The Safe, Clean Water Program (SCW Program) is taking a big step forward with the Watershed Planning effort, which aims to enhance the delivery of benefits provided by the SCW Program. It includes development of nine Initial Watershed Plans that will outline clear regionwide and watershed area-specific targets and needs, efforts to date, and highlight strategies and opportunities to guide the SCW Program’s future investments. Initial Watershed Plans and their companion online Planning Tool will be launched in early 2026, serving as resources for future development of the most impactful water quality, water supply, and community enhancing stormwater capture projects, programs, and studies. This effort builds on ongoing and past work, integrates valuable stakeholder and community input, and reflects best available information and best practices. 

The Watershed Planning Framework (Framework) describes the Watershed Planning process, progress to date, and outlines key planning elements. 

In support of Watershed Planning, the Community Strengths and Needs Assessment (CSNA) Survey is now live – giving local residents a chance to share what matters most in their neighborhoods, from community strengths to key needs and opportunities. Results are displayed in the interactive CSNA Dashboard, an online GIS-based tool that shows survey findings and tracks changes over time.  

Want to help get the word out? The CSNA Promotional Toolkit includes simple text, images, and downloads anyone can use to spread awareness and encourage others to take the survey. 

For Watershed Planning questions, please email us at watershedplanning@pw.lacounty.gov. 

As Public Works continues to implement adaptive management practices and involve the governance committees in the iterative and robust decision-making process, Public Works has developed guidelines to help interpret the Los Angeles Flood Control District Code and support the Watershed Area Steering Committees (WASCs) in reviewing and recommending Projects, Project Concepts, and Studies. The Regional Program Stormwater Investment Plan (SIP) Programming Guidelines include, but are not limited to, guidance in complying with the SIP criteria and financial recommendations for programming the current SIP year. 

This biennial SCWP Progress Report (Report) by the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC) provides an update on SCWP progress, assesses the extent to which SCWP Program Goals are being achieved, and provides findings and recommendations to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board) for adaptive management of the program. This is the first Biennial Report since the establishment of the SCWP.  It covers the substantial efforts of the Program’s initial five years getting a very large and complex program underway (and includes data from the first two years of reports that are now available).

Project Modification Guidelines have been created to provide more specific guidance to WASCs, applicants, recipients, and other interested stakeholders when modifications to a project, project concept, or study are proposed during the course of a typical fiscal year. The new Project Modification Request (PMR) form will help to facilitate the timely and transparent resolution of proposed modifications. 

The Metrics and Monitoring Study (MMS) was designed to develop program methods, metrics, and monitoring criteria to inform tracking, planning, reporting, and decision-making within specific areas of the Program. The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary consultant team with expertise in both the technical and socio-political elements of metrics-setting, in coordination with the Flood Control District, and informed by extensive stakeholder involvement. Recommendations from the MMS will continue to help inform watershed planning and adaptive management of the Program, potentially including updates to guidance documents, scoring criteria, monitoring, and project development. Archived material related to the Metrics and Monitoring Study can be found here.

Interim Guidance has been established to provide more specific guidance around four key areas of the Safe, Clean Water Program: strengthening community engagement and support, water supply, programming nature based solutions, and implementing disadvantaged community policies in the Regional Program.   

As part of Adaptive Management efforts, near-term scoring criteria adaptations have been prioritized and are being developed. The Safe, Clean Water Program will implement a pilot program that will establish an alternative scoring criteria for Water Quality Benefits and Water Supply Benefits starting in FY2025-26 Call for Projects. Applicants will be able to select whether their proposal should be scored per the original or pilot scoring options. 

Experience-to-date indicated the need for flexibility to allow Watershed Area Steering Committees (WASCs) to recommend partial funding for certain Infrastructure Program Projects or Scientific Studies applications. The purpose of this guidance is to describe the process to address partial funding awards.