About Integrated Water Strategies Toolkit Quantification

This two year, $399,000 Creek Lands Conservation study will identify and quantify potential resource strategies to enhance instream flow, on every parcel in the Ventura River Watershed. Additionally it will analyze cumulative impact of these water related land-use strategies to recommend collaborative regional project and program development. Analysis will take into account the temporal “time management” of water alongside upcoming instream flow studies and ongoing regional efforts, as well as voluntary agreements and transactions. IWS-TQ fills key data gaps and provides accessible, collaborative data to inform a watershed scale instream flow framework and action plan.

Identify

The IWS model identifies parcels with characteristics most suitable to projects that would enhance instream flow The model uses transparent and accessible land use and water supply/rights data sets with habitat and groundwater overlays, and innovative land use approaches. The suitability model assesses the potential for two project types: 1) reduced consumptive use, and; 2) improved infiltration.

Quantify

The Toolkit Quantification (TQ) model provides parcel-level quantification of potential water strategies and regional analysis on a community to watershed scale. Parameters include easy to access, executable strategies such as: rainwater/ stormwater reuse, infiltration, wastewater (blackwater, greywater, mechanical) reuse, nutrient cycling, water conservation, ocean friendly (climate appropriate) gardens, irrigation dosing, and carbon farming.