Kelly proposes local water boards to protect water supply, environment
Published 9-18-2007

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

Water has been a pivotal issue in Volusia County politics for years. How to supply — and share — drinking water for a growing population has long been a question.

Also, the hurricanes of 2004 dramatically illustrated the need for stormwater controls, as neighborhoods across West Volusia flooded.

The public agrees there is a need to regulate and protect the water supply, but the question of exactly how to do that remains.

The ill-fated Water Authority of Volusia (WAV) was one such attempt to provide countywide regulation, and to prepare for a future that is almost certain to include finding and funding ways to get drinking water from the St. Johns River or the Atlantic Ocean.

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Group opposes Pine River water district expansion

August 28, 2007

By Dale Rodebaugh | Herald Staff Writer

Opposition is mounting to a proposal that could put the Pine River Irrigation District in the water business far beyond its current involvement.

On June 19, the district, known as PRID, applied to the 6th Judicial District water court to lease Vallecito Reservoir water for household and other uses in areas outside the district, including the Florida River drainage and part of the Animas River basin.

On Monday, Caryl Helmin-Schmid filed a statement of opposition to PRID's application with the water court.

"I encourage individuals and ditch companies to protect their water rights," Helmin-Schmid said in an interview. "If this (PRID) application is approved it could destroy agriculture."

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Collaboration Between Local and Central Government ‘Key Factor’ in Meeting Global Goals on Water

On the final day of the World Water Forum in Mexico City, 2006, governments recognised the role played by local authorities in water management in the final declaration and attached the Local Government Declaration on Water as a formal outcome document. Paragraph 9: Governments ‘Recognize the importance role that parliamentarians and local authorities are playing in various countries to increase sustainable access to water and sanitation services as well as to support integrated water resource management. An efficient collaboration with and between these actors is a key factor to meet our water related challenges and goals.’ Paragraph 10: Governments ‘Note with appreciation the work of stakeholders at the regional preparatory process towards the 4th WWF as well as during the Forum itself, and take note of the documental output of the said regional preparatory stakeholder process, included as annex to this declaration. As appropriate, this output can be used as source of information for our tasks. We also thank participating parliamentarians and local authorities for their valuable views and opinions expressed during our joint working session at the Fourth World water Forum, and note of their statements included as annex to this declaration.’

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Dar, Nairobi, discuss Mara River water use

MUGINI JACOB in Musoma Daily News; Monday,August 13, 2007 @00:04

SENIOR government officials from Tanzania and Kenya have met to lay out strategies geared at ensuring that Mara River basin water resources are properly utilised for the benefit of the two countries. The officials, mainly drawn from the ministries of water and agriculture, met here last week for the two days’ meeting organised by Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) that is implementing Mara River Basin project in Kenya and Tanzania. The officials, who are also members of the Mara River Basin project steering committee, underscored the need by the two East African Community (EAC) partner states to utilise the basin’s water resources equitably and share it for the benefit of their people. The regional project steering committee chairman, Mr Fred Mwango, described the river that runs through Masai Mara Game Reserve on the Kenya side and the world famous Serengeti National Park as the common heritage that the two countries were blessed with. Full Story

Space-borne Sensors Help Africa Tackle Water Shortage Problems

Science Daily — Zambian water authorities are integrating information based on satellite imagery to alleviate water shortages. With inadequate information causing many water-related problems, an ESA project has generated a variety of environmental maps to provide local policy makers with the necessary tools for effective water resource management.

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