Practical Vision: Healthy Waters, People, and Communities

The San Diego Water Board Vision is to realize healthy waters in the Region through collaborative, outcome-focused efforts that support both human uses and sustainable ecosystems. The Board’s Practical Vision is a key tool to achieve that goal and implements efforts consistent with our values of leadership, stewardship, communication, and transparency.

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On September 8, 2021, the San Diego Water Board adopted Resolution No. R9-2021-0007 supporting the implementation of the 2021 Practical Vision.

Practical Vision Resolution R9-2021-0007 
2021 Practical Vision

Guided by our Mission to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California's water resources for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, over the next seven years the Board will focus on implementing the following Practical Vision chapters to move closer to achieving our goals:

  1. Strategize for Healthy Waters – Focus on outcomes using key Beneficial Uses and key Areas approach.
  2. Monitor and Assess - Produce information that supports the protection and restoration of water quality resources, communicates resource conditions, and provides information to evaluate success.
  3. Recover Stream, Wetland, and Riparian Land - Increase wetland area in the Region and regulate projects that alter wetland, stream, and riparian areas considering the affects to Tribal and underserved communities as well as Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.
  4. Implement Racial Equity and Environmental Justice Measures - Work towards equity in environmental protection and provide enhanced engagement with underserved communities during the Board’s decision-making process.
  5. Partner and Consult with Tribal Nations – Work in consultation with Tribes to designate waterbodies in the San Diego Region for the Culture, Tribal Subsistence, and Subsistence Beneficial Uses and restore and protect water quality for the benefit of present and future generations of Indigenous Americans.
  6. Strategize to Achieve Resilient Local Water Supply – Protect, restore, and regulate water quality in a manner that contributes to sustainable local water supply and is consistent with protection of other beneficial uses for current and future generations.
  7. Mitigate Climate Change Impacts - Proactively safeguard beneficial uses against the regional impacts of changing climate conditions.
  8. Provide Effective Community Engagement and Communication - Engage in outreach to improve communication and transparency, create information sharing opportunities to both listen to and share with our communities, collaborate on development of mutually beneficial solutions to water quality issues, and inform the public about the goals of the Practical Vision.
  9. Create a Supported, Empowered, Energized Organizational Community - Support a healthy organizational culture at the Water Board that fosters integrity, high morale, communication, productivity, leadership, and growth.
  10. Ensure Effective Mission Support – Ensure sufficient business resources, information, and expertise to empower the success of the Water Board Mission