Michigan’s farms depend on reliable access to water within the Great Lakes Basin – the world’s largest source of fresh water. Protecting this shared resource must be balanced with policies that maintain the competitiveness and viability of Michigan agriculture.
Burdensome regulation is not necessary to safeguard the Basin and could undermine agricultural productivity and economic growth. Any legislation or permitting system must protect existing rights and ensure timely, science-based, and farmer-focused processes.
Any new laws must include the following protections:
- No fees shall ever be charged for agricultural water use.
- Existing documented surface and groundwater uses and sites that predate Michigan’s water withdrawal law must be grandfathered in as registered uses and sites.
- Permits for withdrawals supplying a common agricultural distribution system of less than two million gallons per day in any 90-day consecutive period must be handled by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
We support:
- The State of Michigan making timely approvals of agricultural water withdrawals.
- MDARD serving as the primary department for agricultural water use reporting and conflict resolution.
Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool
Michigan has implemented an online science-based water withdrawal assessment tool (WWAT). As there are significant differences between Michigan regions regarding water availability and use, we recognize a “one size fits all” solution may not be the best answer. The process has experienced complications and technical difficulties. According to the Michigan Geological Survey, the current data used in the WWAT is insufficient to adequately map and assess Michigan’s groundwater resources to consider applications for groundwater withdrawal. Although the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) reported the WWAT provides automatic authorization for withdrawals in nearly 70 percent of all applications statewide, Michigan Farm Bureau believes continued improvement of the WWAT is needed, including but not limited to the following:
Continued MFB leadership in implementing and improving the WWAT, including assembling a working group of people with professional expertise in hydrology and geology to review and make recommendations on improving the WWAT, site-specific review, model development, and benefits of creating a mediation process for disputes of water withdrawal decisions.
Enhanced data collection and model updates using peer-reviewed scientific research so streamflow depletion predictions agree with actual water withdrawal depletions.
- Continued refinement of the WWAT accounting for regional variability and privately collected data.
- Legislation or legal action requiring EGLE to update the WWAT and the site-specific review process based upon the latest research data and enhanced models.
- Third-party verification of WWAT accuracy.
- Exemptions from the WWAT where the potential for adverse resource impact is negligible based on field data.
- Private, peer-reviewed research to be accepted by EGLE and MDARD.
- Developing and using a standardized template for high-capacity agricultural water withdrawal site-specific reviews.
- Completing the Southwest Michigan Water Use Study to improve the WWAT modeling.
- Implementing and requiring the use of PA 209 of 2018 which modernized the site-specific review process with updated modeling and clearer timeframes for EGLE review.
We oppose:
- Filing fees for agricultural water use reporting.
- Fraudulent use of the WWAT to register water withdrawals.