A Toolbox for Integrated Watershed Planning at Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky: Management and Decision-Making Tools

To meet the challenges of integrated planning, support efficient spending and make informed decisions that improve the quality of their waterways, SD1 has invested in unique tools that span regulatory programs and allow SD1 to make infrastructure investments that maximize benefits to these water resources. These tools allow SD1 to manage water resources more efficiently and economically by:Prioritizing watersheds;Integrating data from different sources and of different types;Identifying early action projects; andFacilitating public communication and stakeholder engagement.The tools in SD1's toolbox, including a Watershed Assessment Tool, a Stream Condition Index, detailed watershed and water quality models, and a Source Identification Program, have helped SD1 develop an approach for identifying opportunities and prioritizing projects that are consistent with the goals of EPA's recently integrated planning framework initiative. All of these tools support an adaptive management approach and each are described in this paper.