Western Chapter IECA Newsletter
Serving Erosion Control Professionals In Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii

	Spring 2002 Issue, March 29, 2002 Click to view the current issue in Acrobat® PDF format. If you want to save the newsletter to your computer, right-click (hold-click in MacOS) and choose Save link as... or Save target as... WCIECA_Spring_2002.pdf | 1.2MB
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Selected Articles from Western Chapter IECA Newsletter - Spring 2002

Monitoring for Success

President's Message

Committees an Easy Way to Get Involved in Chapter Activities

BMP Maintenance

Dust Levels Could Choke Coachella Valley Growth

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Monitoring for Success
WCIECA 2002 Regional Erosion Control Conference

April 17-19 Embassy Suites, San Rafael, CA

Sediment from construction sites often ends up in streams and rivers, choking plant and animal life. Many pollutants such as oil and grease also bind to sediments, and are then transported into waterways along with the sediment.

If you didn't have the opportunity to attend the Orlando conference, here is your local chance to network with fellow erosion control professionals, attend the CPESC training, take the CPESC exam, visit exciting local erosion control projects, and attend technical sessions connected to the theme of Erosion Control Monitoring.

The Western Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association (WCIECA) is hosting its 3rd Regional Conference: "Monitoring for Success." Join us on April 17-19 at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, CA. Registration fee is $220.00 for Chapter Members, $245.00 for non-members. Additional Information and Registration Forms are on pages 5 and 6 of this newsletter, or at our web site, http://www.wcieca.org/events.htm

This Regional Conference will provide a unique opportunity for Attendees to come in contact with a large number of erosion-control Professionals and to view a wide spectrum of products and services at a conference specifically devoted to erosion control. The workshop is projecting 300 to 400 attendees, which includes many of the leaders and innovators in the erosion control field.

Board Meeting
The next WCIECA Board Meeting will be held on April 19 from 1-5 p.m. following the Regional Conference at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael. All Chapter Members are invited to attend. The Chapter is also planning a field trip in the Lake Tahoe area this summer. The tour will feature visits to local erosion control projects in both Nevada and California.

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President's Message

WCIECA President Julie Etra (right) and Diane LaRue (left), from the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works, share a "Gator" (middle) on the Trade Show floor at IECA 2002 in Orlando.

At the Orlando conference, we were presented with two awards under the Partners for Excellence Awards Program.

Dear Western Chapter Members:

While we are looking forward to the upcoming conference in San Rafael, we have already begun planning for the next field tour, which is currently scheduled for July 19 in Lake Tahoe. We offered this very popular tour several years when we rented several vans and made a big lap around the Lake, stopping at various projects and concluding with a barbecue on the beach. This general venue will be repeated, although the stops will be different, and will include projects in El Dorado, Placer, Washoe, and Douglas Counties. A wide range of methodologies will be examined at erosion control and restoration projects. These will include use of wood chips and pine needles for erosion control on steep slopes and use of propagated mats in channel construction. We are still in the planning stages, so if there is a particular project or methodology of interest to you, please let us know so we can consider including it in the itinerary.

At the Orlando conference, we were presented with two awards under the Partners for Excellence Awards Program. We tied with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the Rick Granard Award of Distinction, which is the highest honor given to a chapter. We also received the Growth Rewards Award for the Largest Chapter. The Chapter is continuing to grow, with a current membership of 234. A number of Western Chapter members were able to make it to the Chapter meeting held during the conference, which also doubled as a Board meeting. Those who attended expressed approval of the general direction of the Chapter, with our primary focus on education. Included in the several items discussed was the Board's desire to hire a part-time Executive Secretary to assist with a number of Chapter activities, including coordination of conferences and distribution of the newsletter. This has been a Chapter goal since its inception. With four educational events scheduled in just one year (far exceeding Chapter requirements), the all-volunteer Board is frequently over-whelmed. This position will be discussed at the Board meeting following the conference in San Rafael.

Elections are around the corner, as they are scheduled to take place in July. Three positions will be open. Please consider running. This is your opportunity to provide new direction and energy. We will also be looking for you participation as host Chapter at the next International conference in Las Vegas, February 24 - 28, 2003.

We hope to see you in San Rafael and Tahoe.

Julie Etra, CPESC
Western Chapter IECA President

Photo highlights from Orlando 2002

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Committees an Easy Way to Get Involved in Chapter Activities

The Western Chapter has several standing committees and forms ad hoc committees as needed to accomplish special projects. Participating on a committee is a great way to get involved in our chapter activities, network, and make the most of you chapter membership. If the activities of any of the committees, which are described below, sounds interesting to you, and you want to participate just contact the Board member who is chairing the committee for details.

Standing Committees:
The Arizona, Nevada & Hawaii Activities Committee facilitates chapter activities that occur in the states of AZ, NV, and HI. This committee along with Arizona Chapter members recently conducted a very successful Chapter Regional Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, Board Member Mike Chase is chairing the committee.

