Sarita Croce

NEIWPCC's 2026-2030 strategic plan outlines efforts to advance clean and sustainable water across the Northeast. The plan is structured around four strategic priorities: strengthening the clean water workforce; inspiring and informing collective action for clean, sustainable water; advancing scientific monitoring and data collection to drive effective strategies; and ensuring sufficient, sustained financial resources. The overall aim is to protect and enhance ecological and public health by improving water quality and the well-being of the region.

This document presents the Colorado Watershed Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) tool, developed by Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment's Water Quality Control Division. The tool focuses on providing centralized access to current watershed data, maps, and information from various state and federal databases to streamline the creation of nine-element watershed based plans. Its intended outcomes include improving the accuracy and transparency of water quality data analyses, reducing the time and cost of plan development, and supporting local stakeholders in meeting water quality goals and securing funding.

The document presents sessions 4 and 5 from the LIS Seaweed Bioextraction Symposium. Session 4, 'Seaweed Economics,' delves into business and economic planning models for the seaweed aquaculture industry, specifically focusing on kelp, financial modeling, and ecosystem services assessment. Session 5, 'Bioextraction in Context & Identifying Next Steps,' explores a project assessing the economic feasibility of commercial bioextraction in the Long Island Sound. Key topics include identifying appropriate species, market analysis, establishing cost structures, and addressing regulatory issues. The sessions also highlight the University of Maine's Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research's role in supporting aquaculture through business incubation and research, including integrated multi-trophic aquaculture practices.

The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program's strategic direction is guided by the 'Opportunities for Action' plan, aiming to protect, restore, and preserve the Lake Champlain Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. This report assesses the health of the ecosystem against four key strategic goals: Clean Water, Healthy Ecosystems, Thriving Communities, and an Informed and Involved Public, highlighting challenges and successes.

This document summarizes the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program's (NBEP) 2017 Status and Trends Report, which assesses the health of Narragansett Bay and its watershed. The report details the program's collaborative efforts in collecting and analyzing 24 environmental indicators, including stressors (climate change, landscape, chemical) and condition indicators (ecosystem, biological, human health). Key findings highlight significant nutrient load reductions due to treatment facility upgrades and identify ongoing challenges such as urbanization and climate change impacts. The program focuses on leveraging partnerships, improving data management, and utilizing scientific findings to identify research needs and prioritize future protection and restoration initiatives within the bi-state watershed.