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Watershed Management Programs

Presented by Richard Watson, A.I.C.P.

Richard Watson & Associates, Inc. (RWA)

Presented to Southern California Water Summit & Fall

ConferenceCoronado, CA

November 8, 2014

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Los Angeles MS4 Permit Strongly Encourages Watershed

ManagementAllows flexibility to implement permit requirements on a

watershed scale through customized strategies, control measures, and BMPs.

Participation is voluntary.

Can be developed collaboratively or individually.

Based on defined Watershed Management Areas, but may use subwatersheds to focus efforts by receiving water.

Two options: Watershed Management Programs (WMPs) and Enhanced Watershed Management Programs (EWMPs)

EWMPs given an extra year for program preparation, but have to meet additional requirements.

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Basic WMP RequirementsPrioritize water quality issues for stormwater

and non-stormwater discharges.

The Permit specifies three categories of Water Quality Priorities

Category 1 – TMDLsCategory 2 – 303(d) Listed Waterbody-Pollutant

SegmentsCategory 3 – Other pollutants exceeding standards,

but not 303(d) Listed

Identify and implement strategies, control measures, and BMPs to achieve specified outcomes.

(Continued)

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Basic WMP Requirements (Continued)

Include detailed implementation schedules to meet interim milestones and final compliance dates.

Execute an integrated monitoring program and assessment program.

Provide appropriate opportunity for meaningful stakeholder input.

Modify strategies, control measures, and BMPs, as necessary, based on monitoring data (adaptive management process every two years).

Allowed to meet interim compliance milestones with BMPs, but final compliance is numeric.

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San Diego MS4 Permit Watershed Management Plan - Similar Requirements

Called Water Quality Improvement Plan

Focus on guiding JURMPs

Also based on WMAs with opportunity to separate into sub-watersheds

Flexibility in defining priorities – most defining TMDLs as highest priorities

Also have to identify strategies and schedules for improving water quality and meeting numeric goals

Also includes an adaptive management process

Must demonstrate reasonable progress for TMDL compliance

No BMPs for interim milestones, except for TMDLs

No equivalent of EWMPs

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The Los Cerritos Channel WMP Example

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Watershed Location

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Los CerritosChannel Participating Cities(Plus LACFCD)

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Cities and agencies within the watershed have been working together since 2008.

Watershed Committee

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Water Quality Improvement Strategy

Multi-pronged strategy initially focused on source control control, total suspended solids (TSS) reduction, and runoff reduction

A particular emphasis on true source control for metalsSB 346 for copperFuture use of Safer Consumer Product Regulations

for zincLead is already under control – no further

reduction required by TMDL

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Water Quality Improvement Hierarchy

Treatment Controls

Capture and Use

Capture and Infiltration

Operational Source Control

LID and Green Streets

TSS Reduction

Runoff Reduction

True Source Control

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Source Control

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Control MeasuresLID Ordinances

Green Streets Policies

Minimum Control Measures

Non-structural Control MeasuresTrue source controlRunoff reduction, including continued water

conservation and improved irrigation practices

TSS reduction, including vacant land ordinances

(Continued)

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Control Measures (Continued)

Structural Control Measures

Focus on Regional Water Capture Projects

Could cost as much as $332 million

Preliminary work on three sites

Funding sources needed

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13 sites asLCC Potential

Projects

Site Name Location

Progress Park Paramount

Bike Trail Bellflower

Sims Park Bellflower

Mayfair Park Lakewood

Caruthers Park Bellflower

Heartwell Park Long Beach

Junior Golf Course Long Beach

Heartwell Park Long Beach

Pan American Park

Long Beach

Skylinks Long Beach

Wardlow Park Long Beach

Skylinks LCC Long Beach

Reservoir Park Signal Hill

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Reasonable Assurance Analysis (RAA)

The LCC Watershed and two adjoining watersheds went together on an RAA using the USEPA-approved and MS4 Permit authorized Watershed Management Modeling System.

Zinc was identified as the “limiting pollutant” for wet weather and bacteria for dry weather.

Control measures to adequately reduce zinc, expected to reduce other pollutants as well.

Controlling bacteria is going to be very difficult.

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Treatment systems must be sized to capture (or equivalently treat) 193 million gallons of runoff.

Reasonable Assurance Analysis

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Questions?

Richard Watson

Richard Watson & Associates, Inc. (RWA)

949-855-6262

rwatson@rwaplanning.com