BAFPAA
The Bay Area Flood Protection Agencies Association (BAFPAA) was established to coordinate and provide mutual support in planning and implementing flood protection services amongst the flood protection agencies in the Bay Area.
BAFPAA provides a unified voice for Bay Area Flood Protection Agencies in developing and implementing regional plans and working with other regional agencies at the State and Federal level. BAFPAA participates in the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (IRWMP) efforts in the Bay Area to integrate projects and programs across all functional service areas.
Mission Statement
From Rules of Governance
To provide a forum that focuses on Bay Area flood protection issues and promotes the sharing of ideas, technologies, experiences, legislative approaches, and funding strategies, and provide opportunities for joint projects, while working closely with other interested entities on common watershed, water, and natural resource objectives.
2025 Strategic Plan
Final Draft BAFPAA 2025-2026 Strategic Plan
March 26, 2025
Proposed for adoption on April 14, 2025
Priorities for 2025-2026
1. Understand and engage in the development of functional regulatory frameworks
2. Pursue funding opportunities (assessments, state bond funds, grants, etc.)
3. Promote climate change resilience
4. Provide BAFPAA member education and opportunities for participation
Strategic Plan Objectives
Monthly Meetings:
1. Identify and share funding opportunities and collaborate on funding applications, as appropriate. (Priority 2)
2. Recruit BAFPAA members and guest speakers to describe relevant challenges, successes, and regional initiatives. (Priorities 3 and 4)
Resource Agency Meetings:
3. Convene and facilitate quarterly meetings with Regional Water Quality Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff to provide input on policy development and streamline permit processing. (Priority 1)
Environmental Permitting Committee:
4. Identify, share, and track new and pending policies, regulations, and related court cases, and compare implementation strategies among BAFPAA agencies and with similar agencies Statewide. (Priority 1)
5. Arrange and promote educational training opportunities, tours, and workshops. (Priority 4)
6. Compare and promote consistency between standards, monitoring requirements and reporting requirements for member agencies’ project permitting, stream maintenance programs, etc. (Priority 1)
CHARG Participation:
7. Advance the technical, scientific and engineering analysis needed for the region to implement adaptation projects and build resilience to sea level rise and climate change. (Priority 3)
AQPI Participation:
8. Identify cost-saving strategies for local radar maintenance. (Priority 3)
Advocacy:
9. Frame regional discussions on water/watershed-related issues from a flood-protection perspective. (Priorities 1 and 3)
10. Provide guidance on initiatives and comments on proposed regulations that fall under the purview and expertise of flood-protection agencies, such as sediment management and beneficial reuse, shoreline adaptation to climate change, hydrograph modification management and floodplain management. (Priority 1)
11. Support initiatives that promote beneficial reuse of flood-facility sediment to improve tidal wetland resilience. (Priority 3)
Download PDF of the BAFPAA 2025 Strategic Plan
2020 - 2024 Strategic Plan Archive
Goals from Charter (2007)
- Provide a unified regional voice that is compatible with individual member interests for regional coordination/collaboration with State and Federal regulatory and resource agencies.
- Frame the regional discussions on water/watershed-related issues from a flood-protection perspective.
- Provide input into the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) process by
- Participating on the IRWMP Coordinating Committee
- Monitoring and reporting on required IRWMP measures
- Recommending funding strategies to further IRWMP goals (e.g., website maintenance)
- Provide regional project prioritization to funding entities/programs
- Potentially serve as organization to administer, monitor, and report on a multi-agency program for the benefit of the region
- Provide guidance on initiatives that fall under the purview and expertise of flood-protection agencies, such as hydrograph modification management and floodplain management
- Strengthen the integration of flood protection and stormwater with all functional service areas, particularly the watershed management/habitat-protection service area.
- Provide a forum for exchanging information, experience, ideas, technology, and other subjects of mutual interest
- Partner in mutual projects, or studies, that are of regional nature or multi-agency based
- Partner in applying for future grant funding, as appropriate
- Share cost-saving opportunities in the areas of planning and operations (e.g. regional studies and monitoring efforts, coordinating project bidding and regional planning, design, and construction standards)
- Provide mutual aid and assistance during emergencies.
2020 - 2024 Actions Archive
As flood-protection agencies for the nine Bay Area counties, BAFPAA members are committed to being resource stewards and proactively partner with local, regional, state, and federal resource-protection agencies to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Member agencies utilize best-management practices to guide the design, operation, and maintenance of resilient multi-benefit, flood, and environmental-restoration projects. For 2020 through 2023, BAFPAA reaffirms its mission statement and goals (both of which were developed in 2007) and strategically commits to the following initiatives:
2020 - 2024 Initiatives Archive
| Initiative/Action | Lead/Responsible Party | How/When/Role | Other Participants / Notes | Charter Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Identify and share funding opportunities, including grants | Elke Rank, BAFPAA Chair | Standing agenda item for monthly call | Member agencies share identified opportunities with Chair, as they become aware of them. | 10, 11 |
| B. Collaborate on grants that support regional efforts and further collective goals to maximize the funding to the region | Elke Rank, BAFPAA Chair | Standing agenda item for monthly call | Collaboration opportunities will be identified on monthly call. and interested parties will coordinate on their own. | 10, 11 |
| C. Identify, share, and track new and pending policies, regulations, and related court cases. | Antonella Gentile, BAFPAA Vice Chair & Ave Brown, Environmental Permitting Committee Chair | Quarterly Committee Meetings | In 2019, developed permit tracking tool, continue to improve? Develop other tools? Committee membership is open. | 1, 2, 8 |
| D. Convene and facilitate meetings with resource agencies to minimize barriers to implementing projects and policies that inhibit progress on resiliency matters, including the Stream Homeowner Program Training | Elke Rank, BAFPAA Chair | Currently BAFPAA-facilitated quarterly meetings with Regional Board. | Members agencies. Discuss hosting one-on-one meetings with another resource agency. | 1, 2,7 |
| E. Advocate for issues of mutual concern to support individual members and collective concerns. | Natalie Muradian, BAFPAA Vice Chair | Standing agenda item for monthly call | Mark Strudley, Liaison with CEAC | 1,8,9 |
| F. Arrange educational trainings, tours, and workshops on issues of concern, legislation, regulations, etc. | Ave Brown, Environmental Permitting Committee Chair | Quarterly Committee Meetings | 6, 9 | |
| G. Support CHARG as a BAFPAA strategic initiative partnering on foundational goals such as funding, permitting, and collaborative efforts to meet our shared goals and vision | Carlos Diaz, BAFPAA Vice Chair & Roger Leventhal, CHARG Steering Committee | Standing agenda item for monthly call | CHARG is BAFPAA strategic initiative open to all. CHARG leadership comes from BAFPAA. | 6,7,8 |
| H. Partner with CHARG to study area-wide riverine flooding (especially inter-jurisdictional) issues | Carlos Diaz, BAFPAA Vice Chair & Roger Leventhal, CHARG Steering Committee | As needed | Solicit members | 6, 9 |
| I. Study and develop responses to water quality & habitat challenges resulting from homeless populations in riparian areas | Antonella Gentile, BAFPAA Vice Chair and Carol Mahoney, Former BAFPAA Chair | As needed | Solicit members | 6, 9 |
| J. Review new modeling initiatives that serve the region. | Carlos Diaz, BAFPAA Vice Chair & Roger Leventhal | As needed | 7,8,9 | |