The document summarizes the key requirements and components of watershed management programs as outlined in MS4 permits in Los Angeles and San Diego, using the Los Cerritos Channel Watershed Management Program as an example. The Los Cerritos WMP prioritizes source control and TSS reduction strategies. It identifies 13 potential regional water capture project sites that could cost $332 million total to help meet TMDL requirements. A reasonable assurance analysis determined that zinc is the limiting pollutant requiring treatment of 193 million gallons of runoff annually.

1. Watershed Management
Programs
Presented by
Richard Watson, A.I.C.P.
Richard Watson & Associates, Inc. (RWA)
Presented to
Southern California Water Summit & Fall Conference
Coronado, CA
November 8, 2014
1

2. Los Angeles MS4 Permit Strongly
Encourages Watershed Management
 Allows 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.
2

3. 3

4. 4

5. Basic WMP Requirements
 Prioritize water quality issues for stormwater and non-stormwater
discharges.
 The Permit specifies three categories of Water Quality
Priorities
 Category 1 – TMDLs
 Category 2 – 303(d) Listed Waterbody-Pollutant Segments
 Category 3 – Other pollutants exceeding standards, but not
303(d) Listed
 Identify and implement strategies, control measures,
and BMPs to achieve specified outcomes.
(Continued) 5

6. 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.
6

7. 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
7

8. The Los Cerritos Channel
WMP Example
8

9. Watershed Location
9

10. Los Cerritos
Channel
Participating
Cities
(Plus LACFCD)
10

11. Watershed Committee
Cities and
agencies
within the
watershed
have been
working
together
since 2008.
11

12. 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 metals
 SB 346 for copper
 Future use of Safer Consumer Product Regulations for
zinc
 Lead is already under control – no further reduction
required by TMDL
12

13. 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
13

14. Source Control
14

15. Control Measures
 LID Ordinances
 Green Streets Policies
 Minimum Control Measures
 Non-structural Control Measures
 True source control
 Runoff reduction, including continued water
conservation and improved irrigation practices
 TSS reduction, including vacant land ordinances
(Continued1) 5

16. 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
16

17. 13 sites as
LCC 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
17

18. 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.
18

19. Reasonable Assurance Analysis
 Treatment systems must be
sized to capture (or
equivalently treat) 193
million gallons of runoff.
19

20. Questions?
Richard Watson
Richard Watson & Associates, Inc. (RWA)
949-855-6262
rwatson@rwaplanning.com
20