Revitalizing the Chicago Area Water System

Over 100 miles of rivers and canals make up the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), which connects Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River and includes the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Cal-Sag Channel, and the Calumet Rivers. This complex water system has a long history of industrialization,...

2018 Chesapeake Tri-Association Conference

OBG recently took part in the 2018 Chesapeake Tri-Association Conference on August 28-31, 2018 in Ocean City, Maryland. The annual conference brings together water and wastewater professionals, as well as industrial and municipal planners and leaders, to share insights into the challenges facing the water industry. ...

Protecting New York lakes from harmful algal blooms

Over the last decade, harmful algal blooms have been increasing in prevalence across New York State and continue to threaten drinking water quality and recreational activities nationwide. In New York, more than 150 water bodies experienced HABs in 2017, resulting in more than 100 beach closures. The Threat A harmful algal bloom, often...

Integrating floodplain and stormwater management: Q&A with Shaun Gannon

Shaun Gannon has more than 20 years of experience in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling related to watershed management, flood resiliency, dam safety regulations, interior flood control, hydraulic structures, and flood insurance studies. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a Diplomate of the American Academy of...

Improving water quality for trout in a prized recreational watercourse

Trout are highly valued freshwater fish, serving an important position in the freshwater food web as both predator and prey, and providing seasonal or year-round enjoyment for recreational anglers. Trout also are sensitive to physical and chemical stressors, and therefore are excellent water quality indicators.  Because coldwater fish...

New York’s Water Event 2018

OBG recently took part in the American Water Works Association (NYSAWWA) New York's Water Event on April 10-12, 2018 in Saratoga Springs, New York. During the conference, OBG’s team of water exerts shared some of the latest thinking on protecting and restoring drinking water quality, and addressing em...

Groundwater quality changes after closure in place

25 years of observations

OBG’s Stuart (Stu) Cravens, a thought leader in hydrogeology, recently joined Bruce Hensel of Electric Power Research Institute to talk about groundwater quality changes when a pond is closed in place. Groundwater quality changes can be expected when a pond is closed in place. The type and degree of ch...

Michigan initiates PFAS investigations for industrial pretreatment programs

The regulatory and enforcement climate concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is rapidly evolving, and particularly fast in the state of Michigan. On February 20, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued letters to all wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with Industrial Pretreatment Programs (IPPs) to evaluate potential sources of PFAS....

How local school kids help Onondaga Lake wildlife flourish

OBG’s Paul Schultz, PE, LEED AP joined Dereth Glance, Executive Director of the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA), to talk about the impact local businesses and students in Onondaga County are making on the environment by collecting their food scraps and turning them into nutrient-rich compost that benefits On...

Watershed revitalization through sediment removal

Many U.S. waters have been listed as impaired waters by their respective states, as a result of the Clean Water Act and the Water Quality Planning and Management regulation. Many other water resources have been listed as threatened waters, or are in the process of being evaluated...