Community DECISIONS: stakeholder focused watershed planning

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Community Planning

Background:

• Successful watershed planning requires integrating community goals with resource constraints.
• Stakeholder engagement is crucial for developing and implementing effective watershed management plans.
• Nutrient imbalances in watersheds pose significant environmental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Community DECISIONS (Community Decision Support for Integrated, On-the-ground Nutrient Reduction Strategies) process.
• To facilitate stakeholder evaluation of strategies for reducing watershed nutrient imbalances.
• To support goal formulation and strategy selection for the North Fork Shenandoah River Watershed.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a structured decision process involving stakeholder participation.
• Employed a nutrient accounting algorithm and a nutrient treatment database for data analysis.
• Applied the Vector Analytic Hierarchy Process for ranking stakeholder-preferred strategies.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders identified and preferred a 'Maximum' strategy, incorporating point source upgrades, riparian buffers, no-till farming, cover crops, and bioretention filters.
• The process enhanced communication and was deemed helpful for watershed and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) planning.
• Participants desired more comprehensive issue coverage and data availability.

Conclusions:

• The Community DECISIONS process effectively supports stakeholder-driven watershed planning and nutrient management.
• Clear scientific information on physical and socioeconomic processes is vital for informed stakeholder decisions.
• Planning frameworks must allow sufficient time for stakeholders to address issues beyond existing models.