Transcript Marin County Watershed Stewardship Plan Watershed Stewardship Program

Marin County
Watershed Stewardship Plan
Watershed Stewardship Program
Countywide Watershed Program
The watershed program provides a framework to integrate flood
protection, creek and wetland restoration, fish passage and water
quality improvements with public and private partners to protect and
enhance Marin’s watersheds.
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed-Focused Stakeholder Outreach
Marin Cities and Towns
Marin County Parks and Open Space District
Marin County Community Development Agency
Marin County Fire Department
Marin County Service Areas
Flood Zone Advisory Boards
Marin Municipal Water District
North Marin Water District
Stinson Beach Water District
Inverness Public Utility District
Sanitary Districts
Community Service Districts
Watershed Groups
Federal Regulatory Agencies
State Regulatory Agencies
National Park Service
State Parks
NBWA and Watershed Council
The Bay Institute
Watershed Stewardship Program
Benefits of Watershed Approach
 Supports and guides protection and enhancement of Marin County’s
significant natural resources.
 Incorporates experience gained from Ross Valley Program.
 Supports integrated efforts to comply with Federal and State
environmental regulations.
 Identifies critical projects and assists with funding and permitting.
 Facilitates flow of State and Federal funds to local municipalities.
 Acknowledges interconnectedness of dynamic natural processes and
human use.
 Integrates policy, water management, land use practices and education
to effect change.
Watershed Stewardship Program
Purpose of the Stewardship Plan
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Collect existing conditions information for each watershed and water
management infrastructure in one place.
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Synthesize information into key issues for each watershed; for example,
water management and ecological issues.
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Assess watershed health and use as a tool to guide project prioritization.
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Explore opportunities for integrated watershed management.
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Provide information, criteria, and prioritized actions to support the Marin
County Department of Public Works and other stakeholders’ efforts to
promote watershed health.
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Demonstrate the elements and process of creating a watershed work plan
that identifies specific, prioritized, multi-benefit projects.
Watershed Stewardship Program
WSP Planning Area
Watershed
Cities and Towns
Flood Zones and County
Service Areas
Richardson Bay
Mill Valley, Tam Valley, Marin
City, Bel Aire, Sausalito and
Tiburon
3 and 4
Corte Madera Creek
Ross, Larkspur, San Anselmo,
Fairfax
9
Las Gallinas Creek
Santa Venetia, San Rafael
Meadows, San Rafael
6 and 7, CSA 6
Miller Creek
Lucas Valley and San Rafael
No zone, CSA 13
Novato Creek
Novato
1
Easkoot Creek
Stinson Beach
5
Inverness
Inverness and Inverness Park
10
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Stewardship Program
Draft Planning Principles
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Our well-being is directly related to the health of our watersheds,
bays, and the Pacific Ocean.
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Collaboration strengthens watershed stewardship. Interagency
coordination and partnerships with local residents bring multiple
perspectives and durability to watershed efforts.
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Working with natural systems is the most cost-effective way to
manage our streams and wetlands.
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Stewardship requires continual adaptation. Watershed health
indicators and monitoring help target efforts and track progress.
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Habitat connectivity is key for biodiversity and species protection.
Photo from Brock Dolman
Watershed Stewardship Program
Stewardship Plan Elements
Stakeholder Meetings and Outreach
Existing Conditions Reports
Watershed Health Evaluations
Multi-Benefit Project Criteria and Guidelines
Watershed-Specific Priorities
Watershed Workplan Template
Watershed Stewardship Program
Existing Conditions Overview
 Land Use
 Water Management
supply, flood protection, stormwater, waste management
 Physical Characteristics
hydrology, channel morphology, erosion, climate change
 Biological Resources
 Current Management & Enhancement Efforts
 Summary of Identified Watershed Stewardship Key Issues
synthesized from personal interviews, NBWA IRWMP planning
processes and other recent planning and assessment efforts
Watershed
Watershed Stewardship
Stewardship Program
Program
Watershed Health Evaluation:
Approach
 Science based, reasonable, and reproducible.
 Designed to assess overall watershed health, not just meet
individual regulatory requirements.
 Informs and is informed by clear, measurable goals,
objectives, and benchmarks.
 Incorporates a process to evaluate progress toward the
goals.
 Provides guidance in the development of ecological
enhancement priorities and actions.
(adapted from Portland Watershed Management Plan, 2005)
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Health Evaluation:
Structure and Process
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Establish Watershed Health
Definition
 Set Goals for watershed health in primary
resource areas
•
Develop Objectives for each goal based on
issues and concerns (may differ per watershed)
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Indicator or metric for each objective (at least one)
 set benchmark value for indicator
 evaluation of existing condition
 score – will help lead to priorities and action items
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Health Evaluation:
Sample Goals
Hydrology
Move toward normative flow conditions.
Physical Habitat
Protect, enhance, and restore aquatic and terrestrial
habitat conditions to support key ecological functions and
the vitality of populations and communities.
Water Quality
Protect and improve surface water and groundwater
quality.
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Health Evaluation:
Objectives and Indicators
 Hydrologic
Conditions
 Physical
Conditions
 Water Quality
 Biological
Conditions
Watershed Stewardship Program
Hydrologic Conditions
Watershed Stewardship Program
Multi-Benefit Project Criteria
and Guidelines
 Will be used to evaluate and rank multi-functional
benefits and specific project contributions to
watershed health.
 Will be based on watershed health evaluations and
key issues from existing conditions report.
 Will assist with project selection to address ecological
as well as infrastructure needs.
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed-Specific Priorities
 Actions can include:
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projects
resource assessments
management measures
education and outreach
policy recommendations
Watershed Stewardship Program
Watershed Work Plan Framework
Financing
Environmental
Compliance
Partnerships
Work Plan
Template
Project
Timelines
Watershed Stewardship Program
Outreach
Next steps
 Existing Conditions reports
completed
 Watershed Health
Evaluations developed
 Meetings with Policy Advisory
Committee and Finance
Committee
 Technical Work Group
meetings later this summer
 Flood Zone Advisory Board
meetings
Watershed
Watershed Stewardship
Stewardship Program
Program
Your Participation in the WSP
Planning Process
 Existing Conditions
information welcome
(photos, reports, maps, contact
people in your watershed)
 Links to questionnaire and
website will be sent to you
by email soon
 Contact Chris Choo with
questions (415) 499-7586
Watershed Stewardship Program