| Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution in the San Francisco Bay, an impaired waterbody under the federal Clean Water Act. Better monitoring of watershed inputs to the Bay is needed to improve water pollution control. A watershed-based approach is mandated locally to ensure that both the Bay and its watersheds are protected and enhanced.;This thesis identifies current watershed monitoring activities and potential future roles of four West Valley (WV) municipalities in the Santa Clara Valley, as they relate to urban nonpoint source pollution of San Francisco Bay. This research also documents current roles of other players' monitoring activities and examines how different players are contributing toward regulatory requirements and the intent of watershed monitoring. The principal product of this work is a watershed policy "toolkit," consisting of an integrated database of monitoring activities, a decision-making framework, and monitoring participation guidelines. These tools help municipalities identify watershed monitoring gaps and their appropriate monitoring contributions. Although there are gaps in the database, the database was used to make preliminary recommendations. |
