CLEATO WATER in
YOUR WATERSHED:
A Citizens Guide to Watershed Protection
Produced by
Terrene Institute
Washington, D.C.
In cooperation with
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region VI Water Management Division
Water Quality Management Branch
Dallas, Texas
October 1993
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank each person who helped with this guide, especially
Bob Morgan of Arkansas who originally requested a guide for the
citizens in his state and who reviewed numerous drafts, and Lynne
Kolze and Susan Handley who thoroughly reviewed, argued, and
discussed the text and provided additional references. We would
also like to thank the people at CURE and Laura Smith who helped
keep the focus on citizen activities and the many reviewers at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the USDA Forest Service
and the Soil Conservation Service.
Credits
This guide was written by Susan V. Alexander and edited by Rachel
Reeder; graphics, layout, and typesetting were by Ann Beadles of
the Terrene Institute. Illustrations were by Terry McGraw of Hem-
phill, Texas. This project was funded under cooperative agreement
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI Water
Management Division, Water Quality Management Branch, Dallas,
Texas. For copies of this publication contact the Terrene Institute,
1717 K Street, NW, Suite 801, Washington D.C.; (202) 833-8317 or
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI, 1445 Ross
Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202; (214) 655-7140.
This publication was produced by the Terrene Institute and
funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Points of
view expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the
views or policies of the Terrene Institute nor of any of the con-
tributors to its publication. Mention of trade names and commer-
cial products does not constitute endorsement of their use.
¥
TERREHE
INSTITUTE
1717 K Street, NW
Suite 801
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 833-8317
Fax: (202) 2964071
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Contents
CH AFTER IT
Introduction
What This Guide Is and How to Use It 1
What Is a Watershed 2
Why Have a Watershed Protection Project in Your Community 4
A Brief Glossary 4
7 Ingredients for a Successful Watershed Proiect
- - • • •mmMmmimmmmemm.mjIim «_^ ^
Build a Project Team and Gain Public Support 8
Begin the Education Program 10
Know the Key Elements of Successful Projects 11
13 EJIBQIlilHI A Profile of the Watershed—Defining the
Problem
Define Your Watershed and Its Possible Sources of Pollution 14
Gather, Quantify, and Evaluate Environmental Data 15
Assess the Socioeconomic Condition of the Watershed 18
Recognize the Time for Decisions 19
21 BSBgEElH A Goal for the Future—Identifying Solutions
and Project Goals
Gather Information on How to Solve the Problems in Your Watershed 22
Set Overall Project Goals 23
Use Interim Goals to Show Progress 25
27 EKIEEiBtlH A Strategy for Action—Linking Actions to Goals
Select BMPs and Other Pollution Controls „ 28
Plan to Overcome Challenges 30
Define Success 31
Include Targeting and Scheduling Considerations 32
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35 HIHiaiH Installing Controls
Appoint an On-site Project Manager 36
Obtain Funds and Other Assistance 37
Provide Incentives 42
Secure Commitments 45
Design and Install Site-Specific BMPs and Other Pollution Controls 47
Inspect BMPs and Other Pollution Controls after Installation 47
49 BSOSIilSM Preventing Pollution
Use Local Regulations 49
Educate Different Audiences 55
59 jgjMQliSgi Evaluating Progress and Making Adjustments
Design a Monitoring Program 60
Make Mid-Course Corrections 63
Practice Continual Maintenance 64
Appendix A: Watershed Restoration and Pollution Control Summary of Programs 67
Appendix B: Selecting BMPs and Other Pollution Control Measures 81
Appendix C: Watershed Project Timetable Tips 85
Selected References: Where to Get Help .-. . 87
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CHAPTER
Introduction
~ ^Everyone has
different wants,
needs, expectations,
desires, or visions for
their community, but
we all want a healthy
place to live, work,
and play. Use this
guide to help your
community find a
balance.
What This Guide Is and How to Use It
This guide is designed to help citizen groups work with local, state,
and federal government agencies to design and complete a successful
watershed protection or restoration project. It walks you through four
deceptively simple tasks:
•^ Educating everyone about the potential for water pollution
problems in the area,
^ Developing solutions that can work in your community,
^ Obtaining the resources necessary to install pollution
controls and prevent pollution in the future, and
4 Installing and maintaining the controls necessary to keep the
watershed healthy.
Thus, the guide focuses on the role of citizens in the watershed pro-
tection process.
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U: \\ WATER in YOOl WATERSHED
Because each state approaches watershed protection differently,
this handbook is only a guide to the general or universal principles
applicable to all watershed projects. It is most applicable to water-
sheds of 20,000 acres or less although it can be used to conduct
much larger projects. It is designed to work as a companion to a U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document entitled The Wa-
tershed Protection Approach: A Project Focus. Most state and federal
agencies in your area will receive a copy of this manual, which is
now in preparation.
This guide is also designed to help you evaluate how your com-
munity can balance jobs, security, and comfort with a clean and
healthy environment—the essentials of long-term community stabil-
ity. Each topic in this guide is divided into two parts: the first explains
the basic activities or steps of any watershed project; the second high-
lights possible roles and activities for groups and individual citizens
to perform to support or guide the project at each step.
This guide does not provide detailed technical knowledge and
expertise to solve the complex environmental issues facing every
community. Nor does it provide detailed guidance on how to organ-
ize citizens committees or groups. It does, however, offer a basic de-
scription of the important role that citizens must perform to ensure
that our communities' resources are adequately protected. Thus,
this guide outlines the basic decisions that communities need to
make and the skills that each citizen needs to work with neighbors,
the government, private agencies, and technical experts to design
and implement a project that actually cleans up our water resources.
Note also that while this guide is arranged logically, it is not nec-
essarily in step-by-step chronologic order. Some activities occur si-
multaneously, and others continue throughout the project. Timetable
lips are listed in Appendix C.
The sections in this guide labeled • STOP are to help you
think about the information that must be gathered and the decisions
that must be made. You will need to keep a written record of your
observations. Therefore, when you reproduce the • STOP forms,
insert a number of blank spaces in which to compile your data, re-
cord watershed project decisions, or list your findings. When you
have completed all the • STOP forms and supporting maps, you
will, in fact, have completed a watershed project plan.
What Is a Watershed
Do you know your watershed address? No matter how far you live
from a river or lake, you always live—indeed everyone—lives in a wa-
tershed. However, unless you tried to manage where and how water
flows across the land, you may not have noticed. A watershed is an
area of land from which all the water drains (runs downhill) to the
same location such as a stream, pond, lake, river, wetland, or estuary.
A watershed can be large, for example, the Mississippi River
drainage basin, or very small, such as the 40 acres that drain to a
farm pond. Large watersheds are often called basins and contain
-------
Introduction
many smaller watersheds. How you characterize your watershed de-
pends on what you want to do. If a small lake that serves as your
community's drinking water supply is threatened by pollution, you
will need to define (and manage) a much larger watershed than if
your goal is to protect a 20-acre wetland site that the school uses for
an outdoor classroom.
Figure 1.—
What a Watershed Is
Watershed divide
River mouth
Ground water
(aquifer)
Source: Puget Sound Water Quality Authority.
Take a drive or walk across town, around the block,
or across the farm. See if you can discover how and where water drains. Find the creek
at the bottom of the hill and follow it to a larger stream. Observe what happens to the
water, to the streambanks, to the land and plants that surround the creek as the water
speeds up or slows down. Once you have "sensed" how water flows across the landscape
and how varied the landscape can be in just a short distance, you will not only have a
more valid appreciation of the task ahead; you will also be a more valuable member of
the watershed team.
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CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Why Have a Watershed Protection Project in
Your Community
Are the water resources in your community safe, clean, and am-
ple for everyone's needs? Do you want them to stay that way as
your community continues to grow?
+ Then you need a program to maintain the quality of your
water and land,
Are the water resources in your community less attractive, less
clean, less abundant than they were in previous years? Do the
water quality and the health of your watershed seem to be declining?
+ Then you need a project that reverses this downward trend
and restores the best possible uses of the water or at least
prevents it from further degradation.
Are the water resources in your community clean enough to
support all their uses? Is there clear, visible evidence that
other types of environmental degradation are occurring—for exam-
ple, are streambanks crumbling or is soil eroding from other places?
* Then you need a project to restore the quality of the water
and other resources in your watershed and to keep the
water clean.
A Brief Glossary
Throughout the guide, you will find a few terms used repeatedly.
They are defined here to get everyone speaking the same "language."
Beneficial Use—the uses of a waterbody that are protected by
state laws called water quality standards. Some waters are used
for habitat; others for aquatic life, or for recreational fishing,
boating or swimming.
Best Management Practices (BMPs)—pollution controls for non-
point source pollution. BMPs consist of structural, vegetative, or
management systems that human beings can perform or install
to prevent water pollution originating from human activity. Le-
gally, BMPs refer strictly to controls for nonpoint source pollu-
tion; in this guide, for simplicity, the term is used genetically to
refer to all pollution controls, and is also used interchangeably
with the term pollution control measures.
Ecological Integrity—a measure of the health of the entire area or
community based on how much of the original physical, biologi-
cal, and chemical components of the area remain intact.
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Introduction
Nonpoint Source Pollution—water pollution that originates from
diffuse sources such as rainfall runoff or snowmelt.
Point Source Pollution—water pollution that is discharged from a
discrete location such as a pipe, tank, pit, or ditch.
Stakeholders—anyone who lives in the watershed or has land man-
agement responsibilities in it, that is, individuals who represent
the major land uses in the watershed. Stakeholders include
(among others) government agencies, businesses, private indi-
viduals, and special interest groups.
Watershed Project—a group of activities undertaken in a geo-
graphic area to restore the beneficial uses of a waterbody al-
ready affected, degraded, or threatened by point and nonpoint
source pollution.
Watershed Program—a group of activities undertaken in a geo-
graphic area to maintain clean water once it is obtained.
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Ingredients for a
Successful Watershed
Project
Teamwork—
--building and
• keeping a team of
stakeholders
'working together—
is a key element of
project success.
Cooperation is the key to a successful watershed project. Getting
private citizens and governmental agencies to cooperate on a
set of actions designed to accomplish specific goals is not easy. Or-
ganizing committees, finding time to meet, and participating in sub-
sequent activities are initial tasks. Environmental protection efforts
are sometimes thwarted, and people are often bombarded with
doomsday messages that change with each edition of the nightly
news. Responding to and remaining focused on a long-term project
is difficult for anyone and requires up-front work. Figure 2 illustrates
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CH1\\ WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
the many activities that constitute a successful watershed project
grouped according to major topics. Although tasks related to differ-
ent elements can and do enter the project cycle at any time, the cen-
tral element never changes. A successful project's central focus is on
"Building a Project Team and Public Support."
Figure 2.—
Elements of a Successful Watershed Project
Setting Goals
and
Identifying
Solutions
Defining
the Problem
Building a
Project Team
and Public
Support
Measuring
Success and
Making
Adjustments
Implementing
Controls
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Watershed Protection
Approach: A Project Focus.
Build a Project Team and Gain Public Support
A watershed project is more complex than single activities like recy-
cling. To keep people from being overwhelmed by the work that
needs to be done and the fear of something new, lead them gently to
the idea that they personally influence how clean their water is and
will remain. Many citizens groups get this point across by arranging
community activities with a water focus. Start by getting people to
the water, and keep the message and activities upbeat. Some com-
munity projects include
+ streambank trash pickup days,
4 canoe races,
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Ingredients fop a Successful Watershed Project
4 raft floats,
4 crazy boat contests,
+ stream walks or monitoring activities to gather actual
environmental data,
4 guided nature trips,
4 picture-taking events to document pollution (using
camcorders and cameras loaned to citizens), and
4 fishing tournaments.
If people realize that their community has a unique set of valu-
able resources that need proper management, they will want effec-
tive and constructive ways to make their voices heard. Learning how
to raise issues in a constructive manner so that problems are solved
is a true skill and one of the cornerstones of an effective project.
Almost all watershed projects go through some predictable
phases to gain public support. Phase one involves public disbelief
that a problem exists or could exist and "blaming" the source of the
problem on some other sector of society. Phase two, designing a so-
lution, is actually a process of negotiation or conflict resolution
among affected parties. The main issues are whether this project will
be voluntary or regulatory, who will be in charge, and what process
will be used to ensure that decisions involving private property fully
involve the land's owners and users?
Phase 3, implementing the negotiated plan, requires that all
groups—local governments, federal agencies, and citizens—have
ownership of the plan, be comfortably involved in its development,
and committed to its application. Phase 4 is often termed the "feed-
back loop" or mid-course correction stage. It must be factored into
the process at the very beginning so that the public understands that
unresolved issues can be revisited after each decision has had a
chance to work.
The Project Team
This guide does not explain how to organize and run a citizens
group, but many fine references are available to help you (see Se-
lected References: Where to Get Help). The basic team-building
process includes identifying who should be involved, organizing all
participants into logical groups that can function collectively as the
watershed team, and keeping everyone informed.
Responsibilities for Everyone
Your focus may be to protect the high quality of your community's life
and its natural resources (water, air, soil, trees, wildlife, and fish) or to
solve particular pollution problems—either way a team approach is es-
sential. You cannot depend on local, state, or federal governments to
manage these natural resources without help. You must take
responsibility for what happens on your land and in your community.
Successful watershed projects unite citizen groups, researchers, and
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CUBAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
government agencies who have an interest in the outcome of the
project Such a broad base of stakeholders creates a team that com-
bines the expertise, authority, and interests of each organization. It
also creates a team with different ideas and sometimes conflicting
goals. Teamwork is essential to clarify mutual goals, to identify who
is responsible for what, and to agree on remedial actions.
Committees
Some projects divide team members into committees to do the ac-
tual work. Committees can be formed along administrative lines (re-
sulting in large committees) or along objective lines (resulting in
many small committees). You must find the right balance or mix for
your community. Some projects use at least three committees—an
oversight committee, a technical committee, and a citizens commit-
tee. Citizens should, however, be represented on all committees.
Begin the Education Program
Many people think that an educational program is a separate ele-
ment in the overall project. Actually, education is an integral part of
the project's success. The conservation cycle (Fig. 3) indicates its
importance^ all stages of a project. Efforts are cumulative and edu-
cation is the glue that holds them together. For example, citizens
and legislatures must be educated to realize that environmental
problems exist and to allocate money and staff to solve the prob-
lems. The team cannot develop workable solutions to environmental
problems or ensure that solutions are implemented unless everyone
is knowledgeable. Education is also needed to help us modify our ap-
proach should existing solutions prove ineffective.
Thus, an educational program is not one isolated set of activities;
it is a number of small projects aimed at different people for different
purposes. To cause effective short-term changes, education must fo-
cus on helping various sectors of the adult population try something
different whether the sector is urban homeowners, dairy owners and
operators, or government agencies. Many excellent references de-
scribe how to design and carry out education programs. Whichever
you choose, make sure that your program has
4- specific goals and actions,
4 clear and narrowly defined audiences for each action,
* messages or directives that can be stated concisely in the
language of the group, and
4 personal, honest, and interactive contacts with each
audience.
If your audiences are moved from simple awareness of the prob-
lem to personal readiness to take specific actions, your education
program is effective.
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Ingredients for a Successful Watershed Project
Figure 3.—
The Conservation Cycle
INSTALL
CONTROLS
(construct, permit,
preserve)
Know the Key Elements of Successful Projects
From the evaluations of numerous watershed projects located
throughout the country, some of which span more than 30 years, a
few "simple truths" about successful projects emerge. Keep these
principles in mind as you plan and implement your project and refer
back to them to keep your project on track.
Have Clear, Specific Water Quality Objectives
If a project does not have specific goals and objectives, no one will
ever be able to measure its success. Many different types of goals
can be set, but the best goals define a project's level of environ-
mental improvement, help focus its implementation, and measure its
progress (see Chapter 4).
Treat All Significant Sources of Pollution
In a watershed, many different pollutants from many different
sources enter the water at different rates and times, and the water
may not fully recover until the major problems have been cleaned
up. For example, if a stream receives discharges from five refineries
and a mine, and runoff from a city and farm fields, the water may be
polluted with chemicals or the stream's biology may be altered from
a variety of causes. If all the refineries install pollution controls and
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CUBA* WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
all the farms install appropriate BMPs, the water may contain less
petroleum by-products (from the refinery) and less sediment and nu-
trients (from the farms) but the water's fish and animal communities
may still suffer from uncorrected acid mine drainage or contami-
nated runoff from the urban area.
Implement Pollution Control Measures in Areas
Contributing the Most Pollution
Because limited time, funds, and other resources are available to
control pollution, we cannot afford or justify working on minor prob-
lems until the major ones are taken care of. Allocating resources
only to discrete areas of the watershed is often difficult in projects
based totally on voluntary participation. To win cooperation from the
"worst" polluters, the community needs to address this issue early in
the project (see the section on targeting and scheduling considera-
tions in Chapter 5).
Be Sure Your Project Has Public Support
Public support is an essential step, and educating the public and lo-
cal government is the key to gaining this support. For example, citi-
zen review groups and technical committees have been successfully
used to gain support from diverse interests in the watershed; they
also provide an accessible core group of community leaders to keep
the project going once agreements have been reached.
