House Bill No. 5802
Special Act No. 06-9
AN ACT CONCERNING WATER BASINS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2006) (a) The Connecticut Institute of Water Resources at The University of Connecticut, in consultation with the advisory board of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, shall, within the bond allocation provided for such purposes, conduct a study of the scientific and legal structure needed to conduct effective basin level water allocation planning and any significant impediments to said planning. Such study shall to the greatest extent practicable within the bond allocation:
(1) Evaluate existing basin studies, including the level of available and required data, to develop guidance for state-wide water planning, including an analysis of the transferability of such studies to other regional or subregional basins, and the costs associated with acquiring that data;
(2) Integrate diversion data collected pursuant to section 22a-368a of the general statutes into geospatial and modeling formats consistent with United States Geological Survey data protocols beginning with those subregional watershed basins selected for water allocation planning studies pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection and, within available appropriations, other subregional watershed basins;
(3) Implement water allocation planning studies for three subregional watershed basins selected by the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources to reflect a range of stream conditions, from stressed to near natural, based on available data and the range of existing and potential water use intensities. Such water allocation planning studies shall include the collection and evaluation of existing technical and scientific data and an assessment of any additional data needs to conduct effective basin planning;
(4) Develop and document a water allocation planning model for a selected basin, which shall include stakeholder involvement and shall identify ways to best manage the water resource to promote ecological protection while providing for the needs and requirements of public health, flood control, industry, public utilities, water supply, public safety, agricultural and other lawful uses of such waters.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2007, the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources shall submit a status report of its progress in completing the study pursuant to this section, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and public health and to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Health. Not later than two years after the date of receipt of the bond allocation provided for the purpose of the study pursuant to this section, the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources shall submit a report containing the results of the study conducted pursuant to this section to said committees and departments.
Approved June 7, 2006