Welcome to the website of the Watershed & Coastal Resources Division!

It's been said that a watershed is a community that's linked together by water. We have created www.ocwatersheds.com to help strengthen the links between people and their watershed. On this site, we've provided information about what we do as well as the part you play in keeping our watersheds healthy. Here you'll find water quality regulations, current programs and projects, and tips on how your everyday activities make a difference.

The Watershed & Coastal Resources Division at the County of Orange was created in the spring of 2000. Before then, several different divisions had been working on water quality and watershed planning within our department, the Public Facilities & Resources Department. In 2000, these groups were combined into one team to create the Watershed & Coastal Resources Division. Since then, we've added more resources to increase our efforts on new projects and responsibilities.

How the Site is Organized

The Watershed & Coastal Resources Division website is organized in six main sections:

Water Quality Hotline: here you can report water quality problems to us, get tips on how to keep our waterways clean, and find the proper way to dispose of materials that could be harmful to the environment.

Stormwater Program: find out what NPDES is, see local regulations on stormwater, learn about the role of storm drains, get information on Best Management Practices (BMPs), and get details on what cities and the County are doing for better stormwater quality.

Watersheds: see maps of all 13 watersheds in Orange County as well as projects and studies on each. You'll also find a description of the watershed management planning process and new regulations on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for our waterways.

Public Education: here we have provided instructional brochures and posters on a variety of subjects: understanding how the ocean begins at your front door, where the water down your storm drain goes, and everyday behavior around your home or business that lead to clean water and healthy watersheds. In addition, we have listed opportunities for you to volunteer your time and talents on local projects and issues.

Rainfall & Weather: find out how much rain fell during each storm and during each day of a storm at our rainfall recording stations throughout Orange County. During storm events, data is posted every 6 to 12 minutes. You'll also find our hydrologic report with annual totals of rainfall and stormwater levels within our flood control channels as well as links to other weather-related websites.

Who We Are (this section): here are some of the basics about our organization: our mission and goals, organizational chart, mailing address, office locations with maps, and contact information. In addition you'll find reports issued by the Orange County Grand Jury dealing with water quality and watershed planning, including their recommendations for our website.