SCIENCE & POLICY
Do you enjoy swimming at the beach? Appreciate the rivers, lakes, and bays that traverse our community and are home to numerous wildlife? Urbanization and climate change are threatening the health and safety of our communities and environment. Craftwater’s water quality science and regulations team, apply the latest watershed science, policies, and regulatory framework to build meaningful strategies to clean our waterways and, where possible, conserve our water resources. Our work is founded in local, measurable metrics and leverages new technologies and approaches. Linking science with policy, we help agencies maintain compliance while making effective management decisions that support multiple water quality, supply, community, and resiliency goals.
​
-
Comprehensive understanding of the regional regulatory context
-
Local knowledge of watershed dynamics driving water quality, hydrology, hydraulics, and stormwater engineering
-
Shaping smart policy for meaningful watershed management actions and outcomes
-
Logical problem solving and articulating complex results in new, innovative ways
EXAMPLE PROJECT
Scientific Study: LA River Bacteria TMDL
Our team led the development and submittal of the accepted Safe Clean Water Program scientific study for the Load Reduction Strategy (LRS) Adaptation to Address the LA River Bacteria TMDL for the Upper Los Angeles River Group (ULAR). We produced a clear, technical application and presentation of the full study that was widely supported, and secured approximately $1.2M for the ULAR Group. This adapted approach leveraged an innovative risk-based prioritization approach, advancements in source investigation tools, and the need to move expeditiously through adversity in implementation efforts to maximize limited resources, reduce public health risks, and give greater surety at achieving compliance and long-term water quality goals. Our team developed an innovative, data-driven method to identify efficient and effective implementation throughout the watershed. After the first year of this three-year study, the LRS Adaptation Plan was submitted to the Regional Board, who commended the approach in ongoing meetings. The ULAR Group is moving forward with targeted source tracking and implementation efforts in the areas of investigation identified.
