Communities across the nation are finding that their water resources are degrading in response to growth and development. They are also discovering  that they can only protect these local water resources by thinking on a watershed-level. While the settings and resource issues that drive local watershed protection are diverse, the same tools and techniques appear to work in every watershed. Based on the Rapid Watershed Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Managing Urbanizing Watersheds, this slideshow outlines the key components to a good watershed plan and presents eight steps to preparing a watershed plan.