Announcements 2025.8.15

[Walker, Jane]

Scholarships Available: 2025 Virginia Water Monitoring Council Conference -- Scholarship Applications Due: September 5, 2025; Registration Deadline: September 19, 2025; Conference: September 30, 2025 -- Hanover, VA -- Scholarships are available to cover the registration fee for two full-time undergraduate or graduate students to attend the 2025 VWMC Conference. The conference program includes eight presentations, including topics from PFAS to road salts to stream restoration. Learn more at https://vwmc.vwrrc.vt.edu/conferences/. Our exhibitors include the US Geological Survey; TechZone MD, LLC; GaiaXus; ARM Group LLC, and Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. Organized by the VWMC in partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Public Safety Training Center, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Water Resources Research Center, and Virginia Tech. 
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1.) Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) News
   ++ Virginia’s Environmental Education Certification Program – Enrollment Closes: August 15, 2025; Program Begins: August 19 or 20, 2025
   ++ Call for Conference Session Proposals: VAEE Annual Conference – Proposal Deadline: September 26, 2025; Conference: February 26-28, 2026 
   ++ Project WET Mailing List -- https://vaawwa.org/events/project-wet
2.) Webinar -- A Foundation for Restoration: K-12 Environmental Literacy – August 20, 2025
3.) Water Research Foundation Webcasts – Various Dates, Starting: August 21, 2025
4.) Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) News – Various Dates, Starting: August 22, 2025
5.) 2026 Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Grants – Deadline: August 31, 2025
6.) Public Participation Opportunities: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Studies and Implementation Plans –
   ++ Cleanup Study: Deep Run, Dover Creek, and Upham Brook Watersheds  (Henrico and Goochland Counties; City of Richmond) – Meeting: August 26, 2025  Public Comment Period: August 26-September 25, 2025
7.) Public Feedback Accepted: Revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement – Comments Due: September 1, 2025
8.) Public Hearings and Comment Opportunities
   ++ Environmental Permit: Dominion Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center Project – Hearing: September 8, 2025; Comments Due: October 8, 2025
   ++ Environmental Permit: Withdrawal of water from the Rappahannock River – September 10, 2025; Comments Due: September 25, 2025
   ++ Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation (9 VAC 25-875) – Hearing: September 23, 2025; Comments Due: October 10, 2025
9.) 8th Annual Stormwater and Plastic Pollution Workshop – September 9, 2025
10.) Fundraiser for Clean Virginia Waterways -- September 27, 2025
11.) North American Association for Environmental Education (NAEE) Events (Virtual) – Workshops: throughout October; Research Symposium: October 30, 2025; Conference: November 3-6, 2025
12.) North American Lake Management Society 2025 Conference – Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025; Conference: November 4-7, 2025
13.) Water Center Jobs Board – https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/
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See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu.  Thank you to Julia Porter, VWMC intern, for developing and organizing this week’s set of VWMC announcements.
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1.) Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) News
   ++ Virginia’s Environmental Education Certification Program – Enrollment Closes: TODAY-- August 15, 2025 (or until all 20 seats are filled); Program Begins: August 19 or 20, 2025 – Learn more at https://www.eevirginia.org/programs.
   ++ Call for Conference Session Proposals: VAEE Annual Conference – Proposal Deadline: September 26, 2025; Conference: February 26-28, 2026 – Richmond, VA – Successful proposals are requested to engage, educate, and energize attendees while utilizing best practices in education. Contact Kasey Greene (ka...@virginiaee.org) for a link to submit your proposal. 
   ++ Project WET Mailing List -- To learn more about Project WET Educator Training and to join the mailing list, see https://vaawwa.org/events/project-wet. Sponsored by Virginia AWWA (American Water Works Association).
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2.) Webinar -- A Foundation for Restoration: K-12 Environmental Literacy – August 20, 2025 (12-1pm) – This webinar will provide information about best practices and future directions for environmental literacy in the Chesapeake Bay area. To learn more, visit https://chesapeake.org/crc-roundtable/. Organized by the Chesapeake Research Consortium.
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3.) Water Research Foundation Webcasts – For more information, see https://www.waterrf.org/webcasts. Offered by The Water Research Foundation.
   ++ Feasibility and Applicability of Emerging Utility-Led Innovations in Addressing Affordability – August 21, 2025
   ++ Enhancing Drinking Water Treatment Resilience to Wildfire Events – September 16, 2025
   ++ Smart Metering Playbook: Compendium of Resources for WRF Subscribers – September 18, 2025
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4.) Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) News – Learn more about these events and others and register at https://blueridgeprism.org/events.
