Watershed Management Framework

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Watershed Management Framework

• Mission of watershed management
• Coordinate and integrate the programs, tools, and
  resources of multiple stakeholder groups to
  better protect, maintain, and restore the
  ecological structure and function of watersheds
  and support the sustainable uses of watersheds.

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Form Interagency Workgroup

• Design and implement a framework to facilitate
  the transition from a program-centered to a
  resource-based approach to holistic management of
  watershed.

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Resource Management Goals

• Conserve and enhance public health.
• Conserve and enhance watershed ecosystems.
• Support watershed resource use to achieve water
  quality standards and conservation goals.
• Conserve and improve ambient conditions.
• Reduce or prevent pollutant loadings and other
  stressors.

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Identify indicators of watershed integrity to
• Support sound, scientific assessments of
  watershed resources and
• Establish watershed management priorities to
  guide integrated efforts

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Increase communications and consensus among state
  programs and other stakeholder groups to
• improve understanding of watershed ecosystems,
• Strengthen information and data exchange
• Share expertise and tools, and
• Develop and implement integrated solutions

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Implement integrated solutions by coordinating
  activities on targeted watersheds or problem
  areas within watersheds
• Regulatory activities (standards, permitting,
  monitoring, enforcement, and federal reporting)
  and
• Non-regulatory activities (planning, technical
  assistance, and outreach)

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Provide a forum for program networking to
• Manage changes in program funding,
• Leverage and share common resources, and
• Help obtain increased support

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Develop stronger partnerships with regional,
  county, and local governments to
• Better incorporate best management practices and
  
• Address multiple resource management objectives
  within watersheds

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Goals Achieved Through Operational Objectives

• Coordinate public communication and education
  forums,
• Coordinate existing means and develop new avenues
  for individual and group participation in
  watershed management, and
• Promote stronger resource conservation ethics

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Major Elements Stakeholder involvement

• Stakeholders include
• Any agency, organization, or individual that has
  an interest in watershed management.
• State agencies
• Federal agencies
• Local government
• NGOs (non-governmental organizations
• Chamber of Commerce, Sierra Club, Waterways
  Alliance
• Avenues for public participation include
• public forums,
• monitoring,
• plan development and review, and
• Implementation

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Major Elements Basin-wide management units

• Large-scale basins,
• Resource units to focus
• monitoring
• management strategies
• Framework to coordinated stakeholders to better
  utilization of resources
• tax dollars,
• time,
• information.

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Hydrologic Units
Click on map for definition of units, go to
Region 5 for most of Indiana watersheds
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Gauging Station

• Lafayette, Indiana

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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle

• Scoping and information gathering (monitoring) -
• Includes communication of current status of basin
  to the public and
• Collecting additional information on the
  condition of the basin as a basis for the
  watershed priority formula.

Montgomery Reservoir, Clearfield, PA Water Company
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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle

• Basin assessment - Data analysis and summary.
• Prioritization and targeting of resources
• Develop formula to be an interagency tool for
  prioritizing watersheds within a basin for
  further action
• Based upon a rating system that considers
• human health and
• ecological health for both restoration and
  protection goals.
• Provide basis for decision making and targeting
  of program resources.

Tippecanoe River, Pulaski, IN
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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle

• Development of management strategies and plans
• The basin management plan will serve as the
  document for
• summarizing information on the basin,
• documenting proposed strategies for addressing
  problems, and
• communicating to the public the status of
  watersheds.

West Branch Susquehana River, Clearfield, PA
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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle

• Implementation
• A "tool box" of implementation activities is
  prepared
• Serves as resource for addressing various
  environmental problems

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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle
tool kit
NRCS
Conservation Reserve Program
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
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Major Elements Statewide basin management cycle
tool kit
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
Wetland Reserve Program
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Forestry Best Management Practices
Agriculture Best Management Practices
Slump in Humuya Watershed, Honduras, C.A.
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Benefits of Watershed Approach

• More direct focus on the resource to be
  protected, tailored to the region- and
  basin-specific problems and conditions that may
  be present
• Coordination among programs and agencies that
  perform similar duties, thus stretching tax
  dollars and man-power
• Improved capabilities to address complex
  environmental issues that cross agencies'
  jurisdictions

Polk County Oregon
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Benefits of Watershed Approach

• Improved basis for management decisions as better
  coordination of monitoring is established and
  more information is gathered on a specific basin
• Consistency and continuity is encouraged as an
  initial framework is prepared and applied evenly
  to all basins in a systematic and sequential
  fashion
• Opportunities for data sharing enhanced as
  agencies and organization improve communication
  and coordination

Muscatatuck Restoration
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Benefits of Watershed Approach

• Enhanced public involvement as agency solicits
  stakeholder input and participation
• Encouragement of innovative solutions with input
  from the various stakeholders, especially at the
  local level

Missouri River overflow area