Proposed Alliance of Downriver Watersheds

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ProposedAlliance of Downriver Watersheds

• Locally Driven Watershed Management Approach to
  Storm Water Permit Compliance

April 2006
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Locally Driven Watershed Management Approach

• Need
• Continuing cooperation required to
• Restore and protect the Beneficial Uses of our
  waterways
• Meet Storm Water Permit Requirements
• Cost Savings in Working Together

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CONTINUING LOCAL INITIATIVE

• Watershed-Based Storm Water Permit
• Locally Developed Guidelines for Voluntary
  Watershed-Based Storm Water Permit - 2000
• State Adoption of Voluntary Watershed-Based Storm
  Water Permit 2001
• First Watershed Plans Developed for Seven
  Subwatersheds in neighboring Rouge River
  watershed 2002

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CONTINUING LOCAL INITIATIVE

• Watershed-Based Storm Water Permit
• Watershed Advisory Groups for Ecorse Creek,
  Combined Downriver, and Lower Huron River
  Watersheds Formed
• Inter-Municipality Committees Formed for each
  Watershed in 2003 to Develop Watershed Management
  Plans
• Watershed Plans Submitted to State Nov 2005
• IMC agreements expire 1st quarter 2006

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Institutional Arrangements Watershed-Based
Permit

• All have individual permits
• Jointly developed watershed plans
• 3 Tiers of Activity
• Local Communities and Residents
• Watershed Advisory Groups
• Regional Activities

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Review of Institutional Options

• Evaluated alternatives for continuing Locally
  Driven Cooperative Watershed Management Approach
• Voluntary
• Organized
• Reviewed other Watershed Organizations
• Watershed Alliances (under new PA 517)
• Drainage Districts (under Drain Code)
• Watershed Councils
• Other Authorities

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Act No. 517 Public Acts of 2004 Watershed
Alliance Act

• Passed unanimously by House and Senate in late
  fall 2004
• Existing statutes did not meet needs
• Designed for Other Purposes
• Constrained Voting, Actions, etc.
• Local Control Emphasized
• Signed by Governor on January 3, 2005
• First watershed alliance under new law Alliance
  of Rouge Communities (Oct 2005)

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Watershed Alliance Law (P.A. 517of 2004)

• Purpose - Designing and implementing projects and
  conducting activities to protect or enhance water
  quality and related beneficial uses, or manage
  flows to protect or reduce damage to riparian
  property and aquatic habitat.
• Members - Municipalities, counties, county
  agency, public school districts, public colleges
  or universities, or other local or regional
  public agencies
• Voluntary Membership
• Equitable membership basis

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Watershed Alliance Law(P.A.517of 2004)

• Features
• Assessments and Operating Procedures Determined
  by Members
• No New Authority to Tax or Assess Fees to Public
  or Businesses
• No New Regulatory Authority
• Emphasizes
• Local Cooperation and Control
• Forum for sharing materials/information/idea
• Reduced redundancy among communities and others

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Watershed Alliance Law (P.A. 517 of 2004)

• Authorizes
• Developing /implementing watershed plans
• Provides authority to
• Manage own money, including receiving grant
  funding
• Enter agreements (e.g., contract for services and
  staff)
• Implement joint projects
• Apply for permits on behalf of members
• Advocate for its members

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Alliance of Downriver Watersheds

• Proposed Bylaws
• Closely tracks successful MOAs for Watershed
  Inter-Municipality Committees
• Provides umbrella organization for 3 watersheds
  for common permit activities
• 1 payment per year if in 1, 2, or 3 watersheds
• Outlines Voting Members
• Cities, Townships, Villages, Counties,
  Authorities, Public Schools, College
  Universities, others with Storm Water Discharge
  Permits
• Assessments to Members Based Upon Population/Area
  Within Watershed
• Annual Member Approval of Budget/Assessments
• Terminate Membership at Anytime

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Alliance of Downriver Watersheds

• Proposed Bylaws
• Elected Officers
• Standing Committees
• Finance
• Wayne County to provide fiduciary services for
  first year
• Ecorse Creek Watershed Advisory Group
• Combined Downriver Watershed Advisory Group
• Lower Huron River Watershed Advisory Group
• Cooperating Partners

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PROPOSED ALLIANCE OF DOWNRIVER WATERSHEDS
VOTING MEMBERS Cities, Townships, Villages,
Counties Public Schools, Authorities, College
Universities With Storm Water Discharge Permits
COOPERATING PARTNERS Non-profit organizations,
businesses, residents, others
All meetings conducted in compliance with
Michigan Open Meetings Act
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Alliance of Downriver Watersheds
Proposed Budget Supports

• Permit Requirements
• Water Quality Monitoring in All Watersheds
• Measures Effectiveness of Permit Requirements
• Select Public Education Activities
• Select Illicit Discharge Elimination Activities
• Select projects identified by Watershed Advisory
  Groups
• Technical Assistance to Watershed Advisory Groups
• Advocacy for Communities on Permit Issues

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Alliance of Downriver Watersheds Storm Water
Permit Compliance

• All have individual permits
• Jointly developed watershed plans
• 3 Tiers of Activity
• Local Communities and Citizens
• Watershed Advisory Groups
• Regional Activities

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Alliance of Downriver Watersheds

• Benefits of Membership
• Reduced Storm Water Permit Costs
• Shared development of informational educational
  materials
• Cooperative Monitoring Program (required)
• Templates for required reports and plans
• Watershed Group facilitation
• Advocacy on Behalf of Members
• Permit negotiation with MDEQ
• Efficiently Addressing River Problems
• Locally driven priorities

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Remaining Impediments to Storm Water/Watershed
Management

• Lack of adequate, secure long term funding at the
  local level
• Lack of federal and state grants for
  implementation of watershed management plans
• Separate permits, IDEPs, SWPPIs, and Public Ed.
  Plans
• Duplication of effort and wasted limited
  resources that could be applied to addressing
  problems

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Working Together Makes Sense

• Communities and public agencies are obligated,
  under the terms of their storm water permit, to
  take actions to protect and improve our waterways
• Everyone will save money by working cooperatively
  to meet the obligations of their storm water
  permit
• Its working in other watersheds! River water
  quality continues to improve and people are
  returning to the river