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Sustainable Use and Supply
An adequate and reliable supply of suitable quality water to sustain human and ecological needs. Equitably balance the multiple demands generated by economic development, while preserving and enhancing conditions in watersheds to maintain and achieve ecological integrity
- Identify, protect and restore instream flow needs
- Identify, protect and restore ecologically sensitive areas
- Manage extreme conditions (floods, drought)
- Provide an adequate supply of potable water for public and private water supplies and suitable water for public and private water supplies and suitable water for commercial, industrial, agricultural and power generation needs
- Measure and control water system leakage and loss
- Encourage alternate technologies for water conservation, recycling and reuse
- Recognize and account for unregulated water withdrawals
- Provide enough water for flow-dependent recreational activities
Waterway Corridor Management
Waterway corridors that function to minimize flood-induces loss of life, protect property and floodplain ecology, preserve natural stream channel stability, provide recreational access, and support healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems
- Identify, protect and restore flood plains
- Identify, protect and restore wetland
- Promote BMPs for agriculture in waterway corridors
- Identify, protect and restore healthy and biologically diverse riparian and aquatic ecosystems
- Enhance waterbased recreation
Linking Land and Water Resource Management
The integrated management of land and water resources to sustain the quality of life in the Basin; preserving, restoring and enhancing ecological resources while recognizing the community's social and economic relationships to these resources
- Control nonpoint source pollution
- Promote sound stormwater management
- Promote infiltration and other recharge technologies
- Retrofit old existing systems
- Build it into new developments
- Encourage sound stormwater management during redevelopment
- Identify, protect and restore high value water resource areas – wetlands, floodplains, groundwater recharge areas, erodible slopes, headwater streams and associated drainage area, forested areas, and water bodies
- Control toxics
- Integrate with transportation plans
- Address transportation issues such as spills and releases
- Discourage development where it may impair water resources and
- Encourage reuse and infill development where water and wastewater infrastructure exist
- Encourage design of new urban development in a way to reduce environmental impact
- Link Act 537 planning with water resource planning
- Address economically sound and environmentally viable solutions for water supply and sewage disposal in subdivisions
- Promote water resource based planning and zoning
Institutional Coordination and Cooperation
Strong, institutionalized partnerships for the management of water resources among all level of government, the private sector, non-governmental organization, and individuals with an interest in sustainable water resources management
- Use and promote sound data gathering, data management, data sharing and consistency
- Support, don't trump, good local/county/regional plans
- Coordinate with and help define the role of DRBC, DEP, PUC, DCED, PEMA, CCD, PennDOT in water resource planning
- Amend the Municipalities Planning Code to allow governments to address more effectively water resource issues
- Amend Act 537 planning process to tie it to water resource planning
- Coordinate state infrastructure investments with sound water resource planning
Education and Involvement for Stewardship
Sharing an understanding and appreciation of the water resources and a commitment to their restoration, enhancement, and protection; getting all to value the water resources and understand the personal responsibilities needed to protect the resources
- Increase public awareness about the links between land use and water resources
- Involve the public in water resource planning and stewardship
- Increase private sector awareness and stewardship among developers, engineers and planners
- Improve the awareness and stewardship of state, regional and local government officials
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