Resources for Environmental Quality
Title | Available As | Summary | Date | ID | Author |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sustaining America's Aquatic Biodiversity - Freshwater Snail Biodiversity and Conservation | Six hundred fifty different species of snails are
widely distributed across the streams, rivers,
and lakes of North America. There are unique
species associated with every type of aquatic habitat
from the Canadian Arctic to the Everglades of
Florida. |
Nov 5, 2019 | 420-530 (CNRE-76P) | ||
Phosphorus, Agriculture & The Environment | Jan 24, 2019 | 424-029 | |||
Urban Water Quality Management–Residential Stormwater: Put It in Its Place. Decreasing Runoff and Increasing Stormwater Infiltration | Humans and plants depend on an adequate supply of
clean water for a number of reasons, from producingfood
to sustaining life. The average Virginia resident
uses 826 gallons of fresh water daily (Virginia Department
of Environmental Quality [VADEQ] 2008). In the
Commonwealth alone, there are more than one million
households that depend on well water, withdrawing
more than 50 billion gallons annually (Virginia Department
of Health 2008). For groundwater replenishment,
we depend largely on recharge (water moving from the
surface to groundwater) from infiltration of precipitation
through permeable surfaces in the environment — an
important part of the natural water cycle (VADEQ
2010). |
Jun 2, 2020 | 426-046(HORT-160P) | ||
Urban Stormwater: Terms and Definitions | Jul 14, 2020 | 426-119 (BSE-268P) | |||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 1: Rooftop Disconnection | Dec 4, 2019 | 426-120 (BSE-269P) | |||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 2: Sheet Flow to Open Space | Sheet flow to open space (SOS) is a group of best management practices (BMPs) designed to disperse concentrated runoff to sheet flow into filter strips or a riparian buffer. An SOS reduces runoff volume and associated sediment and nutrients that are carried with it (see figure 1). It is used as a stormwater treatment practice in both urban and rural areas. This practice is often used after another treatment practice to disperse or eliminate runoff. In a few cases, an SOS can be used as a pretreatment to remove small amounts of sediment via a vegetated filter strip — prior to a bioretention device, for example. |
Dec 4, 2019 | 426-121 (BSE-270P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 3: Grass Channels | Dec 11, 2019 | 426-122 (BSE-271P) | |||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 4: Soil Restoration | Soil restoration (SR) is the technique of enhancing
compacted soils to improve their porosity and nutrient
retention. It includes biological (worms) and mechanical
aeration, mechanical loosening (tilling), planting
dense vegetation, and applying soil amendments.
Soil amendments involve the spreading and mixing of
mature compost into disturbed and compacted urban
soils (see Figure 1). |
Dec 11, 2019 | 426-123 (BSE-272P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 5: Vegetated Roofs | A vegetated roof (VR) is a best management practice
(BMP) that reduces stormwater runoff and pollution.
Vegetation and media create a permeable system on
a previously impervious surface. The VR intercepts
rainfall and filters runoff while reducing the volume
and velocity. Vegetated roofs consist of a waterproofing
barrier, drainage system, and engineered growing
media. There are two types of VRs: intensive and
extensive. Intensive vegetated roofs are deeper and
heavier, while extensive vegetated roofs are shallower,
lighter, and more common (see Figure 1). The type of
VR determines the amount of maintenance necessary to
maintain the vegetation. |
Dec 11, 2019 | 426-124 (BSE-273P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 6: Rainwater Harvesting | Rainwater harvesting (RWH), also known as rainwater
harvesting systems or cisterns, are devices that intercept,
divert, store, and release collected roof runoff
from rainfall for later use as an alternative water supply
(see figure 1). RWH can also be designed to provide
runoff reduction benefits. Therefore, it is classified as
a best management practice (BMP) for treatment of
urban stormwater. Because of its dual purpose and
benefit, RWH is often classified as a sustainable urban
BMP. |
Dec 11, 2019 | 426-125 (BSE-274P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 7: Permeable Pavement | Permeable pavement (PP) is a modified form of asphalt or concrete with a top layer that is pervious to water due to voids intentionally created during mixing. PPs
include pervious concrete, porous asphalt, and interlocking concrete pavers. These materials are used as stormwater treatment practices in urban areas. They are used in place of traditionally impervious surfaces to allow infiltration and storage, thus reducing runoff
(see figure 1). |
