In the United States, and specifically Illinois, the authors are fortunate to have experienced improved water quality over the last 25 years. Even though water conditions have improved in Illinois, water pollution problems still exist, and there are potential threats that may arise. Caring for a watershed is a community responsibility. An impact on a river eventually may affect the quality of other rivers, streams, and lakes in the watershed. Without careful management, uses of the water resource such as drinking water, fishing, and swimming may be adversely impacted. For years, people have talked about doing watershed planning. For the most part, these efforts have primarily addressed a limited number of rural issues. This document presents a new, holistic approach to watershed planning by focusing on all the resource concerns within a community's watershed.