Information and Technical Assistance Providers |
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Adopt Your Watershed
Profiles the more than 500 active volunteer monitoring groups and more than 1,000 watershed alliances already working nationwide. Citizens can learn more about opportunities to join an organized effort in their area.
www.epa.gov/surf/adopt
Center for Watershed Protection
Provides objective and scientifically-sound information on effective techniques to protect and restore urban watersheds. Serves as a technical resource for local governments around the country to develop more effective urban storm water and watershed protection programs.
www.cwp.org/
Conservation Technology Information Center
A non-profit, public-private partnership working to equip agriculture with realistic, affordable, and integrated solutions to environmental concerns.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/CTIC/CTIC.html
EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Access the site to learn more about watersheds, water-quality monitoring, nonpoint source pollution, Total Maximum Daily Loads, wetlands, and much more.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/
EPA Urban Watershed Management Branch
Researches, develops, and demonstrates technologies, systems, and methods required to manage the risks to public health, property, and the environment from wet weather flows and to renew decaying urban infrastructure. Offers a variety of technical tools and resources.
www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/
Know Your Watershed
A national watershed clearinghouse working to help watershed partnership coordinators facilitate tangible progress toward local goals.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/KYW.html
National Association of Counties –
Watershed Management Project
Intended to build awareness of watershed management issues and provide technical assistance to counties.
www.naco.org/programs/environ/watermgt.cfm
National Association of Counties –
Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Prevention Project
Provides county officials with information about the problem of nonpoint source pollution and potential solutions.
www.naco.org/programs/environ/nonpoint.cfm
Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials
Teaches local officials about the sources and impacts of nonpoint source pollution, how different land uses affect water quality, and what towns can do to protect water quality.
www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/nemo/
Surf Your Watershed
Offers extensive information on local water resources.
www.epa.gov/surf
Terrene Institute
Works with business, government, academia and citizens to protect the environment and conserve natural resources, with a special emphasis on stormwater management and watershed protection.
www.terrene.org/
Watershed Information Network
Billed as a “roadmap to information and resources for protecting and restoring water resources,” this site is an excellent starting point in learning about watersheds.
www.epa.gov/win
Watershed Management Council
A non-profit educational organization dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of watershed management.
http://watershed.org/
Publications |
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Better Site Design: A Handbook for Changing
Development Rules in Your Community
The companion guide to Consensus Agreement on Model Development Principles to Protect our Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands. Provides detailed rationale for each of the principles and examines current practices in local communities, potential barriers to implementation, economic and environmental benefits, and case studies from across the country.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
Bridge Builder: A Guide for Watershed Partnerships
Assists local watershed partnerships addressing issues affecting water quality.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/CTIC/Catalog/WatershedManagement.html
Building Local Partnerships Guide
Describes who should be involved and what they can bring to the group.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/BuildingLocal.html
Clean Water in Your Watershed:
Citizens Guide to Watershed Protection
Focusing on the citizen's role in protecting watersheds, this colorfully illustrated guide helps citizen groups work with local, state and federal government agencies to successfully design and complete a watershed protection or restoration project.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Compendium of Tools for Watershed Assessment and TMDL Development
Discusses three major categories of models: watershed loading, receiving water, and ecological. Watershed loading models simulate the generation and movement of pollutants from the source to discharge into receiving waters. Receiving water models simulate the movement and transformation of pollutants through lakes, streams, and rivers. Ecological models simulate plant and animal communities and their response to pollutants and habitat modification.
www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/tools/choice.htm
Consensus Agreement on Model Development Principles
to Protect our Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands
Outlines 22 principles and presents a basic rationale for their implementation.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
Daylighting: New Life for Buried Streams
Describes how local governments across the country have benefited from "daylighting" streams – deliberately restoring rivers, creeks, or stormwater drainages that are covered by culverts or pipes to the open air. Demonstrates the range of daylighting projects that have been completed; illustrates how some projects have been designed, facilitated, and funded; and identifies some of the challenges encountered and lessons learned.
www.rmi.org/images/other/W-Daylighting.pdf
Delineating Watersheds –
A First Step Toward Effective Management
A fact sheet that describes and illustrates the process of delineating watersheds.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Ecological Restoration:
A Tool to Manage Stream Quality
Describes how stream quality can often be managed by using ecological restoration techniques in conjunction with more traditional management approaches, such as point source permitting.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/Ecology
EPA Wetlands Fact Sheets
A series of easy-to-read fact sheets designed to provide basic information on issues surrounding wetlands.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/contents.html
Getting in Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed
Provides tools to develop and implement an effective watershed outreach plan.
