A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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‘Other natural resources’ may include agricultural resources, wetlands, urban forestry, air, and energy producing resources. 
Some cities and counties also include paleontological and archaeological resources in this section. Model policies include 
those that assess 
air quality
 and coordinate with other agencies and jurisdictions to improve it; identify agricultural resources 
using the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service’s
 land inventory and monitoring criteria inventory; include plans for the 
preservation of wetlands; and inventory energy resources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass resources. 
Air quality
 
policies should be consistent with regional 
air quality and transportation plans
. 
Floodwater Management 
Requirement Description:
To address floodwater management in the conservation element, the city or county should collect information concerning its 
flood plains and its watershed. 
DWR 
has updated its 
Best Available Maps
 to display the latest floodplains. 
DWR
 has expanded the 
floodplains to cover all counties in the State and to include 100, 200, and 500-year floodplains. The 
Office of Emergency Services 
(OES)
 and 
DWR
 have information on past floods and flood levels. Local levee districts and resource conservation may also have 
information to share.  
DWR
 also completed the 2012 
Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP)
, which provides a guide for state participation with 
managing flood risk along the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River. The CVFPP provides data and analysis that include 
the locations of flood hazard zones; goals, policies, and objectives based on that data and analysis; and feasible implementation 
measures designed to carry out these goals, policies, and objectives. The CVFPP includes a 
Groundwater Recharge Opportunity 
Analysis
, which can also be useful. This document summarizes an evaluation of groundwater recharge project types and general 
locations that could be used to integrate groundwater recharge and groundwater storage with the flood management system to 
increase both flood management flexibility and water supply reliability.
DWR
 also recommends working with applicable agencies to incorporate improvements in flood control channels that provide 
opportunities for stormwater retention and groundwater recharge, when major upgrades and/or reconstruction are required. 
Low impact development
 strategies may also help protect communities from floodwater by redirecting stormwater. 
For additional data and analysis related to flood safety, see the
 safety element
. For data and analysis related to identification and 
annual review of areas subject to flooding, see the 
land use element
. 
Optional Issues
Pursuant to 
Government Code section 65302(d)(2)
, the conservation element may also cover the reclamation of land and 
waters; prevention and control of the pollution of streams and other waters; regulation of the use of land in stream channels and 
other areas required for the accomplishment of the conservation plan; prevention, control, and correction of the erosion of soils, 
beaches, and shores; protection of watersheds; protection of habitat connectivity, and the location, quantity, and quality of rock, 
sand, and gravel resources. Local governments might choose to integrate these optional issues into their analyses of and policies 
for the mandatory requirements.

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OPR Recommended Policies
These policies are an example of recommended policies adopted by varying jurisdictions, to be modified and used as appropriate. 
A full list of recommended policies can be found 
here:
Sample Policy
Example of Application
Relationship to Other Elements
[City, county] shall identify and develop a coordinated 
biological preserve system that includes Pre–Approved 
Mitigation Areas, Biological Resource Core Areas, wildlife 
corridors, and linkages to allow wildlife to travel through-
out their habitat ranges. Avoid adverse impacts to wildlife 
movement corridors and nursery sites (e.g., nest sites, 
dens, spawning areas, breeding ponds).
San Diego County
, 
Yolo 
County
Land use, open space, climate change
[City, county] shall allow for appropriate public access to 
open space lands for recreation activities while protect-
ing and restoring the natural ecosystem and minimizing 
environmental damage, as appropriate
Redwood City
Land use, open space, circulation, equitable and resilient 
communities, economic development
[City, county] shall in conjunction with new development 
located along existing creeks and streams and where ap-
propriate, incorporate daylighting for culverted portions or 
other bank naturalizing approaches for channeled sections 
as a means of creek and stream restoration.
Redwood City
Land use, open space
[City, county] shall establish a coherent and logical pat-
tern of urban uses that protect and enhance open space 
and agricultural uses by providing a clear and permanent 
boundary for urban uses with the [city, county]’s planning 
area.
City of Livermore
Land use, circulation, housing, conservation, safety, 
climate change, economic development

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