This document is one chapter from the EPA “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect

Our Waters,” published in March 2008. The reference number is EPA 841-B-08-002. You can find the entire
document http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook.

Handbook for
Developing Watershed Plans to
Restore and Protect Our Waters

Chapter 12. Design Implementation Program and

Assemble Watershed Plan

March 2008
Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

Handbook Road Map

1 Introduction
2 Overview of Watershed Planning Process
3 Build Partnerships
4 Define Scope of Watershed Planning Effort
5 Gather Existing Data and Create an Inventory
6 Identify Data Gaps and Collect Additional Data If Needed
7 Analyze Data to Characterize the Watershed and Pollutant Sources
8 Estimate Pollutant Loads
9 Set Goals and Identify Load Reductions
10 Identify Possible Management Strategies
11 Evaluate Options and Select Final Management Strategies
12 Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan
13 Implement Watershed Plan and Measure Progress

12. Design Implementation Program and

Assemble Watershed Plan
Chapter Highlights
• Information/education component

• Schedule for implementation

• Milestones

• Criteria to measure progress

• Monitoring component

• Financial and technical resources needed

• Evaluation framework

• Assembling watershed plan

Read this chapter if...

• You want to integrate information and education components
into your watershed plan
• You want to know how to develop the implementation
component of your watershed plan
• You want to develop a schedule, milestones, criteria for
measuring progress, and a monitoring plan
• You would like information on finding sources to help you
implement your plan
• You want to know how to set up an evaluation framework for
your watershed plan

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12.1 What Do I Need to Design My Implementation Program?

Now that you’ve identified watershed management measures that when implemented should
meet your objectives, it’s time to develop the remaining elements of your implementation
program. Designing the implementation program generates several of the basic elements
needed for effective watershed plans:
• An information/education (I/E) component to support public participation and build
management capacity related to adopted management measures
• A schedule for implementing management measures
• Interim milestones to determine whether management measures are being
implemented
• Criteria by which to measure progress toward reducing pollutant loads and meeting
watershed goals
• A monitoring component to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation efforts
• An estimate of the technical and financial resources and authorities needed to imple-
ment the plan
• An evaluation framework

12.2 Develop Information/Education Component

Every watershed plan should include an I/E component that involves the watershed commu-
nity. Because many water quality problems result from individual actions and the solutions
are often voluntary practices, effective public involvement and participation promote the
adoption of management practices, help to ensure the sustainability of the watershed man-
agement plan, and perhaps most important, encourage changes in behavior that will help to
achieve your overall watershed goals.

This phase of the watershed planning process should result in element e of the nine ele-
ments for awarding section 319 grants. Element e is “An information and education component
used to enhance public understanding of the project and encourage their early and continued participa-
tion in selecting, designing, and implementing the nonpoint source management measures that will be
implemented.”

12.2.1 Integrate I/E Activities into the Overall Watershed Implementation

Program
The objectives of the public outreach
program should directly support your
Where to Go for More Help on I/E Activities
watershed management goals and imple-
For more information on planning and implementing outreach campaigns,
mentation of the watershed management
refer to EPA’s Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach
plan. For example, the overall goal for your
Campaigns. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the six critical
steps of outreach—defining your goals and objectives, identifying your
watershed plan might be to restore water
target audience, developing appropriate messages, selecting materials and quality to Brooker Creek, which has been
activities, distributing the messages, and conducting evaluation at each badly degraded due to nutrient inputs from
step of the way. You can download the guide at www.epa.gov/owow/ fertilizers. To help meet that goal, you might
watershed/outreach/documents/getnstep.pdf or order it by calling develop a public participation program that
1‑800-490-9198. Ask for publication number EPA 841-B-03-002. will “make residents aware of proper fertil-
izer use to reduce application rates.” The I/E

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

components identified should include measurable objectives and indicators for measuring
progress. The objectives will also be shaped by the size of the community and the resources
available to support efforts.

You can develop a separate public outreach component in your watershed plan that provides
the foundation of your I/E activities, but be sure to include the specific tasks, costs of imple-
mentation, and responsible parties in the overall implementation matrix.

12.2.2 Develop an I/E Program

Although it’s important to let people know about the water quality problems in the water-
shed, sometimes simply informing and educating people on the issues is not enough to
initiate behavior change. Behavior change occurs over time.
First, audiences should be made aware of the issue or prob- Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
lem. Then they should be educated on the problems facing
EPA has developed a “Nonpoint Source Outreach
the watershed. Finally, they should know what actions they
Digital Toolbox,” which provides information, tools,
can take to help address those problems. and a catalog of more than 700 outreach materials that
state and local agencies and organizations can use to
To develop an effective I/E program, you should follow these
launch their own nonpoint source pollution outreach
six steps:
campaign. The toolbox focuses on six nonpoint source
1. Define I/E goals and objectives. categories: stormwater, household hazardous waste,
septic systems, lawn care, pet care, and automotive
2. Identify and analyze the target audiences.
care, with messages geared to urban and suburban
3. Create the messages for each audience. residents. Outreach products include mass-media
materials, such as print ads, radio and television public
4. Package the messages for various audiences.
service announcements, and a variety of materials for
5. Distribute the messages. billboards, signage, kiosks, posters, movie theater
slides, brochures, factsheets, and everyday object
6. Evaluate the I/E program.
giveaways that help to raise awareness and promote
The activities that occur in each of these steps are briefly non-polluting behaviors. Permission-to-use informa‑
tion is included for outreach products, which makes
summarized below.
it easy to tailor them to local priorities. Evaluations
of several outreach campaigns also offer real-world
Step 1: Define I/E Goals and Objectives examples of what works best in terms of messages,
In developing an I/E component, you should identify I/E communication styles, formats, and delivery methods.
goals for the watershed plan implementation program. The toolbox is available online and as a CD at
Start with the driving forces that you outlined at the www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/.
beginning of the watershed planning effort in chapter 4.
This will help set the foundation for, and focus, your I/E
activities.

The outreach goals and objectives will reinforce the overall Objectives Will Change
watershed goals and objectives and should be specific, mea- As you progress through implementation, your outreach
surable, action-oriented, and time-focused. Keep the desired objectives and activities will evolve. For example, dur‑
outcome in mind when developing your objectives. Do you ing the early stages it might be necessary to generate
want to create awareness, provide information, or encourage basic awareness of watershed issues, but as problems
action among your target audience? It’s very important to are identified during watershed characterization your
make your objectives as specific as possible and to include a objectives will focus on educating your target audiences
time element as well as a result. This approach will make it on the causes of the problems. Next, your objectives
easier to identify specific tasks and will enable you to evalu- will focus on actions your target audience can take to
ate whether you’ve achieved the objectives. reduce or prevent adverse water quality impacts. Finally,
your objectives will focus on reporting progress.

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Step 2: Identify and Analyze the Target Audience

Next, you should identify the audiences you need to reach to meet your objectives. The target
audience is the group of people you want to reach with your message. You should break down
your target audience into smaller segments using demographics, location, occupation, water-
shed role, and other factors. If your target audience is too broad, chances are you won’t be
able to develop a message that engages and resonates with the entire audience. Be creative in
defining and developing perspectives on your target audiences and in finding out what makes
them tick.

Step 3: Create the Message

After gathering information on members of the target audience, you’re ready to craft a
message that will engage them and help achieve your watershed planning objectives. To be
effective, the message must be understood by the target audience and appeal to people on
their own terms. The message should articulate what actions the audience should take. These
actions might include letting vegetation grow taller along a stream, pumping septic tanks,
or conducting soil tests before fertilizing lawns. The actions should tie directly back to the
goals of the watershed plan because one of the goals of your I/E program will be to help
implement the watershed plan. In addition, your message should be clear, specific, and tied
directly to something the target audience values, such as
• Money savings
• Time savings
• Convenience
• Health improvements
• Efficiency
• Enhancing public values
• Improving ecosystem function
• Enhancing quality of life and environmental amenities
• Economic development benefits

Step 4: Package the Message

Now it’s time to determine the best package or format for the message for eventual delivery
to the target audience. The information you collected in Step 2 while researching the audi-
ence will help to determine the most appropriate format.
When selecting your message format, think about where
Lake Champlain Wins Award for TV Spots
the target audience gets its information. A farming commu-
In the Lake Champlain Basin, a cooperative venture be‑
nity might respond more positively to door-to-door visits or
tween the Lake Champlain Basin Program and a local
articles in farm publications than to an Internet and e-mail
TV station produced weekly spots on the evening news
between May 1999 and September 2004 that provided campaign.
an in-depth look at many of the important environmen‑
tal issues surrounding the lake, its basin, and restora‑ Work with the Media
tion efforts. Periodic half-hour special reports showed If your message needs to be understood and embraced by the
compilations of these spots and provided videos as public, it should be covered by the mass media. The media
a resource for teachers and communities. The series can be a very cost-effective and efficient way to get your mes-
won many awards, including awards from EPA and the sage delivered. Formats using the mass media can be broken
North American Lake Management Society. down into two major categories—news coverage and advertis-
www.lcbp.org/ ing. News coverage includes interviews, news stories, letters

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to the editor, and event coverage. Advertising includes the development of public service
announcements (PSAs). Publicity generated from news coverage is dependent on the news
organization, whereas you create radio, TV, and newspaper advertising yourself. In many
cases the advertising you do can be leveraged later into news coverage. For example, one state
bought informational ads on agriculture-related water quality issues from a radio station and
received as a benefit some free news coverage of the issues during the year.

