A few weeks back I attended a
conference on the coast for the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Quality Management
Plan or NCIRWMP (http://www.northcoastirwmp.net/
)
and California Water Plan Update (http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/
.) Discussion included a recap of Proposition 50 – the 2002 Water Bond that California
voters passed. This provided $380 million for the development of Integrated Regional Water
Management Plans (IRWMPs) across the state and for the funding of projects included within
them.
The North Coast Counties that fall within the boundaries of the North
Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board -
Del Norte County, Humboldt County, Mendocino County, Modoc County, (northern) Siskiyou County, Sonoma County and
Trinity County, came together voluntarily to form the plan. The NCIRWMP is based upon
transparent decision – making (open meetings,) regional equality, retained local
county/city autonomy (by formal agreement,) cooperation and fairness. In order to meet
Prop. 50 priorities and criteria, the plan’s objectives were established to support
viable salmon runs, water management to protect and enhance beneficial uses of water, and
the protection of public health and safety. The state Shasta and Scott Recovery Plan
served as a state plan already created that would integrate us with the rest of the
region.
The NCIRWMP was successful in getting more than $25 million of Prop
50 money for our region. 34 projects were submitted locally to Siskiyou County for its
application and 18 high priority projects were
selected. The regional ranking further reduced those projects. (More than $319 million in
regional projects were submitted.) Final funding was received locally for Aruja dam
restoration in the ShastaValley, the City of Etna’s dam for their drinking water
system, the Scott Valley Water Trust and a planning grant for the Shasta/Scott
programmatic Incidental Take Permit ITP process. In the future, the group will continue to
apply for the $37 million in funding allocated to the North Coast Region under Proposition
84.
The NCIRWMP policy committee is steered by a group comprised of two
members appointed by the Board of Supervisors from each County. I am one of those two. The
Board also appoints two members to the project ranking or technical committee. Former Etna
Mayor Marilyn Seward is one of these members.
Bridgett Luther, Director of the California Department of
Conservation was a speaker at the meeting on behalf of Lester Snow, Director California
Department of Water Resources. Snow sent talking points renewing his commitment to
emphasis the role of watersheds on the state level. Supervisor Jill Geist of Humboldt County
has been selected as the representative of the Klamath Watershed and North Coast region on
a statewide working group. The aim is to set statewide standards and best management
practices that will be implemented through state agencies and watershed groups.
“Integrated Water Management” will emphasize the management of water resources
for water quality and quantity.
Gary Wolff of the State Water Resources Control Board spoke about the
need for the regional group to last past the latest grant. He spoke about the rewards of
collaboration on increasing efficiency and effectiveness through the economies of scale
and scope. He also spoke about the consolidation of power into larger new regional
government structures through Joint Powers Agreements such as the Delaware River Basin
authority, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River and the Tennessee Valley
Authority. (Obviously, this is definitely not something I would support.)
David Lewis from U.C. Cooperative Extension and Chair of the NCIRWMP
Technical Peer Review Committee emphasized his expectations that the Integrated Plan would
be “folded into” local County General Plans and ordinances. (Obviously, as the
portion of Siskiyou County in this region is an agricultural area dependent upon
agricultural production as the backbone of our economy, our General Plan emphasizes
protecting agricultural land use – not salmon fisheries. Under NCIRWMP agreements for
local autonomy, consideration of any integration must fit local objectives.)
I will continue in further columns about other speakers and Prop. 87.
I will mention that it was un-nerving when State Senator Pat Wiggins asked publicly how we
could stop the upriver farmers from diverting water so that “we” could increase
instream flows for salmon. Made me quite aware that (1) either she has no concept that our
economy is almost entirely agricultural based or that (2) she simply doesn’t care. |