www.statesnews.org/clip/policy/step.pdf 
Getting to Know Your Local Watershed Guide
Describes the information needed and where to get it to put together a successful watershed management plan.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/GetToKnow.html
Groundwater & Surface Water: Understanding the Interaction Guide
Describes the connection between groundwater and surface water. Discusses watershed management approaches that protect vulnerable groundwater uses.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/GroundSurface.html
Guiding Principles for Constructed Treatment Wetlands:
Providing Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat
Includes guiding principles for siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of constructed treatment wetlands. Also includes information about EPA policies, permits, regulations, and resources.
www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/constructed/guide.html
Handbook for Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability
This handbook explains wetland ecology, functions and values and includes wetland project ideas, regulatory avenues for wetland protection, case studies, and an extensive resource section.
www.iwla.org/SOS
Healthy Lakes Need Wise Lake and Watershed Management
This full-color poster illustrates two watershed overviews: one benefits from control practices, the other is impacted by sources of sediment and pollution.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Internet Watershed Educational Tool
Provides a technical and multi-perspective response to local watershed issues intended to help educate local officials and other concerned citizens about water resources.
server.age.psu.edu/dept/grads/parson/research/home.htm
Kansas Surface Water Register
Provides a detailed listing of designated uses of major classified streams in Kansas.
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/befs/register99.pdf
Kansas Water Plan
The Kansas Water Plan addresses the management, conservation, and development of the state’s water resources.
www.kwo.org/kwp/main.html
Kansas Water Quality Assessment Reports
Provide an assessment of the state’s surface water quality based on information compiled from KDHE’s Water Quality Monitoring Network. (Commonly referred to as “305(b) reports”.)
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/bow/305brp14.pdf
Kansas Water Quality Limited Segments
Lists the state’s water-quality-limited surface waters based on information compiled from KDHE’s Water Quality Monitoring Network. (Commonly referred to as “303(d) report”.)
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/befs/303d/index.html
Lake Smarts: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Solving Lake Problems
A how-to manual of field-tested, easy and affordable projects to help you clean up, improve and maintain the lakes and ponds in your community.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Low-Impact Development Design Strategies:
An Integrated Design Approach
Describes a radically different approach to conventional stormwater management that combines a hydrologically functional site design with pollution prevention measures to compensate for land development impacts on hydrology and water quality.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lidnatl.pdf
Low Impact Development Literature Review and Fact Sheets
A summary of the information available regarding the pollutant removal effectiveness of the most common Low Impact Development (LID) practices. Also includes four fact sheets that describing local projects where LID practices were used.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lidlit.html
Monitoring Lake and Reservoir Restoration
Explains how to design and implement a lake monitoring program during and following a lake restoration project.
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Nonpoint Source News Notes
A periodic newsletter focusing on the condition of the water-related environment, the control of nonpoint sources of water pollution, and the ecological management and restoration of watersheds.
www.epa.gov/owow.info/NewsNotes/
Protecting Floodplain Resources:
A Guidebook for Communities
Includes discussions on the history of floodplain and natural resource management, multiple uses of floodplains, planning for resource protection and restoration, and four case studies.
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Protecting Wetlands, Managing Watersheds:
Local Government Case Studies
Provides local government case studies that offer practical strategies to help protect wetlands and manage watersheds. Programs for public education, financing, wetlands mitigation, GIS and much more are provided by local government practitioners from across the country.
http://bookstore.icma.org
Putting Together a Watershed Management Plan Guide
Describes the process of putting together a plan that all with a stake in the watershed can agree to implement.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/PutTogether.html
Rapid Bioassessment Protocols: An Introduction
Reviews methods for assessing the health of streams and watersheds based on the fish, invertebrates, and plants found in streams.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/rbp/
Rapid Watershed Planning Handbook
Manual designed for use by watershed managers and professionals in developing planning and management strategies for the future.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
Recommended Practices Manual:
A Guideline for Maintenance and Service of Unpaved Roads
Describes and illustrates cost effective techniques and practices that can be used to enhance stability and maintenance of unpaved roadways while reducing sedimentation and improving the quality of surface waters.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/unpavedroads.html
Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers, and Citizens
Offers alternatives to traditional practices that can be used both to prevent and repair ecological damage to streams.
www.islandpress.org/books/bookdata/reststr.html
Stream Visual Assessment Protocol
Uses visual characteristics and a simple scoring system to identify problems and provide a general overall assessment.
www.ncg.nrcs.usda.gov/pdf/svapfnl.pdf
Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection
Explains new concepts and terminology for transforming outdated subdivision codes into more environmentally sensitive and economically attractive development criteria.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
State Wetlands Assistance Guide:
Voluntary Stewardship Options for State's Private Landowners
A generic template developed by the National Wetlands Conservation Alliance designed for use by local agencies and organizations to assist private landowners with stewardship options and programs.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/WAG/index.html
Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes and Practices
A technical assistance document designed to promote the development of a stream corridor restoration plan.
