What is a watershed roundtable?

A watershed roundtable consists of stakeholders who have a vested interest in their communities and are concerned about local water quality. In Virginia, watershed roundtables are known by a variety of names, such as: the Big Sandy River Basin Coalition, the Rappahannock River Basin Commission and the Pure Water 2000 Forum. A roundtable can be the driving force in the watershed, providing education, outreach and solutions to restore and protect water quality. Roundtables generally involve a wide range of participants:

What roundtables do?

Roundtable activities address many common community concerns regarding water quality, by:

• hosting forums to present watershed issues on local water quality and land use,

• educating citizens about water quality,

• seeking grants, donations and other funding sources,

• coordinating workshops,

• collecting and analyzing water quality data,

• participating in the TMDL planning process, and

• planning and implementing watershed-wide water quality goals.

Why get involved?

Roundtables provide benefits to all participants. Clean water is key to maintaining a high quality of life in Virginia. Through involvement in roundtables, participants work together to ensure clean water for drinking, for business and for recreation.

Community watershed organizations associated with local roundtables can be more effective in gaining support from local governments and others to sponsor water quality projects. Partnering with the local roundtable will bring a community group into close contact with needed political, technical and financial resources.

Through roundtable involvement, local government officials can be more aware of funding opportunities, restoration projects and other watershed events that are taking place in the community. By networking with the wide range of watershed stakeholders, multiple resources may be available to support local government projects.

Business leaders can help shape solutions within the watershed through involvement in a roundtable. Roundtable meetings with key community members can showcase the water quality contributions of the business community.

How to Contact Your Watershed Roundtable

Each watershed in Virginia has a watershed roundtable. Listed below are the names of the roundtables and their Internet addresses, where available. For additional contact information, call (877) 42WATER or visit www.dcr.state.va.us.