The Washington County Land and Water Legacy Program Top 10 Priority Conservation Areas Map represents the 10 highest priority areas for land protection in the county. These areas were identified using a ranking system based upon available nature-related datasets, which is displayed on the map using varying shades of purple. Each of the top 10 areas represents a section of highly ranking land for targeting of land protection and are individually colored and numbered. Surrounding the top 10 areas and the Mississippi and Saint Croix rivers is a half-mile buffer zone to emphasize connectivity between these areas. While this map serves as a guide to the county of the highest priority areas, areas outside of the Top 10 Priority Conservation Areas or adjoining buffer zones may still be considered for protection.