During these last weeks of winter, many of us in the Mid-Atlantic region are starting to think about warmer weather, spring and gardening.  In an area recuperating from record snowstorms, cold temperatures, and icy highways, the Philadelphia International Flower Show is a much-anticipated reminder that Spring is just a few weeks away.   

Each year in early March, garden exhibitors from all over the world gather in Philadelphia for the Flower Show, transforming the floor of the Pennsylvania Convention Center into a wonderland of gardens, plants, and floral designs. The spectacular display annually attracts more than 250,000 visitors from all over the world, making the Philadelphia International Flower Show the largest indoor flower exhibit in the world.  With its international appeal and audience, it is very fitting that the theme of the 2011 show is “Springtime in Paris.”

Since 1993, EPA has used this wonderful venue, which is only a few blocks from our Mid-Atlantic regional office to educate gardeners on techniques that protect the environment and at the same time create beautiful gardens.  Using native plants and recycled materials, the our flower show team of volunteers designs, constructs, and creates an exhibit that vividly demonstrates the beauty and practicality of native plants, sustainable water usage, and beneficial landscaping techniques.  While our exhibits always carry messages of sustainability, it is amazing to see a new and unique display each year conveying environmental messages in a special and beautiful way.  And judging by the thousands of people who view our exhibit and speak with our volunteers, the environmental values and practices we display are growing in popularity. 

In keeping with the show’s Parisian theme, the 2011 EPA exhibit is titled “Botanique Naturale” which loosely translates to “Natural Garden” and focuses on the importance of native plants, wetlands, and watersheds.  Visitors will see an exhibit which showcases the rich diversity of the native flora of wetlands and woodlands and depicts how people can use these plants to create a sustainable home garden.  Here’s a sneak preview of the plants we’ll be using in our exhibition!

If you’re in the area, stop by and see for yourself the beauty and environmental benefits of sustainable gardening.  The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show runs from Sunday, March 6^th  through March 13^th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia.  Whether you are an experienced gardener, an aspiring gardener, or just starting to get your hands dirty, there will be plenty to see, learn, and enjoy.  See you at the Flower Show!

About the Author – - -Bonnie Turner-Lomax came to EPA Region’s mid-Atlantic Region in 1987 and has held several positions throughout the Region.  She is currently the Communications Coordinator for the Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division.

How can what happens in the Catskill Mountains up in New York have an effect on the marine creatures down in the Delaware Bay, or the drinking water supply for people that live in Trenton or Philadelphia? It’s a watershed manager’s job to find out.

The Delaware River Basin is a great example of watershed management practices in action.  The nearly 13,000 square miles of land that drain to the Delaware River are rich and diverse.  In the Upper Delaware, the land is dominated by scenic, natural landscapes and forests, with  abundant recreational opportunities on and around the river.  As the river flows south, the basin is increasingly urbanized and the river is used more for industry and navigation.  Finally, the river becomes an estuary as it approaches the Atlantic Ocean, with wetlands and other unique habitats.  Along the way, over 15 million people use the basin for drinking water, including the water exported from the basin to the residents of New York City.  All told, a whopping 8.7 billion gallons of water from the Delaware River Basin are put to use every day. 

Because of the various ways the Delaware River is used, the protection of this resource is managed differently in different areas of the basin based on local needs and priorities.  And yet, how the water (as well as land) is managed and used in one part of the basin will inevitably have an impact on other parts of the basin.  And since the river basin spans political boundaries (draining from parts of four states, 42 counties, and 838 municipalities), collaboration and holistic basin management is crucial.  Coordination is now more important than ever, as the basin faces ever-evolving challenges, including increasing populations and demand for water, increasingly urbanized areas, possible effects of climate change, and changes in industry and commerce.

For these reasons, the Delaware River Basin Forum is taking both a regional and a local approach – discussing basin-wide issues as well as local issues through the connection of the satellite locations.  Don’t forget that the forum is coming up on March 10!

These issues of integrated water management aren’t unique to the Delaware River Basin – any watershed approach must taken into account the many needs and uses of its waters in order to sustain its resources into the future.  While local specifics may differ, there are many common drivers of watershed planning, and any basin can benefit from a focus on the regional-local connectedness that the Delaware River Basin Forum seeks to do.  Government and non-government entities, as well as stakeholders like you, all have a crucial role to play in managing water resources in a sustainable way.  In the Mid-Atlantic Region, we’ve done a lot of this kind of work in the Chesapeake Bay and other, smaller watersheds, but there are many examples all over the country – like the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, and Colorado River basin, just to name a few.

What are the most pressing water issues facing your area?  Can you think of ways that meeting the water needs of your local area might affect parts of the larger basin either upstream or downstream from where you are?

When you go to your faucet and get yourself a glass of water do you know where your water comes from? It most likely comes from a local water body. It is important for citizens to understand where they get their water so they can take an active role in protecting it. For residents within the Delaware River Basin, there is an excellent and interactive way to learn more about the source of your water.

