A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns

Nonpoint source pollution is our nation's largest remaining water quality problem. It is not caused by discharges from big factories or from sewage treatment plants. Rather, it is generated by all of us, a product of millions of actions that we take each day, including activities such as applying pesticides, washing our cars, or walking our pets. While most of our individual actions have relatively small impacts on water quality, the cumulative impacts of how we choose to interact with our land and water is huge. However, by becoming more aware of the effect of our actions on our rivers, streams, lakes, bays and seashores, we can all develop more water-friendly habits and practices that will enable us to protect and restore the quality of these waters.

The module is divided into two parts:

• Part I provides the overall framework for developing an outreach campaign plan using a step-by-step approach.
• Part II provides tips on implementing the campaign plan.

This module is designed to be viewed sequentially so that the material is presented in logical order. Once you have completed the full module, you may wish to review specific elements. The Table of Contents (Site Map) will help you find specific elements of interest.

About This Module

This module offers advice on how local governments, watershed organizations and others can maximize the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to reduce nonpoint source pollution and protect the waterways that we treasure. The module is based on EPA's free, downloadable outreach guide Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns (published in December 2003) and more than 100 outreach training workshops sponsored by EPA and others around the country. A companion video is available to reinforce the steps outlined in this module and in the guide. The video includes four case studies of watershed outreach campaigns that use the principles presented in the module and guide. For instructions on ordering the guide or video for free, visit the Watersheds Outreach Documents Web site.

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