Bill > H976

This bill proposes several key changes to water resource management in Massachusetts, focusing on refining the definition and calculation of "safe yield" - a technical term describing the maximum amount of water that can be withdrawn from a water source annually without permanently depleting it. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to redefine safe yield as the maximum dependable water withdrawals that can be made from ground or surface water sources without depleting them beyond their natural replenishment capacity, taking into account storage capabilities and drought probabilities. The bill mandates that DEP recalculate safe yield for each water basin in Massachusetts, with a particular focus on summer months and considering existing reservoir storage, and requires these calculations to be updated at least every 10 years. Additionally, the bill instructs DEP to calculate safe yield at the sub-basin level and incorporate United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow data when evaluating water withdrawal permits, which will allow for more granular and precise water resource management. These provisions aim to improve water resource planning, conservation, and sustainability by ensuring more accurate and up-to-date assessments of water availability.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H976