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Water-policy center outlines Habitat Conservation Plan, alternative wells to protect Lower Flint flows
Summary
Mark Masters of the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center told the Natural Resources committee that a data-driven Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and ARPA-funded alternative groundwater wells aim to protect stream flows in the Lower Flint Basin, support farmers and address endangered-mussel habitat concerns.
Mark Masters, director of the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center at Albany State University, told the House Natural Resources committee that the center is preparing a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and deploying ARPA-funded alternative groundwater sources to protect flows in the Lower Flint Basin and provide water certainty for farmers.
Masters said the center has built a linked database of measured agricultural withdrawals, field-verified irrigated acreage and irrigation-system details that supports more targeted water management. He told lawmakers that work on regional planning and metering has positioned Georgia to pursue both conservation and certainty for users.
"We were put together to answer the so what questions," Masters said, describing the center's role in turning research into practical decisions for stakeholders and…
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