating coastal wetlands; and
• the natural and societal values of the Rouge River Marshes were protected in designing the rehabilitation initiative.
  

New York State’s First Wetland Mitigation Bank –
Rochester’s Cornerstone Group Bank in Monroe County

Beak Consultants Incorporated, 140 Rotech Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086-9755
phone: (716) 759-1200; fax: (716) 759-1489; crosenburg@beak.com

During 1999, Rochester’s Cornerstone Group constructed a 20-acre wetland mitigation bank in association with development of the Rochester International Commerce Center in the Town of Chili, Monroe County. This is the first wetland mitigation bank to be approved and developed in New York State. The mitigation banking agreement for the project authorizes the sale of mitigation credits as compensation for impacts to federal wetlands in the Black Creek watershed, the primary service area for the bank, and the northern portion of the Genesee River watershed, the secondary service area. The agreement specifies that 80% of the mitigation credits will become available after the first year’s monitoring goals have been met and 20% after achieving the second year’s goals. Permitting for the bank formally began in 1997 and was directed through a Mitigation Banking Review Team consisting of federal and state regulatory agencies. Construction of the bank was started in April 1999.

The wetland mitigation bank consists of deep water habitat, shallow water habitat, emergent marsh, wet meadow, and prospective forested wetland communities. A diversion channel from an existing stream meanders through the bank, thereby diversifying habitat availability, providing a supplemental hydrologic source, and promoting fish use of the site. First year monitoring by Beak in September 2000 documented: 1) excellent plant establishment; 2) good interspersion of wetland plant communities; 3) a broad range of water depths; 4) a high diversity of wetland plants, with a predominance of FACW and OBL species; and 4) extensive colonization and use by wetlands wildlife.

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