The Monterey County Water Resources Agency is a public agency created by the State of California pursuant to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Act (California Water Code, Appendix 52). 

A copy of the Agency Act can be found here.

Prior to being formally established in 1991, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) was the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, established in 1947 and organized as a division of the Public Works Department of the County of Monterey. MCWRA provides services related to the control of flood and storm waters in Monterey County, conservation, protection of water quality, reclamation of water and the exchange of water. Fundamental to the agency’s mission to sustainably manage water resources while minimizing impacts from flooding, MCWRA owns and operates two dams on principal tributaries to the Salinas River (Nacimiento and San Antonio) along with associated reservoirs.