The state has innovated a system that presents an opportunity for a voluntary, non-regulatory planning process that both encourages and truly protects good faith efforts towards meaningful change and improvements that will benefit local communities, regions, and the state as a whole. To top it off, there is a built in reward system (eligibility for state funding) only for those who follow the rules.

Background: In September 2008, SB 1 (Perata, Stats. 2008, Ch. 1; eff. March 1, 2009) was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. SB1 contains the "Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act", CWC Sec 10530 et seq. Pursuant to that, effective March 1, 2009, the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) established the Region Acceptance Process (RAP) for the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program Guidelines. The RAP will be used to evaluate and accept an IRWM region into the IRWM grant program, California Water Code (CWC) §10541(f).

In anticipation of meeting the requirements of the RAP, for the past couple of months, stakeholders in Madera, Mariposa, and Merced as well as surrounding areas have been working within and around the region to establish boundaries. Locally, we uncovered "splitting" issues. For examples: Stakeholders in Madera feel that the Chowchilla watershed is best represented in the Madera area and stakeholders in Mariposa feel that the Chowchilla watershed is best represented in the Mariposa area. Note historically the Chowchilla River was called the Mariposa River. Some Merced stakeholders want to establish a boundary between Mariposa and Merced, however, no stakeholders in Mariposa support drawing a line. Merced Irrigation District has more water rights in Mariposa than Mariposa water agencies and non-profit entities and land management agencies feel like the Merced River watershed should be considered in its entirety, from the top of Madera in Yosemite National Park through Mariposa and down into Merced. Since we all want to be successful and eligible for funding as soon as possible, these conflicts are driving the effort for a combined region. Note that Madera County has an adopted IRWMP that must be put in a position to be eligible for implementation funding.

“This larger combined area could identify and justify projects of a scale that any one of the individual areas could not. The greatest opportunity for significant funding is to define the larger area as the IRWMP boundary. This collaborative effort will provide greater benefit across the region; while the three individual boundaries would signify to the State "business as usual." Part of our problem stems from fragmented responsibilities, missions and planning.” - Rita Kidd

Annotated Summary from the California Water Plan Update Public Review Draft 2009: California is facing a significant water crisis in its history. Our policies, decisions, and actions must lead to long-term, sustainable water resource use that enhances our environment, our economy, and our communities. California must follow a strategic path. This means we need to make water management a priority at home, in our communities, on the farm, and at the office. These challenges require a vision and goals, an implementation plan with objectives and near-term and long-term actions, as well as recommendations to remove obstacles that stand in our way. Commitments are necessary for managing and planning in a way that ensures sustainable water use and reliable water supplies through 2050 and for future generations.

The new and continuing challenges of California’s diverse and extreme conditions require a new approach to water management—one that is multi-faceted with creative flexibility, discipline, and innovation. Integrated water management actions provide a broad variety of benefits, including meeting existing and future water demands; improving the quality of water sources and supplies; providing flexibility to deal with extreme hydrological events, such as droughts and floods; and restoring and enhancing ecosystems to help sustain our natural resources.

Integrated resource planning is a systems approach that explores the cause-and-effect relationships affecting water resources wherever operations affect water use, quality, and supply. It analyzes all the interrelated water management components in a given region, among regions, or statewide. The focus is on the interrelation of the different water management components with the understanding that changes in the management of one component will affect the others. Because these components are often not confined to the boundaries of a single water management agency, county, or city, a consensus-based, cross-jurisdictional, regional approach is required to formulate comprehensive, win-win solutions to identified problems.

Regions have opportunities not available to individual water suppliers. Water suppliers that form partnerships with each other and with local governments, Tribes, and organizations in their region can accomplish projects and provide benefits that no single agency can do alone. For example, partnerships are allowing local governments and agencies to:

·         improve water supply reliability by establishing emergency connections with neighboring water suppliers;

·         increase operational flexibility by participating in regional groundwater and conjunctive management;

·         protect water quality by participating in regional watershed management;

·         reduce costs by cooperating with other agencies on water and resource management strategies like water conservation and outreach programs;

·         facilitate new projects by contributing to local habitat conservation plans; and

·         help achieve many other regional resource management objectives.

Partnerships lead to Integrated Regional Water Management plans and regional eligibility for grant funds. Integrated regional water management relies on a diversified portfolio of water strategies. Coordination with land planning agencies will help water suppliers and land planners anticipate and plan for future growth, and ensure that additional regional growth will not exceed water suppliers’ capabilities. Ultimately, regional partnerships will enable optimal and effective management of water and other resources within a region, and the resulting regional plans will provide efficient solutions, consider other resource issues, and enjoy broad public support.

