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IRWMP Grant Program

The IRWMP Coordinating Committee will be working closely with the State Department of Water Resources to improve the Bay Area IRWMP and its implementation.

Proposition 50

Proposition 50, also known as the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002, an amendment to California Water Code, allocates funds for integrated regional water management projects. Proposition 50 included $380 million for Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) projects.
Funding for IRWMP projects is directed by the IRWMP Grant Program Guidelines. The Program is intended to promote integrated regional strategies, rather than local strategies, for management of water resources and to provide funding for projects that guard against drought, protect and improve water quality, and reduce dependence on imported water, thus improving local water security. Department of Water Resources (DWR) and State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) jointly administer the IRWM Grant Program. 

IRWMP Grant Program Guidelines

 The IRWMP Grant Program Guidelines (further information at SWRCB website) establish the process and criteria for the grant process, including solicitation of applications, evaluation of proposals, and awarding of grants. The Guidelines require IRWMP goals and objectives to address, at a minimum, the following water resources management areas: water supply, groundwater management, ecosystem restoration, and water quality. Prop 50 supports projects providing multiple benefits such as the following:
  • Improved water supply reliability
  • Long-term of water quality standards
  • Reduced pollution in impaired water & sensitive habitats
  • Planning & implementation of flood control programs
  • Drinking water & water quality projects serving disadvantaged communities

An IRWMP must contain the following information, and be completed and adopted by LOMU signatories by January 1, 2007:

  • Description of the region and participants
  • Regional objectives and priorities
  • Water management strategies
  • Implementation
  • Impacts and benefits
  • Data management
  • Financing
  • Stakeholder involvement
  • Relationship to local planning
  • State and federal coordination

Grant Funding 

Funding for the Bay Area IRWMP is provided in part by funds from Proposition 50. Two types of grants are available: Planning Grants and Implementation Grants.
Planning Grants are intended to foster development or completion of IRWMPs, to enhance regional planning efforts, and to assist more applicants to become eligible for Implementation Grant funding. The Bay Area region applied for and received two Planning Grants (totaling $838K) to prepare a Bay Area IRWMP. The Planning Grants are being administered jointly by Zone 7 Water Agency and the State Coastal Conservancy.
Implementation Grants are designed for projects that are ready or nearly ready to proceed to implementation. Eligible proposals for Implementation Grants must meet one or more of the primary objectives of Proposition 50: guarding against drought; protecting and improving water quality; and reducing dependence on imported water. Projects seeking Implementation Grant funding must be consistent with the objectives and priorities of an adopted regional plan. Following adoption of the Bay Area IRWMP by January 2007, project proponents may apply for grant funding under the next IRWMP Implementation Grant cycle.

 
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