Water extraction moratorium meeting for Garland residents

To the Editor;
There will be a public meeting for all Garland residents on Tuesday evening, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Garland Town Office general meeting room concerning a proposed moratorium on all commercial water extraction projects for the coming year. Potluck will also be provided.
The Garland Planning Board is currently researching water issues in the town with an eye toward a possible water extraction ordinance in light of the severe drought that plagued the region this past year and its effects on the water supplies of many town residents. Some people saw their wells run dry and most of us noticed that streams and ponds became very low and some even dried up completely because of a lack of rain combined with sustained warm temperatures for much of the year, especially during summer and fall. It is quite possible that a changing climate could make such droughts more numerous and severe in the coming years. So, we need to understand the true nature of our water resources much better in order to insure adequate supplies for residents, farmers, and businesses alike.
There is also the very real possibility that large corporations which sell bottled water might target Garland as a desirable place to set up a water extraction operation simply because we have excellent water that has usually been plentiful up until now. But nobody really knows just how sustainable a large scale water extraction operation would be since there are many questions that need to be answered concerning where and how large bodies of ground water happen to underlie the town, what their recharge rates are, and how they interact with regional aquifers and surface water bodies.
The Planning Board intends to submit a warrant article outlining such a moratorium at the 2017 March Town Meeting good for six months and with the option for the Select Board to extend the moratorium for an additional six months. This should be sufficient time to give the Planning Board the opportunity to determine if such an ordinance is needed and what it should include based on solid evidence and careful research.
Members of the Planning Board will be present at the public meeting on February 14 to discuss the reasons for the moratorium and a possible follow-up ordinance and to answer any question that residents might have concerning this action. We hope for a large turnout and a thoughtful and comprehensive discussion of the issues involved in taking such a step.
For further information, call 924-3836 me or the town clerk and/or administrative assistant at 924-3163.
Ed Hummel, chair
Garland Planning Board