FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FENCE TO THE SAME SIDE OF THE TABLE: Challenges and opportunities associated with large-scale watershed management in the Santa Ana Watershed

摘要

Southern California's Santa Ana River flows over 100 miles from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, draining a 2,700 square mile watershed. By virtue of its large size, rapid urbanization, and complex natural resource issues, the Santa Ana Watershed is fraught with planning and management challenges. However, resource managers throughout the Santa Ana Watershed are recognizing the opportunities afforded by large-scale watershed management and approach these challenges with unique solutions. These solutions, intended to ensure the sustainability of this watershed, include the formation of unlikely partnerships for watershed management, the development of world-class technology, and the implementation of long-term planning horizons. The sheer size of Santa Ana Watershed creates additional management challenges, such as generating stakeholder consensus and watershed-wide collaboration of agencies and organizations. Due to its large size, the Santa Ana Watershed provides the opportunity to coordinate the management of 1.7 million acres within one ecological unit. Assembling seemingly conflicting interests at same table to resolve issues of concern has proven very successful within the Santa Ana Watershed, and has resulted in unique and effective partnerships. Whereas watershed planning may be easier within smaller watersheds, the difficulty of planning within larger watersheds is balanced by the ability to affect large-scale regional resource management. Recommendations and lessons learned from the management of the Santa Ana Watershed have local, Statewide, national, and international applications.