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County consultants update water resources element; climate and agricultural teams propose new policies
Summary
OTEC consultants presented revisions to the water resources element including nested goals/policies and new draft policies from the climate element team (stormwater adaptation, pilot water banks) and the agricultural resources committee (measures to maintain agricultural water supply and recharge); commissioners asked for clearer definitions, localized implementation and follow-up with environmental health and advisory committees.
Consultants from OTEC presented updates to San Juan County's draft water resources element at the Planning Commission meeting Dec. 20, highlighting editorial restructuring, newly proposed policies and requested follow-up work from technical committees.
Sarah De Kroger, consultant with OTEC, said staff reformatted goals so policies are nested under goals for clarity and incorporated feedback from the Clean Water Advisory Committee. The climate element team recommended adding language to ‘‘encourage policies that support preservation of water quality and quantity in response to drought, extreme heat and other hazards exacerbated by climate change,’' and a policy to "support pilot projects that foster collaboration for providing water for people, fish and wildlife, and farms such as water banks, irrigation modernization, and other mechanisms." Commissioners did not object to adding the climate team's suggestions but asked for clarification about which agencies and partners those pilots would involve.
The agricultural resources committee proposed six additional policies, including maintaining existing agricultural water rights and acquiring additional rights on publicly held agricultural lands, incentivizing innovative stormwater-management and aquifer-recharge techniques, and promoting water-saving irrigation technology while discouraging nonessential irrigation of lawns. Commissioners urged nuance: several said geography matters (east vs. west side of islands have different availability) and asked environmental health staff to vet any graywater or reuse language for practicality and regulatory compliance.
Consultants proposed using in-document "callouts" or a glossary to define technical terms such as "artificial recharge," "permeable surfaces" and examples of low-impact-development techniques rather than embedding extended lists in policy language. Planner Mandy Roberts (OTEC) explained that policy language typically sets direction while code or regulation would later provide specific requirements tied to permits.
Staff agreed to return revised text with clearer definitions, to consult environmental health on graywater and reuse implementation, and to circle back with the agricultural resources committee on wording. The water element will also be taken to the Clean Water Advisory Committee for additional comment before being advanced to council.
