Session 4 | Wednesday, November 10 | 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EST

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Water for Agriculture: The Results of Locally Driven Solutions

Moderator: Lara Fowler

Presenter: Lara Fowler, Penn State University
While there are plenty of issues related to water for and from agriculture, finding solutions that work in a locally relevant manner is a challenge. The USDA National Institute for Food and Agricultural funded project on Water for Agriculture is in its 4th year. This project involved creating five local leadership teams to identify and begin to address critical water challenges in three states: Arizona (1 site), Nebraska (2 sites), and Pennsylvania (2 sites). This session briefly explores how we set this project up, then explores key results and findings from these five locally driven processes focused on critical water and agriculture. These results include how we defined "engagement" and what worked-- and didn't-- for engagement with local leaders, especially during the time of covid.

Modeling and Management of Stormwater

Moderator: Emmanuel Nzewi

Presenters:

• Shirley Clark, Penn State Harrisburg, "Modeling Stormwater Movement and Flooding in Areas of Substantial Compaction"
As part of the modeling of the watershed that contains Penn State Harrisburg, field measured infiltration capacities and depths to a confining layer/compaction layer, as well as differences in rainfall discretization, were explored. The campus has a 300-year history of land manipulation due to agriculture and military operations prior to its conversion to a college campus. Field measurements of infiltration and compaction were collected at 10 locations around campus and compared to the results from WebSoil Survey, which classified most of the campus in Hydrologic Soil Group A. The watershed was modeled under four scenarios: a Curve Number of 78, and Horton’s infiltration equation using field data from a compacted location, a soil restoration location, and an area of new construction. The model was run with three storm events: a July, 2017 storm event where the campus received 4.71 inches in 87 minutes, a October 2019 storm event where the campus recorded 2.22 inches of rain in 66 minutes, and the rainfall from Tropical Storm Lee, which did not have a heavy intensity period but where it rained for several days. These results highlight the need to better under the soil structure and compaction in urban areas rather than relying on regional information such as WebSoilSurvey. These results also highlighted the need to use small rainfall time increments (such as the NOAA ASOS 1-minute data) in short response watersheds. When these model results were compared to model results that used the required design storm, the impacts of soil compaction were evident and illustrate why flooding resulted from storms that should not have triggered flooding on campus.


• Michael McManus, USEPA, "Best Management Practices Implementation and Long-term Trends in Total Suspended Solids in the Cuyahoga River Watershed, Ohio"
The EPA spends millions of dollars as part of its 319 program to help address state and local nonpoint source problems. States receiving grants report their annual progress in the Grants Reporting and Tracking System (GRTS). Using GRTS, we test if implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) through the 319 program in the Cuyahoga River Watershed is associated with decreasing trends in total suspended solids (TSS) concentration (mg/L) and flux (kg/Day) from 2000 to 2017. From 2009 to 2020, 17 319 grants were awarded, implementing 65 BMPs in the watershed. Downstream from those BMPs is a Cuyahoga River monitoring station, managed by Heidelberg University, where TSS concentration has been measured daily since 1980, and a USGS gage (station 4208000) that has estimated discharge (cubic meters per second (cms)) since 1940. Annual median discharge, on a water-year basis, had a significant positive trend over the period of 1940 to 2020, while the annual median TSS concentration trend had a significant negative slope over the 319 BMP implementation period from 2000 to 2017. We used a weighted regression on discharge, time, and season model to obtain generalized flow normalization estimates of monthly TSS concentration and flux. The resulting concentration and load estimates were categorized into three time periods: Pre-BMPs 2000-2008; Few BMPs 2009-2011; and More BMPs 2012-2017. Parallel coordinate plots of the BMP categories and the monthly estimates of concentration and flux tended to show higher concentrations in the Pre-BMP period compared to the other two periods. Significant differences among the BMPs groups were detected with a permutation-based multivariate analysis of variance. However, based on the cumulative estimated sedimentation-siltation load reduction obtained from the 319 project reports, the 319 BMPs alone could not account for the decreasing TSS loading trend, as they represented only ~ 1% of the current annual TSS load at the Cuyahoga Station. We are trying to identify other sediment load reduction projects that could have contributed to the decreasing TSS concentration trend. The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.


