In 2007, the California Department of Water Resources awarded 6 teams, composed of 40 investigators, a total of $2.5 million over 2 years to develop regional composite indices (social-economic-environmental) at various geographic scales. These teams began work this Spring and are developing Regional Technical Advisory Committees, goals and objectives, refined questions, and in some cases candidate indicators. In general, the teams will develop and analyze indicators at a regional extent (e.g., North Bay and Delta), based on component watersheds (e.g., the Napa River). The teams are separately contracted, but are coordinated through a “California Watershed Indicators Council” in recognition of the primary scale of analysis (the watershed). Fraser Shilling is the coordinator of the Council.
The North Bay-Delta project is led by Napa County, with collaboration from the University of California, Davis, Sonoma Ecology Center, Napa County RCD, and independent consultants. The Sacramento River Basin project is led by the Sacramento River Watershed Program, with assistance from UC Davis, ESSA (Canada), and Stillwater. University of California at Davis scientists Fraser Shilling and Marcelo Tognelli provide critical connections to the contemporary global literature on indicator and index development, leading investigations into problems and solutions with indicator development over varying temporal and spatial scales, as well as conducting certain indicator evaluations for the project.
