Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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region, we will assess and evaluate the quality of the region's water resources and work to maintain and improve these resources. Some parts of the region expect to continue relying on groundwater as the main source of supply to meet future growth, while other areas lack ready access to productive aquifers to meet their water supply needs. Still others face the challenge of reconciling competing demands between using groundwater to supply their communities and protecting surface waters that rely on groundwater to maintain their integrity. Other concerns include aquifer contamination and the inevitability of occasional droughts. The region needs to evaluate all available water supply sources and, if feasible, minimize roadblocks to their use. The Council plays a role in monitoring and assessing our surface water resources as well. In the metro area, the Council plays a huge role in collecting water quality and flow data needed to assess the condition of these valued resources in order to measure success in meeting our goal of water sustainability. The Council works closely with state agencies, communities, and watershed organizations in the metro area to fill gaps in monitoring and assessments needed related to the condition of our area lakes, rivers and streams. For example, in partnership with others the Council monitors and assesses the condition of around 200 lakes a year, 21 stream sites, and 22 river sites. The Council's Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP) was set up to allow us to monitor the 950 lakes in the metro area. Monitoring is done in partnership with others so that we can assess lake water quality over time. Given the large number of lakes in the area, the Council uses the data we collect from the CAMP program to create and update our Priority Lake List (Figure 3). The Priority Lake List helps us and our partners to focus our resources. Achieving the goal of water sustainability in the region will require partnerships and actions from the many entities involved in water management, water supply and use, and implementation today. The Council is committed to providing monitoring and assessment information and other technical assistance. The Council is also committed to providing leadership in discussions, decisions and implementation actions needed for sustainable water. Together, we can build on the successes of the region to achieve our water sustainability goal. Policy on Assessing and Protecting Regional Water Resources: The Council will continue to assess the condition of the region's lakes, rivers, streams, and aquifers to evaluate impacts on regional water resources and measure success in achieving regional water goals. 23