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Archived Resources

News Archive: 2002 - 2011

Visit the News Archive Page to find past news featured on ENVTN.

EPA/USDA Archive

Jan 13, 2003: EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman announced issuance of the final water quality trading policy, stating: “...the most effective and economical way to reduce pollution is to provide incentives to encourage action by those who can achieve reductions easily and cost-effectively.” The policy supports the trading of nutrients and sediments within a watershed. Additionally, the US EPA is provided $800,000 to support 11 projects around the country.

EPA conferences

EPA Targeted Watershed Grants (TWG) Supporting WQT:

TWG Program Webpage:

  • 2009 Targeted Watershed Grants
    • Federal funding was awarded to CTIC to study the feasibility of a water quality credit trading program in the Wabash River basin.
  • 2008 Targeted Watershed Grants
    • The 2008 TWG focused on water quality trading or other market-based water quality projects in the Ohio River Basin, and the Upper and Lower Mississippi Rivers. They awarded ten finalists $3.7 million.
  • 2006/2007 Targeted Watershed Grants
    • Fifteen finalists were selected for a total $12.4 million in implementation grants. Two grants were awarded for market/trading projects: Clear Creek (CO), and Saluda-Reedy Rivers (SC)
  • 2005 Targeted Watershed Grants
    • Twelve targeted watersheds were awarded over $9 million in total for 2005. Four of the targeted watersheds featured market-based and/or trading programs. They consisted of: Vermillion River (MN), Tuttle Creek Lane (NE, KS), Willamette River (OR), and Skagit River (WA).
  • 2004 Targeted Watershed Grants
    • On July 19, 2004 the USEPA announced its Targeted Watersheds under the 2004 program. Trading was featured in five of the fourteen targeted watersheds. These watersheds include the Lake Tahoe (CA/NV), Bear River (ID, UT, WY), Kalamazoo River (MI), Cape Fear (NC) and Passaic River (NJ).
  • Read a summary of each trading project.

USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants Supporting WQT:

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Home Page: CIG Winners:

  • 2010: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Building an online multistate water quality trading platform and carbon estimation tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed" (World Resource Institute)
    • "To utilize an on farm nutrient assessment and BMP credit calculation tool developed to facilitate ecosystem market trading for inventorying farmers voluntary conservation practices" (Maryland Department of Agriculture)
  • 2009: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Implementing Point to Non-Point Source Nutrient trading in the Chesapeake Bay" (Maryland Department of Agriculture, MD)
    • "Coupling Market Infrastructure with Ecosystem Services Markets: Initial Framework Scoping for an Ohio River Credit Trading Program" (Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. CA)
    • "Best Management Practices for Water Quality on Private Timber Sales" (Missouri Department of Conservation, MO)
    • "Missouri Innovative Environmental Stewardship Project will demonstrate best management practices for nutrient reductions in water runoff and introduce carbon and nutrient trading to Missouri farmers." (Environmental Resources Coalition, MO)
  • 2008: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Development and Application of a Modified NTT Tool for Water Quality Trading" (Tarleton State University, MD)
    • "Starting It Local: Transferable Market Infrastructure for Trading Water Quality Credits & Ecosystem Services in the Upper Mississippi River Basin" (Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board)
  • 2007: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Customized Training on Water Quality Trading for Agriculture and Waste water Facilities" (Conservation Technology Information Center MD, OH, VA)
    • "Piloting Point Source to Non-Point Source Nutrient Trading in the Upper Chesapeake Bay" (Maryland Department of Agriculture)
  • 2006: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Improving Conservation and Agricultural Economics with Water Quality Credit Trading and the BMP Challenge" (Agflex, Inc.)
    • "Development and Implementation of a Water Quality Bank and Trade Program for the Potomac River Watershed, WV" (West Virginia Research Corp.)
  • 2005: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Great Miami River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading Program" (Miami Conservancy District, OH)
  • 2004: Water quality trading projects include:
    • "Designing, Evaluating, and Implementing a Market-based System for Delivery of Conservation Practice Funding" (Pennsylvania Environmental Council)
    • "Innovative Cropping Systems Environmental Credit Program" (Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District, VA)

Great Lakes Water Quantity Management

December 13, 2005: Great Lakes Governors and Premiers signed agreements that will provide unprecedented protections for the Great Lakes' St. Lawrence River Basin.

November 30, 2006: National Assembly of Quebec approved the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. Press Release.

Annex 2001

Background information about the Great Lakes Charter Annex, signed by the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers in 2001.

  • In agreeing to this Annex, the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers reaffirm their commitment to the five broad principles set forth in the Great Lakes Charter, and further reaffirm that the provisions of the Charter will continue in full force and effect.
  • The Governors and Premiers commit to further implementing the principles of the Charter by developing an enhanced water management system that is simple, durable, efficient, retains and respects authority within the Basin, and, most importantly, protects, conserves, restores, and improves the Waters and Water-Dependent Natural Resources of the Great Lakes Basin.
  • State and Provincial authorities should be permanent, enforceable, and consistent with their respective applicable state, provincial, federal, and international laws and treaties. To that end, and in order to adequately protect the water resources of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes ecosystem, the Governors and Premiers commit to develop and implement a new common, resource-based conservation standard and apply it to new water withdrawal proposals from the Waters of the Great Lakes Basin.
  • The standard will also address proposed increases to existing water withdrawals and existing water withdrawal capacity from the Waters of the Great Lakes Basin.

Annex 2001 Draft Implementing Agreement:

  • On July 19, 2004, the Council of Great Lakes Governors announced a 90-day public review period for documents created to update the way the Great Lakes and the waters of the Great Lakes Basin are managed and protected.
  • The draft protective measures, referred to as the draft Annex Implementing Agreements, are the result of three years of efforts by the Governors' and Premiers' staffs to address Great Lakes Basin protection issues ranging from water consumption to diversion.
  • Specific protective measures in the draft implementing agreements include:
    • A commitment that conservation and information programs will be put in place and maintained in all the Great Lakes States, Ontario and Quebec;
    • A commitment to use a uniform, resource-based decision making standard in evaluating future proposals for new or increased water uses;
    • A commitment to a collective decision making process for future proposals for regionally significant new or increased water uses; and
    • A requirement that all future new or increased diversions and regionally significant water uses in the Great Lakes Basin result in an improvement to the Basin's ecosystem.

Water Management Working Group Meeting Summaries:

  • The Water Management Working Group of the Council of the Great Lakes Governors is the brain behind the water management strategies of the Council. Click here to read its meeting summaries.

Annex 2001 Implementation Toolkit

  • Annex 2001 Implementation Toolkit: Project Summaries of GLPF-Funded Projects aimed at developing tools for the implementation of Annex 2001.
  • Restoring Natural Flow Regimes (since 1999): Background Information and project summaries of GLPF-funded projects on restoring natural flow regimes in the Great Lakes Basin.

Other Projects in the Great Lakes Basin

Water Quantity Management: General Information

Columbia River:

Other Locations: