Spatial Decision Support
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We face many complex and challenging environmental problems related to the water environment. Unlike the problems of the past, today's problems are often subtle, chronic, and inter-related. Addressing 21st century problems like polluted runoff, suburban growth, drinking water security, ground water/surface water interactions, invasive species, microbes in drinking water, and atmospheric deposition demands a modern approach to environmental protection - an approach grounded in sound science, innovative solutions, and broad public involvement.
Much of the current effort at the federal and state levels to clean up pollution and protect water quality is organized through a watershed approach focused on geographic boundaries defined by drainage basins instead of political or jurisdictional boundaries. This approach provides a flexible coordinating framework that focuses public and private efforts on targeted problems within specific drainage basins.
The guiding principles of this approach are stakeholder partnerships, a geographic focus, and sound science. Thousands of projects over dozens of years have shown that involving the people affected by watershed management decisions in making those decisions generates high levels of long-term support and success.
- Build and maintain partnerships
- Set goals
- Assess and characterize the water body
- Identify and assess problems
- Develop and implement the watershed plan