(a) The Integrated Watershed Management Program is hereby established. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds allocated to the program may be used by the board, subject to the terms of the memorandum of understanding executed pursuant to Section 30946 to award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the development of local watershed management plans that meet the requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 79078 of the Water Code, and for the implementation of watershed protection and water management projects that include one or more of the following elements:
(1) Stormwater capture and treatment.
(2) Nonpoint source pollution reduction, management, and monitoring.
(3) Groundwater recharge and management projects.
(4) Water banking, exchange, and reclamation, and improvement of water quality.
(5) Vegetation management to improve watershed efficiency, aquatic and terrestrial habitat, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and the acquisition, protection, and restoration of open space.
(6) Planning and implementation of multipurpose flood control programs that protect property and improve water quality and stormwater capture and percolation, and protect or improve wildlife habitat.
(7) Watershed management planning and implementation.
(8) Demonstration projects to develop new water treatment distribution and nonpoint source pollution control methods.
(9) Erosion sediment control and stream enhancement projects, and permit coordination programs to facilitate watershed restoration projects that implement board approved management measures for polluted runoff.
(10) Monitoring, collection, and analysis of water quality and pollutant transport in groundwater and surface water.
(11) Native fisheries enhancement or improvement projects, and projects to restore other threatened species.
(12) Water conservation, water use efficiency, and water supply reliability.
(13) An enforceable waste discharge program, by a person who is subject to Article 4 (commencing with Section 13260) of Chapter 4 of Division 7 of the Water Code and for whom the board has a name and address, that implements best management practices and includes all of the following:
(A) A clear description of how a project will achieve and maintain water quality standards.
(B) A monitoring component that assesses the effectiveness of adopted practices.
(C) Submission of a report of waste discharge to the appropriate regional water quality control board.
(b) Upon completion of the project, the grantee shall submit a report to the board that summarizes the completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the grantee in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including, but not limited to, a determination of the effectiveness of the project in preventing or reducing pollution and the results of the monitoring program. The board shall make the report available to the public, watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 493, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.)