Preparation of watershed analyses is a key part of the implementation of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NFP). It is conducted at a fifth field watershed scale and is a procedure with the purpose of developing and documenting a scientifically-based understanding of the ecological structure, functions, processes and interactions occurring within a watershed. It is one of the principal analyses used to meet the ecosystem management objectives of the NFP's Standards and Guidelines. It is an analytical process, not a decision-making process. A watershed analysis serves, in part, as a basis for developing project specific proposals and identifying the monitoring and restoration needs of a watershed. The watershed analysis process is designed to be a systematic procedure for characterizing watershed and ecological processes to meet specific management and social objectives. .