Watershed PlanningIntegrated Regional Water

Management Program(IRWMP)

DWAC Meeting

August 2005

Integrated Regional Water Management Plan

• Proposition 50, Chapter 8 Program• Two Programs:

– Planning Grant ($12 Million)– Implementation Grant ($368 Million)

• Two funding cycles for Implementation Grant: 2005/2007– 1st- $148 Million– 2nd- $220 Million

Program Preferences

• Integrated projects• Regional supply reliability• Water quality• Reduce pollution in impaired waters and

sensitive areas• Safe drinking water and water quality in

disadvantaged communities

Statewide Priorities• Water rights issues• TMDLs• Watershed Management Initiatives• Non-point Source Pollution Plan• Delta Water Quality Objectives• Floodplain management, desalination, recycling,

state species recovery• Environmental justice• CALFED Bay-Delta Program

Los Angeles County South Bay• Regional Area

– Watersheds• Ballona Creek• Dominguez• Upper & Lower Santa

Monica Bay

• Over 2.6 million residents• 7% of the State’s population• Approx. 294 square miles of

watershed• Approx. 70 miles of coastline

– 3.1% of Ca’s coastline

Watersheds with Cities in Region

Overlay of West Basin’s Service Area

IRWMP Process to Date

DWMP

PreviousPlans

BCWMP

IRPs

UWMPs

Others...

Dominguez

DraftIRWMPs

Ballona

Santa Monica

Initial Project

Submittals to City of

Los Angeles

Workshops

Final ProjectSubmittals

Single Draft

IRWMPStep 1 Imp. Grant

Application

Planning Grant

Application

Goals of the IRWM Plan• Develop an appropriate area for integrated regional water

management• Address major water related objectives and conflicts within the

region• Identify water management strategies and how to integrate them• Identify short-term and long-term regional priorities• Identify action, projects and studies by which the Plan will be

implemented. Identify linkages or interdependence between projects.

• Develop a data management system • Demonstrate coordination with local land-use planning decision-

makers• Analyze linkages between the Plan and local planning documents• Facilitate stakeholder involvement and communication throughout

the Plan development

Implementation Grant Application

• Submitted July 14, 2005• Two-Step application process

– Step 2 call back in December and due in Spring 2006– Funding Awarded Summer 2006

• $148 million available 1st cycle-$50 million maximum • Region requested: $49,889,000• Goal:

– Proposed projects must meet one or more of the objectives of protecting communities from drought, protecting and improving water quality, and improving local water security by reducing dependence on imported water and include at least one of the water management elements. The Implementation Grant is designed for projects that are ready for or nearly ready to proceed to implementation.

Water Management Strategies• Ecosystem Restoration*• Environmental and Habitat

Protection and Improvement*• Water Supply Reliability*• Flood Management*• Groundwater Management*• Recreation and Public Access*• Storm water Capture and

Management*• Water Conservation*• Water Quality Protection and

Improvement*

• Water Recycling*• Wetlands Enhancement and

Creation*• Conjunctive Use• Desalination• Imported Water • Land Use Planning• NPS Pollution Control• Surface Storage• Watershed Planning• Water and Wastewater

Treatment• Water Transfers

For Implementation Grant Application to be considered for funding, the proposed Plan must

meet all of the following minimum standards:

• Adopted by January 1, 2007 by all appropriate agencies and organizations;

• Participation of at least 3 agencies, two of which have statutory authority over water management;

• Contains one or more regional objectives;• Documents that the water management strategies

(identified with an asterisk on the previous slide) were considered when formulating the IRWM Plan;

• Integrated two or more water management strategies listed; and

• Presents project prioritization and a schedule for project implementation to meet regional needs.

Draft IRWMP• Why develop a Draft IRWMP?

– Consolidate previous information within region– Assist grant application reviewers– Provide roadmap for development of a formal adopted IRWMP

by Dec. 2006– Score more points on the Implementation Grant application

• What did it entail?– Consolidated information from plans prepared by City of LA– Incorporated new information from UWMPs and other sources– Reorganized into a framework to simplify review by State– Submitted with application on July 14

Project Selection Process

• Tier 1 Project List Based on:– Equal watershed coverage

• # of projects • Amount of funding requested

– Most # of projects (22/36)– As many agencies as possible (14/15) – Each agency’s internal ranking– Score based on info. From Project Form and Chapter