www.usda.gov/stream_restoration
Top Ten Hints for Successful Watershed Management
Article lists the top 10 suggestions provided by successful watershed coordinators.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/CTIC/Catalog/WatershedManagement.html
Top 10 Watershed Lessons Learned
Developed in partnership with over 100 watershed practitioners, this document describes the top 10 lessons (positive and negative) learned in working to restore and protect watersheds across the nation. Includes examples to illustrate each lesson and key contacts and resources for networking.
www.epa.gov/owow/lessons
Toward Understanding New Watershed Initiatives
Discusses characteristics and concepts of watershed partnerships, elements for evaluating such partnerships, factors that influence their success, and lessons learned from past and current partnerships.
www.tu.org/library/conservation/watershed.pdf
Urbanization and Streams: Studies of Hydrologic Impacts
Contains summaries and analyses of reports and case studies intended to provide documentation of problems and sources, as well as a foundation for further investigation.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urbanize/report.html
Visual Tools for Watershed Education
Focuses on how visual tools such as maps, graphics, models, and stories can help leaders, teachers, and the media communicate meaningfully on the concept of watersheds.
www.neetf.org/watershedfinal.pdf
Volunteer Lake Monitoring: A Methods Manual
Provides step-by-step methods for monitoring key lake water-quality problems using citizen volunteers.
www.epa.gov/owow/monitor/lakevm.html
The Volunteer Monitor's Guide to Quality Assurance Project Plans
An easy-to-follow guide to the development of quality assurance plans for volunteer programs designed to ensure the collection of high quality data.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/monitoring/volunteer/qappcovr.htm
Visual Tools for Watershed Education
A report that focuses on how visual tools such as maps, graphics, models, and stories can help leaders, teachers, and the media communicate meaningfully on the concept of watersheds.
www.neetf.org/pubs/watershedfinal.pdf
Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual
This document includes sections on conducting in-stream physical, chemical, and biological assessments as well as land-use or watershed assessments.
www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/stream
Water Quality Indicators Guide: Surface Waters
Concerned about conditions in your neighborhood stream or lake? Follow the step-by-step process in this guide to find out what the problems are – and how to address them.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
A Watershed Approach to Urban Runoff:
Handbook for Decision-makers
A handbook for local officials and citizens that outlines the process for understanding your watershed; the watershed management approach to assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating; an overview of assessment and management tools; and provides detailed insights into best management practices and sample site plans.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Watershed Ecological Risk Assessment Case Studies
www.epa.gov/ncea/placebas.htm
Watershed Protection: A Project Focus
This report describes a process for planning and implementing local watershed projects and presents some lessons learned in previous projects.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/focus/index.html
Watershed Protection Techniques
A periodic journal that contains condensed summaries on the latest research and experience with urban best management practices, stream restoration efforts, environmental planning, wetland creation/ restoration, and watershed research.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
Watershed Success Stories: Applying the Principles and Spirit of the Clean Water Action Plan
The thirty success stories presented in this report demonstrate how coordinating efforts of federal, state, and local partners can lead to innovative restoration solutions to address a wide variety of water quality problems.
www.cleanwater.gov/success/
Wetlands Information Resource Guide
A resource guide for educators that includes listings and sources of curricula activities and materials; slide shows and videos; regulatory and legislative information; and conservation and planning materials. (publication # EPA902-K-94-001)
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Wetlands and Watershed: Six Case Studies
Includes six case studies from six local governments, large and small, urban and rural, in a variety of natural environments.
http://bookstore.icma.org
Workshop Report on Characterizing Ecological Risk at the Watershed Scale
www.epa.gov/ncea/ecorisk.htm
Funding Resources |
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Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection
Highlights nearly 70 federal funding sources (grants and loans) that may be used at the local level to fund a variety of watershed projects.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/fund.html
Funding Sources for Water Quality
Describes a variety of federal funding programs for water quality protection.
www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/funding.html
Training Opportunities and Resources |
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EPA Watershed Academy
Provides training and information on implementing watershed approaches to local officials and private practitioners of watershed management. Sponsors training courses and develops training materials; it also publicizes watershed-related training materials developed by others.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy.htm
EPA Watershed Academy 2000
Offers a distance learning program of self-paced training modules.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000.html
Getting In Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach In Your Watershed
A training module that provides tools to develop and implement an effective watershed outreach plan.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/gettinginstep/
Inventory of Watershed Training Courses
Provides one-page summaries of 180 watershed-related training courses offered by federal and state agencies, as well as resource professionals in the private sector. (publication # EPA 841-D-98-001)
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/catalog.html
Watershed Training Opportunities
Describes watershed training opportunities sponsored by EPA's Watershed Academy, including training courses, publications, watershed management facilitation services.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/wtopps.html
Working at a Watershed Level
An introductory watershed-training course based on principles of watershed ecology, analysis, planning, management and community involvement.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/interfed/shedcors.html
Model Ordinances |
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Consensus Agreement on Model Development Principles to
Protect our Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands
Outlines 22 principles and presents a basic rationale for their implementation.
