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Whidbey resident urges Island County to add water‑conservation and recharge measures to comprehensive plan
Summary
Marietta Cole, a Whidbey Island resident, asked Island County commissioners to include water‑conservation design, rainwater capture, and protection of green belts in the county comprehensive plan to safeguard aquifers amid sea‑level rise and more intense storms.
Marietta Cole, a Whidbey Island resident, asked Island County commissioners on May 20 to add water‑conservation and aquifer‑recharge measures to the county comprehensive plan.
"We on Whidbey are mostly dependent on aquifers as our water source. Unfortunately, these are very susceptible to climate change," Cole said during public comment, and urged the county to include zoning and building codes that encourage rainwater capture and onsite infiltration.
Cole recommended design elements such as swales, ponds and rain gardens to reduce runoff, lower pollution into Puget Sound and allow groundwater recharge. She also urged maintaining green belts to preserve forest canopy for runoff absorption and carbon capture. "I would like the county to sponsor workshops for the island residents that would educate and encourage people to conserve water," Cole said.
A county commissioner acknowledged Cole's proposals and said they heard her concerns about recharge and reclamation policies and the need for incentives to encourage conservation behavior. The commissioner said the comments were "well received."
No formal amendment to the comprehensive plan was proposed or adopted at the meeting. Commissioners indicated the matter will be considered in future planning discussions where comprehensive‑plan language, zoning and building code changes are developed.
