Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences news

Title from caption.Description based on: No. 7 (Sept. 1997)

Phytoplankton, nutrients, macroalgae and submerged aquatic vegetation in Delaware\u27s inland bays, 1985-1986

Data were collected in each of the three program elements, Phytoplankton and Nutrients, Macroalgae and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation, indicate that Delaware\u27s Inland Bays are highly eutrophic systems. ..

Lake Hartwell restoration and compensation determination plan : final

A Trustee Council, consisting of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Departments of Natural Resources and Health and Environmental Control, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has been formed to evaluate natural resource injuries and losses due to releases of PCBs from the Sangamo Weston/Twelve Mile Creek/Lake Hartwell Superfund Site

Building Capacity for Protection of Wetland Resources in Virginia - Track One

DEQ continues to make significant progress in the development of a comprehensive nontidal wetland regulatory program; refinement of our permitting/compliance database to track impacts, compliance, and compensation by watershed; and continued refinement of our wetland monitoring and assessment tools for use in management decision-making and integration within our water quality programs. This project focused on development of strategies and extension of outreach to improve understanding and protection of high ecological value aquatic resources such as headwater resources and wetlands that may provide added value in improving impaired waters in Virginia. Project activities specifically addressed three of the priority elements in Virginia’s approved state wetlands plan. First, it has extended the current online Virginia Wetlands Condition Assessment Tool (WetCAT) to include data from the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) ORM database, a modification specifically requested by various user groups, and an upgrade of WetCAT to the Java Script platform. Second, the project provided reports for projects that impact high value aquatic resources, coordinated between aquatic stream biologists and wetland staff in wetland and stream surveys. Third, the project provided continued landuse/wetland calibration for wetland condition models. The WetCAT online tool is available for use by agency personnel and the general public http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WetlandsStreams/MonitoringAssessmentStrategy.aspx. In addition, new outreach strategies were developed targeting local government decision makers and the public. The overarching goal of this grant was to have the project outputs facilitate coordination across all levels of government, educate the public, and provide protection for high ecological value aquatic resources. The Center for Coastal Resource Management, Virginia Institute of Marine Science assisted the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in the following work products

Water Resilience Portfolio, January 2020

In April 2019, Governor Newsom directed state agencies through Executive Order N-10-19 to develop a “water resilience portfolio,” described as a set of actions to meet California’s water needs through the 21st century. The order identified seven principles on which to base this portfolio: Prioritize multi-benefit approaches that meet several needs at once » Utilize natural infrastructure such as forests and floodplains Embrace innovation and new technologies Encourage regional approaches among water users sharing watersheds Incorporate successful approaches from other parts of the world Integrate investments, policies, and programs across state government Strengthen partnerships with local, federal and tribal governments, water agencies and irrigation districts, and other stakeholders. In response, state agencies developed an inventory and assessment of key aspects of California water, soliciting broad input from tribes, agencies, individuals, groups, and leaders across the state. An interagency working group considered this assessment and public input and developed a portfolio, which can be defined as the integrated use of a broad range of actions. It is intended to strengthen the resilience of water systems, thereby helping communities prepare for disruptions, to withstand and recover from shocks, and to adapt and grow from these experiences. The pace at which we can carry out this diverse but connected set of actions will depend upon available resources, but taken together, they should allow us to thrive into an uncertain future

A Preliminary Assessment of the Groundwater Conditions in Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Lexington, and Orangeburg Counties, South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has reviewed reports on local groundwater conditions by the SCDNR and USGS in conjunction with reported groundwater withdrawal data for the counties of this region. This review indicates that water level declines in the aquifer systems of concern have been influenced by an increase in population, public water supply use and agricultural activities using groundwater and a series of long-standing droughts that have reduced recharge to the aquifer systems. Aiken County along with Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Lexington, and Orangeburg counties have developed and utilized groundwater to the degree that coordination and regulation of groundwater supplies may be needed

Evaluating living shorelines to inform regulatory decision-making in South Carolina

This PowerPoint presentation is a study of how best to provide artificial reefs along the shoreline of South Carolina

The condition of South Carolina's estuarine and coastal habitats during 1999-2000

This technical report is the first of a series planned to provide periodic updated information on the condition of South Carolina’s estuarine habitats. The data highlight the value of evaluating tidal creek habitats separately from larger open water bodies due to significant differences noted in many of the parameters measured. The report also includes newly developed integrated measures of water quality, sediment quality and biological condition to better evaluate overall habitat condition at each site and for the estuarine and coastal waters of the whole state