Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)?
In November 2002, California voters passed Proposition 50, the Water Security,
Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002. It amended the
California Water Code to add, among other articles, Section 79560 et seq.,
authorizing the Legislature to appropriate $500 million for IRWMP projects.
Whom do I contact with questions about submitting a proposal to the North
Coast IRWMP?
Karen Gaffney
West Coast Watershed
kgaffney@westcoastwatershed.com
707.433.7377
When are grant applications to the North Coast IRWMP due?
Project proposals are accepted when grant funds are available from the state.
Check the North Coast IRWMP Home Page for information about any current
funding opportunities.
Who will review the submitted proposals?
All projects submitted to the North Coast IRWMP will be subject to review by the
North Coast Technical Review Panel. The panel will be comprised of
representatives from each North Coast County appointed by IRWMP participants
in the North Coast Region, to compile and integrate projects and management
plans for the North Coast region. Review panel members will define the process
of compilation, project inclusion and integration including format, schedules and
ground rules to ensure process consistency and uniformity.
What happens when a project proposal is selected?
Organizations sponsoring projects selected to be included in the North Coast
IRWMP by the North Coast Technical Review Panel will be asked to become
Signatories to the North Coast IRWMP Memorandum Of Mutual Understanding.
Is the Memorandum Of Mutual Understandings (MOMU) a binding
document?
This Memorandum Of Mutual Understandings document and participation in this
North Coast IRWMP effort are non-binding, and in no way suggest that an
agency may not continue its own planning and undertake efforts to secure project
funding from any source. An agency/organization may withdraw from
participation at any time. The MOMU can be accessed in the library on the
NCIRWMP web site.
Where do I send the signed copy of the Memorandum Of Mutual
Understandings (MOMU)?
Please send signed copies of the MOMU to: Lisa Renton, SCWA, P.O. Box
11628, Santa Rosa, CA 95406
Who administers the IRWMP Grant Program?
The IRWM Grant Program is administered jointly by DWR and SWRCB.
How much funding is available through the IRWMP Grant Program?
Approximately $380 million is anticipated to be available for IRWMP grants
during two funding cycles:
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First Funding Cycle – Approximately $160 million – 2005 & 2006
o Approximately $12 million for Planning Grants and
o Approximately $148 million for Implementation Grants
Second Funding Cycle – Approximately $220 million – 2007 & 2008
Where will the funds be allocated?
Proposition 50, Section 79564 stipulates that not less than 40% of the IRWM
Grant Program funds will be available for eligible projects in Northern California
and not less than 40% will be available for eligible projects in Southern California.
What counties are considered Northern California?
All California counties excepting Counties of San Diego, Imperial, Riverside,
Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
Is there a maximum grant amount allowed by the IRWMP Grant Program?
The maximum grant amounts are:
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$500,000 for Planning Grants and
$50 million for Implementation Grants.
Are matching funds required?
The applicant is required to provide a funding match. “Funding match” means
funds made available by the grant recipient from non-state sources. Funding
match may include, but is not limited to, federal funds, local funding, or donated
services from non-state sources. For a State agency, funding match may include
state funds and services.
The requirement for funding match may be waived or reduced to the extent that
applicants demonstrate that the proposal will: 1) encompass a region that
includes at least one disadvantaged community, 2) include representatives of the
disadvantaged communities in the planning process, and 3) be designed to
provide direct benefits to the disadvantaged community(ies). Such reductions in
the required funding match percentage would be in proportion to the percentage
of disadvantaged population served relative to the entire population in the region.
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The required minimum funding match for a Planning Grant will be 25
percent of the total proposal costs.
The required minimum funding match for an Implementation Grant will be
10 percent of the total proposal costs.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible grant recipients are public agencies and non-profit organizations, as
defined below:
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“Public agency” means a city, county, city and county, district, joint powers
authority, a state agency or department, or other political subdivision of
the State.
“Non-profit organization” means any California corporation organized
under Section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(5) of the federal Internal
Revenue Code.
What types of projects are eligible?
For Planning Grants, eligible proposals include:
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Development of new IRWM Plans or components thereof
Completion or modification of IRWM Plans in progress
Development of Integrated Coastal Watershed Management Plans
For Implementation Grants, eligible proposals must meet one or more of the
objectives of protecting communities from drought, protecting and improving
water quality, and improving local water security by reducing dependence on
imported water. In addition, projects must include one or more of the following
water management elements:
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Programs for water supply reliability, water conservation, and water use
efficiency;
Storm water capture, storage, treatment, and management;
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Removal of invasive non-native plants, the creation and enhancement of
wetlands, and the acquisition, protection, and restoration of open space
and watershed lands;
NPS pollution reduction, management, and monitoring;
Groundwater recharge and management projects;
Contaminant and salt removal through reclamation, desalting, and other
treatment technologies;
Water banking, water exchange, water reclamation, and improvement of
water quality;
Planning and implementation of multipurpose flood control programs that
protect property; and improve water quality, storm water capture and
percolation; and protect or improve wildlife habitat;
Watershed management planning and implementation; and
Demonstration projects to develop new drinking water treatment and
distribution methods.
How much funding has been awarded to the NCIRWMP?
Humboldt County, which has been designated the lead agency by the NCIRWM
Group, has been awarded a $500,000 Planning Grant and a $25 million dollar
Implementation Grant for NCIRWMP planning and implementation.
What is Watershed Management Plan Consistency?
Any watershed protection activities must be consistent with the applicable,
adopted, local watershed management plans and the applicable Regional Water
Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) adopted by the RWQCB.
What is meant by a Disadvantaged Community?
Disadvantaged Community – means a municipality, including, but not limited to a
city, town or county, or a reasonably isolated and divisible segment of a larger
municipality, that has an average median household income that is less than 80
percent of the statewide annual median household income.
What is meant by Areas of Special Biological Significance?
Areas of Special Biological Significance – means areas designated by the
SWRCB as requiring protection of species or biological communities to the extent
that alteration of natural water quality is undesirable. All areas of special
biological significance are State Water Quality Protection Areas as defined in
Public Resources Code § 36700(f). There are 34 designated areas of special
biological significance, which are listed in the California Ocean Plan.
What do the acronyms listed in the IRWMP Guidelines mean?
AB
CEQA
CWC
DWR
IRWM
NEPA
NPS
PSP
ROD
RWQCB
SB
SWRCB
Assembly Bill
California Environmental Quality Act
California Water Code DWRDepartment of Water Resources
Department of Water Resources
Integrated Regional Water Management
National Environmental Policy Act
Non-Point Source
Proposal Solicitation Package
Record of Decision
Regional Water Quality Control Board
Senate Bill
State Water Resources Control Board