• Emmanuel Nzewi, Prairie View A&M University, "A Review of Practices for Managing Roadway Pavement Runoff with Considerations for Climate Variability"
This paper reviews methods and practices for managing pavement runoff including the use of permeable pavement applications. Practices for the sustainable development of stormwater management infrastructure under climate variation are considered. Roadway transportation networks are critically important in any thriving society and directly impact the quality of life. The design and implementation of roadway drainage programs determine the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of such systems. The expected increase in hydrologic and environmental stresses due to climate variation cannot be ignored in engineering design. Recent experiences from several hurricanes and other extreme rainfall events are reminders of accentuating stresses. The role that permeable pavement applications could play is examined, and other runoff reduction methods, including infiltration systems, detention systems, pollution mitigation systems, and their combinations are examined.


• Mark Thomasson and Dayton Marchese, National Stormwater Trust, "Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Control Technology for Water Quality and Flood Mitigation"
Stormwater storage assets, such as ponds, constructed wetlands, and underground vaults, are often designed to provide both water quality and flood mitigation for a range of critical storm events (e.g., 2-year, 10-year, and 100-year storms), consequently, by design, these assets do not perform optimally for any individual storm event. This is not meant as a criticism, but rather a recognition of technological limitations at the time these systems were designed. Advances in communications and control technology, cloud-computing, weather forecasting, and sensing technologies have now made it possible to optimize stormwater infrastructure for each individual storm event. One approach that leverages these technologies is continuous monitoring and adaptive control (CMAC). CMAC systems monitor the local weather forecast, compare the forecast runoff to existing field conditions by reading on-site sensors, and automatically control the timing and rate of stormwater discharge by actuating on-site valves, gates, or pumps. With adaptive controls, stormwater facilities discharge water in advance of storms, creating capacity for flood mitigation. CMAC systems then hold water during and after storms to increase hydraulic residence time, settle sediment and nutrients, and improve water quality. Adaptive controls are being used across the country to optimize stormwater management for water quality and flood mitigation. For example, the City of Ormond Beach in Florida used CMAC before 2017’s Hurricane Irma to create 70 acre-feet of storage capacity, protecting people and property from flooding. The ease with which existing stormwater facilities can be retrofitted with CMAC lends itself to innovative project delivery models. For example, stormwater ponds owned by the Florida Department of Transportation are being retrofitted with adaptive controls to generate nutrient removal credits. These credits are then purchased by other entities to meet water quality goals. Because CMAC systems collect real-time continuous data on the weather forecast, precipitation, storage volumes, discharge rates, residence time, and water quality parameters, performance is being documented to assure regulatory compliance. This presentation will provide a technical overview of CMAC, and present case studies of Florida communities using CMAC to improve water quality and mitigate flood risk with existing stormwater infrastructure. Quantitative performance data will be presented.

Modeling Human Impacts and Solutions on Water Resources

Moderator: Richard Koehler

Presenters:

• Paul Craig, DSI, LLC, "Simulation of Storm Surge in Hurricane Katrina Using EFDC+"
Storm surge induced by an extreme hurricane can cause heavy losses of lives in coastal communities. It can also threaten the environment in coastal water bodies. A small part of the surge is due to the drop of the atmospheric pressure in the storm’s center, but most of it is caused by friction between the strong winds and the ocean surface. The most common approach for predicting storm surge is firstly modeling the hurricane wind field and atmospheric pressure field using parametric models for tropical cyclones, then applying these forcing fields to a numerical hydrodynamic model. The spatial variation of the atmospheric pressure field can be applied directly to modify the rates of change of the momentum components whilst the wind field is converted to the surface stress using a wind drag coefficient. During the last 60 years, many different wind drag relationships have been used to convert wind speed to surface stress, ranging from constant to linear dependent on wind speed during the period before 2000 to the more complex formulations depending on wind speed and water movement recently. To investigate how different parametric models of tropical cyclones and wind drag relationships will affect the prediction of storm surge, a numerical model for the Gulf of Mexico has been developed using the latest version of the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code Plus (EFDC+). Different model results will be analyzed and compared with observed data for Hurricane Katrina in 2005.


