Abstract |
There is a continuing need to address the ongoing impacts of stormwater runoff in urban watersheds to improve water quality and designated uses in urban rivers and streams. Increasingly, state and federal regulatory programs are focusing on how to restore the quality of the nation's degraded urban waters. For example, more than 1,000 communities are currently permitted under Phase I MS4 NPDES stormwater permits and an additional 5,000 communities will be captured by Phase II MS4 stormwater permits (U.S. EPA, 1999 and 2000). This document distills the lessons learned from around the country into a self-assessment tool to help local communities integrate and align their urban watershed programs to meet their water resource goals. What exactly is meant by integrate and align. Program integration is the extent to which municipalities coordinate individual planning, restoration and education programs to focus them on clear watershed restoration goals. Program alignment refers to the geographic targeting of restoration programs to priority subwatersheds. The tool is designed to help local program managers and watershed groups make better decisions on watershed restoration priorities to maximize the performance of staff and financial resources. |