Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Upcoming webcast: Using rain gardens to reduce runoff

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

This just in my inbox from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about an “EPA Watershed Academy Webcast.” Innovative strategies are being used in Southern California and the City of Los Angeles in order to reduce stormwater runoff and increase groundwater recharge. This has the potential to reduce imported water supplies from places like Mono Lake. Read on for the details of the webcast.

Using Rain Gardens to Reduce Runoff: Slow it down, Spread it out, Soak it in!
on Dec. 3, 2008 at 10-12pm PST (1-3 Eastern)

Many communities across the country are struggling to address impacts from stormwater runoff due to increased development. Green or low impact development practices such as rain gardens can help manage runoff effectively as well as provide aesthetic benefits. Rain gardens can increase property values, add beauty and habitat, reduce a community’s carbon footprint, as well as provide important water quality benefits. Join us for this exciting Webcast to learn more about these natural solutions to water pollution. Our speakers will discuss the benefits of rain gardens and share their experiences with successful community rain garden programs.

Instructors:
Jenny Biddle, EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Pamela Rowe, RainScapes Program coordinator with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Lynn Hinkle, ASTRA Communications, Inc. and Goin’ Green

Registration:
You must register in advance to attend this Webcast. Register at the Watershed Academy Webcast Web site.  Note: Your computer must have the capability of playing sound in order to attend this Webcast. Follow this link to view archived Webcasts.

Questions? Contact Amber Marriot at amber.marriott@tetratech.com. The Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA’s Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed approaches. The Academy sponsors these Webcasts and also has more than 50 online distance learning modules through the Watershed Academy Web at www.epa.gov/watertrain. More information.