Jan 14 2014

Resources On Monterey County’s Water Challenges

Published by

We’ve put together a handful of technical and historical resources to help you get started.

Systems Thinking Workshop Deliverables:  In early February, Alfredo Ortiz’ Systems Thinking Workshop devoted itself to understanding the County’s fresh water challenges.  A set of high quality analytical products — stakeholder and institutional analyses, empathy maps, historical timeline, analysis of solutions tried elsewhere in the world, a Google Earth app that allows you to map the county’s water resources and actors related to them, and more — will be found at this site.

  1. Policies, rules, regulations, and procedures around water rights and use are distributed across a number of bodies.  You’ll need to be savvy about these.  Here’s a few important links to get you started

Managing Water:  A Primer On California State Water Regulations.  “Water in California is controlled, stored, delivered, and managed within a complex network of interlocking and cooperating districts and agencies. Unraveling and understanding this system is not easy. This book describes how the current system works (or doesn’t work) and discusses the issues that face elected officials, water and resource managers, and the general public.”

Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency

Monterey Peninsula Ground Water Replenishment Project

Marina Coast Water District

Monterey County Water Resources Agency

 The California State Water Resources Board.  Beware!  localities throughout the state are fundamentally constrained by a number state laws and regulations.  You need to understand these.

The New California Water Atlas.  A site devoted to “making water understandable in California.”

2.  These following news/current events sites are also going to help you build your understanding

 California Water Crisis.  The 450 local water agencies in California have joined together to create this single web site about the current drought crisis in the state.

The Monterey Herald is a careful follower of water issues in the county.

The Salinas Californian.  Good to compare this newspaper’s coverage of county water issues with others.

The Monterey County Weekly newspaper website.  A third angle on the county’s water challenges.

3.  Background Documents, Studies, Reports, etc.  This list will grow as the competition gets under way, and as local stakeholders, experts, and informants engage with us.

Final_California_Water_Action_Plan – Hot off the presses in 2014.  “The California Water Action Plan has been developed to meet three broad objectives: more reliable water supplies, the restoration of important species and habitat, and a more resilient, sustainably managed water resources system (water supply, water quality, flood protection, and environment) that can better withstand inevitable and unforeseen pressures in the coming decades. Over the next five years, the actions discussed below will move California toward more sustainable water management by providing a more reliable water supply for our farms and communities, restoring important wildlife habitat and species, and helping the state’s water systems and environment become more resilient.” (p. 3)

Executive Summary — Environmental Impact Report This takes you to the Executive Summary of a 1200 page Environmental Impact Report for a failed desalination project in 2010.  5_regional-prj-description More material on the failed desalination project.

Water Purchase Agreement (004465) This document will give you a good insight into the complexity of water supply relationships between Monterey, Marina, and Cal-Am, a private sector company.

2012 Crop Report for Monterey County.  This document breaks down the agricultural sector by value x crop.

4.  Organizations.  Here’s a starter list of organizations that are active in the County’s water challenges.  You can find important resources on their web sites.

Landwatch Monterey County

Greater Monterey County Integrated Regional Water Program

Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project

Public Water Now!

California Water Education Foundation

International Center for Water Technology