RPS Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is Restoration and Protection Screening?

Restoration and Protection Screening is a systematic, comparative method for identifying differences among watersheds (or watershed-based, hydrologic units such as HUC12s) that may influence their relative likelihood to be successfully restored, protected or managed in other ways. The RPS approach involves identifying a group of watersheds to be compared and a specific purpose for comparison, selecting appropriate indicators in three categories (Ecological, Stressor, Social), calculating index values for the watersheds, varying the analysis iteratively and applying the results as part of strategic planning and prioritization. The RPS Tool, developed by the EPA Office of Water, provides water programs with an easy-to-use web and desktop screening tool that is user-customizable for a geographic area of interest and a variety of specific prioritization purposes.

Why use RPS in water programs?

Federal, Tribal, state, local and private restoration programs typically have far more impaired waters to restore than resources to restore them. Strategic planning and priority-setting are inevitable, and wise choices with limited resources can result in greater benefits from more recovered and healthy waterways. The RPS Tool was developed to provide states and other restoration planners with a systematic, flexible tool that could help them compare watershed differences in terms of key environmental and social factors affecting prospects for restoration success.

How are water programs using RPS?

The RPS Tool has been used by state TMDL programs in evaluating statewide restoration and protection priorities and has also been a valuable prioritization resource to other water programs. Additional uses involve nutrients (and other pollutant-specific) load reduction management plans, nonpoint source pollution statewide program and plan support, fisheries management support, and supporting collaboration among states and within local watershed groups. The RPS Tool has also been used to integrate equity, environmental justice and climate change into watershed planning.

Can Tribes use the RPS Tool for watersheds with Tribal lands?

Yes. The RPS Tool includes the percent of Tribal lands in each HUC12 and flags HUC12s that are adjacent to those within tribal lands. This enables users to select the Tribal HUCs and bordering HUCs to include in their screening and perform comparative analysis specifically on those Tribal watersheds.

Using the RPS Tools

What kinds of skills and equipment does an RPS Tool user need?

Anyone with moderate skills in using a computer and/or Microsoft Excel can learn how to use the Excel RPS Tool quickly. The Web RPS Tool only requires a web browser to run, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. No additional software or files are needed. User guides for the Web RPS Tool and Excel RPS Tool are available on the RPS website’s Training and User Support page.

What is the RPS Tool?

The RPS Tool is available as a web application or a custom-coded Excel spreadsheet that performs all RPS index calculations and generates RPS outputs as rank-ordered tables, maps and bubble plots. It was developed to help users compare tens to thousands of watersheds systematically in a desktop environment. Current versions of the Tool include:

• Web RPS Tool: Released in 2024, the Web RPS Tool was developed to enhance the overall RPS Tool user experience. The Web RPS Tool provides the same indicator inputs and result outputs as the Excel RPS Tool, but also includes new map, indicator and result visualization functionalities.
• Excel RPS Tool Standard File: Released in 2023, this version can be configured for any user-selected state in the contiguous US and provides access to the most up-to-date HUC12 indicator data maintained by EPA through a service connection within the Tool.
• Excel RPS Tool Custom Files: Custom Files for the Excel RPS Tool have been developed for a subset of states and territories. Unlike the Standard File, these contain pre-loaded indicator data and do not import data from EPA’s online indicator database. The pre-loaded data typically includes indicators which have been calculated from state-specific or territory-specific datasets in addition to national datasets. In some cases, these files allow users to screen additional or alternative watershed units beyond HUC12 subwatersheds (e.g., HUC14 subwatersheds).
• Excel RPS Tool Generic Template File: The Generic Template File for the Excel RPS Tool enables a user to define their own geographic area of interest (e.g., river basin or multi-state region) and add indicator data for up to three different watershed scales within that area of interest.
• Excel RPS Tool Legacy Files: The Legacy Files for the Excel RPS Tool were last updated in August 2022 and contain 300+ pre-loaded HUC12 indicators. Each file stores indicator data for a single state (e.g., the Maine file contains indicator data for all HUC12s in Maine). These files are no longer maintained with updated indicator data and have been replaced with the new Standard File that imports indicator data from EPA’s online database for any user-selected state.

What does an RPS Tool contain and do?

RPS Tools have been developed to be accessible by all states, Tribes and territories and are updated yearly as funding permits. The RPS Tool includes hundreds of indicators at the HUC12 scale. A user can choose to run a screening on all watersheds in a geographic area or just a subset (e.g., or all HUC12s with impaired waters) and can select and weight the indicators most relevant to their screening purpose. The RPS Tool then performs all calculations automatically and generates the results for every HUC12 as rank-ordered index scores (Ecological, Stressor, Social and Integrated), a graphic bubble plot display and a statewide map. Users can customize the bubble plot display and the map (e.g., use a color gradient to represent value differences for one key indicator of interest).

What is the difference between the Web RPS Tool and the Excel RPS Tool?

The Web RPS Tool was developed to enhance the RPS Tool user experience. The Web RPS Tool provides the same indicator inputs and result outputs as the Excel RPS Tool, but also includes additional map, indicator and result visualization functionalities throughout. One of the key differences is that the Web RPS Tool allows a user to select geography that crosses jurisdictional boundaries, where the Excel RPS Tools were intended to be used within a single state or territory. Also, the Excel RPS Tool is downloaded and used locally on a user’s computer and an internet connection is not needed to run screenings once the indicator data is downloaded and saved into the tool while the Web RPS Tool does require an internet connection.

