FAR is proud of the fact that Cambridge will be completing the separation of its sewer and storm water and reviving a watershed with recharged storm water from the local neighborhoods. While the process will take over 10 years, its effect will help to prepare the city for global warming and increased precipitation. The watershed will be significantly changed with the improvement of water quality and flow. Many New England areas pay little heed to the federal "Clean Water Act", which was given several severe regulatory blows by previous administrations. FAR is asking you to get involved and to support this endeavor to protect our natural resources. See below for instructions. Consider coming to the Press Conference on Tuesday morning at Alewife Reservation.
From Eleanor Fort:
Our rivers and streams in the Commonwealth are a great source of pride. We enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, and exploring our waterways. Today, unchecked sprawl, unwise development, and global warming threaten our rivers. Many are starting to dry up in the summer.
The Sustainable Water Resources Act (HB 834) protects rivers and streams by ensuring that our water resources are managed sustainably in the state. The bill would ensure there is enough water in a river to support all of our uses. It promotes water efficiency and conservation efforts.
We need your help getting this bill to pass, and the best way to do that is show our legislators that people in their district care. We've drafted a letter (see attached or below) to deliver to state Representatives.
www.environmentmassachusetts.org
RE: H. 834 - An Act Relative to Sustainable Water Resources
Dear Rep. XX:
We, the undersigned, are writing to urge you to support the Sustainable Water Resources Bill (H 834).
Massachusetts surface and groundwater is a valuable resource. Rivers, lakes and aquifers provide drinking water for millions of residents and offer countless opportunities for recreation and tourism. Abundant clean water is the backbone of our public health and safety, economic vitality, and healthy aquatic ecosystems.
The state has identified 160 flow-impaired rivers and streams due to poor management, unchecked sprawl, and unwise development. Communities face challenges meeting summer and late fall water demands, and tourists arrive to fish or swim only to find dry riverbeds. If we continue a "business as usual" scenario, 44 communities across the state will exceed their water withdrawal limits by 2020. Climate change will worsen these effects with longer, hotter summers and more intense drought periods and rainstorms.
[Insert paragraph on local water resources and issues if necessary.]
Understanding the impacts of our withdrawal helps management be pro-active with a solution. HB 834 ensures the protection of our water resources by making sure that our withdrawal happens sustainably and efficiently. The bill has three key elements:
1. Stream flow standards provide basic understanding to ensure an adequate supply of water in our rivers for the public, the economy, and the ecology. Without the science-based evaluation of our withdrawal, we'll be missing an important sustainability measures that will threaten future supply.
2. An opt-in "water banking" establishes a fund to be used to conserve water and ensure that new developments are water efficient. It may also fund increasing wastewater treatment, recharge of storm water, and fixing leaky infrastructure
3. Expanding the options offered to dam owners to include dam removal for obsolete dams.
For these reasons and others we urge you to support the Sustainable Water Resources Act.
Sincerely,
NAME, ADDRESS & FULL CONTACT INFORMATION
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