Statewide IRWM

Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) brings together the public agencies and stakeholders of a California region in order to collaboratively manage all the components of its water resources, including water supply and quality, wastewater collection and treatment, recycled water, stormwater, flood control, and watershed and habitat management. Each region has an IRWM Plan that covers a wide range of water resource management strategies, examines the regional benefits of these strategies, and identifies regional priorities for implementing projects. The California Water Code, Section 10534, defines an IRWM Plan as:

“A comprehensive plan for a defined geographic area, the specific development, content, and adoption of which shall satisfy requirements pursuant to this part. At a minimum, an IRWM Plan describes the major water-related objectives and conflicts within a region, considers a broad variety of resource management strategies, identifies the appropriate mix of water demand and supply management alternatives, water quality protections, and environmental stewardship actions to provide long-term, reliable, and high-quality water supplies and protect the environment, and identifies disadvantaged communities in the region and takes the water-related needs of those communities into consideration.”

More information about Integrated Regional Water Management is available on the California Department of Water Resources’ IRWM website.