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An Overview of Washington State's Watershed Approach to Water Quality Management

Water Quality Management Areas | Map of the Water Quality Management Areas | Five Step - Five Year Cycle | Schedule

In July 1993, the Washington State Department of Ecology initiated a new managerial framework to improve the protection of water quality.  Ecology began a five year transition to a comprehensive Watershed Approach to Water Quality Management.  In this approach, both point and nonpoint source problems and needs are addressed for all parts of the state.

As a management approach, the design was formulated to guide the organization toward improving coordination of water quality activities, service delivery, protection and prevention activities, and finally improved water quality statewide.

The cornerstones of the approach are the designation of water quality management areas (WQMAs), the appointment of staff "leads" for each WQMA, and a five step process for systematically issuing permits, assessing water quality conditions, focusing staff effort, and developing an improved basis for decision making in each WQMA.  This management model was necessitated by the need to increase protection using fewer resources.  The objective is to develop more precise information so that managers can allocate scarce resources to where they are most needed and to better schedule workload over time.  Since 1993, the watershed approach management model has provided a consistent and sequential internal structure for improving water quality.  It is nationally recognized, and is a prime example within EPA's Statewide Watershed Management Course as a planning and priority setting system.

The watershed approach synchronizes water quality monitoring, inspections and permitting and supports water protection activities on a geographic basis.  It is a coordinated and integrated method to link science, permits, and other water pollution control and prevention activities to meet state water quality standards.  As a management tool, the watershed approach focuses resources by matrixing staff through time into a variety of tasks and areas of the state.  Each step of the process addresses specific evaluation, planning, and implementation needs.  A strong public involvement process insures that the state continues to support and validate local watershed efforts.  Local priorities strongly influence state planning and grant/loan funding priorities.

Water Quality Management Areas

The State of Washington has been divided into 23 WQMAs. Ecology has four regional offices located throughout the state.  Each region has approximately five WQMAs within its boundaries, with the exception of Eastern Regional Office which has eight (for a total of 23). The WQMAs have been named and an identified staff "lead" has been assigned to coordinate watershed processes and activities within the area.

Other water quality technicians and research staff are also targeted to these 23 WQMAs across the state.  Point source permits for municipal and industrial facilities are scheduled, within individual watersheds, to be issued during the same year to ensure equity, consistency, and predictability (see schedule below).  Nonpoint source pollution controls, along with technical and financial assistance programs, are being integrated to complete the comprehensive system.

Map of the Water Quality Management Areas

Five Step - Five Year Cycle

Each year, approximately four or five WQMAs are scheduled into a cycle.  Within each cycle, there are five steps with each step consuming one year.  The steps are:

Year 1:  SCOPING:  Identify and prioritize known and suspected water quality issues within the WQMA by assembling input from extensive community involvement and internal Ecology staff. Produce a Needs Assessment.

 

Year 2/3:  DATA COLLECTION/ANALYSIS:  Conduct water quality Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), monitoring, special studies, class II inspections and general research to discern which of the issues identified in scoping are in fact problems.

 

Year 4:  TECHNICAL REPORT:  Develop a report, in coordination with the community, that addresses the problems identified above and other areas of concern.  Also, outline strategies and management activities needed to reissue permits, form partnerships, and solidify nonpoint partnerships with grants/loans.

 

Year 5:  IMPLEMENTATION:  Issue/reissue waste water discharge permits and work with local programs and partners to implement nonpoint pollution prevention and control activities that respond to priority water quality problems.

Approximately five WQMAs are scheduled each year to enter the process.  The schedule below shows the WQMA names in the left-hand column organized into year groups.  These groups are moved through the five step, five year process outlined above.  In this way, the entire state will be covered within a period of five years.  It is important to note that statewide coverage is ensured by scheduling WQMAs rather than prioritizing them.  Scheduling avoids the priority trap, that is, placing all assets into one area only to find too much work leading to excluding other areas for treatment.

I = Permits Issued; Other Actions Started

S = Scoping

D = Data Collection

A = Data Analysis

R = Technical Report

The above process will be repeated on a five-year rotating cycle.  By focusing on smaller geographical areas, Ecology closely scrutinizes the sources and effects of pollution within each watershed (WQMA) and can take positive action to dramatically improve the water quality over time.

Unlike permitting, which is mostly a scheduling effort, nonpoint problems must be addressed through cooperative relationships with local partners.  In order to facilitate these activities, issues must be targeted, partners identified and cultivated, and funding sources must be coordinated and focused to address mutually agreed upon priority needs.  Financial support systems are key and critical to a strong nonpoint effort.  In its third year, the watershed approach model is now ready to create, innovate, and incorporate funding frameworks.

Lessons Learned to Date

• Targeting issues for treatment each cycle provides focus.
• Building relationships with partners is essential to nonpoint progress.
• Help and facilitate those who want to help themselves.
• Watershed teams are key to obtaining comprehensive information.
• Ecology staff act as brokers to facilitate multiple activities.
• Community involvement is essential for continued improvement.

Contacts

Information about how you can participate in Ecology's water quality management process, or general information on the water quality management areas can be found on the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Contacts page.

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