Watershed Stewardship Program

Marin County Watershed Stewardship PlanMarin County Watershed Stewardship Plan

Marin CountyMarin County Department of Public Works Department of Public Works

Watershed Stewardship Program

Why a watershed Why a watershed approach?approach?

SupportsSupports and guides protection and enhancement of Marin and guides protection and enhancement of Marin County’s significant natural resources.County’s significant natural resources.

Flooding of this magnitudeFlooding of this magnitude requires exploring watershed requires exploring watershed wide opportunities (i.e. detention, infiltration and channel wide opportunities (i.e. detention, infiltration and channel enhancements). enhancements).

ComplementsComplements integrated efforts to comply with Federal and integrated efforts to comply with Federal and State environmental regulations (Clean Water & Endangered State environmental regulations (Clean Water & Endangered Species Act) by incorporating environmental restoration Species Act) by incorporating environmental restoration elementselements

IdentifiesIdentifies critical projects to streamline funding and critical projects to streamline funding and permitting process which can permitting process which can facilitate facilitate the flow of State and the flow of State and Federal fundsFederal funds

Working with natural systemsWorking with natural systems is the most cost-effective is the most cost-effective way to manage our streams and wetlands. Program needs to way to manage our streams and wetlands. Program needs to be both ecologically and economically sustainable.be both ecologically and economically sustainable.

EncouragesEncourages a coordinated planning process with City and a coordinated planning process with City and local agency staff to support development of watershed work local agency staff to support development of watershed work plans.plans.

Watershed Stewardship Program

Purpose of the PlanPurpose of the Plan Compile information and tools to support staff in Compile information and tools to support staff in

selecting and prioritizing projects, policies and selecting and prioritizing projects, policies and programsprograms

Engage staff, municipalities, agencies, and the Engage staff, municipalities, agencies, and the public to view issues and solutions from a public to view issues and solutions from a watershed levelwatershed level

Develop projects to be inclusive using a watershed-Develop projects to be inclusive using a watershed-based approachbased approach

Design integrated projects with multiple benefitsDesign integrated projects with multiple benefits Create planning tools to assist with funding, Create planning tools to assist with funding,

regulatory compliance, prioritization, and regulatory compliance, prioritization, and assessment of watershed needsassessment of watershed needs

Incorporate knowledge from existing planning Incorporate knowledge from existing planning efforts including Ross Valley and San Geronimoefforts including Ross Valley and San Geronimo

Watershed Stewardship Program

Approach to PlanningApproach to Planning

WebsiteBackground Conditions and Concepts

Watershed Work Plans

Multiple Benefit Criteria

Watershed Health Evaluations

Watershed Stewardship Program

Land Use-Land Use-historical and existinghistorical and existing

Water Management Strategies-Water Management Strategies-flood protection, flood protection, stormwater, stormwater, supply, water treatment and re-usesupply, water treatment and re-use

Physical Characteristics-Physical Characteristics-hydrology, channel hydrology, channel morphology, morphology, erosion, climate changeerosion, climate change

Biological Resources-Biological Resources-diversity & distribution of rare, diversity & distribution of rare, threatened and threatened and endangered speciesendangered species

Current Management & Enhancement EffortsCurrent Management & Enhancement Efforts

Summary of Identified Watershed Issues-Summary of Identified Watershed Issues-synthesized from synthesized from personal interviews, NBWA planning personal interviews, NBWA planning processes and other processes and other recent planning and assessment recent planning and assessment effortsefforts

Existing Conditions Existing Conditions OverviewOverview

Watershed Stewardship Program

WatershedsWatershedsWatershed Cities and Towns

Alder Creek Bolinas

Corte Madera Creek Larkspur, Greenbrae, Ross, San Anselmo, Fairfax

Easkoot Creek Stinson Beach

Las Gallinas Creek Santa Venetia and San Rafael

Inverness Creeks Inverness and Inverness Park

Miller Creek Lucas Valley and San Rafael

Novato Creek Novato

Richardson Bay Mill Valley, Tam Valley, Marin City, Bel Aire, Sausalito, and Tiburon

San Antonio Creek unincorporated Marin County

San Rafael Creek San Rafael

West Marin Estero Americano, Stemple Creek, Tomales Bay, Walker Creek, Lagunitas Creek, smaller east and west tributaries to Tomales Bay, Bolinas Lagoon and Pine Gulch, Webb, Lone Tree, Cold Stream, Redwood, Tennessee Valley/Rodeo Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore

