Photos: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/

National Park Service

SHENANDOAH VALLEY WATER RESOURCES STRATEGIC PLAN

John Staelin, Chair, Regional Water Resources Policy Committee

David Bulova, AMEC, Strategic Plan Consultant

November 9, 2007

Drivers for Regional Planning

Strategic Planning Goal

The Strategic Plan was developed to provide a framework for local governments and private non-profit partners to work together towards the long-term protection and groundwater resources in the Valley.

Challenges and Drivers

Drought of 1999-2002 forced Drought of 1999-2002 forced localities to re-think water localities to re-think water resources management.resources management.

– Wells went dry– Public water supplies were at risk

State and federal regulations State and federal regulations began to usurp local goals.began to usurp local goals.

– NPDES/TMDLs– Water supply planning

regulations– Chesapeake Bay Agreement

Challenges and Drivers

1960

1980

2000

2010

2030

0100,000200,000

300,000400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

Popu

latio

n

Year

Virginia (CSPDC)

Virginia (NSVRC)

West Virginia Portion

The Regional Response

1999 - Regional Water Relationships 1999 - Regional Water Relationships ForumForum

2000 - Water Supply Planning Committee2000 - Water Supply Planning Committee 2002 - Regional Water Resources Policy 2002 - Regional Water Resources Policy

CommitteeCommittee 2003 - Expanded Regional Scope2003 - Expanded Regional Scope

– 12 Jurisdictions from Augusta County, Virginia to Berkeley County, West Virginia

2004 - Water Resources Assessment2004 - Water Resources Assessment

Planning Before Plumbing – Assessment Process

Intent was to develop an integrated Intent was to develop an integrated water planning process. water planning process.

Policy Committee received an Agua Policy Committee received an Agua Fund grant of $25,000.Fund grant of $25,000.

AMEC was hired to conduct focus AMEC was hired to conduct focus groups and to help develop goal groups and to help develop goal structure.structure.

Goals matrix vetted by elected Goals matrix vetted by elected officials and stakeholders and officials and stakeholders and adopted on May 6, 2004. adopted on May 6, 2004.

WATER RESOURCES - “TAKE CARE OF THE WATER” - GOAL MATRIX

PLANNING AND REGIONAL

COOPERATIONAchieve a broad regional

consensus on the direction of water resources policy,

planning, and management so that common goals can be achieved and solutions

implemented more effectively and cost-

efficiently.

WATER SUPPLY SUSTAINABILITYEnsure water supply and demand are kept

in balance so that Valley residents,

businesses, farms, and aquatic life all have the

needed level of sustainable water

(ground and surface).

WATER QUALITYAggressively achieve

the level of water quality (ground and surface) required to support the human,

business, and agricultural needs in the Valley, without

sacrificing the needs of the watershed’s fish

and other aquatic life.

RECREATIONAL ACCESS

Ensure public access to the Valley’s water resources while

respecting private property rights and the need to protect water

quality.

Primary GoalsNATURAL SYSTEMS

Protect and enhance the natural systems that are integral to water resources

protection, including: karst geography,

floodplains, vegetative buffers,

forest and wetlands.

EDUCATION/ STEWARDSHIP

Have well informed, conservation-minded

citizens, business people, and elected officials that are actively involved in

promoting water resources stewardship.

ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE Enhance the Valley’s economic advantage by protecting and wisely using water resources.

Actionable Supporting Goals

AGRICULTURAL AND OPEN SPACE HERITAGE Enhance the Valley’s agricultural and open space heritage linkage to water resources stewardship.

BUILD ON EXISTING ABILITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS Strengthen the Valley’s ability to address water resources issues by effectively using and adding to the skills of local, regional, state, and national resources.

DATA AND INFORMATION Provide Valley leaders and citizens alike with accessible, reliable and objective information and scientific data needed to support informed water resources decisions.

STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS Optimize the standards and regulatory tools necessary to meet the Valley’s water resource protection and planning needs and consistently and equitably enforce these

standards and regulations.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES Provide or obtain the financial resources needed to meet the Valley’s water resources goals, continuously prioritizing efforts to maximize the value of each available dollar.

The Next Step – Strategic Planning

A policy-level Strategic Plan was A policy-level Strategic Plan was proposed as the next step. proposed as the next step.

Timing allowed the region to Timing allowed the region to dovetail this effort with new dovetail this effort with new water supply planning water supply planning regulations.regulations.

Local governments bought in with Local governments bought in with financial contributions.financial contributions.

Strategic Planning Approach

AMEC designed a AMEC designed a collaborative process to build collaborative process to build on adopted goals and make on adopted goals and make sense of competing planning sense of competing planning processes.processes.

– Six policy papers allowed stakeholders to understand key drivers

– Three focus groups generated potential strategies.

– A prioritization exercise by elected members narrowed strategies.

Prioritization Approach

Is the strategy appropriate to coordinate regionally?

Does the strategy respect local government sovereignty?

Is the strategy actionable and can responsibility be assigned?

Can the strategy achieve a high level of result for a relatively small investment?

Does the strategy move the region forward and will it be accepted by both citizens and elected officials?

Is the strategy financially feasible? Is the strategy based on sound science and/or

information?

