What is a watershed?

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What is a watershed?

• The geographic area draining into a river system,
  ocean or other body of water through a single
  outlet and includes the receiving waters
• Watersheds dominated by rural land uses are often
  defined by ridgelines
• An urban watershed is often flat knowing what
  direction water flows in storm drains helps
  define the boundary

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What is watershed management?

• A process which
• is stakeholder-driven
• identifies and prioritizes watershed issues
• develops potential prevention, restoration,
  and/or control strategies that represent
  integrated solutions
• identifies entities to implement the strategies
• develops indicators to measure progress
• measures progress and adjusts strategies as needed

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Watershed management plans

• Describe the current resource and socioeconomic
  conditions in the watershed
• Describe mutually-agreed upon goals for the
  watershed, both short and long-term
• Document the results of the process
• Are re-visited and updated as major goals are met
• May be referenced by other names such as
  restoration or action plans

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How watershed management can help

• Stakeholder involvement leads to more awareness
  of local problems and development of integrated
  solutions
• Spills can be more quickly detected and reported
  for cleanup
• Minimal funding from multiple local partners can
  help accomplish plenty

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More on how watershed management can help

• Just a small increase in the average citizens
  knowledge base will have great impact
• Information gained during watershed planning can
  help jump-start TMDL work
• Collaborative TMDL development is a natural result

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Existing and draft plans in area

• See separate handout (not necessarily a complete
  list)
• Many are detailed, subwatershed-level documents
  with a focus on water quality, flood control, and
  habitat restoration
• Some are broad, watershed-level policy documents
  that will hopefully tie the details together

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Spanish Rancho Heritage
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Environmental Assets
Madrona Marsh
Dominguez Channel Estuary
Machado Lake and Regional Park
Carbrillo Beach
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Environmental Assets
Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors
Home to 43 million aquatic creatures
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Industrial Urban Assets
Busiest Seaport in the World
One of the Most Industrialized Areas in
California
Produces 8 of The Nations Oil
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Industrial Urban Assets
Home for Nearly One Million People
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Significant Watershed Issues
Historical Deposits of DDT and PCBs in Sediment
Industrial Discharges
Storm Water and Urban Runoff
Brownfields
Groundwater Contamination
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Who Participates in DWAC?

• The Stakeholder Groups
• Each a Part of the Problem
• Each a Part of the Solution
• Government
• Represent the Public Trust
• Dischargers Ports, Sanitation Districts, Streets
• Funders Bonds, General Funds, Special Districts

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Who Participates in DWAC?

• Environmental Groups
• Citizen Concern and Oversight
• Protecting Intangibles--Quality of Life Issues
• Looking at the Big Picture
• Regulatory Agencies
• Charged with Facilitating Solutions
• Recommending Projects to Fund

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Perspective on TMDL Scientific Studies The
Dominguez Watershed Advisory Committee

• Importance
• Role
• Progress
• Involvement
• Mike Wang, Western States Petroleum Association

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Importance Addressing Unanswered Questions

• How is Dominguez Watershed impaired?
• Why has this impairment occurred?
• How do we improve the water quality?
• Who is responsible?
• How long will it take to remedy the problem?
• How much will it cost?
• Who should bear the burden?

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Answering Questions Bringing Stakeholders
Together and

• Scientifically Based and Technically Feasible
• Good Science leading to robust solutions
• Involvement in, and commitment to, the process
• Equitable and timely
• Data will help the Regional Board develop TMDLs
  and source allocation

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Water Research Project in Support of TMDL
Development

• Water Research Activities have been defined
• DWAC Committees formed (Funding, Water Research,
  Technical, Scope/Workplan)
• Southern California Coastal Water Research
  Project (SCCWRP) retained to conduct field
  testing
• Additional Funds being identified
• Related work being outlined
• Harbor circulation model

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Industry - WSPA as an Example

• Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA)
• Supporting DWAC in 2001-2003
• Pledge of 225,000 for 2002-2003
• Cash of 100,000 already transferred
• Additional stakeholder support key it will take
  all of us to make it happen

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What is the Dominguez Watershed Advisory Council

• Locally-organized, voluntary, non-regulatory
  group
• Established in 2001 to understand and improve the
  condition of the watershed
• It is composed of over 70 stakeholders in
  partnership
• private, local municipal, state, and federal
  interests
• Will plan watershed protection and restoration
  strategies in a holistic manner
• Will collaborate to
• identify issues
• promote cooperative solutions
• focus resources
• agree on goals for watershed protection and
  enhancement
• and foster communication among all watershed
  interests

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Why was the DWAC Formed

• The Dominguez Watershed faces Tremendous
  Environmental Challenges
• High density development conversion of remaining
  open space development on floodplains intense
  transportation pressures increased population
  and demands for water and sewer services
  reduction of wetland, riparian areas, and fish
  and wildlife habitat pollution of waterways and
  legacy pollutants
• The wide variety of land uses throughout the
  watershed has a significant impact on water
  quality and quantity which must be addressed in a
  comprehensive manner
• Segments of the Dominquez watershed including the
  Dominguez Channel and portions of the harbor
  complex are designated as "Water Quality
  Impaired
• Industrial and urban interests are working to
  meet their NPDES requirements and will soon be
  addressing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
•  
• Recognizing the need to minimize watershed
  impacts and develop local solutions in a
  comprehensive manner, a small group of
  businesses, environmental groups, and government
  representatives began meeting in 2001 to discuss
  these issues

