A Wade in DC’s Waters

The District Dept. of Energy & Environment (DOEE)’s Rapid Stream Assessment (RSA) Program was created in order to address a new MS4 (stormwater) permit requirement as well as to provide a high-level evaluation of all wadable streams in the District. In this webinar, you will learn about the innovative approach that DOEE took to expanding their stormwater monitoring program and go above and beyond their permit requirements.

Instead of selecting just 18 wadable stream sites as required by the permit, DOEE committed itself to physically walking the entire length of wadeable District streams (~100 miles!). Today, the RSA Program gathers over 60 pieces of conditionally relevant information are collected to characterize each of the stream segments in addition to several types of point features such as severe erosion, fish blockages, and crossings are also assessed. An online, interactive map and data dashboard makes all RSA data, including ~3,000 photographs, available to staff (and the public!) anytime, anywhere and has been used to help facilitate everything from large-scale watershed assessments to pinpointing potential pollutant sources.

By going ‘above and beyond’ the specified requirements in District’s Phase I MS4 permit, the RSA Program has identified pollution sources and environmental degradation stressors, partnered with DC Water for more timely infrastructure repair, helped to identify previously unmapped wetlands, ground-truthed their enhanced NHD dataset, grown the subject matter expertise of staff, and expanded the technical GIS capabilities of DOEE.