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Thurston County planners review ‘critical aquifer recharge areas,’ discuss managed recharge and permitting changes
Summary
Planning staff told the commission that CARA (critical aquifer recharge area) mapping shades most of Thurston County and outlined options — including allowing managed aquifer recharge with reclaimed water — while commissioners and residents raised concerns about farmland loss, incentives, and water‑rights limits.
Planning staff and commissioners on Wednesday reviewed Thurston County’s mapping and draft policy options for critical aquifer recharge areas (CARAs), emphasizing the county’s role in regulating development impacts while noting limits on water‑rights authority.
Claire, the county presenter leading the CAO (critical areas ordinance) update, summarized the WAC definition for CARAs and said the county currently classifies CARAs in three sensitivity levels — CARA 1 (most sensitive, including wellhead protection), CARA 2 and CARA 3 — to guide which land uses are allowed, restricted or prohibited. "CARAs are part of the environment where soil conditions and other factors help surface waters infiltrate into groundwater," she said, explaining the classifications and how maps show most of Thurston County shaded as some CARA…
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