Reference Library: Topics

Watershed Planning and Management

General

Recommended! Watershed Protection A Project Focus, by U. S. EPA Office of Water (EPA 841-R-95-004). This document provides a blueprint for designing and implementing watershed projects. Chapter titles include: "A Successful Project,” "Building a Project Team and Public Support,” "Setting Goals and Identifying Solutions,” "Measuring Success and Making Adjustments."
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/focus/

Recommended! Principles of Watershed Management. This is an introductory module in the U. S. EPA's Watershed Academy 2000. This module is intended to increase the user's understanding of basic watershed processes, principles of long-term watershed management, elements of successful watershed management frameworks, and benefits of a watershed management approach.
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/
acad2000/watershedmgt/index.html

Know Your Watershed Web-site, coordinated by Conservation Technology Information Center. Includes introductory educational pieces on various topics, including:

1. Getting to Know Your Watershed
   http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/
   GetToKnow.html
2. Putting Together a Watershed Management Plan
   http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/
   PutTogether.html

Watershed Approach Framework, by U. S. EPA Office of Water (EPA840-S-96-001). This publication (available on-line) explains U. S. EPA's vision for watershed approaches. Topics covered include: What is a watershed approach?; benefits of a watershed approach; and EPA support to facilitate watershed approaches.
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/framework.html

Recommended! Building Local Partnerships  on the Know Your Watershed Web-site, coordinated by Conservation Technology Information Center. This introductory piece explains why watershed partnerships are forming, what kinds of activities they are conducting, and offers advice on developing successful partnerships. Potential stakeholders and their contribution to watershed planning efforts are listed.
http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/BuildingLocal.html

Community-Based Environmental Protection: A Resource Book for Protecting Ecosystems and Communities, by U. S. EPA Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Communities (EPA 230-B-96-003). This publication can be downloaded in PDF format. While focused on environmental protection projects in general, rather than watershed management projects specifically, this publication is useful for anyone trying to involve their community in protecting local ecosystems. Chapter titles include: "Getting Started: Goal-Setting and Developing an Organization," "Assessing the Conditions of Local Ecosystems and their Effects on Communities," "Evaluating and Choosing Strategies for Ecosystem Protection Efforts".
http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/tools/resourcebook.htm

A Watershed Primer for Pennsylvania: A Collection of Essays on Watershed Issues, by Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Allegheny Watershed Network, and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. This publication features essays by over thirty experts on a wide variety of watershed issues. While written specifically for Pennsylvania, the articles are beneficial to Ohioans interested in local watershed protection. Topics covered include: "Preventing Runoff and Erosion," "Riparian Forest Buffers," "Stream Corridor Management of Agricultural Lands," "Abandoned Mine Drainage," "Volunteer Environmental Monitoring," "Working with Landowners," "Watershed Education," and "Funding Watershed Protection" among others. You can download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format:
http://watershedatlas.org/rc/primer.html

Clean Water in Your Watershed: A Citizen's Guide to Watershed Protection, by the Terrene Institute. Focusing on the citizen's role in watershed protection, this guide provides a step-by-step approach to developing watershed action plans through collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal government agencies. Copies of this and other Terrene Institute publications can be purchased from their on-line catalog:
http://www.terrene.org/index.html

Developing a Watershed Management Plan for Water Quality: An Introductory Guide, by the Institute of Water Research at Michigan State University. Similar to Ohio EPA's Guide to Developing Local Watershed Action Plans in Ohio. Chapter titles include: "Identifying and Networking with Local Agencies and Citizens"; "Getting to Know Your Watershed"; "Identifying Systems of Best Management Practices Needed"; and "Assembling Your Watershed Plan". You can download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format from:
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-swq-nps-
Watershe.pdf

Integrated Watershed Management: Principles and Practice, by Isobel Heathcote. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heathcote takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to outlining a strategy for watershed planning and management in this book, which seems to have been written with the professional water resource planner in mind. Topics covered include: current issues in water management; the need for public involvement; simple and detailed assessment methods; costing and financing; environmental and social impact assessment; and implementing the plan.

New Strategies for America's Watersheds, by the National Research Council. (1999). Washington, D. C.: National Academy Press. This book is the result of two years of investigation by the Committee on Watershed Management of the National Research Council. The committee describes the opportunities and constraints associated with watershed-scale management and offers water resource managers and planners ideas to improve the implementation of watershed management activities.