Stakeholder education is not just for the planning phase; it is critical during implementation to maintain momentum. Implementation projects often take several years, so keeping stakeholders engaged is vital.

Key Activities:

• Demonstration Projects: Hosting field days to show BMPs (Best Management Practices) in action.
• Success Stories: Sharing milestones and EPA Success Stories via newsletters or local media to keep the community inspired.
• Workshops: Continuing technical education for producers and landowners. Check upcoming workshops from current existing projects.

Implementation requires a steady stream of resources to turn the plan into reality. This step involves identifying and securing the specific tools needed for the job.

Types of Resources:

• Financial: Securing grant funding (e.g., EPA 319 funds), state cost-share programs for landowners, and in-kind contributions.
• Human: Dedicating staff time for coordination, monitoring, and administrative reporting to granting agencies.
• Technical: Utilizing experts from agencies (like NRCS or KDHE) to design structural improvements.

This is the execution phase where the “Action Plan” becomes reality. Coordination is key to ensuring that human, financial, and technical resources align to complete projects.

Execution takes two primary forms:

• Structural Practices (BMPs): The physical construction of improvements, such as terraces, waterways, or livestock waste management systems.
• Non-Structural Practices: The development of new policies (ordinances), zoning changes, or widespread behavior-change campaigns.

How do we know if the plan is working? Evaluation involves ongoing monitoring to assess improvements in the watershed. This is typically measured in two ways:

• Environmental Indicators: Water quality monitoring to detect reductions in pollutants (e.g., lower phosphorus levels).
• Social/Administrative Indicators: Evaluating stakeholder participation levels, the number of BMPs installed, or the reach of education efforts.

Watershed management is dynamic. If goals are not being achieved, or if new issues emerge, the plan must evolve. This process is known as Adaptive Management.

Updates may be necessary to:

• Reflect changes in available funding or resources.
• Address new data regarding watershed conditions.
• Modify timelines or strategies that proved ineffective during the initial phase.