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Promoting Multi-Benefit Water Projects in the North Bay Watershed Association Region and the Greater Bay Area

Promoting Multi-Benefit Water Projects in the North Bay Watershed Association Region and the Greater Bay Area. BENEFITS PROMOTED BY INTEGRATION Water Supply Recreation Wastewater Treatment Habitat Enhancement Flood Protection Water Quality

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Promoting Multi-Benefit Water Projects in the North Bay Watershed Association Region and the Greater Bay Area

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  1. Promoting Multi-Benefit Water Projects in the North Bay Watershed Association Region and the Greater Bay Area

  2. BENEFITS PROMOTED BY INTEGRATION Water Supply Recreation Wastewater Treatment Habitat Enhancement Flood Protection Water Quality Aesthetics

  3. Multi-benefit projects are not a new idea . . . Supply, Power and Recreation

  4. Why integration now? • Mismatch between NBWA policy #3 to ‘support integrated activities’ and project inventory • Population growth • Environmental constraints • Climate change • Planning integration: transportation, land use, water • Funding

  5. SAN PABLO BAY NAPA RIVER FLOODING: Urban & Agricultural GROUNDWATER: Depletion ISSUES AND LIMITATIONS NORTH BAY WATERSHEDS SONOMA VALLEY FLOODING: Urban & Agricultural GROUNDWATER: Depletion & Salt Water Intrusion PETALUMA RIVER FLOODING: Urban & Agricultural GROUNDWATER: Depletion LACK OF PARTICIPATION COMMON ISSUES: WATER SUPPLY HABITAT RESTORATION Fish Passage Barriers Endangered Species WATER QUALITY Excess Sediment PRIVATE PROPERTY EAST MARIN FLOODING: Urban URBAN LANDSCAPE: Small lots Difficult to implement change

  6. MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS REQUIRE COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION among a variety of agencies and players: WATER SUPPLIERS SANITATION DISTRICTS CITY & COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS PARKS & OPEN SPACE DISTRICTS NON-PROFITS, RCDs, WATERSHED GROUPS GENERAL PUBLIC & ELECTEDS

  7. NAPA RIVER • City of Napa Public Works Department, Water Division • Napa Sanitation District • Napa County Department • of Public Works • Napa County Flood Control • and Water Conservation District • Napa County Regional Park • and Open Space District • Napa County • Resource Conservation District • Friends of the Napa River • Napa County Land Trust • SONOMA VALLEY • Sonoma County Water Agency • Valley of the Moon Water District • City of Sonoma • Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SCWA) • Sonoma County Water Agency • City of Sonoma • Sonoma County Transportation • and Public Works Department • Sonoma County Regional Parks Department • Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District • Southern Sonoma County • Resource Conservation District • Sonoma Ecology Center • Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers • Sonoma Land Trust • PETALUMA RIVER • Sonoma County Water Agency • City of Petaluma Water Resources • and Conservation Department • Violia • Penngrove Sanitation District • Sonoma County Transportation • and Public Works Department • City of Petaluma • Sonoma County Regional Parks Department • Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District • Southern Sonoma County • Resource Conservation District • Friends of the Petaluma River NORTH BAY WATER PLAYERS (a partial list) • EAST MARIN • Marin Municipal Water District • North Marin Water District • Sonoma County Water Agency • Central Marin Sanitation District • County of Marin Department • of Public Works • City of San Rafael Stormwater Program • Marin County Parks and Open Space District • Friends of Corte Madera Creek • Friends of Novato Creek • Mill Valley Streamkeepers • WATER SUPPLIERS • SANITATION DISTRICTS • CITY & COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS • PARKS & OPEN SPACE • NON-PROFITS,RCDS & WATERSHED GROUPS SAN PABLO BAY

  8. INTERVIEWEES: • Stormwater agencies • Flood agencies • Watershed groups • Water suppliers • Water treaters • Open space organizations • Resource Conservation Districts • Environmental & Policy nonprofits • Electeds • Army Corps of Engineers • Environmental consultants

  9. Interview Questions • Past and upcoming multi-benefit projects? Lessons learned? • Ideas for future multi-benefit projects? • Obstacles to multi-benefit projects (institutional, cultural, technical, financial, and regulatory)? • What’s worked, or could work to promote more multi-benefit projects?