Jan 22, 2020 | 426-126 (BSE-275P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 8: Infiltration Practices | Infiltration practices provide temporary surface and/or
subsurface storage, allowing infiltration of runoff into
soils. In practice, an excavated trench is usually filled
with gravel or stone media, where runoff is stored in
pore spaces or voids between the stones (see figure
1). These systems can reduce significant quantities of
stormwater by enhancing infiltration, as well as provide
filtering and adsorption of pollutants within the
stone media and soils. Infiltration practices are part of
a group of stormwater treatment practices, also known
as best management practices (BMPs) |
Dec 4, 2019 | 426-127 (BSE-276P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 9: Bioretention | A bioretention cell, or rain garden, is a best management
practice (BMP) designed to treat stormwater runoff
from roofs, driveways, walkways, or lawns. They
are a shallow, landscaped depression that receives and
treats polluted stormwater with the goal of discharging
water of a quality and quantity similar to that of a forested
watershed (figure 1). |
Jan 27, 2020 | 426-128 (BSE-277P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 10: Dry Swale | A dry swale (DS) is a shallow, gently sloping channel
with broad, vegetated, side slopes. Water flow is
slowed by a series of check dams (see figure 1). A DS
provides temporary storage, filtration, and infiltration
of stormwater runoff. Dry swales function similarly to
bioretention, and are comparable to wet swales; however,
unlike a wet swale, a DS should remain dry during
periods of no rainfall. A DS is an engineered best management
practice (BMP) that is designed to reduce pollution
through runoff reduction and pollutant removal
and is part of a site’s stormwater treatment practice
(see figure 2). |
Mar 5, 2020 | 426-129 (BSE-278P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 11: Wet Swale | A wet swale (WS) is an engineered, best management
practice (BMP) arranged in a straight line that is
designed to reduce stormwater pollution. A WS consists
of a shallow, gently sloping channel with broad,
vegetated, side slopes and slow flows (see figure 1).
Wet swales typically stay wet because the bottom of the
swale is below the water table. This is done to encourage
the growth of wetland vegetation, providing water
quality treatment similar to a natural wetland. This
stormwater treatment practice also functions as part of
the stormwater conveyance system. Wet swales have a
relatively low capital cost; however, maintenance can
be is intensive and expensive when compared to other
BMPs. |
Mar 5, 2020 | 426-130 (BSE-279P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 12: Filtering Practices | A stormwater filtering practice (FP) treats stormwater
runoff by passing it through an engineered filter media
consisting of either sand, gravel, organic matter, and/
or a proprietary manufactured product, collecting it in
an underdrain, and then discharging the effluent to a
stormwater conveyance system. FPs are stormwater
treatment practices that are often obtained from the
marketplace due to unique proprietary technologies
(see figure 1). |
Mar 5, 2020 | 426-131 (BSE-280P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 13: Constructed Wetlands | Constructed wetlands are a series of ponds with varying depths that treat stormwater using wetland processes. In terms of biological activity, wetlands are extremely productive; and thus constructed wetlands can provide significant water quality treatment to urban runoff. This fact sheet describes these benefits, and provides guidance on their design and limitations. |
Jan 22, 2020 | 426-132 (BSE-281P) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 14: Wet Ponds | Wet ponds are ponds designed to retain water through storage. They provide treatment through settling and biological uptake. They can also attenuate peak flows and provide flood and streambank protection. This fact sheet describes wet ponds and their benefits and limitations. |
Jan 22, 2020 | 426-133 (BSE-282) | ||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 15: Extended Detention Ponds | Extended detention ponds (EDs) are dry detention ponds
that provide 12 to 24 hours of runoff storage during peak
runoff events (see figure 1). Releases from the ED ponds
are controlled by an outlet structure. During a storm
event, as the discharge restriction is reached, water backs
up into the ED pond. The pool slows flow velocities and
enables particulate pollutants to settle. Peak flows are
also reduced. ED ponds have the lowest overall pollutant-
removal rate of any stormwater treatment option,
so they are often combined with other upstream, lowimpact
development (LID) practices to better maximize
pollutant-removal rates. Due to their placement at the exit
point of the watershed, ED is often the last opportunity
to treat stormwater before it is discharged to a stream.
