Although there is no cookie-cutter approach to developing a watershed plan, plans that seek to identify and address threats or impairments to water quality have some common elements. Nationwide, watershed plans funded through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act must meet nine minimum elements as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). U.S. EPA’s Nine Elements of Watershed Plans [PDF]
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) believes that requirements above and beyond U.S. EPA’s nine elements are necessary for successful watershed planning. U.S. EPA’s nine elements and IDEM’s additional requirements are approval and eligibility for Section 319 implementation funds. Each item in the IDEM WMP Checklist is essential for a comprehensive and effective WMP and is required for IDEM’s approval of the plan. Your group will benefit by reading all of the following instructions prior to beginning the WMP process.
IDEM’s 2009 Instructions and Checklist
All grantees shall submit the Watershed Management Plan Checklist with each draft WMP indicating where in the plan each checklist element may be found.