3. All about the people Regional Forum Design Team Design Team MemberAgency Kerri TimmerSierra Nevada Conservancy Dave EggertonEl Dorado County Water Agency John KingsburyMountain Counties Water Resources Agency Joan ClayburghSierra Nevada Alliance Kris KuyperSierra Business Council Liz MansfieldSierra Water Work Group Steven BrinkCalifornia Forestry Association Don StumpCalaveras County Water District Kathy MannionRural County Representatives of California

4. Core Writing Team Design Team MemberAgency Angela AverySierra Nevada Conservancy Barbara BalenUnited States Forest Service (ex-officio MCWRA) Dave EggertonEl Dorado County Water Agency Don StumpCalaveras County Water District John KingsburyMountain Counties Water Resources Agency Kerri TimmerSierra Nevada Conservancy Lowell JarvisMountain Counties Water Resources Agency Walter ClevengerSierra Nevada Conservancy

5. Update 2005 overlay areas of statewide significance MC Area > 15,700 mi. 2 Covers 16 Counties Covering part of Sacramento & San Joaquin hydrologic regions 11 MAF Average Annual Water Supply in Snowpack 18 MAF Reservoir Storage Interregional Planning Efforts

6. STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE > 40% of CA’s developed water supply More hydroelectric generation facilities than any other region in CA Agriculture is an economic driver for CA’s economy Recreation & tourism help communities thrive Stored water dedicated instream flow releases meet beneficial uses & provide storage to reduce flood flows Photo courtesy of Graham Morey: Whitewater Rafting on the North Yuba River. Tributary Whitewater Tours.

7. ECONOMIC & ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS Concentration of public & private forests Watershed headwaters & natural & recreational resources Socioeconomic disparities Photo courtesy of Jacobs Associates: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. http://www.jacobssf.com/industry_overview/view/268/

8. ECONOMIC & ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS Anticipated climate change impacts Communities of place vs. communities of interest Land use issues Rural populations Management of public lands Coordination with tribal councils Photo courtesy of UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences: UCD scientist in Sierra meadows. https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/news/2012/12/03/sierra-meadows-and-climate-change

9. Large damaging fires threaten air & water quality, affect hydropower generation, the environment, recreation, & tourism Healthy forests & headwaters Area of origin protections Photo courtesy of Matthew Henderson: King Fire at Stumpy Meadows. https://www.facebook.com/onfirephotos Photo courtesy of YNP: Yosemite National Park. http://www.yosemitepark.com

10. Climate change & alterations to the hydrologic cycle Reduced snow accumulation & higher snow elevations Change in runoff timing More frequent rain-on-snow events & higher peak flows Lower summer stream flows & groundwater levels Increased frequency of catastrophic wildland fires Legacy mining Aging Infrastructure Fractured rock formations Photo courtesy of UC Merced: UCM Roger Bales works on a snow sensor tower. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/audio/why-more-trees-in- the-sierra-mean-less-water-for-california /

11.  Elevate stewardship & health of the Sierra Nevada watersheds & sustainable watershed management  Invest in the watershed & headwaters & protecting resilient forests  Develop & implement sustainable resource management strategies  Harness potential for alternative energy production  Implement pilot projects to further prove investment needs & benefits  Establish & maintain effective collaborative partnerships Photo courtesy of “wgerman”: View of Hell Hole Reservoir. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/42797585

12. Primary need for decision- makers & stakeholders to better understand the region Unique roles & ecosystem services Current conditions Successful long-term management strategies developed & implemented through multi-stakeholder collaborative groups

13.  Established framework & roadmap  Continue multi-stakeholder collaborative efforts Increase regional self- reliance and integrated water management Photo courtesy of Heather Loewenhardt. http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/big.asp?photoID=11803691&catID=&style=&rowNumber=2&memberID=251445

14. 1.Describe baseline conditions better to promote understanding of upper watershed conditions & needs 2.Increase regional & statewide water supplies & reliability by focusing efforts in upper watersheds 3.Maintain & upgrade infrastructure facilities (constructed & natural) 4.Increase off-stream storage 5.Raise existing reservoirs 6.Dredge local reservoirs 7.Reduce layers of bureaucracy, streamline regulatory processes, & expedite timelines 8.Balance regulatory assurances to link investment with returns assuring local monetary investment in upgraded facilities results in economic & environmental benefits 9.Enhance & restore the upper watershed forests & meadow systems 10.Restore ecosystem & watershed health & resiliency 11.Reduce potential for catastrophic fires by reducing vegetation densities & fuel loads 12.Expand meadow restoration efforts 13.Map ecosystem services & explain value of ecosystem services 14.Discuss avoided costs achieved through investing in watershed management vs costs incurred from suppression& the resulting damage of catastrophic fires 15.Coordinate agencies & resources better regarding resource management & planning approaches 16.Promote regional self-reliance throughout CA by increasing awareness to reduce demands on upper watersheds 17.Explain water pricing at $/gal to allow a better understanding of supply & treatment options 18.Streamline water transfer requirements to respond better to opportunities; processing time ≤ window opportunity 19.Improve conditions associated with septic systems 20.Allow flexibility for meeting SB X7-7 water use efficiency (WUE) targets 21.Ability to receive credit for WUE targets from water savings beyond pipe system 22.Understand tradeoffs associated with eliminating water loss from the larger system

15. 1.Increase investments of State funds in the form of State water bonds or other funding mechanisms to provide for ecosystem conservation & repair & improve infrastructure within MC Area 2.Educate key State & federal decision-makers, land & natural resource managers, urban planners, downstream users, etc. about value of & need for source water protection to facilitate investment, maintenance, & improve conditions in upper watersheds 3.Support implementation of sustainable IRWM RMSs, including forest management & watershed protection practices that enhance efficiencies throughout the entire water system: from forested headwaters to improved/maintainable water impoundment, conveyance, delivery, & flood control systems infrastructure; enhance water conservation efforts & promoting efficient use/reuse of water as it flows through the system 4.Establish a specific definition of the boundaries of the Sierra Nevada & identify the watersheds included in the boundary to create agreement among all State & federal agencies; support a comprehensive, multi- benefit, long-term statewide solution to ecosystem restoration & water reliability for all of CA 5.Develop a climate change adaptation plan, starting with a vulnerability assessment of the region’s water resources to direct statewide conservation efforts to achieve the long-term sustainability of CA’s vital water resources 6.Encourage increased resource self-reliance in other regions & explore creating a system of payment for ecosystem services provided that initiates progress towards equalizing water system economics throughout CA; increase efforts for educating downstream users about the source of water and external costs associated