RPS Indicators
Indicators measure attributes of subwatersheds that are relevant to water quality restoration and protection. Indicators form the basis of subwatershed comparisons in the RPS Tool.
RPS Tool outputs are most valuable for strategic planning when users make informed and deliberate decisions on indicator selections when setting up a screening. New RPS Tool users are therefore encouraged to review this page and read about the indicators available in the RPS Indicator Database before running a screening.
On this page:
- Major Categories of Indicators
- Indicator Subcategories
- Availability of Indicators
- Custom Indicators
- Additional Resources
Major Categories of Indicators
The RPS Tool and Indicator Database define three major categories of indicators – Ecological, Stressor and Social. As illustrated in the figure below, the RPS Tool combines indicators from each category to calculate Ecological Index, Stressor Index and Social Index scores for each screened subwatershed. RPS Tool users may choose to prioritize high or low scoring subwatersheds depending on their interests and screening objectives.
A screening must have at least one indicator selected from each of the Ecological, Stressor and Social categories in order for the RPS Tool to work properly. Up to 20 indicators per category can be selected in a screening. A fourth category, called Base Indicators, contains reference metrics, such as subwatershed ID and name, county, subwatershed size and total stream mileage.
Indicator Subcategories
Indicators are further classified into subcategories in the RPS Tool. Subcategories are intended to help users narrow down the full list of indicators to select a smaller group of interest for a screening. Depending on the screening objectives, a screening could include indicators across a diverse group of subcategories or in just a few subcategories.
Availability of Indicators
The RPS Team maintains a database of indicators for HUC12 subwatersheds in the contiguous U.S. Refer to the RPS Indicator Database and Map Service page for more information on available indicators and how to access the data.
Custom Indicators
RPS Tool users who calculate their own indicators from national, state or local datasets can add them to the Web RPS Tool and Excel RPS Tool for use in a screening. Refer to the Web RPS Tool User Guide (pdf) and Excel RPS Tool User Guide (pdf) for detailed instructions on how to add custom indicators.
Additional Indicator Resources
- Use the sidebar on the left to navigate to the category-specific pages for Base, Ecological, Stressor and Social Indicators. Each page defines the category, lists subcategories and highlights example indicator
- Detailed Indicator Reference Sheets are available for many of the most frequently used indicators. These reference sheets summarize basic indicator information, data processing methods and how the indicator relates to watershed condition, restorability and protection.
- RPS Scenario Fact Sheets were developed for RPS Tool users who have a basic understanding of RPS concepts but are uncertain about how to begin their own screening. Each fact sheet provides a starting point for a specific screening scenario (e.g., prioritizing subwatersheds for nutrient management) by briefly describing methods to identify relevant subwatersheds and highlighting example indicator selections.