You are here

Work Element 1. Nutrient Program Administration

The SFB Nutrient Management Strategy is being developed and implemented through a collaborative process between the Water Board and multiple partners and stakeholders. Generating the scientific understanding needed to fully support all of the management decisions and questions will likely take substantial time and significant resources, and will involve complex decisions.  This work element lays out the basic components of the program for implementing the Nutrient Strategy.

Activities Update

Click right and left arrows to scroll through activities. Note: Timeline dates are approximate


Task 1.1 Develop Governance Structure

A straightforward and transparent governance and decision-making structure for Nutrient Strategy implementation is needed to

  • maximize effectiveness of stakeholder input;
  • identify and allocate limited resources toward research, monitoring, and modeling that will most effectively inform management decisions;
  • carry out external scientific review of the overall Nutrient Strategy, the recommended approaches that are developed within key work elements (e.g., Assessment Framework, Monitoring, Modeling), and major work products
  • lay out how decisions will be made, in particular on substantive issues on which reaching consensus may be difficult  

A work group will be convened to develop a work plan and scope of work for developing a governance structure for Nutrient Strategy implementation.  This may involve hiring a consultant to assist with identifying approaches that are well-suited for addressing the unique set of scientific, regulatory, and economic issues related to nutrient concerns in San Francisco Bay.

Subtasks include:

  • 1.1a Develop a draft charter
  • 1.1b Finalize charter
  • 1.1c Develop list of participants
  • 1.1d Convene first steering committee meeting
  • 1.1e On-going governance

Task 1.1 - Subtasks Completion

Task 1.2 Develop Funding Plan

While this document focuses in detail on activities that should be completed during the next 5 years, implementation of the Nutrient Strategy work elements will likely be a carried out over a substantially longer period.  The cumulative costs of sustaining the nutrient-related research, monitoring, and modeling are anticipated to be high. SFB is an ecosystem of regional, state-wide, and national significance, and a valued resource for both the public and private sectors. As such, a funding plan will be developed that casts a wide net, targeting resources from federal science agencies (e.g., NSF, NOAA), state funding, and foundations, as well as developing partnerships with other SFB science and monitoring programs, and partnerships with regional university and research institutes.  This task involves developing initial costs estimates of the work, developing a funding plan, and on-going fundraising.  

Subtasks include:

  • 1.2a Draft funding plan to support nutrient strategy
  • 1.2b Solicit nutrient watershet permit funding
  • 1.2c Solicit funding from the regional/state water boards
  • 1.2d Where applicable, solicit funding from other state entities
  • 1.2e Where applicable, seek basic and applied research grants

Task 1.2 - Subtasks Completion

Task 1.3 Nutrient Program Management

This task involves managing the Nutrient Strategy implementation. Activities will include scientific oversight, stakeholder engagement, coordinating SAG meetings, coordinating external scientific review, information dissemination, fundraising, and overall program management (e.g., overseeing projects, project and contract management).  

There are no specific subtasks for Task 1.3.