Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Information
The purpose of the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) is to integrate planning and implementation efforts and facilitate regional cooperation with the goals of reducing potable water demands, increasing water supply, improving water quality, promoting resource stewardship over the long term, reducing negative effects from flooding and hydromodification, and adapting to and mitigating climate change. The intention of this IRWMP is not to duplicate existing and ongoing plans, but to better integrate these efforts and utilize the results and findings of existing plans to put forward the projects needed to address local objectives as determined by agencies and the stakeholder public. As part of IRWM, there is a new outreach effort called WaterTalks.
WaterTalks is a public program designed to generate and increase community involvement in planning a sustainable water future for our community. Its goal is to explore the strengths and opportunities for communities facing ongoing economic and environmental distress, and to gather input to prioritize and recommend water-related projects based on issues of greatest concern.
More information about the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)
Participation in WaterTalks Community events will help ensure communities’ needs, concerns, questions, and insights become part of the State’s future water projects. For more information about WaterTalks, click here.
OBJECTIVES OF UPPER SANTA CLARA RIVER IRWMP:
- Reduce Potable Water Demand: Implement technological, legislative and behavioral changes that will reduce user demands for water.
- Increase Water Supply: Understand future regional demands and obtain necessary water supply sources.
- Improve Water Quality: Supply drinking water with appropriate quality; improve groundwater quality; and attain water quality standards.
- Promote Resource Stewardship: Preserve and improve ecosystem health, and preserve and enhance water-dependent recreation.
- Flooding/Hydromodification: Reduce flood damage and/or the negative effects on waterways and watershed health caused by hydromodification and flooding outside the natural erosion and deposition process endemic to the Santa Clara River.
- Take Action within the Watershed to Adapt to Climate Change