The Source Water Collaborative is sponsoring a Delaware River Basin Forum on March 10, 2011. The Forum will be a one-day, basin-wide event on issues affecting water resource sustainability for the more than 15 million people who rely on surface and ground water from the basin. The format of the event will reflect a theme of regional-local connection. At the central session in Philadelphia panelists will set the stage by framing current and forecasted influences on water resources basin-wide, such as water demand, land use changes and climate change. They will interact with satellite forums in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania where stakeholders gather to discuss local issues and needs. Click here to view the locations. Anyone can attend the forum at any location. It’s free and everyone is encouraged to be active participants. Click here to register to participate in a certain location.

Moreover, to promote the concept of “meeting green”, the events at all 8 locations will also be webcast live. If you can’t attend a local meeting, consider tuning in on March 10^th via the links that will be posted on the Forum website (www.delawarebasindrinkingwater.org).

Source water protection means protection of drinking water supplies. Drinking water can come from ground or surface water, and a collaborative effort is needed to ensure that our sources of drinking water remain clean for future generations. Taking positive steps to prevent pollutants from ever reaching these sources can be more efficient and less costly than treating drinking water later. States within the Delaware River Basin each have unique authorities and approaches to source water protection. Visit the Source Water Collaborative to learn more about protecting drinking water. You can search for allies of drinking water in your area here.

We hope that you can go to one of the 8 locations to participate in the forum on March 10th. If you can’t, make sure to check out the forum online and be sure to visit www.delawarebasindrinkingwater.org  to get updates. If you are attending the forum, share what site you will be attending and what topics you would like to see discussed on a comment below! Hope to see you there!

Most of our activities in EPA Region 3 are focused on just that – our region of Mid-Atlantic states.  But water issues are not confined to one geographic area, and environmental boundaries frequently cross political boundaries – try telling a river it needs a passport to flow from one country to another!  Since water issues are so varied in different areas (and consequently managed much differently), it’s always beneficial to hear about what people are working on in other parts of the country and the world. 

On November 4^th, a number of EPA representatives attended the 4^th annual conference of the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative for that very purpose.  EPA is a collaborator in this network of water professionals in Philadelphia and beyond (including non-governmental organizations, government organizations, universities, and the public) who share a common goal of addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges around the world.  Talk about healthy waters on a large scale! 

The theme of this year’s conference was “Managing the Last 1%: Allocating Water to Meet the UN Millennium Development Goals,” a reference to the fact that out of all the water on Earth, only 1% is available for human use and consumption.  I know that seems unbelievable, since we have always learned that the Earth is over 75% water, a characteristic that has earned it the nickname “The Blue Planet.”  But when you consider that oceans are nearly 98% of the Earth’s water resources (which we can’t drink), and about half of the remaining percentage is tied up in glaciers and icecaps, only 1% is left in surface water and groundwater, the only kind we can use for our water supply.  Plus, did you know that 1 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean water, and over 2.5 billion people have inadequate access to improved sanitation facilities?  We don’t often think about it, but there actually is a global shortage of water for people and the environment.

Being aware of this massive water shortage, the participants at the conference discussed the challenges of managing limited water supplies and shared their experiences of success and obstacles.  Speakers talked about their work in diverse places like China, South Africa, Guatemala, Bangladesh, and the Mid-Atlantic’s very own Delaware River Basin.  The work they discussed was fascinating and included:

           - installing wells and gardens at schools in developing countries,

           -creating basin commissions to manage large interstate watersheds (like the Delaware River Basin Commission)

           -evaluating the cost-effectiveness of various water supply and demand measures,

           -how water and energy issues are related

           -“virtual water” and agricultural water use

           -protecting ecosystems and the services they provide us

           -corporate strategies to reduce water use

If you missed out on this year’s conference, you can still view the presentations by the speakers.

You might also be surprised to hear that EPA does some international work.   Presently, a cadre of Mid-Atlantic Region employees is working with the Moroccan Ministry of Environment on developing an enforcement and compliance program whose initial focus has been wastewater discharges.   Phase I of the program saw the development of a wastewater discharge permit application, a basic permit which can be modified based on the permit to be issued, and a permit writers manual.  In addition, the project worked on enforcement by creating an inspection guidance which focused on wastewater dischargers.  Phase II of the project, which has just started, will continue these efforts by developing a permitting and enforcement strategy for wastewater dischargers, address organizational issues, and expand the effort into air and solid waste.   There are also some Mid-Atlantic personnel working with the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on wastewater permitting issues.  They have provided training and technical assistance to a wide range of stakeholders in various government agencies to help develop a permitting and enforcement system for wastewater dischargers.   Learn about EPA’s water work internationally beyond the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Have you heard of any ways that other countries manage their water resources differently than we do?  What issues are you most interested in on an international scale?