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“When we try to pick out
anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” - John Muir
What is the Watershed Approach and Why are We Using It?
 A “watershed
approach” uses hydrologically defined areas (watersheds) to coordinate the
management of water resources. The approach is advantageous because it
considers all activities within a landscape that affect watershed health.
Ideally, a watershed approach will integrate biology, chemistry,
economics, and social considerations into decision-making. It considers
local stakeholder input and national and state goals and regulations. A
watershed approach recognizes needs for water supply, water quality, flood
control, navigation, hydropower generation, fisheries, biodiversity,
habitat preservation, and recreation - and it recognizes that these needs
often compete. It establishes local priorities in the context of national
goals and coordinates public and private actions. A watershed approach
offers a blueprint for water resource management.
A comprehensive watershed approach improves on the fragmented approach the
nation has used in the past. The United States has developed separate laws
for clean water, clean air, fertile soils, productive fisheries, healthy
forests and robust communities. It created separate agencies to administer
those laws at federal, state, and local ‘levels and on public and private
lands. These agencies have different missions, authorities, and modes of
operation. The property boundaries of landowners and the political
boundaries of states, tribes, counties, and municipalities are often
unrelated to watershed boundaries. As a result, when citizens or
governments have tried to coordinate water resource protection or
restoration efforts, they have often found it difficult to do so. Evidence
suggests that the watershed approach improves collaboration and
information sharing among diverse partners and leveraging of resources.
Watershed Protection and Restoration
Watershed protection measures reduce impacts to waterbodies and prevent
degradation. Protection measures include both voluntary and legally
mandated actions. Paying farmers to set aside conservation easements, for
example, ensures that some lands have limited human impacts, while water
quality permits limit pollutant releases into waterbodies. Watershed
protection measures that prevent degradation before it occurs typically
cost less and succeed more often than watershed restoration measures
implemented after watersheds are impaired. Protected watersheds are more
likely to be healthier watersheds.
Watershed restoration is more difficult to define. Here are several
possible definitions
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the manipulation of physical, chemical, or
biological characteristic, with the goal of returning natural/historic
functions.
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the “return of an ecosystem to a close
approximation of its condition prior to disturbance.”
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the reestablishment of pre-disturbance
aquatic functions and related physical, chemical, and biological
characteristics.
In summary, restoration activities seek to restore healthy aquatic
communities and provide clean waters for recreation, irrigation, and
public consumption.
For a more detailed discussion of watershed restoration principles, visit
the Environmental EPA’s “River Corridor and Wetland Restoration” webpage (http://www.epa.gov/owow/restore/).
Watershed restoration can be challenging. Most restoration efforts do not
show immediate results. Some restoration activities can even
unintentionally harm the environment. All restoration efforts require a
long-term commitment.
Addressing Watershed Problems
A watershed approach highlights relationships among land management
decisions, everyday actions, and watershed health. The next section of
this report discusses threats to watershed health such as pathogens,
chemical pollutants, and invasive species. Most are caused by commonplace
activities: clearing forested lands for new housing developments; paving
new roads and driveways for transportation; over-applying fertilizers and
pesticides to lawns; overworking farmlands and timberlands; or postponing
maintenance to home septic tanks. Only by understanding these problems and
reducing our impacts can we assure healthy watersheds for our use and
enjoyment.
This information was largely taken from EPA
Office of Water publication Protecting and Restoring America's
Watersheds, EPA-840-R-00-001.
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