Overview of the Water Resources Element

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Overview of the Water Resources Element

• Stephanie Martins
• Maryland Dept. of Planning

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• Background - Article 66B
• Applies to all county and municipal jurisdictions
  with planning and zoning authority.
• Each Plan element shall relate to each of the
  other elements and support the statement of
  objectives, principles, policies, and standards.
• Now includes the completion of a Municipal Growth
  Element and the Water Resources Element (HB 1141).

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• Water Resources Element (WRE) attempting to
  answer these questions
• Is there enough water to support future growth?
• Is there enough wastewater capacity to support
  future growth?
• 2) How much development can the watershed(s)
  incorporate before the nutrient load threshold
  is exceeded?

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Coastmont County WRE Process
MDP projections or Other methods (verify)
Iterations of scenarios
MDP Growth Model or Other methods (verify)
Output by Basin 1) Expected of HHs on
septic/sewer/drinking water 2) Acres
of land use for new development
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MDP Population Projections vs. Buildout

• Population projections cooperative forecasting
  process.
• Usually in 5 yr increments over a 20-30 yr
  period.
• Buildout number of households that a
  jurisdiction could accommodate based on current
  policies/regulations (e.g. zoning, sewer).
• No specific year or timeframe

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Growth Model
Dev. Supply Demand by Scenario
Land Use Zoning Protected Lands Sewer
Service Watersheds
S
Household Emp projections Policy
Simulation Inputs
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Coastmont Land Use Change (acres)
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Coastmont County WRE Process
MDP projections or Other methods (verify)
Iterations of scenarios
MDP Growth Model or Other methods (verify)
Output by Basin 1) Expected of HHs on
septic/sewer/drinking water 2) Acres
of land use for new development
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• Drinking Water Supply
• Assess current and future demand.
• Determine capacity of supply to handle demand,
• Sources of drinking water
• Infrastructure
• Identify limitations and
• conservation / protection
• measures.

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Determination of WTP Total Capacity
Resource Availability During Drought
Water Appropriation Permit Limits
Total Capacity
Capacity of Treatment Facility
Future Capacity Projection
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Future Need

• Projected demand from approved but undeveloped
  subdivisions and building permits
• Projected demand based on existing land use
  plans/population projections
• Projected demand from anticipated rezoning or
  annexations

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Protect Drinking Water Sources

• Source Water Protection Areas for existing and
  proposed wells and intakes, recharge zones
• Preserve forested land
• BMPs
• Seal abandoned wells
• Impacts of new development on existing and
  proposed sources

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• Wastewater Treatment and Disposal
• Assess current and future WWTP demands
• Identify infrastructure/capacity limitations
• Estimate current and future pollutant impacts and
  compare to nutrient caps

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Determination of WTP Total Capacity
Water Supply Constraint
Water Quality Protection
Total Capacity
Current Capacity
Future Needs
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Estimate from.1. Existing Unimproved
Parcels Lots within Service Area 2.
Planned Growth following Comprehensive Land
Use Plan3. Rezoning Annexations
Future Service Needs
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Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Mgmt

• Focus on the changes land use have on quality and
  quantity of stormwater runoff.
• Assess existing SWM programs.
• Analyze NPS nutrient loads and impervious surface
  changes.

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Nonpoint Source Analysis Method,Results and
Implications

• Have Generated Future Land use Estimates
• Conduct NPS Analysis
• Review Results (Tables and Graphs)
• Document the Analyses Results
• Use Results to Influence Decisions in the
  Comprehensive Land Use Plan
• Recommendations

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NPS Loading Analysis Overview

• Default Spreadsheet
• Using Other NPS Analysis Tools
• Formal Requests
• Letter
• E-mail
• Janice Outen
• Maryland Department of Environment
• 1800 Washington Blvd.
• Baltimore MD 21230
• jouten_at_mde.state.md.us

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NPS Default Spreadsheet-Data Provided

• Each Spreadsheet is tailored to each county
• Information Worksheet
• Loading Rates for MDP Land use by Basin
• Impervious ratio for MDP Land use by Basin
• Other data
• Initial Data
• MDP 2002 Land use/ Land Cover by Basin
• Current Septic Systems

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NPS Default Spreadsheet Watersheds (State Basins)
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Transfer Land Use Data Into NPS Loading
Spreadsheet
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WRE NPS Review Criteria

• Describe Alternative Land Use Options
• Perform and Document an NPS Analysis
• Describe Methods and Provide Justifications
• Compare Results for Alternative Options
• NPS Nutrient Loads
• Amount of Impervious Cover
• Point and Nonpoint Nutrient Loads
• Highlight How Analysis Influences the Plan
• Recommendations
• Refining NPS Analyses

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Summary
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Hanover County
Western Mtn. County
Forestville
GA
SI

• County Actions
• Strengthen rural zoning
• Increase Land Preservation /
  
  Open Space Funding
• Fund BMP Implementation
• Promote Water Conservation

R
GA
County Actions Strengthen rural zoning Increase
Land Preservation /
Open
Space Funding Fund BMP Implementation Promote
Water Conservation
Piedmont
SI
GA
Growth
water
GA
Waverly
Growth
water
Coastmont River
Chesapeake Bay
Rock Plains County
Growth
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Municipal Growth Elements and Water Resources
Element

• Development Capacity Analysis.
• Population and Housing projections.
• Identify and delineate all sensitive sites.
• Water and Wastewater Capacity Analysis.
• Nutrient Cap and NPS review.
• Land Use Plan Selection.
• Resource Problem Solving.

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HB 2 Priority Preservation Areas

• Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006 requires
  counties to establish PPAs in their comprehensive
  plans.
• PPAs purpose is to designate areas in which
  agriculture and forestry should be preserved and
  supported.

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HB 2 Priority Preservation Areas

• PPAs must
• Contain productive agricultural/forest soils
• Have zoning and other land policies that support
  agriculture and forestry
• Be large enough to support agriculture and
  forestry
• Can use Model Builder and Spatial Analysis to
  identify PPAs

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Map of grid analysis