Water Quality and Quantity Committee

Goal #4:  Improve water management in the Valley

Objective:  Protect and improve surface and ground water resources to ensure its quality and quantity for drinking, agricultural, industrial, household and recreational purposes.

Are there additional goals and objectives that the Committee and the Shenandoah RC&D Council should consider?

• Support the Shenandoah Valley Regional Water Resources Policy Committee in implementing its goals for water supply sustainability and water quality.

Purpose of Committee:

• Address and promote innovative measures to improve water quality.
• Solicit projects that deal with public and agricultural education to reduce water use.
• Encourage adoption of practices to reduce pollution and increase water use efficiency.
• Get input from key people and organizations on emerging issues in water quality/quantity. 
• Suggest project ideas and solicit proposals to address them. 
• Review and make recommendations on project proposals to the Council. 
• Keep Council informed of emerging issues and activities related to water quality and quantity.
• Help facilitate coordination between the RC&D Council, organizations and local governments and ensure awareness of RC&D role.
• Works with coordinator on project implementation, makes recommendations on potential partners and funding sources, helps make follow-up contacts on projects.
• Once projects are approved for implementation, any changes in the focus or status of the project will be updated on the Initial Project Proposal Sheet, under Internal Tracking, upon concurrence with the committee chair.

What are the committee’s key priorities through July 2005?

• Contact as many policy makers as possible about the importance of their attendance or representation at meetings pertaining to water quality/quantity issues in the Shenandoah basin.
• Encourage policy makers to support initiatives at the state level for funding concepts that involve all citizens to contribute to educational and clean-up efforts, i.e., Maryland “flush tax” or Pennsylvania bond issue.
• Work with Nutrient Management Committee on animal waste issues that affect water quality.
• Request districts to advise how RC&D can assist farmers and the district with finding additional opportunities to put in BMP’s.
• Identify up to three locally led watershed groups and foster their efforts, assist with identified projects.
• The committee should be proactive and volunteer some time to educate policy makers about the need for setting pollution reduction goals and developing strategies to use water resources in a responsible manner.

What are the committee’s key priorities over the next 2-5 years?

How does this committee propose to help bring projects to the Council for consideration to meet key goals and objectives?  Actively solicit ideas from groups/individuals known to be working in these key areas?  Make general contacts?  Wait until projects come forward?

• Partner with as many groups as possible whose objectives are keyed to the preservation and wise use of natural resources in order to bring projects to the Council.
• Consider a well-publicized public meeting at a central location to introduce the RC&D.  What is it?  Why it was formed?  What is its major purpose, etc.

Committee Chair:  Tom Benzing (if willing); Carl Luebben

Committee Membership:  Tom Benzing, Carl Luebben, Bill Patterson, Bobby Whitescarver

Potential Additional Members:  Dan Downing, Chemistry Professor at JMU

Meeting Schedule: