[ayssocial_buttons id=”1″]
On Sunday, April 7th, BWS, with the support of the Fanny Bay Community Association, held a town hall meeting to discuss our water supply. ( )The attendance exceeded our most optimistic expectations. We had hoped for 50 or 60 and there were 130 people who showed up. Clearly, folks are concerned about water. Pat Lapcevic and William Shulba each presented information about aquifers in general. The information was detailed and highlighted the complexity of water issues. After the two speakers finished their presentations a number of people stayed to discuss ideas and concerns. The topics raised included:
Threats
- Possible fracking or mining
- Housing development
- Salt water intrusion in wells and aquifers
- Contamination by grey water or chemicals
- Forestry practices within our watersheds
- Industrial use of water: bottling, fish hatcheries, etc.
Knowledge Gaps
- Lack of information on local aquifers and watersheds
- Uncertainty as to the effects of climate change
Actions
- Water conservation
- Ground water mapping
- Public ownership of watersheds to allow control of activities affecting water
- Building relationships with governmental agencies and advocating for regulation
- Rain water capture
If you missed the event, or if you’ve thought of other things that you would like to have discussed, please comment below, or go to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/beaushedstewards/
We billed this event as an intro to aquifers and watersheds. The title of the event was “Well of Plenty or Edge of Crisis?” One common remark afterwards was that this question hadn’t been answered during the presentation. Unfortunately, while the title of the event represents the uncertainty surrounding our water in coming years, we don’t have the answer. Our intent was to stimulate conversation about the problem. Clearly we need more information and getting that information will take work. We’re encouraged that so many people want to know the answer too. We will continue, with your support, to press for answers, to gather data and to advocate for our watersheds.
Please consider joining the BWS and contributing your ideas and support.