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm
Local Ordinances: A User's Guide
Preparing local ordinances and regulating new development comprise the theme of this comprehensive guide for local planners. Each chapter gives the scientific, environmental and regulatory backgrounds and basic problem associated with each issue, and includes ideas for creating a community ordinance that can help developers and citizens protect water quality and conserve wildlife and habitat.
www.terrene.org/catalog.htm
Model Ordinance for Wetland Protection
Covers applicability and non-conforming activities, permit requirements, standards and procedures for permits, sanctions for violations, and enforcement procedures.
http://bookstore.icma.org
Model Ordinances on the Web
Features real-world and sample ordinances intended to provide language and ideas that communities can incorporate when constructing an ordinance for their local area.
www.cwp.org/
Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources
Provides information needed to develop effective resource protection ordinances. Includes model ordinances to serve as a template.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance/
Misc. Tools and Resources |
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Agricultural Management Practices for Water Quality Protection
This web-based training module introduces eight basic types of agricultural practices that are suitable for reducing or minimizing water quality impacts, as part of an overall watershed approach.
www.epa.gov/watertrain/agmodule/
BASINS – Better Assessment Science Integrating
Point and Nonpoint Sources
A software package that provides an integrated watershed modeling framework and supports analysis of point and nonpoint source management alternatives.
www.epa.gov/OST/BASINS
Data Access and Support Center
Maintains the state’s database of digital spatial information. This information is used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to create electronic maps.
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu
Ecological Restoration: A Tool To Manage Stream Quality
This guide describes how stream quality can often be managed by using restoration techniques in conjunction with more traditional management approaches, such as point source permitting.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/Ecology
EPA Wetlands Information Hotline
Phone: 800 / 832-7828
E-Mail: wetlands-hotline@epamail.epa.gov
Answers requests for information about wetlands regulation, legislation and policy, wetlands values and functions, and wetlands agricultural issues.
Farm-A-Syst / Home-A-Syst
Supports the voluntary efforts of farmers, ranchers, and urban and rural residents in protecting the quality of the environment by building awareness of how activities pose pollution risks, as well as the importance of water quality and environmental protection.
www.wisc.edu/farmasyst/
www.uwex.edu/homeasyst/
Floodplain Maps
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) identify areas of 100-year flood hazard in a community.
www.fema.gov/msc/
Geologic Maps
Geologic maps are an important source of natural-resource information, depicting the bedrock (solid rock directly beneath the soil) at or near the earth's surface as if the soils and vegetation had been removed. These maps present a three-dimensional shape of the bedrock geology on a flat piece of paper using lines, symbols, and colors.
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Hydrologic Atlas
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Index of Watershed Indicators
A compilation of information on the health of water resources in the United States. The Index looks at a variety of indicators that point to whether rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and coastal areas are "well" or "ailing" and whether activities on the surrounding lands that affect our waters are placing them at risk.
www.epa.gov/surf/iwi
Internet Watershed Educational Tool
Provides a technical and multi-perspective response to local watershed issues intended to help educate local officials and other concerned citizens about water resources.
http://server.age.psu.edu/dept/grads/parson/research/home.htm
Introduction to Watershed Planning
A web-based training module that introduces a flexible framework for watershed planning and points out key factors that help make planning successful.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/planning/
Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Lake Water Quality Trends
Describes statistical methods for trend assessment in water quality, with an emphasis on lakes.
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Topographic Maps
Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, topographic maps show important natural features such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and streams. Topographic maps also show the contour elevations of the land surface and allow users to visualize the three-dimensional land surface.
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Urban Stream Restoration:
A Video Tour of Ecological Restoration Techniques
An information packed video tour of six urban stream restoration sites.
www.urbanstreamrestoration.com/index2.html
Watershed Tools Directory: A Collection of Watershed Tools
Provides one-page summaries of 250 watershed tools. Each summary includes key information such as a description of the tool, contact names and phone numbers, and information about intended users.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/tools
Wetland Functions and Values
This web-based training module reviews the extraordinary contributions that wetlands make to our water quality, economy, recreation, environmental health, and other areas.
www.epa.gov/watertrain/wetlands/
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