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.
