Adoption of the OWOW 2.0 Plan

by Mark Norton

OWOW_2.0_CoverOn February 4, 2014, the SAWPA Commission officially adopted the One Water One Watershed (OWOW) 2.0 Plan , Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan for the Santa Ana River Watershed. . This plan represents the culmination of the work of over 300 stakeholders and agencies in the watershed who worked together to analyze, develop and describe new integrated implementation actions needed to address the water challenges facing the watershed. The OWOW 2.0 Plan reflects a collaborative planning process that addresses all aspects of water resources in the Santa Ana River Watershed. It includes planning of future water demands and supplies over a 20-year time horizon within the watershed as a hydrologic and interconnected system.

The planning for OWOW 2.0 officially commenced in April 2011 with funding support of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation under their WaterSMART: Basin Study program and the California Department of Water Resources Proposition 84 IRWM Planning Grant as well as local funding support by the SAWPA member agencies. The plan represents the combined work of Pillars, workgroups of experts and stakeholders who came together as citizens of the watershed and actually authored much of the OWOW 2.0 Plan.

The draft Plan was completed on September 30, 2013, posted on the SAWPA website and opened for public comment thereafter. On January 16, 2014, the One Water One Watershed Steering Committee received public comments, responses, and voted to recommend the Plan for adoption to the SAWPA Commission.

The adopted OWOW 2.0 Plan will now be used as the basis for funding and implementing future integrated multi-beneficial projects and programs in the Santa Ana River Watershed. We invite you to  read the plan, which is searchable and divided by pillar. Go to http://www.sawpa.org/owow-2-0-plan-2/.