San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management Plan

Integrated Regional Water Management Planning for the San Diego Region

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IRWMP - Plan

Integrated Regional Water Management Planning was derived from Proposition 50 which was passed by California voters in November 2002, authorizing $3.4 billion general obligation bonds to fund a variety of specified water and wetlands projects. It set aside $380 million for IRWMP related grants. Prop 50 is jointly administered by the California Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board. Proposition 50 states that IRWMPs should include a description of the region and participants, regional objectives and priorities, water management strategies, implementation, impacts and benefits, data management, financing, stakeholder involvement, relationship to local planning, and state and federal coordination.

	Status
	IRWM Plan Outline
	Region
	Vision, goals and objectives
	Plan Implementation Projects
	California Water Plan

Status

Final IRWM Plan Available for View - Media Advisory:

The RWMG, RAC, and consultant team have finalized the IRWM Plan which was submitted on October 1, 2007. The Plan will be adopted by all three RWMG agencies on the following dates:
City of San Diego: November 13, 2007
County of San Diego: November 7, 2007
San Diego County Water Authority: October 25, 2007

Please note: Each section/chapter of the Plan has also been posted separately. In order to open the Plan documents, you will need Adobe Reader.

IRWM Plan Cover and Table of Contents	Appendices:
Executive Summary	Appendix 1 – San Diego Region Watershed Maps
Section A – Introduction & Regional Water Management Group	Appendix 2 – Designated Beneficial Uses of Groundwater and Surface Water
Section B – Description of Region	Appendix 3 – Basin Plan: Water Quality Objectives
Section C – Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives	Appendix 4 – Endangered and Threatened Species
Section D – Water Management Strategies	Appendix 5 – San Diego Region Water Management Projects
Section E – Integration of Water Management Strategies	Appendix 6 – Integrated Water Management Strategies and Benefits
Section F – Regional Priorities	Appendix 7– IRWM Project Objectives: Geography Scoring, & Ranking
Section G – Implementation	Appendix 8 – Public Outreach Plan
Section H – Benefits and Impacts	Appendix 9 – RWMG Memorandum of Understanding
Section I – Evaluation of Plan Performance	Appendix 10 – Tier I Projects: Feasibility, Schedules, and Costs
Section J – Data Management	Appendix 11 – Tier I Projects: Impacts and Benefits
Section K – Financing	Appendix 12 – Tier I Projects: Conformance with Statewide Priorities
Section L – Statewide Priorities	Appendix 13 – Summary of the Region’s Local Water Management Plans
Section M – Consistency with Local Plans	Appendix 14 – Stakeholder Outreach Attachments
Section N – Stakeholder Involvement	IRWM Plan Back Cover
Section O – Coordination

Region for the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM Plan)

The San Diego IRWM Plan Region consists of eleven westward draining watersheds within San Diego County. These watersheds boundaries were selected to reflect the commonalities in geographic and hydrologic features, water quality regulation, Land use planning, and water and wastewater infrastructure.

Vision, Goals, and Objectives of the IRWM Plan

IRWM Plan Vision
In recognition of these themes, the RWMG and RAC developed the following vision statement to provide overall direction to the Region’s IRWM planning approach:

An integrated, balanced, and consensus approach to ensuring the long-term sustainability of San Diego’s water supply, water quality, and natural resources.

IRWM Plan Mission
The RWMG and RAC developed the following mission statement for IRWM planning within the Region:

To develop and implement an integrated strategy to guide the San Diego Region toward protecting, managing, and developing reliable and sustainable waterresources. Through a stakeholder-driven process and adaptive process, the Region can develop solutions to water-related issues and conflicts that are economically andenvironmentally preferable, and that provide equitable resource protection for the entire Region.

IRWM Plan Goals
In accordance with the Plan Vision and Mission, the RWMG and stakeholders developed the following four IRWM Plan goals:

1. Optimize water supply reliability.
2. Protect and enhance water quality.
3. Provide stewardship of our natural resources.
4. Coordinate and integrate water resource management.

IRWM Plan ObjectivesThrough a series of facilitated public workshops and facilitated RAC meetings, the RWMG, RAC, and regional stakeholders developed the following nine specific IRWM Plan objectives to accomplish the four IRWM Plan goals:

Objective A - Maximize stakeholder and community involvement and stewardship
Objective B - Effectively obtain, manage, and assess water resources data and information
Objective C - Further the scientific and technical foundation of water management
Objective D - Develop and maintain a diverse mix of water resources
Objective E - Construct, operate, and maintain a reliable infrastructure system
Objective F - Reduce the negative effects on waterways and watershed health caused by hydromodification and flooding
Objective G - Effectively reduce sources of pollutants and environmental stressors
Objective H - Protect, restore, and maintain habitat and open space
Objective I - Optimize water-based recreational opportunities

Projects

162 projects were submitted during the project solicitation period. These projects were scored and ranked into two tiers. Tier I projects are those projects that scored the highest in relation to Prop 50 requirements. Tier 2 projects are projects that will help to implement the goals and objectives of the Plan, but didn’t score enough points to be considered for the current funding opportunity (Prop 50). Through a Project Selection Committee, comprised of a diverse selection of RAC members, a submittal package will be developed from the list of 80 Tier I projects. Upon approval by the RAC, the selected projects will be submitted in the Prop 50 Grant Application package. As future funding opportunities arise, such as Prop 84 and 1E, there will be an opportunity to update and or submit new projects for consideration. Additionally, the IRWM Plan will be updated at least every five years, at which time the project list contained within the plan will also be updated and new projects will be accepted at that time.

California Water Plan

The California Water Plan 2005 update is the basis for IRWM Planning. It represents a fundamental transition in how the State looks at water resource management. It also represents a fundamental transition in the way state government needs to be involved with local entities and interest groups to deal with water issues in the state.

The State recognizes that there is a need to consider a broader range of resource management issues, competing water demands, new approaches to water supply reliability, and new ways of financing.

California Water Plan Update 2009 – Regional Workshop Announcement
California Water Plan Update September 26, 2007

An integrated, balanced and consensus approach to ensuring the long-term sustainability
of San Diego’s water supply, water quality, and natural resources.

SDIRWP Webmaster