Evaluate
General Reference
- Chapter 13 U.S. EPA Handbook (Implement Watershed Management Plan and Measure Progress) [PDF]:
- This chapter provides guidance on using adaptive management techniques to make changes to your watershed plan and on analyzing the monitoring data to determine whether milestones are being met. It also provides guidance on using a watershed plan to develop annual work plans.
- Water Quality Project Evaluation: A Handbook for Objectives-Based Evaluation of Water Quality Projects [PDF]:
- This handbook from The Ohio State University provides a workbook-style format for the evaluation process of water quality projects.
Indicators
General Reference
- Chapter 4 U.S. EPA Handbook (Define Scope of Watershed Planning Effort) [PDF]:
- In sections 4.6 and 4.7, you can find information on what indicators are, how they are used in watershed planning process, and how to select them for your watershed planning project.
Administrative Indicators
- Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating and Reporting the Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures - Agriculture:
- This is a guidance document for tracking, evaluating and reporting agricultural implementation practices to control nonpoint source. It discusses sampling design as well as presentation of the results.
Social Indicators
- Developing Social Indicators for NPS Management:
- The handbook and SIDMA Web site will eventually be accessible to help groups to create professional surveys to send to targeted portions of their watersheds to collect awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors information on their residents. The handbook also provides groups with important information on survey data collection methodology and how to evaluate outreach activities.
Tracking / Reporting
- Plan2Fund:
- This is an online project/funding tracking system for watershed management plans. You must already have your plan written (including goals, objectives and tasks) and have cost estimates for each task to use this system. With regular updates, this tool could be very useful for reporting purposes as well as keeping track of plan and funding source status.
Load Estimate/Modeling
- See "Planning" Section
Management Plan Revision - Adaptive Management
- Chapter 13 U.S. EPA Handbook:
- What do you do when you are not making the progress you had hoped? How do you make adjustments to your plan? The final five pages of this chapter address adaptive management and revisiting the plan.
Watershed Toolkit: Table of Contents
Online Services
I Want To...
- Find out if my stream is healthy.
- Learn about how I can improve water quality.
- Report a water quality problem.
- Read a success story.
- Learn more about blue-green algae.
- Find out information on water permits.
- Learn about wetlands.
- Learn about household hazardous waste.
- Learn about composting and how to do it.
