Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

This handbook provides information on developing and implementing watershed management plans that help to restore and protect water quality. A watershed is the area of land that contributes runoff to a lake, river, stream, wetland, estuary, or bay. A watershed management plan defines and addresses existing or future water quality problems from both point sources and nonpoint sources of pollutants. Experience over the past decade has shown that effective watershed management includes active participation from stakeholders, analysis and quantification of the specific causes and sources of water quality problems, identification of measurable water quality goals, and implementation of specific actions needed to  solve those problems.

This handbook is intended to serve as the basis for developing and implementing watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources. Although watershed plans are useful for all watersheds to protect and restore water resources, as well as to meet other community resource goals, they are critical for impaired or threatened waterbodies. The most recent national water quality assessment reported that 40 to 50 percent of the nation’s assessed waterbodies are impaired or threatened.

3/20This handbook is designed to provide a framework to help you develop a scientifically defensible plan that will lead to measurable results and an overall improvement in the water quality and watershed conditions that are important to your community.