Download or read book Watershed Report Card written by Watershed Report Card (Association) and published by Peterborough, Ont. : WRC. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Know Your Watersheds written by United States. Forest Service and published by . This book was released on 1957 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Assessing the Influence and Effectiveness of Watershed Report Cards on Watershed Management written by Barbara Jane Veale and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept and practice of watershed management have evolved since the early twentieth century and continue to change. Contemporary watershed management, as a means to improve environmental, social, and economic well-being, is generally accepted world-wide and is gaining popularity. Recognition of the ever-changing, complex, conflicting, and unpredictable nature of the forces that influence ecological and human systems has given rise to concepts and principles related to ecological or watershed health, sustainability, and good governance. Numerous terms have emerged to describe and explain contemporary watershed management processes that incorporate these concepts and principles, including 'integrated' and 'sustainable' watershed management. While there is growing consensus that integrated or sustainable watershed management should be practiced, there is little agreement on what these two terms mean and how they differ. The rational comprehensive or synoptic model is a widely-accepted normative framework to guide watershed management processes. This model presumes a 'top-down' linear, systematic, and logical sequence of steps characterized by complete knowledge of the issues and consequences of actions and dominated by rational decision making - circumstances that rarely happen in real life. Implementation gaps between theory and practice exist because of persistent and common challenges relating to complexity, conflict, uncertainty, and change in human and ecological systems. Failure to account for these factors has restricted the utility of this model for guiding watershed management processes, prompting questions about how the model might be adjusted to incorporate concepts and principles associated with watershed health, sustainability, and good governance. In response to the need to demonstrate progress towards watershed health and sustainability, a growing number of watershed organizations in Canada are pioneering the development of indicator-based assessment reports. The actual versus anticipated outcomes of watershed indicator reports and their existing and potential role in the watershed management process have not been systematically assessed or compared. A review of academic and professional literature and a mixed methods research approach comparing 13 case studies from 7 provinces across Canada were used to explore these knowledge gaps. A more in-depth investigation of two of the case studies, the Fraser Basin Council and the Humber Watershed Alliance, was also completed. Contextual factors influencing the practice of watershed management and the process used for developing watershed report cards are identified through an analysis of available documents. This information is supplemented with opinions gathered from 109 in-depth and semi-structured interviews/questionnaires. In addition, informants provided viewpoints regarding the usefulness, effectiveness, benefits, and value of watershed report cards, along with ideas about how they can be improved. This study concludes that while sustainable watershed management (SWM) and integrated watershed management (IWM) are closely aligned concepts, the distinguishing factor is scope. The primary goal of SWM is environmental, social, and economic sustainability within a watershed unit, whereas the central focus of IWM is the protection and/or restoration of water and land resources within a watershed to sustain human well-being. In Canada, IWM rather than SWM is generally pursued. Nevertheless, sustainability is an ultimate goal of IWM. Sustainability principles are acknowledged, valued, and applied. This study concludes that IWM can play a significant role in supporting a broad sustainability agenda. This study contributes to a growing body of knowledge seeking to enrich the theory of watershed management and improve and streamline practice. To improve the utility of the rational comprehensive model for guiding contemporary watershed management, modifications are presented which include separate phases for visioning and learning and couch the process within an overall conceptual framework that balances management, research, and monitoring activities. These adjustments reflect the concepts of integration, collaboration, and shared learning and acknowledge the shift away from 'command and control' bureaucratic processes to collaborative 'middle ground' polycentric governance structures. Rather than focusing strictly on a sequence of steps and a prescribed process, the consideration of a series of context-specific questions is advocated to help scope and streamline processes to match stakeholder capacity, address issues of greatest concern, and sustain interest and enthusiasm. However, concerted effort is required to counteract competing and entrenched socio-political and economic doctrines and traditions. Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting are key components in the IWM process. Study findings reveal that watershed report cards in Canada are a fledgling tool and no standard approach exists. Each case-study watershed organization has a unique approach to selecting, organizing, and presenting indicators. As a result, report card styles and formats vary. Despite a general consensus that watershed report cards are worthwhile, expectations often exceed outcomes, and common traits which challenge their effectiveness exist. The usefulness and effectiveness of watershed report cards are hampered by several common shortfalls: (1) universal lack of consistent, spatially-specific, and timely data, (2) inconsistent measures and indicators between successive watershed reports, (3) ambiguous or non-existent goals, objectives, targets, and benchmarks, and (4) messages that are unclear, difficult to understand, or fail to resonate with the target audiences. The 'lessons learned' from an assessment of the attributes and perceived benefits of watershed report cards parallel those discovered for community indicator initiatives. Building on this research, recommendations for improvement include (1) focus on stakeholder issues of prime concern, (2) use consistent measures and indicators, (3) limit the number of indicators and simplify report card styles and formats, (4) select spatially explicit, temporally relevant, and science-based indicators and measures, (5) explain and illustrate major cause-effect linkages, (6) use the report card process to build a constituency of support, (7) incorporate marketing and outreach activities, and (8) introduce performance measures to assess efficiency and how well collective practice demonstrates sustainability principles. This study concludes that opportunities exist for improving watershed report cards and boosting their multi-purpose role as a predominant planning, assessment, advocacy, communication, learning, and research tool in support of IWM, and ultimately, sustainability.
