There are over 4,000 local watershed organizations in the United States, representing one of the fastest-growing nonprofit sectors.  Locally-based organizations make excellent watershed managers and advocates because they're usually unencumbered by political boundaries, government regulations, and local politics. However, training opportunities, technical support and resources have historically been scarce for these smaller groups.

We've provided resource materials here to help build the technical capacity of small watershed organizations through skills training and outreach/education products.  Developed under projects funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, all of these resources are intended for your use and adaptation, and you're free to download and reprint them as you see fit (although we do ask that you credit the Center for Watershed Protection).

The Center has provided direct technical help to a number of watershed groups interested in assessing and restoring their watersheds. Check out our some of our recent projects here.

Technical Skills We Can Help You With:
Through a small watersheds grant with NFWF, we worked specifically with the South River Federation, Weems Creek Conservancy, and the Watershed Alliance of Adams County on four technical skills training areas. You can review full reports or examples from each of these areas:

• Subwatershed delineation/estimating impervious cover
• Stream assessment field training
• Stormwater retrofitting
• Stream restoration 

Community Watersheds Project Summaries

• South River Federation
• Weems Creek Conservancy
• Watershed Alliance of Adams County
• Paxton Creek Watershed and Education Association

Educating Watershed Constituents This section provides educational materials you can use in outreach efforts aimed at watershed residents.