The stormwater committee is hosting this workshop to guide anyone, new and experienced, with watershed planning for healthy and sustainable waters and communities.

This is a full-day workshop, with part 1 on Wednesday morning and part 2 on Wednesday afternoon. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions. 

This workshop includes a short walk (about 1 mile) to an off-site facility.

The workshop includes a broad range of speakers who have been selected to present on unique aspects of clean watersheds and capital improvement planning, including:

• Kendra Kaiser, from University of Idaho, will give a 101 introduction to watershed health and planning
• Zach Butler, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State, will present on how climate change will or may affect watershed health and management.
• Austin Baldwin, a research hydrologist at United States Geological Survey (USGS), will present on water quality in streams and watersheds.
• Paul Beskow (Project River and Water Quality Engineer) and Jason Scott (Principal Fisheries Scientist) from GeoEngineers, will present on what makes for healthy habitat and surface water systems in watersheds, as well as restoration and preservation approaches for such habitat.
• Brent Robinson, a civil engineer at Brown and Caldwell, will present on innovation in stakeholder collaboration and public involvement, which will include an interactive component of this workshop. We plan to demonstrate how “gameifying” stakeholder involvement can increase engagement, improve community support, and arrive at an equitable and realistic Capital Improvement Plan.

In the afternoon session, we will take what was discussed and present details on how to write a watershed restoration master plan. Shannon Kronz, a civil engineer at Jacobs Engineering, will present on the nuts and bolts of watershed planning process, which is intended to bring together all of the prior sub-sessions of the morning workshop.

Afterwards, attendees of the workshop will take a scenic walk along the Boise River (1.0-mile walk, approximately 20-25 min) to the nearby University of Idaho Ecohydraulics lab. Once arrived, Dr. Daniele Tonina will provide a 1-hour guided tour of the Ecohydrualics Lab. A large-scale hydraulic flume will be set up to demonstrate surface water hydraulics, habitat elements, and how different stream and ditch conditions affect the goal of clean and healthy waterways and communities. On the way back from the lab, the group will observe select sections of the Boise River along the Greenbelt to see riverbed, bank, and habitat elements in action.

 

Presentation	Speaker
Watersheds 101	Kendra Kaiser, University of Idaho
Shifts in Rain-Snow Partitioning Drive Faster Water Transit Times in the US Pacific Northwest	Zach Butler, Oregon State University
Improvements and Room for Improvement: Water quality trends in the Boise River and its tributaries, Idaho	Austin Baldwin, USGS
Integrating Multiple Disciplines into Watershed Health	Paul Beskow and Jason Scott, GeoEngineers
An Innovative Approach to Stakeholder Collaboration and Public Involvement	Brent Robinson, Brown & Caldwell
Writing a Watershed Master Plan for the Rock Creek Watershed in Twin Falls, ID	Shannon Kronz, Jacobs Engineering
Tour of the University of Idaho Ecohydraulics Lab	Daniele Tonina, University of Idaho

A comprehensive Pacific Northwest workshop covering nutrient management policies, technical practices, and collaborative partnerships to achieve regulatory compliance and cost-effective, sustainable wastewater system optimization.

This is a full-day workshop with part 1 on Wednesday morning and part 2 on Wednesday afternoon. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions.

This workshop intends to offer a holistic approach to nutrient management in the Pacific Northwest, specifically tailored for municipal utilities, operators, and engineers. Organized around Policies, Practices, and Partnerships, the program aims to provide a integrated overview for addressing the region's water quality challenges with nutrients. Participants will examine the lifecycle of nutrient management, from the high-level regulatory drivers shaping the industry to the ground-level technical solutions that ensure compliance and environmental protection.

Under the Policies and Practices themes, the workshop explores the evolving state and federal regulatory landscape alongside the latest advancements in treatment technology. By evaluating data-driven performance metrics and diverse utility case studies, attendees will gain insights into optimizing current systems and integrating emerging technologies. This dual focus ensures that technical implementation remains aligned with the complex legal and environmental frameworks governing regional watersheds.

The workshop will also focus on partnerships in nutrient management, realizing sustainable nutrient reduction requires a collaborative ecosystem involving regulators, consultants, and municipal leaders. The program will review examples of partnerships, innovative funding strategies, financial capability assessments, and long-term compliance planning.

