 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Washington Post, 2/20/02: Declines in Aquifers Concern
Lawmakers
Maryland lawmakers have asked Gov. Parris N. Glendening to consider regulating access to the state's aquifers because of concerns that overdevelopment and a persistent drought could eventually combine to sap the state of its underground water supply. Seventy-two members of the General Assembly have signed a letter to Glendening (D) requesting that he create a special commission to figure out how to reverse the decline of several large aquifers tapped by residents of four Maryland counties as well as parts of Virginia. Across the region, aquifers, streams and reservoirs have neared record lows in recent months. The shortage is so severe that Frederick officials imposed a virtual ban on development, and Baltimore's main reservoir now is at 61 percent of capacity -- the lowest ever for this time of year. But lawmakers said an even greater concern may be long-term declines in aquifers that supply tap water to much of Southern Maryland -- including parts of Prince George's, Anne Arundel, St. Mary's and Calvert counties. Water levels in one aquifer dropped 40 feet over the past 20 years. "With these levels dropping by a foot or two each year, it doesn't take a scientist to conclude that, if this keeps going, we will be facing a municipal water crisis," said Del. Richard D'Amato (D-Anne Arundel), who drafted the letter. "It's time to start looking at this." Worries about water are relatively new for Maryland and Virginia, which have historically enjoyed rich supplies both under and above ground. Over the past several decades, though, rapid growth and a drier climate have taken a toll on those once-bountiful reserves.Although water supplies for the most part remain adequate, experts said they believe there may soon be cause for concern. "The water is being mined," said Gustav E. Jackson, a hydrologic engineer from the University of Maryland. "It is not being replaced as fast as it's being withdrawn." That reality has raised concern for several years among members of the Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association, a 35-year-old nonprofit citizens group whose members first suggested lawmakers consider having the state manage its water supply, much as western states have done for decades. That could mean conducting a scientific study to determine how much water an aquifer could stand to lose without risking depletion, and restricting future development so too many users are not dipping into the same source. Pat Burroughs, a past president of the group who moved to southern Anne Arundel County in 1964, says she had a firsthand look at the seriousness of the decline when the well she had used for three decades ran dry, and she was forced to drill deeper to hit water. "In the time I've lived here, the water level of our aquifer has dropped 35 feet," Burroughs said. "I have to believe that if it continues without any kind of regulation, the aquifer we use will be depleted." She and other group members approached lawmakers about the problem, and they drafted the letter to Glendening. Del. Virginia P. Clagett (D-Anne Arundel) said she is counting on the governor to take action. "We've been trying to shout 'Help!' for some time," she said. Michael Morrill, spokesman for Glendening, declined to comment yesterday. But a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources said officials there have recognized there may be a problem. The department is overseeing a federally funded study, scheduled to be finished in June, that attempts to determine how much development is straining water resources in Southern Maryland. Scientists with the United States Geological Survey, which tracks water supplies in the mid-Atlantic, said it is not known how many gallons residential users are drawing from underground aquifers. "But cumulatively, we have to assume there are probably some fairly significant amounts coming out," said Ward W. Staubitz, the agency's Virginia District chief. "And the urban and industrial use has been expanding." That no one knows just how
many years the aquifers have left before supplies of water become scarce
is the greatest concern, D'Amato said. "This is not something we want to
have catch us by surprise."
© 2002 The Washington
Post Company
Site by:
|
