Cooperating Partners Presentation September 28, 2006 Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) B S Background 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 Barbara County Cooperating Partners Steering Committee Stakeholders

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, , 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, 2006Planning Documents Due October 10, 2006 Project Information Forms Due January 5, 2007Comments due on Internal Review Preliminary Draft IRWMP January 23, 2007Comments due on Draft IRWMP February 15, 2007Public comments due on Draft IRWMP March 13, 2007Cooperating 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, 2006 December 5 & 6, 2006 February 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) or Website address: ftp://ftp.ch2m.com/SBIRWMP/ FTP site: ftp://ftp.ch2m.com/SBIRWMP/ FTP questions: John Schoonover at (530) or

20 Questions/Answers