The Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Program (WMAP) is a unique initiative among water agencies to efficiently and effectively use environmental data to inform planning and stream stewardship activities. This multi-objective planning effort uses a watershed approach and an adaptive management framework that focuses on the district's priority environmental resource management interests within Santa Clara County. The WMAP includes the establishment of the following 4 tiers: (1) periodic reports on the status and trends of stream ecosystem health on a watershed basis in Santa Clara County; (2)an integrated environmental information management system to provide easy access to district data by district staff and the public; (3) an environmental data quality system to provide monitoring data of known and documented quality; and (4) a programmatic strategy that ensures the cost-effective collection and use of monitoring data.
The WMAP is needed to (1) develop scientific-based watershed information (2) that can be used to make cost-effective use of environmental data (3) to inform alternative planning activities, stewardship actions, and policy decision and assess the effectiveness of these activities in improving stream ecosystem health. The WMAP will also enable regional data sharing through the establishment of an integrated environmental information management system that will make district data of known and document quality available for a variety of regional planning activities.
Environmental data is being collected through other, existing efforts. This program provides a framework to intelligently assemble, organize and manage the substantial quantities of environmental data being collected. The framework provides a means of using the data to inform management decisions.
Watershed Management, Environmental Interests, Environmental Impact Report, Stewardship, Data Management
Ecosystem Restoration,
Environmental and habitat protection and improvement,
Land use planning,
NPS pollution control,
Watershed planning,
Wetlands enhancement and creation