Develop Effective Print Materials

By far the most popular format for outreach campaigns is print. Printed materials include
fact sheets, brochures, flyers, booklets, posters, bus placards, billboards, and doorknob hang-
ers. These materials can be created easily, and the target audience can refer to them again
and again. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) launched a nonpoint
source outreach campaign in 2001 that targeted watersheds with water quality problems
where the causes were known. In watersheds where pet waste was identified as contributing
to these problems, TCEQ developed a full-color billboard display of a dog with the message,
“Please pick up my poop.” The billboards served as prompts
to encourage behavior change. For more information, visit
www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/education/nps.html. Neighbors Help Spread the Word on Water
Stewardship
Hold Events The Livable Neighborhood Water Stewardship
Also consider using activities to spread your message. A Program in Falls Church, Virginia, fulfilled community
watershed event can be one of the most energizing formats members’ desire to take part in watershed protection
for distributing messages targeted at awareness, education, activities at the neighborhood level. Volunteer leaders
or direct action. A community event plays into the desire recruited their neighbors to form household EcoTeams
of audience members to belong to a group and have shared to help each other become better water stewards.
goals and visions for the community. In urban areas, where The teams adopted behaviors such as creating a rain
knowing your neighbors and other members of your com- garden and reducing the use of household chemicals.
The team aspect provided the motivation to carry out
munity is the exception rather than the rule, community
the actions while establishing relationships that helped
events can help to strengthen the fabric of the community by
create a more livable neighborhood. Studies show that
creating and enhancing community relationships, building such community activities are successful in sustaining
trust, and improving the relationships between government significant behavior change. Go to
agencies and the public. And if such events are done well, www.empowermentinstitute.net/files/WSP.html
they’re just plain fun. for more information on this program.

Leverage Resources
If resources are limited and the message is fairly focused, try to piggyback onto an existing
event that involves the target audience. Trade shows and other events for farmers, developers,
boaters, fishers, the automobile industry, and other groups can often be accessed with a little
research and a few phone calls. As in all outreach, you can’t deliver a message to the target
audience if you don’t have access to it. Approaches for generating interest and attention are
limited only by your creativity. Watershed groups have used bands, balloons, face-painting,
mascots, interactive displays, video games, giveaways, clowns, jugglers, and celebrities to
draw crowds. You can also increase the exposure of your event by inviting local TV and radio
stations to cover it.

Step 5: Distribute the Message

Once the message has been packaged in the desired format, you can proceed with distri-
bution. Fortunately, you’ve already considered distribution mechanisms somewhat while
researching the target audience and selecting a format. Common means of distribution are
by direct mail, door-to-door, by phone, through targeted businesses, during presentations,

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as hand-outs at events, through media outlets, and by posting your message in public places.
Consider which distribution method(s) is best for your community. Local governments, for
example, might choose to add inserts to utility bills, whereas local community groups might
prefer door-to-door visits. One of the ways the City of Fresno, California, distributed its
stormwater pollution prevention message was through placemats at area fast food restaurants.
Be creative in your distribution mechanisms.

In addition to how you’re going to deliver the message, you should decide who will deliver the
message. Analyzing the target audience can help you to identify the most trusted members
of the community. An organization trusted by the public can use a staff representative of its
own. If the organization is a government agency, having a member of the target audience
deliver the message might be more effective.

In Grapevine, Texas, the “Conservation Cowboy” conducts

Example I/E Indicators numerous visits throughout the year within the commu-
nity to promote environmental responsibility and nonpoint
Programmatic
source pollution prevention. The Conservation Cowboy has
• Number of newspaper stories printed
been a huge hit with children and has become an effective
• Number of people educated/trained environmental education messenger.
• Number of public meetings held
Remember to use your watershed stakeholder group to help
• Number of volunteers attending activities
distribute the message. The group already has a vested
• Number of storm drains stenciled interest in the success of the watershed plan and will help
Social you distribute educational materials to the watershed com-
• Number of calls to hotline munity—perhaps through in-kind support like helping to
erect watershed road signs, or through financial or technical
• Number of people surveyed with increased
knowledge of watershed issues support to cover printing costs or conduct presentations at
community meetings. Members of your stakeholder group
• Number of people surveyed with changes in
behavior
will be trusted, respected members of the watershed commu-
nity and will make it easy to spread the word.
• Participation at watershed events
• Number of trained volunteer monitors Step 6: Evaluate the I/E Program
Environmental Evaluation provides a feedback mechanism for ongoing
• Number of gallons of used paint collected improvement of your outreach effort. Many people don’t
think about how they’ll evaluate the success of their I/E
• Number of people who purchased rain barrels
program until after the program has been implemented.
• Pounds of trash collected on stream cleanup days Building an evaluation component into the plan from the
• Number of pet waste bags taken at kiosks beginning, however, will ensure that at least some accurate
• Pounds of yard waste collected feedback on outreach program impact is generated. Ideally,
feedback generated during the early stages of the project will
be used immediately in making preliminary determinations
about program effectiveness. Adapting elements of the I/E effort continually as new informa-
tion is received ensures that ineffective components are adjusted or scrapped while compo-
nents that are working are supported and enhanced. Go back to chapter 4 (section 4.6) to
review the suite of potential indicators you can use to measure the effectiveness of your I/E
program. Appendix A provides additional information on developing outreach programs.

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12.3 Establish an Implementation Schedule

This phase of the watershed planning process should result in element f of the nine ele-
ments for awarding section 319 grants. Element f is a “Schedule for implementing the nonpoint
source management measures identified in the plan that is reasonably expeditious.”

The schedule component of a watershed plan involves turning goals and

objectives into specific tasks. The schedule should include a timeline of
when each phase of the step will be implemented and accomplished, as well
as the agency/organization responsible for implementing the activity. In
addition, your schedule should be broken down into increments that you
can reasonably track and review. For example, the time frame for imple-
menting tasks can be divided into quarters. You will prepare more detailed
schedules as part of your annual work plans ( see section 13.4).

In developing schedules, it helps to obtain the input of those who have had
previous experience in applying the recommended actions. Locate experienced resource
agency staff and previous management practice project managers where possible to identify
the key steps. Be sure to note sequence or timing issues that need to be coordinated to keep
tasks on track.

12.4 Develop Interim Measurable Milestones

One means of supporting detailed scheduling and task tracking is to identify interim, mea-
surable milestones for determining whether management practices or other control actions
are being implemented. What do you want to accomplish by when? It usually helps to think
of milestones in terms of relevant time scales. For example,
• Short-term (1 to 2 years)
• Mid-term (2 to 5 years)
• Long-term (5 to 10 years or longer)

This phase of the watershed planning process should Example Milestones

result in element g of the nine elements for awarding section Short-Term (< 2 years)
319 grants. Element g is “A description of interim measurable
• Achieve 5 percent reduction in sediment load on
milestones for determining whether nonpoint source management 1,000 acres of agricultural land in the Cross Creek
measures or other control actions are being implemented.” subwatershed by implementing rotational grazing
practices.
It’s also helpful to think of the milestones as subtasks, or
• Eliminate direct sources of organic waste, nutrients,
what needs to be accomplished over time to fully implement
and fecal coliform bacteria to the stream by
the practice or management measure. When determining installing 5,000 feet of fencing to exclude direct
time scales and subtasks for actions, place the milestones access to cattle along Cross Creek.
in the context of the implementation strategy. Given the
Mid-Term (< 5 years)
selected practices and the available funds or time frame for
• Reduce streambank erosion and sediment loading
obtaining grants, estimate what can be accomplished by
rate by 15 percent by reestablishing vegetation
when. First, outline the subtasks involved and the level of along 3,600 feet of Cross Creek.
effort associated with each to establish a baseline for time
estimates. Next, identify the responsible parties associated Long-Term (5 years or longer)
with the steps so that you can collectively discuss milestones • Achieve the fecal coliform water quality standard
in the upper section of Cross Creek above
and identify those which are feasible and supported by the
Highway 64.
people that will do the work.

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Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

It’s important to consider economic, social, and environmental factors. When selecting a
milestone, make sure that it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to a nonpoint source
management measure, and time-sensitive.

You should also consider staff availability and funding resources and how the milestones will
be evaluated. For example, will progress toward a milestone be determined through monitor-
ing, spot-checking, participation, adoption of management practices, or some other methods?
Answering this question will enable you to allocate and plan for resources and easily deter-
mine whether a milestone has been met. It would be difficult to set a milestone at “installing
30 miles of buffer strips within 2 years” if no staff were available to measure the miles of
buffer strips installed. Resources should be targeted toward the highest-priority milestones.

Finally, your plan should also provide a description of what will be done if the milestones are
not being achieved or how your program will take advantage of milestones being achieved in
a significantly shorter time frame than expected.

12.5 Establish a Set of Criteria to Measure Progress toward

Meeting Water Quality Standards and Other Goals
As part of your implementation program, you should set some criteria by which to determine
whether you are achieving load reductions over time and making progress toward meet-
ing your overall watershed goals. These criteria can also support an adaptive management
approach by providing mechanisms by which to reevaluate implementation plans if you’re
not making substantial progress toward meeting your watershed goals.

