Watershed Planning and Implementation: An Overview
Introduction
The purpose of the Ohio Watershed Academy is to build the capacity of professionals and volunteers who are interested in watershed protection to lead and participate in collaborative efforts to develop and implement watershed action plans.
The purpose of this module is 1) to provide you with an overview of watershed planning in Ohio, 2) introduce you to some of the guidance related to watershed protection that is available through OSU Extension, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), USEPA, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and 3) provide recommendations for getting the most out of your Ohio Watershed Academy experience.
If you did not attend the first face-to-face meeting on March, 10, you should start by downloading the three powerpoint presentations associated with this module. Then you can read the text below and complete the assignment.
There are many documents that will help you better understand watershed planning and protection and how it has been implemented in Ohio. Some of these documents are discussed below. You may choose to read them all carefully or you may choose to scan through some while focusing more time on certain sections. As you progress through the remaining Academy modules, we will frequently refer you to these and other materials that we have found especially useful in our work with watershed groups.
Learning Objectives
After completion of the module the learner should be able to:
- Describe the major causes and sources of water quality impairments to Ohio's surface waters.
- Identify some common processes and structures for collaborative watershed planning and management in Ohio.
- Identify the key guidance documents related to watershed action planning in Ohio.
- Describe several key elements of a watershed action plan, including those elements required for state endorsement.
Getting familiar with Ohio’s guidance documents for watershed action planning
The document that first expressed OEPA’s vision for watershed protection at the local level was published in 1997. “A Guide to Developing Local Watershed Action Plans in Ohio” [http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/nps/wsguide.pdf ] and “Appendix 8” [http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/12/water/watershedprograms/Appendix8Update.pdf], which was added in 2002, describe a step-by-step process for identifying and addressing non-point source pollution [link to OSU Extension factsheet: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0465.html] at the watershed scale.]
Read the introduction of the Guide and scan through Appendix 8, which was added to the Guide to identify the specific components that OEPA and ODNR would look for in every Watershed Action Plan (WAP) that was submitted for endorsement. Anyone preparing a Watershed Action Plan for endorsement will want to refer to Appendix 8 to ensure that they have included all of the key elements in their plan.
Another driving force in the watershed planning and management arena is the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program, led by the OEPA Division of Surface Water. The TMDL process is similar to the Watershed Action Planning process in many ways and is often conducted in parallel with the WAP process in watersheds where a TMDL is being conducted. At the very least, a TMDL report can provide watershed groups with valuable information about pollutant loads, known and suspected sources, and targets for pollutant load reductions. Go to http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/tmdl/index.html for an overview of the TMDL program, process, and links to completed TMDL reports for watersheds throughout the state.
Another document that is foundational to many of the State’s policies and programs related to watershed protection is “Getting to the Point about Nonpoint: Ohio Nonpoint Source Management Plan 2005-2010”. Available only on-line, this document covers a wide range of topics. Start with the “Purpose: Watershed Action Planning and Implementation” [http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/nps/NPSMP/WAP/WAPpurpose.html], then go to “Effective Watershed Action Planning and Implementation: Overview [http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/nps/NPSMP/WAP/WAPccoverview.html] Then browse through the section on “Effective Watershed Action Planning and Implementation: Core Components” [http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/nps/NPSMP/WAP/WAPcc.html]. We also recommend the section on State Endorsed Watershed Action Plans [http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/nps/NPSMP/WAP/WAPendorse.html] where you can learn more about the endorsement process and link to on-line versions of every endorsed and conditionally endorsed WAP in Ohio.
Note: This is just a sample of the rich and wide ranging information contained in the Ohio Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan. Hopefully, you will have time to scan through the web-site to discover those sections that are most interesting and helpful to you.
More recently, the USEPA published their draft “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect our Waters.” All Academy students receive a copy of this very comprehensive guidebook at the first face-to-face meeting. The handbook can also be viewed on-line or ordered from USEPA. Although it was published as a draft document, it is unclear if USEPA will publish a revised version of the handbook. Nevertheless, the draft version represents one of the most comprehensive guidance documents on watershed planning and implementation available.
We will refer you to specific sections of the handbook in later modules, but to help familiarize you with the scope and purpose of this rather hefty document, start with Chapter 2: “Watershed Planning Process”, Sections 2.1 through 2.4.3 and also Section 2.6: “Nine Minimum Elements to be Included in a Watershed Plan”. This last section is especially important to groups submitting a plan for state endorsement as every endorsed plan must address all nine elements. If you have time, scan through the other chapters to get a sense of the range of topics covered. You may find many sections in this handbook helpful in the future as you go into more depth on various aspects of watershed planning and implementation.
The final document that we recommend for this module is the OSU Extension factsheet “Community-based Watershed Management” [http://ohioline.osu.edu/ws-fact/0001.html]. This factsheet provides a summary of many of the key elements of watershed planning that OSU Extension is committed to facilitating and promoting, including the integration of scientific information and societal values, involving stakeholders, and consensus-based approaches to decision-making. The modules in the Ohio Watershed Academy reflect this participatory, collaborative approach to watershed planning and implementation.