The Central California IRWMP Proposed Regional Boundary essentially consists of the southeastern section of the state’s San Joaquin River hydrologic region (which is the same as the state’s Water Quality Control Board Region 5S) and includes the two southern most major watersheds in the state’s Mountain County area of interest (the Merced and San Joaquin) along with the Chowchilla and Fresno Rivers, which are between these two major watersheds. The region includes Madera, Mariposa, and eastern Merced Counties as well as US Forest Service land in Fresno County. The region encompasses both the foothill/mountain areas with the valley floor up to the eastern bank of the San Joaquin River. (The San Joaquin River is the proposed boundary since it is the border of the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Region – an area on the western side of the San Joaquin River that the state recognizes separately due to serious issues.) There is ongoing coordination with DWR and adjoining regions.

Stakeholders within the proposed region are organizing into a Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) as required for the RAP. They are seeking and securing the support of:

It is critical to achieve “official” support no later than April 20 so that joining entities will be able to review and comment on the Regional Acceptance Process (RAP) packet from April 21 to April 24. Then the RAP packet will be finalized and submitted to the state on April 27.

New regulations require that the RAP is successfully completed prior to any entity within the region being able to receive any future planning or implementation funding from DWR. It may be up to one year before the RAP opportunity is available again. Since there is such a critical need within the region to complete water and water-related projects as soon as possible, stakeholders within the region are collaboratively joining together to finish this first step in order to be eligible for millions of dollars in state funding.

What can I do?

1)      To be part of this voluntary planning process, obtain the signatory authority of the agency, organization, or stakeholder you represent to support this regional application.

2)      Spread the word! Forward this information to other agencies, organizations, stakeholders as well as the public within this region so that they have the opportunity to get involved!

Leona Montalvo  559-675-7821 ext. 218,  lmontalvo@madera-county.com

Brenda Ostrom  209-966-8432,  bostrom@sti.net

Or go to: www.irwmp.org

Important notes: Since this process is voluntary, it is acknowledged that for one reason or another, stakeholders may choose not to participate, and that is up to them. Since this process is non-regulatory, it cannot delegate, limit, or expand any agency's jurisdictional, statutory, and/or other authorities (regardless if that agency is participating in the process or not).

Once DWR has determined that a region has been accepted, it will not be required to do so again, unless DWR determines and notifies the region that their approval is being suspended. Events that may cause a region to have their previously approved regional acceptance status suspended include but are not limited to: change in the region’s boundary; loss or addition of signatory agencies of the RWMG; demonstrated continued and prolonged inactivity; inability to self sustain IRWM efforts; or changes in statutory requirements, new commonly accepted management practices, and changes in state water management policy.

We are voluntary private and public entities forming a Regional Water Management Group (RWMP) that have agreed to participate in the process of 1) establishing an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan regional boundary; 2) preparing a planning grant application to complete an IRWMP for our accepted region; 3) completing and adopting an IRWMP; and 4) implementing our completed IRWMP. Our RWMG consists of stakeholders and water management authorities that represent the majority of interests within our regional boundary.

We acknowledge all local agencies within our regional boundary with statutory authority over water supply, water quality, water management, and/or flood protection. We acknowledge each other’s local and regional interests in water management and planning. We agree to mitigate competing interests or conflicting policies among members at least to the point that those issues do not interfere with progress of integrated water planning and management. As a developing region, we agree to continue pursuit of understanding the full range of needs within our region including those of disadvantaged communities, other stakeholders, and the public.

The governance structure must also describe how new members will be incorporated and how the balance of interested persons or entities representing different sectors and interests have been or will be engaged in the process, regardless of their ability to contribute financially to the plan.

Finally, the governance structure must describe how it facilitates development of a single collaborative water management portfolio, prioritized on the regional goals and objectives of the IRWM region.

Note again: The process is voluntary and non-regulatory; it cannot delegate, limit, or expand any agency's jurisdictional, statutory, and/or other authorities (regardless if that agency is participating in the process or not).

The Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) received Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) funding to complete the planning grant application and has a contract in place to prepare the materials. The SNC funding, however, is currently not available due to the state budget situation. Note this does not mean that the MCRCD will be the fiscal agent and/or the agency responsible for the IRWMP (that will be determined by the RWMG at a future date). The planning grant application is anticipated during the fall and has also been delayed due to the state budget situation. Hopefully the state funding will be available in time to meet the application deadline or, at the discretion of the RWMG, other alternatives can be sought.