Disadvantaged Community Involvement Work
Over the past several years, LGC has worked with the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority through their Disadvantaged Community Involvement Program, funded by the Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management Proposition 1 Grant.
LGC conducted interviews and listening sessions using carefully crafted, open-ended questions and prompts posed to elected officials within the watershed. Each prompt or question was designed to elicit descriptive perspectives on personal experiences related to broad topics such as“community strengths” and“water stories”.
The Disadvantaged Communities and Tribal Involvement Virtual Summit, “Ensuring Equitable Involvement in Regional Water Planning”, was held over three half-day sessions (October 8, 13, and 14, 2020) for attendees to share strategies for engaging Tribes and marginalized communities in regional water management, as learned through the local implementation of the Proposition 1 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Disadvantaged Communities and Tribal Involvement (DACTI) program.
- Day 1 focused on setting the stage and reviewing lessons learned from 10+ years of the DACTI program;
- Day 2 then took a deep dive into regional strategies for engaging marginalized communities and Tribes; and
- Day 3 challenged presenters and participants to identify how IRWM efforts can inform other state water programs to collectively advance marginalized community and Tribal engagement. Each day included expert panels and interactive, small-group discussions to help participants coordinate and collaborate in real-time.
- Summit Proceedings Document.
Initially held as in-person workshops, LGC took this series online to allow local elected officials and community leaders across the watershed to equip local policymakers in the Santa Ana River watershed with practical strategies and accessible tools to implement innovative solutions to their community’s water challenges.