This handbook is intended to help communities, watershed
organizations, and state, local, tribal and federal environmental
agencies develop and implement watershed plans to meet water quality
standards and protect water resources. It was designed to help any
organization undertaking a watershed planning effort, and it should be
particularly useful to persons working with impaired or threatened
waters. EPA intends for this handbook to supplement existing watershed
planning guides that have already been developed by agencies,
universities, and other nonprofit organizations. The handbook is
generally more specific than other guides with respect to guidance on
quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load
reductions required to meet water quality standards, developing
effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is
implemented.
EPA will be seeking advice from watershed organizations in developing the future versions of the handbook. A mailbox for emailed comments, suggestions, and corrections has been created. Please address them to watershedhandbook@epa.gov.
The links on the website present the full handbook and the handbook divided into 13 chapters, contents (including the cover page,
table of contents, and acronyms and abbreviations), 2 appendices, a glossary, and a bibliography, with downloadable PDF files
for each. You may download each file by clicking on its link.
DOWNLOAD the COURSE at EPA.GOV
