The purpose of the Watershed Program is to advance sustainable watershed-based management of California’s natural resources through community-based strategies.
The new statewide watershed program, an extension of the previous CALFED Bay-Delta Watershed Program, will be administered through the Department of Conservation. The Program will operate with guiding principles and goals and objectives, that includes maintaining a commitment to public involvement and Program transparency.
Statewide Watershed Program Documents
statewide Watershed Public Advisory Committee
The Secretary of the Resources Agency has appointed a 24-member Statewide Watershed Program Advisory Committee to advise on the development and conduct of a new State Watershed Program. The Committee is responsible for guiding an extensive public outreach process to engage and receive advice from local people and communities on the construct of this new state program. There are two committee members representing each of the state's ten hydrologic regions and four at-large members with a particular emphsis on tribal, environmental justice and regional geographic focus.
What's New
2008 CALFED Watershed Grant Program to Support Implementation of Watershed Management Plans - State Water Resources Control Board Releases List of Concept Proposals Advanced for Full Proposal Development.
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Division of Financial Assistance has accepted concept applications for the 2008 CALFED Watershed Grant Program to support implementation of Watershed Management Plan(s). This application round is the second step in a two-step process. Only applications from those on the Invite Back List will be considered. All eligible applicants requesting funds from the 2008 Watershed Grant Program – Implementing Watershed Management Plans must submit a completed electronic Full Proposal by 5:00 pm on Friday, December 12, 2008, using the State Water Board’s online FAAST system.
The 2008 CALFED Watershed Program Grant Program will support a suite of activities that will demonstrate successful implementation of an established watershed management plan(s), and will measure, analyze and evaluate the project(s) effectiveness in improving natural resource conditions in the watershed(s) and the bay-delta system.
See this site for details.
Statewide Watershed Program Summary Outreach Report
The Statewide Watershed Program Advisory Committee conducted a wide-ranging public outreach campaign that included nearly thirty public meetings throughout the state from February through May 2008. The Committee received over 1,500 comments. A final report summarizing the input received has been prepared. (PDF)
The analysis shows consistent Statewide needs from those involved with improving the overall management of the State’s watershed resources:
Greater coordination and communication among the multiple actors within each watershed, and between watersheds. The need is for more alignment of goals and objectives from local to national levels, in both government and non-government arenas.
Improved organization, access and usefulness of available information and data to support watershed management in a predictable, reliable, current and thorough manner.
Greater technical and organizational capacity for watershed based resource management. The available capacity to engage in successful management varies widely across the State.
Improved use and availability of sound watershed science to support more effective decision making and results measurement.
Next Steps - The Committee is currently preparing a set of recommendations on the creation of a statewide watershed program that will be responsive to these statewide needs. Once these recommendations are developed they will be broadly circulated for review and comment.
About the watershed management program
About Watershed Management
Watershed management is the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that provide the goods, services and values desired by the community affected by conditions within a watershed boundary.
Learn more about watershed management here! (PDF, 700 kb)