Rio Puerco Wins EPA Funding
The Rio Puerco Alliance of Santa Fe, a nonprofit group dedicated to watershed management in the Rio Puerco drainage basin, has been awarded roughly $840,000 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The funds will be used for improving road performance through better materials and construction and for installing erosion and sediment controls.
Learn more here.;
Mother Earth and EPDM
Mother Earth News is encouraging the use of EPDM geomembrane liners for backyard ponds. A current article describes the basic steps one needs to take to create a water-saving and wildlife-encouraging pond. EPDM liners from manufacturers such as Firestone are applied not just on small-scale home use but larger scale use by industry, golf courses, fish hatcheries and other environments.
Learn more here.;
Geotextile Tubes: too Simple?
Canada's Daily Observer reports on the incorporation of geotextile tubes for sewage dewatering operations, and about the difficult path to getting this simple idea accepted. Many officials apparently have been concerned that the technology's function is too easy to understand to be believed effective. But the use of geotextiles tubes for separating solids is finally getting its day and correcting many of Ontario's sewage handling issues.
Learn more here.;
No Longer the Bane of Maine
Badgerboro Road in Palmyra, Maine has often been called the state's "worst road." Unpaved roads can be very difficult to maintain, as annual weather conditions and traffic cause rutting and wash outs. Road fabrics were used on just 850 feet of Badgerboro last year but have been very successful. Towns are now debating spending more to incorporate similar strategies in road repairs.
Learn more here.;
New Lagoon Needed
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has fined a large Bay County dairy farm for illegal drainage. The 350-head dairy has been ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and develop a new manure lagoon to better management the herd's waste.
Learn more here.;
Agriculture in Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the World Bank today called for an increase in funding and a renewed focus on agricultural water management in Africa, including irrigation, drainage and rainwater harvesting.
Learn more here.;
Grants in Colombia
The government of Colombia has allocated US $73 million for drainage, water management and irrigation projects, and 270 proposals, some interconnected, have come in. The awarded money will go towards construction materials for dams and tanks; water conveyance; and more. Announcements will be made in May. Projects may receive up to US $3.8 million.
Learn more here.;
Golf Course Upgrades
Geosynthetics have been used increasingly in recreational uses, such as for containment in golf course ponds and even down to drainage and lining beneath sand traps. In Greenwich, Connecticut the sand traps are being replaced and geosynthetics added ahead of the 2008 golf season. The 30-year-old traps are finally receiving a much-needed drainage upgrade.
Learn more here.;
Visalia Moves Forward
Three more cells are being planned for waste disposal in Tulare County, California near the city of Visalia. This is the second phase of a project, and one that will establish nearly 60 years of capacity. Bids are currently being reviewed.
Learn more here.;
Proposition 5
Anchorage, Alaska's Proposition 5 is coming to a vote soon. It seeks approval for bonds on the city's ambitious road and drainage improvement scheme. Roughly $45 million worth of projects await.
Learn more here.;
Winter's Wear and Tear
In Pembroke, Ontario, the city has warned residents that the roads may be particularly poor this year when the freeze-thaw cycle snaps the other way. Road construction has not been up to snuff. The Daily Observer's article notes that geotextiles in the sub-base have only been used in special circumstances. An operations manager has noted the city is paying now in potholes, cracking and ruts.
Learn more here.;
Market Study
India-based Bharat Books is offering a sales-tax-free copy of a geosynthetics study that forecasts 5% growth per year between 2010 and 2015. The report suggests geogrids and geocomposites show the greatest market potential and that the transportation sector will be a major driver. The study is from Freedonia.
Learn more here.;
World Bank Funding
While the heavily industrialized world repairs its aging infrastructures with more modern materials, such as geosynthetics, it's surprising to find little mention of them being encouraged in developing nations. But we did spot one World Bank-related project in the Philippines in which geotextiles are part of the agriculture sector reforms. More than $3 million is being provided on loan.
Learn more here.;
Preserving the Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a rugged part of Houston's past--a reminder of what the area looked like before massive urbanization. But the banks of the bayou have been eroding rapidly. The district spends millions each year in defense. And now home owners are laying out up to $150,000 to stabilize their shorelines.
Learn more here.;
The Millennium's Materials
The Superior Municipal Forest in Superior, Wisconsin has a number of trails, but among its most popular is the 1.6-mile-long Millennium Trail. It's one of the most well-constructed trails with a clay, geotextile, sand and gravel base construction. Silt fence lines the trail to contain runoff sediment. The advanced construction helps this trail survive harsh winters and summers of intense use.
Learn more here.;
Experienced Required
Illegal dams and ponds on farms and at orchards in central Washington have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage when they fail. Officials stress that pipe penetrations and improper liner work is the main cause of failures. They also suspect that more than 100 illegal structures remain. The state is now intensifying aerial searches for these illegal constructions.
Learn more here.;
GMA's Geotextile Project
In an effort to clearly show the benefits of using geotextile separators in roads, the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is seeking information on projects constructed with and without geotextile separators where maintenance and cost records still exist. GMA needs your help. Are you aware of local projects that were installed and where the key personnel involved are still available? GMA wants to hear from you. Contact Andrew Aho, Managing Director, by email.
Learn more here.;
USDA Awards $39 Million
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in California has awarded $39 million for environmental improvements in farming. Among the beneficial uses of the money are riparian stabilization and the lining of ditches for water conservation, according to the release.
Learn more here.;
Improving the Caymans
Geosynthetics are being used to repair and strengthen roads in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Net News reports. The National Roads Authority (NRA) has been seeking longer road service lives. The current project is one of the first for the island with the materials. Geogrids and geotextiles are enabling the safe construction over peat.
Learn more here.;
Ag, By the Numbers
Yesterday, March 20, was not only the first official day of spring but National Agriculture Day. Woods Houghton's guest column in the Current Argus newspaper, published in New Mexico, offers some interesting statistics on the United States agriculture industry. For example, farmers manage 1.3 million acres of water conveyance ditches.
Learn more here.;
Propex's New President & CEO
Congratulations are due to Woody McGee, the new interim president and CEO of Propex. And plenty of credit and well wishes are due to Joe Dana who is retiring from the position after 20 years of service to Propex. Mr. McGee comes to Propex from Cerberus Capital Management. Read more about the appointment in the release.
Learn more here.;
More from Ireland
The slowdown in new housing construction in Ireland has prompted more home improvement projects, including greater construction of arenas and gallops for horse owners (of which Ireland has many). An article in the Irish Independent discusses how using geotextile separation materials helps keep the sites drain properly during wet seasons and, utlimately, keeps the horses healthier.
Learn more here.;
TRB's eSessions
Numerous audio recordings and slide presentations from the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) 87th Annual Meeting, which was held 13-17 January 2008 in Washington, D.C., can be listened to and viewed through the TRB's website. The player works well and synchronizes slides to the voice recordings. Presentations on construciton, design, international activities, pavements and much more are available.
Learn more here.;
Only One in Ireland
In the Irish Independent's farming news roundup one finds a note about geomembrane-lined out-wintering pads. These are artificially drained, soft surface zones that are friendlier to and healthier for cattle than concrete pads or Ireland's wet winter soils. The Department of Agriculture has approved only one contractor for this application. Any sites using unapproved contractors will not be eligible for grant aid.
Learn more here.;
Edge Drain Installation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) have crews installing edge drains along a 5.9-mile stretch of Interstate 10 during the road's resurfacing. The drainage improvements are a welcomed and needed addition. The project construction window is 180 days and the cost, including resurfacing, has been budgeted at $6.5 million.
Learn more here.;
