An  Int
       Management  Planning
       Planning for the Future of Your Watershed
                                                                              EPA 903-F-03-008
                                                                              CBP/TRS 270/04
                                                                              October 2003
What is a watershed?
The total land area that drains
water into a given river, lake,
estuary or other body of water.
A watershed can be as large as
the Chesapeake Bay or as
small as your local stream.
What is watershed
management?
A method for maintaining,
protecting and restoring the
natural resources within a
watershed while also
enhancing the quality of life
in our communities.
 Chesapeake Bay Program
   A Watershed Partnership
Why is watershed management planning important?
When water flows across the land during rainfall events, it carries
fertilizers, loose soil, litter and other pollutants into streams and other
surrounding water bodies. As a result, everything we do on the land
affects the quality and quantity of our water resources and the natural
systems that surround us.  Therefore, the natural resources and the
quality of life in our communities are directly affected by the way we plan
for and manage land use activities.

Watershed management planning provides opportunities to address
water quality and habitat issues within the physical boundaries of a
watershed rather than political boundaries.  It is an inclusive approach to
support environmental protection, quality of life issues, and economic
development—using the watershed as a holistic planning framework.

What does watershed management planning involve?
The process common to watershed management planning includes:
• Assemble all interested parties
• Identify concerns
• Inventory and evaluate resource conditions
• Set goals
• Develop an action plan to meet goals
• Evaluate progress toward goals
• Conduct ongoing community outreach and education
                                   www.chesapeakebay.net/watershedplanning.htm

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   What are the benefits of watershed management planning?

   Environmental
   • Improves quality of water for drinking and recreational use
   • Enhances water supply
   • Protects wildlife habitat and improves natural resources
   • Controls flooding by restoring riparian and wetland areas

   Social
   • Directly involves community members in developing a vision for the future of the watershed
   • Provides educational opportunities for citizens to understand the interaction of natural resources
     management with existing and future development
   • Gives citizens an active voice in protecting and restoring natural resources that are important to
     the community
   • Provides opportunities to increase cooperation with neighboring communities

   Financial
   • Avoiding development in sensitive areas can help minimize compliance and mitigation costs
   • Improves water supply protection to reduce the need for costly drinking water treatment
   • Provides a framework and rationale to pursue various funding opportunities

   Administrative
   • Provides a structure for communities to target geographic areas for land conservation and
     development to maximize the efficiency of community planning efforts
   • Enables more efficient management of permitting programs
   • Focuses data collection and analysis for environmental assessments
   • Provides benchmarks for measuring the success of management efforts

   Want to know more?
   Check out the next steps in, "Planning for the Future of Your Watershed: Getting Started"
Chesapeake Bay Program
 A Watershed Partnership
                      For additional information about watersheds and
                      watershed management, please visit:
                      www.chesapeakebay.net/watershedplanning.htm

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