Integrated water management efforts in the Greater Los Angeles County Region: Accomplishments and future direction

摘要

The Greater Los Angeles County Region, comprised of five subregions, spans from Ventura County to Orange County, and from the coastline to the San Gabriel Mountains - an area representing over 10 million people and over 2,200 square miles. The Region consists of approximately 28% of the State's entire population, encompassing 92 cities. While water is one of the Region's most valuable resources, there are extremely complex water quality and water supply issues. An integrated approach to water management is the way to address a broad range of water resource management issues, competing water demands, water supply reliability, and financing of projects. Hundreds of local agencies, organizations, cities, and county governments are participating in the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) effort for the Greater Los Angeles County (GLAC) Region that is inclusive and provides opportunities for cost-effective solutions to address the water resource needs of the Region. The IRWMP will serve to position the Region for obtaining funding from local, State, and Federal sources to implement projects. Since the Region's IRWMP group was formed, there have been numerous accomplishments. This paper will cover successes through stakeholder collaboration such as project implementation and grant acquisition, lessons learned, and vision for future water management integration in the Region.