Choose and Install Water Quality Best Management
Practices or Other Pollution Control Measures
Some best management practices control pollution better than oth-
ers because certain practices were originally designed for other pur-
poses such as improving drainage from city streets or increasing a
farm's productivity. To really clean up a watershed, the most effec-
tive water quality protection BMPs must be implemented first before
other "support" practices are applied. For example, fencing livestock
out of the stream is a water quality BMP. Providing alternative water
sources and shade for livestock that are fenced out of the stream are
secondary practices to that BMP—they allow livestock production to
continue on that property. All three practices are routinely applied in
voluntary programs to encourage landowner adoption of the fencing
BMP, the most effective BMP for water quality protection.
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A Profile of the
Watershed—Defining
the Problem
; How do you know if
j~~you have a problem?
I; How do you know
^when you've gathered
^-enough information
: to get started on a
!~ project? Use the
I; information in this
t. chapter to help you
S, answer these
questions.
kifferent projects may need to begin at different points depend-
ing on what is currently known about the natural resource
problems in the watershed. In some cases, a complete watershed as-
sessment is needed but in others, information gaps only need to be
filled. Start by looking at the water for any visible signs of pollution
or its effects. For example, an area may have too many aquatic
weeds or be less cold or clear than it was. These are important signs
to the stakeholder community that the water is not meeting all of its
uses. To determine your project's starting point, consider the follow-
ing alternatives:
* If the public perceives that the rivers, streams, lakes, or
wetlands in the watershed are affected by a particular
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CLEA3 WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
pollutant or exhibit a specific problem but has no data to
support that perception, a complete assessment is
warranted.
4- If people in the community and scientists can see the
water pollution problems and have some data that
indicate the source, severity, and extent of most
problems, then a few limited studies to document the
situation will suffice.
STOP At which starting point is your project?
(a) Name and locate your watershed.
(b) Describe any visible signs of pollution or its
effects.
(c) List any data you already have about the
source(s) and extent of this pollution.
Organize or participate in an initial public meeting
or forum at which community members can express their perceived or documented water
quality concerns. Now is the time to involve everyone in the planning process. Invite
everyone who may eventually participate in the project to help plan it, even if they do
not want to help (see "Know the Key Elements of Successful Projects" in Chapter 2).
Decide how to disseminate information throughout the process to minimize complaints
of being left out. Newsletters and newspaper inserts are inexpensive ways to communi-
cate, but more active forms of involvement are also needed. Begin to compile a list of
activities that your group can do to involve other citizens in the watershed. Any activity
that brings people to the water to see the resources they are protecting is enlightening.
Define Your Watershed and Its Possible Sources
of Pollution
Much of the existing information and data about natural resources is
organized along political boundaries such as counties, states, and
school districts. This information should be reorganized along hy-
drologic boundaries (the way water flows). Sophisticated mapping
tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are wonderful
inventions that computerize this information; however, they are be-
yond the scope of most small projects. You and your cooperating
agencies can prepare this information accurately but inexpensively
using basic maps, mylar overlays, pushpins, markers, and stickers.
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A Profile of the Watershed—Defining the Problem
First, obtain three maps of your area: a county highway map, a
U.S. Geological Survey topographical map, and your county's soil
survey map (from the Soil Conservation Service office).
Second, use these maps to
4 identify the watershed boundaries,
4 mark waterbodies showing visible signs of pollution,
4 identify waterbodies (surface water) and aquifers or recharge
zones (groundwater), and
4- identify critical areas (those with the most potential for
problems).
Two types of critical areas are found in every watershed: the first
type includes areas adjacent to or near the waterbody; the second in-
cludes areas that may contribute large amounts or high concentra-
tions of pollutants to the watershed regardless of their location. Your
group should consider the following critical areas:
4 areas adjacent to a waterbody;
4 areas near a waterbody (within one-fourth mile);
4 areas that contain direct discharges to a waterbody (pipes,
ditches, tanks);
4 areas that have intense land-use patterns, such as trailer
parks and animal feedlots;
4 areas that are used for higher risk purposes, and
4 geologically vulnerable areas (natural or constructed), such
as shallow soils overlying fractured limestone, bedrock, or
areas where many test wells were drilled and abandoned.
Having done this, you now have a general idea of the size of your
watershed, the location of its water resources, and the extent of po-
tential pollution sources, but you lack the specific information to
make rational decisions. You need professional assistance to help
quantify your problem.
Make sure that these consolidated maps are made
available to the public and checked for inaccuracies. Older citizens who have lived in
the area for a long time are invaluable for locating areas that are no longer in use, for
example, an abandoned creosote facility, old pits, or disposal sites.
Gather, Quantify, and Evaluate
Environmental Data
If adequate information is not collected before the installation of pol-
lution control or watershed restoration measures, the project team
will be unable to demonstrate environmental improvement. There-
fore, it is important to understand the extent of the problems need-
ing correction before beginning a project. It is cost effective to use
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CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
existing data, but it is also beneficial to have at least one year of water-
shed-specific chemical, physical, and biologic water quality data to serve
as a dear "before" picture. Therefore, monitoring activity should begin
immediately. Since monitoring programs are site and project specific, it is
important to obtain professional help when designing the monitoring
strategy (for additional guidance, see Chapter 8).
Before your group launches a year-long field investigation, you
should identify and examine what information is already being col-
lected. In a watershed project sponsored by an agency, this search is
normally performed by agency staff. Citizen groups can help solicit
this information from other agencies, assist in its analysis, or act as a
"watchdog" to make sure that all sources of information are analyzed.
They can also help to disseminate the findings of each study to the
public and elected officials through the education program. Should
the project be a total grassroots effort, citizens themselves can obtain
this information and use it—both to understand their problems and
to urge action by responsible agencies, groups, and industries.
State water quality agencies prepare Water Quality Inventory Re-
ports (the 305 (b) Report) every two years. This report contains
stream-specific monitoring data and physical evaluation information.
Other special water quality studies exist, and some may be applica-
ble to your area. These important sources of water quality and envi-
ronmental data are collected under proper procedures. Be aware,
however, that your area may not be included in these reports—not
because it is problem-free but because there are not enough funds to
fully inventory every watershed completely. Use chart 1 at the end of
this chapter to identify information available from various sources.
To obtain help from various government agencies and other ex-
perts, ask specific questions appropriate to the agency you are con-
tacting. Use the table in Appendix A to determine a detailed list of
each agency's responsibilities by program. Contacting the appropri-
ate program office directly can save time and frustration. Use your
maps, lists of critical areas, and information gleaned from 305 (b) re-
ports to help you form your questions.
Don't ask general questions such as, "Can you do something
about the pollution problem we have in our county?" Do ask specific
questions:
4 What dischargers are located on (name of stream
or lake), and what are their permit limits?
+ How many dairy cattle are in (name of county)? How much
manure will an adult cow produce per day, and what is the
average nitrogen and phosphorus content of dairy manure?
+ How many households in (name of county) use septic
tanks five years old or older and which area of the county
has the most concentrated use?
This information should be used to make a list of pollution
sources (mark them on your map in some way) and to calculate—
roughly—the extent of the pollution "loads" coming from each
source. Determining actual pollutant loads is a complex task best ac-
complished by technical experts in the appropriate agencies.
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A Profile of the Watershed—Defining the Problem
Who might have it—Use the table in Appendk A to find out
more about each group listed below. Then contact these agencies to
obtain the information you need.
HMRHMMMIIIHIMIIHII
t TYPE OF
1 INFORMATION NEEDED
Natural
Resource
Assessment,
Inventories,
and Other
Data
Pollution
Control
Methods or
Best
Management
Practices
Water
Quality Data
Land Use
Data
Economic
Data
Demographic
Data
Agriculture
Urban
Mining &
Other
Resource
Extraction
Processes
Roads
Forestry
Funds
^K^^fS^Pf^^^f^^P^^^^^V^iiil^^il^iiHH^^^^f^^^^^fi^fl
SOURCES
U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state water quality agencies,
state fish and game departments, state departments of health, and tribal
environmental offices
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service and Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, state
cooperative extension services, state land office, tribal environmental or
agricultural offices, local government offices such as city planners and county
commissioners
County Extension Service, Councils of Government, Economic Research
Service, chambers of commerce, state departments of commerce, tribal
councils, real estate agents, private consultants
Council of Governments, census reports, chambers of commerce, state statistics
bureaus, almanacs
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service and Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
County Extension Service, Agricultural Research Stations, state soil and water
conservation commissions, state departments of agriculture, state water quality
agencies
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Council of Governments, state water
quality agencies, city planners, private engineers
U.S. Office of Surface Mining, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service,
U.S. Minerals Management Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Tennessee Valley Authority, state departments of mining and minerals, state
water quality agencies
U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Forestry Service,
Bureau of Land Management, state highway departments, state water quality
agencies, private engineers, county commissioners, parish police juries (LA),
county extension services
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, state departments of forestry,
private consultants, timber companies
Any agency listed in Table 1 (Appendix A). Different funding sources may have
certain restrictions or requirements so tailor your request to the appropriate fund.
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CLEAN WATER in YOOl WATERSHED
Citizens can make sure that the results of pollutant
loading calculations are known to the public and elected officials and especially to the
persons living and working in the areas that exhibit the highest loading rates.
• STOP List the sources of pollution in your watershed by
critical area. Estimate (roughly) the extent of each pollutant.
Critical Area
Pollution Source
Types of Pollution
Extent of Problem
Assess the Socioeconomic Condition
of the Watershed
Information about past, present, and projected economic and social
conditions in your community is also needed to make a complete and
accurate evaluation of the watershed. Chambers of Commerce, Coun-
cils of Government, city and county budgets, tax offices, state depart-
ments of human resources, local libraries, tribal records, census
reports, and County Cooperative Extension Service offices are good
sources.
Evaluate the statistics (e.g., unemployment rate, average in-
come, population projections, and education level) and determine
what makes your community special, such as cultural or recreational
attractions, or a superior school system. This information is espe-
cially important for Native Americans and other ethnic or cultural
groups who may need to protect a threatened resource not only for
its environmental significance but also for its cultural or religious
significance. You may discover a trend in the decisions made by
your local and state governments and you may see varying indica-
tors or trends in different communities within a single watershed.
Make a note of any correlations that are evident.
-------
A Profile of the Watershed—Defining the Prohlem
Make sure that socioeconomic data is incorporated
into the watershed assessment. With so many pressing social problems facing them,
decisionmakers may give environmental considerations a low priority. Citizens can
ensure that project sponsors work to solve environmental and social problems simulta-
neously, thereby making more efficient use of tax dollars. This activity is also an excellent
way to get youthful citizens involved with the project in a meaningful way. Young people
can interview older citizens to get historical perspectives and generate ideas and solutions
based on long-term life experience and creative, unfettered thinking.
•/ STOP List the social, economic, and environmental conditions that
characterize the communities in your watershed and environmental correlations
(if any).
COMMUNITY
(TOWN OR
DISTRICT)
SOCIAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
CORRELATIONS
(BETWEEN THE
COMMUNITY AND
THE ENVIRONMENT)
Recognize the Time for Decisions
You may never gather enough data or information about a particular
problem or about the interaction of all problems in the watershed to
convince some people that a problem exists. Nevertheless, you can-
not continue to assess the problem forever. When it's time to take ac-
tion, the stakeholders and community must decide between
alternatives. They may shelve the project, determine that the situ-
ation needs further study, or decide to initiate only part of the pro-
ject. Or they may commit to doing the full project and build in
evaluations and opportunities for modification along the way. The're
is much value in getting started, even in a small way, on pollution
prevention and control.
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CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
This decision is a crucial one for the project If the watershed
team has actively involved all stakeholders in the community and
identified significant environmental concerns, people will want
something done. Yet information that convinces one person may not
convince another. Thus, the decision really has two aspects:
4 The community and majority of the stakeholders must be
ready to move ahead with at least one portion of a project.
4- Those members not personally convinced of the need for
environmental restoration or pollution prevention must
agree not to block the project from moving forward.
While state and federal agencies often do not have budgets for
special studies, they do have experienced staff who can provide tech-
nical assistance and oversee such studies, and it is vital to involve
these agencies. When contracting for a special problem assessment,
be prepared to pay $25,000 to $250,000, depending on the complex-
ity of the local situation.
ZEN TOf.
Should the community decide to continue with a
special study, make sure that it does not provide more data than is needed. Most current
pollution control measures are relatively simple. For example, it is not necessary to know
that one creek in the watershed is contributing 0.05 milligrams per liter more nitrogen
than another because BMPs and other pollution control measures can only be evaluated
grossly (for example, BMP "a" should remove twice as much nitrogen as BMP "b").
-------
A Goal for the Future—
Identifying Solutions
and Project Goals
Finding and choosing
the right solution for
each particular
problem is not easy. It
takes thought and
sometimes trial and
error, but it certainly
will not happen
unless you are
persistent.
Many guides will tell you to begin setting goals for the project at
this time. In fact, each person on the watershed team prob-
ably already has an idea or two of how the project should look and
what he or she wants to see accomplished. It is too soon, however, to
make firm decisions because you have not yet explored all your op-
tions (even those you will not choose). This section and the next will
lead you through important though somewhat simultaneous or cir-
cular steps. Through them, you will make three decisions:
1. Determine the end result of this project.
4 Set overall environmental and water quality goals for the
entire watershed.
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CLBAX WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
2. Determine what actions are needed to achieve the
overall water quality goals.
*• Develop a list of BMPs and other pollution control
measures (solutions).
+ Match solutions to particular problems in each part of the
watershed (set pollution control measure goals).
*• Identify the implementation process (set activity goals).
3. Determine what actions can and should be done first.
Later, you will decide more specifically where and when to install
the critical solutions.
Gather Information on How to Solve the
Problems in Your Watershed
Before your group sets its overall project goals, determine whether any
problems are solvable with existing technology. General solutions for
each type of pollution (for example, nutrients, metals, or bacteria)
found or suspected in your watershed should be compiled into separate
lists. Make a list for each source of pollution, such as cropland runoff,
construction site runoff, or discharges from septic tanks. Later, site-spe-
cific BMPs and other pollution control measures will be selected, but at
present, your goal is simply to understand the available technology.
Care at this point will ensure that the most effective pollution con-
trols are included on each list. Consider also how much each solution
will cost. Be sure to include BMPs that involve management or behav-
ioral changes, for example, recycling and nutrient management, as well
as more obvious structural and vegetative pollution controls.
Citizens can assist in gathering this information by
contacting agencies and water resource professionals, by performing literature searches,
or by contacting and interviewing watershed project team members from different
projects. Citizens can also review the list of general solutions using knowledge of the
community to think ahead—who must be educated about what before BMPs or other
pollution controls can be installed?
tf ST0I* Develop a list of pollution controls by pollution
source and effectiveness.
PROBLEM
SOURCE
MOST EFFECTIVE BMPS
COSTS
-------
A Goal top the Future
Set Overall Project Goals
The watershed team needs to develop two sets of goals—long and
short range—and a set of corresponding objectives and actions
needed to achieve each goal. To compile a three-tiered list—goal,
objectives, actions—for each long- and short-range goal, each team
member should envision what he or she wants the watershed and
community to be like in 5,10, or 20 years (broad goals) and decide
to what degree pollution must be prevented or controlled to achieve
each goal (measurable objectives).
IUH'i'lP! "!!""
The active participation of citizens in this portion of
the project is crucial to its success. Citizens can ensure that all members and sectors in
the local community are involved in the goal-setting process. Additional public meetings,
letter campaigns, opportunities to comment by telephone or newspaper ad can help the
project team see the big picture. Such activities can also help resolve the conflicting views
and needs of various stakeholders. Citizens can also begin an education program that
will emphasize the need for individuals to modify their behavior to achieve overall project
goals.
A quick glance at the general pollution/solution chart (on page
22) will indicate that you probably do not have enough resources
(e.g., funds and human resources) to do everything that needs to be
done at once. You do, however, have a good idea of what should be
done. So set your goals for the total resource you want to protect.
Later, you can refine these goals and add a schedule that will allow
you to begin some projects while you search for additional money
and help to do the rest. The task here is to envision your watershed
as it will be.
• Make a specific list of what you want to accomplish in your
area. You will use this list to develop goals for your watershed resto-
ration and protection project. Concentrate on environmental goals,
but be aware that you can often achieve significant social goals at the
same time.
• Tie these environmental goals to specific outcomes. For
example
4 improve the local lake or stream until it can support a
reproducing game fish population;
* reduce the loading of pollutants in streams and lakes so that
the water will become (or remain) safe for swimming,
drinking, and fish consumption;
* stabilize the eroding banks of the river or creek and clean up
accumulated trash and junk to prevent sedimentation in
downstream ponds and to protect property values and public
safety; and
+ increase the streamside parkland to provide a buffer
greenbelt and more space for public recreation.
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< 11 A-V WATER in VOl « WATERSHED
• Quantify the broad goals so that they can be measured. For
example
4 reduce the bacteria count in the Big River to 200 colonies
per 100 mL or less;
4 reduce the level of phosphorus entering Lincoln Lake by
20 percent so that nuisance algae blooms are eliminated;
4 stabilize the two miles of streambanks below the highway
bridge so that erosion is reduced to less than one ton per
acre; and
4 increase parkland from one 25-acre park to 160 acres
situated along both sides of the creek running through
town.
t^ STOI* List your specific watershed goals and quantify
each goal.
You now have a draft of your water quality goals. As you pro-
gress, you may need to adjust these goals, but at some early point in
the project you also need to commit permanently to some of them.
