The factors each have different relative weights, which were determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, from the 123 AHP website. The process involves comparing pairs of the criteria, which the user ranks against each other for significance. Then, using a mathematical method, the relative weights for each factor are produced. The following weights were obtained using the averaged results of the AHP test from Watershed Watch staff and biologists:

Since there was limited data available, only three factors were considered in this analysis. This makes it fairly sensitive to changes in the weights, or removal of one of the factors, which indicates that it should only be used to create a preliminary list of priority infrastructure for upgrade.