Should I discard an older Excel RPS Tool if a newer version is available?

Do not discard the older version if it contains indicators added by the user, but keep in mind that the newer version contains new or updated indicators and improved functions. It is possible to add all the unique indicators from the older version to the new Excel RPS Tool version by using the ADD INDICATORS function or by uploading custom indicators to the Web RPS Tool. Watch the training video on this topic if you run into any difficulties.

Will the Excel RPS Statewide Tools be updated?

No, EPA has retired and replaced the original RPS Statewide Tools with the RPS Standard Tool File. The Standard Tool File, released in 2023, can be configured for any user-selected state in the contiguous US and provides access to the most up-to-date HUC12 indicator data maintained by EPA through a service connection within the Tool.

How can I use the RPS Tool on watershed scales other than HUC12?

The RPS Tool was developed to compare watersheds or watershed units at any given scale, or even individual waterbody segments, to one another. RPS projects have utilized watershed units as small as NHDPlus catchments and as large as HUC8s. The HUC12 scale is the common standard for the Web and Excel RPS Tools. Users who want to do RPS analyses on other watershed scales can embed their own indicator data for up to three different watershed scales in the Excel RPS Tool generic RPS Template File and generate indices, rank orders and bubble plots (but not maps) for screenings from any of the three scales. Data generated by an RPS Tool can easily be used in GIS software to make maps as well.

Can I use the RPS Tool to compare only a portion of my jurisdiction's watersheds?

Yes, and in fact it is common to compare watersheds within a subset rather than always comparing all watersheds for every screening. This is called “subsetting” and can be done in all both the Web RPS Tool and Excel RPS Tool. Focusing on a subset – a user-defined set of watershed units that share some key traits of interest -- provides a chance to compare within a smaller and more similar group of higher relevance to the purpose for the screening. For example, users can subset watersheds with pathogen impaired waters and TMDLs, or may subset all HUC12s within a given river basin. See the RPS Methodology Page or the Training and User Support page for more information.

What if my area of interest isn't entirely within one state?

The Web RPS Tool supports selecting geography across state boundaries and we suggest using this version of RPS.

Can RPS Tools be used for comparisons within a local jurisdiction?

Yes. One example is comparing the HUC12s within a single county. To support relating watershed indicator data to specific counties, we have included the county name(s) per HUC12 as a Base indicator within RPS Tools, which enables a user to focus their comparative analysis on their county’s HUCs.

What kind of outputs can an RPS Tool generate?

The RPS Tool generates the results from each screening run in tabular, graph and map format (except the Generic Template File, which does not include a map output). Results include a table of index scores (Ecological, Stressor, Social and Integrated) and rank orders of each, a graphic bubble plot display and a HUC12 statewide map display. Users can customize the bubble plot display and the map (e.g., use a color gradient on the HUC12 bubbles or the mapped HUC12s to represent value differences for one key indicator of interest). The map can be used as a viewer of single indicator values for any index or indicator in the data table. Different iterations of the map and bubble plot can be saved as JPGs for future use while iteratively changing settings and exploring options with screening results.

What does “relative scoring” mean?

The RPS Tool calculates four multi-metric indices (Ecological, Stressor, Social and Integrated) from the user’s selected indicators. Individual indicators in their raw form often differ by orders of magnitude because they use widely differing units of measurement. Indicators are first normalized within a range of 0 to 1, then weighted if desired and transformed into an index with value range from 0 to 100. Index scores are “relative” in that the watersheds’ scoring range and distribution is based only on the gradient of scores for the watersheds screened. No thresholds or cutoff values (such as healthy/unhealthy, restorable/unrestorable, or impaired/unimpaired) are pre-identified in the RPS Tool, because such thresholds are case-specific. It is important to recognize that, due to relative scoring, a subset of screened watersheds will show very high and very low scores whether or not the subset is all very healthy, all very impaired, or highly variable in condition.

The RPS Indicator Database

What kinds of data are used in the RPS Tool?

To compare a group of watersheds, the RPS Tool uses indicator data on attributes measured consistently across those watersheds. These attributes include Base (such as watershed name or ID), Ecological, Stressor and Social indicators. Many of the indicators are landscape characteristics derived from common GIS datasets, but other attributes derived from field monitoring and geo-referenced to water bodies or watersheds, such as selected impairment-specific 303(d) and TMDL data, are also included.

What do the RPS indicators mean?

Each RPS Tool contains a worksheet or table that lists all its indicators and brief descriptions. For many of these or similar indicators, standard metadata are available. More detailed indicator descriptions, including data source, how measured, relevance to restorability and excerpts from technical literature are compiled on the RPS Indicator Webpage. Users should be aware that the relevance of a given indicator to a watershed’s condition and restorability can vary depending on the type of water body, type and degree of impairment, and other factors.

Can more indicator data be added to my RPS Tool?

Yes. Every RPS Tool allows users to add more indicators to the data table already embedded and includes directions on how to do so. New indicator data must be at the same scale, and any watershed units without an indicator value must be left blank (not zero, which is a value).

Will the RPS Indicator Database be updated?

Yes, future EPA budgets permitting. The indicators measured nationally continue to grow in number and variety, and RPS user suggestions provide great ideas for particularly useful additions. The national indicator data used within RPS Tools are housed in the RPS Indicator Database. These data are added or updated as resources permit and as newer data sources become available.