2017 REPORT Recommendations for a Healthy Water Future "I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come aer us." Teddy Roosevelt Spring Creek in Upson County during the drought of 978=. Photo credit: Jeremy DinerFAmerican Rivers Cover photo credit: Joe Cook 978> Report: Recommendations for a Healthy Water Future The Georgia EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Water Coalition Smart water management is paramount to allowing conservation An alliance of and economic development to exist side by side. e Georgia Water more than 997 Coalition aims to find and implement sustainable solutions to Georgia’s organizations water challenges that maintain the integrity of Georgia’s natural systems and from around the promote public health, while addressing the needs of municipalities, industry, state working to agriculture, and business. ensure enough Over the past 14 years, the Coalition has grown to include over 220 clean water for all organizations, representing well over a quarter of a million Georgians and Georgians. encompassing conservation organizations, farmers, homeowners and lake associations, business owners, sportsmen’s clubs, professional associations, and religious groups. e Coalition continues to speak out and provide information about the importance – even critical nature – of prudent statewide water management. e Coalition effort benefits all Georgians because it asks our leaders to make responsible decisions about how best to protect our finite water resources, now and in the future. Every two years since 2002, the Georgia Water Coalition has published a report setting forth its principles and goals, with recommendations on how to establish clean and sustainable water resources in Georgia. is is the eighth such report of the Georgia Water Coalition. e 2017 report updates previous recommendations as needed and includes new recommendations related to emerging issues in the state. www.GAWATER.org Photo credit: Joe Cook Georgia Water Coalition =;<B Report < SEA LEVEL RISE MISSION STATEMENT IN GEORGIA e Georgia Water Coalition’s mission is to protect and care for Georgia’s Communities in Coastal surface water and groundwater resources, which are essential for sustaining Georgia will be forced to economic prosperity, providing clean and abundant drinking water, preserving take steps to address sea diverse aquatic habitats for wildlife and recreation, strengthening property values, level rise with increasing and protecting the quality of life for current and future generations. gravity over the next several decades, as scientists predict rising THE PRINCIPLES DEFINING seas as a result of the warming of the oceanBs THE GEORGIA WATER temperature and melting of the earths continental COALITIONBS WORK ice sheets, both caused by a changing global climate. e members of Tybee Island, for example, the Georgia Water one of a few municipalities Coalition work to begin plans to address collaboratively and the issue, is anticipating transparently with each up to a :8-inch rise in sea other to achieve specific level by 97=7. The Fort goals based on the Pulaski Tide Gauge near following principles. Savannah has already shown a local trend of 1 e surface waters and approximately 8 foot rise groundwater of over the last 877 years and Georgia are public NOAA predicts at least an resources to be ? inch and possibly as high managed by the state as =.= foot rise in sea level in the public interest by the year 9877. Also and in a sustainable threatened are the cities of Photo credit: Center for a Sustainable Coast manner to protect Savannah, Brunswick, St. natural systems, meet Marys, and barrier islands human and economic needs, and account for the effects of climate change. such as Jekyll Island. As 2 Effective water management requires ongoing, rigorous evaluation and sea level rises, coastal planning that is: communities become a. transparent and informed by citizen input; more vulnerable to coastal b. based on watersheds, river basins, and aquifers; hazards such as nuisance c. informed by the best available scientific data; flooding, storm surge, d. reliant on uniform, consistently applied, and enforceable standards; and erosion and habitat loss. e. implemented, enforced, and timely revised as necessary. There are a number of 3 Shared waters must be apportioned equitably among all users to meet academic experts, state reasonable needs and assure the long-term sustainability of the natural and federal agencies, systems on which those water supplies depend. outreach groups and more 4 Effective water management and allocation requires conservation as the working with these primary management method. All Georgians must strive to become better communities to help them water stewards for those living in a downstream area, adjacent state, or build resiliency plans for elsewhere in a given river basin. the uncharted waters ahead. Georgia Water Coalition =;<B Report = GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MARSH BUFFER PROTECTIONS With these principles in mind, the Georgia Water Coalition has developed the following six overarching goals for a healthy water future In 978;, GeorgiaBs salt in Georgia. marsh buffer protections were removed by an internal policy change Maintain water as a public resource, not a private within the Georgia 8 commodity................................................................................p;? Environmental Protection Division regarding 9 Protect and restore healthy natural systems...........................p;B implementation of the Erosion and Sedimentation ActBs buffer provision. The Provide future generations with a heritage of plentiful EPDBs policy change ended : fresh water................................................................................p<= the inconsistent enforcement of buffer ; Make clean water a statewide regulatory priority..................p<@ requirements, but left 9,;77 miles of Ensure that water conservation and efficiency comprise uplandFsaltmarsh interface < the cornerstone of water supply planning..............................p=; unprotected. Members of the Georgia Water Coalition responded immediately = Establish common-sense water management policies...........p=> and worked together to successfully research, write, build a broad coalition, and lobby for the Saltmarsh Buffer Bill. Our e remainder of this report presents specific recommendations, agreed coalitionBs efforts led to a upon by a consensus of Georgia Water Coalition members, which are crucial to change in the law that now achieving these goals. e Coalition urges the Governor, the General Assembly, ensures that buffers are the Board of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), required to protect all of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), other relevant state the stateBs saltmarsh. agencies, regional water councils, local governments, water utilities, and other water users to adopt and implement these recommendations as appropriate. e Coalition stands ready to work in collaboration with these entities and water users and to engage in dialogue to find common goals and solutions. APPENDICES I. Georgia Water Coalition Membership.............p26 II. Georgia Water Coalition Leadership Team.....p29 III. River Basins of Georgia.....................................p30 Photo credit: USFWS Georgia Water Coalition =;<@ Report > Georgia Water Coalition =;<B Report > Recommendation 8 MAINTAIN WATER AS A PUBLIC RESOURCE Photo credit: Joe Cook eorgia must maintain water as a public resource to protect current and Gfuture generations’ property values and designated water uses, including fishing, boating, enjoyment, and wildlife. Our rivers, aquifers, and coastal waters are not a commodity to be used, consumed, or polluted by the highest bidder. A. Prohibit water pollution and water B. Acknowledge that private withdrawal permit trading in Georgia. water supply reservoirs are contrary to the public Water pollution trading, also known as water quality resource doctrine. trading, creates a cap-and-trade system that allows a regulated entity to buy pollution credits instead of Private water supply impoundments reducing pollution at its own facility. Such trading and large amenity lakes restrict stream schemes may create pollution “hot spots” and result in flows and public access and can result trading over long distances within a watershed. in monopolizing water resources to Combined with a lack of oversight and enforcement, the detriment of the downstream these schemes defeat the purpose of improving water and recreating public. Instead of quality within a specific watershed and undermine the maintaining our state waters for intent of the Clean Water Act. Water pollution trading the benefit of all Georgians, schemes do not benefit the public or the resource. privatizing water supply would Additionally, water pollution trading must never be encourage private companies to used to introduce water markets in Georgia. Likewise, make a profit by selling the the trading or sale of water withdrawal permits should rights to use Georgia’s water. be prohibited. Georgia Water Coalition =;<B Report ? GWC and Offshore Drilling and Seismic Testing In January =;<@, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management KBOEML, a federal agency within the Department of Interior, released a @-year Draft Program for managing oil and gas leases in the United States. On the East Coast, all states from Virginia to Georgia