Cooperating Partners PresentationSeptember 28, 2006

Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)

B S

Background and ProcessBackground and Process

C ANTA ARBARA OUNTY

2

Overview of Presentation

Background and Organization Why Prepare an IRWMP State IRWMP Requirements Scope of Work Public Outreach Cooperating Partners’ Responsibilities Keys to Success

3

The Santa Barbara Region

4

History of IRWMP Process

Water resource planning traditionally a “top-down” process

SB 1672 (Costa) put regional planning into the grant selection process

Move to regionalism reflected in State Water Plan, CALFED, Water 2050, Props 40 and 50

Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority

5

What is Regionalism?

Connects local goals with state goals Identifies shared interests and

opportunities Relies on collaboration Views the whole water resource system

and how it functions Moves away from single-purpose planning Delegates decision-making from state to

regional level

6

Who is Involved in Preparing Our IRWMP?

Santa BarbaraCounty

Santa BarbaraCounty

Cooperating Partners

Cooperating Partners

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee

StakeholdersStakeholders

7

Cooperating Partners

Cachuma Conservation and Release Board

Carpinteria Sanitary District Carpinteria Valley Water Dist. Casmalia CSD Central Coast Water Authority City of Buellton City of Carpinteria City of Guadalupe City of Lompoc City of Santa Barbara City of Santa Maria City of Solvang Cuyama CSD Golden State Water Company Goleta Sanitary District

Goleta Water District Goleta West Sanitary District La Cumbre Mutual Water Co. Los Alamos CSD Mission Hills CSD Montecito Water District Santa Barbara County Santa Maria Valley Water

Conservation District Santa Ynez River WCD Santa Ynez WCD ID #1 Summerland Sanitary District Vandenberg Village CSD

8

IRWMP Scope of Work

Hold public meetings Identify regional objectives Refine water management strategies Prioritize water management strategies and

projects Integrate water management strategies and

projects Prepare an IRWMP Document impacts and benefits of the plan Adoption of the plan

9

Why Prepare an IRWMP

Position for Prop 50 ($220 M available for second round) and other funding opportunities in 2007

Retain local control over water management decisions

Build and strengthen long-term working relationships(in-region and adjacent partners)

Forum to build new alliances and discuss planning for future challenges

Opportunity to “tell your story” Inform state/federal agencies/legislators of regional

needs and required projects

10

State IRWMP Requirements

Leadership by regional management group Identify regional water related objectives Document range of water management strategies Show “integration” - how water management

strategies work together to achieve objectives Implementation strategy, impacts and benefits,

data management, relationship to local planning, stakeholder involvement

11

Potential Regional Objectives

Water supply reliability Groundwater management Flood control and stormwater

management Water quality protection and improvement

12

State-Mandated Water Management Strategies

Flood and storm water management Water quality protection and improvement Water supply reliability Groundwater management and conjunctive use Water recycling and conservation Ecosystem restoration Recreation opportunities and public access Wetland enhancement and habitat protection

13

What is Integration?

Required by the State

“Select a mix of strategies… and discuss how these strategies work together to… achieve objectives.” DWR Guidelines

Coordinated approach to planning multi-benefit projects to achieve common objectives

14

Public Involvement

Cooperating Partners input to build stakeholder list

(10/21 meeting)

Communications by letter, email, and website

encouraging participation in planning process and

public meetings

Three sets of public meetings (north and south)

Meeting agendas posted on SB County website in

advance

Draft of the IRWMP made available for public comment

Meetings with key officials for input on process and

draft plan

Adoption of final plan by MOU agency signatories

15

Evaluation of Projects

Multi-criteria decision making tool Formal decision process for prioritizing projects Documents development of agreed-upon

criteria, weighting, and prioritizing

Alternative approach Evaluation of projects based on meeting

agreed-upon regional objectives and general criteria

Grouping (not ranking) of projects according to types of projects

16

Cooperating Partners Responsibilities

Actively participate in process

Provide planning documents

Complete Project Information Forms

Attend meetings to extent possible

Timely review of document iterations (turn-

around time may be short due to holidays)

Outreach to constituents and decision-makers

Assistance in garnering key officials’ approval

of

Final IRWMP

17

Important Dates

Cooperating Partners’ Deliverables/Actions

September 28, 2006 Planning Documents Due October 10, 2006 Project Information Forms Due January 5, 2007 Comments due on Internal Review

Preliminary Draft IRWMP January 23, 2007 Comments due on Draft IRWMP February 15, 2007 Public comments due on Draft IRWMP March 13, 2007 Cooperating Partners approve Final

IRWMP March 19-29, 2007 Facilitate adoption of Final IRWMP by

MOU signatories

Meetings (see handout for list of dates)

Stakeholder Meetings October 23 & 24, 2006December 5 & 6, 2006February 12 & 13, 2007

18

Keys to Success

Commitment to and understanding of IRWMP process

High level of participation from Cooperating Partners

Cooperative approach – share ideas and concerns Timely submittal of planning documents and

project information Recognition that IRWMP will have several

iterations Adherence to tight timeline Broad stakeholder participation

19

For Further Information

IRWMP Contact: Shruti Chandra at (805) 963-0651 or schandra@dudek.comschandra@dudek.com

Website address: www.countyofsb.org/pwd/water/irwmp.htmwww.countyofsb.org/pwd/water/irwmp.htm

FTP site: ftp://ftp.ch2m.com/SBIRWMP/ftp://ftp.ch2m.com/SBIRWMP/

FTP questions: John Schoonover at (530) 243-5886 or john.schoonover@ch2m.comjohn.schoonover@ch2m.com

20

Questions/Answers