• Aimee Fullerton, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center, "Mechanistic Simulations Suggest Riparian Restoration Can Partly Counteract Climate Impacts to Juvenile Salmon"
Climate change is reducing summertime water availability and elevating water temperature, placing human consumptive needs in competition with needs of coldwater fishes. We worked with natural resource managers in the Snoqualmie River (Washington, USA) to develop riparian management scenarios, and used a process-based modeling system to examine how a threatened population of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytcha) may respond to climate change and whether riparian restoration could reduce climate effects. Linking models of global climate, regional hydrology and water temperature, and fish, we projected that streams would become warmer year-round and drier during summer, further stressing salmon. Climate change accelerated egg emergence, increased juvenile growth and survival, and accelerated outmigration of subyearling migrants. Growth was depressed for salmon remaining instream during summer (potential yearling migrants). Riparian restoration counteracted ~10% of summer increases in water temperature, and affected salmon similarly regardless of whether riparian buffers were partially or fully restored, whereas riparian degradation further warmed streams. Riparian restoration fully mitigated climate change effects on potential yearling migrant size, but only minimally affected subyearling migrants (assessment metrics changed <2%). Our results will be useful for watershed managers in aligning priorities for fish and humans and our framework can be applied elsewhere.


• Alimatou Seck, Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin, "Development of A Two-Dimensional Oil Spill Model for the Potomac River"
The Potomac River is the primary drinking water supply source for the Washington Metropolitan Area. In the event of an emergency spill into the river or one of its tributaries, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) provides notification to water suppliers on the trajectories, concentrations, and time-of-travel estimates of contaminants. Current modeling tools available for the river predict the one-dimensional fate and transport of dissolved contaminants. Here, we present the development of a two-dimensional fate and transport of oil and other floating contaminants for the Potomac River. High-resolution light detection and ranging (LIDAR) bathymetric data collected for Potomac River were used. The modeled area covers a 69-mile stretch of the Potomac River. A few modeling frameworks were explored including Delft3D-FM, IRIC (International River Interface Cooperative) and GNOME (General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment). We present considerations in model setup including grid resolution and boundary conditions, and we demonstrate potential applications of the model using hypothetical spill scenarios.


• Nick Martin, Southwest Research Institute, "BRAATWURST: Blanco River Aquifers Assessment Tool for Water and Understanding Resiliency and Sustainability Trends – Tool Creation and Initial Implementation"
The Blanco River flows eastward for about 87 miles across the Texas Hill Country to join the San Marcos River just southeast of San Marcos, TX (the Blanco River Basin is southwest of Austin, TX). Along the way, it interacts and exchanges water with the Trinity Aquifer system and the Balcones Fault Zone Edwards (BFZ Edwards) Aquifer. The Blanco River basin includes some of Texas’ and the nation’s fastest growing counties. With increases in population come increased demands on the water resources in the basin. Increased extraction of water to meet growing demand has the potential to reduce flow in the Blanco River and discharge from several iconic spring systems associated the basin (Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Pleasant Valley Springs, and Jacob’s Well Spring). An integrated hydrologic model is being created by leveraging previous regional hydrologic modeling efforts to provide a tool for integrated water resources management (IWRM) for a diverse group of regional stakeholders; existing Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed and stream routing models are being dynamically linked to a new MODFLOW 6 representation of the Trinity Aquifers and the BFZ Edwards Aquifer within the Blanco River basin. This tool is the Blanco River Aquifers Assessment Tool for Water and Understanding Resiliency and Sustainability Trends, or BRAATWURST. BRAATWURST will be used to analyze impacts to river flow, spring discharge, and aquifer water levels in future IWRM scenarios under the constraints provided by expectations of climate change, economic development, and sustainability. Augmentation and modification of the existing HSPF models, development of the MODFLOW 6 model, creation of the dynamic coupling between the watershed and groundwater flow models, preliminary BRAATWURST results, and future project goals will be presented and discussed.

