The Clean Water Action Plan, released by President Clinton in February, 1998, requests that states and tribes, with assistance from federal agencies and input from stakeholders and the public, convene a collaborative process to develop a Unified Watershed Assessment (UWA) to guide allocation of new federal resources for watershed protection. 

The Plan called for watersheds to be placed in one of four categories:

Category I
Watersheds that are candidates for increased restoration activities due to impaired water quality or other impaired natural resource goals (emphasis on aquatic systems).

Category II
Watersheds with good water quality that, through regular program activities, can be sustained and improved.

Category III
Watersheds with pristine or sensitive areas on federal, state, or tribal lands that need protection

Category IV
Watersheds where more information is needed in order to categorize them.

In California, the process for developing the UWA was convened jointly by the State Water Resources Control Board staff and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, in collaboration with tribes, other state and federal natural resource agencies, and a variety of stakeholder groups. A number of open public meetings were held and public comments were received after production of the first draft in summer, 1998.

The final report, completed October 1, 1998 lists 66 Priority Category I watersheds (including those needing restoration). The data and criteria accounted for 34 of these public comments added 21 more, and the State Water Resources Control Board added 11 more watershed to the priority list due to their existing priorities under the 319 program.

To evaluate and categorize the state's watersheds, the NRCS directed an open collaborative process in which numerous state and federal agencies, private landowners and associations, and nonprofit organizations participated. The process involved gathering many existing databases on the land and resources of the state of California. These maps have been processed by the University of California at Davis Information Center for the Environment (ICE) to produce the maps and data used by many different groups to help them in their watershed planning efforts. And they are all available through the Internet at the NRCS web site for public examination and use.

If you would like to learn more about the Unified Watershed Assessment, the implications for funding future restoration projects, or the data and maps available for your use, find the entire report on the web at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/cwap.html. Or direct your questions or comments to Ken Coulter, Division of Water Quality, SWRCB at (916) 657-2127.