Remember:
4 These early goals, although often the most difficult to set,
are the most important because they relate directly to the
resource you are trying to protect
4 It is best if water quality goals are measurable or
quantifiable.
4 Ideally, these goals should relate to pollutants in your
watershed and to the impaired or threatened uses of the
water to be restored.
-------
A Goal foi* the Fuiwe
Use Interim Goals to Show Progress
The taxpaying public deserves to know how a project is progressing
and whether or not it's on track. Water quality goals are the most im-
portant indicator of project success, but they are difficult to docu-
ment in a short time, so it is important to set some interim,
measurable goals as "surrogate measures" of success. These goals
must also be real and significant steps toward pollution reduction
and prevention. Goals that are easily attained but nonproductive do
not measure anything. Successful projects check periodically to see
if and how each goal is being met Such goals may be revised as
more information is obtained.
Develop a series of goals to measure your project's progress.
BMP, program, and activity goals are three types of interim or surro-
gate measures that have proven helpful to successful projects.
Pollution Control Measures
Determine which BMPs, pollution control measures, or other envi-
ronmental improvement practices will be installed in particular loca-
tions to solve certain problems. BMP goals are the next best thing to
clean water goals because we can often assume that the installation
of appropriate BMPs or other pollution controls will directly result in
cleaner water. BMP goals can be set for structural, vegetative, or
even management measures. "Stabilize and revegetate with native
plants three miles of streambanks on the portion of Alligator Creek
adjacent to fields planted in soybeans," is an example of a BMP goal
that can be used to achieve the environmental goals set for stream-
bank protection and control of sediment pollution.
Activity Goals
Activity goals are really a "to do" list of actions to be taken by various
participants to achieve other goals. For example, "state department
of health instructors will conduct three training sessions for all
county sanitarians in the watershed on proper septic tank installation
procedures" is an activity goal. A companion activity goal might be
"county sanitarians will inspect the installation of and monitor all
new septic systems installed in the watershed."
Program Goals
Government agencies will possibly change their internal policies
about what they normally do and how they normally operate
through program goals. For example, one might ask the agency re-
sponsible for road construction to "require all newly constructed
roads to discharge drainage water into a buffer zone or detention
pond instead of directly to streams."
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CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Citizens can make sure that specific BMPs, program,
and activity goals are set for each type and source of pollution.
Citizens can also be especially effective in encouraging nonparticipating agencies,
businesses, groups, and individuals to adopt BMP and activity goals germane to the
project. Citizens can use site visits, letter campaigns, newspaper ads, flyers and posters,
television and radio broadcasts to help encourage specific individuals, businesses, and
agencies to become more active in the goal-setting process and subsequent cleanup
efforts.
Citizens groups should set clear activity goals for themselves—especially for key areas of
citizen involvement:
• education programs and projects for other citizens and special audiences,
• "watchdog" or oversight activities, and
* specific community cleanup activities, such as litter removal, landscaping, or
streambank plantings.
-------
Agreeing and
following through on
critical actions
requires negotiation,
honesty, and
an open mind.
A Strategy for
Action—Linking
Actions to Goals
With a number of goals and solutions to choose from, and lim-
ited funds, the project team must decide what actions to take
and in what order. Two important questions arise.
1. Do you want to deal with one source of pollution at a
time or try to control multiple types at the same time?
Successful watershed restoration generally attacks many sources
of pollution simultaneously. Not only does this approach make sense
ecologically; it also makes good social sense: treating all sources dif-
fuses the 'Elaine" for pollution problems among various responsible
parties. Less time is wasted arguing about who to blame when every-
one agrees to having been at least a small part of the problem.
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CUBAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Dealing with one pollutant source (for example, agriculture or
urban runoff) may seem to be the simplest approach. Most agencies
and groups involved in the watershed specialize in one land manage-
ment activity. Progress in installing controls or changing behavior is
also easier to document when you are concentrating your efforts in
one segment of the population. The problem is that this approach
rarely results in clean water! What often happens is that one problem
is "cleaned up," while other problems become more evident; a disil-
lusioned public perceives that its money has been wasted, and sup-
port for the project evaporates. Natural systems must be managed
holistically since all things interact with others.
2. Do you want (and will you be able) to place greater
emphasis on problems that are more extensive, easier,
and cheaper to fix, or problems that are of higher "risk"
to the human and ecological health of the watershed?
Some geographic areas in the watershed may be contributing
higher or more concentrated pollutant loads than others, and some
pollutants pose greater risks to human and ecological health than
others. Successful projects often try to work on one highly visible
but relatively simple or inexpensive problem at the beginning of the
project to build momentum, then tackle the higher risk or more per-
vasive problems. Nevertheless, the project should be careful not to
neglect the more serious problems.
Select BMPs and Other Pollution Controls
Selecting BMPs and other pollution controls for specific sites is a job
that should usually be left to technical experts. The material in this
section will help you to ensure that the project team considers pro-
gram as well as technical issues during BMP selection. Table 2 in
Appendix B contains additional information about site-specific BMP
selection. It is intended to help you understand the process used by
the technical experts—not as a guide for actual BMP selection.
Pollution control measures for both point and nonpoint source
pollution benefit society but often do not provide an economic bene-
fit or return to the individual, group, or industry that installs them.
Therefore, selecting controls may be a point of contention: some
team members may argue for the least costly methods; others may
prefer the most effective methods, regardless of cost. Many water-
shed projects rely on voluntary implementation of BMPs and since
little profit can be made on them, other incentives must be provided
to encourage installation. Some past projects have tended to select
the most "palatable" BMPs (those most likely to be implemented on
a voluntary basis). However, using this method may result in the
water quality problem remaining even after a project has achieved or
exceeded its BMP goals.
-------
A Strategy for Action—Linking Actions to Goals
Citizens can help the project avoid these pitfalls by
ensuring that the project address four critical issues:
* Decide if you wish to set a minimum level of treatment for each land use (a very
equitable approach), or if you have enough information and resources available to
pinpoint the origin of each pollutant and solve it on a case-by-case basis. It may
also be necessary to merge the two techniques.
* Use all three types of BMPs (structural, vegetative, and management) or other
pollution control measures in concert or conjunction with each other even if it
seems that a single solution will do. Engineering or structural solutions in particular
should be integrated with other treatments. Appendix B includes a chart of some
BMPs organized by selected pollutant. This chart can be used as a guide for
formulating questions about BMPs.
4 Prioritize the controls available for each source and pollutant and decide which
ones should be implemented first. Base this decision on the control's estimated
water quality effectiveness, but do not ignore costs. Some published information
about BMP effectiveness or consultation with professionals is probably needed
here. It is important that the project select some priority BMPs for each pollution
source and install them simultaneously.
+ Target critical areas for protection first. Implement the most effective water quality
BMPs in these areas first.
At times project
challenges seem
overwhelming.
Don't despair-
often just knowing
^what and where
your challenges
are is a big step
forward.
-------
t'MSAIN* WATER in YOHl WATERSHED
Plan to Overcome Challenges
Every project has obstacles. Identifying these challenges before you
begin will help you get pollution controls installed, though it may
seem to be an exercise designed to halt the project before it gets go-
ing. Instead, it is a way to overcome political, social, and technical
challenges so that no money is wasted planning for solutions that
can never be acceptable in your community.
Because many communities give up the project at
this stage as too complex, too controversial, or just plain hopeless, it is important for
citizens to keep pressuring elected officials, agency personnel, and others to continue to
work through project obstacles. Doing this as part of the official watershed planning team
is probably best, but it can also be an independent activity that can be widely publicized
and its results made available to all stakeholders. Reaching consensus may be a long
process if the challenges and issues are especially volatile, such as land use restrictions
and zoning changes. One way to make progress is to act out different options and possible
consequences.
* Take a moment to brainstorm some "what if" scenarios to get an idea of how one
action affects another. For example, some people in the project planning group
may want to require that all suburban homeowners use organic fertilizer; others in
the group may point out that the organic fertilizer supply is insufficient to meet such
a demand, associated fly and odor problems may create nuisances, and commer-
cial fertilizer dealers may sue the city. Some good ideas can come from this session,
including a clearer indication of what is "really needed" for total pollution control
and what can be achieved without adversely affecting the community.
* Identify ways to overcome these challenges if you must take unpopular actions to
achieve your clean water goals. Some watershed projects find it helpful to deter-
mine the most influential interest group associated with a particular challenge and
personally invite that group to be an integral part of the project. This group will
then help overcome the specific challenge.
I/ SY01* What challenges must be overcome before
installing BMPs?
"What If" Scenarios
BMPs
UNPOPULAR
CONSEQUENCES
HOW TO OVERCOME
-------
A Strategy for Action—Linking Actions to Goals
Define Success
Three decisions should be made to maintain stakeholder confidence
that the project will achieve its environmental objectives. They are to
put actions in priority order, to determine how the adequate comple-
tion of each action will be described, and to determine how the pro-
ject's achievements will be measured.
Put Actions in Priority Order
By listing the actions needed to install the most effective BMPs and
other pollution control measures in priority order, the project team
shows its awareness that some actions are more critical than others
and provides the project with its first definition of success. This step
is the best way for the project to become accountable to the public.
Expenditures of limited funds, time, and other resources must be di-
rected to the most efficient actions as well as the most effective
BMPs.
For example, a project may discover that 10 actions or activities
are needed to meet one BMP goal yet have only enough resources
and community support to do two or three. Pick the two or three that
will get the most (and best) BMPs implemented this year and save
the others for subsequent years. Thus, even if the project does not
clean up the water or meet its BMP goal, it will make progress in the
right direction.
Determine How the Successful Completion of Each
Action Will Be Measured
Suppose your first critical action is to zone 50 acres bordering the
river that runs through town as parkland (thus restricting all devel-
opment). Suppose further that the zoning board and city council ap-
prove only 30 acres for zoning. Has the action been adequately
completed? Has enough land been set aside in this action to meet
the BMP and environmental goals? When coupled with the comple-
tion of other actions and BMPs, is the environmental goal achiev-
able?
Determine How to Measure Goal Achievement
For each BMP, activity, and program goal, the watershed team
should agree on the methods that will be used to measure its
achievement and who will be responsible. Some goals are fairly easy
to measure because they are clearly defined. The 50 acres in our ex-
ample is easy to see and measure (nearly everyone is familiar with
an acre of land). Other goals may be more difficult to measure be-
cause their measurement techniques are more specialized or be-
cause the monitoring techniques are more complex. For example,
the goal of decreasing bacteria levels by 25 percent in the discharge
from a single source, such as a dairy, is more easily measured than
the goal of decreasing bacteria levels by 10 percent in the three
miles of stream below Ponca City. In turn, these goals are more eas-
-------
CH1\\ W/1TER in TOUR WATERSHED
ily measured than the goal of decreasing the bacterial loading rate
by 5 percent from all confined animal feeding operations in the water-
shed. Measuring the first goal involves taking water samples from
one location; measuring the second goal involves taking multiple
samples from multiple locations, and the third goal involves both mul-
tiple direct measures of runoff and discharge from multiple opera-
tions and additional mathematical calculations to extrapolate those
numbers to other areas in the watershed.
• STOP List the critical actions to be taken in your
watershed, organized by goal. Then describe how you will
measure each critical action.
SPECIFIC GOAL
CRITICAL ACTION(S)
MEASUREMENT
TECHNIQUES
Include Targeting and Scheduling
Considerations
The heart of a developing watershed project is its ability to allocate
resources, especially time. In the targeting and scheduling step, the
project team should agree to implement point and nonpoint source
pollution controls in specific critical areas (those contributing the
most pollutant loads) within a determined time frame. The order in
which actions are undertaken is important to ensure that environ-
mental results are obtained. Therefore, the schedule that the stake-
holders are committed to in this step should reflect the priority
actions identified previously.
At tihis stage of the project, agreements may seem to evaporate,
yet committing to a specific schedule is essential. The project team
should allow additional negotiations at this time to ensure that all
parties are clearly informed and in as much agreement as possible.
-------
A Strategy for Action—-Linking Actions to Goals
Don't get caught in
a corner. Work
hard to ensure that
the most effective
BMPs are installed
in the most critical
locations first.
Technical guidance is available to assist the agencies cooperating
in your project to select critical areas for targeted implementation and
to schedule actions that will ensure that the most effective controls
are the first to be installed. Consult the reference section for
assistance.
It is easier to plan targeted implementation than to do it, because
in voluntary programs (and most watershed projects begin as volun-
tary programs), only those individuals who wish to cooperate do so.
Thus, the project has few ways to force the implementation of BMPs
or other pollution controls. However, incentives and ways to improve
the chances that BMPs will be implemented in the targeted areas ex-
ist (see the section on providing incentives in Chapter 6). Targeted
implementation presents problems for agencies accustomed to dis-
tributing programs or services along administrative lines. These
agencies must now agree to redirect their programs and resources
from the typical broad-based, countywide approach to one that con-
centrates activities and money in discrete areas. You can expect the
issue of equity to be a hot negotiating topic at this point.
-------
CIJGAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Through oversight or "watchdog" activities, or as
part of an organized watershed team, citizens can ensure that these key issues are fully
addressed by the entire watershed team and stakeholders:
+ Identify the project's critical areas (places to target implementation).
+ Reach consensus with agencies, local governments, and land user groups on at
least one redirected action for each critical area.
* Lobby each responsible or designated agency or group for early implementation
of the most effective BMPs.
The public must perceive "that someone is finally doing something" and
agencies should establish a precedent within their group for action on this matter.
Otherwise, one of Murphy's laws will be invoked: the longer a bureaucracy delays
action, the more difficult the initial inertia is to overcome.
* Consider seeking back-up regulation at the local level.
Back-up regulation is a process that gives individuals incentives (such as
technical assistance, cost-share funds, or tax advantages) to install certain BMPs.
But if the BMPs are not installed and the local committee or agency determines
thatthe property is still causing a water quality problem, then fines or other penalties
are assessed. Sometimes called "bad actor" laws, this type of regulation is successful
because it is developed and enforced by the local community (see the section on
using local regulations in Chapter 7).
If the watershed team has not prepared a formal watershed
plan—a written document available to all stakeholders for review
and comment—it should do so now. The following chart outlines the
minimum information that should be included in the plan.
• STOP Prepare a draft Action Plan to identify who does
what (exactly); when (by month); where (specify critical areas);
how, and with what resources (money and time).
CRITICAL BMPs
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
HOW
WHAT RESOURCES
-------
Installing Controls
Installing controls
are visible proof
that your project is
working and a great
opportunity for
citizen volunteers.
Getting pollution controls installed is a two-stage process. The
first stage is political; the second is both technical and admin-
istrative. In the political stage, the task is to get to a consensus that a
problem exists, that solutions are available, and that agencies' priori-
ties can be rearranged to implement these solutions.
The task in the technical and administrative stage is to make
sure that controls are designed and installed to operate correctly,
that funds are accounted for properly, that implementation is pro-
ceeding on schedule, and that everyone is aware of the project*s
progress. A project effectiveness monitoring and evaluation pro-
gram should also be designed and implemented at this time (see
Chapters).
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CIJEAX WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Appoint an On-site Project Manager
So much is going on simultaneously that each project needs an on-
site project manager. Most successful projects use a full-time paid
manager as the central contact, but many options exist. The man-
ager can be a citizen or citizens group, an agency person assigned to
the project, a nonprofit organization, or a consultant hired expressly
for the job. The job is so demanding and time consuming that volun-
teers will have difficulty donating enough time to be effective. Volun-
teers are, however, especially helpful in support positions. The
manager is the key to orderly, efficient, and effective installation of
BMPs and other pollution controls. In an ideal situation, the man-
ager will take part in the planning process. This manager or on-site
coordinator should know and support
4> the science of watershed management (not just one facet
of it);
+ the policies of the various cooperating agencies, citizens
groups, and local governments; and
4 all programs that are part of the project (not just the
easy-to-implement or high-profile ones).
In addition, the manager should be accepted and respected
(which, of course, is quite different from being liked) by all mem-
bers of the community.
Don't you wish it
were this easy?
Fundraising is a
time consuming but
essential job. You
can help! Use some
of the tips here
to help your project
team begin the
search for
financial and other
kinds of help.
-------
Installing Controls
The project manager can coordinate the scheduling of BMPs
and other pollution controls for greatest effectiveness, seek addi-
tional funding sources, conduct and coordinate the public education
program, and assist the land management agencies in design, instal-
lation, and inspection of BMPs.
Obtain Funds and Other Assistance
Everything costs someone, something. Citizens need to know how
to get the funds to move their projects forward because few water-
shed projects come with sufficient federal and state funding to as-
sess, plan, educate, implement, and monitor all phases of the project.
Different activities will be funded by different funding types; thus,
the project budget will probably include funds from different
sources. Not all activities will require "cash" funding; some may be
completed using the resources of cooperating agencies and organi-
zations. Thus, the project is really paying for two different things:
people (staff to educate, monitor, inspect, and enforce or to imple-
ment, plan, and build the project); and actual structural and vegeta-
tive controls (e.g., concrete, grass seed, tree seedlings, tractor time,
gasoline, and equipment).
Funding
Funding is needed at each stage of the project: during planning, for
installation of controls, for various monitoring tasks, to pay for en-
forcement activities, and to support the educational program. One
way to organize your search for funds is to divide the actions listed
in the watershed plan into various categories, then seek funds from a
matching category. Table 1 in Appendix A provides information
about types of assistance and funds available from various agencies
or groups organized by agency name and program, but you can use
Chart 3 in this chapter to begin your search. It contains information
about some, but not all, federal funds. Orient your search for state,
local, private, and corporate funds similarly.