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Why was the DWAC Formed

• The Dominguez Watershed Advisory Council was
  formed to provide for coordinated resource
  planning for the Dominguez Watershed. Its purpose
  is to
• Increase local and affected interests
  understanding and input in the management of
  watershed resources
• Identify problems and issues of importance to
  local citizens, groups, and users of the
  watershed
• Undertake a proactive approach in management of
  the watershed 
• Prioritize and Initiate resolution of problems
  and issues within the watershed
• Diminish and eliminate further degradation of the
  watershed and its resources through better
  management practices
• Increase the viability, diversity, and health of
  the watershed
• Create and implement a Watershed Management Plan
  to capture and accomplish the above objectives
• The Advisory Council is not a regulatory or
  enforcement agency. It will make recommendations
  to decision-makers and planning agencies on ways
  to protect and restore Dominguez Watershed
  resources. The Advisory Council strives to
  provide a framework for coordination and
  cooperation and uses consensus as its
  decision-making process.

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DWAC Accomplishments

• Successful application for Proposition 13 funding
  to prepare a Watershed Master Plan
• Monthly meetings of both Stakeholder group and
  sub-committees
• Successful education and outreach - Conducted a
  several workshops for all interested parties on
  the TMDL process
• Initiated through the Funding sub-committee -
  identification of funding opportunities,
  solicitation, and buy in from interested parties
  - ongoing
• Initiated the Dominguez Watershed Wet-weather
  scientific studies - ongoing
• Facilitated a tour and secured interest from the
  U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Livermore
  National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley
  National Laboratory Researchers
• Successful submittal of two concept proposals for
  Round Two Proposition 13 grants

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Challenges and Opportunities

• Our watershed is complex
• Freshwater/estuary/marine components
• Water body impairments are plentiful and varied
• Obtaining funding for research and/or beneficial
  projects is often difficult
• Paying for compliance and/or litigation costs is
  reactive
• The DWAC stakeholders are a diverse human
  resource
• We have a unique opportunity to work together to
  solve water quality problems

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Strategic Research

• Strictly defined to answer priority questions
• Currently, priorities are driven by TMDL
  development schedule
• Cost-leveraged by cooperation and networking
• Stakeholder supported and directed
• Big picture saves money, provides solutions

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Essential Studies to Support Science-Based TMDL
Development

• Ambient conditions in water column and sediments
• Stormwater runoff and land use characterization
• Dry weather flow
• Hydrodynamics and pollutant transport
  characteristics

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Research Progress

• Regional Board Surface Water Ambient Monitoring
  Program
• Wet weather studies initiated by subset of
  stakeholders
• Research participation by SCCWRP and Lawrence
  Livermore/Lawrence Berkeley
• Opportunity for wider sponsorship
• Requires rain!

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Research Progress, Continued

• Dry weather studies Grant funding applied for by
  City of LA Regulatory Affairs
• Hydrodynamics and pollutant transport Grant
  funding applied for by Port of Los Angeles
• Opportunity to augment EPA-directed sediment
  sampling effort in Channel and Consolidated Slip

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Beneficial Dominguez Watershed Projects Current
and Future

• Madrona Marsh and Cabrillo Salt Marsh
• Machado Lake restoration activities
• Remediation of Consolidated Slip
• Priority projects yet to be identified in the
  Watershed Management Master Plan

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Path Forward / Next Steps

• Establishing Vision and Mission for DWAC

VISION An urban industrial watershed in balance
with the environment
MISSION To foster better understanding and
stewardship of the Dominguez Watershed, promote
resource restoration and ensure sustainable
watershed health, functions, and uses
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Path Forward / Next Steps

• Importance of Establishing a Plan.
• link efforts
• propose projects that achieve multiple objectives
• facilitated within the DWAC
• Plan Completed December 2003
• propose near and long term projects
• opportunities to collaborate
• living document

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Path Forward / Next Steps

• Data Collection for the Master Plan.
• We will request assistance locating the best
  sources of quality of life data (concerns that
  are of particular importance in specific areas).
• Public Notices requirements
• The contract with the State Board requires
  notifying the largest 200 businesses in the
  watershed of this planning effort.

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Path Forward / Next Steps

• Public Workshops
• The planning effort will be most successful with
  maximum input from the public.
• Workshops tentatively planned for October
  2002 and April 2003.
• Defining/Determining the Issues
• Water Quality, Water Supply, Recreation,
  Wildlife, Land, Natural Resources, etc.

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Path Forward / Next Steps

• Public Involvement
• Much of the success of the Master Plan depends on
  the support it receives from the community it
  effects.
• Request your assistance in encouraging public
  participation in the planning process.
• Elected Officials involvement
• You are our best link to the community and their
  desires.

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Path Forward / Next Steps
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Questions / Answers