Impacts to and Functions of Wetland Systems

Moderator: Roger Copp

Presenters:

• Parker Cameron , Robin Rossmanith, and Teresa E. Thornton, Jupiter Environmental Field Study and Research Academy, "Monitoring the Fate and Transport of Glyphosate in the Coastal Surface Waters of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Martin County, FL"
Located in Martin County FL, Jonathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP), managed the growth of the invasive Carolina Willow through aerial spraying of the pesticide glyphosate. Glyphosate is most commonly known for its use in the weed killer Roundup. Recent studies have shown that this herbicide causes serious health issues to humans and animals (Andreotti, 2017; Shaw, 2017). A hydrophilic herbicide, it is effective in killing even micro flora and fauna in water and soils (Conçalves et. al., 2019; Hagner, et.al., 2019; Pechlaner, 2017) and can remain in plants for up to two years after application (Johal, 2009). In the easternmost part of the coastal park, glyphosate was applied by a helicopter with a tractor boom spray device, leaving many untargeted areas at risk. This long-term study tracks the fate and transport of the pesticide in the park wetlands and records the long-term effects of glyphosate in the ecosystem. Several sites within a two mile transect along the watershed were photographed and sampled including downstream of targeted application areas in order to determine the distribution of this herbicide. The twelve sites that were chosen lie along the White Trail which bisects the targeted wetlands in the eastern section of JDSP. All surface water grab samples were marked with a date, the longitude and latitude, and then stored in 500mL sterilized Nalgene bottles at 4ºC. A SMART 3 COLORIMETER was used to quantify glyphosate levels (ppm) in all baseline, initial application of the pesticide, and the subsequent seven months. As multiple areas and applications will ensue, monitoring will continue monthly for approximately three years total with an annual laboratory analysis. Initial results indicate that glyphosate is indeed traveling outside of target areas. Low tide, dry season sampling shows indications of pesticide transport to local rivers.


• Haley Miller , Clemson University, "Water Use Efficiency of Fertilized Black (Avicennia germinans) and Red (Rhizophora mangle) Mangrove Trees in South Florida"
Mangrove forests provide South Florida with valuable ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, storm surge protection, and habitat that supports fisheries and a large tourist economy. Additionally, within limits, these ecosystems can sequester toxins, including various chemical forms of nutrients that make their way down the watershed. However, excessive nutrients can, in turn, degrade mangrove health, function, and resiliency to disturbances and climate change. Specifically, the near constant eutrophication of Southwest Florida’s estuaries can cause the disruption of natural mangrove functioning, such as tree sap flow and canopy transpiration. In order to understand how the water use efficiency (carbon dioxide taken up vs. water used) of mangroves would be affected by added nutrients, we experimentally fertilized black (Avicennia germinans) and red (Rhizophora mangle) mangroves in the J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge (JNDNWR) with solid form nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Due to the roles that N and P play in the production of ATP, NADPH, and chlorophyll that are crucial to the creation of biomass via photosynthesis, we hypothesized that individual tree basal area of both red and black mangroves would increase more within N and P fertilized plots compared with control plots within the first year of nutrient enhancement, with little impact on rates of sap flow. Measurements of sap flow rates showed that added nitrogen increased daily maximum rates of black mangrove sap flow from 28.8 g H2O m-2 s-1 in the control plot to 46.4 g H2O m-2 s-1 in the nitrogen plot during the drier winter season. Red mangroves showed no response to N or P fertilization during this study period. In terms of increased energy expenditure for water transport then, red mangroves may be better equipped to handle excess nutrients and sea level rise, which over time could ultimately change mangrove community composition in the Caloosahatchee River watershed as black mangroves die off. Our findings suggest that mangrove ecosystem processes and function may be altered by increased N loadings to the system down the Caloosahatchee River.


• Roger Copp and Shawn Clem, Water Science Associates, "Challenges in Obtaining Accurate Elevation Data in Densely Forested Wetlands"
The Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is experiencing decreased wetland hydroperiods due to drainage from canals downstream from the Sanctuary. An on-going hydrologic study is evaluating restoration measures to improve wetland hydroperiods that will also improve groundwater recharge and reduce flooding in residential lands outside of the Sanctuary. Hydrologic simulation modeling has been used to identify the key factors that have led to reduced wetland hydroperiods and to evaluate restoration alternatives. During the development and calibration of the hydrologic model, it became evident that elevation data from regional topographic databases was inaccurate at a number of the monitoring stations used during the model calibration. The topographic information was obtained from a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-generated topographic database. LiDAR data is obtained by a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulser laser to measure variable distances (referred to as ranges) to the Earth. LiDAR is a valuable tool for obtaining accurate ground elevation data for large model domains at relative low costs. However, LiDAR does not penetrate water, and is less accurate in densely forested areas. Portions of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary have dense vegetation cover and are inundated for more than 10 months/year. Due to the recognition of the limitations of LiDAR data and the characteristics of Corkscrew Swamp, one of the recommendations from the hydrologic restoration study was to further evaluate the accuracy of topographic data used in the hydrologic simulation model. Audubon contracted with Dagastino Geospatial to collect more accurate information using a Trimble R12 GPS surveying rod. Dagastino field crews obtained 178 ekevation shots along four transects ranging from 4,800 to 7,300 feet in length. The results demonstrated that surveyed ground elevations in forested wetlands were, on average, 1.6 feet lower than LiDAR elevations. Ground elevations in portions of the study area were more than 3 feet lower than LiDAR elevations. Additional surveying is needed to determine the extent of incorrect elevation data. Once more accurate information is available, the alternatives analysis can proceed to identify the appropriate steps that are needed to restore the hydrology of the Sanctuary.