Fundraising
Fundraising is a time-consuming activity. Each type and source of
funds will probably have different application criteria, procedures, and
deadlines, and may be limited to certain types of activities. Make sure
that you allocate sufficient time and resources for fundraising and ob-
taining other assistance. Use the following CITIZEN ACTIONS and
• STOP list to help you outline the funds you need and the work
you must do to obtain them.
In any project, but especially in projects sponsored
by a government agency, citizens can research the variety of funds available for various
activities, write letters, and make the necessary phone calls to learn about application
procedures.
-------
CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
ACTIVITY
Write Watershed Plans
Education Program
Monitor Present Conditions
Monitor Project Results/Progress
Environmental Analysis and Pollutant
Load Calculations
Build Large Public Pollution Controls
Lake Restoration
Build Pollution Controls on Private
Lands
Improve Wildlife Habitat
Restore Wetlands
Buy Land
Enforce Laws
Maintain BMPs and Other Pollution
Controls
Write Regulations
Design BMPs
AGENCY
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Almost every agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological
Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological
Survey, U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture (Cooperative Extension
Service, Agricultural Research Service), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service,
Bureau of Land Management, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
State Revolving Loan Fund
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture (Soil Conservation Service,
Cooperative Extension Service), U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture (water bank Soil
Conservation Service), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture (Wetland Reserve
Program, water bank Soil Conservation Service)
Farmers Home Administration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service,
Department of Interior (Bureau of Land Management)
Original funding agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture (Soil Conservation Service,
Cooperative Extension Service), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service
* This partial listing will help you begin your search. Use Table 1 in Appendix A to continue
looking for project funding.
-------
Installing Controls
STOP Organize your watershed activities by funding category.
ACTIVITY
FUNDING
CATEGORY
POSSIBLE
RESOURCE
DATA NEEDED
STRATEGIES
(to obtain funds)
Don't get discouraged if you do not immediately obtain enough
money or help to complete your project or even a portion of it. Begin
with the resources you have; concentrate on doing an exemplary job,
and document your success. Additional funds tend to become avail-
able to projects that not only show favorable results but are organ-
ized in a manner that increases the probability of continued
favorable results. People like to back a winner.
Funds and other assistance, such as people and time, may origi-
nate from local, state, or federal sources. Each funding source has ad-
vantages and disadvantages. In general, federal funds can come from
many agencies or interagency departments. Most are used to support
agency staff who in turn carry out specific duties; however, some may
be spent for special projects. Most agencies administer funds and
programs along administrative or program lines rather than geo-
graphic boundaries, though agencies can change their program fo-
cus and redirect funds to a specific watershed. In addition to
requesting special funds directly from an agency, citizens can have
some input into how agencies allocate their normal resources
through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other
public participation processes.
State funds may come from almost as many different agencies as
do federal funds. Some state funds originate directly with state re-
sources; others are "pass through" funds that originate in federal
sources. To obtain pass-through funds, applicants must meet both
state and federal requirements. Some state funds are earmarked for
specific items, although some come from general revenue sources.
Important needs, such as education, jobs, law enforcement, solid
waste problems, and the environment, compete for these funds.
Work with state legislatures to earmark certain gen-
eral revenue funds for watershed restoration work, and help support special bond sales,
taxes, set-asides, or other new income-generating actions.
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CLEAS WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Local funds are often best for local problems and are especially
suitable for actual installation of pollution controls. Local funds can
come from direct sources, such as sales taxes, bonds, or contribu-
tions, or from indirect sources such as having landowners pay for
certain things. The indirect method normally requires the adoption
of local ordinances or regulations.
The following list is a general guide to the types of funds that can
be used to support a watershed project.
• State General Assembly Appropriations. Annual appropria-
tions can be used for specific short-term projects or programs that
the state government is not sure will become a regular part of the
state bureaucracy. Continuing appropriations—those that have been
codified into state law—can be used to support the ongoing stable
programs of specific state agencies.
• State Income Tax Credit. In states having a state income tax,
tax credits may be established for individuals who install certain
BMPs or other pollution controls.
• Bonds. General revenue sources or special elections may raise
Donas aesigned to pay for special purposes or projects. Bonds are
commonly used to finance new school buildings, jails, and roads, but
these funds can also be used to acquire park land and greenbelt ar-
eas or to pay for conservation work.
• State Taxes. Most states levy a variety of taxes including sales,
luxury (alcohol, cigarettes), inheritance, raw materials (coal, oil, tim-
ber), manufacturing, and income. A portion of certain tax revenues
can be earmarked for special purposes including watershed rehabili-
tation and planning. Taxes on raw materials and products have been
used in many areas to fund pollution controls and research within
the industry that is taxed.
• Easements and Direct Land Purchases. Easements are used ef-
fectively to purchase permanent rights on private property. Property
can be purchased outright, obtained through condemnation, or do-
nated by landowners. Money for easement purchases comes from a
variety of sources.
• Lottery. A number of states have instituted state lotteries to obtain
funds for state programs without raising taxes. In some states, the pro-
ceeds from lottery sales are earmarked for certain programs and pro-
jects; in others, the money goes to a general fund for division by order of
the state legislature. Earmarking funds for conservation and pollution
control work is the preferred way to ensure that environmental needs are
not out-competed by other needs when the state allocates lottery profits.
• Loans. A variety of agencies make short-term, low-interest loans
to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, or individuals for pollution
control work. The State Revolving Loan Program administered by
the EPA and state water quality agencies is one of the largest loan
programs. It makes significant loans to local communities for pollu-
tion control work.
-------
It seems that the
most effective
incentives (for
everyone) offer both
a reward and
a potential
punishment.
Installing Controls
• Percentage Fees. The sale of hunting and fishing licenses and
species-specific stamps are commonly used by state and federal
wildlife agencies to pay the enforcement personnel costs for protect-
ing wildlife resources. These specific privilege fees, unlike a general
tax, are paid by the individual who actually uses the resource, but
the entire public benefits from well-managed natural resources.
• User Fees. Specific services rendered to individuals, usually by
some type of public or private corporation, can be paid for by user
fees. Services such as water, sewage lines, and trash removal benefit
the individuals paying the fee as well as other inhabitants of the
watershed.
In addition to working with state legislatures and local
governments to earmark funds for the project, citizens can attract modern, progressive
businesses into the community by maintaining a clean environment. Many companies
choose to locate in areas that provide employees the best quality of life possible, and that
includes a clean environment. New money in the community can stimulate even more
effective conservation and pollution prevention efforts.
-------
CUEAK WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Provide Incentives
In most watershed projects, the majority of BMPs and pollution con-
trols installed on private property-will provide a greater benefit to so-
ciety than to the individual landowners who install them. Therefore,
to ensure that BMPs are implemented, an incentive is usually pro-
vided by society. Incentives can be internal (the landowner is self-
motivated) or external (society offers some reward or avoidance of
punishment). Internal incentives are most likely to provide the be-
havioral changes that are necessary to prevent pollution in the long
term, but prompting individuals to become self-motivated is not an
easy task. External incentives are more effective if both a reward and
a fear of punishment is present; however, once the motivational
force is removed, many landowners will revert to their old ways, so
external incentives are generally short-term solutions.
A number of incentives are available to your project. The follow-
ing list briefly explains some of the major incentives that have been
used.
• Education. This incentive provides knowledge of "what to do"
and "how to do it" and the confidence the stakeholder needs to im-
plement BMPs. Small education projects that define key audiences
and tailor both the message and method of presentation to the audi-
ence are most effective. Each project should include technical train-
ing about the operation and maintenance of controls (or behavior
changes) that the audience is expected to adopt.
• Technical Assistance. One-on-one interaction between the pro-
fessional water quality staff and the affected stakeholder is an impor-
tant part of proper technical assistance. It should also include
recommendations about environmental conditions and controls ap-
propriate for the specific site. Technical assistance should provide
on-site engineering or agronomic work throughout the installation
of BMPs or other controls.
• Tax Advantages. State and local taxing authorities or changes in
the federal taxing system can be used to provide tax advantages to
stakeholders who install BMPs or other controls.
• Cost Share to Individuals. Direct payment to individuals for in-
stallation of specific BMPs (for example, terraces on farm fields) has
been effective in some areas. The cost-share rate must be high
enough to compensate .the stakeholder for perceived and real risks
associated with using the BMP.
• Cross-compliance Legislation. Cross-compliance legislation
can be built into existing programs. It is in effect in the current U.S.
Farm Bills and transportation acts. Such legislation is generally a
quasi-regulatory incentive or disincentive that makes certain re-
quirements or the performance of certain actions a condition for re-
ceiving the program's benefits.
• Direct Purchase of Lands or Special Areas. Land purchase is
used extensively by groups such as the Nature Conservancy. Use of
community-owned greenbelts in urban areas is another variation.
-------
Installing Controls
The costs of direct purchase are generally high, but their effective-
ness can also be exceptional. The practice may be used by govern-
ment or groups to obtain control of land whose owner is not willing
to install needed BMPs through existing programs.
H Nonregulatory Oversight or Site Inspections. A site visit by
the local, state, or federal regulatory agency to encourage BMP in-
stallation can be a powerful incentive for voluntary installation of
BMPs. Any individual, group, or agency performs better when as-
sured of personal attention.
• Peer Pressure. Social acceptance by one's peers can motivate
some individuals to install BMPs. For example, if a community val-
ues a clean environment or certain agricultural BMPs, stakeholders
in those communities are more likely to install them.
• Direct Regulation of Land Use and Production Activities.
Regulatory programs that are simple, direct, and easy to enforce are
quite effective. Such programs can regulate how the land is used
(like zoning ordinances), or the kinds and extent of activities al-
lowed Oike pesticide application rates). They may also set perform-
ance standards for the level of environmental damage that will be
allowed (such as retention and reuse of the first inch of runoff from
the property).
H Consumer Demand. Demand for a particular product or for a
commodity produced in a certain way (for example, organically
raised wheat or vegetables) can create a market that may pay a pre-
mium for these items and encourage their production.
• Private Sector Support Services. In areas or watersheds that
have successfully implemented nonpoint source pollution controls
with long-term results, a number of private enterprises have been
used to support the implementation, operation, and maintenance of
the recommended BMPs. These companies supply services and
equipment that individuals could not afford to own. Thus, the sup-
port service provider has a profit motive tied to the adoption of
BMPs that provides added incentives for the project. Without these
services or equipment, the tendency is to neglect BMP maintenance
once the incentive (cost-share or land easement rental payment) ex-
pires. Some examples include the following: firms specializing in ani-
mal waste lagoon pump-out (cleaning) and land application;
companies that specialize in prescribed burning for brush control
and range management; or professional associations, such as the As-
sociation of Independent Crop Consultants, which is skilled in the
use of integrated pest management techniques.
Citizens are especially successful when applying the
age-old technique of public embarrassment to noncooperating businesses or individuals
as part of the project incentive package. A number of creative and nonharassing ways
can be devised to show the rest of the community that particular stakeholders are not
cooperating with the project.
-------
CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Recent evaluations of ongoing or completed watershed projects
have provided new information about the successful use of incentives:
+ Without vigorous, targeted, and effective education and
information programs, technical assistance and
cost-share programs cannot secure adequate BMP
implementation.
4 Regulatory programs can be effective. They often provide
more equitable solutions and achieve results faster than
the more random voluntary programs; however, poorly
enforced regulatory programs or programs that do not
contain an effective education and information program
are little more effective than voluntary cost-share
programs.
*• The most successful projects use a mix of voluntary and
regulatory incentives to achieve water quality results.
The most effective incentive packages offer variable
cost-share rates, market-based incentives, and regulatory
back-up coupled with corporate and governmental
support services to keep the BMPs maintained and
operating properly.
To design an effective set of incentives for your project, you need
to know what practices can be most easily adopted and which ones
need special help to get them installed. You will also need to know
what incentives are available to your community. The number of in-
centive options open to your project that no one is taking advantage
of may surprise you. Use the chart below to assist you in this
evaluation.
STOP List the incentives available and needed in your community.
BMPs NEEDED
INCENTIVES
AVAILABLE
INCENTIVES NEEDED
WORK THAT MUST
BE DONE TO
OBTAIN NEEDED
INCENTIVES
-------
Installing Controls
Secure Commitments
Ensuring that the people and organizations who agree to cooperate
during the planning stage of the project actually carry-out their obli-
gations can he a challenging task—especially if the project has not
secured extra resources and funds. Emergencies or unforeseen cir-
cumstances that cause agencies to redirect funds and resources
elsewhere, and misunderstandings between various stakeholders re-
garding acceptable levels of performance and goal attainment are
the two most common reasons that commitments are not fulfilled.
Two types of commitments are needed for effective watershed
protection. The first commitment should come from agencies,
groups, industries, or governments who will administer, fund, and
monitor the effectiveness of programs, BMPs, and other controls.
The second is from the individuals, corporations, or municipalities
that will actually install the controls. These commitments are most
effectively secured through formal written agreements or public ac-
countability (plain old public embarrassment).
Formal Agreements
To avoid disappointment and misunderstanding, all agreements on
all topics (no matter how trivial they may seem) should be docu-
mented in writing. Agencies often use a formal process known as the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Agree-
ment (MOA) to document commitments and positions on certain
topics. The agreement directing or redirecting already limited re-
sources to your watershed project could certainly be the subject of
an MOA. Any formal agreement should
4- list the specific actions to be taken by each party to the
agreement,
+ include specific deadlines for each action,
+ include a conflict resolution process should
misunderstandings occur, and
4 include a definitions section for words that may mean one
thing to one person and something totally different to
another.
Public Accountability
A public record of decisions can help all stakeholders keep track of
the participants' level of commitment. Periodic public reporting by
each stakeholder—in which each participant updates the others on
the progress being made on specific tasks—also helps to ensure that
public and private funds are spent effectively. These meetings can
serve as a test of each party's commitments. If you have agreed to
nebulous actions or indistinct commitments, these meetings will be
an exercise in frustration. If you have agreed to clearly defined ac-
tions, everyone will know how the project is progressing.
-------
CIJBAX WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
QHZI83B913E85:
Citizens can be the motivating force to ensure that
formal commitments are secured by the watershed team. One way to get started on a
project involves compromise. If each participant or stakeholder can agree to one or two
small commitments without an accompanying increase in funding, the larger commit-
ments can be allowed to evolve gradually. Once success is demonstrated in meeting
smaller commitments, larger ones will usually follow. Public pressure, effective use of
the media, and letting your concerns and suggested solutions be known to elected
representatives are often needed.
If your citizens group has something to offer the various agen-
cies you approach, commitments from others will be easier to se-
cure. Examine the resources of your group. How can you help each
agency perform its critical actions? Never underestimate the value of
unpaid volunteer time and effort. If you and members of your group
are willing to follow directions and agree to perform specific tasks on
a routine schedule, you can be an invaluable aid to the project.
Another way citizens can help stakeholders formally agree to
specific commitments is to offer to give up or to pay more for certain
routine services, thus allowing agencies to use those "freed-up" re-
sources for new priorities. Determine what you are willing to do
without in order for the agency or group to fulfill your request. For
example, are you and your neighbors willing to forgo a routine road
grading so that your county crew may redirect its efforts to erosion
control near county bridges? Go to the negotiating session with this
knowledge and a commitment not to complain if services are cut.
Your group might even offer to perform some of these services.
• STIWP List the commitments needed from you and each cooperating
agency.
AGENCY OR
GROUP
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
SPECIFIC
DEADLINES
CITIZEN COMMITMENT
-------
Installing Controls
Design and Install Site-Specific BMPs and Other
Pollution Controls
Pollution control measures for both point and nonpoint source pollu-
tion must be tailored to the hydrology and geology of the site (i.e.,
the amount and speed of water flowing across various kinds of soil,
rocks, and vegetation). The operating needs and capabilities of the
land managers must also be determined (i.e., the types and sizes of
equipment and space, and the amounts of access and labor that are
available). Each site needs a plan, simple or complex, that is tailored
to the BMP or pollution control being installed.
For structural practices, an engineer, a surveyor, and their tech-
nicians are needed to survey the property and to shape the BMP to
the site; to stake out or mark the placement of any structures on the
land; and to work with the equipment operators (bulldozer or log
skidders, for example) to ensure that their actions are correct.
For vegetative practices, agronomists, soil scientists, range con-
servationists, horticulturists, irrigation engineers and technicians,
and wildlife biologists may be needed to determine soil types and
limitations, proper seeding or planting rates and times, and the
proper design of vegetative controls, such as the width of filter strips
or the size of wildlife corridors.
For management practices, the assistance of engineers, econo-
mists, agronomists, and others may be needed to suggest the best
management options for a particular site or specific operation.
Depending on where the controls are being installed,
private citizens have two roles. If BMPs or other controls are to be installed on your land,
it is standard procedure for government agencies or private firms to consult and work
with you as a team to design BMPs to fit your operation. If the BMPs are to be on someone
else's property, many government agencies welcome volunteer assistance with the simple
and routine chores involved with survey work. Volunteers must be willing to be trained
and follow directions.
Allow sufficient time in the watershed planning schedule for this la-
bor-intensive step. Be aware of any agency personnel limitations when
scheduling BMP implementation and setting goals, especially in an
area in which there is a high seasonal demand for these workers.
