Why have WUCs not formed yet?
There are several reasons why WUCs have not yet formed, Zwickle says. One reason is a lack of trust. Water users don’t trust the state so they are hesitant to come together and discuss anything related to reducing their usage. Water users range in fields from agriculture, and car manufacturers to businesses like ski resorts and golf courses.
Another reason is the lack of perceived scarcity, Zwickle says. There are only a few places in the state that are water-stressed, and water users in those areas tend to be skeptical that those areas are actually stressed.
“It’s because it’s very watershed dependent,” Zwickle says. “You and I can live across the road from each other and you’re in one watershed and I’m in the other and yours is totally fine and you can pump as much water as you want and I’m in a zone that’s classified as having a negative impact on the stream so I either need to reduce my water usage or something else needs to happen.”
Scope of the issue
We find it hard to believe being surrounded by one-fifth of the earth's freshwater that there are places where groundwater is becoming more scarce, Zwickle says. But, it’s projected that with climate change and increased use, the number of stressed areas will increase.
In Michigan, we determine the amount of available water for human use based on the index flow of a stream, he says. So surface water and groundwater go into the same calculation because taking out that groundwater will, in most cases reduce the stream flow.
“Looking at the surface area of Michigan, the vast majority of the state is fine,” Zwickle says. “But then you get these little pockets where things are not fine and that’s where water scarcity becomes an issue.”
That’s where this guide comes in and helps water users walk through a process of creating a shared understanding of their watershed, developing a collaborative water use agreement, and working with the state to get it approved, Zwickle says.
“Right now what happens is water users will get a letter once their watershed is flagged through the Michigan Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool that essentially makes no sense,” he says. “And then they’re left wondering what to do so. Perhaps in the future that letter can come with this guide and we hope that’s going to be a lot more helpful.”
Looking ahead
“The hope behind these water user committees is that there are ways that water users can figure out amongst themselves how to meet the state’s legal mandate of protecting stream index flow,” he says. “Giving them a list of potential solutions can help start the conversation.”
It’s also been shown that putting more decision-making power into local resource users, as opposed to the state, results in more sustainable natural resource use, he says.
“In Michigan, we have the ability to give some flexibility to local water users but there are significant barriers in place that are precluding those groups from forming and those barriers are a lack of trust in EGLE and a confusing and vague water law,” he says.
Zwickle hopes this is the first step in empowering more collaborative water management at the local level and more sustainable water use across the state.
Story by Genevieve Fox