• Ying Ouyang, USDA Forest Service, "Generation of Daily Surface Quality Data Based on Seasonal Measurements Using the Flow-weighted Method"
Pollution of surface water with excess nutrients, chemicals, and sediments is an issue of increasing environmental concerns worldwide. Agricultural, forested, industrial, and domestic activities are considered as the major sources of chemicals, nutrients, and sediment to aquatic ecosystems. Biologically available nutrients in excess can lead to diverse problems such as harmful algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen, fish kills, and loss of biodiversity. Toxic chemicals can seriously degrade aquatic ecosystems and impair the use of water for drinking, industry, agriculture, and recreation. Sediments in rivers are recognized as both a carrier and potential source of pollutants in aquatic environments due to their adsorption of toxic chemicals. For many watersheds around the world, some seasonal datasets of chemical, nutrient, and sediment concentrations and loads may exist, but their continuous and multi-year daily datasets are not available due to time-consuming, budget constraint, and lack of in-situ sensor measurement. Without the continuous and multi-year daily datasets, calibration and validation of watershed models for water quality simulations are not possible. The flow-weighted method developed by Ouyang (Environ. Monit. Assess., 2021, 193 (7): 422) was applied to generate daily concentrations and loads of water quality constituents based on seasonal measurements in this study. The method includes: (1) testing if the concentrations and loads of seasonal water quality constituents are proportional to the seasonal stream discharges using statistical analysis, which is a prerequisite to apply the method; (2) calculating daily flow-weighted partitioning coefficients based daily and seasonal discharges; (3) disaggregating the seasonal water quality constituent loads into their daily loads and concentrations using the daily flow-weighted partitioning coefficients; (4) validating the method using daily measured water quality datasets, and (5) applying the method to generate daily total phosphorus (TP) concentrations for a watershed where such a daily dataset is not available. Results demonstrated that the flow-weighted method is a useful tool to generate daily water quality constituent data based on seasonal measured data.

Planning and Management of Local Water Resources

Moderator: Daniel Van Abs

Presenters:

• John Rehring, Carollo Engineers, "Aspen’s Challenges and Solutions to Build a Resilient Water Future for the Next 50 Years"
Although Aspen is known for its snowcapped mountains, the City’s water supply reliability is limited due to minimal raw water storage and reliance on two adjacent creeks, leaving the community vulnerable to persistent drought, potential wildfires, avalanches, and other supply reliability threats. Moreover, Aspen’s small permanent resident population of only 8,000 coupled with an influx of as many as 20,000 seasonal visitors, creates two additional challenges. First, water demands fluctuate greatly and are difficult to project because occupancy rates of second homes can change substantially, as recently experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Second, many water supply options are costly due to the City’s isolated location; affordability is important with such a small permanent customer base. Other water supply challenges include population growth, dwindling snowfall, reduced surface water flows, and increasing outdoor demands due to rising temperatures. As reliability of Aspen's water supply is increasingly on the minds of the community and city planners, the City developed a 50-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The community also has strong environmental values, with widespread support for maintaining instream flow targets, even during droughts. Projections of supply and demand indicate that the community's existing supplies will fall short of future demands, particularly during late summer months when demands remain high but flows in Castle Creek and Maroon Creek drop significantly. The City of Aspen's 50-year IRP calls for diversifying Aspen’s water sources with groundwater, below ground seasonal and operational storage, nonpotable reuse, and enhanced conservation. Emergency storage will help mitigate vulnerabilities to water supply threats. Informed by water supply modeling and input from a robust community engagement effort, the IRP calls for a phased adaptive implementation approach that will allow Aspen to implement supply enhancements over time to reliably meet the evolving needs of the community.


