Policies and Guidance

NPS Management Policies and Guidelines

The National Park Service Management Policies (2006) provide broad policy guidance for the management of units of the national park system. Topics include park planning, land protection, natural and cultural resource management, wilderness preservation and management, interpretation and education, special uses of the parks, park facilities design, and concessions management. These NPS policies and guidelines of the National Park Service broadly require management of natural resources of the national park system to maintain, rehabilitate and perpetuate the inherent integrity of aquatic resources.

With respect to water resources, it is the policy of the National Park Service to determine the quality of park surface and ground water resources and avoid, whenever possible, the pollution of park waters by human activities occurring within and outside of parks. In particular the National Park Service will work with appropriate governmental bodies to obtain the highest possible standards available under the Clean Water Act for protection of park waters; take all necessary actions to maintain or restore the quality of surface and ground waters within the parks consistent with the Clean Water Act and all applicable laws and regulations; and, enter into agreements with other agencies and governing bodies, as appropriate, to secure their cooperation in maintaining or restoring the quality of park water resources.

The National Park Service will also manage watersheds as complete hydrologic systems, and will minimize human disturbance to the natural upland processes that deliver water, sediment and woody debris to streams. The National Park Service will manage streams to protect stream processes that create habitat features such as floodplains, riparian systems, woody debris accumulations, terraces, gravel bars, riffles and pools.

The National Park Service will achieve the protection of watershed and stream features primarily by avoiding impacts to watershed and riparian vegetation and by allowing natural fluvial processes to proceed unimpeded. When conflicts between infrastructure (such as bridges) and stream processes are unavoidable, park managers will first consider relocating or redesigning facilities, rather than manipulating streams. Where stream manipulation is unavoidable, managers will use techniques that are visually non-obtrusive and that protect natural processes to the greatest extent practicable.

Additionally, natural shoreline processes (such as erosion, deposition, dune formation, shoreline migration) will be allowed to continue without interference. Where human activities or structures have altered the nature or rate of natural shoreline processes, the National Park Service will investigate alternatives for mitigating the effects of such activities or structures. The National Park Service will comply with the provisions of Executive Order 11988 and state coastal zone management plans prepared under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Recommended procedures for implementing service-wide policy are described in the National Park Service guideline series. The guidelines most directly pertaining to actions affecting water resources include:

Director's Orders

DO #35A - Sale of Resources or Services to Support Activities outside of Parks

DO #77-1 - Wetland Protection

DO #77-2 - Floodplain Management

Executive Orders

EO #77-2 - Floodplain Management

Procedural Manuals

PM #77-1 - Wetland Protection

PM #77-2 - Floodplain Management