State Water Planning

Posted Jun 14, 2018
[Archived] State To Proceed With Water Plan

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has issued an executive order directing the Water Planning Council to proceed with the recommendations in the State Water Plan and to resubmit the current Plan as written to the legislature.

“I, DANNEL P. MALLOY, Governor of the State of Connecticut, … do hereby ORDER AND DIRECT: … Effective immediately, the Water Planning Council to be guided by and implement the State Water Plan as submitted to the General Assembly in January 2018.”

he state has recognized the need for prudent water planning for several decades, and the present comprehensive Plan was developed, with broad stakeholder participation, over the past three years. It hit a wall in the legislature this year, primarily over acknowledgement that water is a public trust resource. This proved so controversial that the Plan was never brought to a vote.

Rivers Alliance Executive Director Margaret Miner remarked, “Successful water planning in the U.S. today depends on the the leadership of governors. Gov. Malloy’s directive is welcome. Connecticut is facing numerous changes and conflicts relating to the availability of the resource and management policies.”

Alicea Charamut, River Steward for Connecticut with the Connecticut River Conservancy, said: “Public Trust is a policy that recognizes the public’s inherent right to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment. Here in Connecticut, we are fortunate to have this public trust policy solidified in statute. A statute that has been in place for 40 years. But those who profit from our water resources consider this policy a threat to their bottom line and seek to undermine its principle.”

Read the Executive Order.
Read the press release.

Links to sections of the plan:

Other important links:

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