Site icon Local Government Commission

Water and Land Use

California is moving toward a more holistic approach to managing our water and land resources as the 21st century unfolds. This perspective recognizes the interconnectivity between two traditionally fragmented sectors.

 

Ensuring Equitable Engagement in Coordinated Planning

July 9, 2020

Five nonprofits have been working together with the Local Government Commission as part of the Community Foundation Water Initiative to equitably integrate water management and land use decision making through their organizations. The briefing will specifically cover the role that coordinated planning plays in public engagement efforts.

cohosted by

 

Featured Resources

 

In 2005, the California Legislature passed new laws that enable communities to join together to adopt Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) policies and practices. This comprehensive planning approach considers water and related land resources as an interconnected regional system rather than as a combination of fragmented parts.

Local jurisdictions across the state convene as Regional Water Management Groups to implement their plans. Anticipated and realized benefits of IRWM include improved cost-effectiveness and outcomes for planning and management of water quality and supply, as well as better distribution of water between ecosystem and human use.

While water management and land-use planning remain highly fragmented across the nation, many states are moving toward this more integrated approach, especially when setting new state-level policies, regulations, and guidance.