Linking Environmental Assessment and Solutions

The City of Austin is proposing a revised water quality problem score calculation for its master-planning process, which is used to direct allocation of resources for capital projects, programs and regulations. This change is proposed to address the challenge that Resource Managers face in identifying ecological assessment methods appropriate to their resource setting and particular information needs. Ecological assessment tools such as the City's Environmental Integrity Index (EII) include such a comprehensive suite of parameters that teasing apart the data to identify solutions and quantify potential benefits is difficult and not well documented. The revised problem score methods are more transparent and targeted to specific solution opportunities.