Turning Strategies to Actions

Based on agreed-upon strategies, AMEC developed “level of effort” objectives and actions.

By “testing” the strategies, it was possible to avoid ones that were not going to be feasible.

Each strategy was assigned actions, accountabilities, implementation time-lines, and draft costs.

The final strategic plan was adopted on October 18, 2006.

Plan Strategies

Strategy #1 – Meet Virginia DEQ regulatory Strategy #1 – Meet Virginia DEQ regulatory requirements for water supply planning and requirements for water supply planning and similar West Virginia requirements.similar West Virginia requirements.

Strategy #2 – Establish a regional drought Strategy #2 – Establish a regional drought awareness and response system for local awareness and response system for local governments that allows the timely delivery governments that allows the timely delivery of conservation awareness messages.of conservation awareness messages.

Strategy #3 – Cooperatively build local Strategy #3 – Cooperatively build local government tools (model studies, ordinances, government tools (model studies, ordinances, policy guidelines, brochures, and similar policy guidelines, brochures, and similar vehicles) to address mutual water issues in a vehicles) to address mutual water issues in a consistent and cost-effective manner.consistent and cost-effective manner.

Plan Strategies

Strategy #4 – Develop a “Shenandoah Strategy #4 – Develop a “Shenandoah Valley Water Resources Science Plan” Valley Water Resources Science Plan” to provide decision-makers with the to provide decision-makers with the ability to better see how policy actions ability to better see how policy actions affect future watershed conditions.affect future watershed conditions.

Strategy #5 – Establish partnerships Strategy #5 – Establish partnerships among localities and stakeholders to among localities and stakeholders to more effectively pursue financial more effectively pursue financial investments in water quality by state, investments in water quality by state, public, and private and non-profit public, and private and non-profit sectors.sectors.

Plan Strategies

Strategy #6 – Make existing laws more Strategy #6 – Make existing laws more effective through an integrated approach to effective through an integrated approach to coordinating enforcement and reporting coordinating enforcement and reporting enforcement actions in a visible manner.enforcement actions in a visible manner.

Strategy #7 – Develop a better picture of Strategy #7 – Develop a better picture of short and long-term water quality trends and short and long-term water quality trends and how water quality affects production costs how water quality affects production costs for municipal and individual water supply.for municipal and individual water supply.

Strategy #8 – Develop and communicate a Strategy #8 – Develop and communicate a regionally consistent education and outreach regionally consistent education and outreach plan that links issues to easily plan that links issues to easily implementable acts of stewardship.implementable acts of stewardship.

Plan Strategies

Strategy #9 – Engage more local and regional Strategy #9 – Engage more local and regional elected officials and decision-makers in the elected officials and decision-makers in the process of meeting the region’s water resources process of meeting the region’s water resources challenges.challenges.

Strategy #10 – Further develop “greenways/green Strategy #10 – Further develop “greenways/green space” as a regional water quality tool and space” as a regional water quality tool and develop ways to help localities incorporate these develop ways to help localities incorporate these concepts into plans and policies.concepts into plans and policies.

Strategy #11 – Develop a marketing strategy Strategy #11 – Develop a marketing strategy that creates economic incentives for agriculture, that creates economic incentives for agriculture, rural businesses (including ecotourism), industry, rural businesses (including ecotourism), industry, and local communities to practice water and local communities to practice water stewardship.stewardship.

Current Status

Local government adoption of the Strategic Plan. Local government adoption of the Strategic Plan. Establishment of Joint Powers Agreement with Establishment of Joint Powers Agreement with

Central Shenandoah PDC. Central Shenandoah PDC. Phase I data collection for water supply planning.Phase I data collection for water supply planning. Pursuing regional Drought Information System.Pursuing regional Drought Information System. Coordination with SHENAIR. Coordination with SHENAIR. Coordination of legislative priorities for water and Coordination of legislative priorities for water and

air.air. Meeting with State agencies to increase Meeting with State agencies to increase

cooperation.cooperation. Shenandoah Valley Natural Systems Symposium Shenandoah Valley Natural Systems Symposium

with USGS, EPA, Federation of Earth.with USGS, EPA, Federation of Earth. Science Plan due from Symposium in December. Science Plan due from Symposium in December.

Advantages of Regionalism

Economies of scale results in overall cost Economies of scale results in overall cost savings.savings.

Better access to local expertise and more Better access to local expertise and more willingness for stakeholders to get involved willingness for stakeholders to get involved in one process – rather than many.in one process – rather than many.

More time to complete the water supply More time to complete the water supply planning process.planning process.

Better access to state and federal funds, Better access to state and federal funds, including grant funding.including grant funding.

Enhanced political clout.Enhanced political clout.

Contact Information

John Staelin, ChairJohn Staelin, Chair

Regional Water Resources Policy CommitteeRegional Water Resources Policy Committee

Phone: 540-837-1903Phone: 540-837-1903

Email: Email: jstaelin@earthlink.netjstaelin@earthlink.net

David Bulova, Senior PlannerDavid Bulova, Senior PlannerAMEC Earth & EnvironmentalAMEC Earth & Environmental

Chantilly, VirginiaChantilly, Virginia(703) 488-3770 (703) 488-3770

Email: david.bulova@amec.com