Because of its low treatment performance, an ED should
be viewed as the treatment option of last resort. |
Mar 6, 2020 | 426-134 (BSE-283P) | ||
Using Compost in Your Landscape | Mar 13, 2021 | 426-704 (SPES-304P) | |||
Nutrient Management for Small Farms | Dec 17, 2018 | 442-305 (BSE-241P) | |||
Selecting a Treatment Technology for Manure Management | Animal manure has been used for centuries as a fertilizer and a soil builder because it contains nutrients and organic matter. However, as animal production shifts toward fewer but larger operations, the number of confined animals has increased in some geographical locations, resulting in more manure produced than can be assimilated by the available farmland where the animals are raised. |
Dec 19, 2018 | 442-306 (BSE-242P) | ||
Selection and Location of Poultry and Livestock Manure Storage | Jan 17, 2019 | 442-307 (BSE-243P) | |||
Poultry and Livestock Manure Storage: Management and Safety | Jan 16, 2019 | 442-308 (BSE-244P) | |||
Manure Management and Environmental Stewardship | Jan 16, 2019 | 442-309 (BSE-245NP) | |||
On-Site Sewage Treatment Alternatives | Oct 19, 2023 | 448-407 (SPES-520P) | |||
Water Reuse: Using Reclaimed Water for Irrigation | Water reuse can be defined as the use of reclaimed water for a direct beneficial purpose. |
Aug 29, 2018 | 452-014 (SPES-1) | ||
Soil Sample Information Sheet for Surface-Mined Areas | Aug 12, 2021 | 452-127 (SPES-347NP) | |||
Compost: What Is It and What's It To You | Feb 15, 2023 | 452-231 (SPES-479P) | |||
Virginia Master Naturalist Brochure | The Virginia Master Naturalist program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing
education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural
resources and natural areas within their communities. |
Jun 7, 2023 | 465-300 (CNRE-171NP) | ||
Options for Clearing Land: Pasture Establishment | Mar 2, 2022 | 465-341 (CNRE-136P) | |||
Effectiveness of Temporary Stream Crossing Closure Techniques Forest Operations Research Highlights | Protection of water quality is a critical component of forest harvesting operations. Virginia’s silvicultural water quality law (§10.1-1181.1 through 10.1-1181.7) prohibits excessive sedimentation of streams as a result of silvicultural operations. Virginia’s logging businesses invest substantial resources implementing BMPs to protect water quality. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is responsible for enforcing this law and inspects all logging operations to ensure protection of water quality. |
Dec 13, 2019 | ANR-110NP | ||
Virginia Citizen’s Guide to Environmental Credit Trading Programs: An Overview | Apr 22, 2022 | ANR-173P (AAEC-291P) | |||
Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training | May 16, 2023 | ANR-66 (SPES-505NP) | |||
A characterization of large-scale swine production and manure generation in Virginia counties and cities located within or outside of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed | Feb 14, 2023 | APSC-182P | |||
Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture | In this publication, information is presented on how to
increase farm productivity while potentially reducing
greenhouse gas* (GHG) contributions from agricultural
production. Some of the practices may be familiar
to many producers, such as building soil organic matter
(SOM) or increasing nitrogen fertilization efficiency,
but many producers may not know that these same productivity-boosting activities also help to reduce GHG
emissions and their impact on climate change. While
informative to the producer, this publication will also
inform those with an interest in both agriculture and
the environmental impact of GHG emissions on the
atmosphere. |
Apr 3, 2019 | BSE-105 (BSE-251P) | ||
Greywater Reuse | Greywater is any household wastewater other than that used for toilet flushing.
This water could be reused around the home (for purposes other than drinking
water). An example of greywater use is landscape irrigation. Wastewater that
comes in contact with human waste is referred to as blackwater. However, the
definition of greywater varies according to state regulations. |
Jul 23, 2019 | BSE-114NP (BSE-267NP) | ||
Using Reclaimed Water | Reclaimed water, sometimes referred to as “water reuse” or “recycled water,” is
water recovered from domestic, municipal, or industrial wastewater treatment
plants that has been treated to standards that allow it to be safely used for
designated purposes. Reclaimed water should not be confused with “wastewater,”
untreated liquid industrial waste or domestic sewage. However, “gray water,”
untreated water from bathing or washing, is considered one form of wastewater
(Water Reuse, VCE Publication 452-014).
