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Goals and Objectives

Fairfax County is developing Watershed Management Plans for its 30 watersheds. Different approaches have been used to set watershed plan goals and objectives, assess environmental conditions and recommend actions for stormwater management and stream protection. The county needed to standardize the goals and objectives in order to:

• Improve the efficiency of the Watershed Management Planning process
• Promote consistency in future watershed plans
• Integrate individual watershed plans into a countywide evaluation of stream health

Therefore, three overarching Goals (intended outcomes of watershed management strategies) have been developed for the plans. Fairfax County's watershed planning goals are to:

1. Improve and maintain watershed functions in Fairfax County, including water quality, habitat and hydrology
2. Protect human health, safety and property by reducing stormwater impacts
3. Involve stakeholders in the protection, maintenance and restoration of county watersheds

Objectives (clear, realistic statements of action) were developed, which are linked to the Goals. Each Goal may be achieved by one or more Objectives, and each Objective may achieve one or more Goals. Related Objectives are grouped into one of five categories depicted in the figure below.

The complete list of countywide Objectives and how they are linked to the three Goals is depicted in the Goals and Objectives Table.

Because objectives cannot be directly measured, the county also developed Indicators. Indicators act as yardsticks to measure how well Objectives are being met.

County indicators are divided into three categories:

• Watershed Impact Indicators are values that respond in some way to an action or pressure, and measure whether impacts to watershed health are being prevented or reversed.
• Source Indicators measure the presence of pollutants or other environmental stressors.
• Programmatic Indicators are specific to individual watershed plans and measure the outcomes of projects and programs recommended in the plans. For example, a watershed management plan recommends installing 200 rain barrels in a neighborhood. Programmatic indicators for this proposed project might include: number of rain barrel workshops held; number of workshop attendees; number of rain barrels installed; number of hits on the rain barrel web page.

The complete list of Impact and Source Indicators and how they are linked to the Objectives is depicted in the Countywide Objectives and Indicators Table.

These countywide Goals, Objectives and Indicators make it possible for Watershed Management Plans to develop consistent methods and strategies for watershed improvement. A consistent planning framework at the watershed scale helps produce information that can be more easily combined for decision-making at the countywide level.

For additional information, please contact the Stormwater Planning Division, 703-324-5500, TTY 711.