This phase of the watershed planning process should result in element h of the nine ele-
ments for awarding section 319 grants. Element h is “A set of criteria that can be used to deter-
mine whether loading reductions are being achieved over time and substantial progress is being made
toward attaining water quality standards.”

These criteria can be expressed as indicators and associated interim target values. You can
use various indicators to help measure progress ( chapter 4). You’ll want to select indicators
that will provide quantitative measurements of progress toward meeting the goals and can
be easily communicated to various audiences. It’s important to remember that these indica-
tors and associated interim targets will serve as a trigger, in that if the criteria indicate that
you are not making substantial progress, you should consider changing your implementation
approach.

The indicators might reflect a water quality condition that can be measured (dissolved oxy-
gen, nitrogen, total suspended solids) or an action-related achievement that can be measured
(pounds of trash removed, number of volunteers at the stream cleanup, length of stream
corridor revegetated). In other words, the criteria are interim targets in the watershed plan,
such as completing certain subtasks that would result in overall pollutant reduction targets.
Be careful to distinguish between programmatic indicators that are related to the implemen-
tation of your work plan, such as workshops held or brochures mailed, and environmental
indicators used to measure progress toward water quality goals, such as phosphorus concen-
trations or sediment loadings.

The indicators and interim target values you select should reflect the performance of the
management measures being implemented, the concerns identified early in the process by

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stakeholders, and the refined goals that were outlined (chapter 9). Because of the confound-
ing, dynamic conditions that occur in a watershed, you should be careful how you interpret
these indicators once implementation begins. For example, if you’ve selected turbidity as an
indicator for measuring sediment load reductions and the turbidity value actually increases
after installation of management practices, does this mean you’re not making improvements
in the watershed? You should determine whether additional activities, such as new develop-
ment activities, are contributing additional loads that you didn’t consider. You also should
realize that the land disturbance that installing management practice sometimes generates
initially could create a short-term increase in sediment loadings. In addition, you might
actually see a decrease in sediment loads while turbidity remains the same or increases due
to increased biological production. Therefore, you also want to include long-term progress
measurements such as reduced frequency of dredging as an indication of reduced sediment
loads, or improved aquatic habitat as a result of reduced sediment loads. Table 12-1 demon-
strates how you can use a suite of indicators to measure progress in reducing pollutant loads
depending on the issues of concern.

Table 12-1. Example Indicators to Measure Progress in Reducing Pollutant

Issue Suite of Indicators

Eutrophication • Phosphorus load

• Number of nuisance algae blooms
• Transparency of waterbody or Secchi depth
• Frequency of taste and odor problems in water supply
• Hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen in a lake or reservoir
• Soil test phosphorus in agricultural fields

Pathogens (related • Bacteria counts

to recreational use) • Compliance with water quality standards (single sample or geometric mean)
• Number and duration of beach closings
• Number of shellfish bed reopenings
• Incidence of illness reported during recreation season

Sediment • Total suspended solids concentration and load

• Raw water quality at drinking water intake
• Frequency and degree of dredging of agricultural ditches, impoundments, and water
supply intake structures

There are various factors to consider before setting criteria, such as the implementation
schedule of the management measures, the nature of the pollutants, and the time frame for
applying the criteria.

12.5.1 Schedule for Implementation of Management Measures

Before developing any criteria to measure progress in reducing loads, you should review the
schedule you’ve developed for implementing the proposed management measures. Obviously,
you won’t see any load reductions until the measures are installed. Check to see if the man-
agement measures are to be installed evenly over the duration of the plan or whether most
practices are to be installed in the first few years of implementation. Often, long and uncer-
tain lag times occur between implementation and response at the watershed level.

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12.5.2 Nature of Pollutants to Be Controlled

The speed with which loads can be reduced also depends on the nature of the pollutants.
Pathogens in animal waste, for example, tend to die off quickly in the environment, so
response to a decrease in pathogen delivery to a waterbody might be noticed quickly. If direct
deposition of waste in a stream by grazing livestock is the problem, fencing the animals away
from the stream might cause nearly immediate reductions in pathogen levels in the water.
Implementation of erosion controls, however, might show results more slowly as sediments
already in the drainage network move through the system even as soil loss from cropland or
construction sites is controlled. If runoff of soluble phosphorus due to excessive soil phos-
phorus levels is the problem, it might take years or even decades to demonstrate a measurable
change in response to nutrient management as accumulated phosphorus is slowly depleted by
crop harvests.

12.6 Develop a Monitoring Component

As part of developing your watershed plan, you should develop a monitoring component to
track and evaluate the effectiveness of your implementation efforts using the criteria devel-
oped in the previous section.

This phase of the watershed planning process should result in element i of the nine ele-
ments for awarding section 319 grants. Element i is “A monitoring component to evaluate the
effectiveness of the implementation efforts over time, measured against the criteria established to deter-
mine whether loading reductions are being achieved over time and substantial progress is being made
toward attaining water quality standards.”

Monitoring programs can be designed to track progress in meeting load reduction goals
and attaining water quality standards, but there are significant challenges to overcome.
Clear communication between program and monitoring managers is important to specify
monitoring objectives that, if achieved, will provide the data necessary to satisfy all relevant
management objectives. The selection of monitoring designs, sites, parameters, and sampling
frequencies should be driven by the agreed-upon monitoring objectives, although some com-
promises are usually necessary because of factors like site accessibility, sample preservation
concerns, staffing, logistics, and costs. If compromises are made because of constraints, it’s
important to determine whether the monitoring objectives will still be met with the modified
plan. There is always some uncertainty in monitoring efforts, but to knowingly implement a
monitoring plan that is fairly certain to fail is a complete waste of time, effort, and resources.
Because statistical analysis is usually critical to the interpretation of monitoring results, it’s
usually wise to consult a statistician during the design of a monitoring program.

Measurable progress is critical to ensuring continued support of watershed projects, and

progress is best demonstrated with the use of monitoring data that accurately reflect water
quality conditions relevant to the identified problems. All too frequently watershed manag-
ers rely on modeling projections or other indirect measures of success (e.g., implementation
of management measures) to document achievement, and in some cases this approach can
result in a backlash later when monitoring data show that actual progress does not match the
projections based on surrogate information.

There is no doubt that good monitoring can be complex and expensive. Monitoring can be
done at numerous levels; the most important criterion is that the monitoring component
should be designed in concert with your objectives. If documenting the performance of

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particular management practices under seasonal conditions is important, a detailed and

intensive water quality monitoring regime might be included. If your objective is to restore
swimming at a beach previously closed, you might monitor progress by keeping track of the
number of days the beach is open or the number of swimmers visiting the beach. If restora-
tion of life in a stream is the objective, annual sampling of benthic invertebrates and fish
might be included, or a count of anglers and a creel census could be useful. If another agency
is already conducting monitoring (e.g., making annual measurements of phosphorus load or
regulating shellfish beds based on bacteria counts), you might be able to use such ongoing
monitoring to track your project’s progress. In North Carolina, the Long Creek Watershed
Project used the frequency of dredging at a water supply intake as a measure of the progress
in controlling erosion in the watershed (Lombardo et al. 2004). Regardless of the specific
objective, keep in mind that documental measures of progress toward your water quality
goals are important.

Because of natural variability, one of the challenges in water quality monitoring is to be able
to demonstrate a link between the implementation of management measures and water qual-
ity improvements. To facilitate being able to make this connection, the following elements
should be considered when developing a monitoring program.

12.6.1 Directly Relate Monitoring Efforts to the Management Objectives

The data you collect should be directly related to the management objectives outlined in
your watershed plan. Often data are collected for historical purposes, but the information is
not used to help determine whether watershed plan objectives are being met. The monitoring
component, which will be used to assess the effectiveness of implementation strategies, can
also be used to address other important information needs in the watershed with minimal
changes or additional resources. Consider a range of objectives like the following when devel-
oping your monitoring program:
• Analyze long-term trends.
• Document changes in management and pollutant source activities in the watershed.
• Measure performance of specific management practices or
implementation sites.
• Calibrate or validate models.
• Fill data gaps in watershed characterization.
• Track compliance and enforcement in point sources.
• Provide data for educating and informing stakeholders.

When developing a monitoring design to meet your objectives, it’s

important to understand how the monitoring data will be used. Ask
yourself questions like the following:
• What questions are we trying to answer?
• What assessment techniques will be used?
• What statistical power and precision are needed?
• Can we control for the effects of weather and other sources of variation?
• Will our monitoring design allow us to attribute changes in water quality to the
implementation program?

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Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

The answers to these questions will help to determine the data quality objectives (DQOs) (sec-
tion 6.4.2), that are critical to ensuring that the right data are collected. These DQOs also take
into consideration practical constraints like budget, time, personnel, and reporting require-
ments and capabilities. Parameters measured, sampling locations, sampling and analysis
methods, and sample frequency are determined accordingly. It’s helpful to know the degree of
measurement variability you might encounter for a given parameter method and watershed.
If variability in a parameter concentration or value is relatively high because of natural or
methodological causes, it will be difficult to identify actual improvements over time. You
might need to collect more samples, consider different methods, make more careful site
selections, select different parameters or indicators, or use a combination of approaches.

