Announcements 2025.6.5

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Webinar: Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration -- June 10, 2025
2.) Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) 2025 Webcast Series – Various Dates: Next Webcast, June 11, 2025
3.) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) News – Next Office Hours -- June 11, 2025
4.) Pine Cone Harbour Project – Next Registration Deadline: June 12.2025; Multiple Dates: June 16, 2025-July 9, 2025
5.) Call for Abstracts and Speakers: 2025 Potomac River Conference – Submission Deadline: June 13, 2025; Conference: October 22, 2025
6.) Webinar: EPA’s Flood Cleanup Resources: Promoting Community Resilience through Risk Communication -- June 18, 2025
7.) Webinar: Moving Marshes: Tidal Marsh Migration Science & Tools -- June 25, 2025
8.) Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) Advanced Training Workshops – Various Dates, Starting: June 25 2025
9) Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Online Report Form -- https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/waterborne-hazards-control/harmful-algal-bloom-online-report-form/
10.) Research Request: Algae Bloom Reporting –https://sites.wp.odu.edu/mulhollandLab/algae-bloom-reporting/
11.) VIMS Sea-Level Report Cards Dashboard -- https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/ 
12.) 2023 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Report and Data -- https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/reports/
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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 the VWMC’s intern, Logan Flanagan, for developing today’s announcements. 
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1.) Webinar: Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration -- June 10, 2025 (6:30-8pm) – The webinar will cover activities DEQ engages in to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. During the presentation, DEQ staff will discuss the Commonwealth’s participation in the Chesapeake Bay Program, how the agency implements monitoring activities, and the activities DEQ regulates under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act. Learn more and register at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/get-involved/newsroom/deq-news-vol-4-no-4#bayprotection. Offered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
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2.) Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) 2025 Webcast Series – Various Dates: Next Webcast, June 11, 2025 – Wednesdays (1pm) -- Webcasts are recorded and a link to the recording is provided to registrants.  Learn more and register at https://cwp.org//2025_webcast_list.php.
   ++ June 11, 2025 -- From Detection to Prevention: Tackling Illicit Discharges
   ++ July 16, 2025 -- Managing PFAs in Stormwater: Strategies and Solutions
   ++ September 17, 2025 -- Incorporating landscaping into stormwater practices
   ++ October 15, 2025 -- Impacts of Climate Change on Rainwater Harvesting Systems
   ++ November 12, 2025 -- From Regulations to Implementation: Achieving MS4 Compliance
   ++ December 19, 2025 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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3.) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) News – Offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
   ++ WIFIA Office Hours -- June 11, July 9, August 13, 2025 (3-4pm) – These sessions allow participants to ask questions about WIFIA, the application process, and more. Learn more and register to attend at https://www.epa.gov/wifia/upcoming-wifia-program-events.
   ++ WIFIA One-on-one Meetings – Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a WIFIA member at https://www.epa.gov/wifia/schedule-meeting-wifia-staff.
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4.) Pine Cone Harbour Project – Multiple Dates: June 16, 2025-July 10, 2025 – Hampton, VA -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation needs volunteers installing a 1,000-linear foot living shoreline oyster sill at Pine Cone Harbour Condominiums along the Hampton River. Learn more and register at https://www.cbf.org/events/virginia/pine-cone-harbour-project-events.html. Organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
   ++ Basalt Shell Bags -- Trailer Loading: Registration Deadline: June 12, 2025; Dates: June 16, 2025 (9am-1pm); Installation: Registration Deadline: June 12, 2025; Dates: June 17-18 & June 20, 2025
   ++ Loose Oyster Shells -- Week 1: Registration Deadline: June 19, 2025; Dates: June 23-27, 2025; Trailer Loading: Registration Deadline: June 26, 2025; Dates: June 30, 2025 (9am-12pm); Week 2: Registration Deadline: June 19, 2025; Dates: June 2-3, 2025
   ++ Litter Cleanup – Registration Deadline: July 1, 2025; Dates: July 9, 2025
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5.) Call for Abstracts and Speakers: 2025 Potomac River Conference – Submission Deadline: June 13, 2025; Conference: October 22, 2025 (8:30am-3:30pm) – Woodbridge, VA – Theme: “Integrating Science, Policy, and Communications to Combat Harmful Algal Blooms” – The conference will expound on the science, policy, management, and public communications of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Potomac River basin and beyond. Learn more and submit an abstract at https://www.potomacriver.org/news/call-for-speakers-and-posters-for-habs-conference/.  Organized by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
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6.) Webinar: EPA’s Flood Cleanup Resources: Promoting Community Resilience through Risk Communication -- June 18, 2025 (3-4pm) -- This webinar will review the risk communication and human-centered design strategies used to develop the Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance website (https://www.epa.gov/flooded-homes) and provide an overview of the website and its key features. Learn more and register at https://www.epa.gov/research-states/epa-tools-and-resources-webinar-series. Offered by EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD).