• Swamy Pati and James Greco, Jacobs, "Development of City-wide Watershed Scale Model and Watershed Management Plan for a Highly Urbanized City of St. Petersburg"
The watershed model developed for the City of St Petersburg covers 26 highly urbanized basins in Pinellas County and shares many boundaries with County-maintained watersheds. Jacobs has modeled the highly urbanized watershed for floodplain development and will be utilized to identify sustainable BMP projects to mitigate watershed flooding and improve water quality. This WMP includes: Large, highly urbanized watershed model development; Data collection, collation, evaluation, and assembly from various sources with collection and review of City Stormwater inventory with more than 30,000 structures, more 4,000 as-built plansets, and more than 600 City’s Atlas Sheets; Data gap analysis, field reconnaissance, and data acquisition by visiting more than 1,000 sites and surveying more than 2,200 stormwater structures; Sea level rise (SLR) and climate change assessment; Model parameterization, development, calibration and verification as well as floodplain analysis. 13 surface water datalogger and 19 rain gauges were installed to monitor the data required for calibration and verification; Level of service (LOS) analysis based on the City’s LOS criteria and identification of LOS deficiency areas; Model simulations for future conditions with SLR and rainfall projections; Stakeholder involvement through meetings and virtual website; BMP alternative analysis for both flood reduction and water quality; Evaluation of sustainable management of complex flood and water quality issues, including use of injection wells and potential development of new potable water sources from excess runoff to capture and store fresh water inland versus discharging it to nutrient limited estuaries; and additionally, the comprehensive masterplan update also evaluated a preliminary lake management plan for Crescent Lake to improve water quality in the lake. The improvements planned and implemented include adding hypolimnetic oxygenation, floating wetlands installation, chemical treatments, and destratification approaches. This presentation will highlight the progress of the project, specially, the methods and the level of detail applied and the challenges associated to model and develop management plan for such a highly urbanized watershed that will significantly help in analyzing the LOS and evaluating flood alleviation projects at both local scale and regional scale.


• Ava Saunders, JERFSA , "Demographics Effect on Willingness to Pay v. Accept Pertaining to Surface Waters in Wealthy Coastal Communities of Southeast Florida"
Understanding the impact of demographics on volunteer motivations is essential to driving community-wide projects, especially those dealing with human health and water quality. A private gated community in Southeast Florida, Jonathan’s Landing (JL), has an integrated golf course (15,000 sqft) and marina containing 31 shared associations and approximately 1,234 homes on or near the water (JL POA, 2021). Although membership in the community golf facilities is not required, it is estimated that there is a high interest in participation (pers. com. S. Matteson, POA GM, 5.26.21). JL waterfront was developed by exposing the water table on or near the intracoastal. The water system contains flood gates, some of which are damaged. Additionally residential waters are affected by water traps on the golf course that have culverts spilling directly into waterways, residential lakefront lawn care that is year round, and manicured facilities lacking a riparian buffer. Residents became concerned as they noticed changes in their ornamental gardens, the loss of butterflies, increased algal blooms, littoral invasions, and invasive grasses. At this point they contacted JERFSA (Jupiter Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy) and requested assistance in increasing resident involvement. To assist in the distribution of information and to increase environmental networking within JL, JERFSA students constructed and distributed a survey regarding willingness to participate in volunteer activities. The survey was modified from the Green Mountain Conservation District (2021) and Ossipee Lake Alliance (2020) and was distributed by the Property Owners Association via email and monthly newsletter. The survey was constructed through Survey Monkey and although the survey did request demographics, it was anonymous and voluntary. Questions inquired about land use, connection to the golf club, financial and educational status, and overall understanding of the natural environment. The survey was distributed to every homeowner in the community. Of this, 68% of recipients responded. According to the Norm-Activation Model (Onwezen, Antonides, Bartels 2013), which demonstrates pro-environmental behaviors will be enhanced by elevated levels of education, demographics of the JL population indicate that they have a higher willingness to pay than accept.