IDENTIFICATION OF SITES FOR BMP IMPLEMENTATION AND RETROFITTING: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

Best management practices (BMPs) are widely recognized as an effective means to mitigate environmental impact from a variety of human activity and are often called for in watershed management plans. The state of the art for design and monitoring of structural BMPs has rapidly evolved over the last 15 years and most environmental professionals will agree that they can be very effective in reducing the negative impacts of development on water bodies. In addition, a great deal of guidance is available regarding selection of structural BMPs for specific site conditions. However, decision makers today may have to manage hundreds of square miles within a given watershed and the question is not whether to implement BMPs, or even necessarily which BMPs to implement, but rather where to site the BMPs to make effective use of limited financial resources. This paper looks at the challenges facing watershed managers in selecting sites for BMPs, examines the tools available to assist in the site selection process, and offers some potentially useful strategies.