8 Guidelines– Meets all Water Management Strategies

List of Tier 1 Projects1. JWPCP Marshland Enhancement2. Large Landscape Conservation/Runoff

Reduction Management Program 3. 16th Street Watershed Runoff

Treatment, Reuse & Infiltration Project 4. Wilmington Drain Restoration Multiuse

Project5. North Santa Monica Watershed Runoff

Treatment, Reuse, and Infiltration Project - Stage One

6. Dockweiler Watershed Runoff Treatment, Reuse, and Infiltration Project - Stage One

7. Machado Lake Artificial Aeration and Circulation Project

8. Ozone Park Retrofit Runoff Treatment, Reuse & Infiltration Project

9. Fwy Runoff Infiltration 10. Madrona/Palos Verdes Lateral 11. Grand Blvd Tree Wells

12. LA Harbor Low-Flow Diversion13. Peck Park 14. Imperial Highway Sunken Median15. Culver City BMPs16. Stone Canyon Creek at UCLA17. Ballona Wetlands Restoration

Project18. Lafayette Daylighting 19. Goldsworthy Desalter 20. Lomita Integrated Storm to Vadose

to Water Supply - Cypress Hill Reservoir

21. Lomita Integrated Storm to Vadose to Water Supply - Oceanview Depression

22. Ballona West Bluff Acquisition and Restoration

Projects

• 10/22 are within Dominguez Watershed• Address water supply reliability, water

quality, and habitat restoration • Meets some of the recommended projects

in the Dominguez Watershed Management Master Plan (identified with an asterisk)

Water Supply ReliabilityMadrona/Palos

Verdes Lateral Water Recycling Project*

Lomita Integrated Storm to Vadose to

Water Supply- Oceanview Depression

Lomita Integrated Storm to Vadose to

Water Supply- Cypress Hill Reservoir

Water QualityMachado Lake Artificial Aeration and Circulation

Project*

JWPCP Marshland

Enhancement*

Large Landscape Conservation/Runoff

Reduction Management*

Expansion of Goldsworthy

Groundwater Desalter

Los Angeles Harbor Low-Flow Diversion Project*

Habitat Restoration

Wilmington Drain Multi-Use Restoration Project* Peck Park Canyon

Restoration Project*

Participating Entities• City of Culver City• City of Lomita• City of Los Angeles

– Bureau of Sanitation– Department of Recreation and Parks

• City of Santa Monica• City of Torrance• County of Los Angeles- Department of Public Works• County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power• Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative• State Coastal Conservancy• UCLA Institute of the Environment• West Basin Municipal Water District• West Bluffs Conservancy and Ballona Ecosystem Education Project

Supporting Entities• Audubon Society• Ballona Wetlands Land Trust• Betty Karnette, Assembly member (54th District-Long Beach)-

Assembly California Legislature• California Center for Land Recycling• California Conservation Corps• City of Manhattan Beach• Heal the Bay• Janice Hahn, Councilwoman 15th District-City of Los Angeles• Mono Lake Committee• Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority• Mountains Restoration Trust• San Gabriel & Lower LA Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC)• Southern California Marine Institute• Surfrider Foundation• Water Replenishment District of Southern California

Step 2 Application

• Draft PSP released in July• Comments accepted in August• Final PSP released in December• Up to 18 attachments required • Bottom line:

– Requires extensive details on benefits, costs and schedule

– Assume greater level of effort that Step 1

Schedule of Activities

Date ActivityMay 12 Submitted Planning Grant Application

May 17 1st Stakeholder Workshop

June 23 2nd Stakeholder Workshop

June 29 Comments and additional information due from stakeholders

July 5 Draft Application sent to other regions for review

July 14 Final Step 1 Implementation Application to State

Dec ’05 Notification on projects moving to Step 2

Spring ’06 Final Step 2 Application to State

IRWMP Planning Process-Next Steps

Date ActivityJul-Aug ‘05 Finalize governance structureJuly ‘05 Finalize IRWMP Scope and funding plan

Jul-Dec ‘05 Continue IRWMP Activities• Next Stakeholder meeting (October)• Prepare Step 2 Application

Spring ’06 Step 2 Application due

July ‘06 Complete IRWMP for adoption by all agencies

July ‘06 Initiate projects (assuming $ awarded)

Dec ’06 Adoption of IRWMP completed

Contacts

• West Basin MWD– Jennifer Bender (jenniferb@wcbwater.org)– Leighanne Reeser (leighanner@wcbwater.org

)

www.westbasin.org