California Water Quality Monitoring Council (CA Senate Bill 1070)

Background

In November 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency to establish the California Water Quality Monitoring Council (Monitoring Council). The MOU was mandated by CA Senate Bill 1070 (Kehoe, 2006) and requires the boards, departments and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency to integrate and coordinate their water quality and related ecosystem monitoring, assessment, and reporting.

Water Code Sections 13167 and 13181 and the MOU require that the Monitoring Council develop specific recommendations to improve the coordination and cost-effectiveness of water quality and ecosystem monitoring and assessment, enhance the integration of monitoring data across departments and agencies, and increase public accessibility to monitoring data and assessment information. While the Monitoring Council may recommend new monitoring or management initiatives, it will build on existing efforts to the greatest extent possible. The Monitoring Council published its initial recommendations in December 2008, and its recommendations for A Comprehensive Monitoring Program Strategy for California in December 2010.

On July 1, 2020 the Monitoring Council approved a Strategic Plan to help visualize and describe the overall vision and mission of the Monitoring Council and its Workgroups. Along with a Strategic Plan Summary the Monitoring Council also put together a Strategy Map and Community Map to utilize as common communication tools.

The Monitoring Council also approved a New Logo.

On December 22, 2020 the Secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) signed a new MOU supporting the formation and work of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council. This new MOU replaces the original MOU signed in 2007 and recognizes the continued need for collaboration and coordination across the two agencies and the sectors contributing to collection and use of water quality and ecosystem health data.

Water Quality Monitoring Council Logo

Membership

The Membership of the Monitoring Council is intended to represent a variety of water quality related interests. Monitoring Council members are selected by the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). The Monitoring Council has allowed each Member to designate an Alternate who can participate on those occasions when the Member is unable to participate in person. For more information about the current Council Members please click on their name below or navigate to our Member Page.


ACWA
Orange County Coastkeeper
Water Resources Control Board logoSCCWRP logo

California Stormwater Quality Association
California Department of Food and Agriculture
California Natural Resources Agency logo

The Watershed Project
CalEPA logo
Sanitation Districts of LA County logo

Meetings

Meetings of the Monitoring Council are open to the public. There are four meetings held during the year. At the moment, three are held in Sacramento, CA and one in Costa Mesa, CA. Actions of the Monitoring Council are advisory to CalEPA and the National Resources Agency. Please visit our Meetings web page for details.

Receive updates by email regarding activities of California Water Quality Monitoring Council. Subscribe online to the "SB 1070 - Water Quality Monitoring Council" email list under General Interests and Monitoring Council Workgroups & My Water Quality Portals.

Products

Please visit our Products webpage for details.

Workgroups

More Information

For additional information on the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, please contact Director, Nick Martorano