12.6.2 Incorporate Previous Sampling Designs

If you already developed a sampling plan as part of additional data collection efforts (
chapter 6), start with that plan to develop the implementation monitoring component.
The plan, which was focused on immediate data needs, should have followed the key steps in
the monitoring process (study design, field sampling, laboratory analysis, and data manage-
ment). Most important, that additional data collection plan should have been developed with
an eye toward supporting your long-term monitoring program. The data collected in that
effort, along with other historical data, can be analyzed to evaluate the locations of hot-spots,
the sampling frequencies necessary to adequately capture variability, and other parameters
of a monitoring program. The sampling and analysis done during that phase can provide an
evaluation of baseline conditions; continued monitoring under a similar program during and
after implementation can be used to track trends in response to plan implementation.

Many of the specific elements developed as part of that effort, including DQOs, measurement
quality objectives (MQOs), and a quality assurance project plan (QAPP), can be modified or
expanded for this final monitoring component. Go back to section 6.4 to review the infor-
mation and resources on the selection of sample design, field and lab protocols, and standard
operating procedures.

12.6.3 Monitor Land Use Changes in Conjunction with Water Quality

Monitoring
The monitoring component of your watershed plan should include not only water quality
monitoring but also monitoring on the land, including the land treatments being imple-
mented and the land use activities that contribute to nonpoint source loads. Land treatment
tracking is important to determine whether the plan is being implemented appropriately and
in a timely manner. At a minimum, you should track where and when practices were installed
and became operational. But you should look beyond dollars spent or points on a map and
consider how the measures are working. Structural practices like waste storage lagoons or
sediment basins might be easy to see and count, but their associated management activi-
ties are more difficult to monitor. How have nitrogen and phosphorus applications changed
under nutrient management? Are riparian buffers filtering sheet flow or is runoff channelized
through the buffer area? Are contractors following erosion and sediment control plans?

Sometimes such questions can be answered only by asking the landowners. Some agri-
cultural watershed projects have had success in asking farmers to keep records of tillage,
manure and fertilizer application, harvest, and other management activities. Several Vermont
projects, for example, used log books and regular interviews by local crop management con-
sultants to gather such information (Meals 1990, 1992, 2001). In urban settings, public works

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

staff can be valuable sources of information. Aerial photography and windshield or foot
surveys are also useful (section 6.5.1). Remember to monitor not just where implementation is
occurring but in all areas in the watershed that might contribute to nonpoint source loads.

A good land treatment/land use monitoring program will help you to

• Know when and where measures are implemented and operational
• Determine whether measures are working as planned and how much they have
accomplished
• Get a handle on contributions of non-implementation areas to watershed nonpoint
loads
• Prevent surprises

Surprises can derail the best watershed plan. An accidental release from a waste storage facil-
ity, a truck spill, land use changes, technology adoption, or the isolated actions of a single
bad actor can have serious water quality consequences and, if the source is not documented,
can cause you to question the effectiveness of your plan.

The result of a good land use/land treatment monitoring program is a database of indepen-
dent variables that will help you explain changes in water quality down the road. The ability
to attribute water quality changes to your implementation program or to other factors will be
critical as you evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation effort and make midcourse
plan corrections.

12.6.4 Use an Appropriate Experimental Design

You can choose from many different monitoring designs, such as paired watersheds,
upstream-downstream monitored before, during, and after land treatment, and multiple-
watershed monitoring (Clausen and Spooner 1993; Grabow et al. 1999a, 1999b). Your decision
should be based on the pollutants of concern, the length of the monitoring program, the size
of the study area, and the objectives of the monitoring program.

Loads can be measured at many levels of resolution; tributaries and watersheds commonly
serve as the geographic unit for load estimation. Loads can also be measured for specific
subwatersheds or sources, providing watershed managers with opportunities to track priority
areas and determine whether funding is being directed efficiently to solve the water qual-
ity problems. The time frame for estimating loads should be selected to fit the watershed
plan and the watershed of interest. For example, seasonal loads might be most relevant for
nonpoint sources, whereas annual loads might be more appropriate in watersheds with fairly
consistent wastewater treatment plant discharges. Because nonpoint source loads are sub-
ject to considerable variability due primarily to weather but also to source
management, it is highly advantageous to use controlled studies (e.g., paired A covariate is a measurement
watersheds, upstream-downstream pairs before and after implementation) of those variables that are not
and covariates (e.g., flow) to aid in interpreting load patterns. See appen- controllable by the researcher.
dix A for resources on developing an effective monitoring program.

12.6.5 Conduct Monitoring for Several Years Before and After

Implementation
To increase your chances of documenting water quality changes, you should conduct mul-
tiple years of monitoring both before and after implementing management measures. Year-
to-year variability is often so large that at least 2 to 3 years each of pre- and post-management

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practice implementation monitoring might be necessary to document a significant water

quality change following management practice implementation. Also, longer-duration moni-
toring might be necessary where water quality changes are likely to occur gradually. Sam-
pling frequency and collection should be consistent across years.

12.6.6 Build In an Evaluation Process

When developing your monitoring program implementation strategy, plan for evaluation and
reporting processes that will record change and provide the basis for appropriate modifica-
tions to the watershed plan. Link assessments and reporting formats back to the objectives
by comparing monitoring results for the indicators to the criteria for judging progress toward
milestones. For more information on developing monitoring programs, see results and
recommendations of National NPS Monitoring Program projects at www.bae.ncsu.edu/
programs/extension/wqg/319index.htm.

Often, monitoring programs should be modified as they are implemented. Flexibility is

important in the implementation strategy so that staff can make minor refinements “on the
fly.” Significant adaptations also might need to be considered periodically by sponsors and
decisionmakers (e.g., following review of an annual progress report). This applies to revisions
to the QAPP as well.

12.7 Estimate Financial and Technical Assistance Needed

and the Sources/Authorities that Will Be Relied on for
Implementation
This phase of the monitoring process should result in element d of the nine elements for
awarding section 319 grants. Element d is “Estimate of the amounts of technical and financial
assistance needed, associated costs, and/or the sources and authorities that will be relied upon to imple-
ment this plan.”

A critical factor in turning your watershed plan into action is the ability to fund imple-
mentation. Funding might be needed for multiple activities, such as management practice
installation, I/E activities, monitoring, and administrative support. In addition, you should
document what types of technical assistance are needed to implement the plan and what
resources or authorities will be relied on for implementation, in terms of both initial adop-
tion and long-term operation and maintenance (O&M). For example, if you have identified
adoption of local ordinances as a management tool to meet your water quality goals, you
should involve the local authorities that are responsible for developing these ordinances.

The estimate of financial and technical assistance should

take into account the following:
Don’t Forget the O&M Costs
• Administration and management services, including
Improper maintenance is one of the most common
salaries, regulatory fees, and supplies, as well as in-kind
reasons for failure of water quality controls to function
services efforts, such as the work of volunteers and the
as designed. It’s important to consider who will be
responsible for maintaining permanent management
donation of facility use
practices, what equipment is required to perform the • I/E efforts
maintenance properly, and the long-term cost involved
• The installation, operation, and maintenance of
in maintaining structural controls.
management measures
• Monitoring, data analysis, and data management
activities

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12.7.1 Identify Funding Sources

You can access hundreds of funding sources to help fund the implementation of your
watershed plan. These sources include federal, state, local, and private sources. Try to
access several different funding sources so you don’t put all of your eggs into one basket.
The greatest challenge is identifying funding opportunities
in an efficient manner. Several online tools can help nar-
row the places you need to look. For example, EPA has Locating Federal Funding
developed Guidebook of Financial Tools: Paying for Sustain- For a complete list of federal funding, visit the
able Environmental Systems, which is available for download Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
at www.epa.gov/efinpage/guidbkpdf.htm. The guide was (www.cfda.gov). This Web site provides access to
designed to enable watershed practitioners in the public a database of all federal programs available.
and private sectors to find appropriate methods to pay for
Also visit www.epa.gov/watershedfunding to
environmental protection efforts. It was developed by EPA’s
view the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for
Environmental Financial Advisory Board and the Agency’s Watershed Protection. This interactive Web site
network of university-based Environmental Finance Cen- helps match watershed project needs with funding
ters. More information on funding sources for watershed sources.
programs is posted at EPA’s Sustainable Finance Web site at
www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html.

12.7.2 Leverage Existing Resources

Some of the costs of implementing your watershed plan can be defrayed by leveraging exist-
ing efforts and seeking in-kind services. Some examples follow.

Use existing data sources. Most geographic areas have some associated background spatial
data in the public domain, such as digital elevation models, stream coverages, water quality
monitoring data, and land cover data in the form of imagery like orthophoto quads or raster
satellite image files. Note that the EPA Quality System ( www.epa.gov/quality) (EPAQA/
G-5) recommends that a QAPP be prepared for the use of existing data, as well as for the col-
lection of new data.

Use existing studies. Many agencies have reports of previous analyses, providing useful base-
line information and data, such as delineated subwatersheds or a historical stream monitor-
ing record. The analyses might have been done for another purpose, such as a study on fish
health in a particular stream, but they can contribute to understanding the background of
the current concerns.

