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The Delaware River WRAPS is a planning and management framework that engages stakeholders
within the watershed in a process to:
• Identify watershed restoration and protection needs and opportunities
• Establish management goals for the watershed community
• Create a cost-effective action plan to achieve goals
• Implement the action plan
WRAPS represents a shift from "top-down" government intervention in watershed issues,
to a more citizen-stakeholder approach, in which funds, guidance and technical assistance are
provided for stakeholders to reach consensus on issues of relevance in their watershed,
and then design and execute a plan to address those issues.
The WRAPS process is centered around four primary phases: Development, Assessment, Planning and Implementation.
Phase 1 - Development: Stakeholder recruitment, determine interest, document stakeholder decisions.
Phase 2 - Assessment: Review watershed conditions, trends, develop expectations of the watershed
and management measures in use, and identify restoration and protection needs and watershed model.
Phase 3 - Planning: Establish goals, identify actions to achieve goals, develop cost estimates,
select strategy, and identify stakeholder implementation strategies.
Phase 4 - Implementation: Secure resources needed to execute plan, monitor and document progress,
revise plan as needed.
The objectives of the Planning Phrase are:
1) Providing Information & Education and
2) Consulting Stakeholders
Stakeholder education and involvement are important components of every WRAPS project,
especially Planning Projects which involve decision-making about watershed restoration
and protection measures. Hosting informational meetings/workshops and developing printed materials
(brochures) are two ways of educating stakeholders during a Planning project. Regardless of the
methods, it is important that stakeholders are actively engaged in the process of developing the
watershed Action Plan.
3) Developing Watershed Restoration & Protection Goals
Goals are general statements about what the WRAPS is meant to achieve. Watershed goals are
often based on achieving “ideal” conditions (outlined in Assessment Criteria) to ensure that
watersheds continue to provide the various functions and products that stakeholders value, such
as a high level of water quality, safe drinking water supplies, and high quality habitat for wildlife.
Watershed goals typically address the need for restoration and opportunities for protection of water
and other natural resources. Restoration goals typically identify existing impairments or
degradation such as TMDLs. Protection goals identify emerging problems or other issues that need to
be addressed to prevent future impairments. Other goals might address the need for education; the
need to protect drinking water supplies (sourcewater protection), and the need to restore/protect
aquatic and wildlife habitat. Goals should address the need to improve (or otherwise change)
and/or maintain current watershed conditions identified during the Assessment phase.
4) Identifying Actions to Achieve Goals
An important component of a Planning Project involves identifying actions to achieve watershed
goals. These actions generally fall into four broad categories: structural practices (BMPs),
information and education, funding, technical assistance, and regulatory approaches.
Watershed restoration and protection actions often take the form of Best Management Practices
(BMPs) or other structural practices intended to reduce pollution. A variety of well-defined
practices and other actions have been researched and developed for a wide array of activities
and audiences, including agricultural producers, urban and rural homeowners, local government
operations, businesses and industries, and others. BMPs are also available to address a host
of issues/concerns, including riparian area management, livestock and grazing management,
commercial and industrial pollution prevention, public education and outreach, and others.
Although some actions are targeted at restoration or protection, they often overlap and can
be used to achieve multiple goals and reach multiple audiences.
Information and education activities often include outreach campaigns targeted toward specific
audiences and practices such as promoting proper use of pesticides and fertilizers to urban home
owners. Other education and information activities include water festivals targeting elementary
school children, watershed displays at county fairs and community festivals, and information
about water conservation practices inserted into water utility bills. Other education actions
involve demonstration projects of structural BMPs for agricultural producers. Watershed tours
highlighting successful implementation of restoration practices, wildlife habitat areas,
and surface water resources are another form of information and education.
Funding actions typically take the form of cost-share funds and in-kind contributions
of technical assistance to help landowners, homeowners, agricultural producers, and
others construct structural improvements. Funding is also used to support information
and education activities.
Technical assistance involves the time and expertise of staff from government agencies,
organizations, and consulting firms that is utilized to help develop and implement a broad
array of other actions, including structural BMPs and information/education programs.
5) Testing Watershed Management Scenarios Against Goals
A “watershed management scenario” is simply a combination of BMPs or other actions
intended to achieve watershed restoration and protection goals. Computer models can be
utilized to help identify the most effective scenario that will achieve watershed goals,
especially goals related to pollutant load reductions. Economic analysis is also an
important aspect of testing management scenarios to ensure that actions/measures are
economically feasible.
6) Selecting a Watershed Management Scenario and
8) Developing an Action Plan
Based on the outcome of modeling and economic analysis, a specific scenario can be
selected to achieve watershed goals. Ideally, the scenario will include a host of
actions that are both technically effective at improving watershed conditions (restoration)
and/or protecting resources, and cost effective.
An action plan should identify:
• Goals for specific water or other natural resources
• Specific actions/measures to achieve each goal
• A timeline for implementing actions
• Specific agencies, individuals, and organizations responsible for implementing actions
• Needs for financial and technical assistance
• Indicators or benchmarks that will be used to assess progress toward achieving watershed goals
7) Securing Commitments and Endorsements for the Watershed Action Plan
An action plan will only prove successful if watershed stakeholders, agencies, and others
that have a role in implementing, funding, or assisting with the plan in some other way,
offer an endorsement and commitment to supporting the plan. Endorsement and commitment
can be informal or formal, and may take the form of a proclamation, resolution, or other
public statement. Regardless of what form the commitment/endorsement takes, it is critical
for the long-term success of a WRAPS that stakeholders “buy in” and support its goals
and restoration/protection actions.
For more information about watersheds, water quality concerns and programs for improving water quality in the
Delaware River Watershed, contact WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy) at 785-284-0080.