Inspect BMPs and Other Pollution Controls
After Installation
BMPs and other pollution controls must be properly installed or im-
plemented to be effective. While selecting the right control and en-
suring its proper design are important first steps, correct installation
-------
CUBA* WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
is also essential. Improperly installed controls have the potential to
concentrate flows inappropriately or cause other damaging hydro-
logic disruptions.
Each site should be inspected immediately after installation and
at regular intervals thereafter to ensure proper operation and main-
tenance. Inspections should be performed by qualified professionals
but properly trained citizens can assist. Even professionals disagree
about the adequacy of some BMP installations, so reaching agree-
ment on what constitutes a properly installed and useful BMP and
who will make the inspections is important Some federal and state
cost-share projects require mandatory inspections and have detailed
inspection criteria. Even if postapplication inspections are not a re-
quirement of your funding source, it is advisable to complete them
anyway. Citizens can share in this activity by participating on BMP
inspection teams.
One approach that worked well in the Pacific Northwest during
forestry BMP inspection included the formation of interdisciplinary,
multiple agency teams of government foresters and hydrologists,
logging company staff, and biologists who randomly spot checked
all BMP installations on all forest lands (whether public, private, or
industry owned). Afterwards, each agency or industry checked only
the BMPs that fell within its normal jurisdiction. This approach has a
number of benefits:
+ It builds confidence in unbiased and equitable installation
of BMPs regardless of property ownership.
+ It serves as a way to ensure that all agencies and team
members use the same standard of judgment.
*• It expands the resources available to perform inspections.
^ ST0I* List the party responsible for BMP inspections. List inspection team
members if you use this method.
NFS CATEGORY
BMP TYPE
RESPONSIBLE PARTY
INSPECTION TEAM
MEMBER
-------
Preventing Pollution
^...Effective education
ie js always essential
^and regulations are
|* often necessary for
t^complete watershed
^7 ^restoration or
'"^pollution control.
Preventing pollution is more cost effective than controlling pollu-
tion. Once a natural system is polluted, it is difficult to repair.
This fact is especially true of groundwater where often the only ef-
fective treatment is an expensive "pump and purify" system. All wa-
tershed projects should have two types of pollution controls—those
that clean up existing problems and those that prevent the same
problem from recurring (or different ones from happening).
Effective ways to prevent pollution are through careful and judi-
cious use of local regulations and educational projects.
Use Local Regulations
Most laws and regulations are designed to provide cost-effective
public services or benefits in response to the public's need for safety,
consistency, protection, and welfare. Sometimes a watershed project
can use existing laws and regulations; sometimes it will have to de-
-------
< 1 1' \ \ WATER in 1 Olll
velop new ones to fulfill the environmental goals set by the stake-
holders and project team. Regulations are a type of pollution preven-
tion. They are designed to prevent problems through use of control
methods such as installing treatment facilities, regulating certain
production methods and raw materials, or permitting certain land
uses and behaviors in particular areas.
ONE
WAY
DO NOT
ENTER
Local regulations, cannot allow behaviors that are illegal at the
state or federal level. They can, however, make state and federal
laws stronger and more focused and can be more effective than
either state or federal laws. Because federal or state laws generally
provide an equitable basis for minimum levels of pollution treatment,
it is futile for a company or individual to search for a location that is
more lenient about environmental protection. Sometimes, however,
state and federal laws are so general that questions arise as to
whether they apply in specific situations. Local laws can clarify state
and federal laws, tailor them to the local situation, and administer
them much more closely.
The following paragraphs identify issues that you need to con-
sider when developing or using a regulatory program as part of a
watershed project.
Sometimes the mere
thought of regulations
is scary, but consider
what can happen
without them.
Regulations protect
us when we do not
know or have
forgotten the possible
consequences of
our actions.
-------
Preventing Pollution
Learn About Federal, State, and Local Pollution
Prevention Laws
Often a community is surprised to learn that a number of laws and
regulations already exist that could be used to prevent or control pol-
lution. Finding and understanding the laws applicable to your area
will help you determine whether you need new laws or simply more
effective enforcement of existing ones.
Citizens can obtain information about environmental
laws and regulations from many sources.
* State and federal agencies usually know about the specific laws or sections of the
law under which they operate. They should be able to tell you how such laws and
regulations apply to the local situation.
* Environmental and social advocacy groups often have departments that specialize
in environmental litigation. They can help you narrow your search to particular
laws so that the questions you ask agencies or private lawyers are more direct. The
Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Conservation Foundation,
and the National Wildlife Federation are examples of this source.
* The county judge, the district attorney's office, the justice of the peace, city
planner's office, zoning boards, and Chambers of Commerce are other good
sources of information about local laws and regulations.
* Law firms, private lawyers, and consultants who specialize in environmental law
can give specific advice about special issues or general information about laws.
Most will charge a fee for their services.
Many types of regulations can be used to prevent pollution prob-
lems. Your watershed project team should also research laws that
are not aimed specifically at pollution prevention but which might be
useful to your project Some examples include hunting and fishing
regulations that often contain county-specific limitations, and county
building and zoning boards' restrictions that often specify lot sizes
and housing density on a community basis. The "restrictive cove-
nants" that many commercial or private developments or small com-
munities use to maintain property values and aesthetics may also be
useful. Some of these covenants also protect human health, for ex-
ample, community-specific septic tank requirements in areas with-
out state or county septic tank laws.
Decide Whether Your Community Needs Additional Laws
Before you set out to write local laws, determine whether such laws
or regulations are really needed. Have other possibilities been
explored?
-------
CLE&K WATER In YOOl WATERSHED
\lllOi\S
Citizens should ensure that local laws are evaluated
for effectiveness and that the results of the evaluation are public information. Often the
conclusions reached by agencies administering a program (voluntary or regulatory) are
different from those of the citizens whose community is affected by the regulations.
• STCWP Evaluate regulations and voluntary programs in your watershed.
Use the decision tree format to guide your discussion.
PROBLEM To BE SOLVED
Are any federal, state or local laws available to control or prevent this type of pollution?
YES
Are these laws effective?
NO
YES
\
Why does
the problem
still exist?
NO
I
Why not?
I
Do people know
about them?
YES
A
NO
/ \
Are incentives or Educate and
disincentives adequate? train them.
NO
V
Are enforcement Develop more
and compliance effective incentives
measures adequate?
Are any voluntary programs available?
NO
I
Why not?
I
• Are more incentives
- needed?
• Is adequate support
available?
• What happens if
stakeholders do not
comply?
I
Nothing
*
Regulations
needed
YES
I
Are they
effective?
A
YES NO.
Why does the
problem still exist?
YES 'NO
V
Revise
-------
Preventing Pollution
After going through this decision tree for each law or program,
you may indeed decide that local laws are needed. Begin by writing
some that can be accepted by the communities within the
watershed.
Write or Build Support for Local Regulations
• Characteristics of Effective Regulations. When writing a law,
ordinance, or regulation, it is important to remember that you must
also get it passed. If it passes the following tests, it has a better
chance of getting enacted. First, will it effectively control and pre-
vent pollution (is it strong enough)? Second, will it be equitable, rea-
sonable, and enforceable? Some of the most effective regulations
4 require a minimum of simple actions,
4 apply to everyone in the situation equally, and
4 are simple to enforce because violations can be easily seen or
noted.
• Types of Regulation. Basically there are two types of watershed
protection laws: pollution prevention and pollution control. Planning
laws, such as zoning ordinances, regulate behavior and land use or
attempt to stop pollution before it occurs. Designed to provide the
greatest good to the largest number of people or resources at the
least cost, these laws can be quite effective. However, they are some-
times challenged on the basis of denying a person the profitable use
of his or her property without just compensation.
Planning laws are only as effective as their enforcement and ap-
plicability. If numerous situations arise in which the regulation or
law does not apply, or if variances or other exceptions are routinely
allowed, such laws are not effective.
Pollution control or technology-based laws are a second type of
watershed protection law. They change current practices, struc-
tures, and methods to meet new or more advanced criteria. The in-
stallation of a waste treatment lagoon at an existing dairy is an
example of a technology-based law. Established agencies need to de-
vote significant support to educate the community about these laws,
review engineering and agronomic designs, inspect practices, and
monitor water, air, and soil. These laws also require enforcement
against violators.
Because someone must pay for administration and enforcement,
a dedicated funding or revenue source is needed. Taxes, fees, penal-
ties, and grants from state offices are possible sources of revenue or
support.
-------
CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Local regulations cannot be written or supported by
any group or agency acting alone. This step requires that you build allies not enemies.
Citizen participation in the education process is the key.
* Educate the Rest of the Community. Voters should understand that environ-
mental problems exist despite everyone's best efforts to alleviate them. Use the
documentation from your • STOP activities to make this point.
+ Inform Agencies and Governments that existing programs are not working and
provide your analysis of why they are not. They may already know about existing
problems, but you can help them garner public support—a very important role for
citizens.
* Educate Yourselves by Talking to All Experts—agencies, local government
officials, citizens, corporations, and commodity groups—to learn how they would
approach effective regulation. Ensure appropriate officials that they will be in-
cluded in the rulemaking process.
+ Justify Your Position. Discussions about any type of regulation tend to be heated.
Discussions about land use regulations (which is how many people approach
nonpoint source regulations) can be volatile. Now is not the time to retreat to the
position of "Let's give our existing voluntary programs more time." If your docu-
mentation shows that the problem remains after existing programs have had time
to work, then it's time to try a different approach.
«• Determine How Many Regulations You Will Need. Finally, consider whether
a number of specific laws (regulations) about each problem is best, or whether one
general law, with administrative requirements for each implementing agency is all
you need. The more accurately your regulations are scaled to the needs of your
community or watershed, the more successful they will be.
Support Effective Enforcement
Again, a law or regulation is only as effective as the strength of its en-
forcement A true commitment from the entire community for equita-
ble and effective enforcement of local ordinances is essential. Local
laws, ordinances, and regulations have the potential to be the most ef-
fective and most applicable of regulations; however, they also have
tihe potential to be the most poorly enforced, and that is particularly
true of laws regulating behavior that the community does not con-
sider significant. Local laws are administered by local officials and
tried in local courts with locally elected judges and jurors. In some ju-
risdictions, stiff convictions and fines are handed down; in others,
neighbors are reluctant to enforce regulations against neighbors.
Educating stakeholders and establishing a defined process for en-
forcement within the regulation or ordinance can minimize some of
these problems.
Key points that such an ordinance should address include a defini-
tion of noncompHance and answers to the following questions: Who will
check for compliance? Where? When? How often? By what method?
An ordinance should also include specified penalties and a proc-
ess for resolution. It may, for example, require a written warning and
-------
Preventing Pollution
a schedule of corrective actions to be taken by a specified date, a pro-
vision for inspections and for rechecking the premises, or an auto-
matic penalty for noncompliance. If financial penalties are assessed,
the ordinance should include a collection method and a method for
the accused offender to file a grievance or contest findings through a
court of law. Some ordinances also include a resolution process for
settling contested findings.
Educate Different Audiences
• Effective Education vs. Ineffective Public Awareness. Reach-
ing the right audience with the right message at the right time to
produce a change in behavior is the core concept of a successful
education program. Effective educational projects move an audience
from ignorance through awareness, knowledge, understanding, abil-
ity, and desire to active participation. Education is not to be confused
with public awareness, which is a very different concept.
Public awareness campaigns are passive and frustrating. The
"recipient" learns that problems exist but receives little direction
about actions needed to solve the problem and insufficient informa-
tion to make up his or her mind about solutions. Thus, significant ac-
tions do not result. By contrast, a public education program results
in problem-solving actions, whether these are single actions by a
limited number of individuals or hundreds of actions by various
agencies, groups, businesses, and individuals.
An education program is actually a series of small projects each
with its own audience, purpose, and activities. Effective education
programs are tailored to speak directly to an audience in language
and symbols that are interesting and meaningful. They include
* the problems that exist and their significance,
+ available controls and their effectiveness,
* specific actions or controls that individuals in the audience
are expected to install or perform,
* training or other assistance to prepare individuals to install
and maintain BMPs or other pollution controls, and
* how the controls will be evaluated, once they are installed.
-:;™;^ i __jj
Active participation in a properly designed education
program is probably the area in which citizens will have the most lasting effect on a
watershed project. Agencies often develop and carry out well-intentioned but ineffective
education programs. Citizens should take the lead in this area. They are well-suited to
design and carry out most of the educational activities in the project especially if
supported by government agencies and the business community. Effective education
programs are time consuming, but recall the conservation cycle (Fig. 3 in Chapter 2); they
are also integral to the success of the watershed project. Use the information provided
here and in Chapter 2, ideas and information from other references, knowledge of your
community, and creativity to design the most effective set of education projects possible.
-------
CUBAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
• Match the Message to the Audience. Choose your audiences
carefully to achieve both short and long-term results. Watershed
projects need to educate people to accomplish both short- and long-
term project goals. Audiences who can make immediate decisions
on private, corporate, or public lands and facilities should receive
messages related to short-term project goals—what this audience
can do now. Audiences in whom you wish to inspire an environ-
mental ethic such as children or who can enact policy changes or in-
fluence legal decisions—not only to solve problems but also to
prevent problems from recurring or getting worse—should receive
messages related to long-term project goals.
Audiences are different; so also are the methods of approach, the
purpose, and the desired results. Decide how many resources you
can devote to each audience and goal. If measurable environmental
results within your watershed are necessary within a short time
Cess than 10 years), then concentrate your resources on teaching
the audiences—however difficult they may be to reach—what ac-
tions you want them to do immediately.
The same educational techniques and messages will not fit all
audiences. To create an effective education program, tailor each
small project to fit the needs of your particular audience. Use the en-
vironmental, BMP, program, and activity goals set by the watershed
team to divide your audience into primary and secondary audiences.
Primary audiences are those particular stakeholders—individuals or
businesses—whose behavior must be changed. They are contribu-
tors to the problem. Secondary or supporting audiences are those
stakeholders who must be educated to help the primary audiences
change their behavior. For example, a primary audience may in-
clude containerized nurseries with more than 100 acres of gravel
growing beds. The accompanying secondary audiences would then
include landscape architects, contractors, fertilizer dealers, and re-
tail customers, among others.
• Define Each Audience as Narrowly as Possible. Many water-
shed projects do not adequately define each audience. Typical short-
term audiences that need narrower defining are
* individual landowners and users (farmers, ranchers,
suburbanites, or rural residents),
4 public land and public health managers (state and federal
agencies, city and county governments),
+ corporate land-use interests (logging, mining and
petroleum extraction, commercial fishers, banking,
construction, or raw materials processing), and
4- legislative representatives.
The same principle applies to long-term audiences. Students and
youth groups, civic organizations, social organizations, and teachers
are too broad an audience to target effectively. Thus, the too general
audience of farmers in the example above could be divided into up-
land cotton farmers on sandy soil and rice farmers on bottom-land
soils.
-------
Preventing Pollution
• Identify Specific Actions to Be Taken by Each Audience and
Give Them the Skills They Will Need to Complete These
Actions. You can use the following • STOP chart to list specific
changes in behavior or actions that each target audience must ac-
complish to meet a BMP or an environmental goal. Be careful not to
confuse your method for delivering the message with the message
itself (desired behavior change), or confuse the activity with the re-
sult. Remember that success is not that you did an activity (e.g., con-
ducted three workshops) but that the primary audience made the
changes you wanted.
Identify the actions that the education team must take to help
the primary audience make the appropriate behavior changes or in-
stall the correct BMPs. Some watershed projects have worked coop-
eratively with the group or entity that is most respected or wields the
most influence with a particular audience to design and implement
successful educational projects.
• STOP Target audiences and their goals.
PROBLEM
PRIMARY
AUDIENCE
BEHAVIORS
TO BE
CHANGED
ENTITY
MOST
RESPECTED
STRATEGIES
ACTIONS THE
EDUCATION
TEAM MUST
TAKE TO HELP
AN AUDIENCE
TO CHANGE
• Match the Message with the Correct Delivery Method. The
most effective education efforts involve one on one interactions with
the individuals whose behavior (actions) need changing. Education ef-
forts structured as activities (e.g., streamwalks, tree planting days) that
can result in a meaningful or useful product or outcome for the commu-
nity and other stakeholders are the most effective techniques for actu-
ally changing behavior. Use the delivery method that is best suited to a
particular purpose. For example, newspaper announcements are a
great way to inform people about an upcoming event. For this purpose,
they have a high effectiveness rating. However, newspaper an-
nouncements rarely result in getting people to make major behavior
changes, so for this purpose, they would have to be assigned a lower ef-
fectiveness rating. Chart 3 describes the effectiveness of some methods
commonly used to deliver educational messages.
