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Clinton News Record, 2014-12-17, Page 1616 News Record • Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Healthy Lake Huron releases final report about new computer model Healthy Lake Huron has released the Final Report about a project which has cre- ated a new computer model to better manage water run- ning off of land during storm events in rural areas. A copy of this technical report is available online at ruralstormwater.com as a large (6 mb) PDF file. A higher -resolution copy on data DVD is available, upon request, while supplies last. The new technical report is called Development of a Rural Stormwater Manage- ment Model to manage water quality in the Lake Huron watersheds. Stormwater models are common in urban areas but some models were limited when they tried to represent the movement of water runoff in rural areas. Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean Beaches is a partnership work- ing orking to protect and improve water quality along Lake Huron's southeast shore, an area stretching from Sarnia to Tobermory. Partners include federal and provincial minis- tries, public health, local gov- ernment, and local conserva- tion agencies working with community groups and land- owners. The partnership has worked since 2012 to develop the Rural Stormwater Manage- ment Model (RSWMM). This new technology is designed to work in rural areas while still maintaining the means to model urban areas as well. The project to create this newwater quality technology received financial support from the Province of Ontario's T Showcasing Water Innovation (SWI) Program as well as sup- port from other partners. Alec Scott is Project Man- ager. He said the new model will be used in the coming months and years to provide local people with better infor- mation about the kinds of projects and practices that can reduce impacts on water quality. The modeling soft- ware can also help watershed managers and drainage engi- neers in making the best decisions possible in the design, size, and location of projects. He said work on the RSWMM project has achieved three main goals. The project has created the model; improved local moni- toring of water quality, water quantity, and weather; and increased public awareness T 412eheriag hiny ast tzetinv o 9rtger Fill your heart with God's light, and spread the love of His message to all you meet. We thank you for your business over the past year, and look forward to serving you in the New Year. We are thirty-four years in business. Season's Greetings from the Rooseboom Family, & employees Cody Lobb, Michael VanWyk, & Sam Huzinga. IED ELECTRIC ONTAHIIO PNC - Co m ptele IC-CompCe'J' Firrrni Service - Residential • Commercial 24 Hour Emergency Seroce 519-4$2-7441 FAX; 519.482.075 6 & * 1 w O — O y , U adcc hCG W O w of the need to manage storm - water runoff. "I would like to thank the landowners who have agreed to take part by allowing us to gather moni- toring data on their proper- ties and thank all the resi- dents and community groups who are implementing best management practices and water -quality projects," said Scott. "I would also like to thank the Healthy Lake Huron partners, the project funders and supporters, and the technical advisory team and consulting team behind the Final Report" The Final Report describes the new model as "a promis- ing, usable tool with broad applicability in rural water- sheds. Although a work in progress, the RSWMM will allow watershed managers to better evaluate, prioritize, design and implement soil and water conservation pro- jects to protect Lake Huron." The Final Report marks a step forward in management of runoff during storm events in rural areas but Scott said the partners hope to continue to refine and improve the model and rec- alibrate it in the future. The model can help in making decisions about the projects that will have the greatest water quality benefit, the priority areas for those pro- jects, and the size the pro- jects need to be to have a demonstrated water quality improvement. "The model is an exciting new tool," Scott said. "When combined with continued support for strate- gic on -the -ground water - quality projects and long- term monitoring, the model can support the work being done to protect and improve water quality in Lake Huron." The new modeling soft- ware builds upon PCSWMM, which is described as a spa- tial decision support system for SWMM5, one of the most widely -used models devel- oped and maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For information on PCSWMM visit chiwater.com. The new model combines urban modeling features with rural features such as agricul- tural best management prac- tices; understanding of changes from season to sea- son or even within a season (such as changes in crop cover); modeling of roads, ditches, and culverts; slope and terrain types; dynamic travel of water running over land; tracking of key pollut- ants (sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen); and other fea- tures. The technology was designed for use along Lake Huron's southeast shoreline in Ontario but has the poten- tial to be adopted and used in other locations of Canada and the United States. For more information on rural stormwater management or the new model technology, visitwww.ruralstormwater.com and www.healthylakehuron.ca andwww.abca.on.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610. T1,••i Nib Back Row: Adam Blair, Ken Warwick, David Miller, Jason Shipp Front Row: Jon Miller, Cathy Kovacs, Marg Miller, Clarence Ferguson (Fergie) Absent: Wayne Coombs All of us at D&D Glass & Mirror want to thank you for your business and support this past year. We looking forward to serving you in 2015. 1st Avenue, VANASTRA LOCAL CALLS 519-482-7869 IF BUSY CALL 519-482-5816 Ande&n Vf YOUR AUTHORIZED ANDERSEN WINDOW & PATIO DOOR DEALER ANDERSEN" Excellences"' DEALER Come Home To Andersen ' "Andersen" and the AW logo are registered trademarks of Andersen Corporation PROFESSIONAL SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION