Center for Watershed Protection

National nonprofit specializing in stormwater and watershed management. Provides technical guidance, model BMP standards, watershed plan templates, and training on green infrastructure, urban runoff, and watershed planning.

The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) is a national nonprofit founded specifically to help local watershed organizations and municipalities apply science-based best practices to protect water resources. CWP staff have written many of the foundational technical guidance documents used by watershed groups in the U.S. — the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual series, model stormwater ordinance language, the Better Site Design handbook, and the standard manuals on bioretention, constructed wetlands, and stream restoration design.Many of CWP's resource documents and templates are free downloads from their website, including watershed plan templates, illicit discharge detection guidance, BMP fact sheets, source water protection toolkits, and stream restoration condition assessments. Their CWP Online webcast series offers free continuing education for stormwater and watershed professionals, and they offer paid certifications for stormwater and watershed practitioners.For watershed groups doing urban or suburban stormwater work, working with municipalities on MS4 program development, or building a watershed plan from scratch, CWP's free templates and webinars are a major time-saver. Their consulting team also takes on direct projects for groups and municipalities that need engineering or planning support.