# Presentation: 151443

## Web-Based Decision Tools for Watershed Management

- http://www.epa.gov/ waterspace/

- Original Presentation Design and Execution: Zenny K. Sadlon

## Locally Led Watershed Management

- Bringing together scientific information
- Screening alternatives
- Writing, evaluating, and adjusting plans

## Making Local Land Use Decisions

*“**What you do on the land, affects the quality of the water in the waterways.”*

## 85% of the Land Is Owned by Private Parties
Local Governments (1,800+ Units in Wisconsin) Have Primary Responsibility for Regulating Land Uses

- Local Governments (1,800+ Units in Wisconsin) Have Primary Responsibility for Regulating Land Uses

- In Wisconsin

**Notes:**
In Wisconsin, 85% of the land is owned by private parties. Our state
government has a long history of supporting private landowners and private
property rights. Private landowners make land use decisions that affect the
environment. Thus, our best method for protecting the state's natural
resources and environment is to work with private landowners to support and
inform their decision-making process.

## Private Landowners Make Land Use Decisions That Affect the Environment
Citizens Forming Partnerships
Neither Typically Have Adequate Information About Decision Impacts

- Citizens Forming Partnerships
- Neither Typically Have Adequate Information About Decision Impacts

- In Wisconsin

**Notes:**
In Wisconsin, 85% of the land is owned by private parties. Our state
government has a long history of supporting private landowners and private
property rights. Private landowners make land use decisions that affect the
environment. Thus, our best method for protecting the state's natural
resources and environment is to work with private landowners to support and
inform their decision-making process.

- Offers state and local decision-makers thirteen regional decision support tools
- Includes bundled data
- Means of clear impact analysis

## Origin: April 2002 
Midwest Web-based Spatial Workshop in Chicago

- Midwest Web-based Spatial Workshop in Chicago

- Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- 	Co-hosts:		US EPA Region 5, Michigan State University, 			and Purdue University
- 	Purpose:		Demonstration of various Decision Support and 			GIS Systems
- 	Participants:	State, Federal, and Tribal water resource 				managers Land Grant University Extension 				community, Watershed managers, and local 				government representatives

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Members:

- Indiana Department of Environmental Management
- International City/County Management Association
- Michigan State University, Institute of Water Research
- Purdue University - Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Forestry and Natural Resources

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Members:

- State University of New York at Buffalo
- University of Wisconsin Extension
- U.S. EPA, Region 5 - Office of Public Affairs, Water Division and the Office of Information Services
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- U. S. EPA/HQ - Office of Water Smart Growth Team

## Development, promotion and use of web-based, user-friendly, geo-spatial watershed management data and decision support tools
Help set the standard for other watershed management programs
Promoting data initiatives
Relating specific tools to planning process phases and learning objectives
Creating systems where outputs of tools can be plugged into other models 

- Help set the standard for other watershed management programs
- Promoting data initiatives
- Relating specific tools to planning process phases and learning objectives
- Creating systems where outputs of tools can be plugged into other models

- Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Purpose:

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Accomplishments:

- Brought together tool developers, resource managers, and decision makers: Federal, State, Tribal, Regional Plann’g Commissions & Local
- Commitment from participants to advance Region-wide SDSS efforts
- ICMA and Extension Community are  helping to achieve local community outreach, and capacity development
- RPC’s are asking for hands-on workshops

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Lessons learned:

- WDNR & RPC workshops confirmed local decision makers’ preferences for certain tool characteristics: web-based, spatial, public domain
- Scalability allows each level of decision maker look at appropriate level of data and detail
- 		- 8 digit watershed for big picture perspective
- 		- 12 digit watershed for local analysis of proposed actions

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- Lessons learned:

- 3	Consistent data and methodology allow easy access to a variety of data. The demand for data is both vertical & horizontal.
- Our focus is on public domain tools and data to ensure wide accessibility

## Midwest Partnership for Watershed Management Decision Support Systems

- 5.	We’re seeking input from decision makers, provide constant feedback to developers, and have mechanisms in place for this purpose
- 		- WDNR Evaluations
- 		- Direct feedback from workshop participants
- 6.	We’re taking the feedback and issues we get, both Regionally and nationally, and advancing those across Agency lines

## Unique & Emerging Characteristics

- Of The Tools

- In demand by

- local officials, natural resource managers, and the general public

- because they deliver ease of use, bundled data, and means of clear impact analysis:

## Web-based

- Spatially Based and Scalable
- Science-based
- Accessible (in Public Domain)
- Intuitive
- Customizable via Features & Plug-ins
- Free-standing

## The  Midwest Partnership:

- Sponsoring certain Decision Support Tools & Data Initiatives to serve the needs of local decision-makers
- We’re expanding our outreach activities and partnerships to reach others who serve the needs of local communities,
- Providing direct feedback from decision-makers to tool developers

## The  Midwest Partnership:

- We are exerting leadership,  both Regionally and nationally, to advance SDSS efforts
- A unique Federal-State-Local Government partnership to promote decision support tools for watershed management & land use decision-making