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The Coral Program's Watershed Management Activities

An important component of NOAA's Coral Program efforts to protect coral reef ecosystems from land based sources of pollution has been the development of watershed management plans and conservation action plans. Watershed management and conservation action plans outline a comprehensive set of actions and an overall management strategy for improving and protecting each jurisdiction's priority watershed sites from nonpoint and point sources of pollution. By providing technical assistance to the jurisdictions, fostering institutional partnerships and leveraging financial resources, NOAA and our partners are supporting the management of land-based activities to effectively address the impacts of land-based sources of pollution.

Green Infrastructure for Coral Conservation

Green infrastructure, or the use of natural or permeable infrastructure to reduce and treat stormwater, is one way to reduce land-based sources of pollution from negatively impacting nearshore coral reefs habitats.

  • Green Infrastructure for Coral Conservation
  • Unpaved Road Standards for Caribbean and Pacific Islands
  • Stormwater management in Pacific and Caribbean Islands: A practitioner's guide to implementing LID
  • U.S. Coral Reef Task Force’s Watershed Partnership Initiative

    In 2009, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) developed a Watershed Partnership Initiative to focus the capabilities and capacities of the USCRTF agencies and the U.S. coral reef jurisdictions to reduce land-based sources of pollution from entering into coastal coral reef areas. The following products have been developed to advance this initiative:

    • USCRTF Watershed Partnership Initiative Priority Ecosystem Indicators
      This document provides coastal managers, coral reef managers, and watershed coordinators faced with modest budgets and technical expertise with a suite of recommended ecological indicators and measurements to include in their watershed-specific monitoring plans to help determine the efficacy and evaluate the success of management efforts to reduce land-based sources of pollution.

    • USCRTF Watershed Partnership Initiative Programmatic Checklist
      A user-friendly checklist is now available to help managers and watershed coordinators identify programmatic needs for the successful implementation of a ridge to reef watershed management plan.

    • USCRTF Watershed Partnership Initiative Strategy
      This document is the overarching strategy for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative. This strategy includes a description of the USCRTF Watershed Working Group, the group’s goals, objectives, and actions. Additionally, this strategy provides guidelines for the implementation and graduation of the priority watersheds.

    • USCRTF Watershed Partnership Initiative Sustainability Plan Template
      This document provides coastal managers, coral reef managers, and watershed coordinators with a template to determine how ongoing operational expenses (support for a watershed coordinator, water quality and coral reef monitoring, maintenance of best management practices) will be sustained long-term to accomplish the goals and objectives outlined in the watershed management plan.

    • USCRTF Watershed Partnership Initiative Guided Worksheets for Building Social and Community Engagement Associated with Implementing Priority Watershed Projects
      These guided worksheets were developed to support the social and community engagement aspects of the Watershed Partnership Initiative. Stakeholder involvement is essential for successfully transitioning long-term watershed management activities and ongoing monitoring from federally funded startup activities to local partners. These worksheets guide watershed coordinators through a process to identify stakeholder groups for their sites and determine appropriate levels of engagement when implementing priority projects. They also provide a framework for linking stakeholder engagement to objectives which will increase the likelihood of long-term success and sustainability.

    Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico has four priority sites: Cabo Rojo, Culebra, Guánica Bay, and the Northeast Reserves. These four sites were selected by a working group comprised of coral reef managers in Puerto Rico. Guánica Bay has been selected by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force as a priority watershed partnership initiative site. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PR Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, PR Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, PR Environmental Quality Board, Puerto Rico Planning Board, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

    Guánica Bay

    Watershed Management Plan (WMP)
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    Culebra

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    Northeast Reserves

    Watershed Management Plan
    Related Resources

    Cabo Rojo

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations

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    U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)

    USVI has four priority areas: St. Croix East End Marine Park, St. Thomas East End Reserve, Fish Bay, and Coral Bay. These four sites were selected by a working group comprised of coral reef managers in the USVI. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the University of the Virgin Islands, The Nature Conservancy, Coral Bay Community Council, St. Croix Environmental Association, Virgin Islands Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the Island Resources Foundation.

