How
To Get Started
(Or what every successful watershed coordinator needs
to know.)
1. Get to Know Your Watershed
2. Sharpen Your People Skills.
3. Begin the Partnership
4. Begin the Assessment
5. Determine Priorities
6. Develop the Plan
7. Conduct Educational Programs
8. Provide Any Needed Assistance
9. Ensure Implementation
10. Evaluate and Re-Assess
On paper, the watershed management process looks easy. You do step one, then step two
and so on. In reality each of the following occur simultaneously. As you read this list,
think about your own watershed. Jot down additional questions that make sense in your
unique part of the world.
- Determine size, boundaries, soils, terrain and other features. How
large is it? What towns and counties does it involve? Who owns the land? Who manages
the land? Are there differences in soils? What are the underlying geologic formations? How
has the watershed 'weathered' over time?
- Understand the people, interests, and institutions. Who lives in the
watershed? What is the culture(s)? Who depends on the watershed? What are their needs?
- Determine uses. What is located where? Who uses the water? For what?
How are the other natural resources used?
- Getting
Started: My 'To Do' List
- Review your Conflict
Management skills. When was the last time you successfully dealt with a conflict
between others? What did you do? What could you have done to make the outcome more
successful? Make everyone more comfortable?
- Brush up on your
Leadership skills. Can you lead without dominating? Are you truly neutral? If not,
immediately disqualify yourself. Find someone who has been in the watershed for years.
Someone everyone respects.
- Identify and contact partners/stakeholders
- Divide work and responsibility
- Identify and manage conflicts
- Obtain local funding and other resources
- List concerns identified by all with a stake
- Come to consensus on the critical areas for attention
- Weigh the options for addressing each of the areas
- Identify options that "make sense" to all with a stake...particularly those
who will be directly affected
- Identify and understand target audiences
- Develop specific messages
- Combine communication approaches, channels and media
- Target technical assistance
- Provide any needed financial assistance to stakeholders making changes
- Build social support and recognition
- Continue with monitoring and evaluation
- Provide continued local funding
- Continue to inform and involve everyone
- Evaluate progress. What were the measurable objectives? Have measurements been made
fairly and accurately? What changes have been made? What have these changes resulted in?
- Evaluate strategies. What worked? What didn't work? What are some optional
strategies? How can the course be corrected?
- Evaluate the partnership. Who is participating? Who isn't? Why not? How can they get
involved? Who else has a stake?
- Re-Assess the watershed. Have there been changes in watershed use? Water use? Have new
concerns risen? Are old concerns still important?
- Prioritize remaining challenges.
Last Updated: 02/04/02 |