  10. FREQUENCY OF BENEFIT PAIRINGS FOR COMPLETED AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS

  11. Triple Benefit Projects: Flood Protection, Habitat Enhancement & Water Quality 19 Flood Protection, Habitat Enhancement & Recreation 6 Flood Protection, Water Quality & Water Supply 2 Flood Protection, Habitat Enhancement & Water Supply 1 Habitat Enhancement, Wastewater Treatment & Recreation 1 Projects addressing: three or more benefits: 29 four or more benefits: 14 five benefits: 2

  12. Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility Petaluma Wastewater Treatment Water Supply Aesthetics Recreation Habitat Enhancement

  13. OBSTACLES to MULTI-BENEFIT WATER PROJECTS as identified by greatest number of interviewees No one thinking about the big picture or taking the lead 15 71% Lack of funding, staff 12 57% Poor communication (within and between agencies, and between 8 38% agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the public) Benefits of integrated projects unclear, difficult to quantify 7 33%

  14. Additional obstacles: Lack of regulation or enforcement, confusing jurisdiction, 6 29% daunting permitting process Lack of quantitative knowledge about basic questions 5 23% Private property issues 5 23% Challenges with recycled water 5 23% Lack of political will for water regulation, mandates 4 19%

  15. A two-pronged approach: “Bottom up” and “Top down” Project-Scale Tools: Short to Long-Term Integrating multiple benefits into existing or conceived projects Regional-Scale Recommendations: Medium to Long-Term Developing regional processes and structures to promote multi-benefit projects

  16. Project-Scale Tools: Short to Long-Term • Guidelines • Create guidelines for “Making Your Project Multi-Benefit”. Avoid mitigation. Agency managers and design staff write, stakeholders review. • Cost-benefit analysis • Add benefits, longer time frame. • Process • Incorporate guidelines early in the project process. Inter-departmental design teams.

  17. Making Your Project Multi-Benefit(example) Primary Benefit: Flood Protection Potential additional benefitPossible actions to achieve additional benefit Habitat Enhancement: Remove fish passage barriers Restore large woody debris (prevent road wash-outs) Restore wetlands (give stormwater a place to go) Lay back banks to increase capacity, re-occupy floodplain Create new channels in tidal marsh (elsewhere, too) Clean channels of human-caused debris Water Quality: Restore native vegetation: protect bank, (reduces sediment) Detain or retain water on open space, agricultural land, or in new development (reduces sediment) Purchase flood easement (reduces sediment) Remove concrete channels and restore (slows water, reduces sediment downstream) Water Supply:Purchase flood easement (increase recharge) Use permeable paving (increase recharge) Recreation: Create walking & bike trails Create wildlife viewing areas Remove barriers to boat travel Aesthetics: Plant native trees and wild flowers Improve urban creek access Increase wildlife (by increasing habitat) Create a floodable park or a rain garden

  18. Regional-Scale Recommendations: Medium to Long-Term • Create an entity / forum / structure whose mission includes quality of life, healthy environment, sustainable economy • Options: • Governance structure among existing stakeholders • Regular forums focused on integrated management • New entity • A combination • Convene a process workgroup for six months to develop a work plan and timeline, and obtain buy-in

  19. Regional-Scale Recommendations Guiding document or governance structure for integrated, sustainable water management to which all water players pledge consistency Forums Geographic areas Bi-annual North Bay forum Annual watershed forums Occasional SCWA system forum Bay Area Facilitated by third party Results: agreement on projects and approaches for integrating the highest priority benefits for each geographic area

  20. Focused Goals Broad, Integrated Goals Include all stakeholders in a transparent process: WATER SUPPLIERS SANITATION DISTRICTS CITY & COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS PARKS & OPEN SPACE DISTRICTS NON-PROFITS, RCDs, WATERSHED GROUPS GENERAL PUBLIC & ELECTEDS

  21. Regional-Scale Recommendations • Arising out of forums… • Committees or workgroups to move from broad goals to specific projects/actions • Technical • Financial • Environmental • Public outreach • Aesthetics

  22. Regional-Scale Recommendations • Data • Collect, organize, analyze, and provide access to data • Develop a baseline and continue to monitor • Develop long-term funding sources • Integrate priorities with other regional planning efforts: transportation, • land use, open space

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