Social Indicator Variations Across Watersheds: Implications for Developing Outreach and Technical Assistance Programs

ABSTRACTCurrent policy regarding nonpoint source pollution reduction in the United States involves encouraging voluntary adoption of Best Management Practices. Supporting the voluntary adoption of any practice requires the right combination of education, outreach, assistance, and incentives. Developing this combination necessitates an understanding of the target audience. The Social Indicators Planning and Evaluation System (SIPES) was developed to capture social information about target audiences through the use of customized but consistent survey questions. Close examination and comparison of data collected using SIPES reinforce that social characteristics differ between watersheds and that project managers in one area should not rely on descriptions from another when planning their outreach, education, and technical assistance programs. Policymakers should consider funding community-based watershed organizations to collect social data to improve targeting of water quality restoration efforts.