Overview

The Southern California Integrated Watershed Program (SCIWP) was developed by SAWPA as a series of projects that would be required to achieve SAWPA's goal of making the watershed drought-proof (by requiring no imported water during drought years).  The intent is to complete this program within 10 years, providing that sufficient funding was acquired to make this possible.

Proposition 40

Proposition 40, the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002 was passed by California voters on March 4, 2002. This $2.6 billion initiative was passed to protect rivers, lakes, and streams to improve water quality and ensure clean drinking water; to protect beaches and coastal areas threatened by pollution; to improve air quality; to preserve open space and farmland threatened by unplanned development; to protect wildlife habitat; to restore historical and cultural resources; and to repair and improve the safety of state and neighborhood parks.  Three projects funded through Proposition 40 are summarized below:

San Jacinto River Watershed Nutrient TMDL - BMP Implementation Project
Project will assist in rehabilitation of Lake Elsinore by reconfiguring a portion of the Lake’s currently underutilized, 360-acre Back-basin mitigation wetlands to remediate excess nutrients in Lake Elsinore and supports the efforts of the Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL Task Force to implement BMPs to address requirements of the Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDLs.

Middle Santa Ana River Pathogen TMDL - BMP Implementation Project
Project supports the recently approved Middle Santa Ana River (MSAR)  Bacteria TMDL, which requires local NPDES stormwater permittees to initiate a comprehensive water quality monitoring program, conduct a source evaluation investigation for discharges in urban areas, and, ultimately, to implement measures within their respective permitted areas designed to prevent pathogens in urban stormwater from impairing designated beneficial uses, especially full-contact human recreation (REC-1).

Lake Elsinore Recharge Pipeline
Project will construct a pipeline to convey recycled water from the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Treatment Plant to Lake Elsinore.  The Lake Elsinore Recharge Pipeline will help control nitrogen and phosphorus buildup in the lake due in part to an estimated annual water loss of 33% to evaporation. 

Copyright: Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, 2002
Last modified 04/30/2007