Build a watershed protection team; Identify and engage people who a stake in the watershed; Establish your organization; Write your strategic plan; Learn about your watershed; Develop a watershed map; Gather water quality data; Soils and geology; Study instream habitat; Collect hydrologic data; Study aquatic populations; Study land use along the watershed; In conclusion; Develop a plan of action; Recruit action team leaders and members; Train the action teams; Develop action plans; Identify gaps and overlaps in action plans; Set measurable conservation targets; Protect and restore your water resource; How much and where; Who decides?; Protect best sites first; Prioritize critical uses; Decide where work can best alleviate target stressors; Select best management practices; Consider demonstration projects; Locate funding sources; Prepare for implementation; Build public support; Evaluation and follow up; Stay organized; Develop an evaluation plan; Adjust the watershed management plan; Mackinaw river project as case history; Targeting a priceless prairie river; Building the watershed planning team; Learning about the Mackinaw; Action teams; Building public support; Demonstration projects; Implementation - where do we go from here?