Watershed Planning
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This master topic considers the requirements, history, funding sources, and social-political drivers of watershed planning. This includes a variety of efforts and programs over the years to better define how human settlement is organized in the landscape--what is protected and what is permitted to be damaged. Many elements of watershed planning may occur within a Jurisdiction and is completed by Local Governments as required under state laws like the Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act. However of particular interest are additional efforts that lead to evaluation of ecological systems using natural boundaries, like those organized within Watershed Resource Inventory Areas, that cross jurisdictional lines. Salmon Recovery planning has been an important nexus for watershed planning. However the state Watershed Planning Act of 1997 precedes the listing of Chinook Salmon in Puget Sound, and The Hirst Decision and Streamflow Restoration resulting in the Streamflow Restoration Law of 2018 has become a driver in renewed local planning at the WRIA scale. These authorities generally place watershed planning activity within the Washington State Department of Ecology in alignment with interrelated authorities concerning Water Supply and Water Quality. These activities are often supported by Environmental Protection Agency with the National Estuary Program providing significant federal resources. This topic organizes links to describe the range of watershed planning efforts in Washington State, focused on watershed units, and outside of Salmon Recovery
Notes
- The Hirst Decision and the Streamflow Restoration Law has resulted in program development at Ecology. https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-supply/Streamflow-restoration
- Watershed planning prompted by The Law required Jurisdictions to complete higher resolution analysis of planned future development.
- The Watershed Planning Act resulted in 33 adopted watershed plans. https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-supply/Streamflow-restoration/Watershed-plan-archive
- It is unclear whether and how watershed plans lead to changes in protection or restoration at the jurisdiction level. Pcereghino (talk)
- Comprehensive Plan development, Shoreline Master Programs, and plans associated with Storm and Surface Water Drainage Utilities, or implementation of Total Maximum Daily Load analysis also affect decisions, in ways that may be more proximate than more generalized planning.
- Plans may be most impactful when they drive funding, which requires an understanding of the dynamics of Puget Sound Ecosystem Funding.
Regional Resource Development
- Puget Sound Characterization Project developed a Puget Sound-wide model of watershed condition, designed to support local governments.
