Testimony of Mark Cowin at Little Hoover Commission on Integrated Regional Water Management

As the Little Hoover Commission evaluates California’s water governance structure and forms recommendations for improving coordination, efficiency, transparency, and accountability, it will be valuable to consider the role of Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM).

IRWM is the application of broader Integrated Water Management principles on a regional basis. IRWM integrates local agency responses to regional resource management issues and facilitates compliance with State laws and policies. Over the past decade, IRWM efforts have emerged across California as some local governments and agencies sought a path forward from long, debilitating law suits and many others responded to financial incentives offered by the State. As a consequence, many local governments and agencies are working more closely on a regional basis and better integrating their resource management decisions. This typically
results in both more efficient and sustainable water management plans and better representation and transparency in water management decisions.