DATE:
October 22, 2025
03
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
AUTHORIZE APPROVAL OF SAN DIEGO INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM AGREEMENT AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) works to protect and enhance the region's water resources through collaborative planning and strategic investment in multi-benefit water projects. A key strategy in this effort is leveraging grant funding to support projects that improve water quality, water supply resilience, habitat protection, and community health. One avenue for such grant funding is the County's participation in the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program. Established under the Regional Water Management Planning Act (SB 1672) in 2002 and led by the California Department of Water Resources, the IRWM Program fosters collaboration among public agencies, non-profits, and stakeholders to address the region's most pressing water challenges through coordinated planning and implementation. The program encourages efficient use of resources, reduces duplication of efforts, and strengthens the region's ability to obtain grant funds for multi-benefit projects. The return on investment in this program has been high with grant awards to the region through the IRWM far exceeding the collective cost to operate this entity.
In 2005, the County, City of San Diego (City), and San Diego County Water Authority (Water Authority) formed the San Diego IRWM Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) to coordinate regional water planning efforts which have been approved by the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors (Board) on May 11, 2005 (15), January 28, 2009 (18), and October 28, 2020 (8). Since then, the IRWM Program has obtained about $133 million in grant funding for projects that have provided significant benefits to the San Diego region, including improved watershed and groundwater management, investment in water infrastructure, s...
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