The Nature Conservancy

Garapan Integrated Watershed Management Plan

2021

The Nature Conservancy; Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

"This integrated watershed plan was developed to consider key watershed benefits and identify ways to maintain or improve them over the next 5 years. This plan builds off the accomplishments and challenges of two previous conservation action plans (CAPs) developed in 2013 and 2015 as well as updated monitoring data, and existing projects within the watershed. While this plan was not based on extensive field assessment to ID sources and solutions, it builds off the specific sites and solutions identified in the two previous CAPs. There is a recognition that conditions have changed over last 5 years (i.e., Typhoon Yutu impacts, large scale development, and Garapan revitalization efforts), but we consider there to be an adequate monitoring data identifying main impairments and sources as well as a number of projects/initiatives already planned to advance watershed restoration efforts. The main impairments and sources of threat to the Garapan watershed that were identified were bacterial contamination from human and animal waste; non-bacterial polluted runoff from fats, oils, and grease (FOG); invasive species that threaten critical habitat due to inadequate permitting; native wildlife population decline; and illegal harvest. Causes of these impairments included aging or inadequate infrastructure to prevent flooding and polluted runoff, improper sewer hook-ups, improper disposal, lack of best management practices integrated into permitting and regulations, a lack of invasive species management, and unclear or inadequate rules and regulations.

CNMI, Garapan, watershed, watershed management, water quality

NOS

OCM

FY2016 CRCP Project ID 31103; Project Title: FY16/FY17/FY18/FY19 - Non-Governmental Organization Partnership; Principal Investigator: Craig Reid; Grant NA16NOS4820106.

NA16NOS4820106