Download or read book Watershed Connections written by and published by . This book was released on 2002* with total page 1 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Canadian Books in Print 2002 written by Marian Butler and published by . This book was released on 2002-02 with total page 930 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mobilizing the Watershed Community written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Watersheds written by Gregor Beck and published by Firefly Books. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water is our most vital resource, yet few understand even the basics of watershed ecology. This new edition has been updated to reflect growing environmental challenges, such as climate change, the insidious spread of invasive species and the loss of biodiversity. Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water is an engaging and informative introduction to ecology and environmental issues that focus on water-related issues. Well suited for youth or general readers of any age, Watersheds combines a profusion of beautiful illustrations with non-technical and accessible text, making it attractive as well as informative. The book explains ecological principles, environmental challenges, introduces North America's major biological regions, outlines the complexities of water and nutrient cycles and explains the ecology of wetlands and waterways. Watersheds also explains some of the major environmental issues facing North America, including air pollution, water pollution, invasive exotic species, and habitat loss and destruction. Watersheds provides detailed information on: water and nutrient cycles bioregions and aquatic habitats exotic species invasions water and air pollution ecological restoration habitat loss. While Watersheds identifies and explains multiple ecological challenges, the book is engaging, empowering, and positive, providing practical "How Can I Help?" sections aimed to inspire participation in efforts to restore watersheds and protect the environment. As the book explains, what's good for one's local watershed is also good for the planet -- so we can all help protect and restore our natural environment.
Download or read book Canadian Books in Print written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 1602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A River Ran Wild written by Lynne Cherry and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2002 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the beloved classic "The Great Kapok Tree," "A River Ran Wild "tells a story of restoration and renewal. Learn how the modern-day descendants of the Nashua Indians and European settlers were able to combat pollution and restore the beauty of the Nashua River in Massachusetts.
Download or read book Listen to Your River written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book State Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs Guidance written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Planning as Process written by William A. Hashim and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dee Dee the Fryingpan River Dipper written by and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An American dipper, the only North American aquatic songbird, reveals her habits and habitats in and around Colorado's Fryingpan River.
Download or read book Hydrology and the Management of Watersheds written by Kenneth N. Brooks and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition is a major revision of the popular introductory reference on hydrology and watershed management principles, methods, and applications. The book's content and scope have been improved and condensed, with updated chapters on the management of forest, woodland, rangeland, agricultural urban, and mixed land use watersheds. Case studies and examples throughout the book show practical ways to use web sites and the Internet to acquire data, update methods and models, and apply the latest technologies to issues of land and water use and climate variability and change.
Download or read book Smart by Nature written by Michael K. Stone and published by Contemporary Issues (Watershed. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Describes strategies for greening the campus and the curriculum, conducting environmental audits, rethinking school food, and transforming schools into models of sustainable community"-- P. [4] of cover.
Download or read book Toxics in Your Community Newsletter written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 700 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Water Contamination Emergencies written by Ulrich Borchers and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we assess and manage the actual risks from water contamination? Can we learn from previous experiences? What can be done in future? This book is the proceedings of the fifth conference on this topic and addresses these issues relating to drinking water and drinking water systems. With emphasis on effectively and efficiently managing the risks and threats and sharing experiences, it provides information on successful use of leading-edge technologies and best practice both now and for the future. With contributions from leading scientists and experts in academia and industry it offers a truly international perspective on our ability to deal with water contamination emergencies. Emphasis is given to prevention, strategy and unusual emergency incident situations relating to drinking water. The book will appeal across a diverse group from public health professionals, water companies and water security experts and regulators.
