International Boundary and Water Commission – The International Boundary and Water Commission is responsible for the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and settles differences that may arise in their application. It is composed of a United States Section and a Mexican Section, each headed by an engineer-commissioner. Each Section is administered independently of the other.
The Bureau of Reclamation—an agency of the Department of Interior—operates federal water projects in 17 western states. In California, the Bureau notably oversees the Central Valley Project.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA, administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), disaster planning and recovery programs. FEMA works closely with states and communities and provides financial and technical assistance, flood hazard maps and data to better manage floodplains.
The NMFS —an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—conserves and protects living marine resources in California coastal areas, provides scientific and policy leadership, and implements international conservation and management programs. Through the Endangered Species Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, it enforces protections for Central Valley Chinook salmon and steelhead.
Overseen by the EPA, a competitive grant program aimed at protecting and restoring the water quality and aquatic habitat of San Francisco Bay and its watersheds.
An agency of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for flood control and levee construction, and regulation of navigable waterways and wetlands. Also runs the San Francisco Bay Model.
The Environmental Protection Agency aims to protect human health and the environment.The U.S. EPA’s Region IX office enforces federal laws that protect natural resources, including air, water and land.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife works to protect fish and wildlife and their habitats. The U.S. FWS’s Bay Delta office, an agency of the Department of Interior, conserves and protects fish, wildlife, and plants. It also coordinates with other federal agencies on the potential impact of federal projects.
The U.S. Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.The Pacific Southwest Regional Office of USFS—an agency of the Department of Agriculture—manages 20 million acres of federal land in California.
The U.S. Geological Survey describes itself as providing “impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change.” As part of this, the USGS’s Water Science Center (one of 48 nation-wide) collects, analyzes, and disseminates impartial hydrologic data and information.
