| Jan. 17, 2003
News Release Many Issaquah Creek Valley residents depend upon groundwater to provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water for their homes or businesses. To protect this valuable resource, the Issaquah Creek Valley Groundwater Protection Committee was formed to provide oversight, coordination and technical advice regarding the implementation of the area's groundwater management plan. The first Issaquah Creek Valley committee meeting will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 30, in the Eagle Room at the Issaquah Police Station (130 East Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA). The meeting is open to the public. Nearly 30 percent of King County residents depend upon groundwater to provide clean, safe and reliable drinking water for their homes or businesses. To protect this vital resource, the King County Council unanimously passed an ordinance establishing a countywide groundwater protection program (October 2001). Among other provisions, the ordinance created three groundwater protection committees for the Vashon-Maury Island, East King County and the Issaquah Creek Valley areas. A separate ordinance created a groundwater protection committee for the Redmond Bear Creek area. Each of these four areas developed a geographically specific plan identifying a set of activities intended to protect water quality and quantity within its boundaries. Five groundwater management areas were created in the late 1980's and local groups within each area worked on developing groundwater protection plans. Four such King County groundwater protection plans have been completed and certified through a cooperative process that involved locally based water utilities, health officials, city governments, County departments, and state agencies-a process that took nearly a decade. These plans recommended that locally based committees with a diverse membership oversee their implementation. Under the Council's ordinances, the new Groundwater Protection Committees will provide oversight, coordination and technical advice regarding the implementation of the individual groundwater management plans. Committee members represent a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds, including water purveyors, water and sewer utilities, municipalities, unincorporated areas, residential well users, business, agriculture, chambers of commerce, environmental organizations and (if they choose to participate) tribal nations with federally-recognized rights. The Washington State departments of Ecology and Health as well as Public Health--Seattle & King County may participate in each committee on a non-voting basis. Committee members are appointed by the County Executive subject to confirmation by the County Council. The Vashon-Maury Island committee was the first to meet - convening their first meeting in December of 2001. The East King County and Redmond Bear Creek committees met for the first time this last fall and now the Issaquah Creek Valley committee will kick off their work with this first meeting on Jan. 30. The County Council reviewed four of the groundwater protection plans in 1998, and the state certified them in 2000. Collectively, the four certified plans cover 18 percent of the area within King County. A plan for the fifth King County groundwater management area, South King County, has been drafted. Once the plan is finalized, it will go to the County Council for review before being submitted to the state for certification. For additional information please contact Sarah Ogier at (206) 263-6159 or visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/wq/groundwater.htm.
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