How Do We Deal With the Added Complexity?

Watershed assessment may require additional complexity beyond traditional modeling exercises for the evaluation of point source impacts. Looking back over our examples, we can see that modeling at the watershed level can add complexity for several reasons:

• Involvement of diverse stakeholders who demand a certain level of modeling detail and certainty
  
  
• The need to consider nonpoint source loading of pollutants from land areas
  
  
• The need to consider multiple sources of stressors
  
  
• Sometimes (though not necessarily), watershed modeling requires representation of greater spatial and temporal detail than a point source problem. Often there will be interaction between point sources and episodic nonpoint sources which may require evaluation of temporal patterns. In addition, evaluating management options may require separating out the effects of many different sources.

How can limited resources be stretched to handle the additional demands of watershed modeling? While watershed management can add levels of complexity to the jobs of assessment and modeling, it also provides a number of new opportunities for partnerships with other agencies and groups, allowing the state to deal with water quality problems more effectively. You can be more cost-effective by drawing on existing expertise in other agencies and organizations (e.g., using agricultural agency expertise on runoff processes). You can also be more effective by leveraging resources through monitoring consortia or watershed associations. A watershed model may be more complex than a point source model, but may be useful for the evaluation of multiple sources within a watershed. These arrangements allow you to reduce duplication, be more strategic with monitoring plans, and leverage available lab resources. In many cases, you may also be able to pool public and private funds to conduct joint analyses. This type of jointly funded study has the added benefit that when you get buy-in at the beginning, the stakeholders are more likely to accept the results.