Use partnerships. State, county, or federal agencies working as technical assistance provid-
ers and implementing natural resource program initiatives can offer computer services
and expertise, such as performing GIS analysis or weaving
together elements of different programs that might apply to
Locating Private Funding
the local area. They might be in a position to write part of
Visit www.rivernetwork.org for the Directory
the overall watershed plan if they have existing generalized
of Funding Sources for Grassroots River and
watershed characterization studies.
Watershed Conservation Groups. It lists private and
Cover incidental/miscellaneous costs through contributions. For corporate sources, as well as federal sources. Note:
This resource is for River Network members only
example, staff time to assemble needed elements, supplies,
and meeting rooms for a stakeholder or scoping meeting can
all be donated. As a start, refer back to the checklist you
compiled from your stakeholder group in section 3.3.4 to
determine what resources are available within the group.

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12.7.3 Estimating Costs

Many factors affect the cost of implementing management measures as part of a watershed
plan, including the following:
• Type of management practice/restoration activity
• Installation costs
• Operation and maintenance costs
• Method of cost calculation
• Annual tasks and milestones that you establish (see the next sections)

Go back to section 11.5, where you researched cost con-

siderations related to the proposed management measures.
Plan2Fund
Some management measures might be more diffusely imple-
Plan2Fund was developed by the Environmental
mented across the watershed, and therefore the costs might
Finance Center (EFC) at Boise State University to help
be difficult to quantify. For example, developers across the
organizations determine the amount of outside funding
necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of their
watershed are encouraged to use fencing to prevent sedi-
watershed management plan. The Plan2Fund tool ment runoff on their construction sites, and homeowners
leads organizations through the process of estimating are encouraged through educational outreach to keep their
implementation costs for their goals and objectives, neighborhood storm drains free of debris. These actions are
evaluating local funding options, and finally voluntary, and therefore no specific operational costs are
identifying gaps in funding. With the output from associated with them. However, costs would be associated
Plan2Fund, users can then search EFC’s Directory of with the I/E activities.
Watershed Resources database for federal, state, and
private funding sources based on identified funding In refining the implementation plan to establish your
needs. http://sspa.boisestate.edu/efc/ overall financial and technical assistance needs, you should
Tools_Services/Plan2Fund/plan2fund.htm develop a more detailed estimate of the annualized cost of
your actions. Table 12-2 provides annualized cost estimates
for selected management practices from Chesapeake Bay
installations.

Monitoring Program Costs

The cost of your monitoring program will depend on many factors, including the program
design, the number and locations of sampling stations, the types and number of samples
collected, the variables measured, staff and equipment required, local conditions, and others.
Because these factors vary so much from watershed to watershed, it is impossible to establish
general unit costs for monitoring activities. In building a monitoring budget for your pro-
gram (or in putting together a grant application to support monitoring), you should consider
costs in several common categories, which are described below.

Staffing
Consider how much staff time you’ll need to carry out the activities necessary to conduct
monitoring, including
1. Researching and selecting sampling sites
2. Installing and maintaining structures or instruments
3. Collecting samples and other field data
4. Delivering samples to the laboratory
5. Maintaining field data and other records

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

Table 12-2. Annualized Cost Estimates for Selected Management Practices from Chesapeake Baya

Median Annual Costb (EACc) Median Annual Cost (EACc)

Practice Life ($/ac/yr) ($/ac/yr)
Practice Span (Years) (1990 dollars) (2002 dollars)
Terraces 10 84.53 116.35
Diversions 10 52.09 71.70
Sediment retention water control structures 10 89.22 122.81
Grassed filter strips 5 7.31 10.06

Cover crops 1 10.00 13.76

Permanent vegetative cover on critical areas 5 70.70 97.31

Reforestation of crop and pastured 10 46.66 64.22

Grassed waterways e
10 1.00/lin ft/yr 1.38
Animal waste systemf 10 3.76/ton/yr 5.18
a
Median costs (1990 dollars) obtained from the Chesapeake Bay Program Office management practice tracking database and Chesapeake Bay Agreement
Jurisdictions’ unit data cost. Costs per acre are for acres benefited by the practice.
b
Annualized management practice total cost, including operation and maintenance, planning, and technical assistance costs.
c
EAC = equivalent annual cost: annualized total costs for the life span. Interest rate = 10%.
d
Government incentive costs.
e
Annualized unit cost per linear foot of constructed waterway.
f
Units for animal waste are given as dollars per ton of manure treated.
Source: Camancho 1991.

Note that the relationship between the number of stations or samples and the staff require-
ment is not always linear; operating 20 stations might cost only 25 percent more in staff time
than operating 10 stations. This is especially true if you are hiring full-time staff dedicated
to a single project. Consider sharing staff with other activities if possible. Monitoring pro-
grams associated with a college or university can take advantage of graduate student efforts
to provide some staff support.

Equipment
Sophisticated monitoring instrumentation like autosamplers, Combine Forces to Share Costs
electronic flow recorders, and dataloggers can automate Twelve state and local Vermont entities facing Storm‑
much of the monitoring program and offset some staffing water Phase II requirements formed the Chittenden
resources. This might be a desirable approach in long-term, County Regional Stormwater Education Program
relatively intensive monitoring programs. However, such (RSEP). The RSEP focused on increasing awareness
equipment is often expensive, has a steep learning curve, and and changing behaviors through social marketing by
sometimes has a greater risk of failure than manual sampling hiring a local marketing firm to craft a communications
and measurement. The balance between high-tech, high- and marketing strategy based on the results of a public
initial-expense equipment and more manual, labor-intensive stormwater awareness survey. Each entity provided
$5,000 toward the development and implementation of
approaches will depend on your available budget and moni-
the strategy. This approach was cost-effective for each
toring design. Remember to consider power, shelter, and
entity and allowed for the development of a consistent
security requirements for expensive electronic equipment message across the state. The RSEP paid $20,500 in
in your budget. If you decide to use electronic equipment, message distribution through the media (newspaper,
consider renting or purchasing used equipment rather than cable TV, and radio broadcasts) in the first year.
purchasing new equipment outright, especially for short- For more information, visit the RSEP Web site,
term projects. www.smartwaterways.org.

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Supplies
In estimating your monitoring costs, remember to account for sampling supplies like bottles,
batteries, chemicals, labels, ice, shipping, and so forth, as well as supplies needed to tabulate
and report data collected.

Logistics
Operating and maintaining a sampling network requires logistical support. The cost of
travel between the project base and remote sampling locations must be considered. Be sure
to include routine maintenance and field checks in mileage estimates, in addition to actual
sampling runs. You might also need to factor in some additional costs to deal with difficult
weather conditions like harsh winters or major storms.
Consider the sample handling and holding requirements for the variables you’re monitor-
ing. The cost of collecting, preserving, and transporting a sample for analysis of a variable
with a 24-hour holding time might far exceed the costs associated with a variable with a
7-day holding time. Factor this into your decision on whether it’s really necessary to mea-
sure soluble reactive phosphorus or whether total phosphorus analysis will meet your needs.
Travel distance and time to deliver samples, as well as the lab’s ability to accept certain kinds
of samples on certain days, will affect costs, as well as your decisions on where to collect
samples and what lab to chose. The lowest quoted per sample price might not adequately
represent the total cost to your monitoring budget.

Laboratory
Analytical costs are relatively straightforward to estimate using direct price quotes from one
or more laboratories. Be sure to discuss sample numbers and schedules at the start so that the
lab can give you its best price. Remember to include your own field quality control samples
in your estimates of total sample numbers for the lab.

Training
Your monitoring staff might need training in specialized monitoring techniques such as
stream morphologic assessment or collection and identification of stream biota. Determine
the costs (both tuition and travel) for any such training your staff will require in carrying out
your monitoring program. Remember to budget for training for staff turnover that is likely to
occur over the course of the monitoring program.

Data management
Hardware, software, or programming costs might be associated with storing and manipulat-
ing monitoring data. Budget for anticipated costs for statistical analysis or other data report-
ing that might be contracted out.

I/E Program Costs

Just as for other parts of the watershed plan implementation, you should determine roughly
how much funding you’ll need to implement your I/E program. I/E program costs are almost
always higher than you expect, especially if you plan to use mass media formats like TV or
radio PSAs. When planning your I/E budget, don’t forget to include travel expenses, supplies
(e.g., display booths, paper, storm drain stencil kits), giveaways, and vendor services such as
printing and Web site registration. Also consider costs related to obtaining technical infor-
mation to include in any educational materials developed. You might also incur costs associ-
ated with researching ways that your audience can protect water quality or consulting with
professionals to obtain this information. You can keep costs down by teaming with universi-
ties, local civic organizations, or area businesses. You might also team with other localities or
watershed organizations that face the same issues.

