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Page 5 of 6
FRESP accomplishments to date include:
  • Completed the design and permitting of eight ranch water management projects; four were constructed and operational in 2007 and four will be constructed and operational in 2009. These demonstration water management projects include rehydrating drained wetlands, raising the height of the water table in the ranch soil profile and drainage network, and pumping water from a nearby canal through existing ranch wetlands and flowing back into the canal.
  • Field-testing cost-effective documentation methods for water retention and phosphorus load reduction. Installed monitoring equipment at the ranch water management projects to field test different methods of measuring the environmental services that are being provided by the projects. The documentation procedures selected must be feasible to apply by both the agencies who need to know the services they are buying and the ranchers who need to demonstrate that the services have been provided.
  • Design the rules for a payment for services program. Essential program design questions, such as: establishing prices for the services; creating a dedicated, multiyear funding source to pay for services; integrating a new payment-for-services program with other state and federal programs; and reducing the costs of program administration and ranch project design are being addressed through the pilot projects.