Georgia Water/Statewide Plan/Table of Contents

Water Resources
Planning and Management
in Georgia

1. Water Policy
2. Management
3. Information
4. Planning
5. Statewide Plan
6. Regional Plans
7. References

Note: The draft Table of Contents for the Statewide Water Plan was written by the Georgia Water Resources Council and submitted to Governor Sonny Perdue on January 6, 2004. This 2004 draft [1] may be revised as the state planning process unfolds.

STATE COMPONENTS OF STATE WATER PLAN

Table of Contents (draft)

Mission & Vision

This ‘top of the trees’ mission/vision statement would provide the proper social, environmental, economic, and cultural context for comprehensive water management in Georgia. The Council recommends using the following vision statement from the work of the Joint Water Study Committee:

“Georgia manages water resources in a sustainable manner to support the state’s economy, to protect public health and natural systems, and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.” (Status = done)

Goals & Objectives

This section of the Plan would include a set of statements that collectively express the aspirations of development and implementation of a State Water Plan. A suggested starting point for this section of the Plan would be the set of six goals adopted by the Joint Water Study Committee in its document entitled “Water Management Planning – Vision, Principles, & Goals”.

(Status = done)

Introduction

• legislative charge to develop a State Water Plan (Status = done)
• description of need for a State Water Plan, leading to the legislation (Status = draft)
• brief general description of water conditions and problems (details left for regional plans) (Status = draft)

• historical and current statewide population distributions
• state-wide water use patterns (historical and current) and future trends,
• State-wide occurrence of surface and ground waters
• state-wide water quality trends (historical and current) and future demands
• state-wide water-based ecological conditions (wetlands, marshlands and estuaries, riverine ecosystem conditions, etc.)
• more...

Planning Process

This section of the Plan would describe the planning process.

1. Organizational structure (defined by Legislature) (Status = done)

• lead agency
• interagency coordination responsibilities (Status)
• roles of department Boards
• role of the Water Resources Council
• role of the Legislature in approving/adopting the Plan

1. Description of the major tasks required to complete the Plan. (Status)
2. Schedule for completion of each of the major components of the Plan. (Status)
3. Schedule for revision and updating of the plan. (Status)
4. Description of a required public involvement process associated with development of the components of the Plan. (Status)
5. Description of the planning regions. (Status = draft)
6. Description of how existing and in-progress regional plans will be integrated into the state plan. (Status)

Guiding Principles & Policy Framework

General Guiding Principles

The Council believes the following principles (from the work of the JWSC) should guide the development of the State Water Plan:

1. Effective water resources management protects health and the safety and welfare of Georgia’s citizens;
2. Water resources are managed in a sustainable manner so that current and future generations have access to adequate supplies of quality water that supports both human and natural systems; (Status)
3. All citizens have a stewardship responsibility to conserve and protect the water resources of Georgia; (Status)
4. Water management efforts recognize that economic prosperity and environmental quality are interdependent; (Status)
5. Water quality and quantity and surface and ground water are interrelated and require integrated planning as well as reasonable and efficient use; (Status1) and Status2)
6. A comprehensive and accessible database must be developed to provide sound scientific and economic information upon which effective water management decisions can be based; (Status)
7. Water resources management encourages local/regional innovation, implementation, adaptability, and responsibility for watershed and river basin management; (Status3) and (Status4)
8. Sound water resources management involves meaningful participation, coordination, and cooperation among interested and affected stakeholders and citizens, as well as all levels of governmental and other entities managing or utilizing water; (Status5) (Status6)
9. Periodic revisions of the comprehensive statewide water management plan may be required to accommodate new scientific and policy insights as well as changing social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. (Status7) and (Status8)

Current Statutory, Regulatory, and Water Management Policy Framework

The Law Department would be enlisted to provide a description of Georgia’s current water quality and water quantity management statutory framework. A description of Georgia’s water quantity management statutory framework – produced by the Law Department - has already been completed for other purposes, and may require editing for inclusion in a State Water Plan. Additionally advice and guidance should be sought from the governor’s legal counsel. As the State agency with principal water management regulatory responsibilities, EPD would be assigned the task of describing the current regulatory requirements related to the statutory framework completed by the Law Department. Before completing this section, EPD would seek input from other State government entities having water management responsibilities under Georgia law. (Status)

Guidance on Water Public Policy Issues

If the sub-state strategies for managing water are to meet the goals defined for the Plan, development of these strategies must be guided by clearly articulated guidance – from the State – on a number of critical public policy issues. This section of the Plan would address itself to these critical water public policy issues. (Status)

Planning Standards

This section of the Plan would provide a description of minimum planning standards that would guide the sub-state planning regions in developing sub-state resource management components of the Plan. (Status)

Executive Summary of Sub-State Components of State Water Plan

This section of the “State Components” of the Plan would provide an executive summary of each of the sub-state components of the State Plan. Such a summary will not be possible for many of the sub-state components until some time after completion of the “State Components”; however as the State Plan must be a ‘living’ document, these substate executive summaries can/should be added whenever the sub-state plans have been completed.

This summary might also generally address itself to an appropriate subset – or all - of the 42 issues the JWSC identified during the conduct of its work. (Status)

Water Quantity Management

State Overview

• Highlights
• Planning Area Boundary Issues

Water Quantity Management Summary by Planning Area

• Water Quantity Management to Meet Present and Anticipated In-Stream Needs
• Water Quantity Management to Meet Present and Anticipated Off-Stream Needs
• Description of Items Requiring Further Attention and Research

Water Quality Management

State Overview

• Highlights
• Planning Area Boundary Issues

Water Quality Management Summary by Planning Area

• Water Quality Management to Meet Present and Anticipated Federal and State Statutory and Regulatory Mandates (Status)
• Water Quality Management to Meet State Water Policy Objectives Not Mandated by Statute and/or Rules
• Description of Items Requiring Further Attention and Research

Information & Data Management

• Water Quality, Quantity, and Biotic Integrity Monitoring (Status)
• Data Management Systems (Status)
• Real Time Water Management (Status)
• Additional Data and Research Needs :(Status)

Implementation

• Interagency coordination (Status)
• Enforcement (Status)
• Funding (Status)
• Schedule/mechanism to monitor and report on the implementation of the Plan (Status)

SUB-STATE COMPONENTS OF STATE WATER PLAN (for each Region)

Outline for each Regional Plan (The State Water Plan would eventually include several regional water plans that are developed – and integrated – in accordance with guidance developed early in the state water planning process. The configuration of the sub-state regions, while not yet determined, should at a minimum take into consideration both natural and political boundaries. Some of the expected major topic areas of the sub-state plans are shown below.)

The Planning Area

• description of the planning area,
• description of economies
• description of ecosystems
• more...

Water Quantity Management

• availability and flow patterns of surface and ground water sources,
• identification of current and forecasted uses of these sources
• more....

Water Quality Management

• historical and present water quality conditions of the surface and ground water sources
• identification of current and forecasted uses of these sources
• more...

Information & Data Management

• Water Quality, Quantity, and Biotic Integrity Monitoring
• Data Management Systems
• Real Time Water Management
• Additional Data and Research Needs

Implementation & Financing Plans/Schedules

• Interagency coordination
• Enforcement
• Funding
• Schedule/mechanism to monitor and report on the implementation of the Plan