    St. Croix East End Marine Park

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    St. Thomas East End Reserve

    Watershed Management Plan
    Related Resources

    Fish Bay

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    Coral Bay

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

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    Florida

    The Florida Reef Tract was originally identified as one priority region for the state. This course-scale delineation of the southeast Florida region as one large priority area made it difficult to implement management activities on the project scale to address impacts of LBSP on the reef tract. Thus the Coral Reef Conservation Program partnered with a number of federal, state, and county agencies to delineate this area into more manageable subwatershed units. The subwatershed scale planning process identified that the nine inlet contributing areas: St. Lucie Inlet, Jupiter Inlet, Lake Worth Inlet, South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet, Boca Raton Inlet, Hillsboro Inlet, Port Everglades, Baker's Haulover Inlet and Government Cut in Miami are analogous to subwatersheds. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Park Service in Biscayne, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Key National Wildlife Refuge, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, South Florida Water Management District, Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida International University, NOVA Southeastern University, Palm Beach County's Environmental Resources Management, Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management, Broward County's Environmental Protection Department, John Pennekamp State Park, John U. Lloyd State Park, and the St. Lucie Inlet State Park.

    Watershed Management Plan
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    Hawaii

    Hawai'i has two priority sites: West Maui; and Pelekane Bay/Puako-Anaeho'omalu Bay, Hawai'i Island. These sites were selected by a working group of coral reef managers in Hawai'i. Wahikuli- Honokōwai, Maui has been selected by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force as a priority watershed partnership initiative site. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hawai'i Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawai'i State Department of Health, Hawai'i Coastal Zone Management Program, Maui County, Hawai'i County, Mauna Kea Soil & Water Conservation District, Mauna Kea Watershed Partnership, University of Hawai'i Sea Grant, The Nature Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, West Maui Ridge to Reef Working Group, Coral Reef Alliance, Haereticus Marine Labs, Maui Nui Marine Resources Council, Kohala Coast Resort Association, Kohala Center, Mauna Lani Sea Adventures, Kalahuipua'a Fishpond, and Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. In addition there are four existing LBSP LAS watersheds (Maunalua Bay, Oahu; Honolua Bay, Maui; Hanalei, Kaua'i; and Kawela - Kamalo, Moloka'i) where the LBSP LAS is providing limited technical and financial support to complete on-going projects.

    West Maui

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    Pelekane Bay/Puako-Anaeho'omalu Bay, Hawai'i

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations

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    Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)

    CNMI has three priority sites: LaoLao Bay and Garapan on Saipan, and Talakhaya, Rota. These three priority sites were selected by a working group of coral reef managers in CNMI. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Interior, CNMI Department of Land and Natural Resources, CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, CNMI Coastal Resource Management Office, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, Rota Soil and Water Conservation District, Saipan Mayor's Office, The Nature Conservancy, Rare Micronesia, Mariana Islands Nature Alliance, Pacific Marine Resources Institute, and Rota Public School.

    LaoLao Bay

    Watershed Management Plan
    Related Resources

    Garapan - Saipan

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

    Talakhaya - Rota

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

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    Guam

    Guam has three priority sites: Piti/Asan, Manell/Geus, and a third in northern Guam to be determined. These priority sites were selected by a working group of coral reef managers in Guam. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Guam Coastal Management Program, Guam Environmental Protection Agency, Guam Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatic Wildlife Resources and Division of Forestry, Southern Soil and Water Conservation District, Piti Mayor's Office, Asan Mayor's Office, Merizo Mayor's Office, Mariana's Resource Conservation and Development Council, The Nature Conservancy, Guam Environmental Alliance, Guam Environmental Education Partners Incorporated, Ayuda Foundation, University of Guam, Guam Community College, and George Washington High School.

    Piti/Asan

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations

    Manell/Geus

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

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    American Samoa

    American Samoa has two priority sites: Faga'alu and Vatia; and one existing LAS Site: Nu'uli. These two priority sites were selected by a working group of coral reef managers in American Samoa. Faga'alu has been selected by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force as a priority watershed partnership initiative site. Current project partners include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, National Park Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, AS Department of Commerce Coastal Management Program, AS Environmental Protection Agency, AS Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, American Samoa Power Authority, The Nature Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, AS Community College-Land Grant Office, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, National Park of American Samoa, Le Tausagi, Faga'alu Village.

    Faga'alu

    Watershed Management Plan
    Implemented Recommendations
    Related Resources

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