Joint Resolution
Whatcom County Council
No. 92-73
Bellingham City Council No. 92-68
Water District 10 No. 560
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CITY
OF BELLINGHAM, WHATCOM COUNTY, AND WATER DISTRICT 10 ADOPTING
GOALS FOR THE LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED.
WHEREAS, Lake Whatcom and its
associated watersheds, is currently the source of drinking water
for approximately half the residents in the County; and
WHEREAS, water quality and quantity
concerns throughout the county now and in the future will significantly
impact the availability of safe, adequate supplies of water for
the future; and
WHEREAS, many potential and
actual documented sources of contamination exist within the Lake
Whatcom watershed with particular concerns associated with development
and urbanization within the watershed; and
WHEREAS, numerous studies exist
across the United States which document the correlation between
urbanization and water quality degradation, and as development
increases within the watershed, the probability of adverse water
quality impacts increases; and
WHEREAS, the Stormwater Runoff
Project conducted by Western Washington University in 1990-1991
provided local documentation illustrating the occurrence of water
quality degradation associated with urbanized vs. non-urbanized
areas; and
WHEREAS, protection of the resource
is in the long run generally less than the cost of treatment or
replacement of the supply should it become contaminated; and
WHEREAS, the potential for adverse
short and long-term public health impacts is substantially less
if protection efforts are given priority over treatment; and
WHEREAS, the adoption of common
goals will aid the City, County and Water District 10 in carrying
out activities that will protect, preserve and enhance water resources
in the Lake Whatcom Watershed.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
BY THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM, WHATCOM COUNTY AND WATER DISTRICT 10
that the following general goal statements are hereby adopted,
as well as the specific goal statements which are attached hereto:
General Goal Statements:
To recognize Lake Whatcom and
its watershed as the major drinking-water reservoir for the County
and develop public and private management principles for the lake
and watershed consistent with a drinking water reservoir environment.
Affirm this goal by establishing the name: Lake Whatcom Reservoir.
To protect, preserve and enhance
water quality and manage water quantity to ensure long-term sustainable
supplies for a variety of uses, with priority placed on domestic
water supply. Management programs and actions will be made in
recognition of existing contractual agreements and potential for
review and renegotiation in light of these goals.
To prioritize protection over
treatment in managing Lake Whatcom and its watersheds. Management
actions shall reflect a long term view of replacement or treatment
costs.
To manage water quantity to
sustain long-term efficient use of the water for beneficial uses
within the county that are consistent with a drinking-water reservoir,
and recognize the integral link with the Nooksack River and associated
water resource concerns.
To ensure that opportunities
for public comment and participation are provided in policy and
management program development, and to promote public awareness
and responsible individual actions.
To promote learning, research,
and information opportunities which better our understanding of
the watershed system, the impacts of activities, and the benefits
and potentials of policies implemented.
[The above resolution was
signed by Bellingham Council President on November 30, 1992, Whatcom
County Council Chair on November 30, 1992 and by Water District
10 Commissioners on December 11, 1992.]
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