Summary
The purpose and objectives for developing a watershed management plan for the Bacon Prairie Ditch subwatershed include improving water quality in Tipton County, promoting adoption of voluntary conservation, providing a forum to identify and discuss watershed resources and concerns, and identifying and seeking funding to address concerns.
The Bacon Prairie Ditch watershed was selected for plan development through a prioritization process. The plan was developed by a process driven by local interests to reflect the water quality concerns of local stakeholders. A watershed team was assembled from members of the community and residents of the watershed in the early stages of the project. The entire local public was invited to participate in its development, with the intent of having broad representation of local interests reflected in the team composition. Once the team was assembled, the following events occurred in sequential order to develop the plan. Quarterly watershed team meetings provided the forum to undertake the process.
- Introduction of project, background of watershed resources, group dynamics, and ground-rules for participation.
- Identification of water quality concerns important to local stakeholders via Nominal Group Technique.
- Assessment of water quality conditions in context of concerns identified above, which provided reference points for next steps. Incorporated information from many sources.
- Presentation of results of assessment and discussed sources/causes.
- Development of goals and solutions to concerns identified above via brainstorming and team consensus.
- Draft plan that incorporates all steps above.
- Implement plan; develop projects that address goals/solutions identified above.