Sample Projects
Lake Clarity Crediting Program for Lake Tahoe
We led the water quality crediting and trading feasibility analysis and program design. The resulting Lake Clarity Crediting Program establishes the framework that connects on-the ground actions to the goal of restoring Lake Tahoe Clarity. It provides the means to judge and track progress towards achieving load reduction milestones and permit compliance. By investigating pollutant fate and transport alongside political and economic attractiveness and institutional capacity, meaningful Lake Clarity Credits have been defined and now can be used to track and demonstrate progress toward achieving TMDL goals. The program enables project funders and implementers to identify how to best target the investment of public funds to restore the clarity of Lake Tahoe. 
Lake Tahoe TMDL Integrated Water Quality Management Strategy Development
We provided the primary linkage between policy makers and technical investigators to ensure that Lake Tahoe TMDL Integrated Water Quality Management Strategy (IWQMS) analyses were policy relevant and addressed stakeholder needs. We managed a set of consulting teams in the exploration of strategies to reduce ultra-fine sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous from entering Lake Tahoe. These investigations involved evaluations of pollutant load reductions at typical sites, as well as extrapolations to estimate basin-wide potential load reductions. We also assisted with the identification and analysis of load allocation options and played a key role in advising the selection of the Recommended Strategy in the project report. As part of this effort, we also defined and produced the Lake Tahoe TMDL Pollutant Reduction Opportunity Report through management of five technical teams and technical editing of the draft product. This report provided a first estimate of the potential basin-wide pollutant load reductions at several levels of effort and has proved to be a critical tool in developing TMDL implementation strategies. 
Rapid Assessment Methodologies for Water Quality and Ecosystem Service Crediting
Lake Clarity Credit & Water Quality Trading Accounting and Tracking Tool
EI is leading the specifications development and working with a database consultant to develop a accounting and tracking tool to management load reduction and credit information related to the Lake Clarity Crediting Program. This multi-user tool manages load reduction information for catchments and watersheds and relates annual rapid assessment results to calculated credit awards. The credits are used as the basis for regulatory compliance. Klamath Basin Water Quality Improvement Tracking & Accounting Program The Klamath River Basin is exploring how to develop a tracking and accounting program to track progress toward meeting TMDL milestones, reduce the cost of meeting water quality standards, coordinate actions across the states of California and Nevada, and target the investment of 401 certification related settlement agreement funds. EI is analyzing the stakeholder and policy opportunities and constraints in this complex basin to determine how best to design the program to meet environmental and economic needs. Once the program design is defined, EI will lead aspect of protocol development and policy integration. |
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Water Quality Crediting & Trading Program Development, & TMDL Implementation
Written by Administrator
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