Mississippi’s Priority Framework Process
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has developed an update to our collaborative framework for implementing the Clean Water Act as required by EPA. The updated framework is designed to help coordinate and focus various efforts to advance the effectiveness of the water program. Given resource constraints and competing program priorities, leveraging resources and coordinating efforts is crucial. This updated framework does not change regulations, policies, or issue new mandates. It is intended to provide focus for MDEQ water programs to better manage the activities and promote collaboration to achieve water quality goals for the streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries of Mississippi. Some of the watersheds that have been prioritized through this process include waterbodies that are impaired and a subset of these will be targeted for development of TMDLs.
In order to select the priority watersheds, MDEQ used landscape information to calculate metrics on the watershed scale that are used to characterize and rank watersheds by resource value and potential stressors. Resource value was determined using environmental and human welfare data layers. Environmental Factors considered included erosion potential, impervious area, wetlands, impaired waters, and concentration and types of discharge permits. Human Welfare Factors included demographics, fishing advisories, water supply intakes, public water supplies, recreational water bodies, public waterways, national and state parks, and recreational locations. Other factors considered were the presence of existing watershed plans, ongoing restoration and/or conservation work, and engaged stakeholders, all of which greatly increase the chances of success.
Weights for each of these were adjusted based on professional judgment of the importance of each for characterizing watershed value. Once these factors were developed, standardized, and weighted, the tool produced a relative ranking of every watershed within the state. One hundred watersheds were ranked using the Priority Framework Model to screen watersheds for activities that will address the water program goals.
To continue development of priority framework and better address human welfare/ environmental justice concerns; MDEQ has implemented the Supplemental Demographic Index. The SDI better captures the state’s environmental justice factors based on five socioeconomic indicators; low income, unemployment, limited English speaking, less than high school education, and low life expectancy. Watersheds containing 303d listed impaired waterbodies were also weighted with greater priority than in previous frameworks.
MDEQ will review the selection process and screening criteria annually to identify the priority watersheds for the following ten-year period. Flexibility will be retained to amend watershed selection in the face of changing state priorities (e.g., environmental justice, climate change, economic development) as well as changing EPA national and regional priorities.
