Page 2 - Water Reseources Agency Brochure Final2

The COMMUNITY

The County of Monterey is set in a picturesque coastal location and offers tourists and residents alike the com-
fort of a moderate, Mediterranean climate, miles of beautiful beaches, spectacular mountain ranges, groves
of redwoods, low-rolling foothills, and scenic valleys. Boasting such world-renowned attractions as the spec-

tacular Big Sur Coast, Laguna Seca Raceway, 17-Mile Drive, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, the Stein-
beck Center, the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festivals and Pebble Beach – possibly the world’s most famous golf
course, it’s easy to see why over 450,000 residents choose to live here and an estimated 4 million visitors a year
make Monterey County their destination of choice.

Monterey County is known for its natural resources, pristine environmental sites, long military history, and as
a location for top educational institutions. The County encompasses a total land area of 3,324 square miles.
There has been steady growth over the past decade and the County now has approximately 450,000 residents

residing in 12 cities and unincorporated areas. The County is known as the “Salad Bowl of the World” and is one
of the nation’s top agricultural producers. Agriculture is the County’s largest sector in terms of economic output
and employment, touching nearly every facet of life in Monterey County. Most agricultural companies continue
to be family-owned and operated. Core to the success of agriculture and the community in Monterey County is

the access and management of water resources.

The AGENCY

The Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) is an independent, special purpose public agency staffed
with dedicated employees and focused on flood control and water resources management in Monterey County. The

Agency was created via a California Water Code Appendix in a statute known as the Monterey County Water Resourc-
es Agency Act. The Agency provides the following services: control of flood and storm waters in the County, water
conservation, protection of water quality, reclamation of water and the exchange of water. Fundamental to the agen-
cy’s mission to sustainably manage water resources while minimizing impacts from flooding, the MCWRA owns and

operates the Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs and dams, a hydroelectric facility at Nacimiento Reservoir, and
numerous other facilities.

The Agency is governed by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors for larger policy mat-

ters and a nine-member Board of Directors for more in-depth oversight. Members of the Board of Directors are ap-
pointed by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors, a city selection committee, and local
agricultural groups. Prior to being formally established in 1991, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency was the
Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, established in 1947 and organized as a division of the

Public Works Department of the County of Monterey. The Agency is independent from the County, but both entities
collaborate closely and share the same elected Board of Supervisors that also act as the Board of Supervisors of the
Agency.