Watershed Assessment and Planning

As a leader in comprehensive watershed planning, the Center can provide a wide range of competitive planning services. Our staff has extensive experience in assessing watershed conditions in the field, evaluating local environmental ordinances and programs, and crafting restoration and protection strategies for small watersheds. 

We have worked with more than 50 communities across the country to protect salmon, trout, wetlands, drinking water, stream habitat, lakes, swimming beaches and other important water resources from land development.  We have prepared plans to meet the many different objectives that drive local and state watershed planning efforts (e.g. TMDLs, NPDES, and local comprehensive plans), while maintaining a strong track record in producing high quality plans rapidly and cost-effectively.  In each case, we have applied and refined the tools and techniques originally advanced in our Rapid Watershed Planning Manual and Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series.

Our watershed services can be provided a la carte or within a comprehensive planning package tailored to suit your specific watershed needs. 

Typical services include:

• Conduct mapping analyses—including watershed delineations; current and future buildout analysis; impervious cover estimates; wetland inventories; forest leaf out analysis; comparative subwatershed analysis
• Evaluate local programs and regulations—including development code review; smart watersheds program assessment; needs and capabilities assessments; watershed protection audit
• Perform field assessments to evaluate conditions and identify opportunities—including stream corridor and upland assessments; stormwater retrofit inventory; outfall inventories; pollution prevention and source control surveys; contiguous forest surveys; etc
• Estimate pollutant loads—determine effective management strategies based on modeled restoration and treatment scenarios; etc
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings—negotiate goal setting sessions; solicit input; report findings; build consensus; etc
• Develop management plans—watershed plans; subwatershed restoration strategies; implementation strategies; monitoring plans; etc

We are always looking for opportunities to apply our assessment methods in the field and work with local partners on developing their watershed strategies.  Please contact Dave Hirschman at djh @ cwp.org for more information on our watershed services.

Examples of some of our more comprehensive watershed planning and/or assessment work:

Baltimore City and County (MD)
The Center is working with staff from Baltimore County, Baltimore City, and the Herring Run, Jones Falls, and Baltimore Harbor Watershed Associations to conduct an initial assessment of restoration opportunities. This provided an opportunity to both identify existing impairments and potential restoration projects, and to train local watershed groups in these techniques so that they can do this work in other Baltimore subwatersheds. The County is also working with many local businesses to improve their daily practices. Some of the restoration opportunities identified during our work, including downspout disconnection, bioretention projects to treat parking lot runoff, urban tree canopy efforts, watershed education programs for pet waste and lawn care, and capital funds for retrofits to treat large drainage areas within urban streamside parks, will provide considerable benefits in improving water quality in the Baltimore County and City areas. As soon as we finish up our work in Baltimore, we will evaluate the success of this unique strategy of watershed planning and will hopefully move on and continue this same process in other communities in the Chesapeake Bay.

Little Lick Creek Local Watershed Plan (NC)
Center staff worked with the Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) to develop a plan for the Little Lick Creek Local Watershed, a rapidly growing watershed with its headwaters in Durham, NC. The Center, joined by UNRBA, the City of Durham, Durham County, and the NC Division of Water Quality, went into the field to assess the health of Little Lick Creek, which is a tributary of Falls Lake, a drinking water reservoir in the Upper Neuse. The group identifi ed sections of the waters already impacted by the city and its growth, and the Center followed up with examining upland areas to identify potential sources of pollution. The Center’s site-specific recommendations from the fieldwork were joined with the programmatic recommendations, then prioritized and endorsed by the technical advisory team.

Appoquinimink Watershed Plan (DE)
Working with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in the Appoquinimink watershed in New Castle County, DE, the Center developed a plan to implement a Pollution Control Strategy recently developed by local stakeholders in response to existing water quality regulations. Center staff were joined in the field by a variety of state agencies, local staff, and the watershed coordinator to walk the streams and uplands looking for in-stream and buffer restoration projects, stormwater retrofits, and pollution prevention opportunities. Based on field findings, a future land use analysis, and a review of existing monitoring data, the Center recommended a suite of activities for local partners to implement over the next five years.

Bronx River Watershed Restoration Plan (NY)
The Center worked with staff from Westchester County, NY to develop a baseline assessment of the Westchester County portion of the 56 square-mile Bronx River watershed. The Center conducted a preliminary assessment of the watershed and, in conjunction with Biohabitats, conducted a stream assessment evaluating conditions and identifying restoration opportunities within the stream corridor. Center staff also conducted a "windshield survey" -- surveying surrounding roads to determine specific pollution sources, to identify areas where pollution prevention and restoration possibilities exist, and to locate areas to improve stormwater management. The final plan recommendations were released in 2007 and marked the first time that the Center has applied its comprehensive watershed restoration framework in its entirety to a watershed.

Center for Watershed Protection © 2008
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