IRWM Plan

2018 Coachella Valley IRWM-SWR Plan

This document represents the Coachella Valley Integrated Regional Water Management (IRMW) Plan and the Region’s Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) Functional Equivalent. The 2018 Coachella Valley IRWM/SWR Plan characterizes water supply and water quality conditions at a watershed-scale, identify planning area objectives and priorities, prioritize multi-benefit projects to meet planning area objectives, and involve continued stakeholder collaboration and coordination. While SWRP’s focus on stormwater and dry weather runoff capture, both IRWM and SWR planning efforts aim to encourage implementation of multi-benefit projects that will improve water quality, reduce local flooding, and increase water supplies in a watershed.

The IRWM Plan was adopted in 2019 and DWR’s review found that it was consistent with the 2016 IRWM Program Guidelines. The SWRP was submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board for review on June 9, 2020. The SWRCB completed their concurrence on March 29, 2021 and approved the SWRP.

The IRWM Plan provides a mechanism for:

• Coordinating, refining, and integrating existing water resources planning efforts within a comprehensive, regional context;
• Identifying specific regional and watershed-based priorities for implementation projects; and
• Generating funding support for the plans, programs, projects, and priorities of existing agencies and stakeholders.

The Coachella Valley IRWM Plan was originally developed in 2010 and was revised in 2014. The IRWM Plan provides a mechanism for:

1. Coordinating, refining, and integrating existing water resources planning efforts within a comprehensive, regional context;
2. Identifying specific regional priorities for implementation projects; and
3. Generating funding support for the plans, programs, projects, and priorities of existing agencies and stakeholders.
4. IRWM Plan provides regional understanding, add information on Volume II (DAC) as valuable resources.

DWR awarded the Coachella Valley Region a Proposition 1 Planning Grant in February 2017 to update the 2014 IRWM Plan. Updates included in the 2018 Coachella Valley IRWM/SWR Plan are as follows:

• Plan Standards: Updates to ensure compliance with the 2016 IRWM Plan Standards
• SWRP: Preparing components of a stormwater resource plan (SWRP) that will result in an IRWM Plan that also serves as a functionally equivalent SWRP per Senate Bill 985
• Governance: Incorporation of Valley Sanitary District into the CVRWMG

Each of the five water purveyors and one wastewater agency indicated its individual intent to adopt the IRWM Plan by virtue of its signature on the August 2014 MOU.  Each member has statutory authority over water as described below.

Agency	Statutory Authority over Water
	The Coachella Water Authority is a joint powers authority formed as a component of the City of Coachella and Redevelopment Agency of the City of Coachella and has statutory authority over water supply.
	The Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency of the State of California organized and operating under County Water District Law, California Water Code Section 30000, et seq,. The Coachella District Merger Law, Water Code Section 33100, et seq.  Coachella Valley Water District is a State Water Project Contractor and Colorado River Contractor empowered to import water supplies to its service area, and has statutory authority over water supply.
	The Desert Water Agency is an independent special district created by a special act of state legislature contained in chapter 100 of the appendix of the California Water Code. Desert Water Agency is also a State Water Project Contractor empowered to import water supplies to its service area, replenish local groundwater supplies, and collect assessments necessary to support a groundwater replenishment program as provided for in the Desert Water Agency Law and has statutory authority over water supply.
	The Indio Water Authority was formed in 2000 and has statutory authority over water supply for most of the City of Indio; it is currently established by a joint exercise of powers agreement between the City of Indio and the Indio Housing Authority.
	Mission Springs Water District is a County Water District formed under Section 30000 et seq of the California Water Code and has statutory authority over water supply.
	Valley Sanitary District is a California Special District that collects and treats wastewater primarily within the City of Indio.

Additional IRWM Plan documents can be found in the Library