Selecting priority nonpoint-source projects: You better shop around

The manual presents six examples of how states identify their priorities for treatment of impaired or threatened water bodies. These case studies are intended to help you as a water quality manager to develop or refine your own process for ranking NPS impaired or threatened water bodies. The manual does not provide 'cookbook' approaches to ranking water bodies. Rather, it provides examples that you may modify to suit your state's approach to managing NPS pollution. State and federal water quality managers are encouraged to use or adapt these examples to their state NPS management programs where appropriate so that selected projects: (1) restore the greatest beneficial uses at a reasonable cost, and (2) increase the likelihood of a successful NPS project--given available resources and program authority.