What is a Watershed
Association, and Do You Need One?
A watershed association is a group
of citizens living and working within a watershed who are concerned with existing local
issues.
To determine the need for a watershed
association, the group should consider the following:
What are the issues facing the
watershed?
Examples include:
- Establishing or restoring recreational areas and
aesthetic values
- Suburban sprawl
- Nonpoint source pollution:
-Excessive nutrients and agricultural runoff
-Storm water runoff
- Point source pollution:
-Abandoned mine drainage
-Industrial discharge
Stream bank erosion and siltation
- Industrial waste, sewage overload, spillages,
landfill seepage
- Dam removals
- Establishing wetlands for habitat restoration,
nutrient filtration, and
flood control
- Ecotourism
What are the needs and wants of the
overall watershed community?
- There may be more than one need, want or goal
- Take inventory of your needs to justify requests for assistance
- Realize that your group will need strength and commitment from the entire
community
- If the needs are diverse, recognize them
What is the availability and
willingness of key leaders and volunteer members in your community to take a pro-active
approach to watershed issues that have been identified through a watershed association or
other unified group?
- Are there other watershed
associations in your community doing the same thing that you want to do?
If you have determined that a watershed association is needed and key leaders and
volunteers have been identified, an organizing committee is your next logical step.