-------
CUGAS WATER in YOOI WATERSHED
METHOD
Newsletters
Newspaper Articles
Demonstration Sites
Printed and Taped
Material (e.g.,
Factsheels, Videos)
Signs
Meetings
Field Trips
Self-completed Lists
On-site Inspections
Training
Technical Assistance
MOST EFFECTIVELY
USED FOR
announce meeting time and dates, update
information on actions already taken, list issues to
be discussed at upcoming meeting
same as newsletter — provide additional detail
about local success stories, photos of citizen
activities. Feature articles provide information
about problems and solutions.
exhibit new innovative technology — should be
accompanied by signs, brochures, or permanent
on-site interpretive staff.
explain new technology, describe case studies,
provide training information for new employees,
outline facts to stakeholders
mark watershed boundaries, identify critical areas,
promote specific behaviors in specific places,
identify cooperators in project, explain adjacent
project and its BMPs or provide interpretive natural
resources information
share information, plan actions, evaluate progress
observe resources to be protected, view BMPs
installed, learn how BMPs operate, take the
opportunity to monitor (assessment or compliance
type) BMPs
identify problems or risks, evaluate pollution
control and BMP systems installed
identify problems, recommend corrective actions,
evaluate effectiveness of pollution controls,
identify noncompliant stakeholders, educate
individuals
provide new skills to stakeholders
identify problems, recommend solutions, assist
with installation of BMPs, educate individuals,
evaluate effectiveness of solutions
RESULTS
public awareness
public awareness
public awareness, knowledge,
understanding, ability (occasionally)
public awareness, knowledge,
understanding, ability (occasionally)
public awareness, knowledge,
understanding, action
(occasionally) (directive signs)
public awareness, knowledge,
understanding, desire/ability to act
(occasionally)
public awareness, knowledge,
understanding, desire/ability to act,
or action (occasionally)
desire/ability to act, action
action
action
understanding, desire/ability to act,
action
-------
Don't forget how
crucial routine
maintenance
must be. Citizens
can ensure that a
project includes
maintenance for
all types of
BMPs—structures,
vegetation, and
management.
Evaluating Progress
and Making
Adjustments
No one wants to spend money and get nothing in return. People
want a return on their investments; they want a guarantee that
if they invest in pollution control and prevention, they will reap the
benefits of a clean environment.
Projects must show that the time and money spent were for the
most effective solutions based on the best available technology and
resources. Thus, even though the project team cannot guarantee
that the project will be successful, because natural resource systems
are too complex, being accountable is essential to maintaining public
-------
CIJEAX WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
support for the project. The environmental results of the project
should also be measured as part of the accountability process.
A full project evaluation consists of measuring the achievement
of administrative goals (program, BMP, and activity goals) and
monitoring the observed and documented environmental results of
the project A detailed discussion of monitoring design and tech-
niques is beyond the scope of this guide, but some general pointers
are outlined in the following paragraphs. Chart 4 lists various moni-
toring methods that you can use to evaluate a project's progress.
Small projects are not likely to need as much monitoring or as so-
phisticated a monitoring strategy as larger projects. Large and com-
plex projects will need much more data (because much more money
is being spent and the system is so complex). Consult appropriate
technical experts about the monitoring system design. One design
shown to be especially effective in the watershed approach compared
two similar small subwatersheds, one with BMPs and the other with-
out BMPs. The subwatersheds were monitored simultaneously.
Citizens can provide invaluable support to the project
by helping agencies or governments measure BMP installation and by takingwaterquality
samples or evaluating other environmental measures. A number of excellent citizens
monitoring programs are in use throughout the country. Training in proper sampling
procedures is available from well-organized national or state programs. Some watershed
projects have even used citizen-gathered information in regulatory decisions. An excel-
lent reference, Volunteer Water Monitoring: A Guide for State Managers, is available from
EPA's Office of Water in Washington, D.C. It provides details on the components of
successful programs. Private organizations such as the Izaac Walton League's Save Our
Streams Program can also be a valuable source of information and training for your group.
Design a Monitoring Program
There are two types of environmental monitoring: baseline and
effectiveness.
Baseline monitoring documents the existing condition of water
resources and determines how much pollution each location emits.
It should begin in the project planning phase before the installation
of pollution controls.
Effectiveness monitoring determines the pollution removal effi-
ciencies of various controls, documents overall environmental im-
provements, and monitors long-term maintenance of the improved
watershed. It should begin during the implementation of BMPs and
'other watershed restoration measures.
Designing a monitoring program that is constant and consistent is
the key to demonstrating progress. Take samples using the same pa-
rameters, locations, conditions, and methods before, during, and after
project implementation so that meaningful comparisons can be made.
-------
Evaluating Progress and Making Adjustments
The monitoring program should evaluate, to the extent possible,
physical, chemical, and biologic changes in the environment so that
the overall health of the watershed can be determined. Such an inte-
grated sampling strategy will monitor changes in the water column,
fish and wildlife habitat, and the extent and diversity of aquatic life,
to give stakeholders a holistic view of the progress and improve-
ments being made. Monitoring only one type of change (for exam-
ple, water chemistry) may not show progress as quickly as a more
diverse monitoring strategy. Remember—early progress backed by
actual environmental data strengthens your project.
The monitoring program should be consistent with project
goals. Thus, if the project has program, activity, BMP installation,
and environmental goals, the monitoring program should measure
progress on all four goals. Some measurements will be actual water
quality, fish, or vegetation samples. Other measurements may in-
clude counting the installation of BMPs or other pollution control
measures, taking before and after photographs of rehabilitated ar-
eas, and keeping track of program changes and actions.
Documenting Administrative Accomplishments
Showing actual environmental improvement can take years. Project
managers and supporters need continual feedback. Other measures
of improvement can be used to document interim progress. The fol-
lowing list contains a number of methods that can be used to meas-
ure particular goals:
• Program Goals: periodic written reports, public meetings, man-
agement and financial records (for example, documentation of shifts
in time and resources by key agencies or stakeholders).
• Activity Goals: simple tracking or reporting forms, systems, or
data files for each responsible agency to report progress by activity
(for example, data on the number of educational presentations
given, number of irrigation systems evaluated, number of septic tank
installations inspected).
• BMP Goals: lists, maps, reports, photographs by problem and by
small subwatershed area of specific BMPs installed within a time pe-
riod (for example, number of animal waste lagoons in subwatershed
A, number of suburban landscapes installing native plants, number
and location of detention ponds in subwatershed B).
• Interim Water Quality Goals: loading calculations based on
models or equations comparing before and after movements of
chemicals and sediment through the watershed. Results from actual
water or biological samples collected at specific locations.
-------
CUBA* WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
TYPES OF PROJECT EVALUATION
Physical Water Quality Monitoring
(DO, pH, etc.)
Chemical Water Quality Monitoring (Metals,
Nutrients, Hydrocarbons)
Biological or Aquatic Life Measurements
(insects, Algae, Fish, Habitat)
Habitat (Riparian)
Photographic or Visual Evidence
Inventory of Number and Location of BMPs
Upland Vegetation Density and Composition
Wildlife Population
Soil Erosion Rates
Loading Calculations
LOCATIONS FOR SAMPLE COLLECTION,
DATA RECORDING, AND USEFULNESS
in-stream — tributaries above and below
BMPs or at the mouth of the watershed.
Edge of field — runoff from the edge of a
land area
vadose zone — water samples taken from
below the root zone of plants
aquifer — samples collected from special
wells
all of the above
in-stream — tributaries above and below
BMPs or at various points in the mainstem
of the major waterbodies
see "biological" above
of BMPs, of water samples collected in
clear jars (turbidity), of sediment sample
depth, of the streamside vegetation before,
during, and after the project, of the water
before, during, and after the project
tally number and kinds of BMPs per
subwatershed, plot BMPs on maps
the adequacy of vegetative cover during
various seasons — record on maps or use
as data for mathematical models
transect surveys and biological inventories
edge of field and sometimes edge of
watershed — a simple mathematical
calculation used for comparison or as
partial data for a more complex model
based on environmental measurements
taken within the watershed area before,
during, and after BMP installation
-------
Evaluating Progress and Making Adjustments
Make Mid-Course Corrections
Midway through the project at least one or more complications may
appear:
• you are solving the wrong problem;
4 you have solved one problem but find another, more difficult
one behind it;
4 the project is not effectively reaching any goal;
4 the project will reach some program or activity goals but no
water quality goals;
4 you have set the wrong water quality goals; or
4 your water quality goal is set for the right parameter, but is
too low to solve the problem.
These problems are standard complications for any project be-
cause even projects with extensive land use and water quality data-
bases and the most sophisticated mapping and modeling tools have
information gaps. Project decisions must be made based on the best
information available, and some of those decisions will not be com-
pletely right.
Recognize this reality from the first day of the first planning
meeting. Build into the project yearly evaluations and a point at
which all aspects of the project can be reviewed and revised if neces-
sary. If the evaluation identifies problems, be prepared to change
time frames, goals, objectives, actions, incentives, regulations, or
BMPs to put the project back on course.
Regular evaluations can help spot project problems early. One
way to evaluate progress is to have different groups of stakeholders,
including citizens, independently review each portion of the project
using the same evaluation criteria. Agree on the criteria before the
project begins. An annual meeting of all evaluators should be held to
compare and discuss their conclusions and to reach a consensus on
overall project performance, list of activities that must be modified,
corrected, or changed completely, and the process and timetable to
do so.
The following evaluation questions have been used by other wa-
tershed projects to make mid-course corrections.
4 Are the correct BMPs and other pollution control measures
being installed in the target areas?
4 Are pollution controls being installed correctly and on
schedule (in critical areas and throughout the watershed)?
4 Do the BMPs and other controls appear effective?
4 What visual evidence supports these findings?
4 What do the water quality data show?
4 How is the biological system responding?
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CLEATS WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
+ Are all stakeholders "doing their part" (meeting
commitments for time, funds, labor, and other
resources)?
4 "Who is lagging and why?
• Agencies?
» Local government?
• Business interests?
« Individuals/private citizens?
_
Citizens should participate on evaluation teams and
ensure thatthe annual evaluation is widely publicized. Stakeholders who are not fulfilling
their commitments should be publicly identified. Citizens should ensure that corrective
action schedules are sufficiently rapid.
Practice Continual Maintenance
One of the least discussed and most difficult parts of a project is
maintenance. Many times project planners forget to include a com-
plete maintenance outline in the workplan and forget to secure or
provide funding for continued maintenance. It is often assumed that
maintenance takes care of itself or that delegating responsibility to
local governments without any additional support is workable. Pro-
jects tend to collapse and the stakeholders to disband once BMP in-
stallation funds are expended or when the initial problems are
solved. A watershed pollution control program without regular and
ongoing maintenance cannot work—the problem will come back.
Current stakeholders must continue to maintain BMPs and pol-
lution controls even if the economics of the situation change. New
growth, like housing developments, dairy farms, highways or
bridges, must be held to the BMPs and pollution control measures
used in the project (or to a higher level of treatment if needed) possi-
bly without compensation in the form of cost-share or other grant
monies. For these newcomers, the cost of pollution control is a part
of doing business. Consider these key points:
4 Education and training of newcomers and continuing
education and reinforcement for current cooperators are
essential project components.
* Regulations can help ensure controlled growth in the
community.
4 Maintenance programs must be self-supporting.
Individuals and businesses will need to absorb the cost of
these activities on the land and facilities under their
control, while municipalities and other local governments
or agencies will need to absorb the costs of education and
program administration.
-------
Evaluating Progress and Making Adjustments
4 If the project develops and encourages private enterprise
support services for BMPs or other pollution control
maintenance (for example, an animal waste lagoon pump-out
service, a household hazardous waste collection service, a
landscape design service and nursery specializing in
resource efficient plants), ongoing maintenance will be
easier; however, the project itself cannot relinquish its
maintenance responsibility.
When agreeing on critical actions, scheduling activities, and se-
curing commitments, be sure to include ongoing and routine main-
tenance as part of the plan.
If you and the project team have come this far, you
are obviously careful and committed folks! And you will know from experience that
watershed projects involve complex but not impossible tasks. Common sense, getting the
most pollution control for the least tax dollars, and keeping everyone working together
even when they don't all agree are hallmarks of a successful project. Above all, don't be
shy. Ask questions. Find out what others are doing. Your involvement will—it can be
hoped—ensure that additional support services become available for grassroots projects.
Consult your state's water quality agencies for new databases and advice.
-------
-------
Watershed Restoration
and Pollution Control
Summary of Programs
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Environmental
: Protection Agency
"(EPA)
Administers educational and regulatory
programs designed to protect the
environment (prevent and control pollution).
Provides environmental assessments, water
quality monitoring, regulations and
regulatory oversight, education, planning,
technical assistance, grants and loans for
pollution control.
Works mainly with state, federal, regional,
and local agencies on pollution control
efforts.
Staff, information, and data, laboratories
and research facilities, grants and loans
for pollution control, educational
materials, monitoring equipment.
Offices located in 10 regional centers
and Washington D.C.
EPA Permits
NPDES permits for industries, cities, and
confined animal feeding operations.
Enforcement for noncompliance.
Staff for technical assistance with
modeling and permit drafting, site
inspections, and compliance monitoring.
Funds for special studies or projects.
EPA Pesticides
Regulation of pesticide labeling and
registration, which includes application
rates, allowable crops and pests,
environmental and human health cautions,
disposal procedures. Licensing of restricted
use pesticide applicators.
Staff for review of research results,
assistance with strategic planning,
education and training, oversight of
enforcement procedures of states.
Funds for special projects and studies.
EPA Water Quality
Overall water quality planning and
management
1. Nonpoint Source Control program
oversees and approves state development of
water quality assessments and
implementation of management programs
designed to control NPS. Directs funds to
high priority watersheds or projects.
2. Clean Lakes program provides funds to
restore or enhance publicly owned lakes.
Staff for technical assistance to state and
local agencies, review and approval of
state programs, research and special
studies.
Grants to states for most water quality
protection activities, educational
materials and programs.
Funds for special studies or projects.
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CUBAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
AGENCYAND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (continued)
EPA Water Quality
(continued)
3. Water Quality Standards program
provides technical assistance in developing
numeric, narrative and biological limits
(standards) to protect water quality and its
use.
4. Coastal Zone programs oversees a
number of different programs and initiatives
designed to assess coastal resources and
study ways to protect coastal waters.
Includes the National Estuary program.
Administers the new CZMA.
Staff for technical assistance to state and
local agencies, review and approval of
state programs, research and special
studies.
Grants to states for most water quality
protection activities, educational
materials and programs.
Funds for special studies or projects.
EPA Groundwater
Administers the Sole Source Aquifer
Protection Program and provides technical
and programmatic assistance to state
wellhead protection programs.
Staff for technical assistance.
Funds for special studies.
EPA Wetlands
Cooperatively administers with the Corps of
Engineers on wetlands dredge and fill
permits. Enforcement actions for illegal
wetlands filling. Technical support for
wetlands delineations. Research and
education about wetland values and
function.
Staff for oversight and enforcement
activities, monitoring of wetland status,
health and trends.
Funds for special studies, educational
materials and programs.
Data.
EPA Monitoring and
Surveillance
Environmental assessment, data analysis,
oversight of state monitoring programs,
special studies and agency research, EPA lab
and Office of Research and Development
coordination.
Staff for technical assistance to states
and citizens on monitoring programs
and projects, special studies and data
analysis upon request, water quality
monitoring at select locations.
EPA Drinking Water
Regulates public drinking water supplies and
suppliers, special studies on human health
and risk, develops drinking water criteria
and maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
Administers a special program that allows
watershed treatment work to be done to
decrease pollution loads to drinking water
supplies if installation of the BMPs is
cheaper than the water treatment method
needed.
Staff for technical assistance in setting
drinking water standards.
Special studies, oversight and
compliance monitoring of public water
supplies and suppliers.
-------
Appendix A
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (continued)
iJEPA National
Environmental Policy
Act(NEPA)
Reviews and comments on other federal
agencies' environmental impact statements
(EISs) and prepares EISs for EPA-sponsored
projects.
Staff for technical assistance in
preparing NEPA documents.
Staff for review of pollution control
techniques required as part of federal
action.
EPA Office of
Research and
Development (ORD)
Conducts basic and applied research to
support EPA's mission, including biological
and physical studies on fate and transport of
environmental contaminants. Studies
ecosystems at large.
Reports, data, maps, monitoring
equipment, study and demonstration
sites.
Staff for technical assistance in
interpreting research results.
Laboratories and research stations
located throughout the country.
i U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
Stabilizes and supports the efficient
production, marketing and distribution of
food and fiber.
In addition to commodity and public welfare
programs, USDA administers a number of
conservation programs designed to assist
private and federal land owners or managers
in natural resource conservation and
multiple use management.
Works mainly with private individuals on
improving resource management.
Staff, technical assistance, information
and data, educational materials,
cost-share funds, engineering equipment.
Unless otherwise indicated, each
agency has field offices located in
almost every county or parish, and state
offices in each state and Washington
D.C.
f USDA—Multiple agency administration of the 1985 and 1990 Farm Bill programs:
Conservation Reserve
Program
Wetlands Reserve
Program
Sustainable
Agricultural Research
and Education
Program
Program to conserve and protect highly
erodible or other environmentally sensitive
land from production by putting it in
permanent vegetative cover through 10 year
easements and annual rental payments.
Program available only in pilot states to
return drained wetlands to wetland status
and protect existing wetlands. Uses same
easement/payment method as CRP.
A practical research and education and
grant program to promote lower input
methods of farming.
In most cases responsibilities within
these programs are divided between
various USDA departments:
SCS—technical assistance in planning,
design and implementation of BMPs.
ASCS—Administrative oversight of
program and cost-share funding
disbursement.
CES—Education and information about
the variety of conservation and
economic choices available.
CSRS—Research, data, and the results of
demonstration field trials of new
technologies.
