SAWPA’s vision is a sustainable Santa Ana River Watershed that provides clean and reliable water resources for a vibrant economy and high quality of life for all, while maintaining healthy ecosystems and open space opportunities.

A successful SAWPA provides value to its member agencies and to the watershed as a whole by developing policies, programs and projects, and by facilitating collaboration across boundaries to address common goals and tackle problems that are larger than any individual entity.

 

SAWPA strives to make the Santa Ana River Watershed sustainable through fact-based planning and informed decision-making, regional and multijurisdictional coordination, and the innovative development of policies, programs and projects. Our mission is accomplished through a number of specific roles:

 

• Maintaining the watershed by providing a venue for collaboration
• Preparing integrated regional water management plans that provide a unified vision for the watershed
• Operating the Inland Empire Brine Line to convey high-salinity flows out of the watershed and support economic development
• Developing water-related projects and other initiatives, particularly those that cannot be done by a single entity
• Identifying, pursuing, securing and administering funds for the watershed
• Facilitating collaborative processes to optimize regional resources
• Influencing legislation for the benefit of the watershed

 

 

Our strategy and day-to-day operations are guided by values strongly held by our member agencies, management and staff:

Leadership - in the development and advancement of a vision and plan for a sustainable watershed, and in the incorporation of new
paradigms for water and watershed management.

Collaboration and Cooperation - among member agencies and other stakeholders in the watershed toward the formulation and
implementation of solutions to watershed-wide, multijurisdictional problems.

Creativity - in the pursuit of new approaches to watershed management, the use of new technologies, and the creation of a new water ethic in the watershed

Fact-based decision-making - to identify neutral and transparent solutions that maximize the benefit to the entire watershed

Respect - for all voices and perspectives in the watershed to develop sound solutions and maximize consensus building

Transparancy, Integrity and Professionalism - to gain the respect and trust of our partners, and to attract and retain talented and
committed individuals to our organization

 

Goals:

Achieve optimal use of local water supplies and reduce reliance on imported water....Strategies

Improve water quality....Strategies

Achieve salt balance and ensure continued cost-effective and reliable operation of the brine line....Strategies

Balance water supply needs with natural habitat protection....Strategies

Build public understanding and support for watershed sustainability....Strategies

Facilitate incorporation of water resources management in land use planning....Strategies

Be a resource for compliance with AB32 (greenhouse gas regulations) and reducing its impact on member agencies....Strategies

Secure external funding for the watershed to support accomplishing watershed  goals....Strategies