Tools

This section of this web site provides you with links to resources from across the country that will help you in your land use and watershed planning efforts. Each listing includes a brief description and a link to the resource. The First Stop Shop for Water Resources also provides links to organizations and events to help you. Look for them under the various topic pages: Smart Growth and Water Resources, Land Use and Watershed Management, Stormwater Management, Water Conservation, and Water Recycling and Reuse.

National LID Clearinghouse

This website has been developed through a Cooperative Assistance Agreement under the US EPA Office of Water 104b(3) Program in order to provide a web-based clearinghouse that allows researchers, practitioners, and program managers to collaborate and efficiently disseminate and share information with local governments, states, builders, developers, stakeholders, and environmental groups. The administrative and technical information available through this clearinghouse will be useful to permit writers, local government officials, watershed managers, and stakeholders.

Green Streets: Innovative Solutions for Stormwater and Stream Crossings

Tools for designing streets.

State of California General Plan Guidelines 2003

These advisory guidelines serve as a valuable reference for cities and counties in the preparation of local general plans.

California Watershed Assessment Manual

Guidelines for assessing and monitoring conditions in a watershed.

Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment

Online tool to help local government planners to measure the water quality impact of land use changes.

Impervious Surface Analysis Tool

The Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT) is used to calculate the percentage of impervious surface area of user-selected geographic areas (e.g., watersheds, municipalities, subdivisions). ISAT is available as an ArcView® 3.x, ArcGIS 8.x or an ArcGIS 9.x extension.

Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program

State Water Resources Control Board program to integrate existing water quality monitoring activities with the Regional Water Quality Control Boards and to coordinate with other monitoring programs.

Water Resources Protection Ordinance

In an effort to clarify and streamline local permitting for streamside activities, representatives from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, cities, the county and business, agriculture, streamside property owners and environmental interests created a partnership known as the Water Resources Protection Collaborative. Among its many accomplishments is a manual of model guidelines and standards for land-use near streams.

Riparian Setbacks: Technical Information for Decision Makers

This is a synthesis of recent research findings organized to provide the scientific basis upon which a town or municipality could begin the task of defending a riparian setback ordinance from legal and other other challenges.

Urban Environmental Design Manual

"Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management developed the Urban Environmental Design Manual to encourage environmentally sound urban revitalization and infill development by providing guidance to local officials and the development community to demonstrate how smart growth design principles can be integrated with environmental protection and restoration. "

Scenario Planning

Scenario planning is a tool to help transportation professionals analyze various forces (health, transportation, economic, environmental, lan use) that affect growth. Developed by the Federal Highway Administration.

National Menu Stormwater Best Management Practices

The Menu of BMPs is based on the Stormwater Phase II Rule's six minimum control measures.

Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect our Waters

This draft handbook is intended to help agencies develop and implement watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

The Nonpoint Source Pollution program web page for the State of Massachusetts includes "The Clean Water Toolkit", an NPS Management Manual.

Design Guidelines to Enhance Community Appearance and Protect Natural Resources

Describes planning considerations, tools, and best management practices to create a more visuially appealing community.

Guide to Using Natural Resource Information in Local Decision Making

Natural resource-based planning process to ensure that land use decisions are made in an environmentally sensitive and fiscally responsible way.

National Stormwater Quality Database

National database of Phase 1 stormwater monitoring data.

Center for Watershed Protection

A nonprofit organization that provides local governments, activists, and watershed organizations around the country with the technical tools for protecting our streams, lakes and rivers.

Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network

Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) is a management approach to address the challenges of human activities on land and in the ocean that are changing coastal and marine ecosystems. It considers all ecosystem components, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one issue or resource in isolation. EBM tools are software or other processes that can help implement EBM by: • Providing models of ecosystems or key ecosystem processes. • Generating scenarios illustrating the consequences of different management decisions on natural resources and the economy. • Facilitating stakeholder involvement in planning processes.