About the Watermaster
Neutral administration of water rights within the Santa Margarita River Watershed.
The Santa Margarita River Watershed Watermaster is appointed by the United States District Court to implement and oversee the water-rights framework governing the watershed. The Watermaster ensures that water use is measured accurately, rights are administered fairly, and reporting to the Court and stakeholders remains transparent.
What Is the Watermaster?
- Court-appointed administrator
- Neutral role
- Implements adjudication and agreements
- Reports to the Court
The Watermaster serves as a neutral administrator and does not advocate for any party but ensures that all rights and obligations are carried out according to court directives.
Historical Context & Tribal Rights
The Santa Margarita River Watershed has supported human communities for thousands of years. The Pechanga, Cahuilla and Ramona peoples lived throughout the watershed long before the development of contemporary water systems and continue to maintain a cultural and legal relationship with its waters. Their federally recognized water rights form an important part of the watershed’s governing structure.
Within this context, the Watermaster has a responsibility to administer all water rights — including Tribal, federal, agricultural, municipal, and private rights — as defined by existing agreements and court orders. The Watermaster does not alter water rights but ensures their accurate implementation.
Authority and Governance
The Watermaster operates under authority granted by federal court orders, including but not limited to:
- Applicable Watermaster Orders issued by the Court
- The Interlocutory Judgment and subsequent amendments
- Agreements among water-rights parties incorporated into the adjudication
The Watermaster reports directly to the Court and provides technical documentation, annual reports, and recommendations as required. The Watermaster may also coordinate with the parties, including public agencies, Tribal Nations, and the United States, on matters relevant to water-rights administration.
What are the Watermaster’s Primary Responsibilities?
The Watermaster performs several technical and administrative functions that support the fair and transparent management of water within the Santa Margarita River Watershed. Although much of the work is highly technical, the goal is straightforward: ensure that water use is measured accurately, rights are implemented as defined by the Court, and reliable information is available to the parties and the public.
Measurement and Monitoring
The Watermaster oversees the collection, verification, and reporting of hydrologic and water-use data throughout the watershed. This includes groundwater production, surface-water diversions, streamflow measurements, and overall basin conditions.
Accurate measurement is fundamental to the fair administration of water rights. By tracking how water moves through rivers, aquifers, and diversions, the Watermaster helps ensure that water use is documented consistently and that reliable data is available to the Court and all parties involved in the watershed.
Administration of Water Rights
The Watermaster ensures that water rights are exercised in accordance with the adjudication, agreements among the parties, and directives issued by the Court. This includes tracking allocations, monitoring compliance with applicable requirements, and maintaining records of water production and diversions.
The Watermaster does not alter water rights or advocate for any party. Instead, the role is to implement the existing legal framework so that each party receives the water to which it is entitled under the governing agreements and court orders.
Technical Evaluation and Reporting
Each year, the Watermaster prepares an Annual Water Year Report summarizing watershed conditions and water use. These reports typically include hydrologic conditions, groundwater production, surface diversions, compliance observations, and other technical information relevant to watershed administration.
The Watermaster may also prepare technical memoranda, data summaries, or recommendations when requested by the Court or the parties. These evaluations provide an objective record of watershed conditions and support informed decision-making.
Dispute Resolution Support
Although the Watermaster does not adjudicate disputes, the office plays an important supporting role when questions arise regarding water use or compliance.
The Watermaster maintains the factual records, measurement data, and technical documentation needed for parties or the Court to evaluate potential issues. By providing clear and reliable information, the Watermaster helps ensure that any disputes can be addressed based on consistent and well-documented data.
Coordination with Stakeholders
Effective watershed administration requires ongoing communication with the many entities that rely on water within the basin. The Watermaster works with Tribal Nations, local water agencies, landowners, agricultural users, and the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton to coordinate data collection and operational information.
This coordination helps ensure that water-use information is accurate, that reporting requirements are met, and that stakeholders share a clear understanding of the water-management framework governing the watershed.
Protection of the Watershed’s Long-Term Sustainability
Through accurate measurement, consistent administration of water rights, and transparent reporting, the Watermaster supports the long-term sustainability of the watershed’s water resources. These efforts help maintain the viability of groundwater basins, river systems, and the communities that depend on them.
The Watermaster’s role in sustainability is limited to the authority granted by the Court and the adjudication. Within that framework, the office contributes to the responsible stewardship of one of Southern California’s important water resources.
About Tom
Tom Kennedy brings more than three decades of water and wastewater management experience to the role of Watermaster. A native Southern Californian who has been visiting the Santa Margarita River Watershed — including the Anza area — since the late 1970s, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from San Diego State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Fullerton. His career spans general management, operations leadership, and consulting across Southern California water agencies, including nine years as General Manager of Rainbow Municipal Water District and more than a decade as Operations Manager at Olivenhain Municipal Water District. He has also contributed to international water projects in Türkiye, Samoa, Indonesia, and many other countries.
Tom lives locally in North San Diego County with his family. Married for 31 years with two adult children, he brings to this role not only deep technical expertise but a genuine personal connection to the watershed and the communities it sustains.