-------
CUBAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
!:"l|^
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of Agriculture (continued)
Conservation Cross
Compliance
(Sodbuster and
Swampbuster)
A quasi-regulatory program that denies
subsidy payments to farmers who plow
highly erodible land or drain wetlands.
Water Quality
Incentives Program
A watershed treatment program designed to
improve or protect soil and water resources
in watersheds impacted or threatened by
NFS pollution.
In most cases responsibilities within
these programs are divided between
various USDA departments:
SCS—technical assistance in planning,
design and implementation of BMPs.
ASCS—Administrative oversight of
program and cost-share funding
disbursement.
CES—Education and information about
the variety of conservation and
economic choices available.
CSRS—Research, data, and the results of
demonstration field trials of new
technologies.
USDA Soil
Conservation Service
(SCS)
Technical assistance on planning, site
specific design, and installation and
management of soil and range conservation,
animal waste, and water quality
management systems.
Special land and water resource assessments
and inventories.
Cost-share funds for installation of BMPs on
private lands are available from some
programs.
Staff and equipment in field offices for
technical assistance including
engineering designs, survey work, and
planning for water resource protection.
USDA SCS—Small
Watershed Program
(PL-566)
Evaluation and treatment of small
agricultural watersheds with multiple
resources to protect.
Includes targeting of resources for both
technical and financial assistance and
educational programs.
Staff for technical assistance to
landowners and decisionmakers in the
watershed and funds for demonstration
projects.
USDA SCS—Great
Plains Conservation
Program (GPCP)
Intensive conservation treatment for
individual farms located within the Great
Plains ecoregion through long-term
agreements (3-10 year contracts) with
farmers.
Technical assistance and cost-share
funds up to 75 percent of the average
cost of selected high priority
conservation practices. \
USDA SCS—Resource
Conservation and
Development
Program (RC and D)
Program to provide local governments in
authorized areas help in planning and using
natural resources and in solving local
problems.
Planning assistance for small
communities for communitywide
resource protection. Provides financial
assistance up to 25 percent of a
project—not to exceed $50,000.
-------
Appendix A
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of Agriculture (continued)
USDA SCS—River
Basin Program
Program to assist states and local
governments to identify water and related
land resource problems, evaluate alternative
solutions, and develop their implementation
program.
Staff for technical assistance to
decisionmakers for inventory and
planning activities.
USDA SCS—Natural
Resource Assessment
Programs: Soil Survey,
Natural Resources
Inventory
Various programs to map and assess the
condition of natural resources (soil, water,
vegetation and wildlife) and conservation
treatments.
Maps, reports, data information,
statistical analysis.
USDA Agricultural
Stabilization and
Conservation Service
(ASCS)
Provides administrative oversight and
cost-sharing programs for approved
conservation practices from ASCS and other
USDA administered programs.
Tracks crop production and other statistics.
Distributes crop subsidy and deficiency
payments.
Maps, conservation practice status
information, cost-share funds.
USDA ASCS—
Agricultural
Conservation Program
(ACP)
Cost-sharing on an annual basis for a
number of soil conserving, production
improving and water quality practices.
Funds for cost share, generally limited to
$3,500 per farm per year.
USDA ASCS—
Emergency
Conservation Program
(ECP)
Cost-sharing on an annual basis to replace
conservation treatments (mainly structural)
that were destroyed in areas designated as
natural disaster areas.
Funds for cost share of high priority
conservation practices.
USDA ASCS—Water
Bank Program
Designed to improve and restore wetland
areas through financial compensation for
10-year easements on private property.
Funds for easement compensation on
eligible lands in participating states.
USDA ASCS—
Colorado River
Salinity Control
Program (CRSCP)
Financial assistance on farm projects that
seek to control salinity levels delivered to
the basin, primarily irrigation water
management.
Funds, reports, data on level of
conservation treatment and
demonstration sites.
Funds for cost-share, monitoring and
education.
USDA ASCS—
Forestry Incentives
Program (FIP)
-share to revegetate and improve timber
stands on private lands.
Cost-:
Cost-share funds
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CLEAN VIATOR in YOUR WATERSHED
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of Agriculture (continued)
USDA Cooperative
Extension Service
(CES)
Educational programs and information to aid
individuals in the selection, operation, and
maintenance of the most beneficial
conservation treatments.
Economic analysis and data for each farm or
ranch.
Provides technical assistance in integrated
pest management and landscape issues.
Programs generally carried out in
cooperation with state land-grant
universities.
Staff to offer educational programs and
technical assistance and personalized
economic analysis.
Coordinates small scale demonstrations
on local farms. Educational materials.
USDA Cooperative
State Research Service
(CSRS)
Applied research, usually at state experiment
stations on agricultural production and soil
and water conservation generally using
demonstration plots. Conducts the
Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education program (SARE). Many projects in
cooperation with state land grant universities.
Reports, data, equipment.
Occasionally has funds for joint or
special projects outside the normal
research agenda.
Grants for Agriculture in Concert with
the Environment (ACE) program.
USDA Forest Service
(FS)—National Forest
System (NFS)
Management of national forests and
grasslands for sustained production and
multiple use.
Works with individuals, industries and other
agencies.
Staff, maps, reports, equipment for
construction and monitoring,
educational materials.
Occasionally has funds for special
projects.
Field offices located in each national
forest, regional offices located in 9
areas. Washington D.C. office.
USDA NFS—Permit
Program
Oversight of timber sales and harvest
contracts, grazing leases, and minerals
developed on FS property. Provides
technical assistance to permittee in proper
resource use.
Staff for technical assistance and
compliance monitoring.
USDA NFS Air and
Watershed Programs
Overall environmental planning and
technical support for forest management
decisions.
Special studies and watershed
demonstration projects in certain areas.
Funds for special studies and watershed
demonstration projects. Natural
resource inventories and reports, water
quality or habitat monitoring,
environmental analysis of resource
trends and conditions.
-------
Appendix A
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of Agriculture (continued)
USDA NFS—Research
Basic and applied research on range and
forest lands.
Technical papers on effects of
management on water quality.
USDA NFS—State and
Private Forestry—
Forest Stewardship
Initiative
Technical assistance and cost share to
private inholding or lands adjacent to
National forest lands for installing BMPs.
Funds and technical assistance to
individuals.
USDA Farmers Home
Administration
(FmHA)
Loans and loan guarantees to eligible
producers for operating expenses, land
purchase and conservation measures.
Funds and loans for property
improvement and conservation,
treatment installation, and water
conservation practices.
Located in counties, states, and national
offices.
USDA Agricultural
Research Service (ARS)
Basic and applied research on agricultural
production and conservation measures,
including fertilizers, pesticides and BMP
effectiveness.
Reports, BMP effectiveness and
environmental fate and transport data,
demonstration sites, occasionally funds
for joint sponsored projects.
Research stations located throughout
each state, most specialize in particular
types of investigations.
' U.S. Department of
I Commerce—National
• Oceanic and
fAtmpspheric
Administration
MNOAA)
Administers programs in cooperation with
states to inventory and manage coastal
resources.
Funds and performs basic research and
assessments relating to coastal
eutrophication.
Maintains data base for agricultural
pesticides and nutrient loadings.
Funds to state coastal programs.
Staff for technical assistance. Data,
reports, and educational materials.
Occasionally administers funds for
special demonstration projects.
NOAA—Coastal Zone
Management Act
Programs (CZMA)
Administers a quasi-regulatory coastal
protection program (in cooperation with
EPA) that sets performance-based
management measures for control and
prevention of nonpoint source pollution in
coastal areas for all land use activities.
Staff for technical assistance.
Funds for plan development.
-------
CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of
Defense (DOD) Army
Corps of Engineers
(COE)
Oversees construction and operation of
arge flood control and public water supply
reservoirs and conducts water quality
monitoring on lakes within its jurisdiction.
Regulates in lake activities and shoreline
development. Cooperatively administers
wetlands dredge and fill permit program
with EPA and Fish and Wildlife Services.
Can enforce permit requirements for
wetland BMPs or other mitigation measures.
Maps, special studies, water quality
monitoring data. Staff and funds for
mprovement of existing projects. Staff
br review and oversight of 404
(wetlands) permits. Field offices located
in various districts through out states.
Washington D.C. office.
U.S. Department of
the Interior (DOI)
Oversight, management, or monitoring of
national natural resources, including land,
water, and wildlife.
Staff, maps, reports, demonstration sites,
educational materials, monitoring
equipment.
Offices located in regional centers, field
offices in each management area,
Washington D.C. office.
DOI Fish and Wildlife
Service
Oversight and regulation of the nation's
wildlife resources. Management of national
wildlife reserves, enforcement of federal
game and fish laws, cooperative
administration of national wetlands program
with the Corps of Engineers and the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Cooperative projects to enhance wildlife
habitat, special studies especially fisheries
investigations.
Staff for enforcement of Endangered
Species Act and other laws on public
and private land, research reports and
data on habitat, populations and
management of wildlife. Funds for
cooperative projects. Educational
materials, teacher training, curricula,
and maps.
DOI Bureau of Land
Management (BLM)
Administration and management of federal
lands. Oversight of grazing leases, mineral
exploration and extraction bids and leases
on BLM lands.
Technical assistance to permittees on BLM
land in proper resource use.
Oversight of recreational users of BLM land.
Staff for environmental analysis and
trend evaluation on BLM land, technical
assistance, and oversight.
Funds for special studies and cost-share
for permittees for certain conservation
practices (generally grazing/range
management).
Funds for range improvement, riparian
area management, and recreational area
development projects.
Maps.
-------
Appendix A
AGENCYAND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
U.S. Department of the Interior (continued)
DOI Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA)
Technical assistance to tribes on tribal lands
mainly for social services.
Some assistance for conservation work and
educational programs.
Natural resource inventories and monitoring
of ground and surface water.
Maps, natural resource inventories of
Indian and tribal lands.
Funds for special projects.
Staff for technical assistance to tribes.
DOI Bureau of
Reclamation
Administers, constructs, and oversees water
supply facilities in western states.
Regulates discharge from these facilities.
Joint administration of the Colorado River
Salinity Control Program with many
agencies to set consistent salinity standards
and manage public and private lands within
the basin.
New initiative to reclaim lands damaged by
federal irrigation projects.
Staff for oversight of projects and
management of federal property and
facilities, assessment of water quality
around reservoirs as part of the national
irrigation water quality program.
Maps and reports, some data.
DOI National Park
Service
Administers and manages national parks for
preservation of natural resources.
Staff for oversight and administration.
Funds for special studies and
occasionally cooperative projects on
land adjoining park boundaries.
DOI Off ice of Surface
Mines (OSM)
Regulates the removal and reclamation of
surface mined minerals mostly coal on
private lands.
Staff for oversight and technical
assistance in mining operations,
reclamation efforts, and engineering
studies.
Vegetative site inspections and
monitoring of resources.
Educational materials, data and reports.
DOI U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS)
Long-term baseline monitoring of water
resources (quantity, flow, and quality),
hydrologic and geologic investigations and
data, special intensive short-term studies.
Maps, data and information on
hydrology and water quality status and
trends. Staff for technical assistance in
designing a monitoring plan.
-------
CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
AGENCYAND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
State Water Quality
Agencies
Administer many programs (similar to EPA's)
br protection of water quality in ground and
surface waters, including the NPDES permit
program, water quality standards
regulations, the nonpoint source program,
and ambient statewide monitoring programs.
Staff for technical assistance to local
governments and individuals
mplementing BMPs. Water quality
monitoring, data, and reports.
Funds for pollution control projects,
educational materials, and programs.
State Natural
Resource Agencies
Administer programs for wetlands and
coastal protection programs.
Staff for technical assistance to local
governments.
Monitoring of natural resource trends,
reports, and data. Educational materials
and programs.
State Departments of
Agriculture
Regulate pesticide registration and use and
administer marketing and rural development
programs.
Sometimes issues permits for fertilizer or
feed lots.
Staff for oversight of pesticide
applicators and other regulatory
functions.
State Forestry
Commissions or
Departments
Oversight of activities on state forest lands.
Administration of forest practice laws or
BMP regulations.
Staff for site inspections, technical
assistance, and education for private
landowners and state forests.
Information about forest resources.
State Cooperative
Extension Services
Natural resource, family health, and
agricultural production education and
training programs for citizens.
Staff, reports, educational materials,
technical assistance.
Field offices located in each county or
parish, or state office connected with
land grant universities.
State Parks and
Tourism Departments
or Bureaus
Administer programs to promote tourism
and the use of state parks for recreation.
Maps, signs, educational materials.
Occasionally small grants for historic
preservation or local development.
State Natural Heritage
Commissions or
Boards
Administer programs to educate people and
preserve historic and cultural resources.
Maps, signs, educational materials.
-------
Appendix A.
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
State Water Quality Agencies (continued)
State Highway or
Transportation
Departments
Oversee design, construction and
maintenance of state and federal highways.
Provides assistance to local governments on
road related issues. Responsible for erosion
and pollution control along highway
right-of-ways and during construction and
maintenance activities.
Maps, signs, educational materials,
maintenance equipment, and flower
and grass seeds.
Technical assistance for local
governments.
Sometimes funds for special studies or
beautification projects.
State Public Lands
Commissions or
Boards
Oversee the administration of state lands.
Generate revenues for state treasury.
Natural resource information and maps.
State Natural and
Scenic Rivers
Commissions
Oversee use and protection of state
designated scenic rivers.
May levy taxes and take enforcement
actions to protect the river.
Staff for river protection and (sometimes)
assessments.
Occasionally funds special protection or
improvement projects.
State Livestock and
Poultry Boards or
Commissions
Regulates health, welfare and safety of
livestock, poultry production and products.
Staff for site inspections, technical
assistance, and enforcement actions.
Sometimes special studies and reports.
State Water Well
Board
Regulates the drilling of new wells and the
sealing of old ones.
Staff for site inspections, technical
assistance and enforcement. Educational
materials and training for drillers.
State Oil, Gas, and
Minerals Department
or Commission
Oversees the leasing, production, and
administration of state and privately owned
natural resources. Responsible for spills and
environmental programs related to
petroleum.
Staff for oversight and inspection
including site-specific environmental
audits and spill prevention and clean-up.
State Plant Board
Administers programs that evaluate mainly
agricultural plants and conservation
plantings.
Staff for technical assistance. Special
studies and reports.
State Departments of
Health
Administers septic tank and public drinking
water regulatory programs. Monitors water
supplies. Provides technical assistance to
local governments.
Staff for technical assistance to local
governments, monitoring, and
educational programs. Data, reports,
and educational materials.
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CLEAN WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
State Water Quality Agencies (continued)
State Soil and Water
Conservation
Commissions
State Fish and Game
Agencies
State Water Rights
Agency
Local Planning and
Zoning Boards, City
Planning
Commissions, County
Planning Boards
Local County Judge,
Commissioners Court
or Parish Police Jury
Local SWCDs
Local Erosion and
Sediment Control
Districts
Local Irrigation or
Acequia Districts
Local Flood Control,
Water Management
or Subsidence Districts
Local School Board
and School
Administration
Administer cooperative programs with the
USDA SCS to conserve soil and water
resources on private lands. Provide technical
assistance to individuals.
Regulate the harvest of fish and wildlife
resources by individuals and commercial
operations. Responsible for cost recovery to
state of lost fish and wildlife due to
environmental contamination.
Responsible for allocation of water rights
(mostly in western states). Regulates
consumptive use of water resources.
Specify land use zoning and boundary
determinations, general community
planning, oversight of program operation
Manage, construct and maintain county
roads and bridges, oversight and approval of
county budgets for all county programs.
Taxing authority.
Local field office of state agency see above
Responsible for oversight of activities which
could cause erosion and sedimentation.
Regulate local water use and maintain
public or jointly owned irrigation projects.
Responsible for control of pollution and
erosion from projects.
Regulate water and land use and
management to prevent subsidence or
flooding.
Oversee public education within
jurisdictional boundaries. Can set local
curricula requirements and priorities. Taxing
authority, bond issuing authority.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
Staff for technical assistance to
individuals, engineering or construction
equipment, services and supplies that
support BMP implementation. Some
states have state cost-share funds for
BMPs.
Staff for enforcement of state fish and
game laws and for technical assistance
in wildlife and fisheries management for
private individuals. Educational
materials, natural resource inventory
data.
Staff for permit writing and oversight.
Data and reports on water flow.
Maps, long range plans, inventory of
local resources, special reports, budget
information, staff for technical
assistance.
Information on county conditions,
equipment for construction and
maintenance, budget reports
Occasionally funds for special projects.
Staff for on-site inspections, technical
assistance, and sometimes enforcement
actions.
Maintenance workers.
Staff for on-site assessments and
inspections, maps, reports, land use
data, zoning information.
Information on status of current
educational programs, assistance in
developing new initiatives.
-------
Appendix A.
AGENCY AND
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND
POSSIBLE ROLES
i Local Planning and Zoning Boards, City Planning Commissions, County Planning Boards (continued)
Local Municipal
Utilities Districts
Oversees construction and maintenance of
public works projects for water and sewer
(occasionally energy). Taxing and bond
issuing authority.
Information and special reports on water
issues.
Funds for special projects to enhance
system operation and reduce costs.
Regional River
I Author! ties
Manage and coordinate activities within
their basin for flood control, water quality
protection, energy development. Taxing
authority.
Data, reports, maps, water quality
monitoring. Staff for technical assistance
to local government and other agencies
or groups.
Funds for special projects.
