Water Supply Issues in the Finger Lakes Region

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Water Supply Issues in the Finger Lakes Region

• Sarah Evans
• Finger Lakes Institute Internship
• Advisor Professor Rimmerman
• Fall 2004

www.multi-fax.com/ lakes.htm
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Water Supply

• Definition
• The water available for a community or region.
• The source and delivery system of such water.
• Focus Legislation governing diversions and
  changing uses of water from the Great Lakes and
  Finger Lakes.

http//www.thefreedictionary.com/water20supply
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Why worry about water supply?

• Environmental Impact
• Cumulative impact
• Enforcement of regulations

• Ownership
• Economic considerations
• Privatization of water supply industry
• Regulation
• Level of government
• Application of consistent standards

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Goals of Internship

• Research
• Policy history
• Current initiatives
• Education
• Critically review current legislation
• Produce executive summary of findings
• Community involvement
• Attend local events
• Raise public awareness
• Prepare community for future

www.winecountrycabins.com/ img/wineinsun.jpg
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The Great Lakes

• Represent 20 of worlds available fresh surface
  water
• 95 of United States fresh surface water
• Provide drinking water for 40 million people in
  the United States
• Less than 1 of the water is renewed each year!

http//www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/images/great-la
kes-ice-avhrr.gif
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Great Lakes Policy History

• Boundary Water Treaty of 1909
• Lake Michigan Diversion Supreme Court Consent
  Decree of 1967
• Great Lakes Charter of 1985
• Water Resources Development Act of 1986
• 2001 Great Lakes Charter Annex

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Annex Agreements

• Govern NEW proposals to withdraw or divert water
  from the Great Lakes
• Apply to proposals to INCREASE current water
  withdrawals and diversions

www.peopleandplanet.net/ graphs/greatlakesmap2.gi
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2001 Annex Agreements

• Great Lakes Basin Sustainable Water Resources
  Agreement
• Voluntary international good faith agreement
• Great Lakes Water Resources Compact
• To be approved by Congress
• Enforceable in U.S. Federal Courts

• Created between 8 States and 2 Canadian Provinces
  bordering the Great Lakes
• Quebec, Ontario
• Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York,
  Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

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Standards for Approval

• Must return same water
• Quality of water must be same or better
• Result in no significant environmental impact
• IMPROVE the ecosystem!!

• Approval based on potential for ecosystem harm
• Attitude of environment before economics
• Must conserve water
• Return water to same exact location

www.se.gov.sk.ca/.../ lakeshore.htm
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Approval Process

• Local review only- under 1 million gallons/day
  averaged over 120 days
• Regional review- Over 1 million gallons/day
  averaged over 120 days for out-of-basin use
• Approval by all 8 states needed

• Regional review- over 5 million gallons/day
  averaged over 120 days
• Super-majority of 6 to 2 states needed

wallpaper.net.au/wallpaper/ space/Great20Lake
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Benefits of Annex Agreements

• Provides an environmental standard for decision
  making process
• Make review process bi-national
• Legally binding and enforceable in the United
  States
• Stronger regional water management
• Covers all waters, including surface water,
  ground water and tributaries
• Users required to conserve water

• Balances economic development with environmental
  stability
• Involves public in policy process

http//www.eleanortowns.com/Images/HandsClapping2.
jpg
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Negative Aspects of Annex Agreements

• All existing water users and new diversions under
  250,000 gallons per day for in-basin uses EXEMPT
• Return flow requirement does not apply
• Standard could be applied inconsistently
• Averaging period is too long

• In-basin standards phase-in period is ten years
• Once a permit is granted it does not have a time
  limit
• Examination of cumulative effects should be on a
  local level

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Suggested Improvements to Annex Agreements

• Create a cohesive overall management plan
• Determine exactly how much water is currently
  being withdrawn, can the ecosystem sustain this
  level of use?
• Improve conservation efforts
• Form a scientific advisory board to collect,
  interpret and disseminate data
• Guarantee opportunities for public involvement at
  all stages

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Finger Lakes Region

• Composed of eleven lakes
• Spans 14 counties
• Includes 5,000 square kilometers
• Serves as headwaters to Great Lakes

• Population of region is 1.2 million
• 22.2 million visit region annually
• Current water withdrawals estimated to be 200
  million gallons/day

(Balyszak, FL-LOWPA Conference, 2004)
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Seneca Lake

• Volume 4.2 trillion gallons
• Over 50 of total volume of Finger Lakes
• Area 66.3 square miles
• Provides drinking water to 70,000 people

www.winecountrycabins.com/ img/eastmap.gif
Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association
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Why is water supply a concern for the Finger
Lakes Region?

• Finger Lakes on DECs 2004 303(d) List of
  Impaired Waters
• Identified as unable to support appropriate uses
• At the current rate of consumption Seneca Lake
  would be dry in 57 years

deserts.free.fr/
(NYS DEC 303(d) List)
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Application to Finger Lakes

• What would it take to adopt a document like the
  Annex Agreements in the Finger Lakes?

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Current Finger Lakes Policy

• No overall policy governing water withdrawals and
  diversions!!!!
• Water supply management needs driven by
• Navigation
• Public Water Supply
• Permit system used at local level

(Eidt, S. Personal Communication.)
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New York State DEC Regulation (6 NYCRR Part 601)
Permit System

• Permit required to
• Install a new water supply system
• Change an existing water supply system
• Acquire land for an existing or new system
• Permits submitted to local jurisdiction

• Permit approval occurs at local level
• Permit system focuses on municipalities, not
  commercial uses
• NO regional or statewide oversight!

http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/part601.ht
ml
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Future of the Finger Lakes

• Need framework to stand up against legal
  challenge to current policy
• Developed critique of Great Lakes Annex
  Agreements
• Completing suggestions on adaptation of Annex
  Agreements to protect the Finger Lakes Region

• Must educate and raise awareness before demand
  for Finger Lakes water increase
• Database entries
• Geneva League of Women Voters speaking engagement

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References

• 25 Year Plan for the Great Lakes Executive
  Summary
• (http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/greatlakes/25y
  ear.pdf)
• Great Lakes Directory 2001
• (http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/greatlakes/gld
  ir.pdf)
• Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact
• http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/greatlakes/comp
  act.pdf
• Council of Great Lakes Governors
• http//www.cglg.org
• Request for Public Comment and Great Lakes
  Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement
• http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/greatlakes/summ
  ary.pdf
• New York State Department of Environmental
  Conservation. http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/r
  egs/part601.html
• Political Diversions Annex 2001 and the
  Future of the Great Lakes
• http//www.powi.ca/nikiforuk_June2004.pdf
• International Joint Commission, Protection
  of the Waters of the Great Lakes Final Report to
  the Governments of Canada and the United States.
  
• Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association. Seneca Lake
  Watershed Facts
• Acknowledgements
• Thank you to the Finger Lakes Institute staff
  for their enthusiasm and invaluable advice.