by The Cadmus Group, Inc. for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

US EPA Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds

2013

The US EPA commissioned an assessment of the relative health of the watersheds of California as a foundation for future watershed protection initiatives. This report provides a detailed description of the methods and results of the planning and analysis phases of the assessment. Data from a number of sources, including state and federal agencies as well as research and educational organziations were synthesized, health indicators were chosen, and index scores assigned. More than 135,000 catchment areas (average size 1.2 square miles) were assessed. Two outcomes of the assessment include a database of watershed health that can be accessed by groups involved in watershed protection and the integrated assessment framework to assist with collaboration and to encourage unified approaches to watershed improvement.

Region: California
Publication Type: Technical report
Keywords: policy, water, and watersheds