EPA Water Forum: make sure Western voices are heard!

Got a burning water quality issue U.S. EPA needs to hear about? Speak out now. In April, EPA is hosting a conference called Coming Together for Clean Water. This conference will include about 100 river and water leaders charged with sharing ideas about how EPA can better address the water pollution problems facing our rivers. We need to make sure Western river issues are on the table at this meeting.

In preparation for that meeting, EPA is hosting a web discussion forum where YOU can share your ideas and hence help design the discussion in April. The web forum has three topics under discussion: the watershed approach, managing pollutants from nutrients, and stormwater pollution. Each topic has a short introduction and a list of starter questions. A larger "discussion document" also provides food for though for your input.

When you visit the forum, I'm sure you'll see enough to get your thoughts flowing. In case you need a little jump start, ponder:

• Topics you want to be sure are raised. For example: Concerned about CAFOs and nutrients? Protection of riparian buffers to control nutrient (and other pollution)? Addressing water quantity/flow as part of the watershed restoration approach?

• Solutions you might have found. For example: Have you found creative ways to incorporate green infrastructure concepts into development or redevelopment? Examples of how to reach across political boundaries to embrace the watershed approach?

• Policy problems or barriers EPA needs to address to help you in your work. For example: Are you seeing the need for better defining who needs a CAFO permit? Lack of controls for nonpoint source pollution? Funding needed to expand monitoring?

To join the discussion: http://blog.epa.gov/waterforum/

Note: the forum launched on March 16, and U.S. EPA’s press materials say it will be open for two weeks.