River basin group wants public input on updating plan
Posted on Thursday, 05 June 2008 (11:05:21) CDT by admin
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By ERIC LONG - [email protected]
POSTED: June 4, 2008
It’s time to update the plan for water.
After more than 20 years, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission released a draft of its “Comprehensive Plan for the Water Resources of the Susquehanna River Basin.” The 2008 plan is called a “substantial revision” of the previous guidelines, which were crafted in 1987, according to commission officials.
The commission is seeking input from the public about the draft of the new plan, which won’t be finalized until late this year, officials said. Public comment meetings will be held at three sites in the state, including one at 2 p.m. July 9 at the Days Inn and Conference Center in Danville. Other meetings will be held at 2 p.m. July 8 at the Owego Treadway Inn and Suites in Owego, N.Y.; and at 10 a.m. July 10 at the Best Western Eden Resort in Lancaster
According to Susan Obleski, director of communications for the commission, it took about a year just to create the draft for the updated plan.
“We knew it would take a lot of staff time to do and we wanted to do it justice, to update it,” she said. “Last year, the commissioners and staff made a commitment that we would get it done. It is an impressive document and it is supposed to be a guiding framework for all the work we do.”
But the commission isn’t the only group affected by the plan, according to Paul Swartz, executive director for the commission.
“This planning project is an extremely important undertaking not only for the commission, but also for its member jurisdictions, water resource manager and other governmental and nongovernmental interests that will benefit from this resource,” he said. “In addition to addressing the more traditional priority water management issues, the draft plan also features numerous current and emerging special-interest topics such as climate change, energy production and emerging contaminants.”
Obleski said the commission is involved in water resource issues from flood mitigation, drought management, regulation water use and withdrawals and monitoring water quality in the watershed of the Susquehanna River, which includes the river and its entire drainage basin, from Cooperstown, N.Y., to the Chesapeake Bay and all the land areas to drain into it.
“We have a watershed that is 27,510 square miles in size and that is bigger than Vermont, Massachusetts, Delaware and New Jersey put together,” she said.
“A lot of it (the plan) is related to water quality and how we regulate water usage and withdrawals. Much of it is a complete overhaul (of the previous plan).”
According to commission officials, the plan will include an assessment of water resource needs in the basin, principles, guidance and standards for use of the resource. Six priority management areas that include goals and actions needed for water supply, quality, flooding, ecosystems and even public information are also included.
In the draft plan also identifies 12 areas of special interest, including issues that impact the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, such as abandoned mine drainage, consumptive use mitigation, drought coordination, invasive species and migratory fish restoration.
“In your area, we looked specifically at abandoned mine drainage and we will look at the gas drilling and the effect that has,” Obleski said
At the public comment sessions the commission will give an overview of the draft of the new plan, then accept formal public testimony, followed by an informal question and answer session.
The draft plan can be viewed online at www.srbc.net/planning/compplanfiles.asp.
Written public comment about the plan will be accepted by the commission until Aug. 18 and may be submitted by mail by writing to: Ava Stoops, administrative specialist, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, 1721 N. Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17102.
Written comment may also be submitted via email at [email protected].
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