   ++ Webinar: How to Submit Invasive Plant Specimens for Research – August 22, 2025 (12-1pm)
   ++ Webinar: Reintroducing Prescribed Fire -- Managing Invasive Plants with Controlled Burns – October 15, 2025 (11:30am-1pm)
   ++ Survey of Invasive Plants for Sale at Retail Garden Centers – Report invasive plants for sale at garden centers in Virginia by completing the survey form at https://blueridgeprism.org/. (Note: The invasive plant species list is available on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s, DCR’s, website: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/invsppdflist).
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5.) 2026 Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Grants – Deadline: August 31, 2025 -- Provides funding for groups and individuals to monitor the quality of Virginia’s waters. The grant can be used to purchase water quality monitoring equipment, train volunteers, cover lab analyses, promote stream monitoring efforts in locations where the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is not currently collecting water quality samples, etc. Awarded proposals are expected to perform project activities between January and December 2026. Learn more at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/monitoring/volunteer-monitoring. Offered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
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6.) Public Participation Opportunities: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Studies and Implementation Plans – Learn more about TMDL studies under development across Virginia at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/tmdl-development/tmdls-under-development. Learn more about Virginia’s cleanup implementation plans under development at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/implementation/implementation-plans-under-development/.
   ++ Cleanup Study: Deep Run, Dover Creek, and Upham Brook Watersheds  (Henrico and Goochland Counties; City of Richmond) – Meeting: August 26, 2025 (2:30pm; Glenn Allen, VA); Public Comment Period: August 26-September 25, 2025 -- These waterbodies are impaired for aquatic life (benthics). For more information, see https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42137.
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7.) Public Feedback Accepted: Revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement – Comments Due: September 1, 2025 -- The Chesapeake Bay Program released a draft revised version of the agreement in July 2025. The current Watershed Agreement’s 10 goals and 31 outcomes have been consolidated, updated or revised for a proposed four goals and 21 outcomes. The draft document is available at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/category/agreement. Feedback will be accepted via email to comm...@chesapeakebay.net. Feedback will be reviewed by a team of subject matter experts and used to inform the next version of the revised Watershed Agreement to be presented in October 2025.
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8.) Public Hearings and Comment Opportunities
   ++ Environmental Permit: Dominion Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center Project – Hearing: September 8, 2025 (5pm; Chester, VA); Comments Due: October 8, 2025 – Re: draft permit to limit air pollution from a facility in Chesterfield County, Va. -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42140
   ++ Environmental Permit: Withdrawal of water from the Rappahannock River – September 10, 2025 (Information session: 5:30-6pm; Hearing: 6pm; Milford, VA); Comments Due: September 25, 2025 – Re: withdrawal of water from the Rappahannock River in Caroline County, Va. to serve as a public water supply for Caroline County, Town of Bowling Green, and the Town of Port Royal --  https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42143.
   ++ Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation (9 VAC 25-875) – Hearing: September 23, 2025 (10am; Richmond, VA); Comments Due: October 10, 2025 – Re: change the statewide permit fee schedule in accordance with Chapter 2 of the 2024 Special Session I Acts of Assembly. -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=42097
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9.) 8th Annual Stormwater and Plastic Pollution Workshop – September 9, 2025 (11am-5pm) – Chesterfield, VA – This workshop will focus on managing stormwater and increasing community resilience to address rising stormwater challenges in Virginia. Collaboration and proactive planning will be at the forefront of mitigation techniques shared in the workshop. For more information, see https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/cvw-stormwater-workshop. Organized by Clean Virginia Waterways.
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10.) Fundraiser for Clean Virginia Waterways -- September 27, 2025 -- Virginia Beach, Va. – Seeking sponsors and silent auction donations for this event. Participants will paddle Long Creek and join an after-party at Ballyhoos. Paddlers will have a choice between a one-mile and three-mile round-trip route. Kayak and paddleboard rentals will be available. The goal is to raise funds for Clean Virginia Waterways’ education and waterway cleanup efforts in Virginia. Bad weather date: September 28, 2025. Contact Te...@CleanVirginiaWaterways.org for more information.
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11.) North American Association for Environmental Education (NAEE) Events (Virtual) – Workshops: throughout October; Research Symposium: October 30, 2025; Conference: November 3-6, 2025 – Theme: “Forward Together” -- For more information, see https://conference.naaee.org/. Organized by the North American Association for Environmental Education.
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12.) North American Lake Management Society 2025 Conference – Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025; Conference: November 4-7, 2025 -- Myrtle Beach, SC – Theme: “Navigating Change Together: Enhancing Lake, Reservoir, and Watershed Resilience” – Offering numerous workshops and field trips.  Early-bird registration deadline: September 12, 2025. For more information, see https://www.nalms.org/nalms2025/.
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13.) Water Center Jobs Board – View a listing of current job opportunities and employment resources on the Jobs Board at https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/.  Developed by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center).
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The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Water Resources Research Center. Thank you to our sponsor!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.