State contributions vary widely. For example Massachusetts and Oregon provide both seed money and operational and technical support to watershed projects. There is increasing involvement by industry foundations, with event sponsorship being more common than program sponsorship. The majority of programs focus on information gathering, education and conservation projects. Several have a strong advocacy component and others emphasize water management roles through voluntary compliance and mediation.
Strong emphasis is placed on public participation.
An extensive network of volunteer monitoring programs exist throughout the U.S. Volunteers include students, concerned citizens, or both. The network is supported through data systems, training, and equipment provided by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Regulatory and monitoring agencies are making increasing use of the data to meet their own mandates. Quality assurance is a priority. Most of the watersheds dealt with by these organizations, with the exception of the Mississippi River Alliance, are much smaller in size than the Saskatchewan River Basin.