Presentation	Speaker
State of Practice	Dave Clark, HDR Amanda McInnis, Jacobs
State Regulatory Perspectives: Idaho, Oregon, Washington	Ellie Ott, Washington Dept. of Ecology Kerry Neil, Idaho Dept. Environmental Quality
Planning and Funding: Financial Impacts, EPA Financial Capability Assessment Guidance, and Innovative Implementation Strategies	Tahne Corcutt, Jacobs
Utility Case Studies	Rita Cooper - Clean Water Services Haley Falconer - City of Boise Amanda McInnis - Presenting for City of Spokane
Nutrient Treatment Technologies	Mike Falk, HDR Bryce Figdore, HDR Matt Noesen, Jacobs Rick Kelly, Brown and Caldwell
Finding Common Ground: Collaborative Leadership in Washington State	Joel Baker and Michael Kern, University of Washington, Puget Sound Institute
Lake Spokane and Utah Lake: A Tale of Two Lakes - Over and Under Treatment	Mike Brett, University of Washington

Join field experts for practical wastewater lessons and lighthearted critiques of engineering choices. An interactive session where humor and audience participation are encouraged.

This Jeopardy-themed event and interactive panel brings together utility owners, operations and maintenance staff, and construction professionals to share practical lessons learned that may help improve our future wastewater systems.  Bring your perspective and engage in discussions with the panel of experienced staff to highlight common challenges and learning moments over the life-cycle of wastewater projects… all while playing Jeopardy!    

Panelists:

• Rich Wiebe, City of Boise
• Tim Hearst, Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI)
• Russell T Dyess, ESTECH
• Bill Matney, Eagle Sewer District

Attendees will receive a hands-on look into biosolids and land management through a city-operated farm producing human-grade food crops.

The City of Boise owns and operates the Twenty Mile South Farm (TMSF), which recycles over 4,000 dry tons of biosolids per year received from the City's two main water renewal facilities. The TMSF was founded in 1994 after finalization of the 40 CFR Part 503 regulations and provides 4,225 acres for biosolids application, with approximately 3,400 acres in irrigated agriculture. City personnel operate the TMSF to produce human-grade food crops, including soft white wheat, corn, alfalfa, triticale, oats, and barley, and comply with all local, state, and federal regulations for biosolids reuse. In 2014, TMSF received an "Excellence in Biosolids Management" Award from Northwest Biosolids and the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association. The award recognized TMSF for its significant contributions in implementing a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial biosolids management program. In the 27-year history of the award, Boise was the first recipient from Idaho.

Ben Nydegger, Water Renewal Operations Senior Manager at the City of Boise, will lead the site visit, including discussion during the bus ride to the farm. Handouts or other overview material may be provided to attendees for reference during the bus ride, which is expected to take ~40 minutes from the convention site. Additional presentation materials and Q&A may be provided onsite in the TMSF's office conference room as time allows. This site visit will provide attendees with the unique opportunity to learn about the environmental benefits of biosolids application, land management and soil health monitoring strategies, PFAS sampling and management strategies, revenue generated through partnerships with local food purveyors, and day-to-day farm operations implemented by this successful and award-winning biosolids program.

Explore Idaho's biosolids innovations, featuring PFAS communication, advanced solar‑drying systems, and state composting strategies, followed by a tour of Meridian’s solar dryer.

This three-hour workshop will start with a 1-hour presentation and Q&A session hosted by Terry Alber with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) on a number of biosolids initiatives in Idaho, including proactive PFAS sampling and communications approaches to address public perception concerns, innovative biosolids treatment technologies using solar dryers at two Idaho facilities, and composting opportunities and management strategies throughout the state.

The presentation session will be followed by a site visit to the City of Meridian Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) to tour the new thermally-enhanced solar greenhouse for drying biosolids. The greenhouse is equipped with a heated floor, automated conveyors, and fans to provide more homogeneous drying conditions. Additionally, the floor is heated with captured biogas produced during upstream digestion processes. These innovations provide faster drying timelines and decrease the overall footprint of biosolids handling processes. By drying biosolids with this method, the City of Meridian expects to improve percent total solids from 20% (after centrifuge dewatering) to approximately 80%. This would reduce the total mass of biosolids by 75%, resulting in a 4- to-1 reduction in hauling and disposal costs. Other facilities in the northwest could similarly benefit from this technology to improve seasonal processing of biosolids.