The Model Monitoring Program was developed to build the basic design for the ocean monitoring programs of the four largest publicly owned treatment work (POTW) dischargers in southern California, though the intention was also to produce a monitoring framework for the ocean dischargers. This project was intended to develop consistency among programs, improve the effectiveness of each program in meeting the needs of management, and increase the efficiency with which monitoring is conducted. The documents produced from this project are the result of a consensus-based approach built upon interactions with both regulators and permittees throughout southern California.