The Board recently combined the newsletter and electronic communications committee into the Chapter Communications Committee. This committee oversees the publication of the Western Chapter News, the chapter newsletter, and the development and update of the chapter web site, and other electronic communications. This committee provides information on new Board members, new committees, and chapter activities to the chapter membership and IECA. Currently, Board Member Mike Chase is chairing the committee. Also serving on the committee are Board Members Sandy Mathews, David Gilpin, and Julie Etra.

The Conference Committee is responsible for the technical program and logistics of the Chapter's Regional Conferences. The committee also coordinates the chapter activities at the International Conference, and provides the Host Chapter support when the International Conference is located in the Western Chapter's region. Currently, Board Member Carol Forrest is chairing the committee. Also serving on the committee are Board Members Claudia Chambers, Hossain Kazemi, and Julie Etra.

The Contractor Liaison Committee coordinates with and is the point of contact for the contractor members of the Western Chapter. This committee is responsible for the Contractors' Corner feature of the Western Chapter News, and providing assistance with conference-related contractor activities, such as the HydRodeo. Currently, Board Member Claudia Chambers is chairing the committee.

The Education Committee coordinates the chapter's education outreach activities, to members and students including sponsorship of students to Western Chapter events, and sponsoring scholarship students to the International Conference. This committee has a wide range of possible activities, including putting on short courses, one-day seminars, field tours, web-based instruction, reviewing software and research, providing a speakers' bureau, educational curriculum guidance, and school liaisons. Currently, Board Member Hossain Kazemi is chairing the committee. Also serving on the committee are Board Members Mel Mathews and Julie Etra.

The Inter-Organization Liaison Committee coordinates with and is the point of contact for other organizations with similar interests as the WCIECA to contact the Chapter and share information. The committee may arrange for the Western Chapter booth to be exhibited at other events. Currently, Board Member Julie Etra is chairing the committee.

The Membership Committee is responsible for membership activities including welcoming new chapter members, promoting chapter growth through membership campaigns, updating the membership benefits lists, coordinating with Meg Tully (IECA Membership and Chapter Director), providing Chapter updates to IECA Headquarters for NewstoUse, and providing the Board of Directors information on current membership for correspondence. Currently, Board Member Mel Mathews is chairing the committee. Board member Mike Chase also serves on this committee.

Ad-Hoc Committees:
Special projects will be identified from time to time by the WCIECA Board of Directors that will result in the formation of new committees on an as-needed basis. At the time an ad-hoc committee is identified, the Board will designate the committee chair and solicit members, delegate assignments, and establish a schedule for completion of assigned projects.

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BMP Maintenance

As we head toward summer the tendency in some areas of our western region is to place Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the back burner. While this may be the case for some areas one must still remember that BMPs need maintenance. Maintaining BMPs to ensure proper functioning for the duration of the project is a critical storm water pollution prevention requirement. Maintenance of BMPs has three important components: inspection, repair, and evaluation.

Proper maintenance is needed for this silt fence.	It's time to clean out this concrete washout facility.
Replace damaged gravelbags.	Catchment basins should be cleaned out between storm events.

Inspections
Inspections should be done before and after each storm event, and at 24 hour intervals during extended storms events. During the rainy season it's a good idea to conduct inspections every two weeks. The inspections should evaluate the effectiveness of the installed BMPs, and identify damaged or improperly installed BMPs.

Repair
Common BMP repairs and maintenance may include the following:

• Maintain linear sediment barriers such as silt fence, straw bales, or sandbags to provide adequate sediment storage capacity. Remove deposited sediment to improve the barriers performance.
• Replace damaged sandbags. Sandbags often become degraded through exposure to the elements or damaged by vehicle traffic.
• Reapply soil stabilizers where needed or if previously treated areas become exposed or exhibit visible erosion.
• Repair or replace any spill containment or confinement systems.
• Clean out concrete washout areas to allow sufficient capacity for future activities.

Evaluation
The third aspect of BMP maintenance is reviewing the effectiveness of the installation to determine if the correct BMP was used. Would another BMP have been more effective? Would a different BMP have been more effective? For example, if a sandbag barrier is continually being overtopped with sediment, the use of a taller barrier, like silt fence may be called for.

Mel Mathews, C.P.E.S.C.

Dust Levels Could Choke Coachella Valley Growth

Development: Builders and officials seek to contain pollution in arid Palm Springs area. If federal standards are not met, EPA could curb construction.

By Scott Gold
Times Staff Writer

March 26, 2002

Builders and government leaders in the Coachella Valley, the area surrounding Palm Springs, said Monday they are scurrying to contain a dust problem before federal officials take matters into their own hands--a step that could devastate plans for development.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/la-000021825mar26.story