Watershed Handbook Released

(Washington, D.C.-Jan. 6, 2006) EPA’s Office of Water has published a guide to watershed management as a tool in developing and implementing watershed plans. The draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is aimed toward communities, watershed groups, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies.

“This handbook will help anyone undertaking a watershed planning effort, but it should be particularly useful to persons working with impaired or threatened waters,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles.

The 414-page handbook is designed to take the user through each step of the watershed planning process:

watershed monitoring and assessment
community outreach
selection and application of available models
best management practices
effectiveness data bases
implementation
feedback
plan adjustment

The handbook is intended to supplement existing watershed planning guides that have been developed by agencies, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. This handbook is more specific than other guides about quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water-quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented.

EPA is making this draft document widely available with the purpose of having it used and tested by a variety of watershed partnerships, whose advice will be considered in developing the final version. Comments should be addressed to watershedhandbook@epa.gov no later than June 30, 2006.

The draft handbook is available online at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook
You can order a free copy from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications by calling 800-490-9198 or e-mail ncepimal@one.net. When ordering, refer to EPA document number EPA 841-B-05-005.

Contact Information

Dale Kemery

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Contact via E-mail