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RIZZO Project Wins the 2004 Karl Mason Award |
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8/4/2004 |
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Karl Mason Award
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This years Karl Mason Award for an outstanding environmental work or project by a firm or organization was presented for the highly successful Casselman River Watershed Major Nonpoint Pollution Assessment and Restoration Plan project performed by Paul C. Rizzo Associates (RIZZO) and sponsored by the Somerset Conservation District. This Project exceeded its intended objectives of assessing major nonpoint pollution sources in the watershed and by producing a Restoration Plan to guide future restoration activities. The Somerset Conservation District was the project sponsor. Karl Mason served the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 1952 until his death in 1966. He was regarded as the Commonwealth's first environmental administrator. The Karl Mason Award was created to commemorate his vision of a strong, well-managed environmental program. The Award is given to a Pennsylvania person, organization, or project that has made a significant contribution to the betterment of Pennsylvania's environment, exemplifying Karl Mason's vision. Stewardship of the Karl Mason Award rests with Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEP).
For this Project, RIZZO assessed 370-square miles of the Casselman River Watershed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania for major non-point sources of water pollution: Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) and agricultural runoff. The overall goal of the project was to identify and assess major nonpoint pollution sources in the watershed and produce a Restoration Plan to guide future restoration activities. This Project was funded through the DEP Growing Greener Grant Program. The assessment phase made use of all available information in the Casselman River Watershed to make a determination of the location, types, extent and impacts of the most severe AMD discharges. Over 200 AMD discharges were identified and field verified. Priority AMD discharges were indexed, ranked and prioritized and treatment approaches and cost estimates were prepared by RIZZO to guide future remediation efforts. RIZZO also identified and addressed areas with the highest potential for agricultural runoff. RIZZO digitized agricultural lands in the watershed using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Stream stretches with inadequate Riparian Zones were identified to establish locations with high potential for agricultural runoff. RIZZO prepared a comprehensive Restoration Plan that described in detail the practices needed to implement AMD remediation projects. The Restoration Plan was structured to provide the greatest reduction in AMD loadings, agricultural runoff pollution and restoration of water quality in a systematic approach.
The Casselman River Watershed Major Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment and Restoration Plan represents a project that is realistic and targeted, exceeded its intended objectives, is currently being implemented and its successes can be tangibly measured in the Watershed.
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