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7.) Webinar: Moving Marshes: Tidal Marsh Migration Science & Tools -- June 25, 2025 (10am-12pm) -- This free webinar for the shoreline management community will feature tidal marsh migration, or the gradual shifting of tidal wetland habitats to higher elevations in response to sea level rise. VIMS scientists will talk about mapping and modeling marsh migration, along with a living shoreline design case study that illustrates how to take sea-level rise and marsh migration into consideration.  Register at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/jmt2cr2.  Contact us for more information and registration assistance ccrm...@vims.edu. Hosted by W&M Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS.
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8.) Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) Advanced Training Workshops -- Gain CEU credits to maintain CBLP certification. Learn more and register at https://certified.cblpro.org/workshops/.
   ++ Urban Buffer Design Charrette -- June 25 2025 (9-11:30am) -- Online Class; Optional Field Visit: Richmond, VA or College Park, MD (1:30-3:30pm); June 27 2025 (9am-2pm) -- Day Two of Online Class
   ++ Green Roof Maintenance Workshop -- July 18 2025 (9:30am-3:30pm) -- College Park, MD
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9.) Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Online Report Form -- https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/waterborne-hazards-control/harmful-algal-bloom-online-report-form/ -- If a potential harmful algal bloom is sighted, submit the waterbody name, date and time of observation, waterbody location, and contact information of observer to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The form also accepts comments and photos of the bloom.  To report suspected illness due to HAB exposure, contact VDH through the HAB Hotline at 888-238-6154. To report fish kills or other dead animals in or near the water, call the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) at 1-800-468-8892.  Remember, if water is discolored, murky, has an odor or appears to have a film on the surface, humans and pets should stay out of the water.
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10.) Research Request: Algae Bloom Reporting – If a bloom is observed in the lower Chesapeake Bay, lower James River, Virginia Beach (coastal Atlantic Ocean), coastal bays, or anywhere else connected to the Chesapeake Bay, contact VDH as described above and also contact phyt...@odu.edu.  ODU is doing research on potentially harmful algal blooms and would like to take a sample if the location is known.  If possible, add a photo along with a general or GPS location. Learn more about the work at https://sites.wp.odu.edu/mulhollandLab/algae-bloom-reporting/.
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11.) VIMS Sea-Level Report Cards Dashboard -- Each year as annual tide-gauge data become available, the dashboard displays recent sea-level trends and project sea-level height to the year 2050 for 35 localities along the U.S. East, Gulf, West, and Alaskan coasts.  Learn more and access the dashboard at https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/.  Updated annually by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
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12.) 2023 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Report and Data -- The 2023 SAV report shows increases of 8% relative to 2022 throughout the Chesapeake Bay. However, heavy losses in 2023 were reported for the middle Potomac River. Reporting on the Multiple years of SAV data can be viewed on the Interactive SAV Map, including a 5-yr composite for 2019-2023. The 2024 SAV results will soon follow. Learn more at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/reports/.  Published by the VIMS SAV Restoration & Monitoring Program.
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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.