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0"V U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	2005-P-00025
Office of Inspector General	September 21,2005
At a Glance
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Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Why We Did This Review
We undertook this evaluation
to determine how well the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is doing in four
critical elements to advance the
watershed approach. These
four elements are integration,
stakeholder participation,
strategic planning, and
performance measurement.
Background
A watershed refers to a
geographic area in which water
drains to a common outlet. A
watershed includes not only all
water resources, such as lakes
and rivers, but also the land that
drains into these resources.
The watershed approach is a
strategy for achieving clean
water that relies on
decentralized decision making
and stakeholder involvement to
effectively protect and restore
aquatic ecosystems.
For further information,
contact our Office of
Congressional and Public Liaison
at (202) 566-2391.
To view the full report, click on the
following link:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2005/
20050921-2005-P-00025.pdf
Sustained Commitment Needed to
Further Advance Watershed Approach
What We Found
If EPA is committed to the watershed approach, it needs to make improvements
in four key elements:
•	Integrating watershed activities into its core water programs.
•	Addressing stakeholder concerns to increase their participation.
•	Refining and improving key aspects of its strategic planning process.
•	Improving the watershed performance measurement system.
EPA adopted the watershed approach to help focus existing, traditional water
pollution control programs in a more comprehensive manner and address
emerging problems. The premise is that many water quality problems are best
solved at the overall watershed level rather than the individual waterbody or
discharger level. It is a holistic approach that considers cumulative impacts from
a variety of sources, and represents an effort to enhance EPA's ability to improve
and protect the Nation's water quality.
Although progress has been made in each of the four critical elements that we
reviewed, further improvements are needed for each. EPA has made progress
integrating watershed approach principles into some of its core water programs,
but needs to address challenges to ensure further success. Stakeholders were
enthusiastic about the watershed approach, but identified a number of obstacles
when adopting the approach. EPA has made important strides incorporating the
watershed approach into its strategic plans, but it must improve some key steps.
Although EPA developed a performance measurement system for improving
water quality on a watershed basis, EPA did not develop measures to evaluate
key programs and activities, and its national outcome measures were not
understandable, comparable, and reliable.
What We Recommend
We recommend that EPA address challenges to integrating watershed approach
principles into its core programs, as well as obstacles identified by stakeholders
concerning the watershed approach. EPA also needs to improve its strategic
plans and performance measurement system that address the watershed approach.
If EPA is committed to the watershed approach, it will make these needed
improvements. EPA provided comments in response to our draft report. The
Agency generally agreed with our findings and recommendations.

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