Smart Steps for Clean Water lists practical steps individuals, families and communities can take to protect clean water, with a focus on Cayuga Lake and its tributaries. Two pages of background information cover the importance of clean water, the value of a watershed approach and why individual actions are key. A map of the watershed and its context within the Great Lakes basin is followed by seven sections: Across the Land (stormwater runoff); In the Home (energy use and toxins); On the Lawn (an integrated pest management approach to lawns); From the Well (drinking water wells, Down the Drain (septic systems); In the Car (how transportation choices affect water); and On the Water (boating, fishing and other water-based recreation).

Each section has an explanation of the concern and specific steps that address that concern. The twenty-four page publication ends with information about sediment pollution and about an online companion "Pledge for Clean Water"