Good news from the Water District's Environmental Advisory Committee

Yesterday, the Environmental Advisory Committee of the Santa Clara Valley Water District approved five policy recommendations made by a subcommittee that I chair, all designed to improve the District's handling of erosion and the impact on streams and habitats.  Three of the recommendations were somewhat controversial as District staff felt they were too specific for the higher level policy recommendations, but in the end the Committee agreed with all five.  They'll now get passed on to the Water District Board for its final decision.

The new recommended policies are these:

Policy Objectives

4.1.3 Protect, enhance and restore the natural physical

     stability/dynamic equilibrium of streams.

4.1.4  Protect, enhance and restore thriving populations of key    

     species indicative of watershed health.

4.1.5    Protect, enhance and restore riparian and in stream and

                   tidal habitat conditions conducive to watershed health,  

including diked historical bayland wetlands and former salt ponds. 

Strategies

4.1.2.3      Develop ecologically based habitat goals and levels of

service for use in planning and implementation.” (P & C)

4.1.2.4            Develop Stream Restoration Plans in collaboration with

                  municipal governments (C) 

-Brian Schmidt