3.3: Land Use Planning and Growth Management

Fully integrate water resource considerations into land use planning and growth management.

Other Information:

Water resource considerations are the aspects of water resource use and protection that are related to land use and management. They include: • Population and economic trends affecting water use • Water availability and capacity of water supply systems, factoring in the need to include the protection of stressed and threatened source waters • Availability and capacity of wastewater treatment • Stormwater management measures needed to preserve and restore natural hydrological function within each watershed • Protection or enhancement of the capacity of hydrological systems to assimilate point and nonpoint sources of pollution • Direct and indirect impacts to natural systems • Maintenance of the function of high value water resource landscapes • The recreation potential of waterway corridors Water resource, population and economic information should be assembled and analyzed on a watershed basis to aid discussions and decision-making for planning and permitting purposes. Water resource considerations should be integrated into the planning and growth management processes for communities and regions. Considering water supply. Master plans, zoning and development ordinances should be consistent with the availability and capacity of local water resources. Some questions for communities to consider are: • Are watershed communities dependent on surface or ground water supply? • To what extent is conjunctive use of ground and surface water possible? • Are current growth management plans and zoning realistic, given water supply availability? • Is there a current or projected water supply deficit? • What options exist for enhancing water supply to support expected or desired growth and what potential impacts accompany them? • It is also important to consider the potential threats to source water supplies when reevaluating zoning and growth management plans. Considering wastewater treatment. Plans for wastewater service provision should be consistent with the growth management plans of the watershed communities and sensitive to the condition and capacity of water resources of the watershed. Decisions relating to on-site septic versus regional collection and treatment need to consider the capacity of the receiving water body to accept waste discharge, non-discharge alternatives, plans for growth into the future, and the long-term capacity of water supply sources. Typically, water supply planning and decisions about wastewater management are undertaken separately, often because the entities supplying the service operate independently of one another, and even independently of community plans. Many utility decisions for water and wastewater supply are made through utility commissions or boards that are not connected to community planning or to other agencies with interests in the provision of water services. Failure to appropriately coordinate water provision and wastewater planning can lead to serious water resource issues. For example, in order to address the pollution of coastal waters large regional plants were constructed to treat and discharge effluent beyond the shallow bays and into the ocean. Coastal areas frequently rely on ground water for potable supply, often from confined aquifers with limited rates of recharge. Where permitted development depends on the capacity of the regional wastewater treatment facilities and does not consider the sustainability of water supply, communities may experience water supply issues, including shortages and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supply sources. Respecting the assimilative capacity of hydrologic systems. Water bodies become the recipients of wastewater discharges and stormwater runoff. Healthy ecosystems tend to be resilient to some stresses, but only within limits. Understanding an ecosystem’s natural limits and linking these limits to water and land management is important for planning, and for setting goals for sustainable development. Just as communities and regional agencies consider the capacity of water and wastewater treatment plants and transportation networks, they should consider the assimilative capacities of the watershed’s hydrologic system. Alternatives to direct discharge to water bodies, and the establishment of water quality-based discharge standards are tools used to protect water resources. Considering the direct and indirect impacts to natural systems. Comprehensive planning efforts examine how water is used and the direct impacts of water withdrawals, wastewater discharges, etc. Indirect impacts include issues such as: • Increases in stormwater volume and changes in quality from expanding the amount of impervious surface • Water quality impacts from maintenance activities, such as the application of de-icing agents on roads and parking lots or fertilizer or pesticide applications for agricultural activities, golf courses, and other recreational fields • Lowering of ground water tables and impacts to streams and wetlands that can accompany increased pumping for irrigation or potable supply These issues are all linked directly to land development, although they are not necessarily integrated into planning and project permitting processes. Know your watershed. Establish what is known about local conditions by compiling an environmental inventory. The ability to accurately quantify local hydrological and ecological systems is hindered by limited data, a lack of modeling tools, and by fiscal resources. Often, a complete inventory of local conditions is necessary for improving planning and decision-making. However, there are characterization and assessment tools available for planning purposes. Watershed communities can work together, sharing the costs associated with data collection and resource protection, just as they share the benefits of a healthy watershed. • There is a need for local planning tools to assess the impacts of alternative development scenarios.

Objective(s):

3.3.A: Watershed Assessments

3.3.B: Regional Planning and Growth Management

3.3.C: Data, Tools, and Models

3.3.D: Plans and Ordinances

3.3.E: Local, Municipal, Regional, and State Plans

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