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<OL> <LI> Develop the Community DECISIONS (Community Decision Support for Integrated, On-the-ground Nutrient Strategies) group decision aid; <LI>Apply and assess Community DECISIONS collaboratively with the stakeholder group; <LI>Develop and deliver education to university students in watershed decision planning tools and processes, and in watershed planning process evaluation; <LI>Demonstrate and train watershed citizens, Extension water quality professionals, and state/federal water quality program managers in use of the Community DECISIONS group decision aiding process.
Non-Technical Summary: High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in watersheds pose risks to surface and ground water quality. Many planned strategies to prevent or reduce water quality problems due to nutrients consist primarily of combinations of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Best Available Technologies (BATs), but these strategies may not reflect a systematic and science-based approach based on watershed nutrient inflows, outflows, and retention. Watershed planning is a collaborative process, but stakeholders may not have ready access to science-based information when they express their preferences for water quality. This project uses the concept of watershed nutrient mass flow (nutrient inflows, outflows, and retention) in an interactive decision support system to aid watershed planning by a stakeholder group. Graduate and undergraduate students will learn effectiveness and weaknesses of hard systems (computer modeling) and soft systems (conflict resolution) approaches. Watershed residents will be informed of nutrient mass flows affecting water quality in their region. <P> Approach: The Community DECISIONS decision support system will consist of four integrated computer models: a watershed-scale nutrient mass inflow/outflow/retention simulation model, a nutrient treatment (BMPs and broader interventions) database, an algorithmic Analytic Hierarchy Process preference elicitation model, and a group interface that will access the the simulation, nutrient treatment, and preference modules to generate and display alternative watershed planning strategies. The DECISIONS model will be iteratively developed through researcher design and development, stakeholder group assessment and critique, and subsequent revision of algorithmic and usability functions. If successful, the process will result in consensus on a watershed management strategy.