RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A PLANNING AREA FOR EASTERN ORCAS ISLAND TO COORDINATE WATER SYSTEM PLANNING AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

 

RESOLUTION NO.       – 2003

 

WHEREAS, Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) designated under the Washington Growth Management Act must provide for or be capable of providing for urban levels of service for water supply; and

 

WHEREAS, the Eastsound Village Urban Growth Area, as designated by the adoption of Ordinance 10-2000, is currently served by Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA), and a growing number of individual wells and small Group B community water systems; and

 

WHEREAS, the Washington State Department of Ecology has responsibility for issuing water rights to meet municipal requirements and new legislation, (HB 1338) calls for coordination between water system plans and watershed planning in determining the status of water rights; and

 

WHEREAS, future growth and demand for water service maybe greater than EWUA’s ability to provide service; and

 

WHEREAS, EWUA does not have security of water rights or source capacity to serve long-term growth projections for Eastsound ; and

 

WHEREAS, individual wells and small water systems are being developed in the EWUA and Rosario Utilities Water System service areas on small parcels, creating a potential competition for water and customers; and

 

WHEREAS, Eastsound and Rosario share the need for planning in order to identify areas where coordination of water system management could benefit both entities, and

 

WHEREAS, the San Juan County Water Resource Management Committee (WRMC) is charged with assessing and planning for the protection of the county’s water supplies and met with the Eastsound Water Users board of directors on July 16, 2003, and held a public meeting for interested parties at Rosario Resort on Septmeber 17, 2003; and

 

WHEREAS, at their October 15th meeting the WRMC directed staff to request that the San Juan County Board of Commissioners establish a planning sub-committee to address water resource issues with a planning area designated as the Eastsound and Rosario water system service area boundaries; and

 

WHEREAS, the WRMC recommends including purveyors and other interested parties on the east side of Orcas to participate in this planning committee

 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the service areas for Eastsound and Rosario on Orcas Island are hereby defined as a planning area for water resource planning, Exhibit A; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Health and Community Services Department will develop an assessment of water availability for the east side of Orcas Island and work with the planning subcommittee to develop recommendations for water system coordination and resource management.

 

DONE THIS      day of             , 2003.

 

                                                            BOARD OF HEALTH

                                                            SAN JUAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON

 

                                   

 

                                                            Rhea Y. Miller, Chair

 

 

 

                                                            Darcie L. Nielsen, Member

 

 

 

                                                            John B. Evans, Member

 

 

Attest:  Si A. Stephens, Auditor

And Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board


By:

 

            Lillian Hamel, Deputy

 

Approved as to Form Only

Randall K. Gaylord, Prosecuting Attorney

 

 

By:

 

Exhibit A – Map of Critical Water Resource Area Boundaries


Orcas Island Watershed Planning

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