Stormwater is the water that runs off the land following rains. It is the primary source of most of the water in our rivers and streams.

Discusses the causes and mitigations of soil erosion by water through a presentation created by the NRCS.

Discusses and demonstrates ways to prevent pollution in water.

Demonstrates construction BMP's through various images and illustrations. Topics include: Erosion Control, Sediment Control and Stormwater Management on Construction Sites and Urban Areas.

Demonstrates the construction pollution prevention plan through images, illustrations, and examples.

Discusses the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) pertaining to storm water management on small construction sites.

Discusses the inspections and maintenance associated with handling storm water on small constructon sites.

12 topics covered include various practices that can contribute to non-point source pollution emanating from a home. Steps and practices are provided that can prevent non-point pollution from entering storm water runoff.

“Reduce the use.” That’s the mantra of a water conservation campaign spearheaded by LSU AgCenter educators in north Louisiana, where people are dependent on the gradually disappearing Sparta Aquifer.

Overview of methods used to conserve water and reduce pumping costs on farms.

This page lists several questions for facility managers to help gauge a facility’s present water-efficiency performance.

A pumping system’s efficiency is calculated by comparing the amount of fuel used to the amount of water pumped.

Simple tips on how to conserve water in the workplace: educate your employees and coworkers; know your usage; identify and fix leaks; maximize the efficiency of your cooling tower; install water efficient equipment; minimize the use of water for cleaning purposes.

Detecting and repairing leaks is one of the main components of water conservation. Old or poorly constructed pipelines, inadequate corrosion protection, poorly maintained valves and mechanical damage are some of the factors contributing to leakage.

There are may easy and practical ways to cut back our water use in our yards and gardens.

There are many things everyone can do to help conserve water when they are at home.

Water loss from a water distribution system is a significant factor affecting water delivery to customers. Water loss can be either apparent losses due to meter inaccuracies or unauthorized consumption, or real losses due to leakage at water service lines.

A TMDL is a pollution budget for a specific waterbody (river, lake, stream, etc.). It is the maximum amount of a pollutant that can be released into a waterbody without causing the waterbody to become impaired and/or violate state water quality standards. Information on point and nonpoint sources and the history of TMDLs is included.

Links to other useful sources on water quality.

Contact information on the faculty associated with water quality.

The EPA Stormwater Phase II program went into effect March 10, 2003 for urbanized areas with population densities of over 1,000 people per square mile and other designated areas. At this time the Stormwater control program for all small construction sites (1 to 5 acres) also went into effect. The program requires all affected areas to obtain a general permit and to file a Stormwater Management Plan for their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).

The LSU AgCenter will host the EPA Getting in Step with Phase II Workshop on June 11 and 12 at the Louisiana Transportation, Training and Education Center on Gourrier Lane on the LSU campus.

Information from the Stormwater Academy workshop held on June 12, 2006.

The LSU AgCenter and EPA Region VI will conduct a series of 3 workshops across the state the state to help official and consultants develop Stormwater Management Plans and make sure that the ones they have will fulfill the requirements of the new Stormwater Permit.

Information from the The BMP Design Workshop held on June 13, 2006. The curriculum is primarily for engineers, landscape architects, architects and planners. Topics include: What is a Design Storm?, Stormwater BMP Maintenance, Stormwater Wetland Design and Bio-retention Design.

(Distributed 06/30/06) The LSU AgCenter recently conducted an Urban Stormwater Academy to help engineers, architects and municipal officials learn about practices that will both reduce stormwater runoff and its contaminant load at construction sites.

Urban areas with their concentrations of people, vehicles, homes, parking lots, streets, small and large business, industry and sewage can create heavy loads of pollutants in their Stormwater runoff.

On March 10, 2003 the Small Construction Site Stormwater Program went into effect.

Giant salvinia is considered the most noxious aquatic plant species in the country.

Total the number of times you do each of these activities throughout a week. Then multiply by the number of gallons of water used. You may be amazed, and dismayed, by how much water you waste.

To prevent the depletion of the Sparta Aquifer, it is mandatory that everyone conserve, and not waste, water. These nine tips will help sustain this valuable source of drinking water.

Louisiana is blessed with an abundance of forests and waterways. Miles of rivers, bayous and lakes provide Louisiana’s citizens with fishing, hunting, boating and recreational opportunities, which contribute to the state’s wealth and economic growth.

Why be concerned? Too often, we think of ourselves as external to our environment. We ignore the many relationships among people, other living creatures and our surroundings. We ignore these relationships at our own risk. Solutions to environmental problems are far more effective when all life forms are considered part of the ecosystem.