DATE:
March 4, 2026
03
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE EXECUTION OF ASSOCIATE COMMISSION MEMBER AGREEMENT WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATER RESEARCH PROJECT AUTHORITY AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) works to protect and enhance regional water resources through collaborative planning and science-based investments in multi-benefit projects that improve water quality and ecosystem health. A key strategy in this effort is leveraging regional partnerships that advance initiatives supporting water quality, watershed health, and the science needed to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems. Since 2008, the County has been an associate commission member of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). SCCWRP is a joint powers authority composed of Southern California's major wastewater and stormwater agencies, along with State and federal regulatory partners. Through this collaboration, SCCWRP conducts objective, science-based research to better understand how wastewater and stormwater discharges affect coastal aquatic ecosystems and public health.
Membership in SCCWRP enables the County to help shape scientific research that informs effective stormwater management and supports compliance with State and federal water quality mandates, including the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (Permit). The Permit requires the County and other agencies to eliminate pollution sources entering local waters and has been updated several times since its initial issuance in 1990 to include more rigorous requirements. Since joining SCCWRP in 2008, the County has collaborated with SCCWRP's team of expert scientists on studies that identify and address pollution sources to support regulatory compliance. For example, SCCWRP research has informed strategies for meeting bacteria and nutrient Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements, and investiga...
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