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12.7.4 Identify Technical Assistance Needs

Common Sources of Technical Assistance
Technical assistance can take many forms. At the beginning for Agricultural Activities
stages of your watershed planning process, it might be col-
Federal
lecting or compiling data on the watershed. Later it might
involve the work of selecting an appropriate model to work In addition to the in-house technical support
that USDA provides through Natural Resources
on your watershed’s particular issues (e.g., lake-based pollu-
Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and
tion, sediments) and then actually running the model. After
conservation districts, the Department has expanded
specific practices have been selected, technical assistance in the availability of technical assistance to landowners
siting chosen practices or selecting among several different by encouraging the use of technical service providers
management practices for cost-effectiveness might be neces- (TSPs). TSPs are independent of USDA but are
sary. Technical assistance can also include advice on the best certified in delivering conservation technical services
combination of practices and tools to apply to a particular to landowners. Keep in mind that TSPs are private
site based on previous similar work and experience. professional consultants that provide services to
landowners at a cost, unlike the extension agents,
The process of delivering technical assistance can include Soil and Water Conservation District technicians,
working one-on-one with a landowner to share technical and NRCS field staff, whose services are free to the
design specifications and similar site experiences; develop- landowner. USDA has developed a registry of TSPs to
ing engineering plans for a property; showing a demonstra- enable landowners to locate and choose TSPs in their
tion site; presenting drawings, plans, and documents that service area. Go to http://techreg.usda.gov.
can be used as a technical record to go along with a water- State
shed plan; or simply providing oversight.
USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education,
Technical assistance is offered by many agencies and organi- and Extension Service partially sponsors its state
partners through Extension Service programs based in
zations, including local conservation districts, state natural
land-grant universities. Frequently, state Cooperative
resources agencies, universities, and federal agencies.
Extension Services have a research and education
focus that results in their being able to provide cutting-
12.7.5 Identify the Relevant Authorities Needed edge technical expertise at a regional scale.
for Implementation Go to www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/
state_partners.html.
In addition to the required technical assistance you might
need, it’s critical to identify any relevant authorities or legis-
lation that specifically allows, prohibits, or requires an activ-
ity. For example, if you’re planning a streambank restoration project that involves working
in the stream channel, a section 404 dredge and fill permit might be required. You should
also identify the available authorities that can help you to implement your plan. For example,
you might identify stream buffer ordinances, nutrient management plans, or animal feeding
operation (AFO) regulations. In chapter 3 you identified other local, state,
tribal, and federal planning efforts that you wanted to coordinate with, and
these same programs can help you identify any relevant authorities that you
might have missed. Close communication with the local agency staff and
state agency personnel can help ensure that you have considered the relevant
statutes and authorities needed for implementation.

12.8 Develop the Implementation Plan Basics

The implementation plan is a guide for turning your management strategies
from paper into reality and for determining how you’re going to measure
progress toward meeting your goals. Putting the implementation pieces
together involves laying out the detailed tasks that need to be done, iden-
tifying who will do them, identifying the funding and technical assistance

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needed, and setting up a process to measure the effectiveness of the program. The implemen-
tation plan, or action plan, is a subset of the overall watershed plan.

If you’ve followed the approach of this handbook, you’ve already defined

the scope of your plan (chapter 4); estimated pollutant loads and set goals
for load reductions (chapters 8 and 9); and identified, evaluated, and
selected a management strategy (chapters 10 and 11). From information
developed in those steps, you should have a reasonable idea of what,
where, and when practices need to be implemented in the watershed to
achieve your goals. Although the level and source of resources necessary
to complete implementation might not be completely known at this point
in time, the procedures recommended in this section will help identify
responsible parties, costs, sources of funds, and ways to track progress
that will improve the likelihood of assembling the pieces necessary to suc-
cessfully implement your plan. A good implementation plan that is part
of a good overall watershed plan can be very helpful in securing funds for
implementation.

To provide a clear guide for stakeholders implementing the watershed plan, it is recom-
mended that you compile basic information into several matrices. For each selected man-
agement option or related management options, work with your stakeholders to outline the
following:
• Actions that need to be taken (including any special coordination, education, or public
outreach needed to improve the chances of implementation)
• The responsible party(ies) for the action/education
• Time frame for implementing the actions
• Time frame for operation and maintenance requirements
• Estimated total cost and annual cost for each action
• Funding mechanism(s) for each action
• Measures or tracking indicators

Your implementation plan should include all activities, including I/E activities and monitor-
ing requirements. Once all the elements of the plan are laid out in matrices, you’ll be able to
identify gaps or areas that you did not address.

Developing implementation plan matrices can also help to increase the likelihood of com-
pleting actions on time and within budget, as well as facilitating the development of annual
work plans. The challenge, however, is to generate implementation information that is
accurate and acceptable to the stakeholders responsible for carrying out the recommended
actions. Meeting that challenge requires research by each responsible party (and consensus-
building discussions where multiple parties are involved) regarding feasibility, constraints,
possible funding sources, and timeline confirmation for each primary action to be taken.
It’s important to identify areas of uncertainty and constraints so they can be addressed or
planned for where possible. Where funding resources among stakeholders appear to be fall-
ing short of projected needs, place emphasis on identifying other potential sources of fund-
ing or technical assistance from outside watershed partners. Worksheet 12-1 is an exam-
ple of an implementation matrix, based on the blank worksheet provided in appendix B.

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

Worksheet 12-1 Sample Implementation Plan Matrix

Watershed Goals
Goal 1: Restore water quality to meet designated uses for fishing
Objective 1: Reduce sedimentation by 20 percent

Respon. Total Funding

Tasks for G1/O1 Party Costs Mechanism Indicators Milestones
Short Med Long Remaining
< 1 yr < 3 yr < 7 yr

Task 1
Seek donation of Local land $0 # acres donated 2 7 10 10
conservation easements trust
from property owners
along Baron Creek

I/E Activities Task 1

Hold informational Local land $3,000 Section 319 # workshops held 3 3 0
workshop with property trust funding # participants 40 45
owners
# requests for 2 4
Develop brochures on assistance
how to donate
easements

Task 2
Purchase greenway County park $2,000/ County # miles purchased 2 4 7 5
alongside Baron Creek district mile general
funds

I/E Activities Task 2

None

Task 3
Develop ordinance Local $0 # ordinances 1 2 4 0
requiring a 150-ft municipalities adopted
easement for new
construction in floodplain
of Baron Creek

I/E Activities Task 3

Run articles in local Watershed $0 # articles 2 5 8 0
newspapers on benefits Committee
of ordinances

Task 4 County dept. $2,500 EQIP, CREP # ft of buffers 100

Install 300 ft of riparian of natural
buffer along Baron Creek resources

Monitoring Activities for Task 1/2/3

Monitor sediment State DEP $5,000/ Section 319 Annual TSS load 2,500 2,250 2,000
load before and after yr funding, state (kg/yr)
implementation funds

Evaluate substrate State DEP & $3,000/ Section 319 % embeddedness 12 6 3

habitat Watershed yr funding, local % sand 10 5 2
Committee volunteers

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Worksheet 12-2 Developing Criteria to Measure Progress in

Meeting Water Quality Goals
[Note: Complete one worksheet for each management objective identified.]

Management Objective: Reduce nutrient inputs into Cane Creek by 20 percent

Indicators to Measure Target Value Interim Targets

Progress or Goal Short-term Medium-term Long-term
P load 44 t/yr 52 t/yr 49 t/yr 44 t/yr

# of nuisance algae blooms 0 2 1 0

transparency 5.5 m 4.1 m 4.9 m 5.5 m

frequency of taste and odor 0 1 1 0

problems in water supply
hypolimnetic DO 5.0 mg/L 2.5 mg/L 4.0 mg/L 5.0 mg/L

As a companion matrix to the implementation of your management practices, I/E activities,

and monitoring program, you should document how you will measure progress toward
reducing pollutant loads and meeting your goals. The criteria you select should correspond
to the management objectives in the previous table. A blank Worksheet 12-2 is
provided in appendix B.

12.9 Develop an Evaluation Framework

There are two primary reasons to evaluate your watershed program. First, you want to be
able to prove, or demonstrate, that by implementing the management measures, you are
achieving your water quality and other environmental goals. Second, you want to be able to
continually improve your program in terms of efficiency and quality. This adaptive manage-
ment process should be built into your program before implementation so that you ask the
right questions and use the answers to strengthen your program. Collecting information does
no good if you don’t use the information to improve your watershed program.

You should develop an evaluation framework to use once you begin to implement your
watershed plan. The framework should be developed before implementation so that you can
effectively identify what measures you want to evaluate and determine how you will obtain
the information. You should recognize that you’ll continue to build on the initial character-
ization, filling information gaps and refining the connections between sources, pollutants,
and load reductions. You’ll adapt your implementation efforts on the basis of new informa-
tion collected, changes in the operational structure of your partnership, emerging technolo-
gies, and monitoring results.

12.9.1 What Parts of Your Program Should You Evaluate?

In general, you’ll evaluate three major parts of your watershed implementation program to be
able to demonstrate progress and make improvements in your program. You need to struc-
ture your evaluation framework to consider all three components and develop indicators that

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will measure each. The components are inputs, outputs, and outcomes. When filling in these
components, you’ll work backward, starting with your desired outcomes (goals) and working
toward identifying the specific inputs needed to achieve those outcomes.

1. Inputs: the process used to implement your program. Inputs to your program include
resources of time and technical expertise, organizational structure and management, and
stakeholder participation.

Sample evaluation questions:

• Are the human and monetary resources allocated sufficient to carry out the tasks?
• Did stakeholders feel they were well represented in the process? ( appendix B,
Worksheet 13-1)

2. Outputs: the tasks conducted and the products developed. These include the implementation
activities, such as installing management practices, developing brochures, holding work-
shops, and preparing fact sheets.

Sample evaluation questions:

• Are we meeting our implementation schedule?
• Are we meeting our milestones?
• Did we meet our milestones sooner than expected?
• Did we reach the appropriate target audiences with our I/E materials?

3. Outcomes: the results or outcomes seen from implementation efforts. These include increased
awareness and behavior changes among the watershed community, as well as environ-
mental improvements like water quality, habitat, and physical changes. Outcomes can be
further broken down into short-term outcomes and long-term outcomes.

