The Southwest region is comprised of the coastal watersheds of California. The California coastline is one of the longest and most diverse in the country, stretching for nearly 1100 miles. The northern portion of the region is characterized by moderate to heavy precipitation, with large volumes of freshwater flowing into the coastal regions. The largest estuary on the west coast, the San Francisco Bay Estuary, is formed by the convergence of a number of rivers originating in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Much of the region is characterized by steep coastal mountain formations that restrict the areas of low-lying coastal plains and rivers, resulting in narrow and relatively steep-sided estuaries. In contrast, the southern area of the state is arid. Because of low precipitation and rivers dammed for water supply, very little freshwater enters the ocean along the southern coast. This makes the few estuaries in the southern part of the region extremely valuable as nurseries and habitat for fisheries and local and migratory birds. The State of California has by far the largest human population in the nation, exceeding 30 million, most of whom live in urban areas in the coastal region and are concentrated in the Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco Bay regions. The rapid growth in population and resultant urbanization, agriculture, transportation infrastructure and diking have resulted in as much as a 90 percent loss of wetlands. Historical losses of productive and diverse wetlands of this magnitude place an urgency and high priority in preserving and restoring the small amount of remaining wetlands.
The Southwest RIT includes agency members and/or their designees who attend bimonthly meetings. Generally, projects are developed either by a "lead" agency that proposes and implements the project or by a team collaborating on defining the nature of the problem, potential solutions, and ultimately implementing a project. Coastal America endorsements are made by consensus of all team members. The process is described in the following steps:
The Southwest regional action strategy contains the following objectives: identify existing agency authorities, missions, programs, resources, mutual goals and responsibilities that can be used collaboratively; identify opportunities to leverage resources, create partnerships, recognize potential impediments to successful collaboration and develop a "clearinghouse" for this information; develop a streamlined process for identifying and promoting potential projects; publicize Coastal America efforts to federal and state agencies and private organizations that do not currently participate in the Southwest RIT and advertise Coastal America's successes; and evaluate the success, as well as the impediments, of both individual projects and the overall Coastal America - RIT process.
The Southwest RIT's number one priority is the preservation and restoration of the remaining 10 percent of wetlands habitat found in the region. The tremendous, nearly 90 percent, loss of California's productive wetlands magnifies the importance of the remaining 10 percent. Bays and harbors, both estuarine and marine, tend to be in highly urbanized regions and represent another of the most tangible natural resource assets of California. Thus, there is a large need for protecting and restoring the multiple uses of these bays through effective environmental management plans, monitoring, and nonpoint source pollution reductions. The principal Southwest RIT geographic focus is estuarine and near-coastal ecosystems. Although project emphasis is concentrated in those areas with tidal influence, watersheds that influence the estuary or are near coastal regions are also considered.
The next item of significance is the large number of military base closures in California. These actions represent a unique opportunity to work towards defining the reuse and restoration of those coastal properties to add viable wetlands and wildlife habitat. The third significant item, is the development of restoration projects associated with transportation infrastructure and corridor modification. The Southwest RIT will seek to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the California State Department of Transportation in developing restoration projects associated with transportation infrastructure and corridor modification.
The third significant item, is the development of restoration projects associated with transportation infrastructure and corridor modification. The Southwest RIT will seek to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the California State Department of Transportation in developing restoration projects associated with transportation infrastructure and corridor modification.
Finally, educational outreach is viewed as an important component of all Southwest RIT efforts in gaining public support for coastal preservation and restoration. The Southwest RIT has given strong endorsement to the Pier One Marine Learning Center, currently in the planning phase, on San Francisco Bay, which is designed to provide both interactive exhibits on coastal ecosystems and a center for training students.
The Southwest RIT has historically focused on the San Francisco Bay Estuary, wetland restoration, and coastal natural resource preservation and restoration in areas such as Monterey Bay and Vandenberg Air Force Base. More recently, the team has begun to focus on southern California with project support in San Diego Bay, and is in the process of supporting multiagency efforts in the restoration of the Tijuana Estuary on the Mexico - California border and adjacent watersheds.