The Watershed Planning Program is housed within the Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) and works collaboratively with stakeholders, including municipalities, regulated industry, and interested citizens, to manage the health of the County’s watersheds. This is largely accomplished through the development and implementation of various types of watershed plans, some of which focus on a particular aspect of watershed health (i.e., water quality or habitat protection), and others which address a more comprehensive range of issues.
The Watershed Planning Program was established as the implementing team for planning activities related to the Municipal Stormwater Permit issued by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board in 2001. Since that time, the group’s responsibilities have expanded beyond urban runoff management to include policy development, long-range planning, and project management and implementation. The group is currently involved in coordinating County involvement in eight Watershed Urban Runoff Management Programs (WURMPs), several comprehensive Watershed Management Plans (WMPs), and a Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for the Otay River Watershed.
Staff from the Watershed Planning Program also led a recent effort to develop a Low Impact Development (LID) Handbook (along with Appendices and Literature Index), which encourages the use of LID techniques in priority development projects as required by the Municipal Stormwater Permit. The Handbook, along with its Appendices and Fact Sheets, will initially serve as guidance until specific standards and criteria are developed and incorporated into local codes and ordinances. Collectively, these efforts aim to create mechanisms whereby land-use and development decisions are made with due consideration of their effects on watershed resources.
Find out more about the County's planning efforts by watershed.
The Project Clean Water site has more information about each of the watersheds in San Diego County.
Last updated: April 2008
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