Sample evaluation questions:

• Did the target audience increase its awareness of watershed issues?
• Did the behaviors of the target audience change as a result of implementing the water-
shed plan?
• Are we meeting our interim targets for pollutant load reductions?
• Are pollutant loads being reduced?

Once you’ve determined the questions you want to answer, you can set up the framework to
collect the necessary information. One approach to setting up an evaluation framework is to
use a logic model.

12.9.2 Using a Logic Model to Develop an Evaluation Framework

Many programs use a logic model (figure 12-1) to set up and evaluate their programs. The
model is an important tool in the adaptive management process because it allows you to
better document the results you find and helps you determine what worked and why. Logic
models have been used for years in social programs and are now being used in the context of
watershed management.

Basically, a logic model is a picture or visual representation of your program, showing the
inputs needed to implement your program, the expected outputs to be performed, and the

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Figure 12-1. Logic Model Components

anticipated outcomes from implementing those activities. Using a logic model can help
you to better document the outcomes, discover what works and why, and continually make
changes to your program based on your evaluation results.

Using a logic model has several benefits. First, the model puts all the information about your
program in one place and can summarize a complex program in a simple picture. This is
particularly helpful when communicating key activities to stakeholders. A logic model also
shows the connections that link the inputs to results so that you can readily identify any gaps
in the sequence. Finally, a logic model provides a “to do” list for evaluation, signaling what
needs to be evaluated and when.

The basic structure of a logic model includes stating your situation or problem, recording the
inputs or resources needed, listing anticipated outputs, and ultimately outlining the expected
outcomes from the program. As you move from the inputs through the outputs and to the
outcomes, there should be a direct link between the steps. These links are called “if...then”
relationships. For example, if you invest the required staff time and resources (inputs), you’ll
be able to conduct the outlined activities (outputs). If you conduct those activities, you’ll see
the expected results (outcomes). Setting up a logic model this way can help you to identify
gaps and revise some of the parameters. See figure 12-2 for an example logic model for water
quality improvements.

The resources listed in appendix A provide more information on how to develop and use
logic models to evaluate your program.

12.9.3 Evaluation Methods

To evaluate your watershed program, you’ll use various methods and tools, such as baseline
surveys, focus groups, direct measurements, and stakeholder interviews. The important
point is to determine what methods you will use before you implement your program. Iden-
tifying these methods will help make sure you are collecting information that will directly
relate to your program. For example, if you wish to do any before-and-after comparisons, you
should have baseline information with which you can compare the final results. The methods

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Figure 12-2. Logic Model Example

will be used to measure the indicators you have selected. For each indicator selected, you will
identify the method for measuring the indicator. See appendix A for resources for evalua-
tion approaches.

12.9.4 Timing of Evaluation

Once you know what you want to evaluate and how you’ll collect the information, you’ll
develop a timeline for evaluation. Typically, you’ll evaluate your watershed management
program four times. The first is once you’ve completed the plan but have not yet begun to
implement it. The second is during the implementation of project activities; the purpose of
this evaluation is to provide feedback on the activities so that changes can be made if needed
to increase their effectiveness. The third time is after the project activities have been com-
pleted; the purpose of this evaluation is to provide some measures of project effectiveness.
Finally, you will continue to evaluate after the project has been completed to observe its
effects. This is the most difficult aspect of the evaluation to complete because of lack of long-
term funding. You have the greatest chance of following through on this if you have built
your partnership into a sustaining organization to maintain continuity and stability through
the years. Chapter 13 provides more information on conducting evaluations during the
implementation phase and shows how to use the information collected to make changes in
your program.

12.10 Devise a Method for Tracking Progress

Whether you track your implementation program by using index cards or create a computer
database tracking system, you should identify how you’ll track your program before you
begin to implement it. Specifically, you want to set up a system that makes it as easy as pos-
sible to perform subsequent evaluations of your watershed plan’s effectiveness.

First, examine the types of data that you’ll collect to perform the evaluations and match
them to the appropriate formats. For example, if you want to perform periodic statistical
analysis to answer one or more types of evaluation questions, store data in a spreadsheet (or
a more powerful database program if you have large amounts of data for numerous indica-
tors) that can be linked to the analysis. If you plan to conduct spatial analysis and present
results in map form, storing information in a GIS database will be appropriate. You might
also be using a complex simulation model from your assessment on an ongoing basis and will
need to update and maintain it with new information. Whatever your plans for evaluation of

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the implementation program, be sure you

Illinois Conservation Practices Tracking System consider the types and uses of the data when
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the University of Illinois setting up the tracking system.
Extension, in cooperation with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, initiated
a pilot program to develop a GIS-based information system to track You should also consider how you plan to
conservation practices being implemented in Illinois and, in particular, the communicate results to stakeholders and
Illinois River Basin. other parties and determine your needs for
that process. Examine the format of the
The project goals are (1) to provide baseline data to assess the efficacy of results—are you communicating progress
conservation practices and management techniques in improving water
in improvement of your indicators, costs of
quality and habitat in the Illinois River Basin and (2) to create a tool that
management measures, a schedule of prog-
will aid state and federal partner agencies in planning and implementing
watershed management activities within the Illinois River Basin, as well as
ress? Also consider your method of com-
visualizing the individual and cumulative impact of programs. munication—are you sending e-mails and
do you need to maintain an e-mail list, or do
To date, conservation easement data for approximately 123,000 acres you need a list server (a program for distrib-
have been entered and mapped for all active Illinois Conservation Reserve uting e-mail to a large number of recipients)?
Enhancement Program (CREP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and Are you sending newsletters through the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts in a six-county
Postal Service and do you need to maintain
area of the Middle Illinois River Basin.
a database of names and addresses? If you
The initiative will continue to expand programmatically and geographically, are planning to maintain a Web site, have
with the eventual goal of creating a statewide system that tracks all you arranged for access to a Web server,
conservation management activities of agencies in Illinois. and do you know the Web site address? Be
sure to plan for all of your data manage-
ment needs as they pertain to stakeholder
communication.

Next, think about staff experience, training, and ease of use. For instance, if you need to
input and track a large amount of water quality monitoring data and are using a database,
you might need to train others to use the database system. Alternatively, you could have a
database administrator develop data input forms that are easy to use and require little train-
ing. Web site design and maintenance require a certain level of expertise, depending on your
expectations about the quality and complexity of the Web site. A number of boxed programs
that make Web site design and maintenance relatively easy are available for purchase.
There are several administrative issues to consider as well. Be sure to plan for the following:
1. Process and ownership. Process refers to the procedures you set up to ensure that tasks
are performed and completed. Ownership refers to the specific person responsible for
carrying out each process. It’s helpful to have processes written out in detail and easily
accessible by staff. This helps staff reference how to perform procedures that occur infre-
quently, and it facilitates transferring responsibilities when someone is out of the office
or leaves a position. Ownership is critical to ensuring that tasks are completed on time.

2. Maintenance schedule. This is an important component of defining processes. You

should determine a set timetable for various activities, such as data entry, Web site
updates, and database maintenance.

3. Quality assurance/quality control. Be sure to have procedures for QA/QC. For example,
you might want to have a manager responsible for examining data before they are entered
into a database to make sure the data are reasonable. You might want to have a third
party look over data that have just been entered. For correspondence or reports, you
should have someone else do proofreading.

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

4. Version history. In some cases it’s important to maintain a file history. This is important
in tracking down errors and preventing important information from being overwrit-
ten. You might also want to refer back to previous versions to detect changes or report
on long-term progress. For files, you might find it helpful to insert the date and version
number into the filename itself (e.g., “Progress Report 3-25-05 V2.wpd”). For simulation
models, you might want to create a new directory each time you do a model run. GIS
files might also need a version history.

5. Metadata. Metadata means “data about data,” and it communicates the who, what, when,
where, why, and how about data. You might want to maintain metadata about certain
aspects of project areas. For instance, a database could have metadata describing its
contents, who maintains it, the period it covers, sources of information, and so forth.
You should give special consideration to metadata for GIS files that you generate. In fact,
some state or federal agencies might require that you maintain GIS metadata in a specific
format if you’re working under contract for them. You should document sources of data,
processing steps, definitions of database fields and their values, projection information,
and the like. Several scripts and plug-ins for ArcView help with metadata generation and
tracking, and ArcGIS has built-in functionality for this.

Remember that the high-quality work is key to maintaining credibility with your stakehold-
ers and with regulators. Through careful planning, attention to detail, and high standards
for accuracy, you will retain the respect of those that benefit from your work.

12.11 Putting It All Together

There is more than one way to assemble your watershed plan, but most plans follow a similar
sequence of organization. An example table of contents from the White Oak Creek, Ohio,
watershed plan is provided (figure 12-3). To download a complete copy of this
watershed plan, go to http://brownswcd.org/action_plan.htm.

12.11.1 The Final Review

Once you’ve assembled your watershed plan, take a few minutes to review
the sections. Ensure that you have included the recommended elements
for a watershed plan, which will help to ensure that you have identified
measurable goals that will lead to measurable results. Use the following
checklist ( Worksheet 12-3) as a guide. A blank worksheet is provided
in appendix B. In addition, some states have developed checklists to help
groups submit watershed plans that meet the nine elements. Worksheets
from Michigan and Missouri are included in appendix B ( Worksheets 12-4
and 12-5).

