The Cities of Merced, Livingston, and Atwater, County of Merced, and Merced Irrigation District are preparing an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) update, which will encourage cooperative planning among various aspects of water resources management in the Merced Region. The IRWMP will be compliant with the 2016 IRWM guidelines established by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Region is also preparing a Stormwater Resources Plan (SWRP) in order to comply with SB 985. Together, these plans will increase the Region’s eligibility for state grant funding to implement projects through the Prop 1 IRWM and Storm Water grant programs. During IRWM and SWRP planning, process decisions and recommendations will be made through coordination with three distinct groups of stakeholders: the Regional Water Management Group, the Regional Advisory Committee, and stakeholders/public.

Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) - Overall direction, funding, and approval for the IRWMP and SWRP process and work products is provided by the RWMG. For the Merced Region, the RWMG is the Merced Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (MIRWMA), which is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) composed of the Merced Irrigation District (MID), Merced County, the Cities of Merced, Livingston, and Atwater. MIRWMA serves as the IRWM Governing Bodies. The Final IRWMP and SWRP will be adopted by the elected boards/councils of each these organizations. The Merced Irrigation District serves as the fiscal agent for managing state grant funds from the Department of Water Resources or other funding sources.

Regional Advisory Committee - A Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) of community representatives reviews regional water management issues and needs, goals and objectives, plans and projects, and future funding and governance. They advise the RWMG, and ultimately the IRWM/SWRP Governing Bodies, on these topics. The committee includes representatives of the following interests:

  • Water Supply Interests
  • Wastewater Interests
  • Stormwater Interests
  • Flood Control Interests
  • Local Government
  • Agricultural Interests
  • Other Business Interests (non-agriculture)
  • Environmental Interests
  • Other Institutional Interests (e.g. UC Merced)
  • Disadvantaged Community and Environmental Justice Interests
  • Recreational Interests
  • Community / Neighborhood Interests

The Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) members and alternates are listed on the RAC Membership page. Meetings of the RAC are open to the public. Information regarding the next meeting can be found on the Home Page.

Stakeholders and Public

The Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) also conducts outreach and involvement activities to inform community members and solicit input. During the 2018 IRWMP Update and SWRP development process, the RWMG and Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) will conduct two stakeholder workshops, which will be publicly noticed via this website, newspaper announcements, and emails to stakeholders. The RWMG will also provide information briefings to elected officials (City Councils, County Board of Supervisors, and Merced Irrigation District Board of Directors), community organizations, neighborhoods, and others to keep them informed and involved. Before adopting the final Merced IRWMP and SWRP, each governing body will conduct a public hearing to receive public comments.