Georgia Water/Statewide Plan/Vision

Water Resources
Planning and Management
in Georgia

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2. Management
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Vision, Goals and Objectives for
Georgia's Statewide Water Resources Management Plan

Vision Statement

"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."

Policy statement from the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Planning Act signed by Governor Sonny Perdue on May 13, 2004.

Procedure for defining the vision

The vision statement above was provided in the final report of the Joint Comprehensive Water Plan Study Committee and then incorporated into the Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act. "This vision encompasses the concept of sustainability that has never been articulated in earlier goals. It also recognizes the interrelationship of the economy, environmental quality, and quality of life."[1]

Goals and Objectives

The statements of goals and objectives for the statewide water plan are quoted below, from EPD document [2] of November 23, 2005, posted on Georgia Water Council website.

Goals - "The comprehensive water management plan will be drafted to meet two overarching goals:

1. protect public health and environmental quality, and
2. meet future needs while protecting aquifers, instream uses and downstream users"

Objectives - "To accomplish these goals we will focus on four management objectives:

• Minimize withdrawals of water by increasing water conservation and reuse;
• Maximize returns to the basin of origin through policies that address interbasin transfers, on-site sewage disposal systems, and land application of treated wastewater where water quantity is limited;
• Meet instream and off stream demands for water through efficient surface storage, aquifer management and reducing water demands; and
• Protect water quality by reducing pollutant loadings from discharges and runoff from the land to ensure the assimilative capacity of the streams is not exceeded and aquatic life is not impaired."

The new water policy tools (revised laws) to be developed for aiding the state comprehensive plan will be conceived and organized around these four water management objectives. [3]

Procedure for defining the goals and objectives

Goals - A similar (slightly reworded) goals statement was given by Carol Couch at the first [Georgia Water Council] meeting on March 2, 2005 (see online meeting notes).

Objectives - The list of four management objectives was given in a presentation by Jim Kundell at the second Georgia Water Council meeting on June 7, 2005. At this meeting, Carol Couch reiterated the statements of goals and four objectives, and asked for the Council's concurrence, which was given.[4]

See also

Best Practices in defining vision and goals for a region, and examples from other states.