12.11.2 Make the Plan Accessible to Various Audiences

Your plan provides an exceptional opportunity to educate the watershed community about
the key watershed issues, goals, and planned implementation activities. Consider developing
a reader-friendly summary version of the watershed plan, a short executive summary, or a
list of frequently asked questions that you can distribute to various audiences. Distribution
mechanisms could include mass mailings, handouts at community events, or articles in local
papers. A press release could also be used to communicate the availability of your watershed
plan for public comment or review. Press releases should be clear, straightforward, and free

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Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

White Oak Creek Watershed Plan Section III: Water Quality Data
Plan Endorsement Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution
Table of Contents Designated Uses and Subcategories for Surface Water Resources
Acronyms Aquatic Life Habitat
General Watershed Facts Water Supply
Executive Summary Recreation
Project Partners State Water Resources
Aquatic Life Use Designations
Section 1: Introduction Potential Contamination Sources
Mission Statement Overview of Water Quality Impairments
Water Quality Goals
Comprehensive White Oak Creek Watershed Goals Section IV: Water Quality Issues
Purpose of Action Plan Critical Area Table
Updates and Revisions Major Water Quality Issues
Previous Water Quality Efforts Sedimentation and Loss of Riparian Area
White Oak Creek Watershed Group Improperly Treated Wastewater
Development of the Action Plan Excessive Nutrient and Pesticide Runoff
Education/Marketing Strategies and Outreach Goals Section V: Load Reductions
Education and Community Outreach STEPL Program
Section II: Inventory of the Watershed Section VI: Subwatershed Inventory
Fact Sheet Subwatershed Introduction and Goals
Map of Watershed 1997 Use Attainment Status Summary
Introduction Individual Subwatersheds
Physical Description Physical Description
Administrative Boundaries Tributaries, Reservoirs, Dams, Special Features
Districts Land Use
Demographics Point and Nonpoint Causes and Sources
Economics Water Quality Results
Agriculture and Economy Subwatershed Map
Geology and Topography Impairments
Land Form and Slope Background
Soils Problem Statement
Land Uses Goals
Livestock in Streams Implementation Strategies/Task Table
Forested Areas and Riparian Corridors Causes/Sources by Tributary
Floodplains Inventory Spreadsheet
Agriculture
Section VII: Watershed Programs
Chemical Use Patterns
Previous and active programs
Precipitation and Climate
Surface Water Resources Section VIII: Water Quality Monitoring
Wetlands Introduction
Tributary Program
Groundwater Resources High School Volunteer Monitoring Sites
Climate and Precipitation Monitoring Parameters
Flow and Depth Macroinvertebrate Testing
Threatened and Endangered Species Future Water Quality Monitoring Activities
Wildlife Section IX: Funding and Evaluation
Recreation Funding Guideline
Historical Information Evaluation Activity Table
Historical Sites
Dams Appendices
Physical Attributes of the Stream and Floodplain Area

Figure 12-3. Table of Contents from White Oak Creek, Ohio, Watershed Plan

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 Chapter 12: Design Implementation Program and Assemble Watershed Plan

Worksheet 12-3 Basic Components of a Watershed Plan

Key watershed planning components Chapter Done? Comments
Include the geographic extent of the watershed covered by the plan. 4
Identify the measurable water quality goals, including the appropriate water 4, 5, 8, 9
quality standards and designated uses.
Identify the causes and sources or groups of similar sources that need to be 4, 5, 6
controlled to achieve the water quality standards.
Break down the sources to the subcategory level. 7
Estimate the pollutant loads entering the waterbody. 8
Determine the pollutant load reductions needed to meet the water quality goals. 9
Identify critical areas in which management measures are needed. 7, 9, 10
Identify the management measures that need to be implemented to achieve the 10, 11
load reductions.
Prepare an I/E component that identifies the education and outreach activities 12
needed for implementing the watershed management plan.
Develop a schedule for implementing the plan. 12
Develop interim, measurable milestones for determining whether management 12
measures are being implemented.
Develop a set of criteria to determine whether loading reductions are being 12
achieved and progress is being made toward attaining (or maintaining) water
quality standards, and specify what measures will be taken if progress has not
been demonstrated.
Develop a monitoring component to determine whether the plan is being 6, 12
implemented appropriately and whether progress toward attainment or
maintenance of applicable water quality standards is being achieved.
Estimate the costs to implement the plan, including management measures, I/E 12
activities, and monitoring.
Identify the sources and amounts of financial and technical assistance and 12
associated authorities available to implement the management measures. Appx C
Develop an evaluation framework. 12

of unnecessary words or details. The goal of a press release is to arouse the curiosity of
reporters and furnish information they can use in developing new stories to publicize your
plan.

You should also consider posting the watershed plan on the Internet. With a Web-based
format, readers can view the document at their leisure and you can easily update the plan
as necessary. In addition, you should provide background information on the Web site that
describes how the plan was developed, who was involved in developing it, and how citizens
can get in involved in implementing it. Keep in mind that the downloading capabilities and
processing speeds of computers vary widely, so you should allow readers to choose which
format they would like to view or download, depending on their computer capabilities. The
Upper Neuse River Basin Association posted the Upper Neuse Watershed Management Plan

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on its Web site ( www.unrba.org/projact.htm#mgmtplan) in May 2003. Since the plan

was posted, it has been downloaded more than 850 times.

When it comes to publicizing your watershed plan, be creative. Team with local schools to
build watershed lessons into science curricula. Develop a slide presentation on the watershed
plan and present it at Master Gardeners or Kiwanis Club meetings. Try to piggyback on the
efforts of other organizations to help spread the word about the watershed plan. Finally, be
inclusive in your efforts to get the plan out. Be sure to develop written communication in all
languages relevant to your community and across various education levels.

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General Outline of a Watershed Plan

1. Executive Summary 4.2.4. Stream Corridor Data
2. Introduction 4.2.5. Sediment and Other Data
2.1. Document Overview 5. Pollutant Source Assessment
2.2. Planning Purpose and Process 5.1. Nonpoint Sources
2.2.1. Watershed Management Team 5.1.1. Agriculture
2.2.2. Public Participation Approach 5.1.2. Wildlife
3. Watershed Description 5.1.3. Septic Systems
3.1. Physical and Natural Features 5.1.4. Silviculture
3.1.1. Watershed Boundaries 5.1.5. Urban/ Suburban Runoff
3.1.2. General Hydrology 5.1.6. Streambank Erosion
3.1.3. Climate/Precipitation 5.1.7. Atmospheric Deposition
3.1.4. Wetlands (NWI) Data 5.2. Point Sources
3.1.5. Surface Water 5.2.1. NPDES Permitted Facilities
3.1.6. Ground Water Resources 5.2.2. Wastewater Treatment Plants
3.1.7. Floodplain Information 5.2.3. Phase I and II Stormwater Permits
3.1.8. Dams in the Watershed 5.2.4. CAFO Permits
3.1.9. Navigation Channels/Ports/Harbors 5.3. Hazardous Waste Sites
3.1.10. Topography/Elevation Data 5.3.1. CERCLA Sites
3.1.11. Geology and Soils 5.3.2. RCRA Sites
3.1.12. Vegetation 5.3.3. Brownfields
3.1.13. Exotic/Invasive Species 5.3.4. Underground Storage Tanks
3.1.14. Wildlife 5.4. Mines and Other Pollutant Sources
3.1.15. Endangered Species 6. Pollutant Loads and Water Quality
3.1.16. Sensitive Areas 6.1. Estimate of Existing Pollutant Loads
3.1.17. Cultural Resources 6.2. Future/Buildout Pollutant Load Estimates
3.2. Land Use and Land Cover 6.3. Identification of Critical Areas
3.2.1. Open Space 7. Watershed Goals
3.2.2. Forested Areas 7.1. Management Objectives and Indicators
3.2.3. Agricultural Practices 7.2. Key Pollutant Load Reduction Targets
3.2.4. Mining Activities 8. Identification of Management Strategies
3.2.5. Fisheries 8.1. Existing Management Strategies
3.2.6. Developed Areas 8.1.1. Structural Controls
3.2.7. Political Boundaries 8.1.2. Nonstructural Controls
3.2.8. Relevant Authorities 8.2. Other Strategies Needed to Achieve Goals
3.2.9. Future Land Use Expectations 8.2.1. Structural Controls
3.3. Demographic Characteristics 8.2.2. Nonstructural Controls
3.3.1. Population
9. Implementation Program Design
3.3.2. Economics 9.1. Management Strategies Overview
3.3.3. Languages 9.2. Schedule of Activities
4. Watershed Conditions 9.3. Interim Milestones
4.1. Water Quality Standards 9.4. Indicators to Measure Progress
4.1.1. Designated and Desired Uses 9.5. Costs and Technical Assistance Needed
4.1.2. Numeric Criteria/ State Standards 9.6. Information/Education Activities
4.1.3. Antidegradation Policies/Procedures 9.7. Monitoring Approach
4.2. Available Monitoring / Resource Data 9.8. Evaluation Framework
4.2.1. Water Quality Data (Impairments/Threats)
10. Watershed Plan Implementation Updates
4.2.2. Flow Data
Appendices
4.2.3. Biological Data

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