Watershed Management Initiative Chapter

The water resource protection efforts of the State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards are guided by a five-year Strategic Plan (updated in 1997). A key component of the Strategic Plan is a watershed management approach for water resource protection.

To protect water resources within a watershed context, a mix of point and nonpoint source discharges, ground and surface water interactions, and water quality/quantity relationships must be considered. The complexity of these issues present considerable challenges to water resource protection programs. The State and Regional Boards are responding to these challenges with the Watershed Management Initiative (WMI). WMI implements water quality solutions by focusing limited resources on key uses, addressing point and nonpoint sources of pollution, integrating surface and ground water regulatory programs, and involving interested and affected parties in point and nonpoint pollution control.

The WMI Chapter and Appendices for the Colorado River Basin Region are provided below. The chapter is divided into sections that can be accessed independently. All documents are in PDF format. Please click on the icon below to download the FREE Acrobat reader.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
		Watershed Delineation

	Organization Structure and Management Strategy
		Organization Structure Management Strategy

	Programs Covered Under WMI
		Nonpoint Source Management Program Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program New River/International Boundary Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Pass-Through Grants Stakeholder Involvement

KEY ISSUES IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN REGION
	Surface Water Quality Problems
	Ground Water Quality Problems
		On Site Treatment Systems Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) Regionwide

RESOURCES
	Funded Activities (WMI related)
	Unfunded Activities
		A. Surface Water Quality Monitoring B. Ground Water Protection C. Development of Ground Water Standards D. MTBE

FOR MORE INFORMATION
		Internet Information Basin Plan Availability Staff Assistance and Information

Section 1. INTRODUCTION
		1.1 Background 1.2 Strategic Plan - The Watershed Management Initiative 1.3 Definition of Watershed Management Areas
			Figure 1. Sub-Regional Watersheds
		1.4 Organization Structure and Management Strategy 1.5 Overview of Regional Board Activities
			A. Standards/Basin Planning B. Core-Regulatory Program (NPDES, Non-Chapter 15, and Chapter 15) C. Total Maximum Daily Loads D. California's Nonpint Source Pollution Control Program E. New River/Mexicali Sanitation Project F. Surface Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment G. Ground Water
		1.6 The Watershed Management Approach 1.7 Regional Priorities

Section 2. WATERSHED ACTIVITIES
		2.1 Salton Sea Transboundary Watershed
			A. Area Description B. Overview of Water Quality Issues C. Total Maximum Daily Loads D. NPS Control E. New River/Mexicali Sanitation Project F. Ground Water G. Stakeholder Involvement H. Monitoring, Assessment, and Reporting
		2.2 Lower Colorado River Watershed
			A. Area Description B. Overview of Water Quality Issues C. Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) D. Pathogen Impairment of the Palo Verde Outfall Drain E. Stakeholder Involvement
		2.3 Desert Aquifers Watershed
			A. Area Description B. Ground Water Quality Issues

Section 3. REGION-WIDE ACTIVITIES
		3.1 Planning and Policy Development
			A. Triennial Review Issues B. Geographic Information Systems C. TMDL Amendments
		3.2 Core-Regulatory
			A. NPDES B. Chapter 15
		3.3 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control 3.4 Funding 3.5 Ground Water
			A. Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (STs) Region-wide B. Ground Water Ambient Monitoring And Assessment (GAMA)
		3.6 Monitoring Assessment and Reporting

Section 4. APPENDICES
		Appendix A: NPDES Permit Reissuance Schedule
		Appendix B: Stormwater Permit Reissuance Schedule
		Appendix C: Non-Chapter 15 Permit Reissuance Schedule
		Appendix D: NPDES Compliance Inspections
		Appendix E: NPDES Pretreatment Audit Schedule
		Appendix F: Chapter 15 Permit Reissuance Schedule
		Appendix G: TMDL Tables
		Appendix H: California's Nonpoinst Source Management Measures
		Appendix I: Nonpoint Source Tables
		Appendix J: Required Elements for Watershed-Based Plans as Per CWQ Section 319
		Appendix K: What is WRAS?
		Appendix L: Hydrological Units Contained in Sub-Regional Watersheds

(updated 7/12/05 )