The level of treatment and disinfection reclaimed water receives is dictated by its intended (and permitted) use. Many states encourage and promote the use of reclaimed water to conserve freshwater supplies and preserve rivers, streams, lakes, and aquifers.
|
Jul 23, 2019 | BSE-115NP (BSE-266NP) | ||
Rainwater Harvesting Systems | Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting, storing, and later reusing rainwater
from surfaces such as roofs. Rainwater harvesting has long been used for agricultural
irrigation and as a source of drinking water, and allowed ancient civilizations to flourish
in semi-arid and arid regions. Rainwater harvesting systems are in use today in many
water-limited locations, especially in several western US regions. As population growth
increases pressure on water resources in the more humid eastern US, rainwater harvesting is
being considered to reduce the demand for potable water. |
Jul 23, 2019 | BSE-116NP (BSE-265NP) | ||
Communicating Climate Change to Agricultural Audiences | The objectives of this publication are (1) to outline
some climate-related challenges facing agriculture,
(2) to address challenges in communicating climate
change issues, and (3) to propose best practices when
attempting to communicate climate change issues to
agricultural stakeholders. Extension educators and
agricultural service providers can use the information
presented here to develop outreach and educational
programs focused on the impacts of climate change,
the effects of climate change on agricultural
production, and the best ways to motivate behavior
change. |
Mar 3, 2022 | BSE-203P (BSE-344NP) | ||
Virginia Household Water Quality Program: Emergency Supplies of Water for Drinking and Food Preparation | Jul 11, 2022 | BSE-209NP (BSE-345NP) | |||
Managing Drainage From Agricultural Lands with Denitrifying Bioreactors in the Mid-Atlantic | Nov 5, 2018 | BSE-234P | |||
Soil Moisture Sensors for Agricultural Irrigation: An Overview on Sensor Types | Jul 21, 2021 | BSE-338P | |||
Scheduling Agricultural Irrigation Based on Soil Moisture Content: Interpreting and Using Sensor Data | Aug 10, 2021 | BSE-339P | |||
Best Management Practice Fact Sheet 16: Step Pool Stormwater Conveyance | Sep 3, 2021 | BSE-341P | |||
How Do Stream Buffers Reduce the Offsite Impact of Pollution? | Oct 31, 2022 | BSE-38NP (BSE-216NP) | |||
Denitrification Management | Feb 28, 2023 | BSE-54P (BSE-347P) | |||
Denitrifying Bioreaders: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water Quality | Apr 25, 2018 | BSE-55P (BSE-227P) | |||
Dairy Pipeline 2023 October | In this issue: Technological advances in bacterial identification; Ruminal fiber passage rate: A double-edged sword for cattle methane emissions? SDBII note; Upcoming Events |
Sep 22, 2023 | DASC-162NP | ||
Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 2: Rain Barrels | Jun 25, 2018 | SPES-10P | |||
Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 3: Permeable Pavement | Jun 25, 2018 | SPES-11P | |||
Soils, Science, and Stakeholders | Feb 13, 2019 | SPES-115NP | |||
Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 4: Grass Swales | Jun 25, 2018 | SPES-12P | |||
Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 5: Rain Gardens | Jun 26, 2018 | SPES-13P | |||
Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 6: Buffers | Jun 26, 2018 | SPES-14P | |||
Motivations of Farming: A Soil, Conservation and Place supplement video | Aug 12, 2020 | SPES-184NP | |||
Basic Principles of Watershed Restoration and Stormwater Management in the Chesapeake Bay Region | Dec 8, 2020 | SPES-195NP | |||
Nurturing Community, Soil Health, and Restorative Justice | Jan 14, 2021 | SPES-285NP | |||
Taking Care of the Soil | Jan 14, 2021 | SPES-286NP | |||
Keeping the Spark Alive: Soil, Service, and Berries | Jan 14, 2021 | SPES-287NP | |||
It All Starts with Your Soil …And Volunteers! | Jan 14, 2021 | SPES-288NP | |||
2021 Virtual Eastern Shore Agricultural Conference and Trade Show | Mar 12, 2021 | SPES-312NP |
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Stormwater Management for Homeowners Fact Sheet 1: Rooftop Redirection (Disconnection) | Jun 25, 2018 | SPES-9P | |||
Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs | May 11, 2009 | vtpp-1 |