Watershed Stewardship Program

Uplands

Valley floor

Baylands

Ecological regions of the Ecological regions of the watershedwatershed

Watershed Stewardship Program

WebsiteWebsite www.marinwatersheds.orgwww.marinwatersheds.org The Watershed Program website will The Watershed Program website will

maintain background information for all maintain background information for all watersheds in Marin Countywatersheds in Marin County

References and resources will be linkedReferences and resources will be linked The site will provide the context for The site will provide the context for

watershed-based planningwatershed-based planning The site will encourage interactivity The site will encourage interactivity

and visual representations of the and visual representations of the background information collectedbackground information collected

Alerts and news will be distributed Alerts and news will be distributed onlineonline

Watershed Stewardship Program

Watershed Health - Watershed Health - FrameworkFrameworkWatershed Regions

Uplands, Valley Bottom, Baylands

Stressors that Impact Ecologic Functioning (i.e. Health) in these Regions

Assess Level of Impairment in each watershed - process based with data support as

available -

Develop Programmatic Goals and Recommendations to Improve Ecologic Functioning

Monitoring Program Guidance for Effectiveness- based on goals and programs -

Watershed Stewardship Program

Watershed Health EvaluationWatershed Health EvaluationExampleExample

What region?What region? Bayland-valley transitionBayland-valley transition

StressorsStressors Urban encroachment, Urban encroachment,

stormwater pollution, …stormwater pollution, …

Level of impairmentLevel of impairment Impervious area, Impervious area,

channelization extent, riparian channelization extent, riparian canopy, …canopy, …

Programmatic goalsProgrammatic goals Stormwater management Stormwater management

actions, LID implementation, actions, LID implementation, channel improvements, …channel improvements, …

Watershed Stewardship Program

Multi-Benefit Guidelines and Multi-Benefit Guidelines and CriteriaCriteria Guidelines to Guidelines to evaluate evaluate

and rank proposed and rank proposed projectsprojects Potential to: improve biotic Potential to: improve biotic

functioning, enhance functioning, enhance watershed health, watershed health, implement local and implement local and regional environmental regional environmental restoration goalsrestoration goals

Promote integrated multi-Promote integrated multi-agency approach to agency approach to problem solvingproblem solving

Links to watershed health Links to watershed health as a as a process to track process to track ecological enhancementecological enhancement

Watershed Stewardship ProgramWatershed Stewardship Program

Watershed Work PlanWatershed Work Plan

Partnerships& Multi-benefit

Projects

Watershed Health

Evaluations

Outreachand Education

Environmental ComplianceStrategies

FinancingPrograms

Watershed Specific

Work Plans

Watershed Stewardship Program

Board of Supervisors of the Flood Control and Water Conservation

District

Policy Advisory Committee: •BOS FC District rep•City Council reps•Flood Zone Advisory Board reps•Water and Sanitary Board reps

Operations and Finance Committee: City Managers & County PW director

Technical Working Group:•Municipal Directors •Local, State & Federal Agency reps •Watershed Groups •Homeowners Association reps

Stakeholder OutreachStakeholder Outreach

Watershed Stewardship Program

Recent DevelopmentsRecent Developments Meetings with water and sanitation Meetings with water and sanitation

districtsdistricts Initial support and financial commitment Initial support and financial commitment

from the City of Mill Valley and we hope to from the City of Mill Valley and we hope to gain similar support from City of Novato, gain similar support from City of Novato, Novato Sanitary District, Novato Sanitary District, and North Marinand North MarinWater DistrictWater District

Provide watershed Provide watershed planning tools to planning tools to other watershedsother watersheds

Watershed Stewardship Program

Next StepsNext Steps Form technical work groups (TWG) to Form technical work groups (TWG) to

develop and prioritize projects for Mill develop and prioritize projects for Mill Valley and Novato watersheds (anticipated Valley and Novato watersheds (anticipated for early 2009)for early 2009)

Create a draft workplan to address issues Create a draft workplan to address issues identified in the existing conditions report identified in the existing conditions report and by TWG (to be completed by the end and by TWG (to be completed by the end of 2009 for Mill Valley and Novato)of 2009 for Mill Valley and Novato)

Determine how to provide interim support Determine how to provide interim support to other watersheds (ongoing)to other watersheds (ongoing)

Watershed Stewardship Program

For more information contact:Chris Choo, Senior Plannercchoo@co.marin.ca.us499-7586

Liz Lewis, Principal Planner lizlewis@co.marin.ca.us499-7226

Website under constructionwww.marinwatersheds.org