Regional Planning
Commissions and
Councils of
Government
Assist in the coordination of activities of all
governments within the councils area.
Provides technical assistance, information
and promotes special projects of benefit to
all.
Staff for technical assistance to local
governments.
Occasionally water quality monitoring,
reports and data about local conditions.
Funds for special projects.
t Others—Commodity
'•Groups
Various groups usually formed to improve
marketing and lobbying capabilities for
specific crops or livestock interests. Almost
every major crop has at least one such group.
Staff for data gathering and analysis,
public education campaigns, technical
support to growers, legislative and
market analysis.
Funds from members for special projects.
Environmental
Organizations
Various groups formed to protect, conserve
or preserve the environment in general or to
address a specific issue. Lobby for
environmental laws and programs as well as
funding. Many perform volunteer services
such as water quality monitoring, natural
resource rehabilitation work, cost-share or
other funds for special projects. Too
numerous to list, consult a directory.
Staff and volunteers for assistance with
local projects. Educational materials and
programs. Reports and data on
environmental conditions and trends.
Occasionally funding for cooperative
work.
Social and Service
Clubs
Formed for reasons other than resource
protection: most do have local projects that
enhance or beautify the community. Staffed
with volunteers, these organizations can
provide labor, supplies and equipment on
mutually beneficial projects as well as
insight into the community.
Volunteers for special projects.
-------
-------
Selecting BMPs and
Other Pollution
Control Measures
There are two ways to decide which pollution controls or BMPs
to install—by source or by pollutant. They are generally used for
different purposes. Selecting BMPs by pollution source is most ef-
fective in preventing pollution or minimizing the impact of any pol-
lutant on the environment. Selecting BMPs by pollutant goes the
next step further; it prevents new pollution from occurring but also
attempts to clean-up or solve problems caused by past actions. When
selecting BMPs by source, the watershed project chooses from a
predetermined list of minimum BMPs for that particular source or
land use. Thus, for example, on land used to grow nonirrigated cot-
ton, a specific series of BMPs would be installed that would be differ-
ent from those installed on land used for construction of homes.
When selecting BMPs by pollutant, water quality is monitored and
environmental assessments performed to determine the type of pol-
lutants or environmental changes affecting the specific water and
disrupting its use. The BMPs are then chosen based on the results
of the chemical, physical, and biological analysis of the water and the
watershed. With both methods, after the installation of pollution con-
trols, the water and the landscape must be monitored to make sure
the problem is corrected. If not, additional controls must be
installed.
Most BMP and other pollution control guides are organized by
source (for example, in land use or industrial facilities), but most en-
vironmental information is based on observation and analysis of spe-
cific pollutants and the changes produced in the ecosystem. It is
usually necessary to use both methods simultaneously as comple-
mentary mechanisms.
Selecting BMPS by Source
BMPs and other pollution control measures can be chosen by pollu-
tion source using a technology-based approach. In the past, this
method has been most often used in state and federal point source
control programs in which industries are required to install certain
standard pollution controls called Best Available Treatments
(BATs). In this way, all similar industries are treated equitably and
none has an unfair trade advantage because the cost of pollution con-
trols is the same for all competitors. This technique has also been
used successfully in watershed projects (which treat both point and
nonpoint source pollution problems at the same time), for example,
-------
CUBAN WATER in YOOl WATERSHED
in the Chesapeake Bay. For each land use a minimum set of BMPs
are to be installed by the responsible party. Some coastal watersheds
are also requiring this technology-based approach. The EPA has a
compendium of minimum nonpoint source controls for its coastal
programs that can be useful anywhere. Similarly, the states also use
regulations and special technical guidance setting minimum loads
and specifying treatment for point source dischargers.
Selecting BMPs by Pollutant
BMPs and other pollution controls can be selected based upon the
types of pollutants found in the water or the environmental damage
(e.g., denuded streambanks) that must be corrected. The following
table is for illustration purposes only. It can be used to help stake-
holders understand the process and many options that technical ex-
perts must evaluate when selecting BMPs.
POLLUTANT
Sediment:
(TSS « Total
Suspended
Solids, Cobble
Etnbeddedness
Turbidity)
Nutrients:
N = Nitrogen,
P s Phosphorus,
(Nuisance
Algae, Low
Dissolved
Oxygen, Odor)
METHODS OF
CONTROL
Control erosion on
land and
streambank
Route runoff
through BMPs that
capture sediment
Dispose of
sediment properly
Minimize sources
STRUCTURAL
• Terraces
• Diversions
• Grade stabilization
structures
• Streambank protection
and stabilization
Sediment basins
• Animal waste system
(lagoon, storage area)
• Fences (livestock
exclusion)
• Diversions
• Terraces
VEGETATIVE
• Cover crops and
rotations
• Conservation tillage
• Critical area planting
• Filter strips
• Grassed waterways,
• Stripcropping
• Field borders
• Range management
• Crop rotations
MANAGEMENT
(O&M AND BMP)
• Contour farming
• Riparian area
protection
• Proper grazing use
and range
management
Beneficial use of
sediments — wetland
enhancement
• Range and pasture
management
• Proper stocking rate
• Waste composting
• Nutrient
management
-------
Appendix B
ffi
E POLLUTANT
Nutrients:
N = Nitrogen,
P = Phosphorus,
(Nuisance
Algae, Low
Dissolved
Oxygen, Odor)
(continued)
Pathogens
(Bacteria,
Viruses or
Other Disease-
Causing
Organisms)
METHODS OF
CONTROL
Uptake all that is
applied to the land
or contain and
recycle (dissolved
form control —
commercial
nutrients)
Contain animal
waste, process and
land apply or
export to a
different watershed
(dissolved form
control — animal
waste)
Minimize soil
erosion and
sediment delivery
(adsorbed form
control)
Intercept, treat
runoff before it
reaches the water
(suspended form
control)
Minimize source
Minimize
movement so that
bacteria dies
Treat water
STRUCTURAL
• Terrace
• Tailwater pit
• Runoff retention pond
• Wetland development
• Diversion,
Pil/Pond/Lagoon
• Compost facility
• Terraces
• Diversions
• Streambank protection
and stabilization
• Sediment pond
• Critical area treatment
See 1 - 3. Water
treatment (filtration or
flocculation) for high
value crops.
Fences
• Animal waste storage
• Detention ponds
Waste treatment lagoon
VEGETATIVE
• Cover crop
• Strip cropping
• Riparian Buffer Zone
• Change crop or grass
species to one that is
more nutrient
demanding
see 2a.
• Conservation tillage
• Filter strips
• Riparian buffer zones
• Cover crops
Riparian buffer zone
• Filter strips
• Riparian Buffer Zones
Artificial wetland/rock
reed microbial filter
• • J Ji :• - —t
MANAGEMENT
(O&M AND BMP)
• Recycle or reuse
irrigation return flow
and runoff water
• Nutrient
management,
Irrigation water
management
• Lagoon pump out
• Proper irrigation
management
Nutrient management
See 1-3.
Animal waste
management —
especially proper
application rate and
timing
• Proper site selection
for animal feeding
facility
• Proper application
rate of waste
-------
WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
•••
POLLUTANT
Metals
Salts/Salinity
Pesticides and
Other Toxins
Minimize
Sources
Physical Habitat
Alteration
JLjUUg A.r=y|E,lE,C|ir
METHODS OF
CONTROL
Control soil sources
Control added
sources
Treat water
Limit availability
Control loss
Minimize sources
Minimize
movement and
discharge
Treat discharge
water
Minimize
disturbance within
100 feet of water
Control erosion on
land
Maintain or restore
natural riparian
area vegetation
and hydrology
if BMPs JSf ! j»gl|jii,fai|: Jid^^§plti!l^||(gj
STRUCTURAL
• Tail water pit
• Reuse or recycle
Nitration
• Evaporation basins
• Tailwater recovery pits
• Ditch lining
• Replace ditches with
pipe
• Terraces
• Sediment control
basins
• Retention ponds with
water
• Reuse/recycle system
Carbon filter system
(high value crops)
• Road and turnrow
realignment
• Fencing/livestock
water crossing facility
See sediment BMPs
• Streambank
stabilization
• Channel integrity repair
VEGETATIVE
Crop/plant selection
Crop selection
Artificial wetland/rock
reed microbial filter
system
• Crop selection
• Saline wetland buffer
• Land use conversion
Plant variety/crop
selection
• Buffer zones
• Conservation tillage
• Filter strips (adsorbed
control only)
• Wetland enhancement
Rock — reed microbial
filter system/artificial
wetland
• Buffer strips
• Riparian buffer zones
Wetland enhancement
i 1 iiiifli j
'r --.-...-...-....._ .1
MANAGEMENT
(O&M AND BMP)
Avoid adding
materials containing
race metals
• Irrigation water
management
• Integrated pest
control
Drip irrigation
Irrigation water
management
• Integrated pest
management
• Change planting
dates
• Proper container
disposal
• Irrigation water
management
• Integrated pest
management
Proper grazing
management
including limiting
livestock access
• Proper grazing use
and range management
• Limit livestock access
-------
Watershed Project
Timetable Tips
Estimating the time needed to complete each phase of a project is
difficult. So many site specific variables combine with unforseen
circumstances to make any estimate more of a guess. Based upon
well organized and well funded projects—some average timeframes
you might expect include:
iWS^^^^^^fSf^^'
™,,.- PROJECT
Preproject Monitoring and Evaluation
Watershed Plan Development
BMP and Pollution Control Implementation
Intensive Management
Continued Monitoring (after project)
Routine Maintenance
Spot Check Type Monitoring
ESTIMATED TIME
2-4 years
2-5 years
3-6 years
5 years
2-5 years
20+ years
20+ years
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-------
Where to Get Help
Selected Watershed Projects
Anacostia Watershed Restoration Project—A unique multi-
agency project in one of the most highly urbanized watersheds
in the United States—the Anacostia River watershed outside of
Washington, DC. Especially good status reports and action plan
including information on setting and reporting progress toward
goals. Progress reports and watershed plan available. Contact
the Anacostia Restoration Team, Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments, 777 North Capitol Street, N.E,
Suite 300, Washington DC 20002-4201; (202) 962-3343.
Chesapeake Bay Program—A huge multimillion dollar effort by
-the states of Virginia and Maryland, and the District of Columbia
as well as numerous federal agencies to control pollution in the
bay. Extensive databases were developed and complex mathe-
matical models were used to set project goals. Many lessons
were learned during the multistep negotiation phases of the pro-
ject. Information available from the Chesapeake Bay Program
Office, 410 Severn Ave., Suite 109, Annapolis, MD 21403;
(410) 267-0061.
Puget Sound Basin—In 1987, the 12 counties surrounding Puget
Sound in the state of Washington were directed to identify and
rank their watersheds in priority order for nonpoint source pollu-
tion control and develop management plans to control this pollu-
tion. Each plan was somewhat different, reflecting the diversity
of issues facing the various communities. An excellent planning
handbook Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution—An Action Plan
for Puget Sound Watersheds contains the program, technical, and
legal information that guided these efforts. Many useful prod-
ucts resulted from various projects—the public involvement and
education model projects as well as some of the technical fact
sheets were especially informative. Copies of some of the actual
small watershed plans may be available. Contact the Puget
Sound Water Quality Authority, 217 Pine Street, Suite 1100, Seat-
tle, WA 98101; (206) 464-7320.
Minnesota River Watershed—A cooperative project between the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and local citizens with espe-
cially strong and effective citizen/involvement through a grass-
roots organization called Clean Up the River Environment
(CURE). Minnesota also has a statewide watershed planning
program. Contact the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,
520 Lafayette, Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155; (612) 296-7323.
-------
CLEAK WATER in YOUR WATERSHED
Nisqualiy River Council—Assists in the implementation of the
Nisqually River Management Plan through a variety of on the
ground projects, workshops, newsletters, and a new education
and interpretive center. A strong citizens committee helps guide
the policies of the cooperating council agencies. For additional
information, contact the Nisqually River Council, P.O. Box 1076,
Yelm, WA 98598; (206) 459-6780.
Coordinated Tribal Water Quality Program—Although most of
the watershed activities of the 22 native American tribes involved in
this program are in the planning stage, the program is unique in
bringing together so many different tribes into a collective water-
shed protection process mat recognizes that the tribes' cultural,
economic, and spiritual health depends on clean water. For more
information, contact the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission,
6730 Martin Way E., Olympia, WA 98506; (206) 438-1180.
Public Participation Training and Citizen
Involvement Materials
Many private and nonprofit organizations train and educate citizens
about a variety of environmental and public participation subjects.
The following is not a complete list or an endorsement; however, it
can provide a^tarting point.
The Conservation Directory—A sourcebook published annually by
the National Wildlife Federation. This directory is one of the most
comprehensive listings of the names, addresses, and phone numbers
of government agencies, international, national and regional organi-
zations, state and territorial agencies, and citizens groups. It also con-
tains information about the publications of most of the entities listed.
Available from the National Wildlife Federation, 1400 Sixteenth St,
N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2266; (800) 432^564.
Institute for Participatory Management and Planning—Trains
public officials and other professionals serving the public in con-
sensus building and decisionmaking. Contact EPMP, 969 Pacific,
St, Suite 10, Monterey, CA 93940; (408) 373-4292.
Highlander Center—Trains citizens from the South and Ap-
palachia in participatory activism. 1959 Highlander Way, New
Market, TN 37820; (615) 933-3443.
Ozark Society—Promotes and protects the scenic natural re-
sources of the Ozark and Ouachita mountains region. P.O. Box
2914, Little Rock, AR 72203.
Terrene Institute—Engages in research, education, and public out-
reach for the environmental community. See especially, Organiz-
ing Lake Users: A Practical Guide, prepared by the Terrene
Institute in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Contact Terrene, 1717 K Street, N.W, Suite 801, Washington,
DC 20006; (202) 833-8317.
-------
Where to Get Help
Written Materials
Numerous databases, information clearinghouses, electronic bulle-
tin boards, and bibliographies exist—listing hundreds of publica-
tions. Trying to access all of this information from so many different
sources can be frustrating. Consult the following list for a good place
to begin.
NFS News Notes—A free bulletin dealing with the water environ-
ment and watershed restoration. Includes national legislative
news and state and locally submitted project stories. Available
from the Terrene Institute, 1717 K St. N.W., Suite 801,
Washington, DC, 20006; (202) 833-8317.
Runoff Report—Watershed Information Network News. A
publication of the National Nonpoint Source Federation
(NNPSF), a membership organization that unites corporate, envi-
ronmental, governmental, and grass roots interests. Created as a
watershed information network, the NNPSF is establishing a cen-
tral, comprehensive, accurate information base for nonpoint
source pollution and watershed issues. For more information or
to join, contact NNPSF at P.O. Box 30103, Kansas City, MO
64112; (800) 795-3634.
Rural Clean Water Program—lessons learned from a volun-
tary nonpoint source control experiment. A brief overview
of the program and selected watershed projects. Available from
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Nonpoint Source Con-
trol Branch, 401M. St., S.W., Washington, DC 20460.
Summary Report—Evaluation of the Experimental Rural
Clean Water Program—published September 1992 by the Na-
tional Water Quality Evaluation Project. Reports prepared by the
participants in one of the largest sets of watershed projects ever
attempted. Contact NCSU Water Quality Group, Biologic and
Agricultural Engineering Department, NC Cooperative Exten-
sion Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
27695-7637.
The Water Quality Catalog—A Source Book of Public Infor-
mation Materials—Developed by the Water Pollution Control
Federation (now called the Water Environment Federation) 601
Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1994; (703) 684-2400.
-------
-------
¥
TERRENE
INSTITUTE
Lake Smarts
The First Lake Maintenance Handbook —
A Do-It- Yourself Guide to Solving Lake Problems
(228 pgs., 1993) price TBA
This how-to manual contains field
tested, easy and affordable projects to help
you clean up, improve and maintain the lakes and
ponds in your community. A user's guide for people
who live, work or play at the water's edge, it is
recommended reading for lake managers,
homeowner associations, fishers, individuals and
families who live on or near the water.
Lake Smarts: The First Lake
Maintenance Handbook shows you where to
begin lake-saving projects, how to save time and
money by using equipment designed for other
purposes, where to get the equipment
(addresses and phone numbers), and how much
it costs.
The author's commonsensical approach
and wry humor are contagious—and cover all
lake problems, including algae and aquatic
weeds, muddy waters, sediments, waste
disposal, undesirable fish and greedy waterfowl.
Imagination, not money, is the key to
successful lake management, and this book has
it in spades—and rakes, and bedsprings.
Using the tips and illustrations in this book,
you and your friends can improve the
appearance and functioning of lakes and
nearshore areas accustomed to years of benign
neglect.
Keep it around, you'll want it next season, too.
Steve McComas, founder and manager of Blue
Water Science in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a research
and engineering specialist in lake and watershed
management. He has thoroughly field-tested these
projects over a decade of work in Minnesota and
Wisconsin. Developed in cooperation with U.S.
EPA's Clean Lakes Program.
Lake Smarts: The First Lake
Maintenance Handbook was developed in
cooperation with U.S. EPA's Clean Lakes Program.
I
SIGN UP
to receive our Environmental Catalog
and notification of book release. '
I
NAME
ADDRESS.
CITY
STATE
ZIP
PHONE(
FAX (
1717 K Street, N.W. • Suite 801 • Washington, D.C. 20006-1504 • (202)833-8317 • Fax: (202)296-4071
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