1) Conduct
an assessment of water available
·
Determine
data needed for assessment of Mountain Lake/Cascade Lake watershed
capacity.
·
Develop
plan, timeline and budget for acquiring data and analysis.
·
Identify
funding source and personnel needed.
·
Proceed
with data collection and analysis.
Timeline:
1 year for first three items, 2-3 years for the last
2)
Develop a cooperative
management plan
for the Cascade/Mt.
·
Establish
a committee representing all water right holders in the basin who
operate
waterworks to manage water levels in the lakes and streams.
·
Set
up a cooperative management agreement with goals to manage water levels
for the
greatest benefit for human use, habitat protection, and recreation.
·
If
necessary, establish a water master program for the watersheds.
Timeline:
1 year
3)
Define service area
boundaries and
responsibility to serve
·
Recommend
that water system plans must include provisions for timely and
reasonable
service in a water system’s retail service area in order to maintain
service
area boundaries.
·
Recommend
that water system plans include provisions for future service areas
with
realistic timelines, based on viable schedules for expansion.
·
Tie
the ability to grow into inchoate water rights to a water system’s
willingness and
capacity to expand.
·
Base
county population estimates for the county’s designated growth areas on
water
systems’ willingness and capacity to expand.
Timeline:
To be included in the County’s
implementation plan – 1 year.
4)
Review water right
allocations
·
Estimate
the amount of water needed to support growth in the east Orcas area.
·
Compare
growth estimates (water demand) to existing water rights and water
right
applications.
·
Establish
an estimate of the amount of water needed to maintain stream flows and
lake
levels for Cascade Creek, Moran Creek,
·
Estimate
the amount of water available from the Casacade/Mt. Lake watersheds.
·
Develop
issue paper.
Timeline:
1 year using rough estimates of water available, 2-3 years to finalize
water
availability element.
5)
Develop recommendations for
county code
revisions to require water conservation measures and low impact
development
standards.
·
For
the Eastsound basin recommend that new development utilize water
conserving
appliances and measures to maximize efficiency.
·
For
the Eastsound basin recommend that all new development utilize low
impact
development practices to mimic or enhance the natural hydrologic
features of
the landscape.
6)
Develop issue papers on the
following
topics
·
Wastewater
reuse
·
Public
Utility Districts
·
Collaboration
strategies for habitat restoration
·
Water
right allocations