This act, consisting of eight Parts divided into 57 sections, sets the management plan for water resources in the Pioneer Valley. Under section 2, the purposes of the plan are: (a) to define the availability of water in the plan area; (b) to provide a framework for sustainably managing water and the taking of water; (c) to identify priorities and mechanisms for dealing with future water requirements; (d) to provide a framework for establishing water allocations; (e) to provide a framework for reversing, where practicable, degradation that has occurred in natural ecosystems. Part 2 specifies the plan area and water to which the plans applies. Part 3 sets the general and ecological outcomes for sustainable management of water. Part 4 is dedicated to performance indicators and objectives.
Part 5 specifies which are the strategies to be implemented to achieve the declared outcomes, including taking water from waterholes and lakes and water allocation plans. Part 6 is dedicated to monitoring and reporting requirements and Part 7 sets priorities for water allocation and provides an implementation schedule. The plan is completed by ten schedules: plan area, subcatchment areas, nodes, environmental flow objectives, water allocation security objectives, total volumes for water allocation groups, rates and pump sizes, water allocation groups, priority areas and dictionary.