[Recording] New Paradigms to Manage Urban Floods in the Bay Watershed

[Recording] New Paradigms to Manage Urban Floods in the Bay Watershed

Panel Overview:

The panel will explore new strategies to prevent flooding in urban watersheds and better integrate how the quantity and quality of stormwater can be managed together. The panel will tackle questions like:

  • How we can map and identify the urban neighborhoods most at risk from future floodplain expansion?
  • Can smart BMP technology in our legacy detention ponds provide a higher level of flooding “insurance?”

How so we adapt our stormwater infrastructure to withstand coastal flooding and sea level rise?

Speaker Bios:

Jason Papacosma

Watershed Programs Manager

Department of Environmental Services, Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management

Jason is responsible for the strategic and effective delivery of watershed management programs in Arlington County through policy, program, and project planning, development, and implementation.   He is fortunate to lead a talented and cross-trained team of project managers, engineers, landscape architects, and scientists to deliver leading edge programs recognized in the region and beyond.  Outside of work, Jason enjoys being outside with his family, traveling again in the not too distant future, and hanging ‘in’ on movie nights.

Randell Greer

DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship

Sediment and Stormwater Program

Randy’s educational background consists of a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Resource Economics from the University of Delaware.  He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland.  His career includes over 40 years experience addressing non-point source pollution problems in both the agricultural and urban environments.  He is currently an Engineer VI with the Sediment & Stormwater Program within the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Elaine Z. Webb, P.E.

DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship

Sediment and Stormwater Program

Elaine Webb is an Engineer V with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Sediment and Stormwater Program.  Elaine is a graduate of University of Delaware’s ag and civil engineering programs and is a licensed P.E. in Delaware.   She has over 25 years of experience with implementation of the state’s Sediment and Stormwater Program at both the local and state levels.  Elaine played a key role in the 2014 and 2019 revisions to Delaware’s Sediment and Stormwater Law and Regulations as the responsible staff member for the regulatory revision effort.

Whitney S. Katchmark, P.E.

Principal Water Resources Engineer

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

Whitney Katchmark joined the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) in 2006. Ms. Katchmark leads the Water Resources department which coordinates multi-jurisdictional efforts in the areas of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, sea level rise, coastal zone management and water quality. Ms. Katchmark received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia.  Prior to joining HRPDC, she worked for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command for eight years.

Viktor Hlas, P.E.,

Director, Sales and Partner Relations, Opti

Mr. Hlas is responsible for the development and execution of Opti’s go-to-market strategy as well as managing client and partner relationships. Opti enables communities and businesses to continuously improve their stormwater management by delivering real-time visibility, adaptively controlling assets, and supporting smart city initiatives. Mr. Hlas is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Massachusetts, having experience in water resources management as well as low impact development. He has an MBA from Babson College, in addition to holding an M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

Robert G. Bathurst, PE,

Principal, Century Engineering, Inc., Civil Engineer, Inventor of SmartSWMTM

Mr. Bathurst is a Principal at Century Engineering in Hunt Valley, MD. Bob graduated from Drexel University with a BS degree in Civil Engineering and MS degree in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University. He has advanced education in civil engineering with specialization in water resources and has testified as an expert witness in matters regarding stormwater management throughout the course of his 30-year career. Bob holds D.WRE Board Certification from the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (the highest level of advanced post-license certification offered in the water resources engineering profession for professional engineers) and holds Professional Engineer licenses in Maryland, Pennsylvania, DC & West Virginia. Bob has served as a consultant to the Maryland Department of the Environment – Water & Science Administration since 2002 and City of Baltimore – Office of Plans Review and Inspections since 2004.

Related Resources

[Slides] Schueler: Urban Flooding Intro Slides

Tom Schueler’s introductory slides for the Runoff Rendezvous panel on New Paradigms for Managing Urban Floods, which aired on March 18, 2021.
Download Now

[Slides] Papacosma: Moving Toward Stormwater Resiliency in Arlington, VA

Jason Papacosma’s slides for the Runoff Rendezvous panel on New Paradigms for Managing Urban Floods, which aired on March 18, 2021.
Download Now

[Slides] Webb: A Delaware Perspective on New Paradigms to Manage Urban Floods

Elaine Webb’s slides for the Runoff Rendezvous panel on New Paradigms for Managing Urban Floods, which aired on March 18, 2021.
Download Now

[Slides] Katchmark: New Paradigm – Flood Protection that Improves Water Quality

Whitney Katchmark’s slides for the Runoff Rendezvous panel on New Paradigms for Managing Urban Floods, which aired on March 18, 2021.
Download Now

[Slides] Bathurst and Hlas: Smart BMP Technology

Bob Bathurst and Victor Hlas’ combined slides for the Runoff Rendezvous panel on New Paradigms for Managing Urban Floods, which aired on March 18, 2021.
Download Now